Archive for January, 2007

The really cold weather has finally hit. Yesterday I don’t think it made it to 10 degrees and it was as low as 1 degree when I took Chesty out for his walk last night. This afternoon it was 8 degrees when I took a break and walked down to the bookstore and coffee shop. I’m not used to these temperatures being the HIGH’s for the day but so far it’s not too bad as long as I bundle up. What I really want is some snow! Other than a few flurries now and then we haven’t had any since New Year’s Eve.

Keith comes home tonight from Denmark and we’re going to go out and get a drink later. In the meantime, my stack of blocks for my next string quilt is growing! I have 43 of the 80 I need finished.

Click on the photo to see a larger version

Here’s the label I just finished stitching. I made a simple one on the computer and embroidered my initials beside it. I don’t usually put my name on my donation quilts but last year I started putting my initials – you can see I really need more practice with my embroidery!

I finished quilting my Hourglass Strings yesterday and the binding was done tonight. I don’t have a picture yet – not sure how I’m going to manage pictures here at the apartment but I’ll take one somewhere tomorrow and post it.

This quilt is a UFO from last year AND my first finish for the HeartStrings Quilt Project! I had planned to quilt it using a freehand design from the Line Dancing book but ended up playing with my tension way too long and opted for a quick pantograph instead. I’m way behind on my quilting thanks to the move and other stuff that kept me busy last fall so I’m on a mission to FINISH quilts!

When we started the HeartStrings Quilt Project there was a suggestion that we create a website and after reading the comments on Nancy’s blog about so many people NOT wanting to join another group but willing to make blocks for Nancy I thought it was time to get one going. One of our members, Phyl has offered to help us set up a web page so we’re looking at options for hosting sites and starting to draft the content.

I had some questions about one of the pieced backs I frequently use – an off center 4 patch. I like using this back when I don’t have enough of a single fabric to make the backing and when I don’t have time to piece multiple fabrics together. In a nutshell – this is how I make the back:

I take 2 pieces of fabric that are long enough to cover the width of my quilt plus 8-10 inches. (my selvages are running horizontally here and the WOF is going to provide the length I need).

I trim one selvage off each fabric and sew the two together.

I make an offset cut so the seam won’t fall in the center of my quilt. (see vertical line)

Flip one side around and sew back them together to create the 4 patch.

This gives me a backing that is about 84 – 88 inches long and to offset my horizontal seam – I just position my quilt near the top of my backing rather than centering it. I also don’t worry about having the top and side exactly even although they are in this picture.

I made 4 more string blocks today in honor of Nancy’s birthday and now have 20 blocks along with some $$ for postage and fabric for a backing ready to ship off to Sue for the HeartStrings project. I did a quick count on the database today and counted 604 blocks made so far – that’s enough for 12.5 quilts and we’re just 1 week officially into the project!

I also pulled out a UFO string project that’s been sitting around for a couple years and made 4 blocks. I’ll make this quilt ( which will be similar to my first string quilt) from start to finish and donate it here in Minneapolis. It’s based on a quilt I saw in the book Great Lakes, Great Quilts.

My package from Gammill came this week so now I have my side clamps for my longarm and a working outlet that fits on the center leg of my table. I’ve got a quilt of Mom’s loaded and can’t wait to quilt some tomorrow.