Finishing a donation quilt first in the year has to be good karma, right?
Friendship Star donation top
I had been saving some 16 patches to make a donation quilt and decided that New Year’s Day was the day. I combined the 16 patches with pieced sashing and cornerstones from an article in Today’s Quilter issue 91. The information was in the Essential Guides sections, which is great for tuning up your skills.
I wanted to try the technique out, so I took out those donation blocks and got to work. I, mostly, used up some Pure Elements Linen for the sashing background and used a solid for the cornerstones and the back.
It felt so good just to do some easy piecing and I am pleased to have a donation quilt to bring to Sew Day next week.
I started off the year finishing a couple of blocks I had started in 2021. Then I just started making blocks as I had time. I didn’t make as many as in previous years, but as I have said before, every little bit helps, right?
A lot of guild members are sick of these simple blocks, but I still like them. They are easy to make and work really well, as I have said a million times, for leaders and enders.
Green batik donation block
Tula birds donation block
Dusty Blue Dot donation block
Pointillist Purple donation block
Turquoise latte donation block
Turquoise & Big Dot donation block
Turquoise with leaves donation block
Green batik donation block
Yellow donation block
I am keeping some of these blocks to make a donation top. I haven’t made one in a long time and need to get back to it.
I was so pleased to receive a really nice swap gift from Sue G!
Not only did she sew some scrap bins/thread holders, but she gave me some of my favorite Art Gallery fabric as well. All of it came wrapped in this bag filled with festive tissue paper.
On the form we had to fill out, Isaid my colors were turquoise and red. Sue knows that I like my red to be more towards the pink than the orange and she did a great job choosing fabric.
All the gifts
The large thread catcher, or soft bin, isn’t huge, but everything else fit inside. In the bin is another bin and four half yards of fabric. I didn’t realize there was another bin inside when I opened it, so was very surprised when I opened it.
Two swap gift bins
The small bin will go very well on my ironing board. Normally, I just pile up threads as I iron fabric until the wad gets to big or falls on the floor. I think the small bin will look much nicer.
Bin on ironing board
I haven’t quite decided how I will use the larger bin. The mini-charms falling out of the 1 hour basket in the fabric closet might fit – or some of them might.
Ends n.11 was handed in at the December Sew Day, finished. Melinda quilted it as an exercise on her longarm. I was very pleased to see it again finished.
As I have said so many times, I am so pleased that we work on these quilts as a team.
I was super pleased to see a quilt show up made from blocks I had donated. I made a number of these blocks this year, so they didn’t hang around very long, which is nice.
LeeAnn finished this quilt and showed it at last month’s meeting. The corner fabrics she chose make the quilt look like a night sky quilt.
I love seeing what other people are inspired to make from my blocks.
Ends n.13 is finished! I got to see it briefly at the meeting 10 days ago. It is such a hodgepodge of fabrics! Erin quilted this one as well and said that she enjoyed quilting happy looking quilts. This one is certainly cheerful.
We had a discussion of how many quilts we have given away and are in the neighborhood of 130 for the year. That is really great for a small guild like ours.
I went the last BAM meeting of the year the other and got to see some of my donation tops finished. This one, was quilted by Erin and I was so pleased to see it finished.
The quilting is really hard to see and I didn’t take the time to look at it up close at the meeting, but I am sure it is great. Thanks, Erin, for collaborating!
Cyndi invited a group from the Social Justice Sewing Academy to our Sew Day. Some of our group had finished blocks, so those were turned in. Sara, the organizer, brought a different group of blocks that were to be made into a quilt.
People worked together to put sashing on the blocks and sew them together.
I was tired and stayed in my corner working on the Half Hexies. I wasn’t up for a group project that day.
SJSA Sew Day blocks with sashing
The group achieved a lot. They put thin sashing around each block and then worked on larger pieced sashing (no photo). They decided to put the larger pieced sashing on backwards so the raw edges show. I am not sure the point, especially after quilting, but it was definitely a design choice.
The themes of the blocks varied. I might have put all environmental blocks together in one quilt and all animal blocks together in another quilt. I can see the appeal of varying the themes as it makes people really look at them to see what else is there.
SJSA block
My favorite block has a fantastic design. The design is very simple and clear IMO. It also has a graphic quality and provides a lot of scope for discussion. Whoever designed this block should get an award. Great job.
It was fun to see the blocks up close and contemplate the messages. If you want to participate, check the SJSA website for more details
A long time ago, I made the Double Spiky 16 Patch #1. At Sew Day the other day, Lindsay brought it back quilted. I was pretty excited to see it done an in reality it was only February of 2021 that I finished it.
Double Spiky Star #1 quilted detail
She quilted it really well. I love the designs she chose. I am so pleased this was a group effort.
My pace of making donation blocks has slowed because of my mania to clear my to do list. I am, however, still making a few. Many in the guild have gone off this pattern, so I may have to start making something else. I find it easy, inoffensive and easy to make. It’s great for leaders and enders.
I am preparing the door prize bag for the October meeting. I didn’t have enough time to make a bag myself, so I put a call out to my team. Mary C. came through and I picked up the bag at Sew Day.
It isn’t a shoulder bag, but would be great for carrying a magazine or a small hand project.
I was not able to find a 12″ separating zipper so I used a 10″ and it worked fine. you might be able to find one the right size at Wawak.
Use E8 pieces for this step. The zipper flanges (fabrics surrounding the zipper) should be exterior fabrics ifyou want them to match the outside of the bag.
Tutorial:
Use a 3/8″ seam allowance for this step.
You will be using the pattern starting on page 20. Use the exterior fabrics for the fabrics surrounding the zipper (E8-zipperr flanges). Match thread to those fabrics.
Take the zipper apart. Keep all the pieces oriented as if you are going to zip them back together.
Clip E8 to the zipper
Make a zipper sandwich
Lay 1 E8 piece right side up
Position the zipper tape along the center of E8 half an inch from the end (see photo above where clips are)
Clip fabric to zipper tape
Put another E8 piece face down to make the sandwich
Reposition the clips on the E8 pieces to encompass the entire zipper sandwich
Clip the top of the zipper (side where the stop will be when the bag is closed) so you can veer it and the top of the tape will be hidden. Sew Sweetness has a tutorial on veering a zipper.
Follow these directions for the second piece. You want to continuously check that the two pieces of the zipper are lined up so the zipper will work properly.
Look at the images on pg.20 of the pattern as they will help.
Install the zipper. Stitch to the end of the fabric.
Check the zipper
Stitch both short ends closed. You have, basically, sewn around the zipper lining/edges in a U shape so that the ends are closed and three sides are finished.
Make sure the end of the zipper is OUTSIDE of the seam allowance. You want to stitch as close as you can to the stop, then match the seam allowance on the second side of the zipper.
Turn the piece right sides out and press. Top stitch the U after you have finished the second side.
Throughout this step:
Remember that this zipper comes apart.
Make sure the two sides of the zipper are in the correct orientation and the ends are even the whole time.
Keep checking.
N.B.: Quiltessa Natalie calls these zipper tabs, but I have never heard of zipper tabs being applied to the sides of the zipper. I call them zipper flangesI have also never used a separating zipper, so who knows?)
Small Front Pocket Tutorial pt.2 – Clippy pockets (instead of badge holders)
Pocket information – post showing additional mesh pockets (not a tutorial)
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