Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
I finished Patchwork Palooza Block 11! I am excited as I only have a few more blocks to make to catch up.
So far, I haven’t been able to find a block like this in either the or in Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns. I can’t believe nobody ever thought of it, but so far I haven’t found it categorized.
The latest Patchwork Palooza block came out on Friday and I am pleased that I finished it. I didn’t finish it until last night, but I don’t want to get behind again.
This block is called, by the Patchwork Palooza people, Set Sail. Historically it has several different names, including Old Maid’s Puzzle or Hour Glass or School Girl’s Puzzle. You can find this block in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns** as #1317.
The name Old Maid’s Puzzle is from Ladies Art Company #25. Not very P.C., as many of these names tend to be.
The Hour Glass name is from Grandma Dexter. I had never heard of Grandma Dexter and had to look it up. Grandma Dexter is listed in the bibliography of the Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns** as a “series of booklets published in the early 1930s from the Virginia Snow Studios, apart of the Dexter Yarn and Thread Company and the Collingbourne Mills in Elgin, IL. Hmm. Interesting. More puzzles as I have never heard of that company either, but I am just interested and not an expert.
The School Girl’s Puzzle name is from Needlecraft Supply 1936, n.12.
I also found it Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, where it is called as Crosses & Losses (73-9). The name comes from Ladies Art Company, 1897. Beyer says it is also known as Bouncing Betty (!!??!!) (Progressive Farmer, 1933), Fox & Geese (Finley, 1929) and Hour Glass, as mentioned above.
This is a block that I have always admired. I know I made a similar one for the Handbag Sampler. I don’t think I have ever made it otherwise, so it makes me glad to have the opportunity to try it again.
I have also made a few of the alternate blocks. I think there will be another piece of sashing, but for now, I have a few of the blocks laid out without it. I just chose some random blocks, though I see now that two of them are Sawtooth Star types. I’ll choose some others once I get more of the alternate blocks made.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
Is this a bag, do you think? On my computer, the folder is under ‘My Projects –> Bags”, but I wonder if it is a bag. I probably should call that folder ‘Small Projects’ instead of bags, but ‘Bags’ comes first in the alphabet, so doesn’t require as much scrolling.
I promised MaryC a pencil roll after she saw the one I brought to the organizer swap. I finally got started on it.
Yes, I am using the same fat quarter pack I used for the first one. I am using different fabrics for the pockets and flaps. In a way I am also trying to see how many projects I make with that fat quarter pack. I want to use a good portion of the FQ pack for each project, not just one piece. Obviously, I am using other fabrics, but I am still getting a lot out of the 3.25 yards.
We had a Sew Day on Saturday dedicated to making a group quilt that will be donated. Peggy has a pattern that uses different sizes of squares to make a quilt. I don’t know the name and I am not sure Peggy made it up. She probably found it somewhere. The directions were a bit confusing to start with, but easy once we got a few explanations and I drew some pictures.
We all brought a few squares that were the right size, so the quilt would be very scrappy. I made one center block and a couple of border blocks.
My center block didn’t look very nice by itself. The fabrics were scraps from various projects that were the right size. I wasn’t hopeful that my block would fit in.
The border block looked a bit better. While the motifs were quite different, I think having similar colors was better for a block.
In general, though, the quilt went together well and the variety of fabrics worked out.
The quilt looks like an HST quilt, but it didn’t go together that way at all. Unlike some methods of making HSTs, the bias was completely enclosed, so not a problem.
Peggy did a great job and the participants really stepped up.
I couldn’t help myself. I said I wouldn’t, but I really couldn’t help myself. I made two more blocks for the Handbag Sampler.
I decided that the quilt needed a few more blocks and I took the time on Sunday morning to choose a couple of easy blocks. I chose Sawtooth Star, because it is a favorite. I also chose Fox & Geese, because I thought it would look good with the other blocks. I really had to stretch that blue fabric, because I had barely enough to make the background.
The blocks went relatively quickly and I think they look good with the other blocks. I am well on my way to finishing the quilt.
I got online with Latifah Saafir the other day as part of her Mystery Quilt project. I almost didn’t, but am really glad I did, because it was me, Latifah and one other person for almost the whole session. I didn’t have a Zoom background installed so the other participants could see my small design wall. Latifah asked about the Blue Improv piece hanging behind me and we talked about it for awhile. I almost swooned. Latifah admiring MY piecing.
