Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: Kts

What’s On My Design Wall? – 8/17


Last week I slowly got the Blue and Yellow stars sewn together into rows. Got to the setting triangles and realized I hadn’t washed the fabric. So, while it was in the wash, I took off for Heritage to pick up the finishing fabric for the Kansas Spirit BOM.

Boy did I have a scare when I got the first few blocks up. The contrast between the setting squares and the BOM squares was huge. I felt much better once I got the side setting triangles up — or at least the pieces for them up.

Yesterday I asked my DH about the quilt. The last time he had walked through the room I had the stars up. He was surprised that I had as much of the quilt done since it was a pile of fabric around 4 the previous day. It occurred to me later that he thought I had made all of the blocks and not just the setting blocks.

As soon as I get permission to post a picture of the quilt, I will. In the meantime see what other quilters have on their design wall by visiting Judy’s blog at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report Week # 33

It was a simple task. Go to the LQS and get the 4 5/8 yards of fabric for the finishing kit for the Kansas Spirit BOM that I’m writing the finishing instructions for. True, I’ll need to get border fabric for my Blue and Yellow stars to finish it, but I don’t have to do that right now. There’s plenty on my plate that I want to finish that I have all the fabric for. But since I was in the store, I wandered back to the clearance shelves to see if anything on them would work for the stars. Maybe – but I’ll need to have the quilt with me before I buy. As I walk out of the room what do I spot but a bolt of fabric with music notes in Red on White!

But I’ve already finished the music quilt top! And I have enough music fabric to make 2 or 3 more — including backing. But I am working on those red work snowmen and they’ll have red and white pieced blocks — so a FQ came home with me in addition to the 4 5/8 yard — ok 5 yards of fabric for the BOM finishing kit.

So much for not making it though the first day of Burton’s UFO Challenge on her blog Quilting Literati

Outbound I made 2 sets of 6 blocks for the SBS swap (6″ blocks), 4 blocks for the birthday swap (12″), the last block for Kansas Spirit and cut all the fabric needed for the setting blocks.

So now for the report:

Fabric Added this Week: 5.25 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 168.25 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 3.865 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 62.618 yards

Net Stash: +105.632 yards

See how others are doing with their stash over at Patchwork Times.

Mid-August Update


Here it is mid-August and time for an update on my August goals.

  • At least 2 sets of blocks for the SBS Brown/Blue Swap Done 8/9
  • Keep up with the SBS BOW – 3 blocks done, 2 more to be announced
  • Finish star blocks to go with birthday swap blocks Done 8/7
  • Work on Josh’s quilt – spent 1 night hand quilting
  • Make up mind about applique on table runner – still deciding
  • Work on DWR – top needs to be done by mid-October – got my templates today — Thanks Mark!
  • Make rest of Birthday Swap Blocks (4 more needed) Done 8/12
  • Quilt a baby quilt to get a finish! Replaced with new goal
  • Keep scraps cut up – so far so good

    But what’s that picture of Kansas Troubles fabric doing at the top of this post? Well, this is how my goals change. Although the last block for the Kansas Spirit BOM at Heritage Fine Fabrics won’t be picked up until October, the fabric for the finishing kits need to be ordered now. And in order to know how much fabric to order, I’ve got to write up the instructions. I’ve got the easy part (for me) of the instructions written (setting blocks and triangles) so I now I get to test it. That’s bounced the baby quilt off my list. Oh and did I mention, that once I got the star blocks done, I decided I had to sew them together into a top?

    So for the remainder of the month:

  • Keep up with the SBS BOW
  • Work on Josh’s quilt
  • Make up mind about applique on table runner
  • Work on DWR
  • Finish at least center of birthday swap block quilt (will need to buy border fabric)
  • Finish Kansas Spirit Top and pattern instructions
  • Keep scraps cut up.
  • What’s on My Design Wall – 6/22

    Last week’s design wall project is finished. I posted about it a couple of days ago. So, it’s on to a new project.

    This week it is this table runner I made from the Kansas Troubles Quilters Cranberry Wishes line. Yes, it’s a new project (so much for no new starts). Last fall I bought a jelly roll to make a couple of table runners and a bag from the Jammin’ Table Toppers & Bag pattern, also from KTQ.

    Although it looks to be finished, I want to add the raw edge applique flowers to the ends of the runner. I’m actually trying to figure out if I can fashion a poinsettia since this is a Christmas line. I’ll either figure it out, go with the flowers as designed, or call it done.

    Check out other quilters’ design walls at Patchwork Designs.

    Stash Report Week # 25

    This week I finished a UFO, made a birthday swap block, started and nearly finished a new project all from stash — if you don’t count thread. I didn’t have anything remotely close to use on a Kansas Troubles table runner, so a quick trip to to the store was in order.

