Design Wall Monday - February 28, 2022

 Good Morning Quilters!  Thank you for all your prayers and kind words this past week.  Your words comforted me and were very much appreciated.  

As I have mentioned in the past, I am part of a group of quilters in Virginia who exchange blocks and make civil war repro quilts.  The group, The Churn Dashers of Tidewater Virginia, had a display of some of our quilts in the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show, in Newport News, Virginia.  It ran from February 24-27, 2022, and I was not there in person to see our quilts.  Friends sent me pictures of the three quilts I had in the display, so I am going to enjoy seeing them “hung” here on the blog:

The above is a full sized quilt and the two below are doll quilts.

The Churn Dashers next block exchange will be a Jacob’s Ladder block that finishes at 6 inches.  The block is in a nine patch configuration with four hsts and five four-patches.  Here are my first four blocks made for the exchange:

It is a very old block and if you want to make some, the directions are on the internet in several places.  Just google “Jacob’s Ladder Quilt Block” and many sites have good directions.  For the exchange, which happens this fall, I will need to make 16 blocks for each participant, 8 blocks with a dark “ladder” leaning to the right, and 8 blocks with a light ladder leaning to the left. There are 8 of us in this exchange, (so I will make 112 blocks for others).  This should work out nicely for me, as the quilt I plan to make has 120 squares, and I can make 8 additional blocks to go with the ones I receive in the exchange.

What are you working on this week?  I appreciate being able to see and read about what you are creating.  You inspire all of us.  Thanks for faithfully joining the Design Wall Linky Party each week.  Please invite others who read your blog to join us in the fun, and of course, please provide a link back to this post.  Thank you.

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Design Wall Monday, July 6, 2020

What a beautiful Fourth of July - I had a fantastic weekend, and I hope you did too.  Weather was great, a full moon over the campfire, just perfect.  Company is all gone home, and today is laundry day.  Mostly sheet sets and towels, and I dry the sheets outside on a clothesline.  Do any of you do that anymore?  I have good memories of my Mom whenever I am pinning the sheets to the clothesline. Here is a picture of her clothespin bag, which I now use:

She bought it at a bazaar, and it is so cute.  It is sturdy denim, and the circle hole with the red lining is where the clothespins are.  Here’s a closeup of the clothes on the line.  The little clothespins are machine stitched.

This week, I am concentrating on getting two chimney sweep block (also called album block) quilts closer to the finish line.  The Churn Dashers, the civil war repro group of which I’m a member, is getting details together for our group display in the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show scheduled for February 25-28, 2021.  My three quilts have to be finished (at least to a completed top stage) so I can turn in my info sheets for them, with the dimensions by August 1st.  One is a top now, the second is just blocks right now, and the third is in pieces, not yet into blocks.   I took a picture of one of the group of blocks last year, but I have changed my mind on the alternate pink squares idea.  

I am now using white sashing with pink cornerstones, and more pink fabric at the edges.  Picture next week.  What are you doing this first week of July?

Please link up and show us a picture, so we can go to your blog to read about it.       Thanks to all of you who provide a word or two about Design Wall Mondays on your blog, and also put a link in there to this post.  

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Design Wall Monday - October 21, 2019

Hello quilters!  We got back home safely last Monday morning, and were 'none the worse for wear', after our overnight stay in Chicago.  What have I accomplished this week?  Well, I've done a little on several projects, and mostly worked on applying binding to a large quilt.  Here is a picture of Penny Lane, trying to sit on my lap and chew on a bone while I'm trying to sew down binding.   As you can see, it's not working out very well.  ha ha

I now have the binding on three sides, and about half of the final side, so I should finish it up today.  Then I have to add a hanging sleeve and a label to this one.

What are you working on today?  I hope to be able to sit down and look at all of your blogs this week.  It seems like life is just flying by - with the trip to Texas, and an eye doctor visit to squire my sister to - and the usual household chores - I've watched the week fly by quickly.

