Lone star

Oh gosh, I have been working on so many things. Here is one project I just finished. I took me a couple years to tackle but it is done. All quilted, binding and all. It's a king size 107x107.

Another view....


ok blogger won't let me upload anymore pics. I will try again later or from the other computer.

Checking In

Just checking in to let you know I am still here. I have been extreamely busy. I have lots more new stuff to post both on the this site and the doll site. I will try to do that by early next week.

Mindless Finished

All done with the black, one inch borders on. I enjoyed making this scrap quilt a lot. I see different scenes in it that were totally unplanned, except for the dog and the houses.

Mindless Continued

I finished the third piece and have join it to the rest. The section on the right bottom has an airial look about it. This is where value plays a major role, not that I intended anything of the sort lol

The white comes forward and the black on each side of the track,  make it recede so you can see a little depth. Then the section behind the white strip looks like a little town lol....one never knows what will come out of the S&C.

I will work on the long bottom piece next.

A friend sent me this link. I thought it so very sweet and the song by Demis Roussoss is just beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfbchq0xQmQ&feature=player_embedded

MINDLESS, MINDLESS, MINDLESS

This project was started on the 22nd, so I am a bit late with the posting.

I love my scraps and crumps, as you all know from the mindless stuff I post lol. Crumps, being a word I learned on a Quilt Board lol. I assumed the crumbs were the tiny bits that you couldn't call a scrap and which I don't throw away anymore.

One of my darling friends, knowing of my fetish, dumped some of her scraps and crumbs here. I keep the scraps from different friends seperated, as their stuff is unique to them. I can look at one of my scrap quilts and know exactly who is in them...yes, sometimes I do add and combine but mostly it is from the one person about 75%.

Because of certain circumstances, I have the need to do mindless right now, so all other started projects, that require some thought, are on hold. It is nothing too serious, just some things that happen and are normal.

So here I am with my S & C (scraps and Crumps). I sewed into the wee hours of the morning as I could not sleep and was feeling quite energetic and excited at the prospect of creating something from nothing.

This is what I started with.

I sorted the heap into HST (half square triangles), squares, long pieces etc. At that moment, I didn't have a clue what I was going to do.

Then I  piled it neatly by the sewing machine. Remember, I am not even thinking, I am just sewing here and there and I am feeling very joyful just doing that.

I knew my brain, given a chance,  would kick in eventually as it knows what I like. It is a funny thing, you know?

I started to sew all the HST together, all sizes. Then I sewed a long string of strips and they were going every which way but the mind was saying, " keep going". The strips was long and curving and etc.

I started this block and left it at that, as the brain wanted to do something else with another block. Then that was left and another started.

These are not finished by any means. I don't want a block to block look. I want it to flow together as a whole, so I have to do a connection somewhere.

I put the three together and I can see, where there is an outside strip, it gives the block appearance. I turned the top two with no strips on that side and I can see the look I like. I love the black intersperced here and there.

I now think I should put a cat and dog and a house in. I got some neat blocks out of the  "Sew Precise" software.

The two blocks on the top, show the striped pieces of the long string that I did. I filled in the curve at the dip and left the round part alone and then I cut the whole strip straight. I just add and square up as I go but love the crooked things inside.

I have finished four pieces so far and there's not much of the S & C left from this donation, lol, but I have more from another friend more or less the same taste in fabric.

I am calling them pieces because I don't want a block look. Here is how I started the fourth part and then the bottom half...it's sew as you go.

I have made stairways or ladders and when I do the next one it will be better. The more I do these the more I learn.

I even managed a house lol. These are the four areas now. I won't sew them together yet.

Here are four pieces together, so far.

Ok, that mess of S&C that I started on,  is gone and I had to empty another bag but these are larger piece, thank God! lol.

I am working on a long part going down one side of the four pieces and have more than half done. Notice my little doggie with the kerchief?

Then I just took a ladder and placed it in the bottom space and will work from there.

I will probably switch the pieces around once I get them done, After I finish the bottom of this piece, I will make  a long piece accross the entire bottom, so the quilt will be about 58x58 more or less.

Teddy and the T-Shirt scraps.

I thought this was so cute I had to share. I am in the process of making a T-shirt quilt for someone. I started to cut the fronts out and would throw the rest of it on the floor.

My little Shih-tzu, Teddy (he is 12 1/2) was watching deligently. As soon as a scrap would fall, he would grap it and stuff it under his tummy (mine, mine). Eventually the heap got a bit big. He then proceeds to jump up and down on it, throwing them in the air and then plunks himself down on top and went to sleep lol.

He woke up when the camera clicked. He doesn't like his pic taken.

Here is a double block that I built to accomodate the size I was working on.

Here is a single bock with a little building on.

I will post after it is quilted.

ODD BLOCKS FOR SURPRISE QUILT

I decided to go search for some quilt blocks I had made about 10 years ago. I thought I would make every block that was ever made and published. How was I to know that there are only 4,500 quilt blocks to do hahahhaha...so scratch that.

I found 20 blocks, 12 inches square. I also found about twenty four, 5 inch blocks from the time that I thought I was going to make the Dear Jane quilt...well so much for that and 5 or so years later lol.

