Monday, June 27, 2016

Little Ruby QAL {Jelly Roll Quilt} Part Three

It's time! It's time! It's time for the finish line! The quilt assembly of the Little Ruby QAL!  

If you are new here?  Easy to catch up:



If you are returning to put your quilt top together, here is the next video from Fat Quarter Shop.


 It's pretty short and sweet.   Place your blocks in a layout that works for you. 


 I played around quite a bit and tried to be intentional and make "rings" of certain colors, but eventually settled on spreading the color all about.  Do you just LOVE the texture of the Aria Waterfall background makes!
  I was super worried about my choice, but now I am thrilled!!!


 Occasionally, I will notice that my background is distracting me from making good color distribution decisions, so I will opt to not put the background pieces up until I'm sure I like the layout.
(psssst....I have short people problems and the quilt was taller than me...so I used the floor too)


Time to piece together each row.


As you can see, I like to use my small design boards.  I used Bee in a Bonnet's tutorial a long time ago and its easy to follow.  If you don't want to make them?  Guess what!  Fat Quarter Shop sells several sizes and even has a Master Collection of them.

I digress...the row piecing.
One thing I would like to point out.  Sometimes I found that I didn't have a blunt end meeting on my triangles.


A trick I have learned is that even if my "dog ear" is pressed a different direction? 


 I just pull it up from behind and have it "match" up with the tip of my triangle. And when I know it lines up, I release it back to its position, pinch and hold the placement,  and stitch away.  Oh......did I mention I rarely pin? If you do, I would pin it when I was happy with the placement!. It alleviates that 1/4 inch stress you can sometimes have with triangle piecing!


After I pieced each row and double checking my photo on my phone for the correct placement, I mark my rows with numbers I made a few years ago.  I've also made button clips in the past, but have been using these for awhile instead.


This has been somewhat of a lifesaver, because by the time I press my rows, chain piece, or just whatever, I am 98% sure I will have to have a date with my seam ripper.


I am showing you how I pinned my first row just like Kimberly suggested.
Buuuut, I ended up just stitching without pins after that.  I am just not a "pinner" and I am okay with that.

I'm full of all sorts of tips, because I guess I am in a tippy mood today, but wanted to point out that I don't stitch row by row. 


 I tend to stitch in chunks.  I'm not sure why it makes me feel more accomplished but chunks bring me more satisfaction than row after row building.


Here is a one quick last look at my Quilt one before the last seam.   You'll be able to see it and the second one....and maybe a few extras soon!  Stay tuned!!


Check out the other bloggers who are making there way through the quilts too!

Melissa from Happy Quilting
Angie from Gnome Angel
Erin Cox from Why Not Sew
Andy from A Bright Corner
Pat from Pat Sloan
Peta from She Quilts a Lot
Heather from Quilt Story
Megan from Quilt Story
Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl
Sherri from A Quilting Life
Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts
Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon
Stephanie from Modern Sewciety
Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts
Carrie from Moda's United Notions



Monday, June 13, 2016

Little Ruby QAL {Jelly Roll Quilt} Part Two

It's time for the next round of the Little Ruby Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop!
Constructing that quilt star blocks!  




In case you just arrived and said, part two??  No worries!  Part One is HERE.
Make sure you watch the video below before starting!  Kimberly points out some very useful tips!



My Quilt

First, let us simply admire the yummy jelly roll chain pieced pile. 


Honestly? This part was enjoyable. It's pretty mindless and I need that here in and there while working on a quilt. This is the easy stuff.  Press the strips open. Cut triangles...


I've decided after using this Creative Grid Strip ruler, I feel the MOST comfortable placing my hand inside the triangle.  Placing my fingers on the straight edge is a little too close for comfort.


Next step. Separate the two block parts.
Print (left) versus Solid (right)


This is where things slowed down for me. I wanted to be thoughtful with my blocks by playing with color shades with my fabric selections.
Grab up your six "print" block parts to make your first quilt star block.


 Follow Kimberly's instructions in the video about the dog ear placements


 Do you just love!?!?!

Remember that "bonus" second quilt?  Here it is!!!

Gather your solid bottom triangles and arrange them like this.


The original one on the video and image appears to be scrappy, but this was my first rogue moment. I decided to use the same print for all the block parts. 


