kwiltnkats asked if a pieced borer was in the works for Candy Sunflower Seeds.  There wasn’t, but admittedly I wasn’t excited by what I was planning on doing or the finished size the quilt was going to be (approx 54 x 71).  So, I started playing with borders in EQ.  This is what I’ve come up with now:

I don’t like the big cornerstones — but I just had a flash of inspiration and if I go with this option I’ll make those the same size squares as the rest of them – 2 1/2″ finished.   The pieced border also makes the quilt a bit larger – approx 63 x 80 and more inline with the size I frequently  make.

Now I’m off to figure out exactly how I’m going to piece that border — 4-patches or Seminole piecing….

It’s a Quilt Top!

This top is from a kit I won from a quilting web site back in 2005 or 2006. The kit is called Building Blocks and the fabrics are from Nancy Halvorsen True Friends line.  The kit came with pre-cut pieces and provided several options.  It measures approximately 50″ x 60″.

So what’s next?

I can either take another stab at sandwiching the Crossword Puzzle quilt, go a head and sandwich and quilt this quilt, add the borders on the Christmas Row Quilt or work on this:

Check back to see what I work on.  I’m guessing it will be a combination of all of the above.

Admittedly the top is not quite finished, but it’s never to early to think about backing and binding.  I dug through my stash and found two fabrics that I think work with this quilt.  The green on the top right is what I originally pulled for the backing and binding.  Then I discovered I don’t have enough of it for both, so I dug deeper to find something to stretch it.

I came up with a yard of the peach on the top left.  Now I’m wondering if I instead of using the green for the binding and stretching the backing with the peach, I’ll just use the peach for the binding.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t dream and obsess over it.

Today I picked up the October 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.  It seems every time I’m at the store I gravitate to this issue.  Occasionally, I pick it up and flip through it, only to set it back down.  I don’t need to start another quilt.  I don’t really want to start another quilt.  But today that didn’t stop me from buying the magazine.

There’s something about the cover quilt — well, the quilt on the cover of my copy of the Oct issue.  It seems there are two different covers.  The quilt I’m drooling over is Star Formation.  It’s simple, scrappy and stunning.  I’m not sure if it’s the color – love the blue and gold – or the quilting.  Whatever it is, I want to make that quilt!

OK, now that I have that off my chest, I’ll go back to work on True Friends.  I finished the extra 5 blocks I needed and have the first two rows sewn together.  I may have even found something to use for the backing or binding.  There’s not enough for both.

Since I can’t make a decision on the Christmas Row Quilt, I decided to pull another slip from my “UFO Quilt Steps” bag.  I’m not sure this is really what I want to work on, but on the other hand, if I get the top assembled, it can come off my design wall.

This is what is on the wall right now. I think I need to make five more blocks so the quilt will be 50 x 60 — unless I try to extend the quilt with the leftover fabric.  There is nothing in my stash that I can use for a border — at least I don’t think there is.  I guess I’ll cross that bridge after I get the center assembled, but first I’ve got blocks to piece.

The center of the row quilt is complete.  Now I need to decide how wide to make my spacer white border.  I think I want a bit of separation between the edge of the red squares and the inner green border.  The outer border will be the same fabric as the red squares.

These blocks are from a block swap I participated in back in November 2008 on the Quilt in A Day forum.  Unless someone in the family claims it when it’s done, I think I’ll use it on our bed.  Believe it or not, I don’t have a bed size Christmas quilt.  Of course, who know when it will get quilted.  But first I’ve got that decision to make.

The theme for this week’s Quilting Gallery contest is Beach and See Quilts.

I entered my Neutral Strip Twist because when I finished it I was looking for a name with “sand”  in the title.  I never did get a name on the quilt before I gave it to my nephew and his wife, but for this contest it’s called “Sand Twists”.  This is a Bonnie Hunter pattern that is available HERE.

Check out the other quilts entered this week and then vote for your favorite.

Actually, this will be row 3.  4 more rows to go.

I’m on a roll.  My challenge was to make 18 of the 36 red and white square in a square blocks.  These will be the cornerstones in my Christmas Row Quilt.  When I was writing out the steps I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to do 18 twice or to do all 36.  I decided to go with 18 because I can’t make a good Square in a Square block without a lot of ripping, muttering and finally deciding ‘that will just have to do’.

Clearly I can’t say that any more.  I followed Bonnie Hunter’s Square in a Square Tutorial and the blocks came out nearly perfect.  Thank you Bonnie!

Since I’m on this roll, I think I’ll keep working on this quilt top.  I’ll save my bag of UFO Quilt Steps until I need a change.

Was is just yesterday when I said I was off to sandwich the Crossword Puzzle quilt and it would be late this month before I worked on my UFO?

Here’s my excuse:

Yesterday after work I worked on sandwiching the Crossword Puzzle quilt.  My method involves my large ironing board (abt 24 x 60) and basting spray.  Typically I don’t have any problems.  However, for the first time I’m using a homespun for the backing and it is not as stable as I’m used to.

I got the backing on just fine.  Then I flipped the backing and batting over and spray basted the quilt top.  Took great pains to keep the batting “square” with the plaid.  Everything looked good.  So my next step was to mark the quilt.

Since the plan was to mark the stitching lines using painters tape (love that stuff) across the diagonal, I turned the quilt — but in doing so, I saw the backing was scrunched.  So, I flipped the quilt over backing up just to see how bad it was.

It’s too bad.  I’ve got to get those wrinkles out.  But how?  That’s when I walked away from the “current” project and back to my  “UFO Steps” project.  Except, by this time my husband was napping on the couch and I didn’t want to turn on enough light to see in case it woke him.

As a result, the only “legal” project for me to work on until either the seam on the Green & Cream quilt is finished or I finish quilting the Crossword Puzzle quilt is one of my August UFOs.

This is a project my mom started before we knew she was sick the first time.  My plan when I packed up this UFO (and the 3 others she left) was to finish them.  This baby quilt will go to one of her next great-grandbabies.

Working on the quilt last night I discovered that mom’s 1/4″ seam was off — by at least an 1/8″.  I could take all the stitching out and re-stitch it, but then it would be my quilt, not one from my mom and me.  So, I made an executive decision — instead of the 4-patches finishing at 3″, they would finish at 2 1/2″.  I just wish I made that decision before I made the HST and cut the rest of the quilt out.  This afternoon I trimmed everything to finish at 2 1/2″ and pieced the center together.

The center of the quilt 4 1/2″ smaller than it was originally designed, and the borders need to be narrower as well. I think I’m going to put on a 3 to 4″ border of the orange floral fabric and then possibly bind it in the green.  Time will tell.

Now to decide what to do about the Crossword Puzzle quilt — attempt to fix the backing or quilt it on the longarm.  Either way requires thinking.