Balls of string?

Couldn't sleep so I quilted a Twisted Happy Block top pieced by Deborah. I thought the double loopy meander kind of looked like balls of string which would be appropriate for this top where all the centers are different cat fabrics.



Email me

Alone again....

Keith's tied up on my birthday again, in fact he'll be busy and not home all week for dinner even though he's in town....rather than feel sorry for myself for being alone, I booked the afternoon on Tuesday at the Ivy Spa.

Doesn't it sound like a great way to spend a birthday when no one else is available to help you celebrate?


Email me

Carolina Lily

My Carolina Lily quilt came home to me today. Pieced several years ago by Mom, I kept waiting until my quilting was *good* enough -- this top has a LOT of white space and filling white space just isn't one of my strengths!

Deb agreed to quilt it for me and as usual did a beautiful job. Sorry for not having a better photo but both photos should enlarge if you click on them.


Keith kept saying WOW when I opened the box...first just looking at the overall quilt, pattern, and colors and then looking at the quilting. I finally had to tell him to shut up or he'd hurt my feelings :)

Thanks Mom and Deb, I'll treasure it always!


Email me

Did you want to see some brown?

Puttering along here. Not sleeping at night so I've been reading and then sleeping late in the morning but I thought you might want to see some of the browns. Note that the pink blocks all have different pinwheel centers ....I'm looking at my options while I wait for pink fabric from Vicki. By the way, the blocks are NOT on the design wall in the order they'll go in the quilt -- the brown and pink blocks will alternate.

Keith chose the pink pinwheels -- or the monochromatic version as he called it (he's picked up a thing or two about quilting over the last 9 years).

I tend to ask opinions and then do what I want anyway so anyone else want to chime in? Pink, Red, or Brown pinwheel centers -- if YOU were doing the quilt which would you use? I know what my choice is!


Email me

RWB anyone?

A RWB version would make a nice Quilt of Valor wouldn't it? All the designs are done in solids for quickness but I'd make them all scrappy.



Email me

a test block

Being adaptable is important when you're working from stash. Originally my design was to have the pink as block 1 but if I use the red pinwheel centers, the pink needs to be block 2. A quick rearranging of one of the block on the design wall, add some red centers...and it looks pretty good I think.

Vicki has offered to send me some pink so I think I'll just keep making the half square triangles (I need 480 of them) and hold off on any final decisions until I see how her pinks look with mine.


Email me

Oops

I did the math after I started (typical for me) and I don't have enough pink....unfortunately the pink is a shade that I don't have much of in my stash so I'm thinking about adding some red to the pink blocks rather than changing the size of the quilt.

I like this first version best I think -- the only difference is where the two blocks come together -- I like the pink in this one versus the red in the next one so the only red in # 1 would be the pinwheels.

By the way, red pink and brown is not a combination I'd have come up with on my own ....remember this happy block top I made from a charm pack a few months ago??



Edit: Cbear suggested brown pinwheels -- another good choice I think. I'll be writing instructions for this quilt and will post all the different color options regardless of which I end up with. I hope someone will make it in pink & green.



Email me

Brown & Pink it is....

I just don't have the greens in stash and Keith agreed that I should use what I have :) So brown and pink it is....
Are you SICK of hearing about my GO? I'm even more in love with it after just a few minutes tonight....this quilt is ALL half square triangles and usually I use Thangles.

With the GO, I layer my two fabrics right sides together (6 - 8 layers total)
Take them over to my sewing machine...
run them through.....
There aren't even any dog ears to trim! By the way...this isn't how the block is laid out but I was just looking at them after piecing...very quick, very easy! I've got to get the 3 inch finished Die too!


Email me

On the Vine

I finished piecing the rows last night and today added the borders -- I'm calling this one *On the Vine* since so many comments mentioned vines (tomatoes, flowers, etc!)

It's bigger than the design wall as you can see, a generous 58 x 79 and I went with plain borders since I had the pretty floral print.


Email me

From one pile to another

Sometimes it seems that all I do is move quilts from one pile to the other....this afternoon - I moved these 5 quilts from the waiting to be trimmed pile to the waiting for binding pile. I also have piles for waiting for backing, waiting for quilting, waiting for hand stitching bindings & labels, waiting for washing, and waiting for donating !

As much as I love my work with HeartStrings, I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep things moving from one pile to the other and feel guilty if I'm not getting enough done. Silly I know but I tend to be very goal oriented.

