Wednesday WOW – August 29

This week has been turned all backwards and upside down, but I did remember today is Wednesday!  I did not get into my studio at all today, but by some miracle, I have a photo from yesterday!

I worked most of the day on this paper-pieced block.  There was a certain amount of ripping out and starting over, but by the end of the day, the block was complete.  Next step is to add a couple of borders.

I can’t show you the block, though.  It’s for a quilt guild challenge and I think it is supposed to be secret until the big reveal in November.  Since I know some of the guild members check in on this blog occasionally, this is all I can show for now.  So, instead I’ll show you this:

Barney’s favorite spot where he can see across all the backyards in the block and on to the next street.  Master of all he surveys, perhaps? 

Sunday Serendipity – Turning Square

Well, today’s results may not be quite as impressive as last week’s, but it was waaaaay easier!

Here’s a quick look at the day’s work.  I’ll show you close-ups of each sample.

This one was simply two squares, right sides together.  I folded the top square back diagonally and then rolled back the edge.  Then I decided to do these little square inserts.  In future, however, I will tuck the inserts in before stitching down the edge.  Much as it hurts me to say this, planning ahead is a good idea!

This one is based on the same idea, except that I used three squares and made two of them of half-square triangles.  By using two colors and folding along the seam, I was able to show the other color when the edges were rolled back. 

Then I tried several options for folding inserts or borders.  The two on the right are variations of the same method.  The light colored one to the left is our old friend the prairie point. 

More inserts and variations.  Any of these can have the edges rolled back to add further texture and interest.  In fact, let’s take a closer look at that one on the left.  Looks pretty plain here.

But look what happens when you do six of them!  Come on, you knew I’d have to work a circle in there somehow, didn’t you?  Wait ‘til you see what comes next . . . .

Now we’re getting somewhere!  Of course, being all done by hand, it’s a bit wonky here and there.  If I were doing this for a finished piece of work, there would be more measuring and marking.  At least I hope so!  This would look great in color, wouldn’t it?

Here’s all the samples so far, stuck on my design wall.  You can see that today’s circle was pretty small – it started with 4-inch squares – so it would probably work up fairly well in a quilt or wall-hanging.

I ran out of time or I might have continued on with squares.  There’s lots of cool stuff to come!

Wednesday WOW – August 22

Another Wednesday and another quilt started.  I seem to be on a roll!

Since I finished up the snails tails quilt the last time I was at the shop, I was ready to start cutting fabric for this one.  I have fat quarters from an entire line of pretty blue and white fabrics.

I got six of these blocks done today.  Only 24 to go! I must say that these blocks go really quickly and the colors are soooo pretty!  I’m going to enjoy this one.

Sunday Serendipity – Going in Circles

Last week I wanted to try some more circles and this week I did a circle with two colors.  I’m really surprised at how well this turned out.

In fact, kind of spectacular, isn’t it?  And yes, it really is a circle – I took this photo at a slight angle.  But check out that cool swirling center!

As gorgeous as this is (and it’s even more so in person!) there is no way I will be doing another one anytime soon.  When you consider that there are sixteen segments (and corresponding seams) and each seam holds four layers of fabrics . . . well, stitching to the center is a one-way ticket to the crazy house!

Here’s what I had to deal with on the final seam!  In fact, the last couple of seams did not actually go all the way to the center.  Guess it didn’t matter that much. 

The process is not too complicated.  It involves two identical circles cut along the spokes and re-stitched.  Precision measuring and cutting, along with labeling each piece, will guarantee a successful finished circle.

Not that I would know about that.  Evidently, precision is not one of my skills!

Neither is counting, apparently!   So I would say it’s a minor miracle that it all came out looking so – well, great!

Next week I go back to folding squares.  Phew!  I hope it will be a lot easier than this one.  Actually, just about anything will be easier than this one!!!!

Wednesday WOW – August 15

Half-way through August?  Jeez, I’m still catching up with July!!  But that’s not what you’re here for.  You want to see what I’m working on, don’t you?

I made this bulldog appliqué for Sarge’s birthday last week.  Today I started the quilting.  It’s pretty small, so it shouldn’t take very long.

Here you can see that I’m getting quite a lot of it done.  However, when I somehow managed to do this:

it was definitely time to stop for the day!!!  What a mess!  Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Sunday Serendipity – Tucks All Around

Yes, we are still working with tucks.  There’s just so many cool things you can do with them!  Today, I tried circles!!

Jennie gives you all kinds of information about marking and measuring, which is really helpful if you have trouble with math.  Not so much if you’re not good at following instructions – like me!  But after a couple of false starts, I achieved a basic tucked round thing.  Now for the fun!

Now we are getting somewhere!  But do you think I stopped there?  Oh, not me!

I added lace and a central flower, and went over the first stitching with decorative stitches.

Really bad close-up, but I hope you get the idea. 

Although it took me a ridiculously long time to make this one circle, I’m excited to try some of the variations and add color.  So I will probably continue in this chapter next week.  With any luck, I’ll remember what NOT to do and be able to have more to show you then.

Oh, yeah.  Speaking of showing you . . . .

Here is the finished square from last week.  I cropped the picture to show you how it will look when stitched into a background.

Here it is up on the design wall with the previous samples.  The wall is starting to look pretty impressive!  Just imagine what there will be by the time I finish this book! 

Wednesday WOW – August 8

Another productive day at the quilt shop, still working on this top.  I think I’m starting to get a little tired of this one.  That’s okay, though, because . . .

. . . it’s finished!!!  It’s not hanging very straight here.  That’s because we are all too short!  I just wanted to be able to step back and see the whole thing.  After working on it all day at close quarters I was not sure how it would come out.  I really like the way that stripe in the border sets it off.

Now, on to the next project.  I’ve got it picked out and the fabrics ready for cutting.  I’ve turned into a quilt-making machine!

Sunday Serendipity – Tucks Take 2

There sure is a lot you can do with tucks! 

Today, I worked with larger tucks.  This is a one inch tuck taken diagonally across the fabric.  The tuck is pressed so the seam is at the center back.  Kind of like bias bars.  Then the same thing is done in the other direction.  It’s called – oddly enough – a cross-tuck!  It’s very simple to do, and looks simple and elegant and . . . er, boring?  That’ll never do!

That’s better!  Those contrasting squares are tucked in behind the bias tucks and tacked down.  Now, let’s see what else we can do!

Wow!  That is really different!  As you can see, though, I ran out of time, but I think there is a lot of potential for this little piece.  I’ll try to remember to show you this again when everything has been stitched and tacked and what-have-you.

And now . . .

A Word About Wednesday

This past week was a bit jumbled with various events and appointments and so on.  Several things to distract me, for sure.  So I really shouldn’t have been surprised to find the photo for Wednesday WOW still on the camera!!   Oh my.  So, to my faithful readers (all two of you!) I apologize and present to you the progress shot from Wednesday, August 1.

A couple more borders and this top will be done.  Might even happen this week!