Tag: 16 Patch

More Black & Grey

Black & Grey Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt
Black & Grey Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt

I am slowly working on this piece. I have had a lot of other things to do so, in this case, slow means snail’s pace.

I have been pulling suitable reds out of the fabric closet, cutting and putting them in place. At the moment I have 3 different fabrics, but two of them are batiks and are very similar. I was trying to alternate the first two, but when I added the third (the one that looked similar), it became a little challenging. The next step is to find another red that is the same color,b ut has a slightly different pattern and add that into the mix.

I realized, as I added the third red, is that I was only putting fabrics on the vertical, so I started to move some of the three fabrics around so some of them were in horizontal positions as well. I, of course, will move them around some more when I add in the last (with any luck) fabric, but I’ll have to see.

Yes, the Field Day Zipper piece is still there. I haven’t made any progress on it, nor have I finished with the pieces from this quilt, so the FDZ piece is still in place. I did find a few more pieces, which is why it looks longer.

Expanding the Postage Stamp Donation Design

You have seen a number of donation blocks and quilts I have made for BAMQG using the postage stamp pattern. I wouldn’t have called it a postage stamp pattern; I would have called it a 16 patch, but postage stamp was what the Charity Girls called it, so we’ll move on and fight about names later.

The most recent quilt (still in process!) is the Black and Grey Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt. You know it; you have seen it 100 times. I make those blocks as meditation and to do something good for others. There is something about making those blocks that feels infinite. Infinite possibilities. I think simple blocks have that quality.

Cheryl's Postage Stamp Quilt
Cheryl’s Postage Stamp Quilt

Cheryl’s quilt is a perfect example. She took a number of different blocks, put them together and added an awesome border to make this donation quilt.

One thing is that I could use a lot of different scraps. I could use a similar border idea to finish the Black & Grey Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt. Perhaps I will use this idea when I make the next donation quilt.

There is another photo on Flickr.

Donation Quilt Progress

Donation blocks 1 & 2
Donation blocks 1 & 2

Another thing I did during the Labor Day Sew-in, using leaders and enders, was to make donation blocks. As I said, I had to put a leader or ender between each piece of the FOTY 2013 pieces. That meant that a lot of other projects progressed, including the donation blocks.

I only made three blocks, which doesn’t buy me anything in terms of another row on the quilt, but I am three blocks closer to another row, which is closer to an entire quilt and that is nothing to be sneezed at.

Donation blocks 3
Donation blocks 3

Black/Grey Donation Top – Serious Progress

Black/Grey Donation top
Black/Grey Donation top

I made serious progress on the blocks for this quilt last weekend. As I mentioned, I took photos Friday (a week ago). That really prepared me for knowing what I needed to do to make some progress.

Finding the blocks, which had gotten stuff under a pile of fabric, was a really good start.

I laid out all of the blocks and realized that though it is getting there, I still need more blocks. The layout is 6×5 right now, but I might need to make it skinner and longer. Mrs. K’s quilt is on my mind, though, and putting the blocks on point is skittering around on the edges of my brain.

6 more Black/Grey Donation blocks
6 more Black/Grey Donation blocks

As soon as I had an idea of where I was, I gathered up all the parts of blocks that were on my sewing table and sewed them together. That added another 6 blocks to the group of blocks above.

My blocks have a lot of fabric repeats, but I think when all the blocks are put together (like above), the duplicates don’t matter so much.

I also think that Jackie and Cheryl’s blocks blend in nicely.

I didn’t sew any new blocks as I tried to work on the Russian Rubix using parts for a new journal cover as the leaders and enders.

This project is fun again!

Doing More Good

I feel fortunate that I can contribute to a charity that helps people locally by using my sewing and quilting skills. I don’t think that contributing to charity should be unpleasant or painful and making quilts or quilt blocks is an awesome way to contribute.

That being said, this year has not been the most stellar example of charity quiltmaking on my part. Life is like that sometimes. I think I am back in the saddle with my charity-teenager-boy quilt.

I wrote about my whole dilemma a little while ago and got 3 blocks almost immediately from a quilt-mate. I also got a promise of blocks from a Twitter friend. I was so excited that these lovely women just made and gave! Quiltmakers are often such nice people. Thanks, ladies.

4 More Black/Grey Donation Blocks
4 More Black/Grey Donation Blocks

Their generosity got me going again and I made eight blocks last weekend in between sewing on the facing to See and sewing triangles on to the Russian Rubix octagons.

I was feeling a little stuck in terms of fabrics. I really want this quilt to be interesting even with the limited ‘color’ palette. I dug into my grey box and got some new greys. I had a few black scraps around, so I cut those up into 2.5″ squares and that made the project a little more interesting.

I have over 20 blocks now and if I had even a few feet of space on one of my design walls, I would put the blocks up to look at them and see how large the quilt could be. I don’t expect or want it to be bed sized, but teenaged boys are large and I want to make sure it will cover most of one.

