Archive for the ‘Completed tops’ Category

Am I the only one that has those projects that seem to drag on forever? I’m not sure why this HeartStrings top turned into one of those because usually these blocks are fairly mindless and quick to sew but I definitely dragged my feet here. Of course, it still needs quilting but the top is done!

That odd little glow at the bottom is just the way the light is coming in through the window – for some reason it’s making the blue fabrics (that are in all areas of the quilt) show lighter than they actually are in that one corner.

It’s not Monday but I decided it was time to address the pitiful mess I’d left on the design before going to GA. The Lattice top is finally assembled.

Before

After

This one measures 55 x 77 and does not get a border so the top is done.

I know it’s overly scrappy but I like it. I worked at this on and off all day (Thursday) and into the night in 15 & 30 minute segments until it was assembled. Really, assembling tops has to be one of my least favorite parts of quilting but the rules around here keep me in line – tops need to be completed before I move on (in most cases).

Obviously this one is too big for the design wall but its the best photo I’m going to get at 2AM.

I finished my top today which is great because that leaves tomorrow for errands, laundry, and packing for my trip to VA.  JudyL is having a Quilt Along this Memorial Day Weekend if you’d like to make your own Quilt of Valor. She’s posting instruction for one of her quilts but even if you don’t make hers — consider making a Quilt of Valor for a wounded soldier or a veteran.

I love how my quilt turned out and it was simple! That’s me, simple Mary. The instructions can be found at my MaryQuilts.com site.

I know it’s Tuesday and I’m supposed to be working on strings but since I make the rules, I figure I can break them. And in a way I am working on strings as I’m getting ready for our next HeartStrings project which will use homespuns for string blocks for veterans (and other recipients as desired by the members creating the quilts).

So as I was pulling fabric, I thought that maybe I would finally try out my Drunkard’s Path GO die. I’ve never done any curved piecing but this is a 7.5 inch block (4 blocks are show sewn together below) so I figured it would be a good one to try — and with all the wonky-ness of the homespuns I figured my mistakes would not be very noticeable. I’ll make enough of these for a quilt for Bev & Darlene’s Veteran Project in Maine.

Where is the sun? It seems like it’s been cool and rainy for weeks and I’m ready for some warm sunny days.

In spite of wanting to curl up with my book today, I forced myself to assemble the Framed Rectangles. Susan showed me her batik version yesterday at lunch and I can’t wait to share a photo of it when she’s finished it. It’s amazing how different quilts from the same pattern can look.

After seeing Susan’s circle quilt and Wendi’s liberated top yesterday, I’m tempted to start something else new but I’m going to be good and do some quilting the rest of the week — maybe even some binding. But first, I deserve and hour or two with my book don’t you think?

Caleb’s quilt just needs quilting now. You may notice the selvages on the edges – while I even up the strips as I’m piecing, I just leave these on until the top is quilted and then I trim them off as I square up the quilt and get it ready for binding.

A close up of the monkeys….it may not look like much now but these are SO cute when they’re quilted and bound.

It’s funny that I’m piecing this one right now because there’s been some discussion on the HeartStrings group about quilting/learning to quilt on a domestic sewing machine.

When I first got my longarm, I wanted a quick donation quilt that I could practice my quilting on that didn’t take long to piece and designed this little quilt just for that purpose. With the different width strips it’s prefect for practicing sashing, border, and all over quilting designs and by the time you’ve repeated the design in all the strips through the quilt, they’re pretty well embedded in your brain.

This was also one of the first quilts that I posted instructions for on my MaryQuilts.com site and the one that is most frequently downloaded and that I get the most email about.

So if you’re one of those quilters who wants to practice your quilting — think about whipping up one of these little quilts and then donating it when you’re done.

Mary’s Quick Strippie.

I couldn’t sleep so I got up and finished up the 2nd HeartStrings top I’m doing for our April/May project. It’s not the best photo but really, it’s a cute quilt. I don’t usually put an inner border on these small ones but pulled that little stripe to use for the binding and had just enough to add a small inner border.

Still on the list for this week is some binding and quilting – I’d like to get 3 tops quilted but we’ll see how it goes.

This one held at the Calico Hutch in Haywood MN. What a wonderful shop! Carolyn (the owner), allowed us to come sew in her classroom today. Don’t you LOVE that Spiderweb quilt on the back wall?

