Binding Choice and Backing

This is the backing fabric for my four patch flannel quilt.  I think I have enough of this fabric for another quilt backing.  Must have gotten a great deal on it considering how much of it I have.  I went with a soft pink for the binding as I had that in my stash.  The binding is made and sewn on the quilt.  I'm now hand stitching it down. 

Quilted

I finished quilting my four patch quilt.  I decided to try and do some linear quilting, something new and different for me.  I learned many things.  I think regular cotton would work better than flannel.  I did this on my Bernina and flannel doesn't slide very well so many of the lines didn't come out as straight as I would have liked.  Plus, I should have gone a little slower, but I wanted to get it done.  But overall, I'm very happy with the results.  I haven't looked for binding yet, so I'm off to the stash to see what I can find.

Quilting

I got my four patch top sandwiched and I'm about half way done with the quilting!  I have to go check out the stash for binding fabric.  Who knows what I'll find.  LOL 

Finished

 On June 24th 2011 I finished the four patch top.  I love how soft the colors are on this quilt.  Found a backing fabric in my stash to use.  It's a white background with little pictures depicting the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.  I've been spending a little time each day clipping strings on my rag quilt.

On Saturday I went to The Omaha Quilters Guild quilt show.  This has to be one of my favorites.  The squares are one inch and are put together with jump rings.  If you click on the picture to the left, you can read about the quilter and her journey.  Love the idea.

Today my husband and I went on a garden walk for The Dodge House in Council Bluffs, IA.  I love going on the garden walks as I get so many great ideas to use in my own garden.  Just like Quilt Shows, so inspiring! 

Lesson Learned

A lesson learned.  I washed my rag quilt made of flannel and old jeans without clipping all the seams first.  I thought I would save myself some time and that it would fray nicely.  Wrong.  I know I'm not the first person to think of this and I know I'm not the first person to blog about it. (Even tho I haven't read about anyone else trying this.)  I still have lots of clipping to do, now it's knotted strings.

Close up of the tangled mess.

Stress

I hate the stress of flooding in Council Bluffs, IA.  The city just notified everyone that we are now in a Level 1 Alert.  Which means you need to be ready to move out.  I helped a friend again today with packing.  At least there is time to get some packing done, just hard to move a household.  I'm lucky that I live outside of the city limits and far enough away from the river that it's not an issue for me, but so many friends are dealing with this.

With that being said, I only got one more row done on the four patch quilt.  I made progress! 

Four Patch Part 2

I have the first 5 rows done on my little four patch quilt.  Only 3 more rows to go.  I love the way it's looking, just liked I had hoped.  (Sometimes that doesn't happen.)

I'm Back

It's been a fun day.  Rachel came over and we did some sewing together.  Or cutting, depending on how you look at it.  Rachel is making some Christmas stockings for her grandchildren and she got them all cut out.

I worked on more string blocks, 18 to be exact.  Fun to sit at the sewing machine after so much time away.  Plus the bonus of a clean sewing room made it easy to get back to work on things.

This evening I've been working on the four-patch blocks.  I am setting them with 2.5 inch bars.  Hope to have a picture tomorrow for you. 

Withdrawal

Remember when I told you I was addicted to fabric?  I have been going through withdrawal as I have not been sewing or cutting fabric.  (OK, maybe a little cutting.)  Cleaning my sewing room and touching fabric but not working with it has been hard.  I keep telling myself that it's OK, I can sew ALL next week, but now I have to get this room ready for Sophie.  And she is worth it.  I don't have a problem, really I don't. 

Sophie

Don't think I'm going to get much sewing done this week.  It's more like cleaning the sewing room.  My granddaughter is coming to visit.  This is a picture her mom took of her yesterday.  She climbed up on the tote and then the printer to get to the desktop. ( I think she is ready to do some crafting as she has tape in her hand and is going for the scissors.)  Since she is going to sleep in my sewing room, I'm trying to make it as Sophie proof as possible, but judging from this picture, I don't think I will be able to.  I just don't think like her.  So will have to put projects away for a little while.  Do a little sewing for me, OK?

