More Quilting Components

Hello Everyone,

 

Yesterday I made some more components to arrange and rearrange.  In the previous post, the components were 3" square.  This post includes components that are 2" square.  

 

2" components yielding a 9" block

3" components yielding a 9" block

Now the fun begins with arranging the components.  I added a Y-block to my component list.  This block looks full of triangles, but I never used a single triangle.  I only cut squares and rectangles.

  

This blocks adds a 4-patch component.

I had parts and pieces all over my kitchen table giving me endless blocks.  The only constant was the center block and dividing strips.

This arrangement would give me lots of space for some nice quilting.

I'm not crazy about this arrangement, but I wanted to include it in the mix for variety.

Over the past two days, I've shown you six different quilting components. The quarter-square triangle, 4-patch, flying geese, corner square triangle, square in a square, and half-square triangles.  I have several more components that require formula testing to create all different sizes.  My poor little calculator has been working overtime the past few days.  I have pages of notes and lists of fairly intricate blocks that I want to make by breaking the block down section by section, or component by component......with no triangles to cut (except for the square in a square, I haven't figured a way around that one yet!)  I feel a sampler quilt in my future.

Today is family day.  Our son is cooking ribs for Mr. Joe and for the whole family.  It's going to be a great pot-luck with all the good cooks in our family.

Soon,
Lynn

Patchwork Puzzle Pieces

 

Hello Everyone,

 

If you are wondering where I've been.....I'm back from playing with grand kids and then resting up for my next big adventure.  I'm pulling a Patchwork Component class together.  This class will include formulas and piecing technique for 12 different quilting components so YOU can decide the size of your components and your blocks.

 

I started by pulling some Fall fabrics together.

Then I made one square in a square for the center, four hourglass units, and 4 corner square triangle units.

Then I started arranging and rearranging.

Then I made 8 flying geese and added them to the mix.

Then I made a pinwheel unit to change up the center.

Looking at some of these blocks gave me ideas for more blocks with the addition of other colors.

 

I felt like I was playing with puzzles all day long, turning my patchwork puzzle pieces this way and that way.  I've been looking at my patchwork component idea list and I may have to make it a Baker's Dozen.  My goal for the class is to show easy peasey piecing techniques along with the formulas to calculate all of the components.  I had a couple of ahh-haa moments while I was working yesterday and I came up with a border idea.  One thing just leads to another and I get easily distracted as more and more ideas take shape. 

 

You know how it is when you are working on a puzzle, you have to find just ONE MORE PIECE!  I'll be working on additional pieces today along with the directions.  Soon, I'll be sharing with you where I'm going to be teaching this class....exciting stuff for me!

 

Soon,

Lynn

 



Sew'n Wild Oaks Class is in Session

 

Hello Everyone,

 

The classroom was full at In Between Stitches yesterday with my Sew'n Wild Oaks Wild Women.  Some fantastic quilts are appearing on the design walls the 2nd Tuesday of every month.  Here are Barbara's blocks for Minglewood.  These are her last four blocks in the gorgeous quilt! You'll be seeing her sashing next month.

 

Suzie is making baskets for Buttonwood. This is going to be the perfect summer quilt in her red, white, blue and yellow fabrics.

Embellishment Evelynne added absolutely the cutest touches to her marionette for Toyland Tree.

Just look at his little knees!  So realistic.  (I wish I'd thought to do that on my quilt!)

Isabelle has a pile, I mean a large pile of beautiful Minglewood blocks and sashings.

She was very organized and used the design wall to display her blocks and attach the sashings.  This is going to be spectacular!

I'm going to rename Kaye to Kristmas Kaye.  She said she could work on Christmas projects all year long.  Here, she is making her own patchwork fabric from my Mittens With Moxie pattern.

More patchwork in the making.

Marti's Chelsea Cottage by Blackbird Designs is coming along beautifully.  Just two more blocks and she's ready for the applique section.  I love her colors.

Cindy is going on a road trip and preparing her swags for Toyland Tree in advance for some stitching time in the car.  That's one of the reasons I love to applique, it's just so portable.

