Design Wall Monday - March 20, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Are any of you basketball fans?  I am a big college basketball fan, and filling out my March Madness bracket choices is an annual ritual.  It has been fun this year because so far, my bracket is doing better than three of my Grandson's brackets.  I am sure they aren't happy about it, but so far, I'm winning!  And my very favorite team is now in the Sweet Sixteen.  Go Green!

But my main news is that I have another UFO finish to show you this week.   My cheddar baskets quilt is completed!  I blogged about it when I started making these baskets in May, 2018.  You can see my start on it (Here) if you want to go look.  The pieced baskets (with appliquéd handles) finish at 3.5 inches square.

Once I decided on a layout, I was thinking of having a free motion quilter quilt a basket in each white plain block.  But I decided to embroider a basket in the white squares because I couldn’t figure out who or how to get a long arm quilter to continue with my vision of bigger baskets there.  I didn't know Sue Daurio then. I chose embroidery in cheddar floss so the embroidery blends with the pieced blocks and doesn’t overtake the little baskets.  

Recently I sent it to Sue Daurio (her website is here) to machine quilt it for me.  She had some great ideas, and as you can see, the quilting enhances the cheddar baskets and the embroidery well.  Sue’s suggestions helped me decide what the results would be, and I am very happy with it.  

It is one of those projects where I just couldn’t visualize how it was going to turn out, or what to add next, or what size it would be.  Some UFOs are like that, and I am very happy that this one moved along the bumpy path of my thoughts and ideas and came out a completed quilt, and it only took five years!  haha 

Here are lots of pictures of the completed quilt.  The last picture shows Penny Lane with it this week.  She is now five years old, and she was just a puppy when I began this journey.  Penny approves of it.  The measurement of the final quilt is 74" by 74" square.

I have another finish to share with you next week, and then I am back to showing partially finished projects.  The one next week is one of my oldest UFOs.....stay tuned for the rest of the story next Monday.  

But now, what do you have to show us?  I hope to spend some time looking at all of your blogs this week.   There is a break in the basketball games, so I will have time to look at blogs on the internet.  Thank you so much for sharing in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I appreciate you so much.  

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Design Wall Monday - March 13, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Today I happily show you a finished quilt!  My UFO of Birds of a Feather, pattern by Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs is finished.  Most of the quilt is per their pattern, with a simple border instead of their applique border. 

It is back from the long arm quilter and I finished sewing the binding on it yesterday.  My long arm quilter, Sue Daurio,  (Here)  did a fantastic job of custom quilting it, and I am amazed and so pleased with the combination of her quilting and the piecing.  It's final size is 74" by 86".   

Here are some pictures:

This quilt has a long history. The pattern was offered as a monthly section of a newspaper in the State of Washington long ago.  Lori DeJarnatt's blog (Humble Quilts) (Her post) had a give-a-way of this pattern in January of 2011, and my friend Sharyn Mallow Woerz won the pattern.  Sharyn worked on it for a while, and when she tired of it, she asked if I wanted to take it on.  I never turn down a free pattern, and said "Yes, please!" 

I blogged about receiving it from Sharyn and my start of work on it in March of 2013.  Sharyn had a dark green background fabric, and I changed it to this light background, and used a lot of Sharyn's teal blue and gold fabrics.  Soooo, 10 years later, it is March, 2023, and this quilt is born!  The label has to be made yet, and I will include Sharyn's name with mine, as it was a joint effort.  I am so happy it is finally a finished quilt.

Here are some more pictures:

The joy of getting a UFO finished is amazing.  I will have another one to show you next week!

What are you working on this week?  Please join in the Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us some pictures and we will be able to visit your blog.  Thanks for your faithful participation.  I appreciate you.

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Design Wall Monday - March 6, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Here is a new little doll quilt that I just finished, and the story behind it.  First the quilt:  

And the story:  While sorting some saved papers in a box, I found a picture I’d printed from an auction site on the internet.  It was a quilt that I liked very much.  The picture:  

Also this week I was looking at the hsts I had made two weeks ago:   

There wasn’t a good plan to go any further with the hsts until this week when I saw my saved picture.  I thought, hmmm, I could turn all the hsts into hourglass blocks, and have enough for this little quilt..

