2021

March 8, 2021 7:42 am ⋅ Pam

I’ve reached the halfway point in the computerized quilting of the wedding quilt. This is the center block of the quilt.

I started the next row of circle feathers and got a notice I was running out out of bobbin thread. I decided that was a good time to stop as I need to wind more bobbins. I started with 4 bobbins. I’ll wind another 4, but expect to need a couple more before I finish the rest of the quilting.

While the computer was quilting, I was cutting and piecing. A number of years ago I cut 2-1/2″ strips from all of my music fabric to make a jelly roll race backing for a quilt. When I was finished I had a 44″ x 70″ piece left over. Over the past few days I’ve cut strips from the music fabric – as it turns out over twice as many as I needed to add a enough to make this 60″ x 70″. Of course now that it’s “a top”, I’m not sure I like it. I feel it needs “something”. So, I’m not sure this is really a “top” yet.

I’m linking up to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday.

Posted in: Music Jelly Roll Race, Wedding Quilt

Saturday

March 7, 2021 9:28 am ⋅ Pam

I slept in Saturday morning, so I didn’t accomplish as much quilting as I’d like, but I was able to spend time with my family, which is more important.

The first thing I did was stop in at an Estate Sale. 15 yards of fabric came home with me.

I quilted a row of square feathers. I had planned to stop at 4 PM to give me time to get to my brother’s, but stopped early. It’s a good thing I did. By the time I had the salad made to take to diner, bought gas, and stopped by the ATM it was nearly 4:30.

My brother, sister and I had a nice visit with just the 3 of us.

Posted in: Wedding Quilt

Friday Night Quilting

March 6, 2021 3:54 am ⋅ Pam

Friday night was my guilds Zoom Fabric Bingo Night. Naturally I had to participate. And I won a layer cake! So, that’s going to be my reason that I didn’t get much quilting done — just a row of the circle feathers.

This is Feather Circle from Sweet Dreams Quilt Studio.

Posted in: Wedding Quilt

The Quilting Has Begun – Finished (or Not) Friday!

March 5, 2021 12:12 am ⋅ Pam

Honestly, I figured just getting the quilt loaded would take all evening. After all the backing is approximately 126″ x 130″ and the quilt 120″ square. It turns out I was able to get a bit of quilting done. The squares colored lavender is what I got quilted. The quilt has been rolled forward so I’m ready to start quilting the circle feathers when I get off work tonight.

Edited. This is a computerized feather called Feathered Square Block #3 by Jessica Schick. I purchased it from UrbanElementz.

While the computer is running I’ve been cutting 2-1/2″ strips from my music stash. I have a 44 x 70 piece of a music themed “jelly roll race” quilt and I want to add at least 22″ to the width. After I cut the strips I’m folding what’s left (if anything) to integrate in to my main stash. Perhaps by the time I get the wedding quilt quilted, I’ll have another top finished.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts for Finished (or Not) Friday.

Posted in: Wedding Quilt

The Perfect Ruler

March 4, 2021 12:24 am ⋅ Pam

That is this is the perfect ruler for those continuous curves in the broken dish units of the wedding quilt. I put a little Grippy spray on the back of the ruler and marked a couple of lines for reference. That shallow curve is the perfect size.

Now these are curves that I’m happy with.

This quilt only measures 30″ so it didn’t take much time at all to finish up the quilting. Here’s a view of the back.

I still need to figure out a binding, but I’m in no hurry to get this done. For fun I hung it on the shelves with the first test quilt.

Fuchsia and purple vs red and blue. Would you believe the larger quilt shrunk nearly 6″ in both length and width?! Of course now it nice and soft.

The backing for the wedding quilt is made. 9 Big Dream Dance in the Hummingbird colorway. Tonight’s project is loading the quilt and winding bobbins.

Posted in: Wedding Quilt, wonky dishes

Test 2 Quilting

March 3, 2021 7:58 am ⋅ Pam

One of the last times my sister was over using the quilting machine, she showed me how to trim an E2E design across the bottom of the quilt. This is in the Mach 3 software we use to run the machine. It’s been at least 6 weeks and I’m not sure I grasped what she did. But apparently it was enough. I was able to “cut” the center motif in half — both vertically and horizontally to fill in the spaces along the edge of the quilt. Then I cut the block into quarters for the corners. While I was thinking about it, I resized the block to 9 1/2″ and saved all the pieces so I won’t have to do it again when I load the wedding quilt.

I still need to do the continuous curve on the broken dish units and finish the wedding quilt backing, but then I’ll be ready to load the quilt.

Posted in: Wedding Quilt

Backings

March 2, 2021 7:32 am ⋅ Pam

I continued working on the backing for the wedding quilt last night. I now have 6 of the Dream Big Dance panels sewn together and the 3rd strip ready to sew to the larger panel. It’s all carefully laid over the belly bar of the long arm since I’ve pressed the sections. In the meantime I started thinking about what to use for the back of the 2nd Test Quilt. I found 1 yard of this Red Hat fabric and think I’ll use it.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Design Wall Monday / One Monthly Goal

March 1, 2021 6:47 am ⋅ Pam

On my design wall is another test quilt. This one is only 4 blocks and measures 30″ square. The objective is to figure out how to trim the feather block used in the center so there’s only 1/2 on the sides and top and 1/4 in the corners. The easy way would be to let it stitch off the edge, but given the size of the wedding quilt that’s not an option, so one more test is needed. I can also use the practice on the broken dish units.

As for my One Monthly Goal, it is to finish the wedding quilt.

In order to do that I need to finish the backing. I hope to have that done by mid-week. With any luck, the wedding quilt will be on the frame and I’ll be on my way to meeting this goal.

350 Challenge February = 58
350 Challenge Cumulative = 114
Easy Breezy = 123

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts. One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts, 350 Blocks at Prairie Moon Quilts.

Posted in: 2021 - 350 Blocks, Easy Breezy, One Monthly Goal, Wedding Quilt

Alphabet BOM is Finished!

February 28, 2021 1:58 pm ⋅ Pam

The Alphabet BOM is finished! This was a 26 month quilt which I started in January 2013. If I remember correctly this was one of the last projects on the now defunct Pocket Full of Mysteries Yahoo! Group. Or maybe it was the last project I did. Links to all of my blocks and their names can be seen HERE.

The blocks are made from recycled cotton shirts, the background is muslin. Several summers ago I purchased the blue and red fabrics. This picture feels washed out. I can’t seem to get a decent picture of the color of this quilt.

Before washing the quilt measures 78 x 91. It was quilted with Glide thread in the top and bobbin the color is Leather. The computer driven pantograph is Squares All Around.

The backing is a Kansas Troubles Quilting wideback.

Posted in: Alphabet Blocks

Stash Enhancement

February 27, 2021 10:03 pm ⋅ Pam

It was a beautiful day here in Kansas City. I think it got up to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I started the day at the local phone repair store. What I thought was just a crunched screen protector was actually a crunched screen on my just paid off phone. After I dropped it off I had 2 hours to kill, so I headed to the LQS where I had a gift certificate. I found these neutral FQs which just had to come home with me.

After picking up my phone, I put the binding on the Alphabet BOM. I folded it and the Wonky Dishes quilt up to take over to another LQS and set them down while I went into another room. I was out of the room for not more than 2 minutes and Butterscotch had found the quilts. She actually let me pick them up and walk to the door before I decided she HAD to get down. My cats are good Quality Control Cats.