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.

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 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?