Showing posts with label Block of the Month. Show all posts

FQS Mystery BOM 2013 Finished!

Here's one for the finally finished category.  This is the Fat Quarter Shop's Designer Mystery Block of the Month from 2013.  Yes, 2013.  I made all the blocks that year, but then dragged my feet on piecing the borders.  I pieced them at a retreat in 2016, then put the thing away until I felt like quilting it.

 I pulled it out this summer to quilt after I added the robotics to my long arm.  At that point in time, I paid my son to rip off the borders because the top was really wavy.  After redoing the borders, I quilted it.  It was one of my first robotics projects so it's not the greatest quilting job.  I recall that I was thinking I could have quilted the thing by hand a lot faster than it went on the robotics.  It took hours and hours. On the plus side, just a few months later, I can totally see what I should have done to make it turn out better.

 So, anyway.  I quilted it and sewed on the binding in June and didn't start sewing down the binding until October.  I got the binding done pretty quickly and finished it up late on November 1.

 Fabrics are Avalon by Fig Tree Quilts.  Blocks are by lots of people, courtesy of Fat Quarter Shop.  The quilting is called Garland.  The finished size is 70" x 84.5".





This is #2 on my 2019 FAL Q4 list.  I have 2 of my 15 projects (13.3%) finished.

 Linking with For the love of geese.
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Three More Finishes and Rambling About Long Arm Quilting

I have a week an a half left to get done as many more UFOs as I can.  My goal is to have nine items from the list I turned in to my guild completed.  Right now I have five completely finished (some of the things I listed several pieces as one item--what was I thinking?!) and one more that needs the binding sewn down.  I also am quilting one, but ran into a snag and need to rip out some before progressing.

 I finished this Civil War mini.  This was a kit that I bought in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, six or seven years ago.  I did the quilting on my domestic sewing machine, so the free motion quilting leaves much to be desired.  

I also finished these two minis.  These were projects in a class I took at a local quilt shop that one of my friends used to own.  The pattern is by Kari Carr.  Fabrics are Tula Pink, Moda Bella, and an unknown background print.  The print fabric was one where you can actually see the paint on the fabric and it made a mess all over the long arm during quilting.  The oil hole in the stitch plate was actually solidly filled with paint dust!  

I decided to try something new on each of these.  I did some dot-to-dot ruler work, stitch in the ditch ruler work, outlining ruler work, and a few free motion filler designs.  I was inspired by Angela Walters, Teresa Silva, Natalia Bonner, and Vicki from Orchid Owl Quilts.  While there are definitely imperfections (especially evident on the backs!), I feel like I did a pretty good job for a first attempt at these patterns.  





 Some things I learned:  

 1.  Doing ruler work with a very slow (5%) motor speed on the cruise mode works a lot better than using the precise mode that we were taught to use in the Juki users class.

 2.  I need to pull up the bobbin thread before starting stitching every time.  In other words, don't be lazy.  Of course I already knew this, but was lazy anyway and it really shows.  The backs are a mess.

 3.  I'm getting better at adjusting the tension, but I'm not quite there yet.  Make time to make it better before starting the quilting.

 4.  I should probably use a ruler when doing continuous curve so that it is more even.

 5.  It's okay to try something new that may not be perfect.  I'm still trying to let go of perfection.  It's hard.  Most other people probably won't notice how imperfect a job I did. It's so easy to tear apart and judge yourself.

After quilting these two minis, which took me the better part of a day, I decided to do an easy project after that.  I did a pantograph on this Fig Tree sampler.  Call me crazy, but I really love stitching out pantographs.  I find it relaxing to just stand there and follow a line.  It's just a little more complex than that, but I find it much easier than I do stitching from the front.  I particularly enjoyed stitching out the pantograph I chose for this quilt.  It might be my new favorite--Spiral Feather by Jodi Beamish.  This sampler has appliqués, so I wasn't sure how it would go, but overall I think it's good.  I love the glide foot for doing pantographs.  It's so smooth.  I just need to hand stitch down the binding to finish this quilt.  It's around 60 x 80.

I currently have this very large quilt on the long arm.  I made it 13 or 14 years ago for my daughter's bed.  Obviously I never finished it and she has zero interest in it these days.  I though this one was pretty flat and square, but I currently have a fold/ripple in the border to address, which includes ripping out part of a row of quilting.  That is NEVER a fun thing.  I cannot stress enough the importance of measuring out the borders correctly.  Don't just sew the border on to each side and cut off the extra.  (I am so guilty of this on so many quilts.  I didn't start doing it correctly until I saw what a mess it can become on the long arm.) It pretty much guarantees a quilting problem if your quilt is long arm finished with a pantograph (all over pattern). Take the extra few minutes to do the measuring and averaging to ensure flat borders.  Your quilter will love you.


