Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Quilting the Compass Star

May 13, 2025 11:52 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I loaded the quilt on the longarm Sunday evening, the was faced with the actually quilting.  This quilt needed custom quilting, but my free motion skills are not there yet.  Probably because I haven’t taken the time to practice, but I digress.  So I started looking for computerized designs. At Quilters Niche, I found the perfect design – ST-025-8-pointed-star-w-frame.  In the block I’ve only used the center of the star.  The corner blocks and border are MI-120 Bettys Border.

The sashing and triangle motif were something I already had. I need to look it up so I can reference it again.  I have 2 of the blocks completely stitched out and the stars on 3 more blocks done.  Once I finish stitching the setting triangles/squares and sashing, I’ll go back and quilt the yellow border.  Then it will be time to roll!

Given that I’m “nearly” complete with Compass Star quilt, I naturally started another project.  This is for my breakfast room.  I love this Dragonfly Dance panel.  I found the purple in my stash.  I haven’t gotten any further than this because of the custom quilting on the Compass Star.  To get the border to work as I envision it I need to cut the border to the exact measurements, and I haven’t wrapped my head around that yet.  Perhaps when I start quilting the center star.

Meanwhile, the tile is up in my kitchen. Today they are grouting and laying the floor.

Yesterday I was asked what color blue/teal my cabinets are.  With the white backsplash, they look more blue than teal and photographing them…well it’s a challenge.  I had Sherwin Williams match Kyrlon Fusion Rolling Surf.  This is the swatch from Kyrlon’s website.

 

 

Posted in: Compass Star, DragonflyDanceWallhanging, House

Goals for the Week of May 11, 2025

May 12, 2025 12:16 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

  • Make the rest of the Lemoyne Stars for the Compass Lone Star quilt. – DONE
  • Find something to use for my Leader/Ender Project – DONE
  • Clear the tables AGAIN and go through at least 1 of the DOOM bags. – DONE

So far so good with setting of the weekly goals.  Not only did I make the rest of the Lemoyne Stars for the Compass Star quilt, I finished the top. I’ve got it loaded on my machine ready to quilt.

I picked the 9-patches to use as my leader/ender project.  I’ve finished all the brown ones and now I’m working with the yellow squares.

And I cleared the tables and sorted and put away all the stuff in one of the bags.

So this week I have the following goals.

  • Finish the Compass Star quilts — quilt it, bind it, and label it.
  • At least piece the Dragonfly Dance Wall Hanging – Bonus if I can get it quilted and a hanging sleeve on it.
  • Keep the tables cleared. – The fabric on them in the picture at the top of this post is for the wall hanging.
  • Make a quilt hanging rod for the breakfast room.  I’m using the same Stas Picture Hanging system that I have in my office and entry area, I just need the pole.

Speaking of the kitchen/breakfast room, the counter tops were installed on Friday. Today they are installing the backsplash.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, Compass Star, DragonflyDanceWallhanging, goals, House, Panels ⋅ Tagged:

Stash Report for Week Ending 5/10/25

May 11, 2025 11:20 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

This week I’ve focused on the Compass Lone Star.  One more border and it will be ready to quilt.  Looks like I will have it done by the 18th.  The Borders have been cut (hanging over my chair). I just need to determine what style I’m going to use – mitered, long horizontal, or log cabin.   I’ve also pieced and loaded the backing of the quilt.  After I cut the binding I’ll have less than 1/2 of fabric left for the stash.

The Stash Report.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  82.58 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 10 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 75 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 7.58 yards

 

Posted in: Compass Star, Stash Busting Report

Progress on Compass Lone Star

May 10, 2025 9:43 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Last night’s progress saw me get the inner border attached and the top 3 center stars attached to main body of the quilt.  Silly me — I thought I’d put the borders together mathematically. I failed to take into consideration that I was terrified to trim the center.  I finally trimmed two edges leaving the width of the fabric alone.  Now I need 2 7/8″ sashing instead of 2 1/2″ I originally cut sewed.  Easy enough fix.  I must have bought 10 yards of the backing fabric.  I have two 4 yard pieces and a piece of selvage that is 16″ wide and at least 2 yards long before I started cutting it for sashing.

For the inner border I’m using Hampton Road by April Cornell in yellow.  I must have purchased it in 2005, as I started the quilt in January 2006.  The first pictures I have of the quilt have a 1/3/2006 time stamp.  Hum…given it’s is laying on a white sheet instead of the blue batik, maybe I didn’t get the fabric until I had already started the quilt.

 

I do remember not wanting to start anything new until I had some of my UFOs under control. At that time I was keeping them on a paper list and split them into 2 categories — Works in Progress and Tops to Quilt as the number exceeded 100. I’m happy to report that the # of tops is now to 10 and the WIP is now down to 36.  This is now my 3rd oldest UFO.

I hope to get this WIP move to the Tops list by end of the day, so I need to get into the Quilt Studio.

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Compass Star

LeMoyne Stars

May 9, 2025 10:06 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

 

Last night I finished making the LeMoyne Stars for my Compass Lone Star quilt.  I think there are 3 different piecing configurations in these blocks.  As I put the blocks up on the wall, I was struggling to get them all oriented correctly.  Turns out 3 of the last 4 blocks I had the blue and yellow reversed.  I didn’t have enough fabric to redo all 4 of the blocks, but I found enough to redo one.  so the 4 corners are flipped.  Would you have noticed if I hadn’t pointed it out?

 

The next issue was finding fabric to set the blocks.  The yellow on the left will be a 1″ border before the LeMoyne Stars and then a 3″ final border. I showed my sister these options and we opted for the far right.  This will also be the backing fabric.

