Quilt Design?

I spent yesterday piecing this 2 inch half square border for my Lone Star. I thought that I wanted this as a final border on my star. Now that I have it on 2 sides, I'm not so sure. I am getting the feeling that the quilt needs a heavier border as the final statement.

I do want this to be as close to King as I can get it and still use Olivia to quilt it.

With these last 2" half squares, the top will measure 104". My frame is 12 feet, so, I cant go much bigger.

I could leave the final 2" off completely and use a pieced binding.

I could take off the 2" and put on a 6" border of some special fabric that pulls all the colors together. That would make the top 112" and I can work with that on Olivia. It will be tight, but, can be done.

This gives you a closer look. I have to put this away for now and finish all of the Christmas quilts. That doesn't mean that I won't be thinking about it. Especially since I have it on the calender to put it on the frame and start quilting it on January 1, 2012. This will be a great way to start the new year.

This is the day before Thanksgiving and the kitchen is going to get real busy. I have the cornbread ready for the dressing. The oven has been cleaned and the turkey will be going in within the next couple of hours. I have a new reciepe for cranberry that I thought I would try. It uses fresh cranberries. Just thought that it might taste better than the canned stuff. The children and grandchildren will be joining us. Only makes 8, but, that's a good number. We'll have lots of left-overs for the 'to go' boxes.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

What HAVE I Been Working On?

I have been working on this. I found this panel at Pieces and Patches. Audrey was using it for an embellishment class that was to be taught at her shop. I bought it thinking that I would do the same, embellish it with beads, etc. I still might do that, but, that is not what I used it for. You probably can't see it, but, I have done all types of free motion quilting all over this piece, all from the front of the machine. I tried different designs (Yes, even feathers!!), different threads, and also a different way of batting. This piece is double batted. I have warm and natural next to the back and Dream Poly next to the top. I used Bottom Line prewound in the bobbin. Top threads included: Sew Fine, Robinson Anton, Superior Natural Colors, and Fil Tec's Glide Thread.
I loved working with the different threads. I have decided that I love Glide thread and will use it in other projects. It will just glisten off the top of a quilt. Beautiful.

I really do like the body in the wall hanging with the 2 types of batting. It has structure that I feel is needed in a wall hanging. I may try using a request loft of poly next time or even using wool, depending on the end results that I want.

The prewound bobbin was really the 'trick' to use on this piece. I am lovin' these things. I have other varieties to try later, but right now, all I have tried are the ones from Superior. I have used both Bottom Line and Sew Fine in the Superior prewound bobbins. I have some from Fil Tec, but, I have not had the chance to try them with Olivia yet. I'll let you know about them later.

OK. Now I have a clients quilt on the frame. It will be a challenge that I will be working on over the next few days.

 I am also working on my Lone Star Quilt. Remember this:

This is Helen's Lone Star. I have added pieced 3 additional borders for this top and will spend the next few days adding them to this center. During our November meeting of Devine Quilters we are to show our Lone Star's so that the committee can determine if we will have enough for an exhibit. If so, we hope to be mounting a Lone Star exhibit at the Richland County Public Library in September 2012.

I also have this Lone Star:

This was made around 2007. Sara Quattlebaum challenged me to make a Lone Star in miniature. We were doing a class out of the Jan Krentz book. So, that is just what I did. My diamonds are 1/2" wide as compared to the 2" half square triangle block that I used in Helen's star. This piece hung at the Ashville Quilt Show and won a Blue ribbon at the SC State Fair.

I hope to construct one more Lone Star this coming year. One that is not as big as Helen's and is a good size wallhanging larger than the miniature. We'll see.

OK, enough for now. We are less than 2 weeks away from QSC's Fall Retreat. I can't wait to 'pick' the brain for Karen Kendo on how to quilt several of my tops.

Hope your day is SEW beautiful,

My Design Wall

 This is what I had when I started my day today. These and my 4 hst border pieces that I have done since last Friday.

Well, I worked most of the day---slowly. Discovered that I had been straying off of my 1/4" mark, so had to be very careful constructing these border blocks. I don't find these to be as much fun as the big star was.

This is what I have this afternoon.

This picture shows the 10 red border blocks and the 4 sections of inner border for Helen's Lone Star.

I am now going to put everything into a project box and keep it out of sight for at least a week. I really need to get some work done on customer quilts. However, I may leave the scrap box out so that I can pull some blue, yellow , and green strips for more stars. Or, I could just leave the neutral box out and just work on those as I have time.  This has become an all consuming project. Sooooooo, I am going to hide it for a week.