So I'm going to work with more of a "plan" today - to take time for people I care about - (YOU) - and visit your blogs this week.  Please link up with this blog post below, and provide a link back to this particular blog post from somewhere within your blog post.  Thanks!

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Design Wall Monday - August 12, 2019

We have had more company this week, but I managed to get a quilt top completed before they arrived.  This one will be sent to the machine quilter soon, for a Baptist Fan quilt pattern.  

Penny Lane loves it at the cabin and here's a picture of her in the window seat watching for any boats to come by on the lake.  

What have you been working on?  Please link up so we can see.  As usual, I ask that you provide a link back to this day's blog post somewhere within your blog 

post.  Thanks!

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Design Wall Monday - August 5, 2019

Quite a lot of progress this week, for a change.  Our guests this past week were three of Lloyd's golf buddies from Virginia; so while they were golfing, I was at my sewing machine.

Here is my progress on the replica of the vintage quilt I showed you last week:

Here is a picture of the vintage quilt:

And here are a few small blocks I've made in preparation for a small doll quilt to go with the bed sized one.  These small blocks will finish at 4 1/4 in. x 4 1/4 in.

This week has been spectacular at Hamlin Lake.  Here is a photo taken by hubby after he put the American flag up this morning.  The lake was so still, and there was fog on part of the water.  So serene!

     Looking forward to progress on your Design Walls.  What's up?  Please join in and link up with this post, and, somewhere within your post, please provide a link back to this particular post.  Thanks so much!

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Design Wall Monday - October 29, 2018

My trip to Virginia was wonderful, and here is a picture of my design wall, with the blocks that I received from the others in the Churn Dasher's group.  I put some subtly striped pink yardage behind the blocks to audition it as a possible sashing/background squares:

They will be on my design wall for a while as I want to admire them.   I love the fabrics the others chose for me.

When I got back, I started working on binding the scalloped edging for a quilt that I recently received back from my longarm quilter.  The quilt is "Hearts and Apron Strings", and I blogged about it (HERE)

The binding is cut on the bias, and I made it 2 inches wide, double fold,  so it shows only a narrow touch of light green:

My friend Joan Brink was visiting Thursday night, and taught me that there should be a little "crease" in the middle of the narrow part between the scallops, and that I should tack that crease shut on the front and the back:

I am practicing on this quilt, as my Jane Stickle quilt that is waiting in the queue to be finished also has scallops at the edges.  Some of these scallops have a nice crease in the narrow part.....and some do not.  But I am getting better at it.

Fall is so beautiful this year in Michigan.  Here is a picture of two maple trees in our front yard:

Aren't they beautiful?  I feel so blessed to see them every day. 

What is on your design wall?  I am sorry I wasn't able to read every linkup post last week, but this week I will be reading and commenting.  Tell us what you are working on, and show us a picture!  We want to see!  All I ask is that you refer back to this particular blog post somewhere within your blog post.  Thanks so much.

An InLinkz Link-up

Design Wall Monday - October 15, 2018

This week I have something on my Design Wall!  Yeah for me!  I'm getting ready to exchange Chimney Sweep blocks (also called Album Blocks) with my fellow Churn Dashers in Virginia.  I am making four blocks each for eight different individuals, so 32 blocks were made this week.  I love this block!  It went together beautifully.

Here is a picture of the 32 blocks on my design wall.  They are 10.5 by 10.5 unfinished size (except for the little one at the top, which I will talk about later).

Closeup of two of the blocks:

It's a great block to show off stripes and beautiful civil war repros, and I can't wait to see the blocks I will get in the exchange next week.  Patience is not one of my virtues.

If you would like to make this block, the directions are on the internet in several places.  This block finishes at 10 inches, and I used the tutorial/directions found (Here)  For our block exchange, we are using Kona Snow for the white parts.

Did you notice the little block at the top of my design wall?  I had to try a small block, that finishes at 5 inches.   I made that one because I needed a break from all of these big 10 inch blocks.  I am so used to making small blocks, and it was fun to make this one.