Here is the collection of Dear Jane's.

Aren't they sooo cute. At 5 inch, you only need to make like 250 of them, I forgot now but it's a ton.

I played with them and put one of the bigger blocks that I found and surrounded it with the DJ's

The center block, the two large ones in the second row and the third one in the first row, were all  Judy Martin free blocks a long time ago. I am so glad I got Them.

Here is a close up of how it's made.

See all those little slivers in the star point? It makes the star actually twinkle at a distance.


Here is the quilt finished with all the blocks I found. I still four left over but those can be thrown in with another quilt I have in mind with some other little block from another project that I stopped lol.

I love it. It measures 59x71. I might add a border and make it a wee bigger.

I just made the border, I will try to quilt it tomorrow and post the final pic.

I have also started Mrs Farmer at my other blog.

Underground Railroad, all done

I have finished the quilt finally. It turned out to be 85x103, more or less. I used all joined plaid for the backing. I am not buying any fabric for a long time, so I am using what I have, besides I like a patchy backing, makes it cozy. I also used two different plaids for the binding which is about one inch wide.

Here it is on the bed.

Here it is hanging on the design wall. It is  way too big for the wall.

Here is the back.

A closer view of the plaids.

I used a very nice soft poly batting as I want the quilt to be soft and cozy.

Underground Railroad

All the blocks, but not arranged as yet the way I want them.

All that is left to do now, is the sashings and the corner stones and then on to the quilting.

Beauregard Surrounded, a block to recall the civil war.

Birds in the air, a block to recall freedom.

Lincoln's Platform, a block to recall the Emancipation Proclamation.

Rocky Road to Kansas, a block to recall the Exodusters.

Here is a tutorial on doing the Bird in the Air block.

Trace all the bird parts onto very light interfacing (iron on type). Place right side of fabric to the glue side of the interfacing. Sew on line and cut out leaving  an 1/8 inch seam allowance.

Turning the birds. I used finger turning tools from my doll kit. Cut the interfacing down the middle but not all the way to the points of the birds. Place tube inside and poke the corresponding tube down into the other tube and press on the fabric side until it enters the tube, then just turn it out.

Here you see the hollow tube going up and the solid tube going down into it, poking the fabric in. Just doing the points, the rest is easy.

Here you can see them turned and pinned. Now I will steam press the birds onto the block and the glue side of the interfacing will stick in place. Then I topstitch all around the birds. Start in middle not at the point.

Underground Railroad

More Blocks. These two blocks were really easy, like beginner.

The one on the left. "Underground Railroad", a block to recall the network of help.

The block on the right, "Jocob's Ladder." A block to recall buying freedom.

Block on the right, "Trip around the world", a block to recall colonization. B.ock on the left with the Lincoln pic, "Quilt Box", a block to recall the Abolotionist Movement.  

Underground Railroad

More Blocks. Catch me if you can. A block to  recall escape.

Creole Puzzle. A block to recall free Blacks.

North Star. A block to recall abolitions Fairs.

Three rows. I change them around, once I finished them. I have 8 block to go to finish this quilt.

Underground Railroad

More Blocks.

North star and Aunt Dianah. I only managed half of the North Star. Aunt Dianah, a block to recall Americanization. North Star, A block to recall Abolition Fairs.

Cotton Boll, a block to recall the slave economy.

Underground Railroad

More blocks. "Charms," A block to recall African Traditions.

Slave Chain, a block to recall the slave's  clothing.

The blocks so far.

The UnderGround Railroad

I did four more blocks. This is "Cabin windows." A block to recall Plantation Housing.  Even tho I have the book. I use Block base and pull the patterns into EQ7 and print out paper pieced patterns. I can print on 11x17 paper. I delete parts I don't want or extra pages.

Christmas Star. A block to recall the Plantation Calendar.

Here are four blocks together. Lost Ships, a block to recall the Ocean Voyge.  Chained Star, Cabin Windows, Christmas Star.

Triple Link Chain. A block to recall family ties.

I love this block. I pulled the pattern into EQ and made a paper pieced patt with it and it went together so smooth. I can see this block made with all scraps for a whole quilt.

I only printed out the first quarter of this block as you only need a quarter of it to make all four sides. I deleted the extra pages and the extra pattern pieces.

I don't even do freezer paper. I print right on plain cheap paper and just pin my fabric pieces and use just  like  freezer paper.

On to more blocks, see you tomorrow.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

A block to recall capture in Africa

I know, I know. Lots of people say it's not true and yada, yada. But I choose to belive that some of it, is true. I wasn't there, so what can I say. I have always loved this quilt and have always wanted to do one for myself and the time is just right.

I purchased the book, Facts and Fabrication , Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery by Barbara Brackman. There are 20 blocks in the book, lots of stuff to read and pics etc.

I did a search and found some more blocks that were used in this particular quilt. Each block represents a message or so they say and it makes sense to me.

I have started the quilt with this first block, "Chained Star." It was a bit hairy but doeable. It was very enjoyable for me. I forgot to take pic of the work-up but try with the rest.

I pulled out some civil war fabrics, some Pat Sloane and some of my other stash . I will post some more tomorrow as it's a bit late now.....