Fixed

Well, it's a little strange looking, but then the original motif was sort of odd anyway, in my opinion.  I just added something else to fill up the space.  It will make me laugh when I look at it in the quilt.

Ouch!

This week has flown by and I'm behind posting the Dutch Treat blocks I've made.  Was busy pressing, trimming and scanning them this morning.

#111 Night Light

#112 Nine Patch

 

First Ouch!

For some reason I moved my ruler and mistrimmed this block.  Guess it will get remade.

#113 Old & New (how ironic is that name?)

#114 Oranges & Lemons

#115 Orbits

#116 Order

#117 Paper Planes

We received siggies yesterday from Mary in Illinois.  She found the prfect fabric!

Ouch #2

I finished the last of the center blocks for my Exploding Star and one side of the border that extends the points (actually did the border earlier this week).  It wasn't until I took this picture that I notice one wrong square.  If you can see it you have really good eyes.  Now I need to get off the computer and fix it!

Weekend Blocks

Quite a few Dutch Treat blocks finished over the weekend.  Just one Saturday, but five yesterday!  Only 86 more to go!

Maze

Mums

Musketeer

Nappa Valley

Nesting

Neutral Zone

Happy Monday everybody!

Switching Gears

I started clearing off a space around my Juki thinking I was going to machine quilt a top this weekend.  In the process I had to move the containers with HST's for the Exploding Star quilt I started in this workshop.  Of course I hesitated too long, and now I've spent the last two days  turning these

into these

But now I'm half way done with the wall hanging, or at least the center part.

Keep in mind the squares finish 1".  The worst part (for me) is pressing all those seams open.  But it sure helps  ensure accurate piecing and makes it all lay nice and flat. 

According to Tea's pattern, if I add the pieced border the wall hanging will have 1752 pieces.  And won't make even a dent in my stash of 1 1/2 inch squares.

Four more Dutch Treat blocks finished the last two evenings

#101 Marina

#102 Marks The Spot

#103 Mata Hari

#104 Matrix

Another HOT day in the heartland.  We could use a little of the rain they are having up north in Iowa and they could use a little less.

 

Three Block Night

And I've rounded the half way point on Dutch Treat #2!

Love Grows

Maltese Cross

Maple Leaf

A New BOM

I have no willpower....none...whatsoever.  Kaaren at The Painted Quilt  has started a new BOM featuring Raggedy Ann and Andy stitcheries.  It is DARLING!  Wish I still had the RA&A fabric I used last month in a baby quilt.  Wait..I may still have scraps of it I can incorporate in this quilt.

Am I  crazy?  Probably.  But one little block a month..I mean, how much time will that take away from my other projects?  This one is just too cute to pass on.

Thanks, Kaaren for what I know will be a darling quilt. 

Trying to Stay Cool

I used to really dislike air conditioning. Now I can't imagine how we'd survive without it during this heat spell.  For about a week running we are under a heat advisory as actual temps rose to 101º yesterday and the heat indices were predicted to be as high as 114º.  The high humidity makes it feel like walking into a sauna when you step outside.

We had a couple young girls from church over yesterday and they pulled some of the weeds/grass growing between patio stones and also helped carry some of the brush Tom was cutting out to the burn pile.  Even 11 and 12 years olds find this heat oppresive it seems as they only lasted about 1/2 hour at a time before running into the house for respite.  I sat down and pulled a few weeds with them but I didn't stay long either.  Today I've paying the price with lots of jigger bites still itching. 

I think I'll stay in the house today and get started quilting a few of the tops that have accumulated recently. 

I did finish piecing the Dear Jane top..at least as much of it as I want together before I start lap quilting it.  I think that will be a job for later this fall.  For now this is what it looks like.  The outer two rows are lying unattached.

One more Dutch Treat block done Sunday night

Lily

And three done last night.  When they are simple ones like this it's pretty easy to get two or three done in an evening.

Lizard

Logo

Lily

197 blocks done. That means only one more and I will have half the blocks finished on my second Dutch Treat!

Catching Up

I haven't taken time to post anything for a few days.  I've been busy with a couple of different things. 

First of all I've been setting my Dear Jane blocks together..sort of...  I saw a picture of a quilt set in a very different manner and have wanted to do my DJ like it ever since. I'm sorry I don't know whose quilt it was or exactly where I saw it.  I'm assuming it was in a posted group of DJ quilts from a gathering of Janiacs. 

Trying to switch from blocks set straight to blocks set on point presents some challenges and lots of math.  I do have EQ, but it is EQ5 and even if I was really good with it, which I'm not, I don't think it actually figures the width and length of borders needed in each round. If it does, I don't know how to do it.

Anyway, having probably confused you, this is what I'm talking about.

I pretty much had to piece the on point blocks and then figure forward and backwards to determine the width of sashing I needed to make the straight set blocks work.  See that empty space where the carpet shows through?  I still have to decide whether to piece strips of colored squares together or use a plain dark fabric for a border there.  The quilt I saw had the pieced squares.  I'm thinking a single fabric would look just as good and certainly be faster and easier. 

The other problem is that I think I want to try hand quilting this. And I can't quilt in a frame or in a hoop with my left hand fully under the quilt. I need my left thumb on top of the fabric.  Dumb, I know, but that is how I quilt.  So I need to do it in sections like I did my first Dutch treat.  So I'll leave this in sections and start quilting the center section, then add rounds as I go, working out to the edges.  Make sense?  Clear as mud?  Strange way to quilt??????

Whew.......that has taken some time.

But I did get a few more Dutch Treat blocks done in the evenings when I curl up in the recliner

Kaleidoscope

King Arthur

Kiwi

Lace

 

Lattice

This one is sort of funny.  Tom and I went down to the mall to sell tickets for our guild's donation quilt today.  I took along this block to work on.  Halfway through it I realized I should have brought two as it was really a simple one and it appeared it was only going to take me about 45 minutes to make it. We were scheduled to sell tickets for 2 hours. Just as I was ready to start sewing the outside edges I realized I had reversed the color placements. That would mean ending with dark edges instead of white and would really look odd among the other blocks.  I didn't want to throw away my work so I just added another round and salvaged it.  Filled up my time at the mall (and I still sold some tickets too!). 


This is what it should have looked like. See the difference?  This one is from my first Dutch Treat.

. 
 Speaking of donation quilts.  Don't forget you can email me for an address to send you dollars for a chance to win our guild's 2010 quilt.  It will be given away Labor Day weekend during our quilt show.

Isn't it pretty? It's a Judy Laquidara design.  Don't you want it to live at your house?

Hump Day

The heat and humidity continue to be almost suffocating this week.  Temps in the 90's with humidity in the 80's is not a comfortable combination.  I had hoped to get outside and do some sit down weeding today, but I think that may not be the best idea.  July in S.E. Kansas..no surprises.

Tom and I received the cutest siggies from Marij in The Netherlands this week.  Here is mine.

What a cute little sewing mouse!

Two more Dutch Treat blocks over the last two nights;

Jigsaw

Ivy League

I also finished two chatelaines this week.  One is for  our guild's swap with our Aussie pen pals.  The other will be donated to the boutique at our guild's quilt show Labor Day weekend. I appliqued one of my signature Sue's on the one going to Australia.

I love this pattern by Connie Sue Haidel of Appleblossom Quilts.  I made one for myself 2 or 3 years ago and I use it every day!  I'd be lost without it when I'm doing hand work.

Using pictures from Connie's site, here is an explanation of all the cool features.

If you do any kind of hand work you'd love one of these and they are a breeze to make.