Girly Hearts

Here's a sweet lap quilt for Valentine's Day that's fun and easy to sew.

Pink scrappy hearts float on a lavender floral background, with a border of parallelograms around the perimeter. Girly Hearts is 48” square, and quilted with white thread in a free motion meandering stitch. I stitched and quilted on Janelle, my Janome MC9450 machine.

The Half Hearted die from Blue Wren is definitely one I'll use again. I actually sewed this quilt in December 2024, before packing up everything for our move. 

I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head that I don't know what to do next. Good thing I have a pending projects list, although it is getting longer and longer.

My current focus is cutting into my mountain of remnants. I can't stand to throw away even the smallest bits of fabric! Thankfully some of my dies can cut tiny pieces so I don't have to do it with scissors like our grannies did. Watch for lots of wild colorful quilts later this year.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
  6911 Half Hearted 9” block
  6015 Strips 1½”

Accuquilt
  55004 Parallelograms 3”
 55008 HST 3”

Knockout

Knockout

All these colors and circles make me so happy! It was a pleasure to design and sew this bright 50” square lap quilt. It started with a slightly different layout, but sometimes I let the fabric tell me what it wants to be.

The large Amy Butler print gave me color guidance and I pulled scraps and pieces from my stash to coordinate the prints. Yellow, blue, pink, green, melon, aqua, and lime make a glorious splash, don't they?

Simple 12” blocks made with Blue Wren's Curve in a Square 6” die made quick work of this one. I quilted in randomly spaced rows with yellow thread and a rolling wave ruler on my Janome. The backing is a solid yellow sheet; binding is wider than normal to showcase the large print.

It is, I believe, a Knockout! I'll make it again with different colors.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6602 Curve in a Square 6” quarter square
Accuquilt 55032 Strips 3” finished (for binding)

Update on the week's weather: We did not get 24” of snow last Saturday, it was more like 2” with the unfortunate 1/4” ice topping that made everything slick and dangerous. No power outage for us, however our home town had to deal with slightly more snow and twice the ice, causing nearly a week without electricity and limited travel due to falling trees, power lines, and unsafe roads. Winter in Tennessee can be a challenge.

 

Christmas Challenge

Another UFO turned into a practical item!  During my recent closet cleanout, I found an experimental block that I created several years ago using chisels and parallelograms. Stored in the ziplock bag with it I found scraps and more cut shapes. This, my friends, was like a challenge to me. I just had to make something out of it.

Back and front view of Christmas Challenge placemats

I decided to whip up a couple of holiday place mats for our kitchen bar. Adding 2" strip borders made the blocks the right size. A rose and holly print remnant was found in my stash for backing.  I used champagne colored thread with an eyelash serpentine stitch for quilting across the blocks diagonally.

Christmas Challenge place mats finished out at 15” square. I enjoyed playing with fabric, used another piece of material, and eliminated one of my unfinished objects. What could be better on a December day?

Lakeside Picnic - Better Late Than Never

You never know what you'll find when you start cleaning out a closet, especially in a sewing room. Maybe treasures, maybe trash, usually both. My normal responses vary from “Oh wow!” and “I remember that fabric” to “Why did I even keep that?” or “What the hell was I thinking?”

This little quilt is one of two pretty unfinished quilt tops I found stashed in an unlabeled box. Looking back at my quilt diary, I worked on it in the summer of 2013. I'm not sure why I laid it aside, but the pieced backing and the border fabric was stored with it. I probably had several projects going at once and it got lost in the shuffle. But here it is now, all finished.

A simple rail fence block is arranged using blue prints alternating with a green & white check. Borders are a lovely solid green and a blue floral. I think it has a 1930's vibe going. The back is pieced with wide and narrow stacked strips. I quilted the center section using a straight stitch in green thread, following the rails. On the borders, I changed to a multi zig-zag utility stitch.

Lakeside Picnic is 45” square and ready to use now that it rested for 11 years. The other top with backing has been added to the To Be Quilted shelf in my decluttered and organized closet. You'll see it soon, I hope.