I had a backing put away with this top that had a vertical 1/4" seam and approximately an inch and a half of extra backing at the top and bottom.  Since there wasn't enough extra fabric to attach it to the frame, I basted eight inch strips of fabric to the top and bottom. I think this is going to work out okay, but I won't know until I get to the end!  Also, vertical seams aren't ideal for my long arm. I can do it, but I feel I get a much better finished project if the backing seams run horizontally. Sometimes it is possible to turn the quilt sideways to mount it, but in this case the length of the quilt is greater than the width of my frame.  Also, 1/4" isn't a great seam for the backing.  1/2" is better.  And pressed open.  And backstitched on the ends.  

 I will be spending the next few hours ripping out quilting stitches.

 Oh, we got in the new camera lens we ordered from Amazon--not from Amazon, but sold through them.  It arrived in a plastic padded envelope with one layer of bubble wrap around it.  No box.  It did not match the picture on the listing (missing features) and some of the pictures I took with it are really blotchy, which I found weird for a digital picture.  I'm sending it back for a refund and I'm back to only cell phone pictures, which all of the pictures on today's post are.  Sigh.
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May the Fourth Be with You

Happy May the Fourth Day!  Here's a special edition of funny things for you.


Moving along to sewing, here's some of the projects that are on my sewing table this week.
I started the Aviatrix quilt.  It's not as scary as I thought.
I've been working on my Coral Queen of the Sea quilt.  The blocks are about 3/4 done now.
I received my next kit for the Fig Tree Mystery Sampler, but haven't started it yet.
We are also prepping for a yard sale this weekend.  Can't wait to have all the stuff gone!  Even if it doesn't sell, we can donate what's left to the history center for their fundraiser. Win-win situation!

The new house across the street has moved beyond the excavating and cement crews to the Amish framing crew.  It's SOOOO much quieter.  And only one vehicle actually pulled off the road instead of 20 parked all over the road.  :)

We have 14 more school days.  The end of the school year always seems so busy.  I really need to get my new planner together.  I haven't made any progress since the last picture I posted of it. Summer looks like it's going to be really busy too, and it will really help to see the list of appointments, camps, and open houses all in calendar form.

My irises are all starting to bloom.  Some I don't remember having so many of, or are different colors??, and some that we divided don't look like they will bloom this year.  Many of my perennials didn't survive winter, so I need to get replacements.  I need to divide and transplant a few of the existing plants too.  And plant some lettuce in my little vegetable garden.

Looking forward to quieter, more productive days!




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Fig Tree Quilts Mystery Block of the Month 2016--March

I got all of the March Fig Tree blocks finished.  These blocks all look easier than they are.  Now all I have to do is appliqué on the flower centers from month one's blocks.  I did make a little progress on them--I've actually made the centers.  I'm having a really hard time picturing what this quilt might look like based on the blocks so far.  I guess that's why it's a mystery quilt, right?
4" finished
7.5" finished
11.75" x 9.5" finished
The included pattern this month was Homestead, which is the house blocks.  I'm not generally a fan of any type of house block.  I do, however, love basket blocks although I hate sewing them.
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Lots of Project Updates

I don't seem to be able to work on just one thing at a time.  Anyone who's seen my WIP list knows this already!  I've been working to finish up my last few swaps, catch up on all my 365 Challenge blocks, make more progress on the R2-D2 quilt, and start my Fig Tree Quilts Mystery BOM kits (I received the first one at the end of January, but it had a missing fabric, so I waited to start until I received February's shipment).  Oh, and my husband has been working to get the walls built in the sewing room.  Here are a few photos of my progress:

Finished rainbow mini--more photos and color information coming after I send it to its new owner.
First blocks of Fig Tree Mystery
Sewing room progress--I need to go clean up after him again.
R2-D2 pixel quilt--what feels like the never-ending project.
What are you working on?  Do you do one project start to finish or jump around on many projects?
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Civil War Quilt Block 13

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

Just when I was appreciating how easy block 12 was, I remembered that there was a block 13.  Not so easy.  This block of the month program was template-based with the exception of block 12.  Many of the shapes had very odd measurements, especially this one!  It came out pretty wavy, but it's done, and luckily I only had to make one.  It is called Swing in the Center.


Now I just have to rework the month 10 blocks to make them fit together properly, cut all the sashing and corner sets, and sew the thing together.  Oh yeah, and quilt the behemoth.  Each block is 15" finished and the entire quilt is king sized at 110" x 110".  I'm not a fan of the fabric for the sashing, but I'm also not in love enough with all the blocks to go buy 3 yards of something else.  Ugly fabric it is!
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Civil War Quilt Block 12

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

 I've been on a roll getting these blocks done!  I was so happy to see that block 12 was just a Courthouse Steps block--an easy one after the Mrs. Cleveland's Choice blocks.  I wasn't especially wild on the colors of this one.  I feel like the light green doesn't have enough contrast with the background.


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Civil War Quilt Block 11

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

I finally started working on the Civil War block of the month quilt again.  I last worked on it last fall, when I got frustrated with my inability to get block 10 to fit correctly and gave up.  I still haven't fixed block 10, but decided to get the rest done to psych myself up for it.