To make a block  1/2 the size of the directions, all you have to do is follow these three steps:

(1) subtract 1/4 inch from every side of the big block directions for each piece that is in the block.

(2) divide the resulting measurement in half.

(3) add back 1/4 inch to every side of the new smaller directions.

Next week,  I will give you the directions for the smaller size, if anyone is interested, as I've already done the math......and some quilters don't like math.

What's on your design wall this Monday?

Please link back to this particular blog post somewhere within your blog post today.  Thanks!

An InLinkz Link-up

Desgn Wall Monday - October 8, 2018

This was a good week for quilting.  I  started on some chimney sweep blocks that I'm making for an exchange with the Churn Dasher group in Virginia.  Here is the first completed block:

This block will finish at 10 inches square, and it's important to cut the outside triangle pieces so that straight of grain is on the outside edges of the whole block.  Otherwise, it would have a tendency to stretch out of square.

I made this sample block to be sure of my cutting and sewing measurements for the block.  After this one turned out just fine, I have cut the white parts for the remaining blocks.  Today I will have fun "shopping" in my stash for the dark and medium fabrics to make the rest of the blocks.

Here is the way I assembled it:  First I laid it out on a mat, in the way it would be sewn.  I sewed each row, returning the completed rows to the mat, to keep the block in order on the mat.  I left the corners for later:

Then I sewed row to row to row.  The four corners were the last parts to add to the assembled block:

It is now trimmed to 10.5 by 10.5, and I am working this week on the rest of the blocks.  I should have them all on my design wall next Monday to show to you.

It's fresh apple time here in Michigan and today I made an easy apple crisp.  It is cooked in the microwave, for 6-7 minutes, so is very easy to make.  Recipe is on the internet:  (microwave apple crisp recipe)  I don't cover it with wax paper, but the rest of the instructions are very similar to my old recipe.

Yummy!  Well, that's what's going on here......what's going on at your house?  What is on your design wall this Monday?  I can't wait to see all the pictures.

You know the drill, please refer back to this particular blog post somewhere within your blog post.  Thanks!

An InLinkz Link-up

Design Wall Monday - July 23, 2018

This week I added a striped binding to this doll quilt, in preparation for entering it in the Churn Dashers group showing at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show next Spring.   I like the added interest of a striped binding, and prefer it to any other binding.  This binding is cut 1.25 inches wide, and is single fold.  Next I must add hanging sleeves on all the doll quilts that will be part of this exhibit.  The quilt is 22 in. by 26 in. with hsts finishing at 1 inch.

I blogged about this quilt  (Here) and (Here) and (Here)  On one of these posts, Karen named it "about a gazillion little triangles".  I counted them, because I'm one of those people who count things, and there are 352 hsts in the quilt.  My granddaughter Sophie was here this week, and she named the quilt "Polly".  I am entering it in the quilt show as "Patriotic Polly".

A close-up of the binding:

Indian Pipes (sometimes called "Ghost Plant") are now in our forest at the cabin:

Info about these plants from the Internet:

Unlike most plants, It is white and does not contain chlorophyll.  Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, more specifically a mycoheterotroph.  Its hosts are certain fungi that are mycorrhizal with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees.

A closer picture:

They appear suddenly, often after a rainstorm, and are so lovely.  I am often the only one who sees them.......which is why I am so happy to share their beauty with you today!  Indian Pipes is said to have been the favorite wildflower of the poet Emily Dickinson.

Looking forward to seeing your design wall today!  The link up rules are simple - just refer back to this particular blog post within your design wall blog post somewhere.  Thanks!

An InLinkz Link-up

Design Wall Monday - March 5, 2018

We just got back from the Big 10 Basketball Tournament which was held in Madison Square Gardens.  We've seen five days of basketball, and had a great time.  I haven't had much time to quilt this week, but am looking forward to seeing what is on your design wall. 

