Three for March--Pick #6

I picked the next project number to work on for three days, this is #1, Jewels in the Curio.  The last time this quilt appeared on the blog was during my Three for September challenge, when these blocks became a top. 

These Jewel Box blocks made it to the first border stage by October.  I am not a big fan of borders but they do make quilts larger faster :)

I have since sewn together three of the pieced border side sections and have one more to complete. The second of the plain borders has already been cut and sewn, ready to measure and trim to size after the pieced borders are on.  This is a Moda Bakeshop pattern by Jo of Jo's Country Junction.  I may have some yardage large enough for this twin size quilt, will have to see. Off to sew!

Three for March--Round Robin Star Progress

Today was the third day to work on the Round Robin Star.  I did a lot of sewing today after getting off  work at noon.  

My original thought, as I mentioned yesterday, was to make a pillow cover.  I got my backing fabrics ironed and then the quilt top and started to lay out the backing, but soon discovered a problem.  The quilt top was not square, and when pressed measured more than an inch longer than wide.  There was no good way to trim the quilt square so I changed gears to finish it as a wall quilt or table topper.  Once the binding was made and the backing was together, a Frankenbatt was constructed.  This time I didn't even bother putting on the walking foot--the three step zigzag stitch worked just fine with the regular foot to join the batting.  The no baste method was again tried with this small quilt, layering carefully and then smoothing the layers front and back.  Then I haphazardly folded it into a triangle-ish package and set it aside.  While the Round Robin quilt rested, I pieced a couple more rows of the Aussie Feedsacks top :)

This small quilt seemed a great place to try spiral quilting for the first time.  I used pink Aurifil thread and bravely started in the center marked with a pin.  It was not too hard to maneuver with the large harp of my sewing machine, and having the automatic presser foot lift meant I never had to take my hands off the quilt.  The stitching is not perfect but good enough. Round and round I stitched--it was quite mesmerizing, actually, watching the edge of the walking foot as I turned and turned the quilt. 

 I ran out of bobbin thread once, but the quilting took just about an hour to complete. 

I like it from the back, too! 

The straight-on shot looks good as well.  The binding will be the light teal solid fabric. So happy to have this several year old project out of its box.  Tomorrow morning I will draw the next Three for March project.

Three for March--#5 Pick

Unfortunately I was not able to get back to my Aussie Feedsacks, but they will again have their turn.  The next number picked yesterday was #3 on my list, Round Robin Star, from a challenge I joined at guild a few years ago--my first Round Robin ever.  

I started with the center star and four other members added their rows.  Being modern quilters, their ideas were nontraditional and fun.  I loved the use of the stripe in the arrow blocks and the feathers.  The leftover fabrics  I will use to make a back and binding.  I'm thinking this would make a great pillow and afford a quick finish.  The block is about 24" so it will be a big one.  My favorite method is an overlapping pillow back and binding to finish the edges, with an insert.  I was looking on Crazy Mom Quilts' blog--she always made a ton of pillows and has a good tutorial for making your own insert.  I will likely buy one.  Heck, I may buy a cheap ready-made throw pillow and stuff it in!

More interesting clouds this cold March--and it is very windy today, but supposed to be in the 70s and maybe 80 degrees over the weekend.  We have had a lot of rain and hope for a few more good storms to really break this drought.  Last year we only got 4 inches or so of rain, very dismal.

I stitched up this Improv style mini quilt-as-you-go for Guild.  We have been offered a sales table at Craftcation and a chance for attendees to meet some guild members.  I have never taken any classes--they sell out so fast and are usually during the day when I am working, but appreciate all the diverse classes that are offered.  Our current guild president has volunteered at Craftcation for several years and gotten to take free classes as a result.  She's had a blast trying out so many different types, weaving, sewing, stamping, etc.  

Okay, gotta get going, have dentist appt followed by work followed by subbing in for Bunco tonight.  As of yesterday when I left work, there were only three patients on the schedule for this afternoon.  I may get plenty of down time :)  My doctor boss has announced that starting in May he will not be working Fridays any longer.  The PA who shares our office has offered to have me scribe for him on Fridays so I can keep my full-time status and qualify for insurance.   I also fill in for other scribes on vacation, picking up hours now and then, all good. 

Three for March--Aussie Feedsacks

I spent a lot of time in the sewing room Sunday, starting with laying out the next pick for Three for March; I'm working on a different project for three days at a time, all month.  I got right to laying out all my precut pieces of Australian flora and fauna.

So fun to see all these prints again.  There was very little switcheroo needed, surprisingly.

Once the sashing pieces were laid down, piecing commenced.  It made sense to me to join a sashing row with the larger squares in sets of two, then combine the sets. I started at the bottom, since that was the closest to my seat :)  The pieces are small, but sewing 12 seams each in the two rows and then the long seam joining them took some time.  

I stopped after eight rows.  All those seams sure shrank the quilt layout!  Everything came together easily and I didn't have to get my seam ripper out once.  I gathered up and labeled the remaining rows before going on to the next project.  There are two border rows to add once the center is complete.

While I had opened the swap pizza box I received this month at guild and read the person's guidelines, no fantastic ideas had struck the first time I looked at them.  Today, however, the description of liking the Boho look gave me a direction, with her gorgeous prints.  At Sewtopia I had won a free pattern, Elizabeth Hartman's Feathers.  Since this pattern required no templates or paper piecing, I got right to cutting and sewing.  The feather was longer than the 12.5" square block guideline, so needed to be set diagonally.  It took some playing and MATH to get the block to the right size, but I did manage it.  Does it look Boho enough?

