I was able to finish the binding for the Green & Grey Diagonal 9 Patch. I am thrilled.
There is still a lot of yellow-green, but this pattern is magical. It works so well with a variety of different colors. I want to play with more different color combinations using this pattern.
Finished: Grey & Green D9P back
The back is one of my typical backs. As usual it is made up of large pieces of fabric. Lately, I have been using older fabrics. I am finding that fabrics are better in a quilt than in the Fabric Closet.
I think it looks great and I can’t wait to send it off, though I think I might make a bag for it.
I finally finished all the blocks for the Green & Grey Diagonal 9 Patch.
I haven’t started piecing the blocks together, but at least I have all of the blocks. I have spent the past week fiddling with the placement of the blocks.
There is quite a lot of yellow-green, more than I expected. I think I kind of clumped it together. Where the yellow-greens are not in a block together, I am trying to spread them out.
As mentioned I started this quilt at the retreat, but I just made blocks. I didn’t really have space to put them up on a design wall and look at them. Now that I can, I am pretty pleased. I like the variety of greens. I also like the contrast with the background.
I still have about 60 blocks to make, which is a lot, but doable if I sit down and do it.
I could use this as a leaders and enders project with the Retreat Organizer, but I have been using the green donations quilt blocks as leaders and enders. I’ll start making blocks again soon.
I haven’t actually worked on it since I put it up yesterday, but the opportunity it there. This will be the newest of the Niece-phews quilts.
DH is taking a class on Friday Nights now, so I have some time to do what I want. The other night I had plans with my niece, but had about 1.5 hours to do what I wanted. What I wanted to do was finish the Diagonal 9 Patch I had been working on. I had worked on it at lunch and it was very close, so I spent some time finishing it.
It looks very watercolor-y and parts of the foreground blend with the background. I think it is ok, but I don’t think I would make this pattern with that kind of background in the future.
The family is having a boy and this has a lot of pink in it, but it doesn’t scream GIRL to me.
I am slowly chunking the Diagonal 9 Patch #3 together. I’d like to get on to the green Diagonal 9 Patch soon, or start one of the newest donation quilts from the green strip blocks. Unfortunately, the large piece I made for the Retreat Organizer is taking up most of the design wall. I really need to get back to that project, if for no other reason than to get it off the design wall. Life is in full swing, however, and May is busy, so I snatch time where I can.
I am sneakily, not maliciously, teaching people to chunk quilts together. I showed Anna how to chunk the other day at Sew Day.
I spent the other day working on these blocks and I am already to put them together.
I wasn’t sure if the background would look good. I think it does. It looks very watercolor-y, which is different than the other one I made. I am glad they look different, but have a lot of similarities.
The top is done! Remember? I started it at the Retreat. I had to reorient two squares as I sewed them in the wrong way somehow. Fortunately it was no big deal, mostly because they were both on the edge.
I think the top came out really well. The background has some light dots on it. The contrast is good. Onto to back binding and getting it quilted.
I don’t know whether my niece is having a boy or a girl. I hope the amount of pink in this quilt is ok for a boy as well.
I brought 4 projects to work on. I was able to work on all of them and make significant progress.
Colorblocks 3 – quilted
First, on Friday, I buckled down and quilted the Colorblocks quilt. You will see some in progress posts after already knowing that I finished the quilt, but that is the breaks with my blog. 😉
Colleen did a better job of quilting Colorblocks 2, but I am not unhappy with my work.
As you can see, I have to take out the pins, trim, add binding and a sleeve. I also need to enter it into the Fair. I am really pleased I got to quilt it at the Retreat as it was a lot more pleasant to do an unpleasant job in the company of others.
After that chore was done, I was able to have fun with my three other projects. They are all Diagonal 9 Patch quilts like the one I made for my great nephew.
First, I started out by cutting some strips with the Accuquilt, then subcutting the strips into the sizes I needed. I did this and just sewed. I used 2.5 inch squares I had been cutting and saving from scraps.
Baby Jacobs quilt start
After awhile I had a good start on all three. After I saw what I had for this version of the pattern, I did some match and began sewing the ‘A’ blocks with determination. After awhile I ended up with a lot of ‘A’ blocks, so I finished the ‘B’ blocks I needed and laid the quilt out.
Baby Jacobs Diagonal 9 Patch laid out
I still had to fill in some of the blocks, but eventually I was able to make a square quilt (8 blocks x 8 blocks). I started putting it together on Sunday night and was able to finish in time to get some tickets before the final raffle drawing.
