Hexagon Edges

I am also still working on the hexagons. I am in a spot where there is a lot of sewing triangles to hexagons and then pressing. It is the part where it looks like not much progress is being made.

However, I did take some time to figure out the bottom of the quilt. I am at the point where I need to shift everything up.


Since my design wall isn’t big enough to handle a twin sized quilt, I need to shift the top off the design wall, leave a few pieces so I know how to hook the top and bottom together and then slap up the hexagons destined to be on the bottom of the quilt.

So far, it isn’t working. I haven’t gotten the right steps in my head enough to move forward so I am sewing equilateral triangles to hexagons (check!), pressing (half check!) and sewing together four hexagon units to make diamonds.

I am also still thinking about the side borders. My decision was to have an uneven border. That decision is still not settling completely well with me. I am thinking of making a big diamond template and sewing a plain red piece (or use different fabrics) onto the edges.

Candy Cane Nine-patch Quilt


Nine-patch Quilt
Originally uploaded by knitknat

KnitKnat has put together a wonderful quilt in this ninepatch that doesn’t look like a ninepatch. S/he does not call it Candy Cane. In honor of the Season and because it reminds me of the nice blend of pink and red that make up candy canes, I have decided to think of it as a candy cane quilt.

One of the elements that is so attractive about this quilt is her use of fabrics. In a limited color palette, an artist can end up with a boring mix of fabrics. In this case, KnitKnat has chosen very well and the eye moves around the quilt because of the different sizes and shapes of the motifs.

The crowing glory is the little circle/flowerette centered in the setting stones. All around a quilt I wish I had made.

The Snowballs are Flowering

I am still working on the Flowering Snowballs (Cross Blocks). As you can see, I have taken the Child’s advice and added in some visual resting places for the last 10 blocks.

As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, these are hand pieced. I intend to sew them together by machine. However, in the cutting process, they do not all turn out to have uniform edges. I have been wondering if they would come apart if I trimmed them with a square ruler and then sewed them all together?

The knots I have made to hold the pieces securely would be trimmed off. Would it matter how quickly I sewed after trimming? The machine piecing would definitely hold all of the blocks together. More pondering….

New Star Block from Flickr


New Star Block
Originally uploaded by kirbyloulou

I saw this block about 2 weeks ago and have not been able to get it out of my mind. With the many, many blocks in the DS pool, I wasn’t able to find it again either. I was really glad to come across it today. Love the pointy corners.

Polka Dotted Happiness


Mary-Jeanine kindly allowed me to post her quilt, Polka Dotted Happiness, here at Artquiltmaker. Isn’t that the perfect description of polka dots? I will use this as an incentive to get back to the Pineapple.

Mary-Jeanine is the person that sent me a Christmas bag. I wrote about her bag a few days ago. Mary-Jeanine is also the owner/creator of the Florida Quilt Network website. It is a service she provides to Florida quilters and anyone visiting Florida. She lists all the Florida quilt events, shops and guilds. Quiltmakers can subscribe to her monthly newsletter for free.

Thanks, Mary-Jeanine!

OT: Comics

Birthdays at our house are, hopefully, followed by thank you notes. The Child has an end of November birthday, which means that thank you notes need to get taken care of in a timely manner or else Christmas gifts start arriving with their requisite thank you note requirements.

The Child is a budding cartoonist and this one is based on an experience he had this summer with his grandfather, who is an avid fisherman.


Grandpa (on the left): I got a fish!
The Child (on the right): Me, too!

Grandpa (on the left): I got a bigger one!
The Child (on the right): Me, too!

Note X eye and tongue hanging out.

Remember to Look Up


After Thanksgiving, I took my cousin, who was visiting from Arizona, and a bunch of other kids downtown to look at the recently Christmas lights. In a recently renovated mall, I followed the strings of lights with my eyes up to the ceiling and was rewarded with this view.


This is a floor at the Westin St. Francis.


This is the corner of the mosaic work. I would love to use this as a design for the border of a quilt. I think it would probably have to be machine appliqued.

Here is some carpet at the Grand Hyatt. I like the way the spirals curl around each other as well as the way they are echoed with some additional curves a few inches away. Definitely inspiration for a quilting design.

