Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

Monthly Archives: February 2017


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Finishing February, Setting Goals for March/April

picmonkey-collage-februaryI was successful at meeting my February goals, and brought my fabric usage into the black.

February Goals:

  1. Complete Clue #2 for Surrounded by Scraps.  Yes!
  2. Make blocks for HollyAnne at String and Story.  Yes, I made a dozen.
  3. Finish assembling top for Scrappy Stars Around the Corner (last year’s mystery quilt from Charlotte).  Yes.
  4. Quilt and bind SSAC (see above).  Yes!  Here.
  5. Take out my Storm at Sea (the Slow Quilt, photo at the top of this page) and make some decisions.  Yes, I took it out.  I’m still thinking about it.

Bonus:  I made this donation quilt.

 

I’m combining March and April for my next goals, because I’ll be traveling during the end of March and beginning of April.  I’ll lose a few weeks of sewing time, and I know I won’t making a report then.  Here’s what I’m thinking for these months:

March/April Goals:

  1. Make donation blocks for Kat’s Covered with Love.
  2. Clue 3 for Surrounded by Scraps.
  3. Finish the orange Cabins donation quilt.
  4. Storm at Sea Quilt:  Decide about cropping corners, finalize quilting plan, trim excess batting, sandwich, begin quilting.

Kat’s blocks are intriguing this time, and she’s allowing two months to make them.  Check them out!

Don’t forget that it’s time to March-A-Long with Darla, the Scientific Quilter.  Sew or prep or do something quilty for a few minutes every day in March!  I will while I’m home.


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Design Wall Monday:  Another Cabin-ish Quilt


Here is the second of the background-inspired donation quilts.  It’s really just a framed square, but colored like a cabin.  This worked up a lot faster than the one from strings (although it didn’t help with my string problem!), and there was no trimming on the 54 blocks.

I’ve sewn the blocks in pairs, and I’ll probably get the whole top finished when I go back up to my lonely studio.

I’m linking up to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. 


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Sunday Stash Report: 2/26/17

No fabric was purchased this week, and I used 4.75 yards to make the Pink Log Cabin quilt.  (Thank you for all the positive comments!)  So I’m in the black!

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 4.75  yards
This year: + 38 yards,  – 42.50 yards
Net destashed added in 2017:  4.25 yards


Unfortunately, I have to let you know that my chief quilt helper Krissi passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last night.   She was about thirteen, and we had her about ten years.  She spent the afternoon in the studio with me, like always, and didn’t seem to suffer at all when she passed later.

I don’t have any cute photos of Krissi because she distrusted the camera (unlike Yuri, the ham!).  She was beautiful and sweet, with very tall ears, and she loved quilts.

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times. 


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Log Cabin Finish

img_2811These aren’t traditional log cabin blocks.  The centers are large, and there are only two “logs” on each side.  They are only 7.5 inches square, and there are fifty-four of them.  The quilt came out 42″ by 63″, but that was before it was washed.  I didn’t piece these to a foundation, just started adding to the center squares.  That made it much easier to chain piece them.

img_2814The colors are inspired by both Spring, and the backing fabric.

img_2813I quilted this with Sulky white and Superior Living Colors pink thread.  The bottom thread is Bottom Line.  The batting is Warm and Plush.

img_2815This is going to Margaret’s Hope Chest for a program called A Mother’s Hope.

 

 


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Design Wall M…Tuesday!

More scrappiness going on here.  Yesterday during the #Presidents Day Sew In, I pulled some backing yardage and scraps to make a couple of small donation quilts.  (And no, there’s no visible difference in my string bins.  Sigh.)

I see one block out of place, do you?  See any others?


These are 7.5″ blocks, and I don’t have a 7.5″ ruler.  I do have this nifty Creative Grids Squaring Up and Fussy Cutting Ruler.  I went online to see how to use it, and also found out that I have the prehistoric version.  The new ones are printed with a bar code to view on your phone and go directly to the YouTube instructions.  Huh.


This turned out not to be the tool I wanted for trimming 54 blocks, so I used a little tape on my 9.5″ ruler to make my own, and they trimmed up pretty quickly.