Last 4 Black/Grey Weekend Blocks
Last 4 Black/Grey Weekend Blocks

I really would like to get this project into a quilt top as I don’t want it to get to the point where it is dragging me down. I want the project to be filled with positive energy. I guess I just have to do it!

 

Black & Grey Donation Blocks

Black/Grey Donation Blocks
Black/Grey Donation Blocks

I think I am back in the saddle with the Black & Grey donation blocks. I haven’t really worked on the piece since February 8 of this year. I feel bad about that, but I can only do what I can do. I figure that doing something slowly is better than doing nothing.

I have about 15 blocks now and am still thinking of making a teenaged boy donation quilt. It feels dauntingly large, though and I don’t know if I can make all of those blocks. Again, I have run out of a lot of choices of different fabrics, which I know won’t matter in 6 months, but now feels constraining.

I’ll just keep plugging away as best I can and see how it comes out. Kelly offered to help and I am hoping she has made some blocks to add to mine to spice up what I have made.

Donation Blocks

Donation Blocks - June 2014
Donation Blocks – June 2014

I started a couple of these blocks at the BAMQG Retreat in hopes of adding to the giant pile, but I just couldn’t get them done. I was using a non-quarter inch foot for the Petrillo Bag and that foot doesn’t work when I need a quarter inch seam.

I had a couple of extra kits at home and a set of 2.5′ squares (green batik, middle of top row), so I ran them through the sewing machine one afternoon and suddenly had 6 donation squares. I’ll bring them to the next meeting.

I have also been working on the grey and black donation quilt. We are getting into our foggy time of year and I may not be able to work on it much longer as it is too depressing. Not good for a donation quilt. I have a lot of squares cut, but enough blocks for a baby quilt. I was just kind of hoping to make a teenage boy sized top as the colors would be better for a teenaged boy. I will keep running the squares through the machine and see what happens.

Orange & Grey Donation Quilt

Orange & Grey donation quilt
Orange & Grey donation quilt

Last summer I finished the piecing for the Orange & Grey donation top. At the BAMQG meeting last week, I saw the finished top.

I was so pleased! the quilting looks great and someone was very clever and pulled excess fabric from the back and did a very nice machine binding with a decorative stitch. It looks great!

It is one of the larger quilts so the Charity Girls will donate it to a shelter, I think.

I feel great when I contribute to this charity project.

Black/Grey Donation Blocks

9 Black & Grey Donation Blocks
9 Black & Grey Donation Blocks

I started out, after Grama died, cutting black and grey 2.5″ squares. I have one scrap drawer for black, grey and brown and, as you may recall, my scrap bin was overflowing. Earlier this week, I picked up the project again and found that I had 9 squares. I think I mentioned that I had lost a few of the squares. I found them in a pile.

I really wanted the background to mostly be the speckle grey I used for the T-Shirt quilt. I am not sure that is going to work as I don’t think I have enough to make many more blocks.

Due to the colors, my idea was to make it larger to appeal to a teen in need, but unless I have yardage left, I’ll have to find another grey. I do have some various greys from the edge of the T-Shirt quilt; I am just not quite sure that is the way I want to go.

Black & Grey Donation Blocks
Black & Grey Donation Blocks

I used this project as a leaders and enders project while working on the Scrapitude blocks. I thought I made an additional 6 blocks, but when I counted them up, I was disappointed to find only an additional 4. I am glad I have as many as I have, but it is still not enough to make into a teen quilt. I will need to rethink my design idea by looking through my greys and see what I think I can do.

Black/Grey Donation Quilt

2014: Black/Grey Donation Quilt
2014: Black/Grey Donation Quilt

I am back on the donation quilt bandwagon with the Black/Grey Donation Quilt. I was afraid this would be a little depressing, but I think it will be great for a teenager.

I used the patches as a leaders and enders as I was working on Scrapitude.

It isn’t turning out exactly the way I thought, but I like it. I have four other blocks around somewhere, but they are misplaced. They’ll turn up.

Finished Donation Quilts

I missed the BAMQG November meeting. I wasn’t really up for it after my family emergency. I think I will miss the December meeting as well. Bleah, but we’ll see.

HOWEVER

Pink Donation Quilt
Pink Donation Quilt

I looked at the photos and two of the quilt tops I made were turned into quilts. I was thrilled to see them.

This is the pink one I finished in August 2012. If you click on the photo and make it bigger, you can see the circle quilting, which looks great.

Looking at the piece finished makes me re-evaluate the design again. I think I would take out the dark sashing pieces if I could have see it finished as I was piecing.

Impossible, of course, but a lesson for another day. still I hope that someone really enjoys it and I am so glad that a BAMQGer collaborated with me on this piece.

I haven’t made as many donation tops this year, but I can always try again next year.

Orange & Grey Donation quilt
Orange & Grey Donation quilt

Someone also finished the Orange and Grey donation quilt. Again the circle quilting is awesome. I am so pleased to see how well this quilt turned out. It is so great to see my tops turned into something I really love the collaboration!