I made myself assemble my yellow centered top and get the borders on before I did a little shopping.

After the last couple months visiting quilt shops during HeartStrings sew-ins and shopping earlier this month with Susan and Wendi, I have replenished all the holes in my stash and I need to get to working using it all.

First quilting, then knitting, then piecing, and finally writing up instructions for the Twisted 9 Patch.

I didn’t expect to finish this top today but I’m glad it’s done. I’m ready to move on. If you’re interested in the instructions, click on the link above which will take you to my MaryQuilts.com site.

I’ve turned my heel on the 2nd red sock so that one will definitely be finished this weekend as I’m planning on knitting while the Super Bowl is on. I don’t really care about either team but I’m sure we’ll have the game on so I’ll just sit and knit.

Now Keith and I are going to go out for breakfast and run a few errands before I come home and collapse into bed.

How’s that for a quilt name? Doesn’t all the green remind you of vegetables? Spinach maybe?

I worked on and off all night to finish this top and I think I might even like it better than the Boxed Squares.

Keith even liked it and he doesn’t like most of my quilts — they’re usually too scrappy for him.

You can find instructions for making Boxed Squares on my MaryQuilts.com site. It’s quick and easy to make from 2 and 1/2 inch strips. I used a Jelly Roll for the first one and this one is from stash.

I decided tonight I’d been messing with these blocks way too long and finally finished up the top.  Not the best photo but it’s hard to get one that’s any better at night in my hallway.

Mom and I worked on finishing a top during this visit. It was a block of the month that I’d never assembled but we need a gift quilt and this one was quick to finish up. Of course – it still needs quilting and it’s another big one (about 90 x 100) but I have plenty of time to get it done.

A couple quilts trimmed, a binding made and stitched onto the quilt, a backing pieced, and unlike my usual pace of taking 2-3 days to assemble blocks into a top, I got all the brown centered HeartStrings blocks assembled this morning.

Now I need to stop stalling and go down and load one of my aunt’s tops on the longarm.

We thought Chesty might have a urinary tract infection so I collected a urine specimen this morning to carry to the vet — not as complicated as I thought it would be using a disposable pie tin to collect and a small Tupperware container to transport. Unfortunately, in additional to a probable UTI he also has some crystals in his urine which are indicative of stones so he’ll go in tomorrow for an x-ray.

And still I managed to get some work done. The teal HeartStrings top is finished.

And this small top pieced by Cecile is quilted.

The quilting is hard to see but it’s a pantograph by Norma Sharp called Leap Frogs and you can probably see it better in this shot of the back.

Yes, the Stars and Pinwheels are finally assembled into a finished top. It’s too big for my design wall and Keith isn’t home to hold it up for me but trust me — it’s done (at least the top)!

I finished piecing my Diamond Strings — thanks to focusing on it during our HeartStrings holiday weekend sew-in but I’d hoped to get a backing pieced and another small top quilted today so I could load this one and quilt it tomorrow.

But after lunch Keith and I went to Home Depot to order tile for the kitchen backsplash and I picked up a couple more shelving units in my never ending quest to be more organized. The first one is in my longarm room which also functions as my office. I can place the bins with files, backings, tops, etc. on the shelves instead of them sitting in the various boxes they were shipped to me in. I’m going to move that top shelf down some.

Finally, I had a couple bins with finished quilts waiting for donation sitting at the bottom of the stairs – this small shelf is much neater but I’d like to talk Keith into letting me put a taller one there.

I’ve lost track of what number Chinese Coins quilt this is but the top is done and it’s ready for quilting. It’s probably the last bit of sewing I’ll get done before we leave tomorrow for South Dakota.

Chesty posing with the finished top

As requested, brief instructions are posted at my MaryQuilts.com site for this tumbler quilt. While I did cut this one with my wonderful GO cutter, it can be made using a template.
I realized as I was trying to draw the string blocks in the EQ that a stripe fabric would work in place of the string pieced blocks too.

Today’s picture is a little better and hopefully you can see how pretty the Blue Aqua fabric is — I feel like it’s my Summer vacation quilt esp. as we’re heading for Florida on Saturday and I’m anticipating lots of beach time!

Email me