Design Wall Monday 1/9/12

First pieced block for the Just Take 2 Quilt.  You can learn about it at the red and white button on my sidebar.  Have 4 more to do and 2 appliqued blocks.  I've decided to make mine scrappy with as much of the background the same as I can get from the piece I found in my stash.  I'll use the colors in the sparse background print to pull fabrics for the piecing.  On the whole, I want to use only 2 fabrics per block.  The quilt will be offered in four parts, so I'm not sure if I want to make four small quilts or the 78" by 90(?) that it will be.  Guess it depends on if I keep up with the blocks or not.  I would have loved to have made it red and white, but I don't have the 9 yards of white it takes nor the 6 of red to make it all the same.  And since I want to reduce my stash --scrappy it is.

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see what others have on their design wall.  I really like how participating in this keeps me moving forward in my quilting.  How did you do?

Stash Report 1/8/12

Well, despite being sick (have to do something sitting around here) the two charity quilts are flimsies - that's the part I do.  They go on to other members of St. Anne's who sandwich, tie and sometimes bind.  The rag quilt gets clipped by another member - I get sore fingers doing it.

So I used 1 yard for backing the blue and purple charity quilt; half yard for the last small border and the binding.  Then I put together (all from stash) a top using some old blocks that came my way (hand pieced) plus borders and backing for another 2 yards.  This will be a present for one of my friends plus my practice piece for stippling in the FMQ project Leah Day is hosting (see my side bar).  Here are my numbers:

Used/Donated this week: 3.5 yards

Used/Donated YTD: 5.46 yards

Bought this week 0.00

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Net YTD 5.46 yards

Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see how others are doing this second report in 2012.  How did you do?

FMQ Challenge 1/6/12

I'm taking part in the FMQ Challenge for 2012. And I've decided instead of making sandwiches or sample quilts, I'm going to do my FMQ quilting practice on whatever I am working on at the time each segment is posted once a month. This month I was working on a charity quilt, so that is what I tried the continuous leaf pattern provided by Frances Moore. It is a rag quilt and perfect to try on small squares. At right are my first 4 squares (if you click on the photo you can see the enlargement and see the quilting better). Going clockwise from upper left, you see the pattern going from bad to better.  I used an 80/12 needle with blue thread in bobbin and pink thread on top.  You are looking at the back.  I had to adjust the tension to be a little looser so that the pink thread would not show on the back.  So here are the blocks incorporated into the rag quilt.

I'm liking this pattern.  I can see using it on sashing or a border.  It's my favorite thing this friday as I cough and shiver through my day.  On my sidebar, you'll find the button for both the 2012 FMQ Challenge and Shay's Favorite Thing Friday.  Go see what others are liking.