Thanks to the BAMQGers who finished up these quilts.

Orange & Grey Donation Quilt

Orange & Grey Donation Quilt
Orange & Grey Donation Quilt

Last weekend I finished the Orange & Grey donation quilt piecing. I am so pleased that I will be able to bring it to the BAMQG meeting. I haven’t made as many donation projects this year as I did last year. There is still time to make a few more and I have some ideas, as I have mentioned recently.

I screwed up a little bit when I sewed the blocks together. I intended to the blue squares to be in the same position in block. Somehow they got moved while I was sewing and ending up all over the place. I think it adds a bit of movement to the quilt. In general, I definitely like the blue. I think it adds interest to a very basic (but effective) quilt design. The blue was chosen as a complement to the orange and I think it works very well.

Orange & Grey Donation Quilt Back
Orange & Grey Donation Quilt Back

The back is very basic, Because of the size I was able to use a few half yards and be done with it. I did use the stitch letters to put my name on the back kind of subtly. I am relieved not to make a label for all of these donation quilts, but I also am kind of sad that there won’t be any kind of record of their maker (me).

I posted the quilt on FB and got a lot of good comments, including one from one of the nephews. Hhmm. I started cutting blue squares from scraps for the next donation quilt.

Finished Donation Blocks

Orange & Grey Donation Blocks
Orange & Grey Donation Blocks

I did diligently work on these donation blocks until they were done a week or so ago.

They are fun to work on and I am happy I put the blue square in each block. I think it adds interest.

I am thinking that my next effort will be sans background, e.g. no grey, and just have different scraps all in the same color make up the blocks. Where the blue is in these lovelies, I will substitute a complimentary colored patch, similar to what Pam did with her Rainbow Baby quilt. I guess I keep saying this over and over so I must really want to do it.

Yes, I still want to put sashing between the blocks. I’d love to get this done by the September meeting. We’ll see. Apparently, crawling up into my fabric closet for a blue bin is a problem. I don’t even know if I have the right blue for the sashing.

Orange and Grey Donation Top

Orange & Grey Donation Blocks
Orange & Grey Donation Blocks

I have been working on these blocks as leaders and enders for the past month or so. I finally finished sewing enough of the two-squares-sewn-together basic unit for a large lap quilt. I pressed all the pieces and put them up on the small design wall, which had been, mostly, empty since the end of the Star Sampler.

Most of the orange fabrics are leftovers from Fresh Fruit. The grey background is an old half yard (or so) I had laying around. I am trying to use up my bin of neutrals for donation quilts since I don’t use them that much.

In using up pieces, I am trying to use greys that are too beige and other beige fabrics. I worked at making sure this piece did not look too depressing.

While doing my Qi Gong exercises yesterday, I stared at the piece and moved patches here and there and exchanged placement of certain bits as well.

Pam gave me the idea of adding a blue square when she posted her Rainbow Baby quilt with the white square. I like the illusion of looking through the block to the wall (or whatever) behind. In mine, I went for adding some punch. I love that blue and orange combination, though, I think it would have had a greater effect if I had used no background fabric. Next time I might try making monochromatic blocks and punch it up with a dash of a complimentary color.

Clearly, I am not done with this pattern yet.

 

 

 

Nota bene: My computer is still giving me fits so some of the next posts and photos will be via cell phone. Bear with me while I get used to the new platform.

More of Doing Good

Pink & Green Donation Top
Pink & Green Donation Top

I have been, as they say, feeling the love for making donation quilts. I have talked about how good it makes me feel to make the various donation quilts I have made such as the pink and green one shown here.

I recently had the opportunity to actually finish one of the donation tops someone else (or multiple someone elses) made for the group by hand stitching down a binding. It felt like such a small thing to do, but then I had the opportunity to give one of these quilts to a child in need. I asked, the guild leadership agreed and the quilt is in transit to provide comfort to a  girl who doesn’t know what her body is doing. I felt so good knowing one of those quilts is being sent to someone I know.

I am a sap, I know, but sometimes I need to be reminded why doing good is important.

BAMQG Donation Quilt
BAMQG Donation Quilt

The binding I stitched down is for a quilt made from the checkerboard blocks the guild did in the first quarter of this year.

I don’t know if I made any of these blocks, but I recognize some of the fabrics. Perhaps they used fabrics I donated? I don’t know.

I have to say that there is something to be said for using blocks of many colors. My versions with the sashing and monochromatic color scheme have a very different look. Mine are bigger also, because of the sashing and borders. I don’t think I have seen one of my tops completed by someone else yet. I am scared and eager to have some of them go out into the world.

BAMQG Donation Quilt detail
BAMQG Donation Quilt detail

The binding uses leftovers, which was interesting. I tried to line up the colors in the quilt with the binding colors. It worked ok, but did not match exactly all over the quilt. That is ok.

Whoever did the quilting did a great job. The hearts are subtle and I hope they convey love.

UGH! I am making myself sick now. This post is DONE!