Here is the idea taking shape:

And here is my new little doll quilt, shown with my snoozing dog, Miss Penny Lane.  

The hourglass blocks are 3/4” square and the quilt measures 8.5” by 11”.  I added little triangle corners on the back in case I would ever want to hang it up.

This is what I find fun with quilting - making something that pleases me out of my stash.  Hope you have been having fun this week too.

Now it’s your turn - join the Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and we can see what you have made.  Thanks for sharing with us.  Have a great week!

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Design Wall Monday - February 27, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Today we are driving home from our visit to the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show in Hampton, Virginia.   The quilt show was wonderful and I will show you which quilts I had hanging in the Churn Dashers of Tidewater Virginia exhibit.  There were three of my bed quilts with matching doll quilts shown:

I must not have taken a picture of this one in the show, so here’s another picture of it.

And two other quilts:

I have blogged about all of these quilts before, so if you want to know more about any of them, let me know and I will give you a link to the past blog entries where I talked about any construction details.

It was a great exhibit and was our last one, as the Churn Dashers of Tidewater Virginia has disbanded as a group.  The block exchanges were wonderful and I so enjoyed meeting with the other members.  

What is happening at your design wall?  I hope you who were in the big snow/ice storm kept your power through it all.   Just link up below and let us know what you accomplished during the storm.

Below is our Design Wall Linky Party, and I appreciate all of you who join in.  Thank you!  I’m looking forward to reading your posts and seeing your pictures!

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Design Wall Monday - February 20, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show is this week in Newport News, VA.   I have several quilts there, in the "Churn Dashers of Tidewater Virginia" special exhibit.  I am happy to be traveling to the show to see the exhibit in person.    Since we used to live in Williamsburg, VA, there are friends there that we will be visiting also.  

I have not worked on my Benjamin Biggs quilt at all this week, but instead, I've prepared several quilts to ready them for hand sewing the final seam on the binding.  I have four quilts to bind, and I will be binding in the car, all the way to Virginia and on the way back home.  Hopefully I will get all four quilts bound, and I will be caught up in quilt binding until I get another one back from a long arm quilter.  I may possibly pick up one on the trip back home, if it is ready for me.

The only thing I have to show you this week are some little hsts I made to turn into a small quilt.  I found some red plaid triangles, sewed them into hsts and trimmed them all to 1.25 inch by 1.25 inch.  They will finish at 3/4 inch square, and the little quilt will be 3.75 inches by 4.5 inches if there is no border added.

Here are some possible arrangements for this small quilt:

This one above doesn't use six of the hsts.

I will probably assemble them like the next to the last picture - I do like the broken dishes pattern very much.  But it was fun to play with the small blocks after I trimmed them while I was in the car today. What do you think?  

What are you working on this week?  I will show you pictures next week of quilts that I have seen at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show.  I will be looking at your pictures, and reading your blogs while I am away.  

Thanks for linking with the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  We have such a talented group of quilters participating each week, and I thank you all.  Click the link below and join in with us:

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Design Wall Monday - February 13, 2023

Happy Valentine’s Day Quilters!

Well, tomorrow is the day, but I have my Valentine’s Day quilts out for the whole month of February.   Here are pictures of two of my favorite February quilts:

I am working on block #15 for the Benjamin Biggs Wedding quilt, and this block has a LOT of leaves on it.  34 leaves to be exact.  Here are my leaves, cut out and pressed a little bit.  I am ready to begin appliqué of leaves, leaves, leaves, and a few buds and stems:

Here is the beautiful block in the original quilt:

And here are two more pictures…..one of last week’s completed block #14…..and the design wall, with all the blocks so far:

Progress is being made, and I am starting to think about the borders.  I want to start on them soon, so they will not seem like such a big task to do all at the end of the project.  When do you start on borders?  I usually start after the middle is finished if I am not following a pattern, because I usually don’t know or haven’t decided what I am doing.  lol.  On this quilt, I know what the borders will be like.  Lots of red swags….and leaves and buds.

What are you working on this week?  I so enjoy reading about your quilts and looking at all of your pictures.  Thanks for linking with the Design Wall Monday Linky Party!  It is exciting to see all the new ideas and learn of new quilt-a-longs going on.  My Valentines Day gift to myself will be enjoying all of your blogs on Tuesday.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Design Wall Monday - February 6, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Well, remember how I got so much accomplished last week…….yeah, well, this week……..not so much.  But sometimes it goes like that!  