 Block 11 is called Mrs. Cleveland's Choice.  I really loved the unusual color combination of this block.  These blocks took FOREVER!  Especially when I discovered I sewed eight of the triangle units together with all the HSTs upside down!  But I got them done and I do really love how they turned out.
I totally love this block.
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Civil War Quilt Block 10

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

So, these blocks are obviously not done.  Something is wrong--I think the rhombus roof piece template is too big.  The second chimney is supposed to line up with the edge of the roof and it's about 1/4" off on both pieces.  I need to take these apart and fix them, but have been dragging my feet.  Not a fan of the Y-seam intersection on them either. 


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Civil War Quilt--Block 9

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

This block is called Old Tippecanoe & Tyler Too.  Considering the entire thing is made of half-square triangles, I can't believe how quickly it went together.  While I'm not really a fan of the colors, I like how these blocks turned out because of how easily they went together.  I was totally feeling at peace while sewing these!


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Civil War Quilt--Block 8

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

This block is called Crown of Thorns.  It was hard to finish.  I don't care for the colors, especially the stripe.  It makes me think of bugs.  The fabrics  shrunk oddly as I was pressing, both before and after piecing.  The blocks are lumpy and not perfect and I am okay with that!



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Block Twelve

Here is the last block of the month from the 2013 Designer Mystery Block of the Month.
Block Twelve--"Ruby Primrose"
Designed by Barbara Groves and Mary Jacobson
www.MeAndMySisterDesigns.com
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Block Eleven

Wow!  Hard to believe there's only one block left in this series.  Without further ado, here is block 11:
Block Eleven--"Perennial Petals"
Designed by Sweetwater
www.Sweetwater.Typepad.com

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Civil War Quilt--Block 7

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

Yay!  Finally an easy one!  This one is called Sherman's March, Lincoln's Platform, or Monkey Wrench.


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Civil War Quilt--Block 6

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

Here are the Dolly Madison Star blocks for month six.  They win the award for the worst-looking blocks I have EVER pieced.  They are wavy and many of the points don't match.  I'm not sure what happened because all my pieces matched the templates given, but when they were sewn, nothing matched up right.  After a while, I was so frustrated I was content to leave them all wonky just to be done with them.  Oh well, onward and upward.
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Block Ten

Here is block ten!
Block Ten - "New Bloom"
Designed by Anne Sutton
www.BunnyHillDesigns.com




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Block Nine

Here is block nine from the Fat Quarter Shop's 2013 Designer Mystery quilt.

Block Nine - "Prairie Town"
Designed by Kansas Troubles Quilters
www.KTQuilts.com

And here is a photo of all my spare fabric from blocks one through nine.




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Civil War Quilt--Block Five

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

This block is called Crowned Cross.  It had A LOT of HST (half-square triangles)!  Not very fun to sew.  I do really like blocks that use them; I just wish I didn't have to make them. No pain, no gain?  I like the bottom one the best.


 I've mentioned that this project has been hanging around in my stash for quite a while, and as I am trying to work through the blocks, I know why. There are no cutting measurements given.  There are photocopied drawings of templates and it's up to you to figure out the sizes if you don't want to do things old school.  I had some trial and error on getting the right size triangles cut for this block.  I kept thinking, "What's the finished size of this unit supposed to be?"

 I taught myself to quilt around 20 years ago using a Leisure Arts book called something like Teach Yourself To Quilt or something equally obvious.  It did a really good job of teaching the basics (obviously), and it was all done with templates!  Trace the shapes from the book using template plastic, trace around the templates on your fabric, cut.  I had bought a rotary cutter and mat for my first quilt project and then barely used it unless I was cutting rectangles or strips.  Strip piecing was pretty rare.  

 Thankfully, piecing and cutting methods have evolved quite a bit since then.  In the quilt guild I joined as a newlywed, there was debate on whether a machine-quilted quilt was even a real quilt.  Now it's really rare to see a hand-quilted one.  

 As I work through these blocks, I can't help but think of how quilts were made during the Civil War.  Just think, the majority of them were done entirely by hand (and probably with templates too).
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Block Eight

Here is block eight for the Fat Quarter Shop's 2013 Designer Mystery Block of the Month program.
Block Eight--"Heartfelt Home"
Designed by Polly Minick & Laurie Simpson
www.MinickAndSimpson.com

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Civil War Quilt--Month Four

2023 update: I no longer have this pattern. It is still commercially available from the designer. Please do not ask me for the pattern; please go honor the creator and purchase a legal copy.

Here are the month four blocks from the Civil War quilt.  The block name is Brown Goose.  I am totally glad to have these done.  I am not a fan of these colors.  I am also not a fan of half square triangles and these blocks were made entirely of half square triangles.  Yuck.  I'm looking forward to doing month five because the colors are browns and pinks.

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