Mountain Top is finished

I quilted the Mountain Top top and now it is a quilt. I decided since it was a very traditional style quilt with lots of right angles going on it needed some softening. That calls for the Baptist Fans.

I think the fan quilting lends a good contrast to the piecing.

I finished this just in time for the cool weather. Oh! Wait! It is July and there is no cool weather. I guess I will have to wait till Nov before I use this. Well I am just keeping ahead of the game.

Bonus: Six yards of backing out the door.

Quilt Retreat - Summer '11

Last week me and my quilt buds took off for the mountains. It is the same place we went last year. The best part is it is only 30 min. away. We spent 3 days in the cool mountain air. We decided to keep the food simple: cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and a cooked meal for dinner. We split up responsibilities for the food so it was sooooo easy.

I spent my time working on one hexagon Halloween quilt. I was able to get that one put together.

For a change of pace I put together another Halloween quilt using the Wild Thing pattern and two charm packs. Boy did I ever have fun. That went together very fast.

Since I have another hexagon Halloween quilt to do I started sewing the strips together. All in all I feel I accomplished a lot of sewing. Not to mention a lot of visiting, laughing and sharing. Oh happy days.

Mountain Top top

Several months ago I mentioned making a quilt that required 720 half-square triangles. I am happy to report that the top is together. This top is from a pattern called Mountain Top. It is from Laundry Basket Quilts. I learned several important points from this quilt.

1. When making lots and lots of HSTs it is a good idea to use the paper guides, such as Triangles on a Roll, or Thangles. I did my own with Electric Quilt and it worked out very well.

Each square was spot on.

2. When each square is equal the piecing goes together so nice. I was able to nail almost every intersection. I couldn't believe how close each joint was.

3. I learned to pay attention when cutting out. Cut the long large pieces first. I cut out the long borders first but then cut all of the short sashing pieces. When I was done with that I realized I had forgotten to cut out the sashing that runs horizontal. Doh! I was thinking about piecing bits together when I figured that if I put cornerstones in the sashing I wouldn't need long pieces. Yes! The original pattern did not have cornerstones in the sashing but mine does. I think I like it better.

This is a scrappy quilt. Everything but the neutral (borders and sashing) came from my stash. I get to count 10 1/2 yards used. Gotta love it.

I Heart This Quilt

Lately I have been doing more quilting than piecing. Most of the quilts are for others. I have quilted up a lot of charity quilts. With all the disasters in the world they are especially needed. One of the quilts I quilted for hire was for a friend. I really do like this quilt. This is the second one she has made. The first one ended up with her daughter. Ah, the things we do for love.

I love the fabric she used. As I quilted along I would spot fabrics that are in my stash too.

The more I quilted the more I fell in love with this pattern. It is from the Jan./Feb. 2001 issue of Fons and Porter's For the Love of Quilting magazine. The pattern is named Turning Circles into Stars. I have saved the pattern myself but have never got around to making it. I just might  have to put this on my to do list.

I quilted spirals in the circles and curling C's in the background. Around the stars I did stitch in the ditch.

Yup, I heart this quilt.

Is it Christmas Yet?

My daughter asked me if I was ever going to blog again. She kept checking here to see what I had been up to and kept seeing the same old entry. I really don't have any valid excuses as to why I have been AWOL. My life is no busier than usual, no big events taking my time, no crisis. Quite possible it is sheer laziness. I have often composed some blog entries in my head but I never took the time to type them in. So I hereby repent of my non-bloginess (like that word?) and will try to give her and you something to read.

I finished quilting my Christmas tree quilt near the end of May. So I am either really early or really late but since I didn't start it until April I like to think I am really early. I think this is a first.

This design is my own, sort of. I was inspired by several quilts I have seen here and there, especially the border applique. That I saw on a Piece 'O Cake quilt many years ago. I liked the border but not the center. The tree shape came from my Electric Quilt block library. I used Misty Fuse for the fusible applique and King Tut thread for the button-hole stitching around all the applique.

I quilted small loops around the lights to echo the twisting and turning of the string of lights.

I wanted a feeling of motion around the trees so I did what is called McTavishing in the longarm world. It is my first stab at that. I learned a lot and improved as I quilted along. I don't think I ruined it.

On the trees I used a variegated King Tut thread to quilt small loops to look like strings of lights.

The backing I bought (at 50% off) is absolutely perfect. It makes me smile when I look at it.

Now I just need to wait until Christmas so I can hang it in my front entry hall. The way time has been flying by that will be all too soon.

Week 20 Stash Report - 2011

Fabric in this week:     4.75 yd. (Last two weeks, actually)
Fabric in YTD:         36.75 yds.

Fabric out this week:   11 yds.
Fabric out YTD:         96.75 yds.

Stash busted:    60 yds.

If you would like to see how others are doing check out Judy's blog.

I was able to finish the top of my Christmas Tree quilt. That makes up the 11 yards used. Here is a picture.
I have some fun quilting planned for this top.

Looking at the picture I just realized that I need to sew on the last border which is a narrow candy cane strip that is like the sashing. Doh. Not quite finished yet.

I have been sewing up the half-square triangles for my scrappy quilt. I have all 720 HST made. Part of the fabric I bought this week will be the sashing and borders for this quilt. I will start putting the blocks together this week but I don't know how far I will get. I have two quilts that I must quilt this week then I get to put one of my own on. It looks like more quilting than piecing this week.

Hope you have a great week QFF*!

Penny
Remember, we do this for fun..

Week 18 Stash Report - 2011

Fabric in this week:     0 yd.
Fabric in YTD:         32 yds.

Fabric out this week:   0 yds.
Fabric out YTD:         85.75 yds.

Stash busted:    53.75 yds.

If you would like to see how others are doing check out Judy's blog.

I did a whole lot of quilting this week. One queen size quilt for hire plus 2 twin charity quilts. No pictures to share. Then I did a lot of sewing. I sewed my jelly rolls into strip sets and cut the strips into wedges for one quilt. Here are a few hexagons that are sewn up. I am having fun with this. I won't count the fabric as used until I have the top put together.

I found a pattern that I want to make from my stash that requires 720 half-square triangles. To make sure they are uniform I want to use the foundation paper. I checked my collection of Thangles and did not have the right size. I checked my collection of Triangles on a Roll and did not have the right size. I suppose I could go buy some but I got to thinking. Why couldn't I use EQ7 and draw up what I need as a block and then just print it out. It only has the cutting lines and I used my 1/4" foot as the guide.

I really like doing triangles this way. They are so stable especially when you press them before you remove the paper. I tried a sample and it worked! Yes. I think I will do a sheet or two of triangles every day and just stockpile them until I have enough. Sounds like a plan to me. (12 down, 708 to go)

Hope you have a great week QFF*!

Penny
Remember, we do this for fun..