Design Wall Monday - August 28, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

It has been a busy week here.  The backs of all nine strips have the middle parts pressed open, and the outer edges trimmed. 

Here is the back of one strip, so you can see how nice and flat the centers are.  I snipped one seam on either side of the center seam to enable it to lie flat.  See from this picture how it worked out:

This week the plan is to sew all nine pieced strips to their bordering strips.  I think that was what I had planned for last week……but as I said, it’s been a busy week.

First, on Wednesday, the bushel of canning tomatoes I ordered came in, and when I went to pick them up, the peaches looked so good that I bought a bushel of peaches too.  So Thursday I canned one batch of tomatoes (7 quarts) and one batch of peaches (also 7 quarts) during the day.  However the canning “factory” came to a halt Thursday night when a very powerful storm came through Michigan.  We lost power for 26 hours.

The only useful things I did while the power was out was 1) weed the flower beds and 2) crochet a little hot pad.  It is a free pattern from the internet that I had printed a few weeks ago.  It is supposed to look like a fried egg:

I am easily amused.   Pattern (Here)

The power came back on late Friday night, so my home canning factory resumed production on Saturday all day and Sunday afternoon.   I am happy to report that there are now 26 quarts of peaches and 19 quarts and 2 pints of tomatoes on the kitchen counter.  

The last 7 jars of tomatoes are cooling on the stove:

What did you work on this week?  You constantly show such pretty projects that I have to sit on my hands to keep from starting another quilt project.  I am looking forward to seeing your work again this week.  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.  Thank you for mentioning Design Wall Mondays in your blog, and providing a link back to this post.  

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Design Wall Monday - August 21, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Progress is being made on the quilt on the design wall.  All columns done:

Next I have to trim the dog ears and sew the columns to each other.  18 long seams.  

Here are some current issues:

Pressing the blocks.  By pressing the seam toward the solid fabric triangles (solid meaning unpieced fabrics) leaves a lumpy center cluster of fabric that any long arm quilter will not like.   I do not want to press the whole seam open, as there is so much piecing in the little blocks and….also, it’s a pain to do.  I’m thinking I could clip the seam allowance a little bit on each side of the center, so the center could open up, and the two sides would lay flat as I want them to.  Another option is to spray the center with water and just smash it down with the iron.  Not a good solution, but it was a suggested solution.

What do you think would be best?

Here is what I’m talking about:

Second issue:

Extra pieced blocks.

There are nine columns of pieced blocks right now and each one has 23 blocks in it.  I thought I’d be using all the blocks that way, but no……there are 22 left.  Maybe they multiplied after I counted them.

Extras:

I could add 2 blocks to the end of each column and use 18 of them that way.  But that would add 8.5 inches to the length of the quilt, which is going to be 98 inches long without the extra 2 blocks.  Adding them would make the quilt 106.5 inches long.  It is queen size in width.  But this would be an easy solution.

Another solution would be to make a doll quilt with the extra 22 blocks.

I do have a name for this quilt now, thanks to Rebecca Grace.  

Last week Rebecca Grace (her blog is here) commented “I LOVE the project on your design wall!  Each little block is like a fabulous chocolate truffle in a Valentine box with the setting triangles separating them just like those little wrappers.”  So now the name will be “A Box of Chocolates.”

What is happening on your design wall?  Remember, it doesn’t have to be on an actual design wall - just show us what you are making. Please mention this blog and provide a link to this post so people can come back here to see what the rest of the participants are making.  Looking forward to your link ups to the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.

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Design Wall Monday - August 14, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

The quilt on the design wall is coming along slowly.  There are now five columns sewn into long strips of 23 blocks, and the sixth column is on the carpet next to the sewing machine.   I sew five together four times, and the extra three, and then sew them all into one long column.  

Next strip to be sewn:

Here is the current status of the Design Wall this Monday:

Five long strips done, and four to go.

Well, making a list last Monday helped me a little bit.  I did get the cutting mat area cleaned off:

It doesn't stay this way, but it sure is nice to see the whole area clean once in a while.  It is actually the "bar" area (note the sink and refrigerator) in the family room downstairs, but I use the countertop as a cutting board, as the lighting is very good there.   And to be honest, the cutting mat area within the quilt room is filled with items........such as........ahem.........lots of various very important things.

I didn't make a "list" for this week, as the list consists of one thing  "Get this quilt OFF the design wall as soon as possible........more quilts are waiting for their turn up there!

What are you working on this Monday?  I am looking forward to reading your blogs and seeing your pictures.  Thanks very much for your faithful linkups to Design Wall Mondays.  You are the best.

Link up below to show us the fun you are having this week.  As always, I appreciate it so much when you link back to this blog post from somewhere within your post, and also mention the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  

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Design Wall Monday - August 7, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Here it is August already and I feel like I can't post another picture of my design wall - because it looks the same as last week!  But I do have a great reason.  I was on vacation all week up north in Michigan.  Our family came from all over and we had a great time.

Now I am home again, refreshed, and ready to quilt up a storm!  At lease I hope so!  I did read your blogs, and one I liked a lot was from Chris from Quilting at the Farm  (Here)   She makes me feel better in that she didn't get some things done on her list either......but she also DID make a list, which is better than the list that's in my head.

So, after reading her blog, I have formed a written list below for the month of August.

1) Get at least five of the small blocks sewn together into a strip every day in August, starting today, the 7th.  Try to sew on this project at least 20 minutes each day.  The goal is to get the top assembled and off the design wall. 

2) Get the cutting board area cleaned off.

3) Shorten the hems on hubby's new pajamas (sleeves and pant legs) to make them fit him better.  I could take them back, but I hate returning things more than I hate altering them.  

It is a short list, but I am trying to stay "Whelmed" and not "Overwhelmed".  

It was a busy week, and I have no vacation pictures to share.  I was having such a good time that I left my phone in my room most of the time.  The house we rented had an extensive book collection, so I enjoyed browsing some cookbooks, and also read "To Kill a Mocking Bird" again.  And a short book "Who Moved My Cheese".  

Before I left, three of my quilts were sent to Sue Daurio  (Here)  to see what she can do to finish them.  Here is an old photo of the two 1930s basket quilts to refresh your memory.  I am waiting to hear what her inspiration will be for quilting them.

She did such a great job on the last two quilts that I sent to her, and these two will get her special treatment too, I am sure.  The third one was the redwork quilt that I've worked on for such a long time.  It felt good to move them to the longarm quilter stage.

What plans do you have for August?  I shall read your blogs and find out what you are working on.  Thanks so much for being so faithful in linking with the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I look forward to Mondays.

Let's join again this week so we can read your blogs and look at your beautiful pictures.  Please provide a link back to this post so that we can toggle back and forth to all the blogs.  Also, it would be nice if you mentioned our Design Wall Monday Linky Party in your post.  Happy Monday!

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