Being pulled ...

... in so many different directions, it is hard to keep up.

My apple core top that I recently started will end up as a small hanging.  I realized that my process was the hard way and it will end at this size.  An explanation will be forth coming when I start a new one.  It was a good learning process for me and that is a good thing.  Got to think positive!

A neighbour will soon be returning to live in Portugal.  His life here in Canada has come to an end and we will be sorry to see him go.  As a farewell gift, a number of neighbours have decided that a quilt in autumn colours would be the perfect send off gift.  There will be signature blocks in the corners of the outer borders.   I'm loving this quilt so much that I will be making another quilt for DH and I. 

My hexagon quilt is in the last stages of completion.  Just one more border to be bound, then a hanging sleeve and label will be soon added.

Have a great day!

If you are not reading this post on www.appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com or http://www.quilterblogs.com/, it is pirated content!  No other websites are authorized to use my work.   Please click the above links to go to my real sites and please help spread the word about this scrapper site’s unethical use of other people’s work. 

We quilters are just fed up with this abuse!

April OPAM

On Saturday, DH and I are going to a 2 yr. old's birthday party.  I was asked to make the little girl a sleeping pillow and a couple of pillowcases.  After checking it out on the web, it seems that these pillows can only be 2" thick.

My bag of poly batting scraps came down from the high shelf and after cutting out 5 layers, I decided to make four pillows in total.  Two for the little girl and two more for a little boy when he turns two in November.

Shown below, the reason for stitching all the layers together is to prevent any layer from shifting when the pillow is washed.  Only one pillow was requested, but then I thought about what happens during the night if one of them gets sick all over their pillow.  Having another one on hand will be most welcome.

The white pillows below will have their own pillowcase once I figure out what colours the little guy will be using in his bedroom.  The pink pillows will be gifted to the little gal on Saturday. 

The pillows are tiny .... 13" x 17".  The kids are tiny, so they need a tiny pillow.  These will do until they transition to a regular sleeping pillow.

For me, it was a win/win project.  I got rid of half a bag of poly batting scraps and sheeting scraps and something got finished for my April OPAM (One Project a Month).

Have a great day!

If you are not reading this post on www.appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com or http://www.quilterblogs.com/, it is pirated content!  No other websites are authorized to use my work.   Please click the above links to go to my real sites and please help spread the word about this scrapper site’s unethical use of other people’s work. 

We quilters are just fed up with this abuse!

Anyone for an apple core?

You know, I really should be working on putting the binding on my hexagon quilt and borders on my Scrappy Mountain Majesties and Granddaughter's Garden and finishing up a couple of secret projects ....

.... but .... no .... I just had to start making this apple core project.  It was yelling at me to start it and, what the heck, I just need to make the quilts that my heart tells me to. 

Well, it got started and I'm loving this pattern and it really is quite easy to do.  It is not intimidating after all!   I'm not sure how big it will be as the fabrics that are being used is just a fat eighth package and some strips and charms, plus my shirting fabrics that was in my stash.

To help me not run out of fabrics and to have an even overall look, I will divvy up my pieces as I showed in this post. 

If anyone is looking for me .... well, you know where to look!  :o)

Have a great day!

If you are not reading this post on www.appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com or http://www.quilterblogs.com/, it is pirated content!  No other websites are authorized to use my work.   Please click the above links to go to my real sites and please help spread the word about this scrapper site’s unethical use of other people’s work. 

We quilters are just fed up with this abuse!

Granddaughter's Garden

While in the process of trying to get measurements for this top to make the borders, Miss Ashes decided that she wanted to check out the underside of this top.

Around and around in a circle she went .... until we decided to entice her out with some treats.

Now ... where are those treats?

She found them.

Then decided to settle down for a nap.

Did I ever get those measurements?  Yes and those borders are next to get done.  Stay tuned for a follow-up post.

Have a great day!

If you are not reading this post on www.appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com or http://www.quilterblogs.com/, it is stolen content!  No other websites are authorized to use my work.   Please click the above links to go to my real sites and please help spread the word about this scrapper site’s unethical use of other people’s work. 

We quilters are just fed up with this abuse!

Starring ....

Another section of stars got appliqued and joined to the other two sections.  I really do love this version of Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Mountain Majesties, but it is kind of busy.  Too late now to switch back.

Now, the last section is ready to go.  All the stars and beige circles have all been prepped.

 One star has been done .... only 5 more to do.

Last, but very important, recently a number of quilters' blogs were affected by a pirate site that had our recent posts on it but no link back to our site.  My blog was affected.  Thieves!  Since then, I have noticed a few of my favourite blogs are now gone.  They post no more.  So, I will be checking daily to see if another site springs up with my stolen posts and if they do, then my blog will be deleted.  I'm tired of the theft and the stupid emails.

