A lot of you commented on Sue’s snowball quilt that I finished up this week and it got me thinking about the next one I want to make. I have the Accuquilt GO snowball die but I’ve only used it once so far.

I like the “flower” setting and will probably use it again sometime but I’ve been wanting to do a scrappy snowball and 9 patch quilt and I drew it out last night. I will probably add more blocks and make it a nice lap size quilt for donation but this was big enough to give me an idea of how it will look.

Now if I can just find time to make this one and the king size 9 patch and friendship star quilt … I’ve got a list of tops already to work on in GA so I don’t know if I’ll get to either one yet. This one will require me to play in the scraps bins so it would have to be cut and kitted for me to piece in GA and I don’t think that’s going to happen before we leave.

It’s not drafted to size … but after looking at a lot of scrap quilts I combined a few ideas and came up with this. It will be scrappier too meaning those stars would all be different colors … I use fewer colors when I’m drafting a quilt to make it easier. Blocks would be 9 inches finished … so I’d be working with 3 inch squares and half square triangles … not too big and not too small for a king size quilt. I’d also need to put a 3 inch border on it to bring it up to the size I need which I didn’t draw but I did make some notes. I would set it 11 x 12 or 13 blocks …. 12 might be a little small, 13 might be a little big … I’ll have to measure the width of the bed to see what I’d like better.

Do you see a little similarity to the 9 patch and Hearts quilt I just finished? I love simple scrappy quilts!!!!

….and just in case you don’t remember the fabrics I’m thinking of – here’s another look.

Have you been reading the blog long enough to know that I plan a lot more quilts than I actually make? My list is always sooo long and there always seems to be another new project I want to do but I was looking through some older files the other night and came across these 3 that I still want to make one of these days … of course there are lots of other ones too — maybe I need to make a page on the website just for “one day quilts”! I’ll never run out of ideas … but then I never stop looking for inspiration.

I haven’t started assembling the blocks for the first quilt but I started some rail fence blocks yesterday while I was finishing up with Rae’s schooling. She’s home now so I’ll have more sewing time in between all the service providers coming the next few days.

I’ve seen photos of Rainbow Rail Fence quilts online and decided I’d make a small version for my next Jelly Roll quilt. Blocks are 6 inches finished, set 7 x 9, and the quilt will finish at 42 x 54.

We’ve got a gutter company out today to start the many minor repairs needed on the house … it’s 20 years old and we had a really good inspection so we knew we’d have to work our way through a list of repairmen. It’s turned out really well that we’re staying for several weeks so we can get a lot of it done right away.

While he’s out there working, I’m going through email and looking at quilts on eBay. This one I found this morning reminds me that I want to make another version of my 9 patch quilt that’s on my website (that was also inspired by a vintage quilt).

Here’s my quilt … it’ has a similar jumbled feel but it’s not the same.

And here’s my original quilt drawing … I always knew I wanted to make it in RWB. Seeing the 9 patch this morning makes me think I should move it up the “to do” list but I’ll be working on a Jelly Roll quilt next… maybe I’ll even get it started in the next day or two!

Today’s a travel day for me but I thought I’d post some quick notes on the Chisel Stars since I’ve had so many people asked what pattern I’m using … while I’m sure there are patterns available I’m not using one … I pulled out my Accuquilt GO dies and started cutting.

DIES USED – 3 x 6 chisel die and 3 inch finished half square triangle.

• Quilt size – 56 x 68
• Block size – 12 inches finished (12.5 with seam allowances)
• Chisel size – 3 x 6 inches finished (3.5 x 6.5 with seam allowances)
• Blocks set 4 across and 5 rows down – 20 blocks needed
• Border – cut 4.5 inches

When placing the fabric on the chisel die … do NOT fan fold, place each layer of fabric with the right side up.

The blocks are very easy to piece when cut with the GO. All you need is to make 4 light and 4 dark chisels for each block and sew them together as shown below.

PAY ATTENTION to how the chisel blocks are rotated when you’re sewing the light and the dark chisels together!!

Each section will be sewn the same way and just rotated in the final block. Make 20 blocks.

I’m making 2 blocks from each fat quarter so I needed 10 fat quarters (there is a little leftover from each fat quarter). I’m not done yet so I can’t tell you exactly how much background I’m using for the entire quilt but since it’s the same pieces in each block as the fat quarters it will be less than 2.5 yards.

I’m going to use the same fabric for the border and binding and 2 yards will do it allowing me to cut the borders from the lengthwise grain without piecing them. If you want to piece them, you’d need less fabric.

With less than 7 weeks left in the year, I’m thinking about what I want to accomplish/finish up before 2019 ends.

First on the list – I’m going to make a little rectangle top with the leftover jelly roll strips from Mom’s Bento Box.

Next – Use one of my new dies from Blue Wren to make a RWB hourglass top. I drafted this one a while back but it uses 4 inch finished quarter square triangles.

My new die is a 6 inch block so I redrafted it. This one will be 54 x 72 and the hourglass blocks will be set 9×12.

Also on the list …

• Quilting 4 tops
• finishing the ripple blanket
• knitting hats
• piecing one more top (I’ve not decided what)
• Stitching the last wool felt stocking

What do you plan to finish up this year?!

I’m thankful for all those who served including my dad and Keith’s dad.

You know that my focus is donation quilting and while I don’t exclusively make quilts for veterans I try each year to make at least a couple to donate and through my MaryQuilts.com website, I share inspiration/instructions for veteran quilts.

Here’s the link to ideas for Veteran quilts on my website. And here are a few of my donation quilts you’ll find there.

I love twisted blocks! I’ve made a number of quilts with them over the years … some with focus prints, some with blocks.

A year or so ago, I found some leftover pinwheel blocks and made a small twisted pinwheel doll quilt. I really want to make a larger version of this quilt so I drafted it out tonight (at 4 am when I should have been sleeping but couldn’t) … I often design in RWB even when I plan to make a multicolored scrap quilt because it’s quick and easy to design in 3 colors AND a lot of my readers make and donate quilts for veterans so I like having quilt ideas for them.

Here’s my doll quilt

And here is my plan for the full size quilt.

• Quilt size will be 54 x 72
• Block size will be 9 inches finished
• Pinwheel blocks with be 6.5 inches with seam allowances and made from 3 inch finished HSTs (3.5 inches with seam allowances)
• I’ll use the instructions posted on my Website for my Twisted 9 patch to twist the blocks.