Stitch Markers

Such a handy little thing, a knitting stitch marker, but only if I can visualize how it would be used. Prior to seeing Litla Skvis's lovely ring stitch markers, my only visualization was of little plastic safety-pins! And here is an interesting site on how to make another type of ring stitch marker.

Disappearing Nine Patch

Loving «Rouenneries» as I do, I fell in love with Kim Quiltz's use of them in the Disappearing Nine Patch so I recreated four of them. I will be adding sashing and using them to back the four placemats I've been working on.

Shopping for quilt fabric …

I've only taken one quilting class, long ago in Boise, Idaho in the late 80s, at Quilt Crossing, a local quilt shop run by a fellow Boise Basin Quilters member. The quilt was based on strip piecing and was called Garden Trellis. I knew nothing about choosing fabric for a quilt, I just chose 3 lights and 3 darks and a large print. The sewing of this quilt is beginner level but the concepts of color and shading do not lend themselves well to a first quilt. When I saw what the other women in class did with their color choices and placement of the combinations possible, I was really demoralized and never finished mine. In fact, I've only completed one quilt since, although I have now returned to quilting, but I've chosen a quilt with instructions in a book--hopefully with answers to all of the questions I'll likely come across.

Now, as to choosing fabric--I've been lucky enough to find almost all of the actual fabrics Denise used in her Jacobean appliqué quilt. But, like Bradie, I've just about died when I added up the cost of all those fat quarters needed. I've solved that problem by buying charm packs, layer cakes, turnovers, jelly rolls and honey buns of the three collections in the colorations used in the book, many of them on eBay and several from on-line merchants. I've only had to purchase yardage for three of the backgrounds and the backing--all of the rest is useable from the Moda precuts. I tried going to quilt shops, but they either didn't have any of the fabric left or had never had those particular collections in their store. So it's on-line for me--it saves me time and gas money searching here and there and usually coming up empty.

I also try to save money by choosing fabric collections to make items for my home or as gifts that will actually match or coordinate with items or rooms that I already have or need to make for someone else's home as a hostess gift. I'm willing to spend a little more to gather the precuts I need to make a lap quilt and shoulder wrap to wear when I sit in a drafty room at my computer for hours. It will save me money in the long run on energy costs. I need some placemats and small appliance covers and a quilt to use in favorite chair when I read and another to nap with on the bed. So I will acquire a stash, but I intend to use it all--dying with the most unused fabric is not how I want my epitaph to read.

Quilter's Blog-Along

Quilting for Kids

The first quilt I ever finished was a 6 block machine appliqué of Winnie the Pooh for by grandson, Anthony. I used a color book illustration of Pooh, reduced it down to the colors of gold, red and black pieces for the bottom of Pooh's foot and his nose. It was my first attempt at machine appliqué. The six Pooh blocks were interspersed with solid green blocks appliquéd with hunny pots. The sashing, border and back were made with a small green and red plaid and small green blocks. Anthony is going on fifteen, but he still has this quilt.

Quilter's Daily Blog-Along

Machine Piecing

I'm not at all happy with the supposed 1/4" seam my quilting foot makes. Even though I was oh so careful, my first three pieced blocks did not turn out to match the dimensions that should have resulted from my careful cutting and stitching. I will be experimenting with other feet in my sewing box in hopes of finding a more accurate foot. QuiltCetera offers some tips to eliminate this problem for Tutorial Tuesday.

The Flagstone block is one of the larger pieced blocks in the Graceful Garden Jacobean Quilt I am reproducing. The Whirligigs are one set of paired piecing. The two Poppy blocks were an appliquéd pair.

Quilter's Daily Blog-Along