Back to a new quilt finish. And it is yet another of the convergence quilts.

In fact, if you scroll back a couple of days you'll find that this uses two of the same fabrics as the Ascending Roses quilt. That one I combined with two taupe fabrics and this one I combined with two pinks.

I also added a thin inner border before a wider dark border. I also used the same fabric from the narrow border for the binding.

I used a pink thread to do the quilting - a new pantograph I ordered with big flowers.

I like how this gives some interest to the very plain border fabric.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 3:46 PM PDT

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This is my fifth quarantine quilt completed. Two were quilting only and were for family members. This one is the latest of three that will go to Passages at the hospital.

I actually have SEVEN more tops that I've pieced during this time at home that are waiting to have the longarm quilting and binding done.

This quilt is one ov several sets of fabrics I cut out for Convergence quilts. My hubby kindly consulted with me on the wide border and suggested the mitered corners using fabrics from the opposite corners. LOVE THIS!

The quilt finished at 38 inches square. More of a decorative throw instead of a lap quilt.

I wanted to get some new patterns of pantographs for the longarm quilting. While I was shopping I found a BUNCH that were free for download. They come in a pdf which you print at home. By copying multiples and taping them together you get the traditional roll. You just make enough to accomodate the quilt you are working on.

I used one of these free pantographs for this quilt.

And now I'm off to work on another.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 1:02 PM PDT

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You may remember the 'convergence' quilts I made a while back. I was having so much fun with that pattern that I cut our PILES of parts to make more. I did make a couple of tops and set them aside when making masks so they haven't been quilted yet.

However, I had enough fabrics to cut TWO of a fabric I loved with multicolored lilacs on it. Well, I got to daydreaming about how I could combine those fabrics to make one larger quilt with the same feel to it.

I found, first of all, that trying to draw this idea on paper was worthless as every time something wasn't working out I had to erase the phole thing and start over. GAAAAAHH!

So I started working by the seat of my pants. 'What if..." and then cutting and interleaving and sewing back together. "Now if I do this..." and trying that out.

When I was all done I had a beautiful, if smallish, lap quilt. I was so excited by it that it went right to the head of the line of projects to go on the longarm machine.

I used a pantograph called 'paisley' to quilt this.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 5:28 PM PDT

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Well, I haven't given up on quilting even though none have made an appearance for quite some time. Actually, I have been making lots of quilt tops and setting them aside to quilt later.

In addition to that I made 137 face masks for distribution. We kept a few for ourselves and gave out some to friends and neighbors. I still had 108 to donate to the local hospital for staff to wear when not at work. they were delighted to get them.

When that was done I pulled out the last of the projects I was asked to do the quilting on from my late sister's materials. She had pieced a simple wall hanging, a top for a throw pillow and a large bed topper - all of them 100% flannel.

She had left behind a rough sketch of ideas on quilting the pillow and bed topper which I incorporated into the free-motion work I did on the longarm machine.

I didn't get any photos of the wall hanging as it was simple half-square triangles from the leftovers of the quilt.

Here is the bed topper:

The bottom is the closest to true colors. Here is one of the cabins close up:

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 5:04 PM PDT

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I took another workshop class at the sewing and stitchery expo - this one on making a specific quilt pattern.

All of the pieces were cut for us and they provided the thread and the machine to sew on.

Of the 50 blocks in the kit, I got 8 completed, another 19 done 3/4 of the way and the rest laid out with color choices so they are ready to go. The pattern gives a multitude of layouts and they had samples of these in the classroom that we could take pictures of for later deciding what to do with our blocks.

I'm not enamored with the fabrics they included! The supplies did not include sashing, backing, or batting. I may decide to make a bag or something for a kid out of these.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 At the sewing and stitchery expo I stopped in at the booth for Superior Threads to pick up somesupplies for my longarm quilting machine.

They only had ONE cone of the thread color I wanted but I picked up a couple of alternate 'neutrals. The spools are the same stuff and all are the same color. Off to the right you can see I picked up a big slab of prewound bobbins for the longarm.

In the foreground is the color card I picked up for this line of thread. When I got home this enabled me to catalog the random bobbins that came along with my machine and some that I bought in mixed lots.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 I picked up some new tools at the sewing expo a few days ago.

FROM UPPER LEFT: This little ruler is 3x12 inches to have a smaller size for sub-cutting quilt pieces.

Directly to the right is a little silicone pad for laying a hot mini-iron - used when piecing.