Since I've not worked on anything worth taking a picture of this week, I'll show you a picture of my doll quilts that were in the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Newport News, VA.  The show just ended, and I wasn't able to be there to see them in person, so a kind friend sent me this picture.  They were part of The Churn Dashers Exhibit, quilts made by a group of women who make reproductions of civil war era quilts.




What's on your design wall today?

My instructions for Design Wall Monday link-up are the same each week.  Please link back to this particular post somewhere within your blog post.  I appreciate it so much when you do.

When you set up the link, use this web address:

http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2018/03/design-wall-monday-march-5-2018.html

and not the generic address:

http://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com

Can't wait to see what you will be showing me today!  I'm anxious to get back to my sewing machine and get to work (fun).

An InLinkz Link-up

Design Wall Monday - October 9, 2017

This week:  I'm working on blocks to exchange with the Churn Dashers group in Virginia. I am making 28 blocks, 4 each to exchange with 7 participants.   I worked on this project quite a while ago, and this week when I made more blocks, they were all coming out too small!  I stewed about it, trying to figure out what was wrong with my seam allowances......then I read the directions more carefully.  I found out my problem....I was trying to square up the blocks to 6.5 inches......and the directions said to square up the blocks to 6.75 inches!

I felt so silly, since I was one of the writers when the directions were written last year.   At least I was able to figure it out and move on.

Here's the block.  If anyone knows the name of this block, we'd like to know.
We drafted the pattern from an old quilt that one member owns.

Fall has been so beautiful here in Michigan.  The pumpkins are everywhere; here's a picture of a field of pumpkins near us:

And a closer look:

What are you working on this week?  We sure had a lot of beautiful projects last week.  Thank you so much for your participation. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Summer Time....And The Living Is Easy.....

Please forgive me for not posting lately.....life is just flying by, and I have been quilting, but not posting about it.

Here is a picture of a quilt top that I recently finished.  It's made of 9 inch squares, from an Ohio Star block exchange, and is 81 x 81 inches.  It's in the queue at my machine quilter, to be finished before the end of the year.  Sorry about the blurry picture.  I had to stand on a chair to get the whole quilt in the picture, and apparently, I'm not too steady handed anymore.  You get the idea anyway.

Close-up of the quilt:

I also made a little doll quilt by cutting down five of the 9 inch squares to 6 inches, and the doll quilt will finish at about 21 inches square.




I'm working on the 365challenge.com.au project, and new blocks come out daily.....but my life doesn't allow me to make a block every day, so I'm getting behind.  I still enjoy making the blocks, and I will eventually catch up.  Here's a block I have prepped to take to the sewing machine:

The finished block will be six inches square, and if I counted the separate pieces of fabric in this block, the answer would be 109 pieces, but of course, I am not going to count them separately... that would be crazy!   The fun with these blocks is measuring them when they are all sewed together, to see if they each measure 6.5 X 6.5 inches (unfinished size).  Then I know my 1/4 inch seam allowance is the correct size.  It's like solving a puzzle.........figuring out where the measurements are not coming out quite right, and they often don't.   This one is using little bits of leftover fabrics from other blocks, and was fun to plan out.

There is a ledge high up outside my office window, and while I sit at my desk, I can see a nest built on the ledge, under the shelter of the porch roof, protected from the rain.  It's a good spot, because not only was there a finch nest there this spring, now a robin has built another nest on top of the old finch nest, and the baby robins have just hatched.  Lots of feeding trips to the nest for the parents today.  Makes me glad my little ones are all grown up and have left the nest!

Baby Quilt Pattern - What Was I Thinking?

In my quest to make up some baby quilt tops to have on hand, I am progressing much slower this month.  This is the pattern that I bought some time ago, along with the fabric to make it.

 When I pulled out the pattern and looked at it more closely, I saw that there were flying geese around each block......a lot of flying geese!  Who bought this pattern?  I did, I said sheepishly.

Well, I bit the bullet, and cut out and made all of the flying geese..... 96 of them.  It was a good project for me to plow through mindlessly.  So, now the geese are flying, and it's time to assemble this quilt.  It should go much faster from this point on.