Gail is almost halfway done with her Country Charmer blocks.  Just feast your eyes on all the plaids and fussy cut centers!  Great attention to detail makes for a spectacular finish.

Susan is working on Butterscotch Baskets....but I think we will rename her quilt to Baskets of Roses. I'm so excited for Susan.  She's new to quilting and just look what she's accomplishing.  This is going to be such a wonderful gift for her daughter.

I snuck in a sneak peak of the design wall with Suzie's Buttonwood and my new fall design.  I left my flying geese at home, but trust me, there will be lots of geese circling this quilt, ready to fly south.

So there you have it, many, many beautiful quilts in the making.  Like I always say, "You girls rock!"

Soon,
Lynn

Sew Knotty Quilters Part Two

Hello Everyone,

 

The quilt parade is brought to you by the following, talented, funny, delightful group of women, The Sew Knotty Quilters.  Front row, Elaine, Paula, Evelynne, Me, Melody, Nancy, Gail, Barbara and Peggy. Diana & Carol were part of the group, but they were not with us at Lake Alpine Saturday night.

 

Yesterday morning we had our quilt parade.  Gail and Barbara brought their Butterscotch Basket quilts to the retreat.  Gail is ready for her borders and Barbara's quilt is ready for the quilter. Aren't they something!

Melody finished the quilt on the left from her granddaughter.  Barbara finished her Anna's Mountain quilt by Denise Sheehan. Melody almost finished her throw quilt on the right, a Thimbleberrie design.

The girls were clowning around displaying Paula's finished hexies. (They didn't drape too well over the railing!)

Elaine graciously offered to model the hexies which I promptly named Paula's Pasties!

Here's the closeup.

 

Peggy learned how to make double flying geese for a Nostalgic Pillow.

 



Nancy designed a strawberry dipped in chocolate for the center of her Nostalgic Pillow.

 

Evelynne, the queen of bling, showed us her mailbox for Party in the Garden.  Her embroidery and embellishments are top notch.

Diana worked on her little teddy for Toyland Tree.  So sweet, the bear and Diana.

There goes Elaine, using her chest as a design board again!  She finished some wonderful blocks for her Country Charmer quilt.

Peggy worked on her Summer's Blush/Winter's Warmth quilt.  She is now an expert  when it comes to attaching borders.

Gail worked on her Country Charmer and displayed two of her six blocks.  She's well on her way to a beautiful quilt.

 

Paula showed us her wonderful house for Party in the Garden. 

 



We ate our breakfast and enjoyed our last morning together chatting and sharing out on the deck. 

Whenever anyone finished a block, or a significant section of a quilt, they ran over and rang the cow bell.  That bell was kept busy over the weekend.

 

 

Here are some random shots of us on Saturday.  We escaped the relentless, scorching heat and drove north and viewed the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness area on our way to Lake Alpine.  Now I'm quoting Elaine here, "We are a skosh more refined than the Calendar Girls!"  Again, one of our many memorable moments.

 

Our destination was dinner at Lake Alpine Resort.

We said our goodbyes, yesterday morning and went back to our normal life.  We'll wait for our ship to come in so we can buy more fabric at In Between Stitches!



Thank you, thank you, thank you all for making our first annual retreat at Wilder's Last Resort such an enjoyable time.  You ladies are absolutely the best sports!  I never once heard a negative peep from anyone regarding the horribly hot weather and our lack of air conditioning.  You were delightful the whole time.  Memories were made, stories and laughter rang throughout the cabin.  Did I mention the food????........we are all dieting this week.  I'll post more picture and recipes throughout the week.

Soon,
Lynn

P.S. Barbara wanted me to extend a special 'thank you' to all of you for you generosity to Relay for Life.  Barbara is the Survivor Chairman for this very special event on June 22nd in Livermore.  You girls rock in more ways than one!

P.S.S. We have a new way to make coffee that involves a turkey baster!  I can't explain.....you just had to be there.  I know Paula and Gail are laughing while they are reading this.  Mrs. Barnes was cooking again!