Adding to the Purple

This weekend I pulled out the purple cancer quilt and made a couple more blocks for it.  I'm fixing to teach a class on the log cabin block, so I thought I would play around with the pattern.  I ended up with a block about 16 inches, using 2 inch strips (plus seam allowance).  That was too big for my quilt, so I needed to trim just a little off.

I decided to split my logs and turn the blocks to get a different look.  I'm sure somewhere there is a version of this out there, but for me, tonight, it was my own creation and I'm calling it the Split Log Cabin Block.

I didn't take a picture of the block before I cut it, but it was a traditional setting with a 4 1/2 inch center block.  I added darks and lights (with a little yellow tint) on both sides as I built my block.  Once done, I found my centers, both directions, and cut.  I flipped the 4 new pieces until I was happy with the new look.  It took a little trimming to get it down to a 13 1/2 block, but nothing major and it looks great with the rest of the quilt.

With the left over "logs", I sewed the strips together and made some 4 patches, putting them all together until the block was the right size.  I had to add a little border to get the measurements just right.  So far I have 12 blocks and one center block that still needs a border around it.

Starburst

I saw a version of this block and decided I couldn't wait for the directions to come out in the magazine.  Their's was made with 80 pieces, mine was with 40. And I turned my pieces differently.  It reminds me of a starburst...hence the name I'm calling my version.

 Not having a pattern, I had to figure out how to put it together on my own and the centers didn't line up as easily as I would have liked.  I'm hoping that after it is quilted, it will lay flatter than it does now.  I used a strip method for the pieces and then cut on the 45 angle.

 This is the block and I fudged a lot of the points.  I suggest you wait for the magazine for their pattern,  I was ready to put the thing away, but tonight I put it together with hand piecing and it was much better than on the machine.

 I added a border and now it's ready to prepare for quilting.  I really love the color combination.

Final Stitches

 

Summer is officially here!  Hay is on the ground and I won't see Adam again until it rains or the leaves start to turn colors.  He's working on that farmer's tan and getting his clothes as greasy as all get out.  Three washings finally got the grease out of the pockets!  If you happen to know a trick for getting grease and cow poop off blue jeans....please share!

While the men worked outside this weekend, I played with my mother's sewing/quilting machine.  I've been a little scared of quilting with it, but I bit the bullet and played with a couple of pieces.

Janome Memory Craft 6600

 

 Here was my first attempt at straight lines.  The pieces were left over from my Nine-Patch quilt.  They are the Disappearing Nine-Patch pattern that I used in my class when showing the students some of the variations of the Nine-Patch.

I think this made a cute little doll quilt that will be put away for a future grand-daughter....no rush on that!

I found that using the auto-stitch option made my stitches even. 

 Then I played with the free motion setting with another Disappearing Nine-Patch made into pin-wheels for a small table runner.

I was a little tense doing this, but started to get the hang of it too.  I don't think I had one of my settings right, but I really like that technique.

 These two pieces are now ready to be quilted.  I love the greens and roses of this Nine-Patch sampler.  There are 3 different sizes and techniques of the Nine-Patch used in the lap quilt.  Then for fun I added some applique.  I call this one "Chasing Butterflies".

Here are some of the applique pieces close up.  I used bullion stitches for some of the flowers.  Several of the patterns used are made from templates found in my grandmothers' things.

 This is my Nine-Patch set together with 2 1/2 inch strips.  I don't have the name of the material, but it was a new line that came out a few months ago.  It is all done in country rose, greens, reds, and creams.  All machine pieced.

Now I just need to get brave enough to put these in the machine!

Daisy's Butterfly

Butterflies....don't you love them!?  I do, so when it was time to teach another class...my first "paid-for" class!!...I taught a class on applique using a butterfly design I found in my grandmother's things.  The instructions and pattern are available to purchase with a PayPal account through Scribd.  This is a first for me too!  I would love some feedback!

Daisy's Butterfly - Applique & Pattern

Mystery Quilt, Projects & Lots of Pictures

 The thing about going through my grandmother's quilts is that some of them are so old that we don't know the history behind them.  Like this quilt.  I call it the puffy quilt.  The back was falling apart when you touched it and my uncle was ready to toss it in the trash as being in too bad of shape to do anything with.  Thankfully, my brother stopped him and gave it to me (yes...I take trash!).  But it wasn't trash.

It is made of very fragile fabric and the back was literally disintegrating when I touched it.  So, before it even got in the house, I ripped the back off.  What I found was a treasure.

Each square, about 2 inches, is completely finished with backing, top, and batting.  The batting is pure cotton stuffed in each square and then tied to hold in place.  The finished squares are then sewn together, by hand and machine.  The quilt is extremely heavy.

 The backing is done in flour sacks for the most part.  Some of the pieces have printing on them.