Here are two pictures of the parts, all ready to assemble:

Sorry the second picture is a little blurry, the children pictures are really cute.  It will show up better when I show you the pictures of the completed quilt.

A second project I've been working on is Ohio Star blocks for the next exchange coming up for my Churn Dashers Group.  Here is a picture of my design walls:

There are 12 people participating in this exchange, and we are to make four blocks for each person, so I'm making 48 blocks, and they will finish at 9 inches. I am down to the last 10 blocks, all in civil war repro fabrics.  I love them!
  
What are you working on this week?  

Linking up:

Design Wall Mondays
Monday Making
Oh, Scrap

Replica of 1862 Crib Quilt and Why I Made It

Sometimes people ask me who I am making a quilt for.....and I feel guilty when I say I'm just making it for the pleasure of making it.  I see quilts on the Internet that I love, and think......I'd love to have that quilt, but it's not possible.....But I can make my own version of it!


So that's why I make quilts - to have my own version of some of the lovely ones I see on the Internet.

When I was working on the snowball blocks for the quilt I blogged about last week, (Here) there were lots of small triangles left over from the corner cuts.  I asked the other members of The Churn Dashers to give me their leftovers too, if they were throwing them away.  So I set out to find a quilt that would use lots of small half square triangles.  I found this one (Here) and loved it.  I love the borders and how they are added.

Screen Shot from internet of the Quilt I like:

Then, after I started making it, I discovered that Barbara Brackman had posted about this quilt on her blog. (Here)  and again (Here) and again (Here)  Very interesting!  Barbara Brackman is a quilt historian and her blog posts are very informative.  Was it made in 1862?  We will never know for sure.  The original sold for $5,938 at auction, and measures 32.25" by 38.25".

Here's the story of my progress in making this quilt:

I started by printing out a copy of the quilt, and cutting the picture of the triangles into 5 sections, to concentrate on one section at a time.  The original quilt had notes somewhere that said the hsts were 1 inch, but when I did the math, it would make the quilt smaller than the original, and when I looked at making it with hsts that were 1.25 inch finished, the quilt would be slightly larger than the original.  I suspect the original had triangles that varied from 1 inch to 1.25 inch finished size.  Since the triangles I had left over were able to be trimmed to 1.25 inch size, I went with that size.  My completed quilt measures 38" by 45".

Here are the top two sections on my design wall:

Picture of the back:

While making small triangles, I press everything open to make it a little less bulky with so many seams.  

When I had the four largers sections of hsts together, I added the red, white and blue borders on three sides.  Then I made the "flags" of red and white stripes, and appliqued stars on the blue sections:

One final seam would connect the "flags" end to the four hsts section.  But I had a problem in that the "flags" end section was narrower than the hst section.  I remade the flag portions and made the red and white stripes a little wider. But then the opposite problem appeared: the "flag" end section was wider than the main hst section.  I decided to remove the blue stripe on the top and the bottom of the main hst section, and replace it with a much wider blue stripe, and then after the "flag" end section was attached, I could whack off the blue stripe part that was wider then the "flag" section just attached.  I hope you are following me on this.  It was a hit and miss way to do it, but it worked.  I was not about to make the two flags a third time.

Here is a picture of the complete top showing the blue stripes at top and bottom that are a little bit wider than they were on the completed quilt.  Picture taken just before I cut them down to the size of the "flag" end.  

As you can see the blue stripe on the sides of the quilt are wider than the end blue stripes, but after trimming them, it wasn't too much different.  

I embroidered 1862 in the corner of one flag to match the original, and then added my label on the back with January, 2016 as the date the quilt was made.

My replica was finished last week, and has now been sent off to be displayed at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA.  The show is open February 25 - 28, 2016. so if you are in the area, go and say hello to it.  I will not be able to be there.

It was a lot of fun to make, and I look forward to hanging it in my house for patriotic holidays, once it gets back to me.