Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Easy Breezy

Then There Were 3

I spent the better part of the day sewing HST together until I had both side borders completed and 3 of the 4 corner blocks made.  By 5 PM I decided to walk away from the sewing machine.  The fact that I needed to do a bit of housekeeping had nothing to do with it.

My living room was a disaster.  I had setup my extra sewing machine in the room a few weeks ago while my sister was here using the quilting machine and it was time to put it away.  I also needed to move the furniture so I could do a thorough cleaning of the floor.  I thought I had short hair cats, but you couldn’t prove it to me with the amount of hair floating around. Anyway, since I was moving furniture I decided to rearrange it.

Before:

After:

There are advantages to both arrangements.  I’ll leave it this way for a while to see how it works.

I did not make it back into the sewing room after this.

Easy Breezy = 26

Saturday

This morning started off with me cutting gobs of black and white HSTs to go with the blue and white ones I cut last night. Then the stitching began.

Each stack with the blue on top represents one 6 x 12 blocks for the border. The two stacks with the black on top are the 4 corners. After counting, recounting, and counting again, my count was off.  I think I have the right number of pieces in each stack, but until I lay them out I wouldn’t bet on it.

I managed to get one block made and attached to the border I’m working on, but when I went to press this block, I realized it was time to quit.

Two Easy Breezy blocks were made today.  I’m only sewing one seam at a time.

Easy Breezy = 18

Today’s Progress on Frolic

It doesn’t look like much, but if I counted correctly — which I just realized I didn’t — I have all of the blue HST cut that I’ll need for the rest of the border.  I just realized I didn’t count the HST needed for the corner blocks. I need 16 more.  I’ve also kitted up 10 Easy Breezy blocks and have the neutral rectangles cut for ‘more’.  I didn’t count those.  Tomorrow I’ll work on cutting the black HSTs.

Easy Breezy = 16

Star Studded Still Caught Up

Yesterday was the Star Studded BOM pick up day. Since my cutting surface and sewing machine were clear of all projects and I had already printed my freezer paper patterns, I immediately came home and worked on the block.  This block is also The National Quilt Museum Block of the Month Club block – but their’s is 8″ and paper pieced.

Had I been prepared, I could have easily knocked out another  Easy Breezy block. But I did not have anything kitted up. So after the block was made, I pulled down the project box with the leftover pieces and fabrics from Good Fortune.  Turns out there were a bunch of HST which need to be trimmed, a few strips of purple and orange, a few neutral FQs, and the fabric left from the Pink & Brown “Ugly Fabric” quilt top – all reproduction fabrics, except for the “Ugly Fabric”.   I kitted up 3 more Easy Breezy blocks from the Good Fortune fabric and called it a night.  Tonight I’ll see about emptying the project box to make room for the next project.

Easy Breezy = 16

 

Star Studded BOM is Caught Up

During the 40 Day Challenge, on of my goals was to catch up on the Block of the Month, Star Studded. I accomplished that goal, if you consider the June block is not due until the next class.  For June the block was Seven Sisters – or maybe this was May’s block. Regardless I had all of the blocks made except this one, so I crossed that goal off as completed.

The next class is tomorrow (Thursday, June 16th). If you know me, you know I’m not big on hand work. Yes, I have a Hexi Trip Around the World started and I have about 100 of the Star of Day block done, but I haven’t worked on either of those quilt tops in a while.  I did cut out one diamond and decided I don’t like hand pieced diamonds – and I was just basting the diamond So, I’m substituting this star block for Seven Sisters. I found the block in EQ. It is called Double Star.

During the construction of the block I made one Easy Breezy block — but only because I didn’t have any additional blocked kitted up. That’s next on my list of things to, along with kitting up more HSTs for Frolic.

Easy Breezy = 16

The Day After – Postscript

After I hit “Publish”  I finally got into the sewing room. First thing up hem another pair of pants for the wedding. My sister brought them over and while she was ripping out the quilting on her quilt that is still on the frame, I knocked these out.

Then it was onto Frolic. I have 1/2 of the 2nd border completed. I’ve finally have a method worked out so that I was able to do this in about an hour. I also made 2 Easy Breezy blocks. The next time I’m in my sewing room I’ll need to break out the rotary cutter.  I need to cut more HST for the Frolic Border and kit up more Easy Breezy blocks.