I am working on block #14 for the Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt, and I am about half way finished with it.  Here is my progress picture:

I apologize for my lack of camera lighting.  I took this picture late in the evening, and I should remember to take pictures during the day when the lighting is better.  But you get the idea - half done.  I should have this block all finished next Monday.  Here is the original block:

I like the original so much better…..I may look in my stash for some red fabric with stripes for the flowers and start again.  (I am not adding the buds in the corners until later.)

So, I hope you made more progress than I did this week.  Join the Design Wall Linky Party below and show us.  Thanks for participating!

Please mention Design Wall Mondays in your post somewhere, and don't forget to add a link to this post.  I hope to see lots of progress from you.- unlike one person who was a slacker this week.

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Using Accountability Tools - Week 5

 New To-Do List, January, Week 5

1) Add decorative redwork stitching to seams of the UFO Curious George Quilt.

I am auditioning this stitch:

2). Make appliqué block #14 for the Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt.  Here is the original quilt block:

3) Start on the outer border plan for the Benjamin Biggs Quilt. Get four borders cut.  Make template for swags.

Last week’s goals:

Finish Block #13 Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt.  It is half finished, and I plan to complete it this week.  Done

Borders on the cheddar/black quilt, which was on the list last week.  Not done, so higher on the list this week.   Done

Sew blocks together on a UFO that is 14 completed red work embroidered Curious George squares.  It will be a baby quilt.  Done

  

I’m sharing goals with the linky party “To-Do Tuesday”  (Here)   in a plan to be more accountable to other quilters each week.  I shall report back next Tuesday on results of this weekly list, and I will set new goals for the new week.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time, please know that I have a linky party every Monday morning.  Please join in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party and show us what you are working on.

Design Wall Monday - January 30, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

UFOs have been getting finished here at a fast pace this January!  The cheddar/black fall quilt has its solid black borders attached, and is ready for the long arm quilter.  Here is a picture of it:

Nine blocks by nine blocks which finish at eight inches each.  Borders finish at six inches, making the quilt top 84” by 84” square.

The redwork quilt top has been completed and is ready for quilting.  I am still thinking about the plan to quilt this one…….minimally for sure.

I looked at the corners I created and decided to add some leaves or flowers where it looked a little sparse.  Here, for example, are two corners that I changed:

Before:  

After:

I could add another leaf on this corner, but at some point, I must stop and let it be finished, right?

Before:

After:

I also completed the middle block, #13, of the Benjamin Biggs Wedding quilt 25 blocks that I am working on.  It was busier than most of the blocks so far, and I am glad it is completed.  On to block #14!   There are 25 blocks in all, and I have 14 of them made.  This block has some blue fabric in it - the only block in the original quilt with blue fabric.  I like it.

What are you working on this week?  It is the last Monday in January and I feel we are getting off to a great start this year.  Your blog linkup pictures have been fantastic.   I have to put my blinders on when I read your blogs to keep me from starting more projects.  Beautiful work!  Please join in the Design Wall Monday Linky Party below, and show us what you are doing.

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Using Accountability Tools - Week 4

 New To-Do List, January, Week 4

1)  Finish Block #13 Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt.  It is half finished, and I plan to complete it this week.  

Here’s a progress picture:

2) Borders on the cheddar/black quilt, which was on the list last week.  Not done, so higher on the list this week.

3) Sew blocks together on a UFO that is 14 completed red work embroidered Curious George squares.  It will be a baby quilt.

Report on last week’s list:

1) Finish up red work large quilt, completing the vine border.  DONE! 

2) Block #13 for Benjamin Biggs.      HALF-DONE

3)  Sew black borders on cheddar/black quilt.  DID NOT HAPPEN

4)  Pull out another UFO and start finishing it.  DONE. The Curious George baby quilt is out and I’m working on it.

I’m sharing goals with the linky party “To-Do Tuesday” (Here)  in a plan to be more accountable to other quilters each week.  I shall report back next Tuesday on results of this weekly list, and I will set new goals for the new week.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time, please know that I have a linky party every Monday morning.  Please join in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party and show us what you are working on.