Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Stash Report

No new fabric and none used that I’m counting yet.  So the report did not change.

Fabric Added Last Week: 8.75 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  46.213 yards

Fabric Used Last Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 32.562 yards

Net Used for the year -13.651 yards

Hop over to Patchwork Times to see if more people bought fabric this week or used it.

Friday Night Sewing

Friday night was Sew and Chat at Quilted Memories.  Since I didn’t want to drag my big machine out and I didn’t really have anything readily available to work on, I grabbed my red work in progress.  It  is a portion of Winter Wonderland by Crabapple Hill.  It’s another of my many long term projects.  Just three more sections to embroider, but they are the biggest — the top section with the music and the bottom two scenes.

Recognize This Guy?

A Solution I Can Live With

On this week’s Design Wall post I mentioned I had a swap block measuring 1/2″ bigger than the rest of the blocks and I needed a solution to include it in the quilt.

I had a few options

  • chop off points big time
  • remake the block
  • make a new block
  • find another solution

I opted to find another solution as each of the other options just weren’t going to work for one reason or another.  Admittedly some of the points got chopped off — but that’s true for several of the blocks in the quilt.   But with this solution I just lost the tips — not 1/2 of the triangle!

This is not the block, but I wanted to show this picture to show how I attach the cornerstones and sashing to the blocks.

By doing it this way, I can work the quilt in sections.

The first thing I did was frame the block with the sashing fabric.

See — some points still cut off, but not really noticable unless you are looking for them.  Next, I trimmed the block to 8 1/2″ square.  This number is the correct size of block + sashing on all sides + seam allowance.

Then I cut 4 cornerstones, turning under the edge on two sides.

These were appliqued (yes, there’s that word) to the corner of the block, matching raw edges.

See how the squares ‘creep’ into the block?  I don’t think this would have worked if the block didn’t have light corners.

I did not trim away the sashing.  I’m not worried about the extra thickness because this will be machine quilted — eventually.

In this detail picture the fix nearly disappears and of course in the picture of the full quilt, I’m not sure you can see it if you didn’t know where to look.

This solution worked for me because of the layout design and the light corners on the block which was too large.

Another solution which would have worked had I realized this BEFORE   I started the alternate blocks would have been to frame ALL the blocks and square them to 7 1/2″ finished and made the alternate blocks 7 1/2″.

I made a set of block several years ago that were supposed to measure 7 1/2″ and they were all over the place size wise.  I framed all those blocks, then squared them ‘wonky’.   Quilt 1 Quilt 2  Although I’m not sure if I would use the same colors today, I don’t think you can tell that the blocks are not the same size.

So Can You See It?

This is the center of the Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler Swap quilt top.  I still need to add the outer borders, but I thought I’d show you how I fixed my problem block.

But not yet, in the next post.

But in the meantime, feel free to look for it.

What’s On My Design Wall

I’m still working on the Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler Swap block top.  I really wanted to finish it this weekend, but I also wanted to go to a quilt show.  And there was the trip to the mall and Jo-Ann’s for inspiration and fabrics for the Eeyore quilt.

Having said that, I am on the home stretch.  There was one block in the mix which was 1/2″ bigger than it was supposed to be and too many points around the edge, so simply trimming wasn’t going to work.  Remaking the block really wasn’t the answer.  Making a new block had its own set of issues.  I finally decided on a solution I can live with.

I’ll take pictures of what I did and then after I get the top done, I’ll post how I ‘fixed’ the issue.

Meanwhile, check out other design walls by following the links over at Patchwork Times.

Stash Report

Last week I bought some of the fabric for the Eeyore quilt — then changed my mine and bought some different fabric for the Eeyore quilt.  The good news is I think I have everything except for border and backing — and maybe one other element, but hopefully that will come from my stash.

The only sewing I did was assembling the SBS Swap Blocks, so no fabric was used there.  Hopefully I’ll use some of the new fabric this week.

Fabric Added Last Week: 8.75 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  46.213 yards

Fabric Used Last Week: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 32.562 yards

Net Used for the year -13.651 yards

Hop over to Patchwork Times to see if more people bought fabric this week or used it.

What Color is Eeyore?

I’ve been enhancing my stash.  I needed fabric in cello, Piglet & Eeyore colors.  Cello was easy.  We have a few stringed instruments in the house that I could use for reference.  I thought I’d be smart and buy a plush Eeyore and Piglet.  They won’t be lonely — I have at least 3 Tiggers, one which always goes to sewing retreats to stand in for Seven and provide “cat approval”.

Anyway, I bought the Eeyore (apparently Baby Eeyore) and matching fabric Friday night. DH thought he was too blue.  I couldn’t find a Piglet.  So, this evening off to the Disney Store we went.   DH thinks this Eeyore is too gray.   I think we saw three different shades of Eeyore.  But I’m going to go with the grey as I’m using the lavender fabric as a background.

Now to figure out how much fabric I bought for tomorrow’s Stash Report and more importantly to figure out the pattern!

Slow Progress

May has sprung, along with the end of year concert and graduation season.  Throw in a quilt show and a couple of quilt classes and an unexpected quilt and the month is filled up before it ever begins.

I now have the top half of the SBS Swap quilt stitched together.  Last night I pinned the left and right section together along with the blocks for the next two rows on the next section with the hope of finding a few minutes to stitch them together.  I got up early this morning and used my extra time to do just that.  Since concert #1 is tonight and then I’ve got help clear the stage of the chairs and stands afterwards.  It’s going to be a long day.

I’ve got the next section pinned and ready to sew whenever I find another few minutes.  Perhaps tomorrow morning.

UFO Progress

My plan of using a block or two from my Christmas BOM is not working well for me.  Last month I only got one of the two blocks done — the stitching around the fused applique still needs to be done.  This month the # was 10 which was the Holly Wreath.  The leaves were cut out by April 3rd — but getting them fused to the background…well, lets just say I had to hurry up and get it done this evening to show progress.  I still need to cut out the berries and bow. Not to mention stitch the whole thing down.

I did get two Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler blocks made in April.  This brings my total to 77.

The Double Wedding Ring is still sitting in the basket with no progress since February.

So, what’s up for May?  UFO # 2 – the Mistletoe block.

Apparently I haven’t had enough applique over the last 3 months. 🙂

Also up this month is finishing the Bells and the Holly Wreath, two SBS blocks, and getting caught up on my JT2 blocks.  If I’m not careful that quilt will become a UFO.  I’m already behind by 3 sets of blocks and another set comes out today!

Hop over to Patchwork Times to check out how others did on their UFOs.