Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Author Archives: Pam

I made my first quilted item as a visual aid for a math project in 7th grade. Over the next 25 years quilting was hit or miss, but quilting took over all the other crafts I've done in 2003.

Squishies in the Mail

May 31, 2009 12:40 am ⋅

I belong to several on-line quilting groups and participate in a couple of birthday swaps. As a result May is a month of Squishies. For the past 4 or 5 years I’ve participated in a centralized FQ swap. The hostess gathers the FQs from all of the participants at the beginning of the year sorts them back out and then the week of your birthday you get a package of FQ in the mail. The FQs I received this year are pictured above.

The second swap I participated in this year was a decentralized block swap. We were divided into several groups so the # of blocks wouldn’t be overwhelming and we make a block for the group members and send it to them for their birthday. We were allowed to specify colors and blocks if we desired. I picked the Pennsylvania block in blue and white. I plan to alternate these blocks with blue and yellow star blocks. Maybe by next year I’ll have a birthday quilt.

Posted in: birthday blocks, swaps

Hand Quilting Update

May 30, 2009 10:21 pm ⋅



I’ve completed 2 1/2 more blocks on my nephew’s quilt and have 9 1/2 more to go. I’d like to finish this quilt up by the end of June for my 2nd Quarter UFO, but I don’t know if I’ll get it done. I may have to pull out a baby quilt and quilt it to have a finish this quarter.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt, UFOs

What’s on My Design Wall?

May 27, 2009 4:12 pm ⋅

Earlier this week Judy over at Patchwork Times asked “What’s on Your Design Wall?

My first was response was “What design wall?”

It’s not that I hadn’t thought about it, but rather I hadn’t figured out how to implement it — unless you count the floor.

When I redid my quilting space last summer, one of the things I wanted was a design wall. Although I can’t call it perfect, I decided the wall would go over the brick fireplace. It’s not as though we ever use the fireplace.

Anyway, I hadn’t worked through the logistics yet. The biggest hold back was how was I going to hang it, and that depended on what I was going to make it from. Unless it was the other way around.

While reading blogs yesterday, I found an idea I could run with. The quilter made button holes in the top of a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth and hung them on nails above her closet. It was a light bulb moment.

I purchased a package of 3M mini clips and hung them on the fireplace wall with the Command Strips. Then put button holes in the top of my tablecloth. I now have a design wall.

It’s not as wide as I’d like, but until I work through the logistic issues, it will work. And who knows, maybe I’ll discover I don’t need a bigger design wall.

Posted in: birthday blocks, designwall

Stash Report Week #20

May 23, 2009 11:46 pm ⋅

Didn’t buy anything when I passed through the quilt shop Saturday, so nothing new purchased. Had I not sat down and quickly made the Peacock quilt top, there would have been nothing used either. I’ve been slowly working on my nephew’s quilt. Finished the 4th block and started the 5th last night.

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.5 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 3.75 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 42.622 yards

Net Stash: +89.878 yards

Posted in: Josh's Quilt, peacock, Stash Busting Report

Quilts from My Past

May 23, 2009 10:07 pm ⋅

Blue Charm Applecore, originally uploaded by knitnoid.

I can’t tell you for certain what it is I’ve been doing, but it certainly hasn’t been quilting. Today i even went shopping — as in clothes, accessories and kitchen ware. My friend T suggested I go home, take 2 aspirins, lay down and perhaps the urge would pass. After a couple of hours visiting various stores, not finding what I was looking for, I did just that. –OK — I did bring home 3 new t-shirts. I found the cookware on-line and ordered it.. Then I finally sat down to the hand quilting.

So, here’s a pic of a quilt I made for my DH. I purchased the WonderArc ruler and Applecore pattern at one of the quilt shows. Then I decided to make a blue charm quilt. I have no idea what I was thinking. Needless to say, I ended up collecting 200+ different blue fabrics for this quilt. It’s not any bigger (about 70″) because I decided to start working on it. This quilt was the last quilt I made in 2005, finishing it about 8:30 that evening.

Posted in: Applecore, shopping

Peacocks

May 18, 2009 7:00 am ⋅

Yesterday I was in the mood to sew — and preferably on something new. So, I pulled out the peacock fabric and the pink and purple which came in over the last two weeks and made this lap quilt top from the BQ2 pattern.

If you need a fast quilt this is it. Large blocks, just a few seams. I started to track the time I spent on it, but since I kept getting distracted, I lost track. I know it would have taken me less time if I didn’t have a directional print. I sewed 3 seams wrong — at least to keep all the peacocks on their feet.

This top measures approximately 54 x 72.

