Quilts on the line

 just because they looked pretty hanging there with the low Autumn sun shining through. I took pictures.

The quilt with the dark pink backing is Sampler Quilt

 

The other is Chorley-postage-stamp-quilt.html

A long time waiting (Sampler Quilt)

I started this sampler quilt in 2017 Tumbling Blocks  being the first of several new blocks I learned along the way. I finished it in 2022 and gifted it to my mother for Christmas that year.

But I never did get around to taking a good picture of the finished quilt.

The ladies organisation at Church (Relief Society) are having craft evenings, with either bring something you are working on, or try something that has been brought by someone else. 

This week I decided to avail myself of all that floor space (and also a holding helper) to take some pictures of the sampler quilt in full. Oh and also to make use of the large table to get my blue Flimsy sandwiched. I did get it pinned and made a start at taking it together. I am using very thin wadding as an experiment.

Anyway that will get a post all of its own back to the Sampler Quilt.

And a side view, you can see the four "extra drunkards path blocks made their way into the corners of the edge sashing.

and of course a view of the back, 

still hard to make out the quilting lines.

but a bit better, fingers and feet of my volunteer helper. I don't think he will become an internet star from this picture.

Oh and my mother said her favourite block is that first one, tumbling blocks so I made a little duvet cover to co-ordinate. However, stitching in secret I got a little turned around and made a mistake of sorts, I wonder if you can see what that was.

Pleased to finally have a proper finished post for this project even if it is rather late in arriving.

BFF RAL

 As noted last week we are having a break from our joint projects.

Tonight, I quilted.

I am up to the corner blocks, this is the first of the four. The snowflake-ish design was inspired by a major supermarket's Christmas gift brochure

. 

I am getting at the nearly almost thinking of being done stage where everything starts to feel very slow.

I had quite enjoyed doing the modified corner quilt pattern onto the monkey wrench block.

My BFF cross stitched so pop over to her blog to see how she is doing. CLICK HERE

We won't be BFF blogging next week because |Christmas stuff will be imposing itself. But hopefully you will be enjoying the Christmas Advent with Jo at serendipitous stitching.

Click Here for advent-calendar-blog-hop.2022

Sunday Stitching..stalled

 I got out my big booklet, full of hope that the same symbols would be used, and I would be able to figure out what the different shades are.

And....nope, totally different key.

Did not want to start yet another one, so going to wait till there is sufficient daylight and make a best guess and hope it works out OK.

Oh or maybe I will ask the Country Companions Facebook page, someone may have the magazine that this would have originally come with, as if I recall correctly the patterns were repeated in the mag and the key there had the DMC (because they could do that in the mag without inferring the thread in the kit was DMC) I received mine as a gift for a published letter.

I will let you know how it goes.

As it was, I would not have been stitching today anyway as I had a reading at the Remembrance Service.

So I will just pop on a picture of my quilting progress.

This is the Flying Geese block.

Quilting the Dresden Plate

 An update,

The plate itself is done and I have made a start on a filling design for the corners.

My BFF and I were discussing the feel of quilting. The joy of thread gliding through the single layer sections, the satisfaction of the more solid feel of multiple layers and seams. Oh! the frustration of multi seamed areas and needing plyers to pull the needle through. 

As I worked tonight, I was thinking about the way each section of thread as it is pulled through, my arm registers its length, decreasing slightly stitch by stitch so that a pull shorter than expected signals the dreaded knot at the back. So good to catch them as they occur, nightmare if missed and you turn to see a knot that occurred inches or more before it was spotted!

The back, I took a quick picture of the back, it is a bit easier I think to see where the plate was quilted on the reverse rather than the front.

Still a good way to go, keeping my knees warm at least.

BFF QAL , tha'ts new

 I like the name my BFF has given to our shared sewing experience of tonight, a Quilt along.

Took a little while to get in a comfortable position for quilting as the Skype space is not my usual quilting space.

Managed it eventually and worked on the Dresden plate block in my sampler quilt. I completed the blue floral section which was quite good going. There were a few knots to detangle, but they all cooperated and came out.

It might become something we do more of, the QAL as we did both enjoy it. It does need a bit of forward planning as moving the hoop can be a bit tricky and needs more floor space that our Skype spaces. We therefore we need to be in a position of having just moved the hoop and with enough to sew for the night without moving it again.

We did not discuss next week as yet but I expect we will be back to the cross stitch.

Pop on over to my BFF's blog to see what was in her extra-large hoop this evening CLICK HERE

In the Hoop at last

 it has been so long since I completed the top for the sampler quilt and made my attempt at adding a quilting pattern.

There have been some mental reworks but just could not settle on anything.

I think it is the size, and the different blocks and thinking of something that would suit each patch and yet unite them all.

After much delay and contemplation, I am taking a different tack now and after sandwiching the quilt I am going to just take once block at a time and let the threads bring it together.

Progress so far....

as you can see I have picked a very subdued colour for the backing!

Sampler quilt

Top altogether I have made one attempt at marking out the quilting, changed my mind, washed it out and been distracted by other things.

So there has been quite a pause on this project.

