Design Wall Monday - April 1, 2024

 Good Morning Quilters!

Here’s one of my Dad’s corny jokes for you:

He walks slowly into the kitchen, draggng his feet on a morning like this one and says….………..….”Boy, am I TIRED!”.

 And either my brother or I would answer…..”Why?”

He would very slowly explain….……”Well, who wouldn’t be, after a March of 31 days!”

As an Army infranty man, serving in WWII, he especially enjoyed his yearly joke for us.

My week has been one of travel.  And today I will be traveling even more.  We are driving from Grand Rapids to Chicago and back to help a friend who needs transportation.  So this post will be short and sweet.  What is sweet about it?  How about finishing the binding on a quilt….actually two UFOs in one.  Hurrah!

The front view:

Back view:

This quilt has signature blocks on the front from a 2023 group exchange from the Jane Stickle Quilt Retreat ladies.  The back has signature blocks from the same group from 2015.  I am glad to have both sets of blocks into a finished quilt, and I will use this one on my couch so I can be warmed by my friends.  

 Close-up pictures of the blocks on each side:

What are you working on this week?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.  Thank you for faithfully participating.  I appreciate you.

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Design Wall Monday - February 12, 2024

 Happy Valentine’s Day

When you have been married for sixty years, and are a sentimental old lady, Valentine’s Day is a favorite holiday.   I hope you have a happy day Wednesday!

This week I got the “Two Step” quilt top finished (Yeah!) and tried to get a picture of it, but it is very big.  My two nephews who are both almost six foot tall, are holding it up for me, and it is still dragging on the floor.  They were holding it up for me during a time out of the Super Bowl game, so it was a quick picture, and back to the game.  

I have on my “project list” to figure out how to hang large quilts to photograph them.  

Also this week, I put together some signature star blocks that I received at the last Shipshewana retreat.  Here is the top before borders are added:

The sample quilt that our group used as an example for this project had a flange between the top and the border.  I cut a flange at the same width as the example, which had a tiny flange.  It was cut at 3/4 inch and folded in half..   After cutting some strips this width,  and practicing, I decided it was too narrow for me to work with.  I re-cut more fabric at 1.25 inches wide.  When it is folded in half, it will still give a small pop of color, but not so narrow that I can’t sew with it.  Here is a picture of my revised folded flange fabric:

Note:  I just now read about flanges on the internet, and the instructions advised cutting the strips 1.5 inches wide.  If I had read that first, I would have used 1.5 inches - which gives a flange of approximately 1/2 inch finished.  Mine will be about 1/3 inch, I guess.  Pictures next week.  I’ve never used a flange before, but I like how it looks.

And a picture of the proposed flange with the proposed outside border fabric:  

I was thinking of a light brown print for the outer border……but searching in my stash, I didn’t find anything suitable.  I did find this big piece of yellow, so that is what will be the outer border……more yellow.  I like it.  The quilt will be couch-curl-up size, so it will be nice for me to have all my friends signatures with me when I am snuggling on the couch.

Here’s a picture of some of our past valentine cards on the mantle.  We don’t buy cards for each other anymore; we just pick one out from this collection of our previous cards to re-gift to each other.  The messages are still the same.  ❤️

What’s up with your design wall?  Are you planning anything for Valentine’s Day?

Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us what you are doing.  Thanks to all of you who faithfully link up, as we like to read your blog posts.  And look at your pictures.  

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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.  

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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!

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Design Wall Monday - May 15, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Mother's Day was yesterday, and I received some beautiful orchids from my son and his family.  Here is a picture:

Wow!  They are so beautiful and will last for a long time.  I am going to read up on them, and see if I can learn how to get them to rebloom.  They are on the coffee table in the living room, and I smile every time I walk past them.

Last year when I tallied up all my UFOs, I made a pledge to finish them before starting any new projects.  But I've found that it is impossible, as there are new projects that I want to start all the time.  So I have modified my pledge to include a few new projects along with the UFO finishing goal.  It's all good.  And a woman has a right to change her mind.....often.

One new project is a signature star block exchange with the ladies that I meet with twice a year in Shipshewana, Indiana.  This fall we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary of when they started the group. and there is a block exchange that I am joining for the occasion.  I haven't been meeting with them for the whole time, but they are such a lovely group of ladies and I love them so.  It makes me want to make a quilt with all of their signatures on it.  

Another new project that I have started is one that a group of about 12 friends are making.  It looked like such fun that I had to join in.   It's a pattern called "Cousin's Walk" and is an older pattern.  It is an applique quilt, with a lot of primitive birds.  Here is one of my bird blocks:

And I am still happily crocheting along with the project that I showed you last week.  It is on the home stretch, and that makes me happy.

What projects are you starting, finishing, or ones that are on your design wall?  Today will be a "clean up the quilting room" day as it is much needed.  Who made such a mess in there?    Me.  and it is up to me to get it cleaned up.  I like to set a timer and hurry around putting things away until the timer rings.  Do you ever do that?

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to show us this week.  Join in the Design Wall Monday LInky Party below and tell us what you are up to.  Thanks for all of your posts and link ups.  I appreciate you!

And Happy Mothers Day to all of you who are Mothers.  I hope you had a lovely day Sunday.

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