Almost Wordless....

I have spent the day thinking and thinking....and changing my mind....

I was going to do the NYB in quarters....but changed my mind....

Just so you don't think I am a total slacker....I did do laundry :)

mary

A Star Is Born!

Working up some more New York Beauty blocks.  I am pretty sure I am going to arrange the blocks as quarter blocks....just the quadrants....sort of fan style.  Then add a cool spike sashing and some cute star corner blocks.....how does that sound?

not sure if I will keep these colors but this helps me visualize the quilt

And this is a Happy Block!!!!  Actually, only a quarter of a block :)

We have welcomed winter back to Ohio....I think it is in the 40's today....rainy and blustery....

But I was able to sneak outside my front door to snap a shot of these little sweeties before the wind rips them apart....

I am off to pick a prescription for Molly....a sinus infection :(  Booo....

Hope the sun is shining on your part of the world today!

mary

Working Out Some Design Options.....

My usual routine has been a bit altered this morning, but I needed to work out some design options....something similar to a wedding ring but with less parts and faster to complete.  So I have been working out the options....

I am loving this cute little block....

  this is a sample of the quilt

This design is not for me....but I am thinking I might really like to use it.  The block is called Flowering Snowball :)

This block {above} was made a bit more "liberated" by piecing the fabric and then cutting out the oval/petal parts.....

I think it is a great little block especially for those new to curved piecing....very gentle curves that go together so smoothly.  Yep, I am liking this block :)

And, I have decided on a background fabric for my NYB....

It is a periwinkle dot by Kaffe....

I have another great NYB block to work on and a couple of options for the arrangement that I need to nail down!

See you later!

mary

I Have Decided on a New York Beauty!!!

I have been looking for the next project I want to work on...long term.  And I think I have decided to do a New York Beauty quilt.  Like the Pickle-dish, this is one I have always loved....so I found a few designs I like and did some paper piecing using freezer paper....

I also thought I would do a little mini-tutorial on the freezer paper technique....at least how I do it :)

Begin with your design and trace it onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper.

Each quadrant of my design is separated into 5 parts and 3 of those will be paper pieced....the center circle I have decided to applique so I don't have a pieced center.

slide your design under the freezer paper and trace

Score the lines of your design with the back of your seam ripper....don't cut all the way through the paper...just score it to make it easier to fold the paper back.

Next cut your fabric so it is at least 1/4 inch larger than your design lines....I am using two fabrics and I will work on the first segment of my design {first triangle working from left to right}  Place a piece of fabric under the freezer paper template...the shiny side will be placed next to the wrong side of your fabric.

my fabric is placed under and extending beyond the lines of the first segment of my design

Using a dry hot iron press the freezer paper so it adheres to the first piece of fabric....then carefully peel back the paper so it is folded on the line of the first triangle.... 

Take your acrylic ruler and place it so the fold of the paper is lined up with the quarter inch mark on the ruler.  Slice the excess fabric so that a quarter inch seam allowance is left extending beyond the paper fold....

Now take your second fabric and place it so the right sides are facing and the raw edges along this quarter inch seam are lined up....

Stitch just along the side of the folded paper....be careful not to sew on the paper....just use the fold as a guide and stitch right next to it {I shorten my stitch length to 1.8}

Then unfold the second fabric...finger press along the seam....and then press the freezer paper again over the second fabric.  Now you will be working on the second segment.  Once the freezer paper is pressed onto the second segment...gently peel back the paper and fold along the next line.....again slice off the excess to leave the quarter inch seam allowance.

second fabric is unfolded...press the freezer paper again to cover the second segment and the second fabric

slice off the excess fabric leaving the quarter inch seam allowance

Continue in the same manner until you have filled in every segment of your design...

then trim around the outside of your design.  My pattern has the quarter inch seam allowance all the way around the outside so I did not need to leave a quarter inch seam allowance.  I trimmed along the outside edge of the paper pattern.  Carefully peel the freezer paper off of your pieced arc.

trimmed pieced arc

I have not sewn my quadrants together or my center circle....I think I will use a dotted fabric for the background....so I will be looking for the right background fabric....

I am not sure I will use this background....I need to audition other dots....