    Since thread was 50% off, not only did I buy the three spools of Gutermann color # 561, I also picked up spool of Coats & Clark in Caramel. It’s a great color to use on just about everything (except Ks Troubles)and I’m about out. I’m happy to say that I walked in, picked up my thread and was back out the store doors with out even looking at fabric.

    The table runner is bound but I am considering some raw edge applique flowers to each end so I’ve not declared it done.

    Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
    Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards

    Fabric Used this Week: 4.125 yards
    Fabric Used to Date: 53.702 yards

    Net Stash: +102.298 yards

    Stash Report Week # 23

    I’m happy to report no new purchases this week, and that I actually got some piecing done.

    I completely ignored the handquilting I should be doing to do a bit of piecing. A Kansas Spirit block was due to the LQS, so I got it done timely and then came home and made two more. So there’s one left to make.

    I quilted Cherry Frolic, so used the backing and binding fabric I purchased last week, and I finally finished cutting the border for my Pink & Brown quilt. I also prepared the binding for the quilt so I move the ‘scraps’ into my stash and out of the project box.

    Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards
    Fabric Added to Date: 156.0 yards

    Fabric Used this Week: 3.995 yards
    Fabric Used to Date: 49.577 yards

    Net Stash: +106.423 yards

    June’s Goals

    On the QIAD Forum, there is a thread to list your monthly goals. By the time I posted them yesterday, my June goals had already changed. But here they are:

    #1 on the list is still my nephew’s quilt, I’ve got 6 1/2 blocks left to hand quilt and then I’ll machine quilt the border. I don’t know if I’ll get it done by the end of the month or not.

    #2 – a new project. I came home from the quilt shop with fabric for a quilt from 40 Fabulous Quick-Cut Quilts (Fall Frolic). I’m making the quilt smaller 5 x 6 blocks and I’ve used a charm pack and jelly roll. The blocks are made. I’d like to have this quilted and bound by next Friday. We’ll see.

    #3 – Various blocks. I need to make a birthday swap block done, a Kansas Spirit block, and I’d like to make some of the star blocks to go with my birthday blocks.

    #4 – Sashing for Ladder to the Stars.

    #5 – I’ve got to write two sets of setting instructions for the Kansas Spirit quilt — or at least get them far enough along we’ve got a good handle on yardage requirements.

    #6 – Simply because I’m looking for some handwork to take to Music in the Park, Theater in the Park and on our trip at the end of the month, I’ll work on my red work snowmen. I get done what I get done.

    Wow. I’m exhausted just thinking about this. We’ll see how far I get.

    What’s On My Design Wall?

    Judy over at Patchwork Times asked “What’s On Your Design Wall?”

    This week it’s the blocks to my Ladder to the Stars. They’ve been made since early May, waiting for the paper pieced sashings. Paper piecing is not high on my list of fun things to do. When I designed this quilt using 12″ blocks, I had the size of the fabric for the gold points worked out to “a science”. I haven’t got that “science” figured out yet, so I’ve put off the sashings.

    So, my goal this week is to figure out the paper piecing so I don’t have to think and get a few more sashings done. I am not going to attempt to get all of them done (80 total are needed) as I need continue working on the hand quilting on my nephew’s quilt and make this month’s Kansas Spirit block.

    HST Orphans

    How hard can it be? I know multiple ways to make accurate HST. But apparently it’s still important to READ the DIRECTIONS.

    Last night I started working on a 12-inch Kansas Troubles block for the Kansas Spirit BOM at my LQS. I read the directions – they are using the add 7/8 inch to the finished size to make the HST. I prefer to add a full inch and then trim square using my QIAD Triangle Square Up Ruler. Sure I ‘waste’ those slivers of fabric, and it takes time to trim the square, but my HSTs are significantly more accurate using this method.

    I cut my squares pairing the light to the dark and make 24 HST. They are trimmed and press and measure 2 1/2” unfinished. I sew them into pairs. That’s when I discover I have a problem.

    The instructions say to cut the squares 2 3/8”, not 2 7/8” squares. I should have cut my squares 2 1/2”. Further review of the pattern shows me I only need 16 HST, not the 24 I ended up with. The other 4 light and dark squares do not end up as HSTs.

    So, into the orphan pile go these 24 HST units. After dinner I’ll start over on this block – paying more attention to the instructions. Good thing I don’t need it until NEXT Friday.

    Stash Report Week #15

    This past week I made a gift for a secret sister exchange, the Decadent Victorian Jacket and the Kansas Troubles Stash Society binder cover.

    Fabric bought includes the binding fabric for the jacket – I wanted long unpieced bias strips, so that was a yard – most of which ended up in the stash, a music themed FQ, and FQs for a gift. Technically, the gift FQs aren’t going into my stash, but I didn’t setup my spreadsheet to track gift purchases separately.

    Fabric Added this Week: 2.75 yards
    Fabric Added to Date: 100.75 yards

    Fabric Used this Week: 5.25 yards
    Fabric Used to Date: 27.33 yards

    Net Stash: +73.42 yards