Thursday, March 1, 2012

Time to Bring out the Spring!

 Today is the first of March and time to bring out the cheery colors of the 1930 Reproduction Prints.  I love this fabric and have several quilts made from them.  Today I put one of my favorites out on the bed.  This quilt has quite a tale to tell!

This was an internet round robin.  We put our favorite fabric, patterns and requests in a box and sent off to the next name on the list!   I made the center block and my internet friends did the rest.  The blue you see after each round was what I sent.  This fabric was found in my grandma's things when my mom and aunt packed her belongings.  I love it -  so when after the third and final round when I did not receive my box back I was very depressed.  It stayed on the "missing in action" list for almost 5 years!  I had given up all hope of ever seeing it again. 

Then one day I get a phone call from a lady in Utah!  Her mother had passed away a year ago and they were going through her things and found my box.  They set it aside because they weren't sure what to do with it.  They then found her box and contacted the people on the list.  They explained the way it worked and the daughter packed up my box - plus all of the pieces that her mom had with it and sent it home to me.  I was so excited to get my grandma's fabric back that I really didn't look too closely at her round.  After a few months I pulled it out and decided to finish it.  She had made all the nine patches and had cut all of the tulips and leaves. She had only appliqued a few of them onto  the blocks.  There is a total of 40 tulip blocks.  I finished them and added them to the top. 

While I was working on the tulips I won the bow tie wreath blocks from our quilt guild's block of the month drawing.  I then added them as the last round of this cheerful and charming quilt made by friends!

The lady who passed during the making of this quilt was surely an angel watching over this beloved and cherish quilt!  Believe it or not this quilt is nearing it's 20th birthday of conception but hasn't been finished but about 6 years!   How's that for an UFO story?!?!?!

I am sure we all have one!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

READY, SET, SEW!

Before I give the next set of instructions, I have to tell  you about my great weekend.   The Sewing Chicks out did themselves this weekend.  Our retreat was fantastic!    The friends, the food (the dishes WE brought) and the sewing/quilting were great.  We made 5  of the 1600 Jelly roll quilts and a few others for the Quilts of Valor program.   My hat is off to those who serve this country so we can do the things we do!!!!

These ladies are my sisters.  Speaking of sisters I have to say that I envy those of you with sisters you can pal around with.  I have no sister in laws even though I have 4 brothers and 2 brother in laws.  My one and only sister is on the other side of the country.  I miss her - so I have adopted my quilting sisters!  Love you guys!

Now for the fun.  One of the chicks has challenged the rest of us to make a bag like the one it took her the whole weekend to make.  We have until our next retreat in October!  Pam, I accept your challenge.
Bali Bag Squared
Bali bag come on!!!  I have picked out my fabrics (jelly roll) and will start it next week!   Wish me luck!!



Now for the MYSTERY QUILT SAGA!

Step 3:

Lets sew!


I cut my strips in half, approximately 22", before sewing into strip sets. This will give you a wider variety of strip sets. And you will get 4 and 1/2 components per strip set. The cutting will be in the next chapter!

So if you are making the
smaller quilt you will need 11 sets of 2 1/2 x 22 or a total of 44 half strips 22 full strips
larger 18 72 half strips 36 full stripsThis will include using the half units and making a pieced unit - which what I did. If you do not want to piece these you will need to make more strips set. Approximately 2 more sets.
 

That's it.  Be back in a few days with the next chapter.  Maybe I will have even started my bag!