Assembled

~ Mary ~ 9 Comments

So, the scale is off on this one for me and the quilt doesn’t flow from block to block but I wanted to try a different 3 yard quilt and it’s another one that just doesn’t photograph all that well. I don’t dislike it, I just don’t love it.

Although, when looking at it closer up … it doesn’t bother me as much.

This is one I saw online when doing a search for 3 yard quilts and I debated what size blocks to use. I think I might have been happier with 8 inch finished blocks and a border rather than the borderless 10 inches finished blocks I went with. I did play a bit with the idea before piecing the top but I don’t think I’ll do this one again.

You might wonder what the appeal is in the 3 yard quilts – although let me say I always use more than 3 yards and adapt the borders, number of blocks and binding to suit my needs/taste. There are several reasons I’m enjoying making them.

  • First, it’s always fun to do a project with a group and see what everyone else is coming up with and my HeartStrings group started making them this spring.
  • It’s nice to work on a quick easy project in between scrap quilts which take me longer and involve a lot of sorting and cutting of fabric (not that I mind since scrap quilts are my favorites) but these are a nice break too.
  • They’re great projects for working with larger prints or novelty fabrics for kids.
  • They make cute kids quilts and nice lap size donation quilts for adults.
  • And finally, they’re great stash busters. Because I can typically piece one of these in an afternoon, I feel like I’m making a lot more progress using up my large stash than when I’m making scrap quilts and see no progress at all so it’s a good balance for me.

And in case you’ve forgotten what my large stash looks like … it’s still a bit of a mess with the bins everywhere. One of these days I’m going to have to take some time and get a bit more organized.

Sewing along with Maine

~ Mary ~ 7 Comments

I’m missing the Maine sew-in this week. We decided flying up there just wasn’t something we were comfortable doing right now with the surge in COVID cases but I’m sewing along from home. The theme this year is the 3 yard quilts we’ve been working on and I got started Monday afternoon piecing this Unicorn Stepping Stones top. Pattern is from Fabric Cafe. That pink is not nearly as overwhelmingly bright in person!

Here’s a close-up of the unicorn fabric.

Even though I wasn’t in Maine with the others I had LOTS of company – there was a steady stream of deer walking by and peering in my windows!

After Keith went to bed, I came back down and loaded and quilted my Turtles – another one of my 3 yard quilts. It just so happens to be the Stepping Stones pattern too. Pantograph is Beaded Curtain and I think this is the first time I’ve quilted this one. I’m going to try it smaller next time but I like the curvy quilting on this top.

Finished

~ Mary ~ 9 Comments

My Log Cabin Hearts quilt is finished. Mom appliqued the set of hearts I used for this second one. She thought they were too busy (I asked for colored hearts and colored backgrounds) but I kind of like them! I’ve got one more set she appliqued and they’re all on neutral backgrounds so she’ll probably end up liking that one better when I get around to making it. Pantograph is Leafy Love

Brief instructions for my Log Cabin Hearts can be found on my website

Finished!

~ Mary ~ 13 Comments

I stitched this binding down last night. It is the 3rd of the Strips and Strings log cabin quilts made this year and I always love how these turn out.

After being up most of the night, I dragged myself out of bed this morning so Keith and I could hike up to the upper falls. We carried sandwiches and apples and had lunch up there. It was gorgeous. Mileage was 5.64 miles roundtrip. If you click on the photo it will enlarge.

I’ve got another binding to stitch down tonight and then I’ll be ready to Sew Along with Maine this coming week. It’s hard having to cancel another trip to Maine but we are planning to go in April and stay for the month – fingers crossed!

Assembled

~ Mary ~ 8 Comments

This scrappy one probably won’t appeal to some of you … but I love rail fence blocks and using my leftover strips and strings to make one is a bonus. This top also meets my precut challenge for September. Since I didn’t have any “honey bun” precuts, I used some skinny strips and strings in my rail fence blocks.

Brief instructions can be found on my website at this link.

In addition to getting this top assembled, I trimmed one quilt and got it ready for binding, got the binding on another and ready to hand sew down, and I got a backing pieced for one of the 3 yard tops I have here waiting for quilting.

I am working hard to finish things up before Monday so I can sew along with my HeartStrings group next week. I won’t make it to Maine this year but I will be working from home and our project will be 3 yard quilts.

A new Blanket

~ Mary ~ 9 Comments

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this combination of yarn and linen stitch pattern. And it’s such an easy stitch too. This will be the 5th one that I’ve made.

  • Pattern – from a BluPrint kit purchase several years ago
  • Hook size – I
  • Yarn – Lionbrand Mandala Ombré, colorway Balance
  • Chained 140

Although this pattern isn’t available anymore, you can find a similar one for free by clicking here.

Finished

~ Mary ~ 3 Comments

The chevron blanket is finished. It’s smallish at 35 x 44 inches but a nice size for a baby or small child. It’s big enough to cover my lap sitting in the chair – funny how knit and crochet blankets seem bigger than quilts of the same size! I guess it’s the stretchiness.

I’ve already pulled yarn for the next one. It will be another linen stitch blanket with the Lion’s Brand Mandala Ombré yarn … you can see I have a whole bin with this yarn. It’s a favorite of mine and I was happy to find it at Walmart last year for a good price and stocked up a bit. I’ve also bought it at Joann’s.

Quilted

~ Mary ~ 6 Comments

My 2nd Log Cabin Hearts top is quilted. Pantograph is Leafy Love.

I’ve got two waiting for binding now and I’ll get started on that tomorrow. Today after quilting the heart top, I finished the Strips and Strips Rail Fence blocks. This is the 7th top pieced out of these two string bins this year. I don’t see much difference in the amount of fabric in them yet … of course, leftover bits from other quilt have been added in too which doesn’t help. It also brings my string block count up to 310 for our 365 block challenge on HeartStrings. This will be the first time I’ve actually hit 365 in a single year – I’ve done the challenge a couple other times and it’s taken me about a year and a half to 2 years but I’m on a mission to tame my strips and strings and scrap bins so I’ve been focusing on them.

Of course, I need to make another 55 blocks before the end of the year to hit the goal but that should be easy enough. Before I start another set of blocks I’ll have to tackle the big bin. I’ve pulled most of the usable strips and strings from it and the rest of this is mostly wider strips or trimmings from backings that need to be cut down into useable sizes. I tend to use strips or strings that range from about 1.5 to 2.5 inches.

Work space

~ Mary ~ 8 Comments

Are you tired of me telling you how great my workspaces are here? One thing I’ve really missed is having an open floor space to spread a quilt out to trim or to put borders on. I have that here in my sewing room.

And the views are great too, my sewing room windows look out on the back yard right at the stone steps! This baby still has his spots. According to most articles I’ve read they lose their spots at 3 to 4 months old … by October usually.

This Strips and Strings Log Cabin is ready for binding, another quilt is loaded on the longarm, all but 5 blocks for the Strips and Strings Rail fence quilt are made … and now I’m going to sit and crochet and listen to my audiobook.

Quilted

~ Mary ~ 4 Comments

This was the last Strips and Strings Log Cabin top waiting for quilting and now it’s done. Pantograph is one that came with the longarm (no name is available, just a number) and I’m not a fan although it didn’t turn out as bad as I expected after seeing it off the machine. I did not adjust the size of the pattern for this one and I doubt I’ll use it again although I might give it one more try at a smaller scale.

I heard Finn going crazy upstairs and wondered what he was seeing out the window … a few minutes later, Keith sent me a photo … turkeys!