 Only a few of the squares are falling apart and this is a picture of the cotton in one of them.  My dad said it was uncorded cotton. My grandfather used to cord all the cotton for my grandmother's quilts.  That was back in the 30's.  The twisted cord goes around the entire quilt (about the size of a twin bed) and a couple of the tassels are still on it.

So.....can you name the quilt?  I would love to know what it is called and any history someone might know about this kind of quilt.

Here are some pictures from my latest applique class.  I took one of my grandmother's old patterns and used it for the class.  Since the blocks that I had were made with scraps from my grandmother's and great-grandmother's dresses, I called it Daisy's Butterfly.  The ladies are transferring their patterns using different techniques and materials...good old scrap cardboard, card-stock paper, and plastic template.

 

Cindy's mom gave her this neat little "button" that adds a 1/4 inch seam allowance to your patterns.  You simply put your pencil in the center of the "button" and trace around your patterns.  We all want one, but we aren't sure where to find them.  It's called a Rolling Seamer.

 Here's a couple of projects that I have going.  This Dresden plate table runner, which I've called Spinning Plates, is ready to be quilted.  The Nine-Patch below is from my first quilting class.  I've done a variation of the Framed Nine-Patch, but with my own twist. 

How do you like my Mother's Day gift (below) from my son?  He is turning wood and doing a great job.  His is the larger on (on top).  My grandfather whittled the one on the bottom.  My gift was a surprise and I've made pizza dough and and biscuits with it so far.  Adam told me if was for using...not just for looking at. 

 Here's a couple of his other works.

A walking stick for my dad and a couple of bowls.  I think they are great.

 I found some early art of my grandmother's.  I love the technique she used on this picture.  I know it was just practice work, but I really like it and will be framing these as a set of about 3 or 4 pieces.

 My brother thought this was some of Grannie's stockings.  But it is a slip for a young girl.  It has a gathered, dropped waistline and you can see where the pink ruffles used to be all over the skirt of the slip.  It had to have been my grandmother's back in the 20's.

 I love this picture of my mom, when she was in high school band....and my dad this past weekend.  So many treasures....so many memories.

Trunk Show

My brother has been the one that is representing our family in the "picking" stage of dividing up my grandmother's things.  He and my uncle & aunt have been great about laying aside things that certain grandchildren in particular might hold a little dearer than others.  Last night James gave me a car-load of treasures that for the most part, someone might just haul to the junk pile.  But not me....I love all the little odds and ends.

Material:  My sister-in-law joked that Grannie didn't wear any undergarments because every dresser drawer was full of material!  "Where did she keep her clothes?"  They brought 3 barrels and 1 trunk of material.  I have washed and folded most of that.  I'm going to say that most of the fabric dates back to the 60s or 70s and is mostly cotton blends.  After reading some of Grannie's daily journals, it sounds like she went to shirt factories and got scraps from them.

UFOs:  I take after Grannie in that I like to try lots of ideas and then when I find one I like, I go to town on it.  Unfortunately that sometimes means that I have a lot of UnFinished Objects laying around.....so did Grannie.  Her's were more that she started lots of projects at one time.  She had planned to finish them, but 98 years just wasn't enough time.  I was in the stars yesterday.

 And then there was these:  The Improved Nine Patch.

The last time that I visited Grannie at her home (over a year ago at least), she was working on some of these stars and this Improved Nine Patch.  The stitches are pretty big and the spacing is not so great....but she continued with her work as long as she could.  But seeing these yesterday took me back to January, when I found my mother's last project.

I had to take a moment and have a good cry.

Treasures:  In the midst of scraps I found these butterflies.  My great-grandmother did these on flour sacks.  Just a few of the treasures I've come across in all the odds and ends that come my way.

Easy Calculations for Buying Material

My daughter has "an app for that".....figuring fabric requirements for different quilt patterns, that is, from Mobile Quilting Tools by Mary Key, for her iPhone.  They have a website, but it doesn't do all the calculations that the app does.Honestly, I'm thinking of getting a iPhone just for that app!

I like how it gives you a variety of designs that you can do with one pattern and what other patterns look like with it.  Then you put in your dimensions for the finished quilt (and a few other notes) and it will tell you how much fabric you need to purchase to make that quilt.

In getting my quilting classes going and not really using a set pattern, this has been the hardest thing for me to figure out for my students....how much material to buy.

Today I found an on-line fabric requirement calculator and I'm so excited!  I found it at Mama's Log House Quilt Shop.  The calculator can be found when you go into the "shopping" page.  You have to enter in the desired measurement of your block, how many rows down and across, and the percentage of colors....then...tada!....it calculates how much fabric you need.  I love it!!!

Now I'm sure there are other calculators out there, but I haven't been exposed to them yet.  So bare with me while I enjoy this one.