While there, I went to one of my favorite booths, where I got this fun layer cake. The booth is run by two sisters who are some of the nicest people I’ve met at any quilt show. I told them about LettuceCraft, so who knows, maybe they’ll join us here in the Quiltalong!
They had this layer cake in their booth last year and I absolutely loved it, but chose not to get it. So when I saw it again this year, I decided I’d better get it while I still could! I am going to use it to make a quilt for LittleBookLover. I am planning on using this Framed pattern from the book, “Simply Retro” by Camille Roskelley.
I am hoping to channel the swiftness of others in this group and have this quilt done soon after I start it. I have the unfortunate tendency of procrastinating on large projects and often let them grow in my head so that they seem much bigger and more work than they really are. So hopefully, I won’t let that happen this time around!
While at the quilt show, I also picked up this Adobo quilt pattern. I was inspired by a quilt that one of the vendors had on display (it looked so much better in person than it does in this pic). I love the idea of using panel fabric for the corners and was hoping that a Christmas panel I have would work. Unfortunately, it turns out my panel isn’t well suited for this pattern. The corners need fabric sized 16.5" x 20.5" and the panel I have is made up of squares that are approximately 11"x11". I’m not sure how to make them the size I need without the proportions being off, but I am thinking on it (while also being on the lookout for Christmas panels that are the right size).
My current project is 2 January mini quilts and I’m really hoping to get started on the quilt for LittleBookLover, once I finish those!
I love that layer cake, and that pattern will be awesome with it
Setting myself a large challenge this weekend, get three, yes, three quilts made this weekend. I have a flimsy from a swap. I have made a flimsy for a crib quilt tonight, and finished all the blocks from my layer cake. So I need to sandwich and bind two tomorrow, and sew the blocks together and sandwich and bind that one too. It’s a public holiday on Monday, so I have three days of sewing
Not to spam you all with videos, but I’ve been enjoying these in the last few weeks. The quilter is attempting to stash bust as many quilts as possible for charity. This first one made me think of @Edel’s recent black & white one…
Then she did a scrappy green & ivory log cabin where she alternated the sizes of the rows, making smaller and larger green stars.
Finally, she had a ton of green & ivory scraps left after making that last quilt, so she did another green & ivory… This one was very “no plan, just sew”. I love how it still came out very cohesive, and I think you could adapt it to a lot of color ways.
Sorry, I grabbed those pics from months ago, when I first posted about them. Those are knock-off Bloc Loc rulers that Jim printed. The real ones are amazing, but insanely priced at $35 each. I have 2, in sizes I needed for bigger projects where I had to square up hundreds of HST’s. Each one made hours and hours of work easier and less frustrating, so they are worth the cost, but I haven’t wanted to shell out for other sizes yet. Jim printed two sizes I didn’t have/would use less often.
I used the letters & numbers in conjunction with these curved quilting safety pins. The curve/bend in the pin, let the letter naturally ‘nest’ in the middle, so it wasn’t moving around as much as it might on a straight pin. And the fact that it was a safety pin, meant I wasn’t poking or scratching myself as I sewed with them in place.
For each row, I pinned a letter on the leftmost block, and a numeral on the rightmost. That way I couldn’t accidentally turn my rows around, and sew a block to the wrong end, or accidentally switch a block between rows. (I was chain piecing, working 2 rows at the same time.) A & 1 matching, B & 2 matching, were easy enough to remember, but when I got further down the alphabet (to H, I, J), I just put a post-it note on my machine, so I could double check at a glance, that H matched 8, I matched 9, etc.
Progress today on making three quilts this weekend…
1.Crib quilt, cut, pieces, sandwiched, quilted and trimmed, ready for binding.
2. Flimsy from swap- sandwiched and pin basted.
3. Layer cake quilt, joined all the pieced blocks today, pieced and joined a strip for the back. Sandwiched and pin basted.
I might do a bit more quilting tonight-this is all straight line quilting so fairly fast.
Tomorrow-quilt the two quilts, choose and cut binding, put on binding, collapse in a heap.
I want to be quilting right now, but I have to be a good girl and make a meal plan & grocery list so I can shop early tomorrow morning. And I need to wrap up the last term of the HPC, and hopefully get a fair few prompts written for the next term. My second Ghost quilt is still just pieced rows.
Also, note to self…
JENNIE, DO NOT FORGET TO ADD THE GHOST FACES TO THE QUILT TOPS, BEFORE YOU SANDWICH AND QUILT THEM ALL!!!
Are you going to try the quilt on Ada in order to determine where to put the components of the face? That sounds like a tricky prospect if so, lol. I know exactly how that would go if I tried it with LittleBookLover. I’d end up still needing to determine where the face would go and he’d end up rolling around and probably away with the quilt , lol.
Not sure yet… She might let me, if I explain that she can’t have it now, because Momma needs to finish it for her. Especially if I can convince Jim to help me get her instantly distracted afterwards. Like offering to take her for a walk, or to the library. She’ll let go of almost anything for one of those.
I have a question for all of you. My machine is failing.
What are your recommendations for a good, not too expensive workhorse of a sewing machine. Maybe recommendations for machines purchased in the last 5 to 10 years. I say this because an older machine is likely made better than current ones.
My Pfaff is only 10 years old and several key parts are just worn out and cost as much as a new machine. I am very dissapointed in this brand. I do go through periods when I sew alot, but also go for long periods where I don’t. In my opinion, I should not have worn out this sewing machine.
I have no good suggestion. I bought a fully mechanical, metal body janome about 5 years ago and things have failed. If you find something worth considering, please let me know.
Finished! Three quilts in two days, bearing in mind the purple/green flimsy was from a swap, and the blocks had been made from a layer cake. But they are done!
-I Edel , offer harpers quilt for my medium personal finish. This is also one of my quarters goals
This quilt is really special, because I put it the call to you lovely people for fussy cut squares for the hypothetical grandbaby quilt. These squares were left overs, and so I used them for this baby quilt. This is another grandbaby quilt-my husband’s granddaughter.
-I Edel , offer Edels Ks quilt for my large personal finish. This is also a quarterly goal finish.
And it’s made from a layer cake that I bought from the prize I won in the last quilt along (thanks @AudiobookLover) this is a really satisfying pattern, and my first time ever using a layer cake. I don’t think I’ll be buying more though because the moda ones are about $50 here
This is going to a friend who is quite traditional, so the vintage feel will suit her.
-I Edel , offer Sheelaghs quilt for my small personal finish. And this is also a quarterly goal.
Using this really lovely flimsy that I got in a swap (from Mistress Jennie) about a million years ago. I used a fabric from Sheelagh that she got in India to back it.
, lol.