 Right of that is a seam ripper to keep with my longarm machine. There is a standard sized head and a larger one. The cap on each end is rubberized so, after cutting the stitches, a pass of the head (like erasing) will pull out the loose threads.

At the bottom is a pack of the brand new 'super nonstick needles' from Schmetz. These are for my standard sewing machine. They allow you to stitch through sticky stuff (like sticky-back velcro, etc) without gumming up the needle. The booth only had size 14 left so, if I like them, I will pick up some 12s later.

Random stuff I had on my 'buy' list ahead of time.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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Because you can never have too many scraps in your stash, I picked up some random pieces from the 'fabric by the pound' booth.

No specific plans for any of these. Others were part of the fabrics shown for the bunny quilt.

What would YOU make with these?

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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The trip to the sewing and stitchery expo found me buying some cute quilt patterns/kits.

This first pattern I bought just for me and I got some inexpensive fat quarters to use on it. I will probably split up the blocks to make a wall hanging and a lap quilt. I just love bunnies and really fell for this patterin. SO CUTE!

I picked up this kit to makea wall hanging for hubby. We both miss our old black lab.

These two panels will make quilts for a couple of Navy Nukes I know.

Oh, my growing pile of projects!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 I had an opportunity last September to borrow an Accuquilt GO machine and some dies to cut fabric. I cut lots of my scraps to create kits for quilts and I am still working my way through them.

However, when I had to return the machine I decided I wanted one of my own so I waited for a really good sale.

I bought a bundle whih included to machine, a die to cut 2 1/2 inch strips and a 'cube' which has eight mix and match dies to make 8" blocks. The dies include two sizes of squares, 2 sizes of half-square triangles, quarter-square triangle, and others.

Then, because I don't make 8" blocks a lot I bought the cubes in 10 inch and 12 inch. None of the cubes included a 5" square which one needs for patterns that call for 'charm squares'. So I added that.

At the sewing expo last week I picked up more strip cutters so can do 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 2 1/4 (what I used for binding), and 3 1/2.

I think I'm ready for most anything!

This is how I set up my station:

The cutter actually goes further to the left so there is room for the entrance and exit of the dies. On the right are the cubes and the extra small dies.

On the floor to the right of the cabinet are the 4 strip cutter dies and their cutting mat.

On the wall above is a chart of all the individual dies along with their locations. This way, if a pattern calls for a 2x4 flying geese block I know immediately where the dies are that will cut that.

Let's get whacking!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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 As I go along day to day I sometimes see a quilt that I would like to recreate. I take a snap of it on my phone.

There are never any details and I don't make any notes.

When I was sketching in my notebook, I pulled out my phone and set to work figuring out the pieces needed and, sometimes, the steps required to make four of these quilts.

I added color with markers when I got home.

This first one is based on a quilt hanging in the library of a community college in Tennessee! I calculated the size it would be if constructed of various sizes of units. I'll decide later which I want it to be.

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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I managed to squeeze out a little time for quilting in the midst of all this bible journaling! I actually cut out all the parts for this in September when I had a friend's AccuQuilt machine and dies on loan for a few weeks.

Actually, I cut a TON of fabric scraps and made kits for dozens of quilts which allows me to just pick up a bag of parts and go straight to sewing.

I had found the pattern for something along these same conceptual lines. They used strip sets of 6 2" strips and I used 5 of 2.5" strips. This made the measurements they had for the blocks totally wrong for me so I just followed the process while inserting my own data.

The finished quilt in the magazine was for a square baby quilt using only 4 of the big blocks. I added 2 of my bigger blocks (for a total of 6) and added wider borders to make a lap quilt.

All from scraps!

I quilted on the longarm machine with a pantograph called "Bountiful Feathers" - my favorite!

First quilt on Squatch with not a single thread break, too.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 9:58 PM PST

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The Quilts of Valor program has been going on for quite some time but this is the first one I have made. 

According to the Foundation's website The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.

It also reports the following quilt counts:

For the backing I found this awesome vintage flag print.

This will be presented on January 1, 2020.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 4:04 PM PST

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My sister had started a few quilting projects at the time of her passing. That was a girl with very few unfinished projects!

One was a SET that included a queen-sized bed quilt top (completely pieced), a matching wall hanging (laid out on the design wall) and a set of commercial pillowcases with extra blocks to decorate them with.