The host provider of the pirate site was contacted and the site got shut down.  Sadly, they will pop up again on another provider and the cycle will start all over again. 

Another blogger figured out how this happened and has warned us what to be on the lookout for.  You know, for me, it was a lovely sweet email asking permission to link a certain post or quilt onto their blog.  Going forward, if anyone sends me this kind of email, I won't be replying to it .... period.

This just makes me very sad as it has turned me from a sharing type of blogger to one that doesn't trust easily now.

It was only encouragement from my friends that prompted me to post again.  Only just.  

Below is what will appear on all my posts from now on. 

If you are not reading this post on www.appliqueandpatches.blogspot.com or http://www.quilterblogs.com/, it is

stolen content!  No other websites are authorized to use my work.   Please click the above links to go to my real sites and please help spread the word about this scrapper site’s unethical use of other people’s work. Contact the host provider of the site and get them shut down.

We quilters are just fed up with this abuse!

I need to shake off the negativity and have a happy stitching day!

Too many seams

Since I've gone with this version of Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Mountain Majesties, well, there are too many seams that are all ironed in the same direction and the seams just don't lie flat and are bulky when that happens.

So, what to do?   The top section had a few seams that were in the same direction and a bit of unsewing had to occur and that was when a plan had to be made on how to handle all those seams.

First thing, each row is marked with a letter.  Next, the arrows were pinned on pointing left or right (for ironing all the block joining seams in one direction).  Lastly, do you see on Row F the FIX  in pink?  It means that all the blocks in this row are to have the inside seams (not the joining block seams) ironed towards the light coloured fabrics.

Once the FIX row is done, the rows are pinned on my design wall so that the seams are facing towards me.  This is where I can visibly line up the seams to make sure they are all in opposite directions before sewing a section together.  It is easier at this point to make any corrections before sewing.

Below, the top section has all the stars appliqued on.  Doesn't this sparkle?  My trademark stars and I'm in love with them.

What is better than one section done?  I'll take two sections, thank you.  Only two more sections to go.

Later this afternoon, my sister and I are flying to Mexico for a week in the sun.  With all the snow shown in a previous post, we need a bit of warmth and sunshine and it will be so nice to look at sand and the beautiful blue sea and sit under a palm tree/palapa and sip a nice cool drink.

Have a great day!

Hanging my quilts and tops

Recently, I was asked by Nan V.:  How do you hang your quilts? Looks like you have batting looped over curtain rods, and then you pin the quilt to that? Is that because it's a top, or do you do that with your finished quilts as well? It's a brilliant idea to be able to view tops - I sure have plenty of those! 

Yes, I hang up my tops.  Why not?  Instead of being stored in a closet or on a shelf, why not enjoy all the hard work that was put into the making of the top.  Since it takes me so long to hand quilt all those tops, they are starting to pile up (12 tops + my hexagon that is almost a quilt) and I might as well enjoy them as a top and then as a quilt down the road.

All my quilts have sleeves for hanging.  Not a problem for slipping the quilt onto a rod and hanging them up.

Now, my tops are another thing.  Before, I did use curtain rings with the clips and it worked in the past.   (Oops, this is one quilt that does not have a sleeve.)

Something a little more permanent was needed for my tops because I didn't want the metal rings leaving any marks on our freshly painted walls.  After rummaging through my batting scraps, two long pieces were cut to the correct size:  5" wide x 45" long.  Two sets were made because there are two walls for hanging large tops in our home. 

In our dining room:

 

In our foyer:

How did I make them?  On the batting, using Crayola Washable markers, an 1/2" line was drawn and my batting folded over to the line and sewn using 1/4" seam.    

 There is a 3/4" lip just below the sewing line that is used for pinning the top to the batting.

Can you see the line of stitching below where the arrow is?  That is used as my pinning line so that my top looks straight once it is hung up.

My rod is an electrical 3/4" conduit pipe (cut down to 100") and the brackets are electrical brackets cut in half.  Both the brackets and pipe were painted the wall colour so that the whole system fades into the wall and you focus on the top/quilt not the hanging rod and brackets.

Three brackets are used to hold up my tops/quilts so that there is no sagging in the center.  The rod slips easily through the sleeve opening .... just be extra careful with the pins.  You don't want to stab yourself and bleed over the top or the batting sleeve.  On a side note, when we were down in Amish country, seeing all these straight pins reminded me of  the Amish women with all the straight pins on their dresses to keep their openings closed since they don't use zippers or buttons. 

 

For my quilts (large or small), all have a sleeve with an opening in the center so that the center wall bracket can be used and my quilts hang perfectly.

So, go and hang up your tops and enjoy them!  :o)   Thanks to Nan V. for asking the question.

Have a great day!