Quiltmania Picture

My "Shenandoah Botanical" quilt was recently hanging at the Houston quilt show.  It was part of a display of several quilts made from the same pattern though each was different in fabric selection and settings.  I had no idea that my quilt and Wendy's (The Constant Quilter) would be in the current issue of "Quiltmania" magazine. The photography for the magazine is always very good.  Here is the page.

And close up view of our quilts isolated from that magazine page.. 

Karen

Dearest Boy and Noah and Matilda

The 30th has rolled around and time for another "Dearest Boy" block due to be shown.  I made a change to the design and added the birds instead of using tiny hexagon shapes for a flower.  The blocks will finish to 10 inches.

I decided to use nine of the "Noah and Matilda" blocks from a pattern set by Dawn Ronningen for a quilt.  The patterns finish to 8 inches.  I chose to enlarge 200% to make 16 inch blocks.  This is probably not the finished layout for the blocks.  I think I will move two of them.  I have a border stripe print to use for the border.

You can order the "Noah and Matilda" pattern set here.  It is a PDF file so you can get started on the blocks not long after making the purchase.  I have made 36 blocks in the 8 inch size from very different style of fabric than these larger blocks.  I hope to make a final decision on the setting for them and make progress on that version of the quilt too.

Karen

Anna's Blue Baskets and A Perfect Garden

A quilt top finish!  I did the applique on the last block for "Anna's Blue Baskets" or some know it as "Jo's Floral Album".  I have the pattern for both versions.  I used the block patterns from the "Basket" version as they were a bit larger in size.  The block designs are almost the same with just a few small changes.  I had intended to do the setting like the Floral Album quilt but ended up doing my own thing with a border stripe print.  Here is a picture of the top.

I have never done a setting where all the blocks face in towards the center.  So a first for me.  I like the blue border stripe very much with these blocks.  The top is 57 inches square.  The pattern is by Jo Morton and Cindy Erickson.

I put the blocks and sashings together for "A Perfect Garden".  I don't have time right now to start the border.  I took a picture so you can see all the blocks together.  No one to hold it up for a photo so it is a kitchen floor shot.

Thanks for stopping by.
Karen

Pine Burr Block for Dearest Boy

A not so easy block this time for "Dearest Boy".  The block size will be a finished 10 inch once I trim it.  I chose to hand piece the block and in the end, it did not lay completely flat even with steam pressing.  And the background edges curved in.  I had printed out an Electric Quilt version of the pattern which I ended up not using and went with the one in the pattern book.  I am wondering if I mistakenly traced the Electric Quilt pattrn for the outer background pieces instead of the one from the book.  Anyhow, I decided just to applique the Pine Burr section to a background square and go with it as is.  Cathy said her block went together okay by using freezer paper templates and machine piecing.  Julie has chosen to do a different block design.

Now on to the next block which is an applique design.  I need to have it ready for sharing on January 30th.

Karen

A Perfect Garden and More

I finished the last two blocks for "A Perfect Garden".

The Pomegranate block.  Not hard at all.

The Grapes.  Yikes!  The most complicated block of the nine.  There are no layout sheets for the blocks so I created my own.  The blocks are twenty inches square.  I used freezer paper for drawing the layout.  Freezer paper is eighteen inches wide so I had to tape on some extra to get the correct width.  I played and played with drawing lines for the trellis.  I finally got it to the shape I thought looked like the picture.  Then the curly stems .....there was only one pattern piece given and it did not exactly fit or look like the same shapes in all parts of the block.  So modifications of those pieces and I hoped for the best.  I am satisfied with the block in the end.

 I started a new project from a pattern I have had a good while called "County Fair".  You would think a country fair quilt would have pigs and cows but there are none.  I have the four horses done and one of the corner heart blocks.  I am not in a hurry to finish the project.

I don't think I shared the pot of flowers applique block I did a couple months ago.  It will be the center medallion of a quilt.  I did not have a large enough piece of the background so I pieced it and got it to the size I needed.

My brother and his wife are coming next Friday for a visit.  He wants to learn how to make a quilt.  The pot of flowers is for his quilt if he wants to use it.  I am going to show him how to rotary cut and sew nine patch blocks.  He knows how to operate a sewing machine.  I like that someone 83 years old still has the desire to learn a new craft.

Have a wonderful weekend and take time to sew.

Karen

Back In the Swing of Things

I'm back!  A month off from blogging as I had two cataract surgeries.  Not much stitching happened in December as I had many days of blurry vision.  Now my vision is clear and my needle flying.

I want to share a picture of my completed "Shenandoah Botanical" quilt.  It was done a year ago but I could not share a picture as it was going to be hanging in the Virginia Quilt museum for several months.  Then many of the quilts from the museum display traveled to the big quilt show in Houston.  The quilt returned home yesterday.

The pattern is available from the museum along with patterns made from other antique quilts.  Here is a link.

I was not able to visit the museum display nor the go to the Houston Quilt Show but I did see many pictures of the various quilts made from the same pattern.  I was able to view videos of the Houston display.  The variety of color, block size and placement, block arrangement, etc. was oh so interesting.

I chose two dark brown backgrounds for my quilt.  I used a quilt as you go technique for machine quilting and then sewing the blocks together.  Something I had only attempted one other time.

I look forward to making another quilt from one of the museum patterns.

Karen