That is OK there is no deadline for this.

Sampler Quilt, final blocks

So for the last two blocks there is the Mooney Block.  I had issues with the stripes ending up the correct width.  I have mentioned before I have issues with straight lines and measuring, quilting is an odd craft to chose therefore.  

So the block is not perfect but it was interesting and the part sewn seam method was the easiest bit of it.

It will need sizing up for the final top, but then quite a few do.

Mooney block

And the last one.

Snail Trail

I expected this to be easier going as I have in the past used this block for a full quilt. I thought wrong and I had issues, a bit of uniquifying and it is saved enough to use.

I think the question of layout for the blocks and what material to be used on those that need enlarging will be something to do in combination. 

I am half enthused at the thought and a little daunted too.   

Oh and I have been soaking the squares from the Chorley pattern books to get the paper labels off and finally make some use of them.

This is the second batch drying.

I have started on a postage stamp quilt with the first batch and will post about that separately at a later date.

One and a bit from three.

On my previous post about the sampler quilt I had cut the pieces for three blocks. The last one I will be doing from the book, one from the internet and one I have done before.

So progress.

Finished the one from the book. Named as grape basket in the book, the piecing order fooled me and a bit of unpicking was required.

It will need a boarder on it to bring it up to size but that was expected in the book. I will tidy it up before doing that but am waiting , as previously mentioned till they are all done to work out the colours and sizes for the block that need adding to.

The one from the internet did have some progress.

I expect some of you will have an idea what this one is going to be.

As for the third well I made a basic mistake on the middle four blocks of cutting them at the finished size instead of plus the seam allowance so I will have to cut those pieces again before I can get on with that one.

Sampler quilt...three in one?

Here are all the bits cut, not just for the next block (grape basket) but for the replacement block and the extra one.

Yup, these bits represent the next three block and if successful the final blocks in the sampler quilt.

One from the book, one from Facebook and one, that whilst on the cover of the book and incorporated in several of the example quilts throughout is not actually one of the patterns in it!.

I have used it before to make a full quilt however, it felt right to add it rather than repeat one of the other blocks.  Well presuming it works out, if not I still have four little drunkards path blocks.

If not needed for a block, they might still find their way into the quilt at a later stage of the tops construction. I like the thought of that.

Sampler Quilt. Honey Bee block finished.

As previously noted I decided to do the needle turn method of the applique elements of this block.  It did indeed produce a nice edge but I did struggle with the placement.

I drew onto the bock where the pieces should go.  I lined up the points with pins, pinned in place and then tacked and then, of course! They magically moved. 

The block remains within the general style of the quilt and the moto of this blog so I am not dissatisfied with my choice.

I used washable marker pens by Crayola to mark out the placement lines and the sewing lines.  This is the block after rinsing and pressing.

Honey Bee

It is squarer than my picture makes it look!

Mulling over the colour choices for the next block.  Admittedly a little with the "replacement" block options in mind.  I doubt anyone who also frequents quilting pages on Facebook will be surprised at what that is going to be.

Then one other additional block to make it up to the 20, sizing and...getting ahead of myself.  Grape basket (also seen it called a flower basket is next) and to paraphrase some scripture  let today's block be sufficient unto the day!

Sampler quilt - Honey bee

Moving on to the next block, now this one is part machine sewn and part hand applique. 

First a nine patch, with a border 

Then for the applique

This is the lay out

Fiddly as I found it, needle turn did give a much nicer edge and it is OK for T.V sewing that is what I intend to do.

Sampler quilt Needle turned

Well I got it finished, I think I am finished with it...when I come to put the whole top together I might decide it needs another colour in the middle to bring the blocks together.  I did see a variation in the book with a circle in the middle so that remains an option.

The sewing method did grow on me a bit as I progressed and it did produce a smoother  looking edge that the previous turning method so I am not counting it out just yet. Indeed the next pattern in the book is a combination pattern  with the possibility of repeating this method.

I notice that the book has two patterns left to go (not including the skipped one) so once they are done I will have to come up with two more, one to replace the bias binding patch and one to bring the number up to twenty.  The book did allow  for a repeat pattern. 

Sampler Quilt needle turn aplique

This was a bit scary, the book said to have a seam allowance of  1/8 inch.

What! I have only just got used to the quarter inch stitch that the book calls for in the other patterns.  My safety net is a half inch seam allowance (try not to shout or tut too much at that, each to their own) so this was a bit of a shock.

I read and read the instructions in the book on this method,  left it, went back and read it again and nope just not going in.  Time to turn to the internet and you tube. 

First video Shiny Happy World Dot Com  there is an advert before it starts but you do get the option to skip the advert. On this one it starts straight in on the needle turning.  Other ones I found start much earlier in the process  with  marking out and cutting the shape before getting to the stitching part, some took a good nine and a half minuets to get to the sewing method.  After I watched this a time or two I thought I had it in my head.

Then foolishly thinking to reinforce it I watched another, and it looked a different sewing method mind it had a good technique for points., nice sharp points on stars.Cathy Van Bruggen Designs.

