Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Quilts

Chicken Bobbin

August 4, 2020 9:51 am ⋅

As I was finishing the last row of quilting on my SIL’s Frolic I thought I was playing Chicken Bobbin.  In reality I was playing Chicken Cone.  I ran out of cone thread, but not before I had finished the quilting.

I still need to trim the quilt, then I’ll send it back to my SIL to bind.

While the computer was quilting, I finished my first Starburst from Atomic Starburst.  This one will be used for quilting practice when I get that far as there are two spots where I didn’t catch the fabric.

This is my first “real” one as there are no missed seams.  The piecing went faster tonight, so I might get this done sooner than I thought.

Since I’m paper piecing I haven’t tried to do any leader/enders, but now that I have a better understanding of what I’m doing, I might be able to do them. My Easy Breezy count currently remains at 39.

 

 

Posted in: Atomic Star Burst, Easy Breezy, Frolic, paper piecing;

New Month – New Projects

August 2, 2020 11:50 pm ⋅

I suppose technically the title of this post would have been more apt for Saturday, but I couldn’t figure out a better title given the various topics of today’s post.

The day started off way earlier than I prefer on any day, but especially on a weekend, but I had a go-live for work. As a result there was plenty of time to quilt today. First up my SILs Frolic. It’s nearly finished – I think there are two more passes before I can take it off the frame. While the machine was running, I pulled out a project box from 2019 and cleaned up the scraps.

I finished the pink and brown top back in the spring of 2009. I also did a small wall hanging a couple of years later. The folded “FQs” are pieces which measure at least 6″ x 20″. I fold them all to 5″ tall by 6″ high to fit into my fabric boxes.  As you can see I also added to my pre-cuts with strips, bricks, blocks, and strings.  The box of fabric from the purple and green log cabin quilt that I recently finished was also dealt with, leaving me 2 empty project boxes. Which I immediately filled up with these fabrics.

I have 3 quilts planned. Atomic Star Burst, Bauble ‘n Beads and Shimmer. The first two will have the blue for background.  I think Shimmer will have a light background, but as it is the 3rd quilt, I’ll worry about it later. Anyway, I started on Atomic Star Burst tonight. I will conquer paper piecing, but that first half starburst needs to be redone. One of the spokes didn’t get fully caught in the seam. So, what do you think? 1/2 a starburst a night? 20 starbursts would work out to 40 days.  No, I am not going to do do another challenge – at least not one so intense.

Easy Breezy – 39

Posted in: Atomic Star Burst, Bauble 'n Beads, Easy Breezy, Frolic, Pink and Brown, Shimmer

August 1st – A Beautiful Day

August 1, 2020 9:40 pm ⋅

Today was a beautiful day.It was about 79 degrees this morning with a light breeze. I had gone out to get gas and didn’t want to stay in.

The grass had been cut yesterday and the ground relatively dry, so I pulled out my picnic quilt and sat outside for about 45 minutes.

Then it was back to quilting.

I finished the quilting on Cascade.

It’s not bound yet as I’m waiting on the binding fabric. I have to admit I LOVE how the quilting came out. I started with half an idea – simple straight lines the length of the “sashing” and “something curvy” in the diamonds.  Instead I started with continuous curves in the diamonds, then had to figure out the “sashing”.  I order the BIG HQ Swiss Cheese Ruler off of Amazon, but when it arrived I decided it was not the right size, so I found the original HQ Swiss Cheese Ruler locally and bought it Friday afternoon.  After doodling with it, continuous circles is what I came up with for the ‘”sashing”. But I didn’t think there was enough quilting in the diamonds.

I queries Facebook and received several suggestions. That prompted the circle in the middle of the diamonds and because I’m too lazy to tie off 70 circles, I ran a straight line of quilting up the middle of each diamond to reach the circle.  I can’t wait to get this bound and washed to see the final results.

To see me doing the ruler work for the center of the diamonds, click on the picture below.

Posted in: Cascade, Machine Quilting, Ruler work

Cascade is on the Frame

July 30, 2020 9:31 am ⋅

Of course before I could put it on the frame, it had to become a top.  I finished the top Monday after locating more the same black fabric and ordering it for the binding.  The top now measures 50 x 60.

Before loading the top, I cleaned up all the batting scraps from the whirlwind of quilting that’s taken place around her – mostly by my sister.  The batting has been measured and neatly folded to become frankenbatts in the future.  I have a bag of scraps which I’ll eventually cut into 2-1/2″ strips for rugs and the smaller scraps were cut up to eventually go into a pet bed. I made a frankenbatt for Cascade then loaded it on the machine.

This picture was taken earlier this week. I’ve decided to do continuous curves inside the diamonds and in the border where I have it marked. In the background I’ll do something circular.  I’ve ordered the Big HQ Swiss Cheese Template as I’m thinking bubbles.  We’ll see if I can pull it off.

Easy Breezy = 39

Posted in: Cascade, Easy Breezy

Cascade is Almost a Top

July 27, 2020 12:04 am ⋅

After completing Frolic I needed to find something mindless to work on. This is Cascade. I started it in April 2018, cutting all the pieces as retreat project. I spent most of the retreat working on swap blocks, so I didn’t get very far. I’ve pulled it out a couple of times making a block here and there, so when I resumed working on it Saturday half the blocks were already made. This should be quick to finish up.

Easy Breezy – 36

Posted in: Cascade, Easy Breezy

Frolic is a Top!

July 26, 2020 12:14 am ⋅

At 118″ square, it’s too long to hang off the gutters and I didn’t want to climb the ladder – well the fully extended ladder – to get a picture straight on.

I need to make a few more blocks for the backing, but for now, I’m going to work on something else.

Cascade. Most of these blocks were done prior to me pulling it out Saturday afternoon.

Easy Breezy – 34

Posted in: Cascade, Easy Breezy, Frolic

Star Studded Still Caught Up

July 17, 2020 8:39 am ⋅

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

 

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Star Studded

Star Studded BOM is Caught Up

July 15, 2020 9:48 pm ⋅

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

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Star Studded

The Day After

July 14, 2020 8:18 pm ⋅

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

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Frolic, JT2

40 Day Challenge – Day 40

July 14, 2020 1:16 am ⋅

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.

 

Posted in: 40 Days - 2020, binding, Easy Breezy, Frolic, Mending, pillowcase, Star Studded