Before I sew more blocks together, I need to trim the center and put the inner border on.  I may then need to tweak the seams on those three blocks I’ve sewn together.

 

 

Posted in: Compass Star

Compass Lone Star Progress

May 8, 2025 7:30 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Yesterday I was able to finish all of the Lemoyne Star blocks that I previously cut.  It’s now time to figure out a layout.  I prefer a quilt that is longer than it is wide, but I’m also fighting the lack of the background fabric. I sent the picture to my sister and asked her how she felt about square quilts.  She prefers rectangles, but said this one needs to be square.

That’s good as it will be easier to finish.  I found 2 more Lemoyne Star halves, so I just need to make 3 more.  I’ll use the shirting in the bottom right of the fabric picture. Given that I’m going for a square quilt, there might be enough left in the shirt to use in sashing or whatever I do to finish this quilt.

My pile of little 9-patches are growing as my Leader/Enders.  I think I have 2 more brown pair left to make, then it will be time to move to another color.

The paint is up on the wall. I’m not sure what is next. The general contractor will be here this morning.  I think all that is left are installing the cabinet inserts & door/drawer pulls, floor, backsplash, countertops, appliances, electric, and plumbing.

Posted in: Charm Challenge, Compass Star, House, Leaders & Enders, Uncategorized

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 5/7/25

May 7, 2025 10:43 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅

Since all the binding is done, my current focus is the Compass Lone Star.  There has to be a better way to make those Lemoyne Star blocks, but I’m working with what I started with back in 2006.  Pieces are already cut and there’s been some assembly.

While I’m stitching these blocks, I’m making 9-patches as my leader and enders.

At Quilters By Hearts Desire a couple of years ago we had an ongoing color theory program and we swapped 5″ squares of a specified color each month.  I’m using my squares and some muslin to make these little 9-patches.  I have a vague idea of what I’m going to do with them, but I need to get them made first.

Both the Compass Lone Star and the Rainbow Charm Swap quilts are on my 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO list.  The star is also on my Mississippi Quilt Association UFO list as well.

In other news, my cabinet are painted and now they are working on the rest of the kitchen/breakfast room/laundry room. I love the color, but can’t wait to see it finished.

Posted in: 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, charms, Compass Star, designwall, House, Rainbow Challenge

Goals for the Week of May 5, 2025

May 5, 2025 7:23 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Last week’s goals

  • Bind these 3 quilts: Blooming 9-Patch, Illusions, and the 2011 Mystery Quilt. – DONE

  • Assemble, quilt and bind 2 more President’s Challenge quilts – DONE

    • Make a charm tote bag.  – DONE

 

 

So what’s on my list for this week?

  • Make the rest of the Lemoyne Stars for the Compass Lone Star quilt.

  • Find something to use for my Leader/Ender Project — I’m thinking it will be my Rainbow Charm Swap.

  • Clear the tables AGAIN and go through at least 1 of the DOOM bags.

I took my main machine to the Sit-n-Sew and when I got back I thought I would clean it since I’ve been sewing so much.  This is the accumulation after just 2 weeks.

That led to resuming the deep clean of the quilt studio that I started several months ago. It always looks worse before it gets better.

But I wiped down the window sills, baseboards and swept behind and under the middle table and sewing table and circled back and swept behind the other table as well.

But I was eager to get the bindings on the two challenge quilts, so nearly everything on the sewing table got swept off into those 2 bags sitting on the floor next to the broom — aka DOOM bags — Didn’t Organize Only Moved.

 

Posted in: 2011 Mystery Quilt, Blooming 9-patch, Charm Tote, Compass Star, Dragonfly Garden, goals, Illusions, Rainbow Challenge

Chubby Charmer & Stash Report for Week Ending 5/3/25

May 4, 2025 10:41 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

The first Saturday of the month there is a sew day for Rankin County quilters.  Both my quilt guilds are in Rankin county.  I haven’t been in a position to attend frequently, but made the effort this month as they were having a class to make a large charm bag tote. I cut my own squares from my stash, using the lining fabric as my inspiration.

Yes, this is the backing fabric I bought 9 yards of for quilts, then 2 more for other projects including my stove backsplash.

I used 2 pieces of each fabric laid out in this formation.

It was a fun bag to make.  I think next time, I’ll skip the flap, and may use fusible foam instead of multiple layers of fusible fleece.

I’m considering attaching this Dorset button I made to the flap.  I learned the basics at the Quilters By Hearts Desire meeting last month.

Now on to the Stash Report.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  82.58 yards  — this number is higher than last weeks apparently the math was off at some point.

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 8.2575
Fabric Used to Date: 65 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 17.58 yards

 

Posted in: Charm Tote, Stash Busting Report

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 4/30/25

April 30, 2025 11:52 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I set off this week with the goal to get 5 quilts bound. A lofty goal, but I machine bind, so completely doable.  It’s only Wednesday and all 5 of the quilts are bound!  I typically do a flange binding, but chose to bind the President’s Challenge (top left) quilt with the same fabric as the backing and the 2011 Mystery Quilt (bottom right) I had cut my binding when I finished the top 14 years ago and decided to not put the flange on.  I still stitched the binding to the back and brought it to the front, but it was hard to see.

I designed this quilt as a retreat mystery quilt back in 2011. My smaller one I finished in time to hang in the 2019 Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival.  It was done in just 3 fabrics and can be seen HERE.

  • Started: 3/15/2011
  • Finished: 4/30/2025
  • Size: 59″x 74″
  • Calista Stars E2E, increased to 15″ tall
  • Military Gold 40 wt Glide

 

Posted in: 2011 Mystery Quilt, binding, designwall