Better late than never!

Camping, Scraps, and A Clever Substitute

Obey River, Dale Hollow Dam Campground

We're home from an interesting trip to Dale Hollow Dam Campground. First, it rained every day...Hurricane Helene remnants...but thankfully no flooding or wind damage at our campsite or our house. I'm so sorry for everyone who has been devastated by this unbelievable storm.

After we determined we were safe, our stay was actually very quiet and relaxing. Soft rain on the roof was nice and the campground was less than half full because of cancellations. A few days there were only a dozen sites occupied. We had plenty to do: tablets loaded with books, movies on a hard drive, and fairly good internet access. We cooked some nice meals, ate delicious Mexican food at Los Primos in Celina, and walked the trail in between showers.

Of course, there was sewing! I brought along my Featherweight (Annie), bins of cut pieces for blocks to make two quilts, plus some random scraps. As I set up my sewing station, I realized that I forgot my thread stand. Huh. I tried putting the cone thread in a cup, but it wasn't working well.

My clever husband pulled two items out of his tool kit: Vise-grips and a long screwdriver. I added a little binder clip to the top as a thread guide and it worked a treat! It never hurts to have a backup plan or the ingenuity to create an alternative.  A bit of redneck in us, I guess.  We could have gotten extra points if we had also used wire-ties and duct tape. 

We made the best of a rainy escape, plus came home relaxed and happy. And I have two nearly finished quilt tops ready to sandwich and stitch. That's a story for another day. See ya next week!

 

Honey Sweet

Here's an adorable quilt for a cute little sweetheart.

Baby quilts are always fun to make, but this one was particularly special since I included fabric given to me by the little one's grandmama.

Soft peachy pink, muted aqua and shiny gold arrows blend well with a light gold batik dot fabric. Hexagons and triangles are arranged in a honeycomb style design.

For quilting, I created a new allover pattern using a curved ruler with light tan thread. I really like the results and will use it again.

Honey Sweet finished at 40” square. It's been done for a while but finally found its way home this past weekend.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6808 Hexagon Set 3” sides

Accuquilt 55032 Strips 3" finished

American Pie

American Pie

Curved seam lines with red, white, and blue prints give this striking quilt a patriotic vibe.

The 12” blocks make it quick and easy to cut and sew. American Pie finished at 48” square. I quilted with white thread, using a circle ruler template for the loopy design.

Striped red and blue binding finished it off perfectly. All piecing and quilting was done on my Janome MC 9450.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6602 Curve in a Square 6” quarter block
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½”

Grateful for our military personnel, 

past and present

Sundance

Sundance

Bright yellow and orange batiks stand out against cool pale blue in this week's quilt. I was working on it back in August when the temps hit the high 90's.

Classic palm blocks look complicated but are relatively easy to sew. There are a lot of pieces, though. I stacked them by the machine in order so I wouldn't mix them up while sewing. Having an iron and pressing mat next to me helped as well.

I added 3” borders, so Sundance finished at 55” square. Quilting with pale blue thread, I sewed a serpentine stitch 4” apart in a grid pattern.

I can't wait to try other color combinations and layouts, maybe even a scrappy version. So many possibilities!

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6359 Palm 8” finished

Accuquilt
55032 Strips 3½” borders
55017 Strips 2½” binding

Glory

Here's a Memorial Day quilt in honor of those heroes who gave their lives for our freedom.

This off-center star is made up of parallelograms in red, blue, white and cream small print scraps. 

Starting with an eight pointed star, I fine tuned the layout on my design wall, using color value to emphasize the star shapes. 

Simple straight stitch quilting with a walking foot and white thread was done in four sections, following seam lines. Glory is 50” square.

Accuquilt dies used:
55809 Parallelogram (10” Qube)
55017 Strip 2½”

Back To The Sixties

What a fun quilt! Diamond rectangles are wild and crazy showcasing fabric from my large collection of scraps.

