Got It Done in June 2013

The Quilt of Valor top was completed and sent off to the long arm quilter last week.  The Soldier's Child Birthday Foundation top was completed and is waiting for the long arm quilter to come back from her vacation.  Pictures of both quilts will be posted after the binding is sewn on.

Sorting and cutting scraps will continue and is never ending.  Every project generates more scraps but then you all know that already.  LOL

Design Wall Monday

I love quilts with a 3-D effect.  TVQA's Spring Seminar was last Thursday through Saturday and there were many classes offered.  The class that got my attention was "Over the Rainbow" taught by Lisa Hardy.  I was intrigued by the optical illusion of depth when proper color choices and placement is chosen.  I wanted to know how did Lisa accomplished this look?  The quilt gives the appearance of 12 blocks on the bottom with 6 blocks centered on top of the 12 and a final 2 blocks placed in the center on top of the 6 blocks.  We were told to choose 25-30 colors of our choice and Lisa had us pre-cut the fabric into strips.  I was amazed to finish the center blocks during our 3 hr. class.  I came home and made 2 more blocks on Saturday.

The part that is most challenging for me is choosing the colors.  I want the quilt to have good variation of color and keep with the illusion of depth.  Here is what I have so far....

Over the Rainbow

  

Design Wall Monday

Yesterday and this morning, I have been working on fabric postcards.  I used to sew fabric binding around the edges and then hand sew it down, which was very time consuming and difficult to sew through the stabilizer.   This morning, I was able to zig zag around all 5 postcards in less time than it took to sew binding on just one.   All (5) are ready to mail this afternoon.  Several years ago, I purchased little clear envelopes through Creative Images.  The size I like best is:  4 5/8" x 6 3/8".  Their website is:  www.cistamps.com

Fabric Postcards with zig zag edges

Soldier's Child Quilt Top is ready for quilting

Soldier's Child Birthday Foundation Quilt top

Here's a picture of the finished quilt top.  One of the ladies from our weekly sewing group has agreed to quilt it.  

Design Wall Monday

Soldier's Child Birthday Foundation blocks

Last Tuesday, I began working on "A Soldier's Child Birthday Foundation" quilt.  I had a bag of Patriotic strips and a new package of "Sheer Delite", which I was anxious to try.  Our guild recently had Bobbie and Ginger from Strips and Strings come to our guild for a trunk show.  The stabilizer came in a roll measuring 30" x 10 yds.  Sheer Delite is a soft, sheer, translucent mesh stabilizer.  To make good use of the width, I cut my squares 7 1/2 inches wide and then trimmed them down to 7 inches square.

I found the pattern under Mary Quilts.com
Click on Quick Strippie.  Scroll down the column on the left side to Instruction Sheets and click on New Heart String Stars and you will find the instructions on making these scrappy stars.  The diagonal string squares were quick to sew together.  The half square triangles seemed to take way longer than I had anticipated.  Of course, it didn't help that I was running low on white muslin and the blue QOV fabric with little light blue stars.  I still need to complete 5 more star blocks to finish the top.

Since I was running low on white muslin, I took a trip down to JoAnn's Fabric and purchased a 15 yd. bolt with my 50% off coupon (that just happened to arrive in my email box last evening).  I guess it was just meant to be that I should purchase a entire bolt.       

Design Wall Monday

On Saturday, our Quilt Guild met and approximately 35 members took the class on Making Spiral Placemats and Table Toppers.  Oh, the design possibilities are endless and it is hard to decide what fabrics to use.  It was a very encouraging class in that almost everyone finished their top, in time for "Show & Tell".  I've already begun cutting out centers and strips for additional Table Toppers.  They will make great gifts!

Table Topper Ideas

Get It Done early in June

Just finished a Quilt of Valor top.  Patriotic fabrics were donated by Marlyn, a member of our local guild.  It measures 60" x 70".  Will need to purchase backing and then request long armer.  I believe I have enough dark blue for the binding. 

QOV using Marlyn's fabrics 06032013

The panel and the mottled cream outside border fabric were designed by Linda Ludovico for Northcott Fabrics.  They are from the richly classic patriotic collection; Stonehenge, Stars & Stripes in support of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

The red border that I chose was not from this collection.  It came from Connecting Threads and I had just enough left from another project to add a 4 inch finished border with about 1 inch to spare.