First thing up tomorrow will be to put borders on Laura's top, find a backing for it that I like, put it on the frame and share some time with Olivia.

Will also start to cut out applique's for Ellen's applique panels.

After Laura, the next project on the frame will be either ________ or _____________. Not sure which. Need to work on Holly's and get pantograph done on Sandy's. That way I know that they will be ready before 'Summer Fun' Quilt Camp.  Just have to see how the week goes.

 I have to make a trip to Seabrook Island this week to do a site visit at St. Christopher. That will take a full day. I am sure that there will also be some Fabric Acquisition done on that trip. Friday will be the 1st grade play at Piper's school, so will need to take sometime and be there.

I really need to do better with time management. Oh Yes, and tomorrow is my 42nd wedding anniversary. Hard to believe.

Hope everyone has a good and safe week.

More from Helen's Lone Star

 This is where the lonestar stands at this point. However, there is one hst that is in the wrong place in the cream star in the middle (Can you find it?). For that reason I will need to 'un sew' one of the middle seams, take out the offending square, replace it and then stitch the seam back together. Thank you to Sue for pointing this out to me before the quilt was complete.

I spent all of my 'free time' this week constructing  a double border of half square triangles (no picture). That required 296 hst's. Now, this weekend I am devoting to the lonestar quilt and will go back to customer work on Monday.

This is a picture of what will be constructed this weekend. This is a 10" border block. The stars that will dance around this border will be all different colors, using more scaps.

The hst's in this block finish at 1 1/2 ", so I have to make many more. All of the rest of them in the quilt are 2" finished. I am using the 'Easy Angle' to make all of these hst's. It certainly makes this process easier.

OK, back to work. Mr. OLT is working in the yard to clear the debris from a tree that we had taken down yesterday. Now the garden can get full sun for most of the day. That should make for some really good vegetables.

The Saga Continues

Remember when I told you about Helen's idea that we make Lone Stars using half square triangles? That was when I started with this rendering on EQ5 so that I could tell where the particular colors went. So, that was about 10 days ago.

This is what I have up to this point. Inside the half square for the stars are all half square triangles. No need to make this easy. Might as well make it scrappy. I haven't added up the total number of half squares yet. The background of the star is also done in half square triangles--just larger and not pieced.

I think that I like the background like this. The other options would be to make it in : 1) solid squares 2) half square triangles in a 4 patch that finish 3", sorta like this idea, instead of the 6" that they finish now, 3) like I have it with 6" finished half squares, 4) or totally piece all of the big triangles just like I did the interior of the star. (I am not beyond doing that, but, I think that it would be a bit much)

This is actually turning into a fun project. However, I have only been making the units, not actually sewing this monster together. As I work on it I am thinking on doing that in quadrants. Also there lies the possibility of some machine applique in the background areas. Helen has suggested some large star flowers and lots of vine all around the star. I am not so sure about that. It has also been suggested that I wait until I get to that point and see what the quilt has to say about that.

Easter was beautiful. Good food, Grandchildren, some sewing, beautiful weather. It just doesn't get any better.

Have a good week. I have some bookwork to do then on to other things.

Don't forget to register for the 'Beach Trip'.

Also, have openings for 'Summer Fun Quilt Camp'

Helen's Lone Star

Last Thursday night we met for our monthly Design Group. One of our members:

 Who shall remain Nameless was so excited about a particular design, that she thought that we should all make one of these. She had seen a Lone Star top done all in half-square triangles. It would be fast!! It would be so easy!!! We could have them done in no time at all!!

Well, you know how some people make the simplest things so very difficult?

That would apply to many in this group. It, of course would NEVER apply to me. Yea, right.

I came home with an idea and started on it immediately. I pieced together the center of the star with the white and then the red. Then, I couldn't imagine how to continue the design out to the edges. Next Up!!! EQ5. (There is also a story about that too, but, it will have to wait.)

After 2, 3, or 4 hours with EQ I finally ended up with this 'mock-up' to work with. Nice isn't it?

Next came the question:  Do I really want a 100 x 100 inch quilt? Sure, why not?

Soooooo, this is what I have so far. Notice that I could not just do plain old half-square triangles, OH NOOOOO, I have to do half-squares in half-squares and USE SCRAPS. What in the world am I thinking?

So, this is what I have as of 3:20, Sunday, April 17, 2011. The clock is ticking. Let's see how long this UFO will hold my attention. So far I think this is really cool, but, but, but, but, but---------------. We'll see.   I think that the working title of this piece will be "Helen's Lone Star". That way, when I get frustrated with it, I can blame it on 'she who will remain nameless'. 

See you soon.