I'm trying to use up those leftovers before they take over the sewing room. As soon as this die arrived from Australia, I began cutting colorful pieces for this quilt.

As I laid the blocks on my design wall, my husband mentioned that it looked like a quilt from the sixties. While several of those vintage scraps may actually be from that era, most of them are newer.

Back To The Sixties is 48” square. I quilted with dark gray thread along the diamond seam lines in a straight stitch, using a walking foot. These rectangle blocks are 4” x 8”, and Blue Wren also has a 3” x 6” version (I bought that one too). Both would be nice used as borders or sashing.

While I had the remnants pulled out, I cut an additional bonus quilt using different dies. I like having one or two ready and waiting for me to sew. My idea list is long enough that I'll probably never finish them all. But I will do my best.


Dies used:
Blue Wren 6380 Diamond in Rectangle 4” x 8” finished
Accuquilt 55017 Strip 2½”

Golden Galaxy

Yesterday I finished a lovely autumn table mat for our dining room. Shades of gold batik along with brown and black prints show up nicely on a background of toasty taupe.

I used the Star Links die from Blue Wren, which looks complicated but is really very easy to sew. I previewed color placement in EQ8 before cutting.  

A simple quilting pattern emphasizes the block design. I used taupe thread in a straight stitch, making a 1½” grid. Golden Galaxy finished at 36” square.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6967 Star Links 12” finished

Accuquilt 55017 Strip 2½”

 

Corner Bar

Modern and colorful, today's quilt features bright scraps paired with crisp white muslin. This classic nine-patch was fun and easy to make.

I used the square and stem sections of the Maple Leaf die to construct 8” blocks. They are arranged on point with 1” sashing between, and setting triangles for sides and corners. I used EQ8 to preview color placement, then laid out the blocks on my design wall as I sewed them.

Corner Bar is 54” square. I quilted with white polyester embroidery thread to add some shine to the stitching. I used a walking foot to create random square and rectangular patterns across the whole quilt. Gray and white stripes for the binding finish it off nicely.

I'll make this one again, perhaps in pastels or a monochrome scheme. Oh, the possibilities!

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55195 Maple Leaf BOB 8” finished
55553 Setting Triangles 10”
55017 Strip 2½”
Blue Wren
6015 1½” strips (sashing)

Triumphant

Another scrappy quilt! The calming navy, blue, and taupe colors are jazzed up with coral, sea green and bright cream.

I used dies to cut the triangles and 60 degree diamonds, but I had to rotary cut those pesky trapezoids. Whew, this one makes me appreciate the time saving, ease, and accuracy of dies. 

While I worked, I thought about how our grannies carefully hand cut all their pieces with scissors, using paper templates pinned onto the material. They were certainly dedicated to their sewing!

Triumphant, Jan. 2022

I named this one Triumphant, to match my mood once it was done. I like the way the diamonds form six pointed stars where they join. I already have another design in mind to emphasize those stars. I quilted with cream thread in a straight stitch along the seams. It finished out 47” x 51” in size.

You'd think my scrap bin would be smaller by now, but it seems like I have more than ever. It's a good thing I love those remnants.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6361 Traveler Star (diamonds)
Accuquilt 55429 Equilateral Triangle

Déjà vu

I'm loving the spring weather, except for last week's Red Bud Winter, when I had to cover my budding azaleas and tender hosta with sheets.

I did finish another scrap quilt with a definite spring feel. This vintage block was published as far back as the 1890's and has several names: Monkey Wrench, Double Wrench, Bride's Knot, Maltese Cross, and Churn Dash. I'm sure it was stitched long before those dates.

For my version, I turned the block on point and added narrow yellow sashing in between. I named it Déjà vu because all of the fabric was left over from other quilting projects. Quilting was done diagonally in both directions, using a pretty picot stitch with yellow thread. It finished out at 48” square.

Deja vu - Useful Remnants

I so enjoy creating vintage style quilts. Even though some of the prints are clearly modern, it has an antique look overall. And it's a bonus to use remnants instead of new yardage. Must be the genes from my ancestors to save every little scrap.