I very much enjoy this type of piecing...even though it can be a bit tedious.

Hope you are having a great Friday!

mary

Quilts

I had a wonderful visit with my mom....and this time I remembered my camera!  I wanted to take some pictures of her quilts.

These quilts were made by my great aunt (who is now 101 yrs. old!) and various other people...

There are a couple that are only about 30 yrs. old, but the others are knocking on 90 - 100 yrs. old.

This Dresden Plate is on a beautiful antique guest bed.  All of the quilts are hand quilted....

This one is on a guest bed...probably only about 30 years old.

This one is on my mom's bed....all hand applique....and every one of these is completely hand quilted.....just beautiful!!!

This one is very old, but I don't have much information about it.  My mother's parents lived in a retirement village and my mom purchased this quilt from an estate sale in the village.  I love the red and white and I just get chills over the tiny close quilting!!! Ahhhhh!!!!

This one is most likely from the 1940's....it has that cool pepto-bismol pink...

Honestly - these are just fabulous...I was like a kid in a candy store!!!!

And this one was a quilt commissioned by another great aunt for her bedroom....she died at the age of 92 {yes we tend to live a long time}  in the early 1970's....so I am thinking this has to be very close to, if not more than 100 years old.

The fabrics are just fabulous....little spiderwebs, lovely tiny flowers, the smallest of dots....be still my heart!!!

And then I took a picture of a quilt I made for my mom and dad about 15 years ago....she was so sweet and had it framed....a huge expense, but I do think it sets it off nicely...

It too was all hand quilted....see my ghostly image in the picture???  Scary, huh?

Aren't they lovely?  I hope in 40+ years people are looking at our quilts and admiring the workmanship and the fantastic fabric, color choices, design choice....I hope.

mary 

   

Sweet Pup!

Well, between having tires repaired, oil changes, and getting ready to visit my mom for a couple of days....there has been a little sewing at our house. 

  

Molly has been working on a gift for her former Spanish advisor.  Her advisor is from Chile and LOVES chihuahua's....So Molly embroidered this adorable tea towel using a Jenny Hart design... 

Now I know the reason for the yo-yo making lesson!!!

She added some bling to make this one fetching pup!!!

I have been searching for the next fun project...I have plenty of "have-to-do" projects....and I have a few Gonna Make That Someday quilts on my list....

 I have also decided to just try out a few single blocks just for the fun of it....this one is called Road To Fortune...

I played with some of the solids and paper piecing....I like the block but not something I want for an entire quilt....

I began working on another block that I am in LOVE with...but it is only half finished so I will show you later this week.  I will only take some hand quilting with me when I go to my mom's house.  So stayed tuned....  

Hope your week is going well.....

mary  

Love Color!!!!

I am here to tell you I have a terrible addiction to fabric!!!  I just can't seem to get through the week without purchasing a little stash of pretty...

So here are a few of my latest finds....I did add some much needed solids to my stash....

Okay...I didn't just buy the Amy Butler....I thought it looked good with this bunch.

I love Riley Blake Designs....so lovely and feels nice too!!!

I also purchased a new book!!!  Two friends suggested this book....so I bought it.  Seriously?  Is that all it takes - two people to say something to me and I do it?  Good thing I don't have folks telling me to jump off a bridge....although I am sure some would like to :) 

And while we are in confession....or I am in confession....I do buy books because of the pretty pictures....lame, huh?

I looked through it briefly and it is rather straight forward....with very pretty pictures!

Getting ready for class tonight...I am thinking about color and prints.  I usually gravitate towards bright colors and high contrast fabric.  That gingham by Michael Miller...called Picnic, I believe, in red and white is one of my all time favorite fabrics.

So, in between storms {I have to keep turning off and unplugging my machine - because I would cry if anything happened to my machine} I have been working on a liberated half square triangle block using colors nearly opposite on the color wheel....

These rectangles are tiny....1 1/2 inches by 2 inches...

On a totally different note...my sweet Molly had a flat tire on the freeway this morning, but some very nice men stopped and changed her tire for her.  I just hate the thought of her getting out of her car on the freeway, but there are some very thoughtful people out there. 

Hope you are having a good day free of flat tires :)

mary