I've decided that there will be NO goals for June, July, or August. I'm taking the summer off -- I'll still be quilting along with traveling but I plan to read, go out for lunch, walk, bike and generally do whatever I feel like each day -- guilt free!

What are your plans for the summer?


Email me

Lazy, lazy day

We've had an extremely quiet weekend and I've done more reading than anything else but I've been slowly sewing the *On the vine* blocks and rows together and playing a little more in EQ. I've still got lots of novelty fabrics left and decided I'll do a rail fence type quilt with them. First I thought about brights and using the brick die to cut the centers from the novelties ....


but then I wondered if a woven setting would be more interesting.



Email me

Tomatoes, Poppies, Apples?

Interesting to read all the comments on the rectangle quilt....Keith came up with the apple grove one when I asked how he liked it.

Several people have commented on Bonnie's pattern -- I know she has a rectangle/4 patch quilt on her site but I'm not using her instructions.

Vicki and I saw a quilt in a shop in VA and both bought fabric last year -- Vicki finished hers in November and it uses larger rectangles than my quilt. When I bought my rectangle die for the GO cutter -- I used those dimensions (3.5 x 6.5) to modify the one Vicki and I originally saw.

I love Bonnie's quilts but if I was doing this one without my cutter -- I would have definitely used the larger rectangles like Vicki used.

Wherever you find your inspiration -- it's a fun quilt to make.


Email me

Pink & Green

All I want to do is cut and piece! In addition to the 2 inch strip cutter, I also ordered the 4 inch half square triangle die for my GO. I've wanted to make a pink and green quilt for a while so I played some in EQ and I'm liking this one...I'd make it scrappy but I'm not sure I have the right shades of green in my stash.

Of course, I have a BUNCH of brown and pink fat quarters I bought at the quilt show in VA this past February....


Email me

Losing focus

I'm not feeling like working off the *to do* list the last couple days and and have been working on my bricks quilt. The 2 inch strip cutter for the GO came on Thursday and I used it to cut the strips for the 4 patches.

The quilt taking shape on the design wall -- I was a little worried about those reds but...
as I continued, they look fine as long as I distributed them throughout the quilt. There will also be one or two red borders to tie them all together.
I'll stew over the final placement of these blocks for a little while, move them around a bit if needed and then get them sewn into a top.

As a general rule, Chesty prefers to be in the living room looking out the windows rather than in either of the sewing rooms but he did come up to visit me for a while this afternoon.


Email me

#8

I quilted another HeartStrings top today #8 of the 10 I'm trying to complete by the end of the month. Quilted with freehand flowers from the Pajama Quilter DVD.

Another backing pieced by Sheree from donated fabric -- a big help!
Unfortunately these blocks had a lot of places along the seams where the fabric wasn't stitched. At first, I thought there were just a couple and placed appliqued hearts over them but I quickly realized there were too many for that solution.

Typically, I'd try to turn a seam allowance under and hand stitch the seam but there was not an option here (and I'm really not sure I would have taken the time due to the number of seams) so I decided I'd just quilt a zig zag back and forth with the quilt on the longarm (remember there's a muslin foundation here too so there's a layer between the block and batting).

It's a very *visible* repair when you're just looking at it like this but once the top was quilted not nearly so noticeable. It's a good reminder for all of us making HeartStrings blocks to be diligent about our seam allowances and to check the blocks as we're pressing for any issues.



Email me

Bricks!

It's SO hard to resist cutting out quilts with the GO Cutter. I should be loading another top on the longarm or piecing Adam's Boxed Squares or making String Log Cabin blocks but I bought a rectangle die when I was in Nebraska the beginning of the month and with my 2 inch strip cutter coming in the mail today, I decided to cut out another quilt.

Vicki and I were shopping together in VA last year and saw a quilt with rectangles and 4 patches -- both of us bought fabric but Vicki finished her quilt last November and of course, the fabric I bought has sat on the shelf.

Rather than use the larger rectangles like Vicki, I'm going to use my Brick die which is 3.5 x 6.5 inches. So I have 10 fat quarters for the bricks and by folding them into 5ths and trimming to 7.5 inches (that leftover strip will get tossed in my strings).....
I can lay it on my die and cut 10 bricks at a time. Technically they say the GO should cut through 6 layers but I don't have any problems cutting through this.
So in minutes all the bricks are cut and once the 2 inch strip die arrives, I'll cut the green polka dot and the cream for the 4 patches.

