Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Sew Far ~ Sew Good


All my July Blocks are done on time for the



I am sew happy about keeping up with this one sew far.
I am loving my fabrics and blocks.


These are my blocks Midway Through July

I need to set my blocks up on my temporary design wall soon 
and see how my blocks look together.

I am loving each individual block.

I still have not decided on my setting.

The images that my quilty muse sends are a jumble of ideas.

It may be that I will have all the blocks done before I decide.

Time will tell ... :) 




Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Merrily I Design Along


This is a "Design As I Sew" Quilt

My quilty muse knows where we are going.
I am just following along...
and doing all the cutting and sewing.

I am thinking that the unfinished block size for this quilt may be 9 inches.

This is for the




Block A 

My first block measures 9.5", unfinished, right now.
The plan is to cut it down to 9" to accommodate other stack and cut pieces
to make a few different blocks that measure 8.5" 
when sewn into the quilt.


Here is the cutting measurements for Block A


This is a layout for a baby size quilt with the 9.5" unfinished blocks.
The blocks are turned randomly to make a scrappy looking quilt.
With a 3.5" border this 4 rows by 5 columns quilt 
would measure 44" by 53" with binding.

It would actually make a nice quilt for a baby using a nursery print
layer cake, 1 yard of fabric for the outer border
and 3/4 yard for the binding. 
It could also make a cute I spy quilt with fussy cut prints in the 6.5" squares. 


To make my block I chose three of the hub's chosen batik squares.


I aligned and pressed the stack with a dry iron.


 Because these are hand cut swap squares, 
they are not all a perfect 10" square,
I used my Perfect 10 Ruler to trim then all to the same size.
Any ruler will work, the idea is to stack, press, trim and square
to uniform 10" squares.


From the the trimmed 10" stack  I cut
One 3.5" by 10" rectangle on one side

Then I cut the large rectangle on the right into:
One 3.5" by 6.5" rectangle
and
One 6.5" square


Then I swapped the pieces to choose the three pieces for my block.


I set my machine to sew a scant 1/4" seam and sewed.


Then I pressed all my seams open.


Using a 9.5" square ruler, I trimmed my block to 9.5" for now
and saved the other cut pieces from the stack
to mix and match for future blocks. 

I will be posting Block B and a layout for that block soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I also sewed my Kinship Sampler Block of the Day this morning.

Here is Block 30 for my 

Time to venture out and water the thirsty trees and bushes and flowers.

Have a happy evening wherever you are! 

Monday, July 29, 2019

Day 29 ~ 149 Days Until Christmas ~ Getting Ready


This is my Christmas in July Quilt Conundrum

Today I went spelunking in my fabric stash cave
and came up with these treasured gems.

I am making a Christmas Quilt, in August, actually.

My daughter and I are both sewing along
and making Christmas quilts with the





They have released the 

They also have a lovely kit in solids


Ultimate Beginner Quilt Kit for Fat Quarter Shop

but I want to make a Christmas quilt and I want to sew my stash.

So I went stash splunking today and came up with these choices: 



(1) North Pole by Stacy Hsu for Moda Fabrics,
which was my favorite Christmas collection from last year
and I scooped up these beauties in the after Christmas sales.
I would add a white solid for the sashing, I think
The print on the upper left is enough for the backing.
I think I would use the red text print as the binding
and the green snow print on the right as the outer border.



(2) Kringles Sweet Shop by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics.
This is all yardage and I think there is a gray cookie print that eluded me 
in my search. If I picj this one I will have to explore my stash closet again.
The red and white basic is a Christmas Basics by Lori Holt for Riley Blake fabrics.
I might use a white solid instead. 


(3) Ring the Holly Days by Mary Carey for Henry Glass Fabrics.
The pretty metallic vines is a yard of Bonnie and Camille's Vintage Holiday 
and it is a good color match for the sashing or border.
The red and green dot is another Christmas Basic by Lori Holt for Riley Blake.


(4)  Season's Greetings by Sentimental Studio for Moda Fabrics.
This fat quarter bundle was bought on deep clearance a few years ago 
and I know I have a couple of yards of one of the blue background
fabrics ... somewhere.  I will find it if I pick this one.
The colors are very rich and it has an old-timey Christmas vibe.
I have always wanted to make a quilt with this but I have just never gotten 'round to it.


