A Few of My Favorite Things

This star block is possibly by favorite block if not my most favorite block.  It is easy to piece, especially when it is floating like this.  Once I start making them, I can't stop.  And that is why I had extra blocks from another project.  I love the block on point and not on point.  I like it scrappy and not scrappy. 

I love the fabrics in this one, but found it hard to mark the quilting design on the corner triangles.  I like to use the Clover white marking pen - the one where the marks come out with steam.  Instead I had to mark with a quilting pencil so this quilt was washed after it was bound.

At this point I have to mention that I experience terror when I mark with pencil because...what if it doesn't come out...ever? 

This next one was marked entirely with the white Clover pen.  There was no terror.  It hasn't been washed yet, but I think I might wash it anyway because I like how the other one looks with its crinkles.  Both quilts have Quilters' Dream Request cotton batting which is one of my two favorite battings.  (The other is Hobbs wool.)

If you look closely at both of these, you might be able to see the feathers which were quilted in a lovely gold Aurifil 50/2 cotton thread (#2975).  Aurifil 50/2 cotton thread is one of my favorite threads.  The gold is very nice for quilts with rich, strong colors.  (My other favorite thread is YLI 100 weight silk.)


I have one more of these 17" x 17" tops in progress.  I am chomping at the bit to work on it right now.  The End.

UFOs...Or a Study of Feathers

I made 7 small wall hangings to use up leftover blocks. (The one shown above is the second one.)  While marking the quilting designs on the first one, I decided to try quilting feathers in the border with only the spine marked. The reason - I love feathers; I hate marking them. My expectations were not very high for the first attempt, but - get ready - it didn't turn out bad at all. On to the next one. I expected it to be better than the first attempt, but that was not the case. Somehow the feathers got too long and the angles were not right. They started looking like fat little fingers or maybe sausages. Back to the drawing board.
With the third one, I started marking the first couple feathers on the spine. It helped me visualize the shape. There were still a few sausages, but it was much better.
I'm working on number four right now. If I was thinking that I had UFOs to finish, I wouldn't be excited. So instead I'm Monet doing a study of feathers.

If I can mark it, I can quilt it!

Life is so hard sometimes. First you have to decide how you want to quilt the quilt. Sometimes that is a challenge by itself, but eventually you decide. Then, unless you are very accomplished and can quilt without marking, you need to mark the quilting design on the quilt. Sometimes the shape you want to quilt is not a stencil; it's just a picture. It may or may not be the right size.

I was working on a 17"x 28" table runner with two 7 1/2" blocks set on point, setting triangles, and a border. I found a nice triangular stencil that was the perfect size for the larger setting triangles. It was a heart with feathers around it.  This one was traced from the purchased stencil.

I also wanted to use it in the smaller triangles. I did not want to run to the copy shop to reduce it. I did not want to check to see if the stencil was available in a smaller size. I wanted it NOW.

Last June I took two great classes with Hollice Turnbow at the NQA show in Columbus, OH. He taught us how to draft symmetrical designs and make our own stencils. I bought most of (The use of italics is an indication of where this is leading.) the supplies, but they were all still in pristine condition. I decided to draft the heart and feathers smaller. (Here I should mention that I have also taken multiple classes about drafting feathers, but haven't done that out of class either.)

I managed to draft the design in the right size. (I think I even did it the way we were taught.) It still wasn't a stencil. I almost used Golden Threads paper, but stopped myself because I feel that I lose a little accuracy with the paper. I forged ahead. I traced the smaller design on the template plastic. (Yes, I was able to find it.) I got out the knife and realized that I had never bought whatever you were supposed to cut the stencil on. I think it was a glass surface of some sort. At this point I had to improvise. I cut around the entire shape. Then I cut out a separate heart. I traced around the bigger shape. Then I positioned the heart in the center and traced around it. Then I had to do a little drafting of feather lines, but it was actually (get ready) EASY.  This one was marked from my makeshift stencil.  I think it looks good.  Hmmm...guess I need to work on removing the white markings.