Now the tough part. Figuring out how to quilt it.

Posted in: BQ2, peacock

Stash Report Week #20

May 17, 2009 12:09 pm ⋅

It’s been a really long week. Orchestra Concert Monday night that I audio taped for. Tuesday was the band tour (4 concerts, also audio taped) and evening concert (video tape). Wednesday I finally got going around noon and did a quick run through the MQS show and vendors — Got away virtually unscathed there $2.55 for scissor tip protectors.

Somewhere along the way my pink fabric for the BQ2 came in. But I didn’t get to work on it since I needed to St Louis. Of course that meant stopping at quilt shops along the way. Again, I did pretty good on the way over — a pkg of Tiger Tape, and a thimble. It was the stop on the way home that did me in.

Who knew you could find a quilt shop open on Saturday until 8 PM? Corner Quilt Fabrics is located in the Warrenton Outlet Center and they keep mall hours – except for the occasional Sunday or holiday. I picked up 4 blue FQs – I’ve got a blue, white & yellow quilt I’m planning on making, and I need to make some blue and yellow blocks for a swap I’m in. I also picked up a couple of reds and a green for the extra blocks I want to make to go with the Christmas Swap Blocks. I can’t explain the butterfly print except to say it was pretty.

So, here are the damages:

Fabric Added this Week: 7.75 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 132.5 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 38.872 yards

Net Stash: +93.628 yards

Posted in: block swaps, BQ2, Stash Busting Report

Fabric Before the Pattern

May 12, 2009 8:39 pm ⋅

Judy over at Patchwork Times asked which comes first — the pattern or the fabric. For me, I think it depends. Since I tend to do ‘scrappy’ quilts, it’s probably the pattern most often, but occasionally it’s the fabric.

For instance, this peacock fabric:

Two years ago I found this fabric at Blessings Quilt Shop in O’Fallon, MO. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it, so I didn’t even know how much to buy. Ultimately I ended up with 4 yards, plus a yard of purple and pink to go with it.

I tried desperately to make an Irish Chain quilt, but before I cut into the fabric, I designed it in EQ6.

I just wasn’t feeling the quilt, so the fabric has been sitting in my stash waiting for the right quilt to come along.

In April at the quilt retreat I went to, I saw a BQ2 (about 1/2 way down the page) made up in a Christmas print. Immediately I knew what I was going to do with my peacock fabric. I bought the pattern on the way home. After I started studying it, I realized I didn’t have enough of the pink or purple fabric.

I found the pink easily enough online, but the purple was trickier. I sent an e-mail to Blessings, and they were able to give me the color # so I could find the fabric. Blessings keeps excellent records, for just such purposes, and yes, I did inquire to see if they had either of the fabrics before I ordered them elsewhere. The purple arrived last week and the pink was shipped today. So, as soon as the pink arrives, I’m going to make a pair of the BQ2 quilts.

Meanwhile, the Irish Chain waits for the right fabric.

Posted in: BQ2, peacock

Hand Quilting Update

May 11, 2009 10:08 pm ⋅



Well, I’ve made it through three blocks since I got this wild hair last week. Using the floor frame has made a considerable difference in my speed. Seven not constantly in my lap has also helped my speed. At this rate, I think I can be assured Josh will get his quilt before he goes back to school in the fall.

Posted in: hand quilting, Josh's Quilt

Stash Report Week #19

May 10, 2009 8:54 am ⋅

Early in the week I opene a box of fabric which wasn’t sorted. I was surprised to findthe exact blue and gold fabrics I need to work on my Ladder to the Stars quilt. I completely forgotten that I ened up buying extra last summer for the 12″ version of the quilt. Admittedly, there’s not enough to complete my 6″ version, but there’s enough to get started on the pieced sashings. So the cornerstones are cut, and I’ve got 3 of the sashings cut. The only other thing I pieced this week was the Kansas Trouble block for the Kansas Spirt quilt.

In coming fabric was limited to 2 yards of a deep purple to use in a couple of BQ2 quilts featureing a peacock fabric. The pink will come in next week and I should be able to knock out the quilt tops in no time. When I bought the peacock fabric 2 years ago, I wasn’t certain what I was going to make wiht it. I also bought a yard of purple and a yard of pink to go with it. While at retreat I saw the BQ2 pattern made up in Christmas fabric and thought it would be great for my peacock fabric.

So, here’s the report.

Fabric Added this Week: 2.0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 124.75 yards

Fabric Used this Week: yards
Fabric Used to Date: 38.872 yards

Net Stash: +85.875 yards

Posted in: BQ2, Stash Busting Report