I LOVE this cutter!! I've been anxiously waiting for new dies to be released and purchased 2 the other day but the NEXT ones I'm really anxious for -- a 1.75 inch strip cutter, a drunkard's path, and a fan still haven't been released for the GO.

Now while I'm waiting for UPS, I'm going to go load another top.


Email me

Big wonky swirls - #7

Here's a blue HeartStrings top pieced by Karen A. that I quilted with swirls -- they got a little wild on me but I don't mind some wonkiness in a string quilt.

A view of the back

Email me

#6

I briefly thought about piecing today rather than quilting but after looking at the date (how did it get to be the 18?) I decided I needed to quilt.

This top for HeartStrings was pieced by Barbara in Florida -- I have instructions for a quilt using this block call Boxed Squares on my MaryQuilts.com site but you'll also find it called Cobblestones. Quilted with an allover wavy grid using the piecing lines of the block, this was a perfect one to follow the one from Saturday that I stitched in the ditch!

When quilting this grid I do all my horizontal lines first, and then reload the quilt in the other direction and do the crossing lines. Even with loading it twice, this is quick to quilt.

Do you see the cute backing? Thanks to Sheree from HeartStrings, who keeps me stocked with backings from donated fabric about 60% of all the backings for HeartStrings quilts are already pieced and ready to load.

While I love my stitch regulator, this was another one that was actually easier to quilt in manual mode.


Email me

How to?

Betty asked how to make Melva's quilt and it's really pretty easy.

The basic instructions for making a HeartStrings quilt are at this link:
Red HeartStrings Quilt

Melva added a 1/2 inch finished (cut 1 inch) solid black strip on either side of her center strip and then pieced the blocks as usual.

When the blocks are assembled - it looks like an on point setting with sashing...meaning it looks harder than it is!


Email me

Deck Weather

Last night after finishing up quilt #6 and cooking dinner, I took a glass of wine and my Kindle out onto the deck to wait for Keith to get home....this is a beautiful time of year here in Minneapolis and I love sitting out here in the late afternoon.

And here's my view of Downtown....


Email me

Brunch and flowers

Just had to take another photo of Melva's HeartStrings quilt on the deck -- we went to buy some flowers today after brunch.

We'll do some vacation planning, maybe take a walk, and at some point today, I'll load another quilt on the longarm.

Have a great Sunday!


Email me

#5

This top of Cheryl's makes #5 of 10 on the list so I'm halfway there.

Let's just hope I remember the things I learned today the next time I try to do some stitch in the ditch.

1. Believe it or not, it was easier to put the machine in manual mode and slow WAY down. In stitch regulated mode if I went too slow I wobbled, too fast I wandered off my line.

2. I tried several different rulers and I had the best results with the Little Girl from Gadget Girls.

3. I don't like doing stitch in the ditch!!!



Email me

One more done

Absolutely one of my favorite HeartStrings quilts -- blocks pieced by Melva and assembled by Sue. I quilted a pantograph Lush Leaves on it and the binding was finished tonight.



Email me

Crazy!

I decided to load a small quilt thinking I'd just knock one off my list and this top donated by Cheryl was one I'd pieced batting and pulled a backing for yesterday.

Once I got it loaded I had the brilliant idea that it would be a great top to further my nonexistent stitch in the ditch skills since I didn't really want to run an allover design across those diagonal frames.
I doubt you can see the stitching in this next photo (maybe if you click on it to enlarge) but I'm definitely better quilting in some directions versus others and I can certainly use the practice with the ruler.
Obviously, this will take a little longer than I planned ....


Email me

#4

In spite of playing with postcards this morning, I did manage to get a little work done. This Roman Stripes was pieced by Mom and will be donated via the Angel Tree at her church in December. Quilted with my Circle Lord Baptist Fan Template, it's #4 of 10 to be quilted by the end of May ....I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going to get through my list in the next couple weeks.

This next photo is for Karen, she commented that my *desk* was pretty clean the other day only I was showing a photo of my kitchen island with all the mail that had come while I was out of town....as you can see, my desk is not neat at all which is probably why I was going through the mail in the kitchen.



