2007 March

Archive for March, 2007

Patriotic String Star

March 9th, 2007 | Author: Mary

I couldn’t sleep last night and got up to make a few string blocks. Decided I’d make the last 20 I needed for my Patriotic String Star and by the time I was finished it was too late to go to bed. Keith and I planned to go to breakfast before he headed to work and I knew I’d never get up at 6:30 if I went to bed at 4:30 so I decided to stay up and assemble the top.

This isn’t the greatest picture but I really love how this top turned out and Keith really liked it too. We went to breakfast and now I’m going to bed!

19 Comments »

Binding and label finished

March 8th, 2007 | Author: Mary

This top was donated to the HeartStrings Quilt Project by Lori in CA for me to quilt and finish up. I took this picture outside and there’s a pinkish glow to it from the setting sun. I’ve been washing quilts all day and have a stack ready to donate. Hopefully, I’ll get out in the next couple days and donate them all.

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My oldest UFO (I think)

March 7th, 2007 | Author: Mary

This rather ugly rail fence was made in the first months after I started quilting. I got the blocks together and realized it wasn’t large enough and I didn’t like it very much so I picked another pattern and made the homespun quilt shown below which turned out much better. This top has sat in my UFO pile for 6 years and I’m determined to finish it and get it out of my house.

I decided some applique – a bear and trees – might make it cuter for a little boy and make it appropriate to donate. Since I’ve been wanting to try some raw edge applique work on the longarm after I fuse these down, I’m going to stitch around them with the longarm and then do a quick pantograph over the entire quilt. The same bear and trees are repeated at the bottom right edge of the quilt. It won’t be pretty but it will be done!

9 Comments »

Poor baby

March 6th, 2007 | Author: Mary

Chesty had to have his teeth cleaned and a growth removed from his head today so he wasn’t feeling well. He wanted to sit curled up next to me so rather than quilting this afternoon and evening, I read some and watched some TV.

Keith’s home from work and a business dinner and has taken over puppy sitting so I’m going to get a binding sewn on.

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Sewing together with a fellow Stashbuster

March 5th, 2007 | Author: Mary

Sandra from Stashbusters invited me to her home today and we started my Pineapple quilt. She’s made several using the Quilt in a Day method and took time to show me her tips for both that quilt and the Kaleidoscope that she’s working on now. She fixed a wonderful lunch and luckily she warned me not to eat a big breakfast! I also made a sample Kaleidoscope block which you can see up in the corner.

Believe it or not, this was the first time I’ve driven somewhere since moving to Minneapolis in December. Other than occasionally riding along with Keith on the weekends to do some errands, I’ve walked everywhere since getting here.

When I got home this afternoon, I had time to quilt one of the tops sent to me from Lori from CA. She had some non string quilt tops and a block set she wanted to donate to the HeartStrings project and I agreed to finish them up.

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String Coins finished

March 4th, 2007 | Author: Mary

I finished stitching the binding last night on the String Coins quilt and even got a HeartStrings label sewn on. Once it’s washed it will go in the pile with the other ones to be donated. The hearts and loops quilting went really fast so I was able to quilt and bind it yesterday. I didn’t have enough of the green print I wanted to use for a backing so I added 8 fat quarters and pieced it to make it large enough. The quilting blends into the print but shows up nicely on the fat quarters.

13 Comments »

Home Safely

March 3rd, 2007 | Author: Mary

Keith finally got home this afternoon after being delaying in Atlanta for 24hrs on his way home from Denmark. We had dinner out and then relaxed in front of the TV. He drifted off to sleep and I worked on stitching down the binding on my String Coins – another quilt made for the HeartStrings project. I’ll take and post a picture tomorrow.

We did commit to a trip to Hawaii in April that we’d been talking about on and off for a couple years. It’s been a challenging few months and it will be good to get away together. Tickets are purchased so no changing our minds again.

6 Comments »

Peace

March 2nd, 2007 | Author: Mary

Last night before I went to bed I sat by the window awhile looking at the freshly fallen snow outside. There’s something so peaceful about a new snowfall at night.

I did get a pieced backing made for my string Chinese Coins quilt and it’s loaded and ready for me to start quilting tomorrow. I could make a few string blocks tonight but I think I’m going to go sit and read for a while by the fire after taking Chesty for one last walk for the night.

Keith wasn’t able to fly home as planned tonight. He was coming home from Denmark and got as far as Atlanta but the flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis was canceled. The next flight with open seats is not until 1:30PM tomorrow. With my trip to VA last week and his to Denmark this week we’ve been apart for two weeks except for last Sunday night. I guess I’ll just have to wait one more day to see him.

5 Comments »

HeartString variations

March 2nd, 2007 | Author: Mary

There’s been some discussion on the HeartStrings group about the string blocks being too busy or even *ugly* when set together. Patti suggested pairing up a HeartStrings block with a solid background to create a Half Square Triangle block – similar to my Half Square Strings but having the strings run perpendicular not parallel. Rita suggested that an EQ drawing might help so I played about a bit.

I didn’t particularly care for the first version but did like the *X* version better. I decided to throw in an Hourglass version too similiar to my Hourglass Strings. I also think sashing these blocks is also a way to calm things down for those that find them too busy.

Keep in mind that I LIKE the blocks set straight and don’t find them too busy but I do like seeing lots of variations of the same quilt and I want people to like the quilts they’re making. I’ve enjoyed the discussion that this has generated on the list.

A couple links showing how to make the half square triangle blocks

Quick and Easy Half Square Triangle units

Half Square Triange Tutorial (also shows how to make the hourglass blocks)

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I should stay in but I want to walk in the snow!

March 1st, 2007 | Author: Mary

Did you see the picture of Mom’s daffodil’s I posted last week? It’s certainly not spring in Minneapolis on this first day of March!

I’ve been busy finishing up a quilt for Mom. I didn’t line up one of my rows right and had to pick out stitches AGAIN! I’ve had to frog some on my last 3 quilts – hopefully I’m done with that now since trouble usually comes in 3′s. Yes, I did use the Baptist Fans again but Mom has wanted one of her quilts done with the fans since I got the template. Since it was already on the table from my last quilt – I brought home her baskets with me from my trip to her house and went ahead and quilted that one first.

14 Comments »