Small Quilts and Doll Quilts: June 2020

Monday, June 29, 2020

Design Wall Monday - June 29, 2020

Hello quilters! Happy 4th of the July this week. I love flag quilts and have many. Here’s a link to how I made a replica of an 1862 crib flag quilt. (Here). It is in the room with me right now, ready for the holiday weekend coming up:

The zigzag blue plaid quilt is back in Grand Rapids on the design wall. I put it there and put up more potential columns of dark/light plaids. I like more contrast as the last light column has, so I may take the first light column apart and add more lights. I may leave the part I have together as is, but haven’t decided yet, so it’s in timeout on the design wall. Thanks for all your comments on it. I love it, but not love-love-love it yet.

The checked small quilt has been all fixed: I cut it smaller, and after recutting the larger plaid-paying more attention to how the larger plaid runs, viola! It’s now two doll quilts. And I like them both! The larger one is 24” by 27”, with squares that finish at three inches.

The little one is 12.5” by 17.5”, with squares that finish at two and a half inches. It is a little sister of the larger one behind it:

I still have some scraps left to make another doll quilt with the larger plaid alternating with a white square. There was more fabric than I thought.

The embroidery is continuing - this week’s basket has one big flower in the middle that is entirely French knots. I would like to talk to the artist who designed these baskets, as I’ve never seen a flower like this one. I am thinking of an exotic looking flower such as the passion flower for my inspiration for coloring.

What are you working on this week? There were some fabulous pictures last week - thank you all for joining in and linking up. Can’t wait to see what is happening this week. I haven’t done anything to change to the newer blogger update, so I will see what happens “in late June”. I welcome any advice you have.

Monday, June 22, 2020

Design Wall Monday, June 22, 2020

My cabin design wall looks the same as it did a week ago. We had workmen at the Grand Rapids house painting the outside trim, and also had company. Some weeks just slip away, don’t they?

The zig zag quilt is stalled at this point, but I will have to get busy on it, as guests will be in this bed for the July 4th weekend, and the quilt will have to be moved. I am wishing the “lights” were lighter to contrast more with the darks. And thinking of replacing some lights with even lighter ones.

The painter was painting the exterior of this door, and Penny Lane was supervising him very closely from inside. She approved his work.

I thank you for your input on the small checked blocks and the diagonal setting question last week. Someone suggested outlining the small checked blocks before putting them with the diagonal larger plaid. I did that and have them on the design wall in Grand Rapids. But something is still not giving me happiness, so they are there for a while until I figure it out. Even though the larger plaid is cut on the diagonal, it is a straight setting. If I had just cut the larger print straight and then set the blocks diagonally, it would have been better, and also had no bias edging. Too much thinking, or not thinking it through. Maybe a fabulous border will make it all right.

What is moving along at your design wall? Or are you stalled on some projects too? Please link up and show us what you are doing. Thanks! Please put a link back to this blog post from somewhere in your post, and mention Design Wall Mondays.

Monday, June 15, 2020

Design Wall Monday - June 15, 2020

June 15, 1963.....57 years ago today.....my wedding day. Such wonderful memories, and such fun to still be in love with my dear hubby. God is good.

I finished the embroidered square I was working on, and started another. This is the completed one:

It amazes me that the same patterns are published over and over with different names as artist. For instance, I just saw on the internet that Darlene Zimmerman had 2 panels called Laisy Daisy Baskets....with 8 baskets on each panel. They all are simple versions of these baskets patterns from an earlier time. Here is the panel with the above basket on it:

It is not a clear picture, but the basket “by Darlene Zimmerman” similar to the one I just finished is in the top row, third basket. The other panel has a simplified version of the lilacs basket on it, also top row, third from left:

The week has been busy, and I’m still playing in the box of plaids. I put together these little precut squares of brown checks, and another larger plaid. Which version do you like better - the larger plaid set on the diagonal?

Or straight?

Or do you have any other thoughts on a two fabric quilt from these two? I don’t remember cutting the little squares in the past, or maybe they were given to me. Now it’s time they became a quilt.

Please link up and show us what you are working on. Give me some lovely pictures to look at on my anniversary! All that is required is that you link back to this particular blog post, and mention “Design Wall Monday” in your post. Thanks!

Monday, June 8, 2020

Design Wall Monday - June 8, 2020

Good Morning Quilters! It is going to be a beautiful month - I can feel it. The Broken Herringbone quilt is coming along slowly, but I’m in no hurry. Here is the progress: Four columns sewn together, and another two columns laying out (sewed to each other) and ready to attach to the four previous ones. This method with partial seams has me watching the video again every time I return to work on it. Video is Here

Embroidery on basket #15 is inching along also. This basket is easier than the lilacs, and will be finished this week.

What is on your design wall? Please post a picture so we can see and can go to your blog to read about it. Thanks to all who link up. I appreciate you. Please link back to this post from somewhere within your post.

Monday, June 1, 2020

Design Wall Monday - June 1, 2020

Two projects are on my “design wall” this week. I continue to make embroidered baskets, and the lilac one is finished. There were a lot of lilac petals. After I picked a bouquet of lilacs this week, I noticed that each little bloom has four petals. In the embroidery I just finished, each little flower has 6 or more petals. If I ever embroider another basket of lilacs, I will change the petals to four on each. (My tiny detail trivia for the day). I doubt I will ever make another one.

Here is a picture of all the blocks so far on the kitchen floor (design wall):

Someone asked me how many blocks I am making, and I don’t know for sure. I have made 14, and have patterns for 32. I am continuing as it is a peaceful project.

The other project is one using up my plaid stash. I saw a youtube video on a quilting technique that I have wanted to try: A broken herringbone design. The How To video from the Crafts Channel is (Here). I have started a blue plaid herringbone design, using pieces that will finish 2 X 6 inches. ). The method is simple, but involves partial seams. I don’t have a pattern, but just started making “bricks” 2.5 in. by 6.5 in. I have enough bricks for 16 columns, and picture shows 4 of them. I divided all the bricks into dark ones vs lighter ones, and plan on two dark columns-two light columns across the quilt. I should be able to see the pattern better next week. Have you ever made a broken herringbone quilt? Here is a picture of the first four columns laid out on the bed:

What are you working on this week? It is so disturbing to watch the chaos and looting in America’s major cities right now. Please pray with me that peace will come soon. I hope we can continue to quilt and share our design walls with each other in the midst of all of this unrest.

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