Design Wall Monday - June 26, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

I made a great find in my stash yesterday.  Remember that I am trying to put 210 small intricate blocks into a quilt where they can be seen individually. 

 The colors/design of this vintage quilt is what I am using to guide me:

I found a neutral in my stash to use with my blocks last week, and have that sewn to my little blocks.  I thought I'd have to buy a brown fabric for the narrow vertical stripes.....but yesterday, I found a fabric in my stash that I think will work!  I am so happy.  I have no idea what I bought the brown fabric for, and it was in a box of mostly fat quarters in browns.  It was the largest piece of fabric in the box - at least three yards!  I calculated I'd need 2.75 yards if I bought something.  

Here is the brown print, which reads as a solid brown from a little distance:

In the original quilt, the brown is a print that reads as a solid from a distance,  too.  See a closeup of the vintage quilt here:

So now quilt top construction can begin.  I have triangles sewn on both sides of each of my blocks I'm using in lieu of the nine patches of the old quilt, and I now have the brown.....brown stripes and neutral stripes and blocks are going to appear on my design wall this week!  I can't wait!

What are you doing this week?   It feels so good to have my quilting mojo back.  I hope you all are keeping your projects going.  It pleases me so much to see your posts and pictures.  Thanks so much for joining the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  Please mention Design Wall Mondays, and provide a link to this post from within your post.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - June 19, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Well I think I have my quilting mojo back.  It was quite a dry spell but now I am eager to get rolling again.  I finally made a decision to pick a background for the small brown/pink squares that are on the design wall. 

Here is a picture of some of the triangles to show you how it will look:

This background fabric was in my stash, and I have four yards of it, so there will be enough.  Next step involves cutting lots of 5.5 inch squares and then cross cutting them two times, to get four triangles with the non-biased edge on the long edge of the triangle.

Just the project to get me back into my quilting mojo.  Here are some triangles that I cut yesterday:

I am still very much influenced by this vintage quilt:

What have you been doing?  I am so thankful for your beautiful pictures and blog posts.  They have encouraged me to get my quilting mojo back.  

Show us what you have on your design wall today.  Please provide a link back to this post, and also mention the Design Wall Monday Linky Party within your blog post.  Happy Monday!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - June 12, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

The month of June has been so beautiful, and the flowers in Michigan have been spectacular.  Last Saturday we visited our son and his family in Lansing, MI.  They have a lot of beautiful peonies and I came home with such amazing bouquets.  Look at these pictures:

Spectacular!

The four inch blocks are still on the design wall, and I am still thinking about how to make them shine.  Someone suggested they could be even more separated, and I am thinking about removing every other block, to give each block more space to shine on its own.  But this is the status of my design wall today:

In the meantime, while thinking about the above blocks,  I worked on the signature exchange blocks for the group exchange that will happen in my next trip to Shipshewana, IN.  There are 48 women in the exchange, and the block is a star:

Someone (I think Preeti) asked why did they provide paper piecing on such a simple block...............and I think it is because with 48 different sewers making the same block,  it is purely for accuracy and to make sure all blocks conform to 6.5 inches unfinished when they are exchanged.   Paper piecing is a slow methodical rhythm thing for me, and helps me work through other problems while I am working on them.  I have half of the blocks completed as of today.

What are you working on?  Please join the weekly Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.  Thanks for participating.  I appreciate all of you.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Design Wall Monday - June 5, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!  

Whenever a new month starts, I get renewed energy to finish some of my quilting UFOs.  This week, I put lots of small blocks on the design wall, and am thinking about a way to put them into a quilt.  They are four inch blocks, and each one is special and unique, so I want to separate them with a neutral fabric and let each one shine on its own.  Here is a picture of the design wall:

I have a large piece of pinkish material that I could use for vertical strips in between the blocks set on point.  I like an old quilt that I'm using for inspiration which is this one, from the Smithsonian Institution.  If interested, you can read more about it  (Here)

That is as far as I am with this project - waiting for more inspiration to hit me.  Please keep giving me your two cents worth too.  I need more inspiration.

Also, another project I've just started is a six inch signature block that I am exchanging with a group of wonderful ladies that I retreat with in Shipshewana, Indiana.  The block is a star, and I have the papers printed to paper piece it.

There are about 50 ladies in the exchange, so I am dividing the blocks into 10 block groups, rather than think about making so many of the same block.  This is how I trick myself into thinking there are not so many blocks to make.  Here is my start on the first 10 blocks.   I completed one to make sure it was what I wanted them to look like:

I will add my signature in the center white square when the blocks are completed.  I do like the precision of paper pieced blocks, but I dislike tearing out the papers. 

There is a method that folds the paper back, and uses it for guidance, but you do not sew through the paper.  The method uses freezer paper though, and I have already printed out the paper patterns on typing paper.  Have you used the freezer paper method, and liked it?

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print here.  I've been working outside weeding my flower beds, but it is very hot and I don't last long out there.  Hopefully we will get some cooler weather soon.  

What are you working on this week?  I enjoyed looking at all the projects last week, and am looking forward to seeing your progress.  Thanks so much for faithfully joining in on our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I appreciate you!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter