Archive for January, 2010

How about a Twisted version?

Norma linked to Gail’s quilt which is very much like an EQ version I was working with but I had a 9 patch in the sashing and thought it was too busy. Keeping the rail fence and using a solid block like Gail’s is much more to my liking.

I love suggestions that allow me to tweak something I’m working on and making it better!

Anyone else have a favorite 9 patch? I’m saving links and might just do more than one of these quilts. I knew I’d just recently seen another 9 patch & hourglass setting when Kathy linked to hers but couldn’t remember where — well it was Laura’s Christmas 9 Patch.

If you ever want to go back and look at one my my EQ drawings I’ve shared here you can click on the Quilt Designs link in the sidebar under Just Quilting.

If I decide to sash both of these are possibilities. I love the look of sashing, just not the extra work.

I like this one better I think but it would be even more work. (Have I mentioned I’m kind of a lazy quilter?)

Kathy shared a photo of one of her 9 patch quilts that I really like too — with hourglass blocks. Some of my favorite 9 patch quilts have alternate hour glass blocks.

My copy of Gwen Marston’s Liberated Quiltmaking II arrived today – I have the first book and love it and was excited to get this one too. I have some ideas floating around in my head….

Pieced by San and her quilting group in NC and quilted with Wonky Feathers from the Pajama Quilter DVD — it’s one of a group of quilts they sent to me to quilt for Alycia’s Quilt of Valor Project.

I like to play along with Judy on Mondays when I have something new up there. I don’t do a lot of pre-cutting but I’ve been cutting 2.5 inch strips for several months now — from uglies in the stash, from leftover pieces,  and extra strips when I’m binding and I intend to play with them this year. Today it’s 9 patches.

I’m still debating the setting maybe alternating plain or rail fence blocks, maybe even sashing them although sashing is one of my least favorite things to do.

The last one I did was this one about 3 years ago. The blocks were 4.5 inch finished and were leftover from another quilt. Not only were they leftover, but Mom had pieced the blocks for me. Funny how I can tell when I finished things from my photos – this was taken at the Loring Park apartment. Don’t you love the Baptist Fans on it?

And here’s the other one from Mom’s blocks. This one was taken in my GA studio so it was done before we moved to Minneapolis. I won’t use this setting because the blocks are too big I think — I don’t really want 18 inch plain blocks to have to fill up with quilting although I did a nice job on this, these were only 13.5 inch finished blocks.

Do you have a favorite 9 patch quilt to inspire me

No puppy model with this HeartStrings top pieced by Sue’s Mom, Monica (I think, or maybe Sue). Do you see the Hearts? There are four of them all coming into the center.

Although it’s a little hard to tell in the photo, I pulled out the binding leftovers for this one and pieced them. Number 6 is trimmed and ready for binding too and that one will also get a pieced binding. I love using leftovers!

Pieced by Tamera and sent to me to quilt and donate. Quilted with the pantograph Wildflower by Willow Leaf Studio.

Modeled by Chesty!

Top pieced by Barbara in FL and sent to me to finish and donate.

And yep, those are my favorite freehand fans again.

I’ve been binding away tonight and I’ve got another one almost finished.

First – take another look at this photo of my sewing room from the other day.

I intended to halfway clean the room and switch the location of the sewing and cutting tables.

And the cutting table is even clean. Those are string bins in the corner along with a few project bins.

I was going to leave  this side of the room for another day.

But couldn’t stand it.

I did however save this table for tomorrow – time for some football and binding.

I’ve been watching Judy’s sock knitting for a couple years now and every time she posts I’m so tempted to give socks a try. Today, I broke down and ordered two books from Amazon. My thinking is that socks would make perfect travel projects. We won’t discuss the fact that I haven’t finished a crochet or knitting project I’ve started in the last year or so and who knows — I might just read about knitting socks and not even try them…..stay tuned.

Speaking of travel — it’s going to be to MINUS 17 tonight so I’m dreaming of my trip next week to Fort Lauderdale. I’ll be sitting on the beach or by the pool reading and sipping Rum Runners!

I had lunch plans but my date canceled on me and I didn’t get a bit of work done today (yet) because I’ve either been  sitting by the fire reading or on the phone….mostly on the phone but at least it snowed!

Adam and Lindsey have picked a day in March and they’ll be having a very small family wedding. I guess I’d better get to work finishing the quilt they’ve chosen.

Chesty prefers being by the fire to being out in the snow.