Heading back up to turn that block…


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Sunday Stash Report: 2/19/17


A nice big finish this week and no new fabric!  Scrappy Stars used 13.5 yards, my first finish in two weeks.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 13.5  yards
This year: + 38 yards,  – 37.75 yards
Net destashed added in 2017:  .25 yards
Look at that!  Only a quarter yard down!

Hope you’re using your stash!

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times. 


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Scrappy Stars is Finished

img_2805Yes!  More than a year in the making, I’m very pleased that Scrappy Stars Around the Corner is finished.  And I’m pleased with the result.  There were moments, as I pushed and pulled the #bigheavyquilt through my machine, when I was afraid that it would be a wonky, stretched-out mess.  However, the magic of the washer and dryer put everything back where it should be, and it’s not bad at all.

2015-10-01-16-55-30This carton of eggs from my farmers’ market was the inspiration for the color scheme.  I knew I would add some darks for contrast, and then I found the turquoise and gray scraps from a project, so it morphed a bit.  I originally thought of it for the master bedroom, and giving it borders, but it ended up not matching.  Then I let it sit while I tried to decide what to do about it.  I finally decided to finish it up for a gift or to donate.

img_2807The back is pieced from four gray and gold fabrics.

img_2806aThis top lay much flatter than Scrap in a Box from the previous year, so perhaps my triangle piecing improved?  However, when I went to run quilting lines through it, I discovered problems with my sashing.  Next time, I will mark centers (at least) on my sashing strips so that everything lines up better.

img_2810And it’s passed its snuggle test, so I guess all is well!

I’m linking up to Whoop Whoop Friday and Finish it up Friday.


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WIP Wednesday:  Finishing and Beginning


Yesterday I finished binding Scrappy Stars Around the Corner!  It turned out great, and I’ll post about it soon.


Today I started work on Clue 2 of Surrounded by Scraps, Charlotte’s mystery quilt for this year.  The ironic thing is, yes, it’s another #bigheavyquilt, and I suppose you’ll get to hear me complain again when it comes time to quilt it.  Oh, well.  I want it for our bed.

HollyAnne from String and Story passed along a recipe for homemade spray baste.  This is the first I’ve heard of it.  It’s said to work well, and sounds easy to make.  One reason given for making it is the high cost of commercial spray baste.  I think folks who are feeling this must be using way too much.  You know I finish a lot of quilts, but I swear I only go through about two cans a year.  I use June Taylor, and I whiff it ever so lightly over each layer.  I use so little, I’ve wondered before if the quilt were just being held together by good intentions!  But, no, when I need to peel back a layer for some reason, it’s always nicely stuck.  I started a new can on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 5), so let’s keep track of how many quilts I get from it.  Remind me!

Also, here’s the Quilters’ Alliance Contest and Auction.  The theme is “Voices”, and the quilts are just 16″ square.  I did this a few years ago.

Hope you’re making lots of progress on your projects!


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WIP Wednesday:  Still Stars 


I’ve spent the last few days slogging away on the quilting of Scrappy Stars Around the Corner.  It is BIG and heavy, especially when rolled diagonally as it is now.  I’m almost done with the straight line walking foot quilting, and then I’ll finish up with some free motion.  Three bobbins so far.


This is my set up for quilting.  Sewing table, wood cabinet, ironing board (with slippery boxes), chair to catch the end.  I’ve removed the chair for the walking foot quilting, because it was causing everything to back up.  I’ll put it back for free motion.

Hope you’re making progress!  So many people are sick.  Stay warm (Northern Hemisphere folks!) and stay healthy!


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Sunday Stash Report: 2/5/17

I kept busy this week working on the Scrappy Stars quilt, but I’m just getting started quilting it.  The only finish is twelve heart blocks for HollyAnne’s Quilt for Cure block drive.  They make up quickly.  Mine used two yards of fabric.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 2  yards
This year: + 38 yards,  – 24.25 yards
Net destashed added in 2017:  13.75 yards

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times, and Sew Some Love at Kat and Cat Quilts.