Square

I have been working on getting my four patch blocks square.  I have about 20 left to go.  That's what I got done on Sunday.  But I do have my yellow flannel out and want to get going on getting this put together.

 I went on a Garden Walk fund raiser for Munroe-Meyer Institute yesterday with my friend Patti  and this was a chair on one of the patios.  I love this idea.  You could even have the seat be one quilt block.

Cinco De Mayo Rose.  Patti loved this one.

Four Patches Are Done

I made the last of my four patch blocks yesterday afternoon.  Another 36 blocks, for a grand total of 121 four patch blocks.
Amazing, because I didn't think that I had that many squares cut out.  And they didn't look like much sitting in the bin.  I still have all of these left, the darker colored blocks, mainly reds and blues.  Think I'm going to make a quilt with the blocks I have finished before I start in on the squares that are left.

Today is quilt day, so my 15 minutes will be spent working on a quilts for Project Linus.

Never Ending

 These are all of the 2.5 inch squares I have left.  It has felt like a never ending pile of squares.

 These are all of the 2 patch blocks that I have made.  The ones in back have been pressed and the ones in front still need pressing.

And this is a picture of the 55 four patch blocks that I made today.  They still need to be squared up.  Cutting squares by hand is not the most accurate means of making squares.  Gives me a new appreciation for older quilts.




(I thought I would whip those squares into a quilt in a day.  There I go thinking again........)

Stash

I found this fun little 1/2 yard piece of flannel fabric in my kids flannel bin.  I also found some yellow flannel to use for the sashing.  This quilt is on target for getting completed.

You may also notice the new button on my blog, Stash Quilts.  I'm now part of a ring. Not a drug ring, but a fabric ring.  (Although fabric is my drug of choice; it soothes me and I am soooo addicted to it.)  Kind of fun to try out new things since I'm so into using up my stash and telling you all about it.

Four Patch

The blocks on the right have been squared up.

I made more four patch blocks this afternoon.  I now have about 30 blocks made.  I think I'm going to check the stash and see if I have something that will work for sashing.

Random Things (again)

 This table runner has been sitting in my sewing room since last Fall waiting to be fixed.  Today was the day.  I have the lace sewn on and then I picked up some other things to be put away.

 While putting some fabric back in a bin, I noticed this little bin of 2.5 inch squares of flannel.  I cut these pieces out before I owned a rotary cutter.  I used a template and drew on the back of the flannel with pencil and then cut them all out with scissors.

I decided to make four patch blocks with them.  I'm thinking I'm going to use a yellow flannel to set them.  A number of the flannels are the pieces that were leftover from nightgowns I made for myself in the mid to late 70's.  Hate to admit that I have had these fabrics for that long, but I've been playing with fabric for a long time!  I hope to have a quilt for Project Linus and/or maybe a doll blanket for my granddaughter.

Starting Time!

I have still been busy helping a friend move all of her household.  The water that has been released from the damn higher up the river should be here by Thursday, so it's nice that she has had some time.  Plus, praying it doesn't ruin her home.

With what I have been doing, I did relax with making two string blocks on Friday.  Yesterday I rearranged 5 inch squares.  I'm thinking it's time to start a nickel quilt.  It will be twin size as I have daybeds that I'd like to have quilts for when company comes.

Busy

I've been busy the last couple of days.  I have a couple of friends who are worried about flooding, so I have been helping them move things out of their basements to the upper levels of their homes.  I'm so worried for them, please keep them and all of the areas that could be and that are affected by flooding in your prayers.  Thanks!

Binding is Done

It was wonderful sleeping last night.  I even had to get up and get another blanket to stay warm.  This morning is just as beautiful.  I sat on the deck with my coffee and finished sewing the binding on this quilt.  What a way to start my summer vacation as school is now out for the summer.