Email me

May's postcard

Our theme this month is hobbies so the little sewing machine patch and tape measure I found while shopping in Joann's with Mom last week are just perfect. I had the bright idea to add some buttons last night when I couldn't sleep -- I love buttons but don't always find a good way to use them.



Email me

A small finish tonight

This small HeartStrings quilt was pieced by the St. Mary's quilters in CT and it's the 7th of 10 quilts I want to get bound by the end of May.



Email me

Tumblers

The tumblers are together and I love it - I'm going to bind the sides as is rather than trim them even. I love irregular edges but this will be the first quilt I've made with one.

There was a question about the size of the tumblers. They're cut:
6.5 inches long
6.5 inches wide at the top
3.5 inches wide at the bottom

The last of the errands were run today so tomorrow I should hopefully manage to get back to quilting.


Email me

I came home to Spring!

The design wall has been reassembled

Before getting back to work on Adam's quilt -- I decided to play with my I Spy tumbler quilt. My friend Cecile send me a BUNCH of novelty fabrics leftover from kid's quilts she'd made and I'd started cutting tumblers a couple weeks ago.

After assembling the design wall, I cut some more and arranged the blocks. This quilt looks SO much better in person than in this photo - I was worried about the tumblers being too big but they're perfect.

They're ready to sew but first, Chesty has a vet appointment.


Email me

While I wait

I always seem to want the latest and greatest gadgets so when Amazon came out with the Kindle 2, I avoided looking at it until friends and family started buying them. Once I started looking, of course I wanted the updated one too.

So with a birthday coming up and the old Kindle given to Mom this weekend (we can share books as long as both of them are registered to the same account), I'm waiting for UPS to deliver the new one today. In the meantime, I'm working my way through this stack of mail and paperwork somewhat diligently.


How well do you know me by now?? If you know me pretty well - this didn't surprise you.


Email me

Home!

After being gone so much the last couple weeks, I'm thrilled to be home....tomorrow and Wednesday I'll spend catching up and hope to get back to working on my to do list after that.


Email me

A Mother's Day cookout

We had a small family cookout this afternoon for Mother's day, just 8 of us which is small for one of our family gatherings but very nice. My sister Maureen took the above photo of me with Mom.

I head home tomorrow and will be glad to stay put for a few weeks!

Email me

Ooops!

Not sure why my text disappeared from the previous post but the lambs are Mom's -- from a pattern from a special edition of Fon's & Porter magazine -- Baby Quilts Winter 2008.

Family in and out visiting today and tomorrow so no sewing but it's great seeing (almost) everyone.


Email me

While I was cutting

Binding #6

Even away away from home I'm making a little progress on my to do list.

4 quilts left to bind; 7 tops left to quilt by the end of May.

Cutting

New books

I'm in Virginia visiting with Mom and we've been working on a few things today and running some errands. While we were out I bought these two new books -- I especially love the Quilting Designs from the Past one.

Email me

just needs binding

A simple meander on this top -- #3 of 10 I want done by the end of the month. After checking email, I'll head up and get it trimmed and the binding on so I can carry it with me to VA tomorrow.

In between working on this one -- unpacking, laundry, and then repacking being done.


Email me

On today's agenda

Writing a tutorial on How to Tie a HeartStrings Quilt.

Julia and Sheree posed with our tied quilt from Saturday.

Email me

Home

I'm home after a 4 day trip to Nebraska to attend a HeartStrings sew-in. You can see the Happy Blocks on the wall behind me which were our main task but I was thrilled to work with Jay to hand tie a HeartStrings top that had been pieced by Laura.

How wonderful to be so connected to the past just by the act of tying a string quilt....Jay even had an old blanket that we used as batting and showed me how to bring the backing around to the front of the quilt for a binding. Talk about knowledgeable -- Jay's a librarian so it was no surprise to find him a great source of information but I really enjoyed hearing about how he was taught to quilt by his grandmother.


If you'd like to see some more photos from our sew-in please visit our HeartStrings NE Sew-in album. Photos were not allow during our visit to the International Quilt Study Center but they have a wonderful website so be sure to take a virtual tour.


Email me

My Traveling Partner

Sheree and I are taking a break after attending the all day Heartstrings sew-in. Jay and Julia were wonderful hosts and I have lots of photos to share when I get home.

A visit to the International Quilt Study Center was today's highlight along with a shop hop to several quilt shops in Lincoln, NE.