I took a lot of time practicing on her longarm machine with lap quilts until I was confident that I would not ruin the projects she had begun. The last week I got brave and loaded the two quilts one after the other and quilted both with a feather pattern from one of her pantograph rolls.

I was SO pleased that everything turned out perfectly!

I laid them out at Mom's house to photograph them:

She had designed this set of projects for her daughter's new house. They are boxed up and ready to mail tomorrow.

I hope I did her proud and that they will be used with loving memories!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 10:30 PM PST

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18 months ago I went on a quilting retreat at the beach. My sister was with me when I bought two fat-quarter stacks of lovely teals and magentas. Without a specific plan for them, these fabrics were put away for a 'someday project'.

When my sister passed away, her stash of fabrics and patterns were given to me. I went through all her patterns and found one that she had pulled from a magazine in 2011. And there it was - In the same colors as I had bought with her! PERFECT!

I used the borrowed die-cutting machine to cut the required strips and this quilt came together quickly.

I used fabrics from her stash for the border, backing and binding and I did the quilting with the longarm machine I inherited from her estate.

I feel like this was kind of a joint project and I thought about her all the time while putting it together.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 10:27 AM PST

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Even with a huge stack of already-cut project kits I had compiled (over 30), I just HAD to gather scrap strips from my stash to make this quilt as soon as I saw the tutorial for it from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

For quite some time I had been just cramming leftovers of strips and other small cut leftovers into a bin. And I do mean CRAMMING. It had finally gotten out of control and I had separated out the 2 1/2 strips from the 2 1/4 strips and the 2 1/2 squares, etc. I had set aside to use a bunch of the small odd bits and cut others with a die-cutter on loan to me. 

Then this tutorial came out and I knew right away that this was the project I wanted to use for the 2 1/2" strips. I combined these with new strips I cut from some muslin yardage given to me this summer.

I finished with a wide border from other gifted yardage and put it on the longarm for quilting with a paper pantograph.

Isn't this fun? I can stroll through these square knot blocks and point out the history of the fabrics and what other quilts I had used them in.

This made a SMALL dent in the scrap bin - so much more to go!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 9:55 AM PST

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Last year I bought a couple of fat-quarter stacks that had a wide range of values of in a single colorway. Each stack had the same abstract prints with gold paint features - dots, swirls, circles, and more.There was a magenta stack and a teal stack.

I set these aside until I found a pattern using these same colors so I cut out the parts for that and set them aside to sew up later. The leftovers went into this quilt as those colors enhanced a floral print I had leftovers of.

I called this quilt Blooming Stars to describe the flowers coming in the center of the stars.

There are white background, floral cornerstones, and dotted sashing throughout.

Purple borders pull up color from the florals.

The quilting was done on the longarm using a paper pantograph.

Binding is a lighter shade of the teal and it also is of a shimmery nature.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PST

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I saw this quilt tutorial on Missouri Star Quilt Company and immediately thought of a couple of stacks of 'stone look' charm squares. Combined with while cotton for the background fabric and some tone-on-tone blacks for the trim this turned out exactly how I envisioned.

I also got a new paper pantograph for the longarm and I think this quilted up beautifully.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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From my stash of fat quarters I selected 4 that looked good together to create another Convergence quilt from the instructions created by Ricky Tims.  I truly love how these come together.

I wait until the center is constructed before selecting material for the borders as so much depends on the final layout.

For this one I chose a small border of tiny houndstooth followed by a dark teal print with browns and golds in it.

I used a paper pantograph and teal thread for the quilting.

The whole thing is brighter than this appears but I could not adjust the color intensity enough without totally skewing the look of the quilt. This will have to do.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 3:30 PM PDT

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I had a quest: 1) find a pattern for a set of fabric rolls I had acquired 2) find a use for a little scenery panel that came from someone's stash 3) make a quilt as a gift for a guy (no frou-frou!). When I came across this pattern in an old magazine I knew I had the solution.

Unfortunately the fabric rolls were not going to stretch to fit the layout so I set out searching my stash for coordinates and cutting more 2.5 inch strips from them.

The fabric panel was not quite large enough to equal one of the pieced blocks so I used a batik to frame it up to fit.

I used a different pantograph roll (with oak leaves and acorns) to quilt this, carefully working around the panel rather than over top of it. Then I did free-hand quilting on the scene - following along the outlines of hills, houses and fences.

The quilting was completed in dark green as it blended well with all of the colors in the piecing.

This will shortly be on its way to the new owner.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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