Reconsidering Craft

The old and boring art vs. craft debate takes on a new view in this To the Best of Our Knowledge episode. As with many topics, looking back into the past and reconsidering past attitudes provides insight into the future.

clipped from www.wpr.org
To the Best of Our Knowledge

RECONSIDERING CRAFTS

America’s gone craft crazy. Everyone’s knitting, or keeping
scrapbooks; throwing pots or wood-working. And naturally, there are new
chains of stores that carry all the supplies these crafters need, or think
they do. In this hour, To the Best of Our Knowledge considers what
we mean by the word craft.” Does it mean a hand-made object that’s
almost art? Or could it be anything that’s thoughtfully done to the very
best of the doer’s ability? Reconsidering crafts, next time, on To the
Best of Our Knowledge.

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Friendship Block

Last week I mentioned that Camilla, of CamillaKnits, called for blocks for a family who had recently lost their father and husband in a tragic accident. I thought that it wouldn’t be very difficult to whip out something and send it off.

My block is above. I wanted to make it cheerful and I think it does come across as cheerful. Camilla’s rules were 12×12″ finished blocks. Mine isn’t 12×12″, so it will probably end up on the back, but that is no problem for me. I am finding that it is almost impossible for me to follow new directions lately, though I did try.

I have to say I would have done well to just get out Around the Block and make a normal block. This one took me about 2 hours rather than the few minutes I thought it would. I don’t regret the time, because it gave me the opportunity to think about the changes to the lives of family involved. I was also able to contemplate the projects in which I used these cheerful fabrics.

I hope Camilla can use my block and that the family takes some comfort from the quilt.

Gift Bags From Afar

Last year, Mary-Jeanine and I exchanged emails about gift bags. She had already put her Christmas ornaments away when we had the conversation, but she promised to send me one of her bags this year. I also sent her one of mine.


Mary-Jeanine’s are about the same size and proportion as mine. I am sure hers vary depending on the size of the gift, though.

She serges the inside of her bags, which, I am sure, makes the construction go a lot faster.

M-J also does a little different closure construction. She puts a grommet in on each side and makes a casing, so the wrapper can pull the top tight

I really like seeing different takes on these gift bags, especially on the closures.

Thanks for sharing Mary-Jeanine!

A Different Bullseye


IMG_bullseye0001
Originally uploaded by bluecottagegardens

I always like to see different people’s interpretations of blocks. The Bullseye design is no exception.

I am still working my way through the DS Pool on Flickr. There are a lot of great quilts and projects in that group. Part of the reason is that the the DS fabrics are pretty great. Here is a bullseye, which I came across. It is a different looking Bullseye than the ones that the Julie and AJA and I have done. I like it.

Perhaps My Favorite Color is Really Blue??

I have, as you know, been thinking about turquoise A LOT lately. I have, at the same I think about colors in and for quilts, been thinking about what color to paint my bedroom. So far I have been leaning towards some type of periwinkle. Truly I am actually thinking of painting my bedroom the same color TFQ painted her bedroom. Partially, because it is a very restful color and partially because the decision is already made.

Yesterday, however, all that changed. I am thinking that all the trouble I have had for years identifying my very favorite color is because I haven’t wanted to acknowledge that my favorite color is blue. I am still not willing to acknowledge the humble blue as my favorite color, but progress on self improvement is always slow.

copyright Anna Maria 2008
copyright Anna Maria 2008

When I saw this picture on Anna Maria Horner’s blog yesterday, it occurred to me that I need to rethink my thoughts on color. I like the whole look that Anna Maria has created here. And part of the issue for me is the whole look. I can just plop that lovely (if a bit dark) blue onto my bedroom walls and call it good. However, there is a look here and I will be disappointed if I don’t do something about the rest of the parts. I would have to think about what could realistically translate from here into my bedroom.

Anyway, Anna Maria has a bunch of photos of her Houston booth so go take a look. All the photos I saw on her blog are wonderful. Sigh. I have a ways to go in that department.

Any suggestions on dealing with a look, especially on a budget, are welcome.

Quilt History/Pattern Site

I linked to this site from somewhere else and found it to be interesting. I see that the owner, Judy, has posted some history of quilt blocks, with references. This makes my librarian heart sing!

women sharing patterns

Free Quilt Patterns
From History

Here you will find quilt patterns like the ones that women shared with each other in days gone by. I’ve used Electric Quilt 6 software to design these free patterns for you. With each one you will discover a bit of history that will give you a sense of what the pattern meant to quilters of the past.
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