One of the things I got to do during the session was show my finished Triumphant top. Despite having continual cutting problems, I was able to finish the top. Now I need to make the binding and backing then it will be ready to go to Colleen.
I am pleased with how it came out. I am glad it is done, but happy with the finished result. It is really different than other quilts.
I am also not feeling as cranky about the rulers as I was. I think I will try the HuRTy PuRTy design to try and get the way those rulers work stuck in my mind.
I didn’t get Triumphant on the wall as early on Sunday as I would have liked. I was busy finishing the Sidewalk #2: Blue Strips so Triumphant would have some design wall space.
When I finally did get it on the wall, I found that I had miscounted the pieces I cut at Sew Day. I was short about a dozen units. Sigh.
The photo doesn’t show any of the side border pieces I cut on Saturday. You’ll have to trust me when I say it wasn’t enough.
I was actually glad to get it on the wall as I could see what I was working with. The main part of the quilt is just a giant 9 patch, so I sewed it together and then sewed the top and bottom borders on which I had finished a week or so ago.
Then I sat down and had to correlate the pieces I had with what I needed. Once I figured out what happened, the cutting went relatively quickly.
Now on to sewing.
I spent all day Sunday finishing this top. I tried to focus on putting the blocks into chunks and then the chunks together as a top.
In photos the piece looks like it is vibrating. In person it doesn’t look like that at all.
I am really excited that this top is done.
The way this piecing is going is I cut a lot wrong, then I figure it out, cut it right and piece cool units together. This is the case with Blocks 4 & 5.
However, I like this quilt, am pleased with the fabrics I chose and am learning a lot.
Except for a couple of background strips, these blocks are done and I have the patterns for blocks 6 & 7. I plan to work on this weekend.
Putting Chain Link up on the design wall the other day made a huge difference. I could finally see what was going on with this quilt. I made good progress over the past couple of days and am pleased that this quilt is finally going in the right direction.
In the photo, the fabrics look plaid. Except for a couple of gingham charms, there isn’t any plaid. The rainbow stripes contribute to the effect, I think.
I worked really hard on putting the strip sets together. It is a tedious task, but had to be done, so I just got on with it. Once all the blocks were in place, I could see what was going on with this quilt. I could see how to put it together and the way the design was supposed to work. I don’t know why I couldn’t see that before.
Now on to chunking.
After cutting a lot of pieceswrong and having to re-cut I finally finished block 1. What I figured out is that I am struggling to cut the HRT B pieces.
For the next block, I will label much better. I had a hard time figuring out which ruler to use for trimming.
I am pleased with the fabrics I chose.
It really is all about mystery quilts lately.
I finally got all the pieces I needed for the first block cut out correctly and started to sew the block together.
I am struggling with the HuRTy rulers**. I wanted to give up since my sewing time is really precious. However, cutting the background was so easy that I have it already cut out and couldn’t see wasting those strips. I’ll get there.
So far, I think it is an interesting design, but not one I would have come up with myself. Perhaps this is a stretch for me? I am definitely using my brain with the rulers.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I finished the Old Town quilt top over the weekend! Hooray! I am so glad it is done.
It is pretty pink. Pretty in Pink? I don’t think it screams ‘little girl’. It does remind me of my childhood bedroom.
Now just to make the back and then I can take it to be quilted.
Well, I thought I had done more than I have actually done. Or that’s the way it feels.
I put this quilt up on my large design wall and it turns out I have a whole bunch of sashing/blocks left to do.
I put the sashing/blocks along the outside so I could see the full extent of what I had. With so much white, the outside of the quilt melted away into the design wall.
It turns out that I have one full sashing/block on the machine, but I still need about 13. I have more than a week until I want to hand it in at the guild meeting.
It has an interesting look. I think when I make the next one I need to be more selective about the colors I choose. I need to have one color used as alternate patches in all the blocks.
I couldn’t help adding a picture of the corner as I was assembling the last borders. I think the whole effect is really great.
Sorry for the strange lighting. There was actually some sun at my house when I was trying to take the photo.