I'm going outside to play today, after I tackle a couple more spring cleaning tasks. It's blissful to take advantage of sunshine and pretty weather when you can.

Accuquilt dies:
55031 Half Square Triangle 4” finished
55059 Square 2½” multiples
55017 Strip 2½” (binding)

Blue Wren 6015 1½” Strips (sashing)

Crimson Crossing

I've gone off the reservation again, experimenting with quilt blocks. I clearly don't always follow the rules. This time I added a few elements to the Crossed Canoe die to create a double canoe pattern.

Four blocks together make an eight pointed star. There's a bonus secondary canoe design where the small triangles meet. I used EQ8 software to draw a new block and preview color placement. 

Here's how I laid them out. I pressed the center seams open to reduce bulk, then pressed toward the corner triangles.

I chose fabric in shades of red to contrast with neutral cream and stone prints. So many little pieces to make those 64 small blocks. I did a lot of moving around on my design wall before finalizing the layout. 

Crimson Crossing is 48” square and features double picot stitch in tan thread, quilting in a 3” grid with a walking foot. The backing is a dark red print, binding is red and cream stripe.

Crimson Crossing

Sewing this took up most of my week, but I loved every minute. Yesterday I took a break and cleaned the sewing room.  Neat space is all ready for my next creation.  

Accuquilt Dies used:
55181 Crossed Canoes
55009 Half Square Triangles 3” finished
55017 2½” strip

Doing

what you like

is freedom.

Liking

what you do

is happiness.

 

Down In Mississippi

This week's quilt is made with a vintage block called Mississippi. I used light fabrics in lime, aqua, lavender and cream. The large 13” blocks were easy to cut with AccuQuilt dies. I used a Blue Wren strip cutter die for the narrow sashing.

Down In Mississippi finished out at 45” x 60” size. I quilted with cream thread, using Angela Walters' Elvira ruler to free motion stitch wavy lines. It was great practice and so enjoyable.

Down In Mississippi

I've had plenty of time to quilt the past two weeks, since we haven't left the house because of that nasty virus. It isn't a hardship to stay in because my home is a refuge, a place where I'm comfortable and happy.

I like puttering around, sitting on the porch, hanging out with my husband. I can always find something to do. So far, we have enough supplies and food. I really don't like grocery shopping anyway, so I haven't missed that a bit.  My fabric inventory would probably sustain me for a year.  

I wish more people would take this pandemic seriously and just stay at home. Sure, I miss breakfast at our favorite diner, our April camping trip was canceled, I'd like to shop for spring flowers, and I won't get my hair cut on schedule. But I don't think any of that is more important than our health or our lives.

The number of cases, and sadly, the death toll is rising quickly.  STAY HOME, PEOPLE!!

Accuquilt dies used:

55010 5” Square charm

55147 Half square triangle 2 ¼” finished

55731 Signature 4 ½” finished

Blue Wren die used:

6015 1 ½” strip cutter

Sewing Bonanza!

I found another yard sale bonanza last Friday: a liquidation of an entire sewing room. Dozens of large tubs of fabric, thread, zippers and buttons, all sorted and labeled! 

I bought ALL the thread and buttons, some fabric and zippers, along with notions, plastic storage trays and a rolling storage cart. Over 330 spools of thread, 105 cones of serger thread, about 50 zippers, 72 yards of fabric, and THOUSANDS of buttons. Most of the fabric was apparel blends, or I would have bought more.

I've been doing happy dances all weekend, thinking of ways to use everything.  It's like winning the sewing lottery. I am energized, happily merging this wonderful find into my already well stocked studio.  I shouldn't have to shop for thread or buttons for a long, long time.

Thanks to LeAnne for the opportunity to keep part of her mom's sewing collection alive and useful.  My space will need to be reorganized to fit everything in, but that's half the fun. My husband is trying to decide whether or not to reinforce the floors on this end of the house.

Do not question 

the size of my fabric/thread/button stash...

unless you think it should be bigger!