Saturday, February 4, 2012

Ribbonry and Roll of Nickels #2



I have been working on the design of the quilt that you all voted on. I reworked the design in EQ7 and made a few changes to the layout. I also came up with a way to construct it from nine patch blocks. It looks like woven ribbons to me so I am naming it Ribbonry.  Now, to find fabrics to use.  I'm struggling with this!


Roll of Nickels quilt #2

On another note, I made another Roll of Nickels quilt.  I have never made so many mistakes on a quilt in my entire life.  It took forever!  I started with a stack of 5 1/2" squares of homespun fabric left from a previous quilt.  I decided to leave them that size and just cut my background strips to 5 1/2" but instead I cut them at 5".  This meant I then had to cut all the 5 1/2" squares down to 5".  What a pain!!

It doesn't stop there.  I next cut all my 5" background strips down to 5" X 13 1/2" strips instead of 14" strips which meant I could no longer make the quilt blocks as disappearing nine patch blocks.  I had to cut all the background pieces as individual pieces and buy more fabric.  I ended up with the same result but the reason I had designed it as a disappearing nine patch in the first place because it was so fast and easy.  Cutting and sewing all those pieces was neither fast nor easy.  You can go here to see how I made the first one.


Roll of Nickels #2 quilt
Overlapping Squares Meander quilting
Roll of Nickels quilt
Square Loop Meander quilting

Linda of  L&R Designs Quilting used a different quilting design on this second quilt.  It's called an Overlapping Squares Meander.  I love it.  You can read her post here.




I used a plaid homespun fabric from my stash for the backing.  This quilt went to a grandson in Denver.  The first Roll of Nickels quilt went to his cousin in Illinois.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Triangle Confusion quilt finished

I posted about my  Triangle Confusion quilt way back in August!  Here's the finished quilt which has actually been done for quite some time.  Just forgot to post it. I love the secondary patterns that are created in this quilt.  I think it's hard to pick out the original block!  This is a very scrappy quilt made completely of half square triangle blocks that are made from a dark nickel fabric square and a light nickel fabric square.  I used scraps from a wide variety of fabrics including some not very pretty ones so don't hesitate using fabrics you aren't too fond of any more in a scrappy quilt. 


Triangle Confusion block
Triangle Confusion quilt


I love the quilting design Linda used too.   She stitched from one corner to the middle of the opposite side of the block and back to the opposite corner, like making a triangle.


I pieced the back with fabric from my stash also.  This quilt is staying at my house!


 
This post is linked to:

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Versatile Blogger Award


Kim of the Moody Blue by Kim C blog has awarded me the Versatile Blogger award!   Thanks Kim.

As a recipient of this award, I am supposed to share 7 things about myself and nominate 15 bloggers for this award. 

So here goes-

1.  I have been an interior designer for 25 years.  I have done commercial, hospitality and residential
     design.  I currently design kitchens and baths.

2.  I have 2 children and 6 grandchildren and my daughter is expecting a baby in April!

3.  I started quilting in the mid 1980's and hand quilted my first couple of quilts.

4.  I am trying to use fabric from my stash first when starting a new quilt.

5.  I love coffee and chocolate.

6.  I have taught quilting classes.

7.  My husband has just decided he wants to learn to quilt.

I've been following Kim's blog  for awhile now.  Find out 7 things about Kim in her post.
I nominate-

Quilting by the River
pattilousquilts
just one more stitch
Love it, Sew it
The Grateful Stitcher
Quilting by Celia
meinca
Katie Mae Quilts
Sewhooked

If anyone is interested in receiving this award, please send me an email here.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Chevrony and Nickel Crosses quilts done!

Chevrony quilt
I am finally nearing the end of the part of my challenge that ended up as gifts.  My Chevonry quilt is quilted and bound and on it's way to it's new home in Pennsylvania along with Just Add Scraps #2 which has been done for awhile.

Linda of L&R Designs Quilting created a custom quilting design for this one! She calls it a continuous curve scroll design.


Linda used lavender thread that really makes the pattern pop but disappears on the lavender backing at the same time that it creates a great design on the back. I used two lavender fabrics from my stash for the backing and a stripe fabric from my stash for the binding which I love the look of!


Nickel Crosses is also done and on its way to Denver with the Picnic Quilt, Jumbled, and Roll of Nickels quilts.

Nickel Crosses quilt

Nickel Crosses was quilted with a pantograph pattern called Square Spiral.



I used a plaid fabric from my fabric stash for the backing and used a solid blue homespun for the binding.



 Up next will be another Roll of Nickels quilt and work has begun on my new design that you all voted on.







Sunday, January 15, 2012

Triangle in a Square block

When I agreed to review the Triangle in a Square Rulers from Quilt in a Day, I did not know how perfectly it would fit into my challenge of using nickel fabric squares.  I am thrilled to find this new tool!  The product includes 2 acrylic templates, complete cutting instructions and a FREE pattern to get you started.   
  
                                                                                                

One template is used to cut the large triangle of the block and the second template is used to square up your finished block.  This makes for a very precise block.  Not only that, you can make two different size blocks with the same templates! The blocks finish at 3" and 4".  My excitement comes from the fact that 5" squares or strips can be used for both sizes of blocks.  The 3" block can be made from two 5" squares and the 4" block uses 5" strips as well as 6" strips.  The 4" block also matches up perfectly in size to the size of the half square triangle blocks and four patch blocks that I make from using two 5" squares and use alot of in my quilts. 

I decided to try both sizes of blocks to make some trivets.  My daughter has been asking for some trivets for her new wood dining table so she can safely set warm dishes on it. The star trivet uses the 3" block and is one star from the FREE pattern that comes with the rulers.  It is 9" finished. 



For the second trivet, I used four of the larger blocks and rotated each block a quarter turn from the one before it.  It finishes at 8".



I have a bunch of ideas on how to incorporate this triangle in a square block into my quiltmaking and will surely post my results.
Complete instructions are given for each size block or you can even watch Eleanor Burns demonstrate the rulers herself by watching this video.