My life in quilts

I’m off to house sit for about 12 days without internet access again.  Will post photos of my latest finishes when I return!

Most spam comments I get are deleted by the two programs I have installed to protect against such things. Every once in a while a spam comment sneaks through and ends up in the spam folder. Usually they are from a non-quilter trying to promote their website by commenting on one of my posts. This morning I found these two gems in the spam folder.

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Hmmm. These are from the supposed “distinguished essay writing/good custom writing service.”  I do hope that “honest students” all over America aren’t paying for essays with similar English grammar.

Okay, on to the finishes! The first three are just to the finished top stage.  I don’t have a picture of the Orange Peel topper [Improved 9 Patch] and I’m house sitting so I’ll try to get a shot of that some time next week.

This little LeMoyne Star wall hanging, Polka Dot & Paisley, I made with the scraps from the table topper.  I watched the free Jinny Beyer episode on The Quilt Show and she demonstrated a better way [than what I was doing] to put together 8 pointed stars.  So, you know, I had to try it out.  I think I’m going to hang this on the wall near the sewing machine when I get it quilted.   This next one is a class sample.  I’m going to teach a Winding Ways class at the LQS at the end of February/first part of March.

I also finished putting the binding on three scrappy quilts.  I made a Scrappy Irish Chain quilt and two matching table toppers as leader/ender projects.  My friend, Stacy at Mimi’s Quilting Cottage, quilted them for me.  I’ve already sold one of the table toppers. Here is the quilt in all it’s scrappy, crinkled goodness…

Now I’m hoping for a repeat performance of finishes for February!

I have internet access here.  Yay!  Finally a Friday update. This is an EQ6 drawing of Streak of Lightning.  I’m using scraps of plaids from a few FQ collections from long ago and some men’s shirts from the thrift store. I plan to add some applique — funky stars or flowers or something.  I haven’t quite figured that out yet.

Here it is starting to come together.  But wait…  It’s not really coming together.  It looks kind of wonky.  Those large setting triangles aren’t fitting in so well.  UGH.  I did something wrong here, I’m sure…

This is The Setting Triangle ruler.  I really like this ruler.  I don’t have one yet, but I used one at the last place I was house sitting. (There are great advantages to house sitting for fellow quilters…)  When my setting triangles weren’t fitting just so, I suspected the ruler…  but no, it was the person wielding the rotary cutter that was in error.  Yup, four yards of fabric all miscut because I didn’t read closely enough where it says UNFINISHED SIZE on the ruler.  I used the markings based on the FINISHED SIZE of my square not the unfinished size.  DOUBLE UGH.  This one project will now become two.  [I certainly need more projects in my Parade of Projects lineup, don't I?] I’ll continue making the scrappy triangles and get some more fabric (maybe I can find a black I like this time) and I’ll make smaller HSTs to put together to go with the setting triangles I have cut from the brown fabric.  [sheesh]

On a somewhat related but different quilt topic, the EQ6 design above morphed into another idea while I was playing around with the orientation of the HST.  Here’s a glimpse of the progress of that project.  I’m calling it Bold Streak.  And, yes, the setting triangles for this project are cut correctly.

While I’m sewing together these two tops, I’m working on the blocks for a third top made with Variable Stars. These work perfectly as leader/enders as I only have to pin the last two seams.  The picture shows the first 16 blocks. I’m making this Variable Star and several other quilt tops with the same scraps as Streak of Lightning above. I actually have 25 or 26 done now…  more than half of what I need.  Soon I’ll have another project to the point of putting the top together.  I have three others in my Parade of Projects (listed in the post below) to that point.  I am making progress!

I purchased one of the latest Inklingo collections shortly after it became available — The Deluxe Orange Peel.  The blocks that can be made — Improved 9 Patch, Alabama Beauty & Orange Blossom – were just too tempting.  I printed some shapes and am hand piecing a small project.  [Still adding to that Parade of Projects!]  This is the start of the first Improved 9 Patch block.

And because I like when Cathi shows them, the back:

Because I know that I’m more productive in the long run if I work on multiple projects at the same time and taking into account my current need to be more productive, I’m finding it necessary to work round-robin-style on the following projects:

1. Leftovers Again
2. Plaid Bargello
3. Striped Shirt Boxes
4. Crooked Path Table Topper
5. Scrappy Patchwork of the Crosses
6. Nevada
7. Baby Girl Bug
8. Variable Star
9. Plaid 9 Patch
10. Rocky Glen
11. Streak of Lightning
12. Bold Streak
13. Field of Flowers
14. Rose Basket
15. Layer Cake

Beginning this week, here’s to being more productive.  Stay tuned for updates. . .  assuming, of course, that I’ll have internet access during my next two house sitting jobs.  Have I mentioned how frustrating it is not to have internet access while I’m house sitting? Otherwise it’ll just be an update. Singular.

• Machine quilting done.
• Miles of binding being prepared and pressed.
• Also eating many homemade oatmeal butterscotch chip cookies.

The basket of machine quilting was overflowing so I decided it was time to tackle some of it.  The basket is now half empty and I’m in need of a shoulder massage and some dark chocolate.

• Let your mind wander and dream
• Forget the rules and follow your instinct
• Embrace life

More advice found while eating Dove Extra Dark Chocolate Promises.