I note both of these, and others that I looked at but have not put in a link for as they took soooo long or were not as easy to watch, had much wider seams.  Mine are cut larger than recommended (too scary) apart from the sections where the edges of the pattern do not allow for anything but almost nothing!

So first to practice the stitch on something other than my block, a scrap on a scrap and see how I get on.  And if I get the hang of it, well lets be honest, if it feels reasonable, I will then move onto my block.

One of the videos I viewed suggested a heart made a good practice shape as it has curves, outward and inward points so that is what I used .

The points turned out better than the curves and there were some other issues however I did feel I could make a start on the block itself.

Sampler quilt - Hawaiian Applique

Crocus Design.

At least that is the chapter heading for this block.  Not the next in the book, the next one was Stained Glass Patchwork - Tulip block.  It required bias binding to make the leaded part of the stain glass.  After some consideration I am skipping that one.  I don't feel like making the bias binding or buying a tool to make it.  I expect I won't go back to it and will replace it with something else that is new.

Anyway back to this one, it is based on a particular style but the author diverges from the traditional in both the use of a patterned fabric instead of a solid and the design which she has based on a flower that grows in England rather than the more tropical.  Mind she does note many have told her it looks more like a tulip than a crocus.

I did consider using the technique to make a pattern of my own  however as I was skipping to this pattern on the grounds of ease complicating it trying to come up with a design of my own did not feel right.

This is it tacked to the backing , it is waiting for edges to be hemmed and at the same time to be sewn to the backing square.  That should sharpen the image.

Crocus pattern?

At the moment, pre-hemming it feels a bit too much of the centre colour  and I am considering the possibility of adding a circle to the middle of a different colour (more deviations from the source style) but I will wait till the hemming is done to decide if that is needed either for this block or for the quilt overall.

Sampler quilt..wild geese?

Well here is my attempt to turn two large and eight small squares into eight big triangles and sixteen little triangles.

I am going to show you the pictures I took of the stages and the the end (sort of) result.

Here we go

Big squares with little one's on the corner

Touching corners trimmed off

Then you sew a line quarter inch either side of the diagonal in the middle

then cut on that diagonal line.

small squares in the other corner , then a similar set of sewing and cutting.

gets the components of flying geese...well sort of gliding not quite falling  geese

sew together the units

and again and you get the wild geese block

Oh looking at that I am getting so much better at taking pictures as this looks so much better in this picture than in reality (makes a change) as the points look better than they are and squaring up the sides to fit into the quilt is not going to be as easy as cropping the photo.

Now on reflection I can see the merits of this method and that it will be much quicker than cutting out individual triangles and sewing them together.  My only concern with it is if you go wrong then you have gone wrong on several pieces and not just one.

I remain more unique than perfect in my quilts and ever hopeful that once I get to the quilting, the quilting will help to hide or correct a multitude of uniqueness.  

Sampler Quilt Flying Geese

Wild Geese, a start.

Now like the previous Triangles the instructions for this block took me several reads before I understood enough to make a start.  I will have to re read each step as I go to get it right.  At least I hope I will get it right.

So the pieces are cut out...........

.......... the sewing should prove interesting.

Sampler quilt.. Rose of Sharon

Well this is an applique block.  I have done many an applique before but my way of doing it is a little different.  I did smile at the instructions telling me to take care to work out the sewing order and which piece went under which.  Doing that for this block was a great deal simpler than doing it for  the centre panel of Monument Dragon.

However that is not to say I found this block either easy or relaxing.  The geometry is less forgiving than a dragons coils and my finished piece has a rather unique take on symmetry.

I had thought I had a bit of fabric left from card trick to include in this one so there would be at least two uses of it in the quilt.  But alas I was mistaken.  It is making me rethink that block yet at the same time I am not sure I can be bothered to redo.  I guess only time will tell when I get to the end of the patches in the book.

oh I had marked the outline on with washable pen, it all came out just fine, here it is before washing in cold water.

I think the colours show a bit better on this picture. Next up is flying geese.  Not tried that before, then that is the whole point of this sampler quilt journey. 

Sampler quilt ..Triangles to block

So last time I had the triangles into squares and was quite pleased with it.

Then I took a better look at them and realised there was a good bit of squaring up to do.

That is not as bad a thing as it might have been, it gave me the chance to make use of the smaller of two square rulers I bought some time ago.

I had several options for the arrangement of the half squares , I shared them on my last post and after some deliberation I was thinking of doing this one.

I still quite like it, but once I had the squares joined into the diamonds, well I had another play with the arrangement and my mother liked this one (not previously an option considered)

So that is the one I have done.

Now as it was coming together I could tell there would be issues with the points.  But as I said to my mother getting this block perfect would just ruin the whole aesthetic of the quilt.  She had a good chuckle at that one.  I have learned some things and that is part of the reason I am doing this sampler quilt journey.  

I have from the outset planned to follow the book, patterns and techniques.  There is a pattern coming up that I am less then enamoured of and a technique that looks perhaps a step more complicated than I feel up to trying, I may change my mind by the time I get to that pattern but I am not sure.

I guess only time will tell, an applique is the next chapter and it is making me think about the material choices and reviewing the past blocks.