Baby Barney-Liang Diagonal 9 Patch
My second project, with the same pattern is for my nephew’s new baby. After I made a few blocks, I decided I needed to select darker squares, at least for the patches that are next to the background.
The background is a lot more painterly/ watercolor-y than it would be if I had used white or a light color background. I started off with about a yard and will keep making blocks until I run out.
Baby Barney-Liang Diagonal 9 Patch – show diagonal
I think it looks like a watercolor quilt from the 1990s (?).
The blue lines indicate the background. You can use the photo above for reference. I think the fabrics will blend a little, but I think the effect will be good.
Green & Grey Diagonal 9 Patch
Finally, the last quilt I started using this pattern is a much more controlled palette. This is for another great nephew. I made a quilt for his sister and thought I had better make one for him before I sent hers off. They are both teenagers and might not be as understanding as my older nieces and nephews.
I kind of felt like I should work on a bag, but I wanted to do a lot of piecing. These quilts fit the bill.
Making these blocks is somewhat addictive. I want to make more and more until I have enough to make them into quilts. I don’t want to stop!! It was great to have so much time to sew. Of course, it is never enough, but I was pleased I was able to take advantage of the opportunity for so much uninterrupted sewing time.
Thread catcher by Claire
One thing I forgot to mention the other day was the fabulous thread catcher that Claire made each one of the retreat participants. She wanted to work through some of her stash so she made 20 of these!!! They are large and amazing.
We each got to pick the one we wanted. I know this one isn’t turquoise, but the turquoise one that was left was not to my taste.
Now I have two thread catchers. I’ll have to figure out how to use them both.
We attended a wedding and a baby shower in Tahoe a few weeks ago. My niece and her husband came up from San Diego so we were able to celebrate them and their baby.
Erin opening quilt
Erin opening quilt #2
Erin opening quilt #3
Erin opening quilt #4
Erin opening quilt #5
Erin opening quilt #6
Erin opening quilt #7
I gave them the Diagonal Nine Patch. I was super gratified at how well the quilt was received. My niece did like the storage bag I made for the quilt very much. She said she might keep it and use it for her own purposes. 😉
Lee & Diagonal 9 Patch
Lee & Diagonal 9 Patch #2
Lee & Diagonal 9 Patch #3
I was worried that the baby’s dad wouldn’t like it, but he pointed out the quilting thread color right away and really liked it. I was very relieved.
One of the other nephews said he thought this quilt might be my best ever! I didn’t tell him I got the design from Peggy! I am glad this quilt was a success. The happy couple received three quilts total.
The Diagonal Nine Patch is finished. I am really pleased with how it came out. Of course, Colleen’s quilting makes it, but my choice of the various white on black fabrics looks really good, too. Even though the blacks have little to no contrast, the variety of prints makes each square stand out well.
I am also pleased with the striped binding. Striped binding is the best and I am glad I am able to use some of the stripes I have been saving.
I really like this pattern. I think it has a lot of potential. I got an idea for one of the Niece-phews quilts I have been meaning to make from making this quilt.
Diagonal Nine Patch back – Finished
I do like the back. That large print on the left is really good. I am also pleased with my use of it. Some prints are great as they are – not cut up.
A number of these prints were leftover from the Cityscape (Black & Red Improv) quilt. I am glad I used them. They have been sitting around for awhile.
I finished the Diagonal Nine Patch just in time. The baby shower is this weekend. I may have just enough time to make a storage bag for the quilt. We’ll see.
Colleen sent the Diagonal Nine Patch back. It will definitely be ready in time to head to the baby shower.
I like the quilting she did. The swirls in colored variegated thread look happy. Colleen does a great job and I am really happy to be getting some quilts back in the finishing loop.
Diagonal Nine Patch – back detail
The quilting is more obvious on the back despite the active prints I used.
I also think that the striped binding looks great. I have some time to sew it down while I wait for La Pass Month 13 to arrive.
I want to use this pattern again with 2.5 inch squares, but also one with larger squares such as 5 inch squares.
I finished the back of the Diagonal Nine Patch Saturday morning before I drove to the BAM meeting. I found a piece of fabric that comprises the main part of the back (top left). The large print works well for a back and I am glad I didn’t cut it up for the front.
I used up a number of pieces of fabric that have been hanging around for awhile, which is always a good feeling.
Diagonal 9 Patch top
I am pretty pleased not only that the whole package is ready to go to Colleen, but also that there were no tasks hanging around for after the meeting. It felt like a clean finish.
I chose a black and white stripe for the binding.
I worked on the back for 20 minutes or so on Friday after cleaning out the garage and that 20 minutes put everything in place for finishing on Saturday. Every minute counts!