(5) Last bit not least is this lovely
Glad Tidings FQ Bundle by Brenda Riddle for Moda Fabrics.
I love Brenda Riddle's designs and colors.
If I pick this I will have to look for fabrics to match it.
It should be an easy with these colors 
or I might go find one of these prints online.
I would likely use white or gray sashing as there are light gray prints 
as well as white.

Well those are the choices!

Which would you choose?

I will, of course, also be consulting with my quilty kitty helpers,
my hubby and anyone who stops by. 


Here is Katniss inspecting today's Kinship Sampler quilt block.


Here is Katniss sitting on the block to get an ear rub.


Here, without further furry help,  is today's block!

Day 29 ~ Block 29
#100days100blocks2019

Sunday, July 28, 2019

A Quilt For My Guy


A new quilt beginning!

These 10 inch squares have been in my stash since 2011 when I ran a




Here is the sort for the quilt.


Those are my hubby's hands sorting and selecting these squares.


He piled, sorted, grouped colors and picked his favorites.

They are on the top of the stack in the first photo.

The other squares that did not make the final cut are stacked beneath,
in case I need more squares.

I am making this quilt for my hubby to replace his favorite cuddle quilt ...


... which is about 13 years old 
and the fabrics are getting worn out.
I did simple straight line quilting in the sashing
with my walking foot on my old Brother machine
which had a very small throat space.
The batting is cotton with scrim.
This was a quilt made easy.

This has actually been a "utility quilt" made from leftover blocks and fabrics ...


... from this larger, queen size quilt I made for our oldest son for his first apartment.


Jon's quilt is still in good condition after I quilted it on a rented long arm.
This is one of my first free motion quilting works.

The quilt I make for my hubby will be a similar block,
although the last one was made without a pattern.

The next one will be made without a pattern, too,
and it will be a queen sized quilt and quilted on my long arm. 

I am planning a stack and slice layer cake quilt.
Not all the blocks will be the same.
This is one of the things my hubby likes about the old quilt.


The one he loves now has a long history as a "utility" quilt.
I made it and took it with me on a cross country
 Drum Corps tour when I was a chaperone.
Then it lived in our car and went camping
and to the beach,
and mountains with us.
In the photo above it is a "comfort quilt" for our old
Mina kitty in her final days.


So even though it has holes in the fabrics
it will still be loved and used somewhere in our lives.

But my hubby deserves a new quilt with fabrics and a design he picks himself.
All I have to do is sew it. 


Here is today's block
Day 28 ~ Block 28 ~ Kinship Quilt
#100days100blocks2019

Ready to start a new quilty week!  

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Sew Home Sweet Home


Day 27 ~ Block 27

I am home sweet home.

I sewed today;s block for ...




I also sewed the last of the blocks I needed to make and mail for a swap
and went to the post office.

This block is my original design.



I hope to start a new project tomorrow.

Getaways are fun and it is always good to come home.


Friday, July 26, 2019

The Catch of the Day



Well, here is the Block of the Day

Day 26 ~ Block 26

#100days100blocks2019


I am somewhere by the sea, 
enjoying the Catch of the Day. 
Yum! 

Catch you later ... ;) 

Thursday, July 25, 2019

I Like Thursday Post # 21 ~ I Like Maine


I like the beach.

I am a beachcomber,
not a swimmer or a sunbather.
I like to walk,
get my toes wet,
watch the waves,
find interesting bits of seaglass 
or rocks or shells.

Today I will be walking the beaches in Maine,
one of my favorite beachy destinations.

Hubby and I are getting away a few days to relax and recharge.

Maine is one of our favorite places for this.

Today we will be at the



On the way north, we will also be visiting a favorite quilt shop,



The last time we were there we asked them where we could find good local seafood
and they directed us here ...



We will be lunching on the dock here again this year,
maybe on the way home, too.
Will post photos of our adventures when we return.


Here is Block 25 for Day 25 of the


One quarter of the blocks are done.  
Woo-Hoo!

Hope to have time during breaks in our travels to catch up with my friends, 



Wishing everyone a very Happy Thursday!