Piece the block units just like the first block.



A second quilt block!!
I'm getting very excited to have two quilts that are alike, yet different!

Check out what everyone else is up to!!!


Melissa from Happy Quilting
Angie from Gnome Angel
Erin Cox from Why Not Sew
Andy from A Bright Corner
Pat from Pat Sloan
Peta from She Quilts a Lot
Heather from Quilt Story
Megan from Quilt Story
Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl
Sherri from A Quilting Life
Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts
Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon
Stephanie from Modern Sewciety
Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts
Carrie from Moda's United Notions

Stay tuned for the Quilt Top Assembly!!!


Friday, June 10, 2016

Quake {Quilt}

This pattern.


This pattern has been aptly named the Quake quilt.
It all started with the Godsend quilt.

Button chose it from the spring 2016 issue of the Quilts and More magazine.
You can read all about the Godsend quilt HERE.

This post?  This is a post about how I plan to make more.


Many more. 


I have nine bundled up ready to go.
 They just need to be pieced together with a second stage of what I call "the magic" to finish the top!


Why do I want to make so many of the same pattern?  Quite simply.  It's fast. Really fast. And I've had some serious stash hanging around.  With no plans. No recipients. Just collecting dust. The fabrics don't exactly excite me anymore. They were picked up on whims. Yeeeeears ago. 


And honestly?  I don't think other quilt fans have any interest in taking them off my hands.

The beauty of the quake quilt is that it can be made in a day if you wanted to.
 I plan on just making all the tops on a rainy day or as needed to clear my shelf.
It just depends on the schedule.


And then take them to the nearest hospital.
 They are unloved as bundles of fabric, but I haven't found anyone that doesn't love a quilt.  

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Godsend {Quilt}

definition: (noun) a very helpful or valuable event, person, or thing.



This quilt.  It just wasn't enough.


You know you have a gem of a preschool teacher when she.....
  • tells your child he is "so very brave today" on the days he feels a bit sad about going to school. Especially, when he smiles immediately and his little chest puffs up.
  • helps your son write a letter to the brother that went to college, whom he misses very much.
  • let him spend weeks trying out different nicknames. JP, Jim, John, Patrick, and a totally made up word he typed into a computer one day and used it phonetically and spelled it correctly for three weeks straight.
  • picks him up from the extended day class to be her "helper" in the afternoon class because he wished he had gone home with mom before lunch (I swear, just two days a week...we were working separation anxiety problems)
And really?  I could go on, and on, and on, and on.......

So I made her a quilt.


Button chose the Quake pattern from the Quilt and More Spring 2016 Issue. 


I was working on another project so I handed him quite a few magazines and he chose the pattern.  I think it was the alphabet fabric that was the clincher.  Then Button chose his fabrics.


Unfortunately,  the pattern calls for all fat quarters and he had pulled quite a few fat eighths, so I hit the shelves for similar colors. I'm still in trouble for not finding a new grey....


The pattern is super fast.  SUPER fast.  I MEAN SUPER FAST.
I may start tossing magazines at Button more often to find fast patterns for me?


From the time I cut the fat quarters to having a finished top?


1 hour and 45 minutes.  Did I mention FAST?  


I skipped the pattern instructions to add two borders because I wanted to keep it a small lap size.


I used a leftover bright white minky from my stash.  I had a panic moment, but when I saw it together with the top, I knew it was meant to be.  The quilting started out as a consistent chevron pattern using my rulers on the longarm, but I soon lost interest and started playing with widths and angles to make it interesting.


A cool large dot purple was chosen for the binding "since it's Mrs. P's favorite color", according to Button.


My favorite part?  I had Button compose a thank you note on my iPad and draw a heart.  He just recently learned to draw a heart from a little girl in his class and was eager to please.  I then digitized the note and heart and designed a embroidered quilt label.


The only regret I had was not having him write her name too.  
His handwriting is just soooo adorable.


To say he was excited and proud to gift her this quilt last Friday would be an understatement.

Quilt Stats:
Measures: 52" x 54"
Pattern: Quake (see details above)
Fabrics: Random fabrics from my stash, Shannon Fabrics white minky for the backing.
Quilting: Chevron pattern on Avante Longarm Machine in Omni Bright White by Superior Threads


 

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