My husband had no clue what this was.  I hope the pizza box's owner does!

Linking to Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday. 

Three for March--Sanctuary Panel Quilt Progress, and Next Pick

Saturday was the final day for the Sanctuary Panel in my Three for March self-challenge.  We went to grandson Cove's opening day Tball game in the morning before I set to work on the quilting.

Yep, looks like the glove fits!  Watching 4-5-6 year olds play baseball is very entertaining.  We had a beautiful day for it, too. 

Lots of interesting clouds, though when they took their time passing the sun everyone had to put a sweater or jacket on, then take it off when the sun came back out.  Cove was the clean-up batter so got to run the bases at the end. He played catcher for one inning too.  Mama and Dada had a meeting with some folks at their place, so we had the boys for a couple more hours at our house.  Cove was taking requests at the piano, and Hunter picked up riders in the school bus.  

Afterwards, I got to work pulling fabric for backing and scrounged around in the overflowing batting bin for a piece large enough.  I ended up making a Frankenbatt from cutoffs, which of course takes lots of extra time, especially when you have to stop and wind a bobbin in the middle. 

I used my Hera marking tool and stopped and started the crosshatch through the appliques. 

We had a speaker at guild last month, Dora Cary from Orange Dot Quilts, who told us that she hates basting and had learned a way to not use pins or "one drop of glue" on her quilts.  I tried her method, layering the backing, batting and top as usual, and then smoothing with my hands on both sides.  Then I loosely folded up the quilt, and let it rest for a few minutes.  The cotton batting stuck to both sides and, though I used a pin in each corner to keep it straight, it did not wrinkle at all!  So time-saving not to have to stop and take out pins or use spray baste outdoors. 

There is still one long line of quilting to do, and quilting around the appliques, since I had to spend time doing all that piecing, but I am so happy to have this out of the plastic bag it has lived in so long!  

The next pick for Three for March is not quite as elderly as Sanctuary, but still old.  I went to Australia for my friend "Sue's wedding in November 2009, and bought a bunch of Aussie themed fabrics for a quilt.  #2 on my list is Aussie Feedpatches. Last seen on the blog over a year ago, I had cut the pieces for the quilt and packed them all up in the box. 

This free pattern came from an insert in an APQ subscription offer, and the simple design I thought will work well for these fabrics.  Since  I already have the pieces cut, it is ready to lay out and sew!  Hope to have a finished top in three days.  

Meanwhile, I have a block to make for a guild exchange as well.  Better get to it!

Three for March--Sanctuary update

Happily, I had today off after working an extra half-shift for another scribe yesterday.  That gave me lots of time to putter with the layout of the appliques on the Sanctuary panel.  I sketched out a couple of placement options on graph paper and chose a simple layout.  The Steam-a-Seam had been on these pieces for a long time, but they did stick just enough for me to carefully lift the panel to the ironing board and get them fully adhered. 

So fun to get these pieces out of their baggies and onto a quilt!

The log cabin blocks are repeated in the panel.  I turned a few of the flowers to add interest.

Most of the fabrics for these appliques came from stash, some from the jelly roll strips of the same line.

I'd estimate a good hour or two to get all the applique pieces stitched.  I'm happy with the placement and hope the "missing man" formation doesn't look odd, as I decided against spending time foraging for more matching fabrics for another flower.  It is busy enough.  Next to find a backing and cut batting.  I'm going to quilt this one very simply around each flower block and probably meander in the open blocks.  

Had a fun visit with grandsons Cove and Hunter and daughter Elaine between ironing on the appliques and getting them stitched down.  The boys dug into the toybox, pounded on the piano, asked for snacks, tried to find the cat, and then needed lunch.  Thank goodness for a box of Star Wars mac and cheese.  We'll see them again tomorrow for Cove's T-ball game and take them out to lunch while their parents have an appointment.  Wonderful to live close and see them grow. 

Three for March Update and Pick #3

As predicted, given the events of the week including a visitor, family birthday dinner out, and an after work hair appointment, I did not get much done on the Greenpiece project's three days. However, the project box has been returned to the sewing room and blocks needing embroidery are close at hand.  I will work on them when I am not at the sewing machine.  This morning I pulled another slip of paper out of the jar and it is #6, the Sanctuary panel.  I purchased this panel in 2007 at Jackman Fabrics in St. Louis, Missouri while visiting my sister when she lived there.

This is the from the Sanctuary line by 3 Sisters for Moda that I fell in love with in 2007.  Years ago I had cut out some appliques based on a quilt from APQ magazine February 2006 by the Piece O'Cake gals, Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins.

 Linda Jenkins likes to hand applique.

This not the final layout, but I was sure I had made an equal number of the three flower designs and was missing one.  It took some digging through the old brain files to recall that I used one on another quilt.  I bought my very first jelly roll of this line, which I made into a quilt for Cousin Florence for her retirement from nursing in 2007, but didn't end up using the appliques on the front of the quilt. This was pre-blog, so I shared it later when we went to Cincinnati in 2011 to see the International Quilt Festival being held there for the first time. 

A very simple strippie quilt that I quilted myself with wavy lines.  Turns out that Florence favors blue more than yellow, purple, pink, and green, but she appreciated it all the same :) 

I simply used a tiny zig zag for the applique and think I will repeat the same stitch for the panel appliques.  I have leftover binding and jelly roll strips to use to finish it once quilted.  This quilt is destined for a sweet little girl.  First decision will be placement on the panel, then I'll get to stitching the appliques.