Block Redos

I finished the last two alternate blocks for the Thread Head Quilt Along after we got home from church today.Then I remade two of the blocks I wasn't happy with.  Actually I made a whole new block 4

And put new flying geese units on this Block 10 (keeping the center the same as before)

I have one more block I'm not 100% sure I like, but for the most part I think this is about the way it's going to stay.  Time to start sewing rows together.



Thank you, Joanne, for all of your hard work on this project.  Your tutorials have been fantastic!  As I see the blocks that others have made I'm reminded over and over why I love sampler quilts.  There are going to be some gorgeous quilts!

Like this one.  Wish I had such a beautiful bed too!



Friday's Blocks

I've finished the last of the blocks for the Thread Head Quilt Along.  Well, except for two more alternate blocks I still need to make.

Yesterday I made Block 18, Farmer's Daughter

Today I made Block 19, a combination Shoo Fly and Cross 4

And finally, Block 20, Dove In A Window

I had a few adventures with these last two.  I did the blue one first and was trying to use some HST's I already had on hand.  That gave me slightly smaller dove units so I enlarged the center plain pieces a bit.  Then when I was trimming my brand new HST's for the red and green block my mind wandered and I miscut them, resulting in even smaller dove units.  So I punted and added coping strips on the insides.  Made me feel very frugal and very 1800ish. LOL.

Speaking of which, I also made this week's block for the 1880 Sampler Quilt, called Four Anchors

I love that she is making these so easy without paper piecing.

I'm sure like me all of you are sending prayers out to the many thousands affected by today's earthquake and tsunami.  The news is heartbreaking.

Now for some KU basketball.



Goldilocks

That's who I feel like today...

I was working on Block 16 of the Thread Head Quilt Along

I made one and it was a  bit too big.  I made the second one and it was a bit too small.
Do you think if I made one more it would be just right?  Doubt it. LOL.

One of the namees for this block is Wedding Ring.  I have better luck when I make this as a 25 patch with all squares and HST's.  But they are made and I can make them work so onward and upward...6 more blocks to go plus 9 more alternate blocks.



More Blocks

More Thread Head Quiltalong
First of all I finally caved and redid a couple of earlier blocks that I wasn't completely happy with.

These are Block 2.  I inadvertently  turned the hour glass units in the block on the left.  I thought I'd leave it and be different.  But the more I looked at it the more I didn't like it.  So I took it apart and repieced it correctly and like it much better.

And I didn't think I had enough contrast in the block on the left below (Block 13)

So I redid that too.

Then I made Block 14

And Block 15

Saturday

Block 10 for the 1880's Sampler Quilt...a Sawtooth Star Variation.  I chose to make my center sashing around the 25 patch narrow like the original quilt.  These are 5" finsihed blocks so those center squares are really tiny.

Here are my 10 blocks made to date

Block 12 from the Thread Head Quilt Along...Goose or Turkey Tracks

And the blocks to date..9" finished block size

This week's Civil War Block..Lincoln's Platform, aka Double Monkey Wrench

 Here are the 10 Civil War blocks made to date.  These are 8" blocks.

Working on 3 projects using the same type fabrics is kind of fun.

Thread Head Blocks & Siggies

I've missed posting some blocks from the Thread Head Quilt Along project.

Here is Block 10..a Variable Star variation

And Block 11  Lady of the Lake

And then I jumped ahead and did Block 13, a Monkey Wrench variation.  The one on the left doesn't have much contrast in the big HST's and I may decide to redo it.

And still being random I made Block 17 today, Ohio Star

I've also received two siggies in the last week.

From Sandy in Michigan

And Jeannette in The Netherlands

Thank you both!

Is It Tuesday Already?

Not a lot of quilting going on here in the last few days as we had company over the weekend. 

But I did get my weekly Civil War Block done.  It's called Birds in the Air

And on Friday I did the weekly block for my 1880's Sampler

And I found the fabric I wanted to use for my alternate Alabama blocks in the Thread Head Quilt Along project and made several of those blocks on Friday too.  Here they are with some of the blocks I've made so far.  I think I'm going to like this quilt a lot.

I have a couple of siggies I need to get in the mail so I'd best get busy.  Have a great day!

More Troubles

Kansas Troubles that is.  A short time back the Civil War block of the week was Kansas Troubles and this was mine.

Block 9 for the Thread Head Quilt Along is also a Kansas Troubles block.  And of course I'm making two of each block.  So I had double trouble this afternoon but managed to get two done, imperfect as they may be.

First this one





 
And then to be different, a scrappy one
 
 

Here are my 18 blocks so far. 

Of course they will ultimately have the alternate Alabama blocks between them. 

Corn & Beans

You'd think a girl that lived 40 years in Iowa would get along well with corn and beans.  I like to eat them.  I've worked in the fields hoeing and destassling them.  (I prefer the former).

But I certainly have never liked sewing them.  Block 8 for the Threadhead Quilt Along is called Corn and Beans.  This has always been a block that gave me fits for some reason.  Too many points coming together I guess.  And of course I had to make two of them.  Ugh!  But they are done.

New Blocks

Waking up on Saturday morning is as much fun as Fridays now.  Saturday means a new Civil War Block from Barbara Brackman's BOW

Today it was Cotton Boll. 

I did mine this way:

Cut four 4 1/2" squares from the striped fabric.  I had to cut it on the bias to get my stripes the way I wanted them, so I starched it heavily first and was very careful handling it. 

Then I dispensed with the 1/8" measurements and cut (8) 3" squares from background fabric.  I sewed them on two corners of each big square as you would snowball corners.  After pressing the resulting triangles, you can trim the fabric from behind, or leave it as you prefer.  But be sure to check that you pieces match up correctly before doing that.  If you are careful in marking a sewing line on the background squares and in positioning them on the bigger squares, you shouldn't have any problems.

Sorry I didn't take pictures but this is such a simple and frequently used method (sew and flip corners) that I hope everyone understands what I did.

Yesterday I made two of the Block 7 Sawtooth 16 Patch from ThreadHead

I really enjoy making these. I used this block for a wedding quilt for a granddaughter a few years ago.

In this case I set the blocks on point and added pieced sashing to create friendship stars between the bigger blocks.  I need to make another of those!



Thread Head Quilt Along

Once again I've caved to my weakness. The proliferation of Civil War inspired or style BOM's is just more than I can resist. 

Joanne, over at Thread Head started a QuiltALong last October but I didn't find it until two or three weeks ago.  Every day since then I've looked and drooled but tried to convince myself I already had too many projects going.  Then again..is there such a thing as too many?  So last weekend I bit the bullet and started making the blocks. 

These are 9 inch finished blocks and Joanne gives great step by step instructions as well as great tips.  She has 17 blocks posted to date plus the alternating block pattern, so I have some catching up to do.  The quilt uses 40 scrappy blocks (2 of each block) and 41 alternate courthouse steps blocks.  She also offers several variations for smaller quilts and projects using fewer blocks and even adding some applique.

Since there are two of each block pattern I've decided to sometimes vary the second one a bit (actually this occured to me when I made a mistake..which I prefer to view as a design opportunity).

Here are the blocks I've made so far.

Block 1

Block 2---this was the "oops" (left)

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5

Block 6

It's not too late to join the fun. Hop on over to Thread Head. You know you want to!