Easy Breezy =15

The Day After

Here it is 8 PM and I have yet to sit at my sewing machine. I have however made a decision on the border fabric.  I’m going with this gray fabric.  It’s a basic from Hobby Lobby. I think the line is Natures Bounty and the color is Concrete.  It’s the same fabric I’m using in my Just Take 2 quilt which apparently I started in 2012 when it was first released.  It is possible that I had enough of the fabric since I bought about 5 yards a couple of summers ago, but I don’t want to turn up short, so I purchased enough for both borders and the cases of two pillowcases. If there is leftover fabric I’ll put it in the JT2 box.

Easy Breezy = 13

40 Day Challenge – Day 40

Day 40.  I have one of the pieced borders done. Although I have enough HST to get all but 6″ of another border done I hit a wall when I discovered that I do not have enough fabric for the inner and outer border. At that point I started second guessing myself a 3rd or 4th time on how I plan to do the borders.  All I know for certain is that I need 1 3/4″ inner border before the ribbon/barber pole border.

Possible color options are light gray, dark gray, black, neutral, or a blue.

I have to buy more fabric in every situation except for the neutral – and I think it causes the border to float too much.

A brief recap of the last 40 days:

  • Bound 7 quilts
  • Added a label and delivered an overdue quilt
  • Caught up on my Star Studded BOM
  • Quilted & bound the log cabin quilt
  • Hemmed 8 pairs of pant for my niece’s wedding
  • Made 5 pillowcases
  • Completed the center of Frolic

The challenge kept me going and I’m pleased with what I accomplished. If I can figure out my border situation I’ll be able to knock the rest of the list out in the next week or two. I cannot plan on keeping this pace up.

 

40 Day Challenge – Day 39

I’m crossing off the Baby 4-Patch Stacked Posies quilt as it has been bound. It’s not washed, but I will do that when I finish the larger quilt and get it bound. I bought enough fabric to bind both quilts and have put the remainder in the bag with the larger quilt. I’ve got some quilting to rip out of it before I can get it quilted and bound.

That just leaves Frolic.  I mentioned yesterday my border calculations were wrong.  I spent the better part of the morning working on a new border design.  This is how far I’ve gotten on the new border. Its just under 2/3 of one side. Before I can much further I need to separate the HST I sewed together for the other border (I’m running out of fabric) and take a count of what I have and what I need. My L/E project can be the extra HSTs needed to complete the border, then I can use Easy Breezy when I get them all made.

 

  • Bind Baby 4-Patch Stacked Posies – 7/12/20
  • The blue, black and white quilt is my Frolic the goal is to finish the top. Started with 5 blocks I need 41, 16 side setting triangles. 4 corners and the pieced borders for my enlarged quilt.
    • Center complete – 7/11/2020
    • Border redesigned – 7/12/2020
  • Bonus #1 – Pillowcases:
    • Allietare
    • Narragansett Blues
  • Bonus #2: Pillowcases for quilts already completed
    • Christmas Crazy 8s
    • En Provence (2)
    • Carolina Chain
  • Bonus #3: Quilt, bind, label and make pillowcase (2) for Frolic.

40 Day Challenge – Day 38

The center of Frolic is complete.

Up next the borders – just as soon as I figure them out. I thought I had them worked out but I questioned the math. The recheck confirmed my math was wrong, so now I need to figure out the borders.

Also today I made a run to the quilt shop to pick up fabric for the binding on the Baby 4-Patch Stacked Posies. I suspect I’ll find the original fabric as soon as I finish the binding.

It’s late, so I’m headed to bed.

  • Bind Baby 4-Patch Stacked Posies
  • The blue, black and white quilt is my Frolic the goal is to finish the top. Started with 5 blocks I need 41, 16 side setting triangles. 4 corners and the pieced borders for my enlarged quilt.
    • Center complete – 7/11/2020
  • Bonus #1 – Pillowcases:
    • Allietare
    • Narragansett Blues
  • Bonus #2: Pillowcases for quilts already completed
    • Christmas Crazy 8s
    • En Provence (2)
    • Carolina Chain
  • Bonus #3: Quilt, bind, label and make pillowcase (2) for Frolic.

Easy Breezy – 11