2021: Week 35 of 15 Minutes to Stitch

 

 

It's been a hot, rainy week, which means there has been lots of stitching.

2021:  Week 35 of 15 Minutes to Stitch

This week, I have been cutting postage stamps and sewing them together. I wrote a bunch of blog posts, one of which showed you a postage stamp block. I've made good progress on two additional blocks.

I also joined the binding strips and pressed them for the Quote quilt.

15 minute days this week --7 out of 7

15 minute days this year -- 219 out of 241 days

Success rate  = 91%

 

Linked with:

15 Minutes to Stitch

Photo Challenge Photos

 I am tagging along Kate's family and taking photos that follow the prompts they are using. I'm not consistent in posting the photo challenge photos, so there are two week's worth here.

 The first one was Feet. I immediately thought of sewing machine feet, so I am glad Kate didn't go in that direction for her photo.

The next one was Optical Illusion. My mind went to the many optical illusion quilts I want to make.  I don't think I have made a successful one yet. But as I was walking Zeus, I have seen this mask several times. . So many people wear it improperly, that it is an illusion that it will protect anyone.

 

 

 

Extra photos

Postage Stamp Quilt Started

 

I have started another quilt. I've been wanting to make it since at least September 2019.  I had to do some digging on my blog to find that I called it postage stamp and not checkerboard.

I started cutting some 1 1/2" stamps, but then I got distracted with other projects. I started sewing these on Tuesday so I am starting the clock on Tuesday. 

My plan is to use a very saturated color for a constant, and use up all my scraps for the alternating block. This is based on a quilt that Lynn made.

My current plan is to use an uneven number of rows, so that the constant is in all four corners of the block. This will interrupt the checkerboard, so I will have to reevaluate this decision when the next block is made.. I may have to add another row to go back to uneven if I don't like the look.

 

 

These paper plates were leftover from Thanksgiving, and there aren't enough for a full Thanksgiving meal, so I decided to use it for these blocks.

 I was worried that there may not be balance in the whole quilt since I am cutting as I go. This quilt uses a LOT of stamps. I have three trays - one for lights, medium, and dark so that I can make sure I include all three in each block. I haven't been thinking that hard about which tray to put each charm in since there is no downside in choosing the wrong value.

I will have to decide what proportion that I will be using. I need to use enough lights to maintain the checkerboard. I really like the way the darks form confetti on Lynn's quilt so I want lots of those, and then the mediums have to be used up, so I might just go with a third of each.

Linked with:

Finished or Not Friday

DrEAMi55

 

Quilt Exhibit: Square Quilts

 

 

Hello! Welcome back to the Musee de la Grande Route. There are two types of quilts that can be called square quilts. One is quilts that finish to a size that is square. The other is quilts that are made out of squares. Our current exhibit is showcasing quilts that are made mostly out of square blocks (and a few rectangles). I have enough quilts to show you the square ones that I have omitted the ones that are made only with rectangles.

 

I believe this is my only finished quilt that is made only with squares.

 This quilt is made with squares and rectangles that are close to squares.

This quilt uses 10 inch blocks that are primarily pieced using squares of smaller sizes.

This one has pieced square blocks made mostly of squares and rectangles.

This quilt uses squares, most of which are pieced.

This quilt uses square blocks, some pieced, and some appliqued.

This quilt uses square blocks with more complicated piecing.

This one has more complicated piecing, but there are four square blocks.

 Another quilt made with square blocks with more complicated piecing.

This one doesn't start out with squares, but does result in square applique blocks.

 

This quilt has a border of squares around a panel.

 

I've made a lot of quilts with squares, and since I already have a lot on exhibit, I will refer you to this Trunk Show post from 2015 which has some more square quilts.

 You can see all of our Musee de la Grande Route exhibits or click on the links to see a specific exhibit:

Square Quilts (you are here)

Animal Quilts

People Quilts Exhibit

Holiday Quilts 

Elephant Quilts 

Scrap Quilts

Tree Quilts 

Red Quilts 

2021: Week 34 of 15 Minutes to Stitch

 

There are two times in each of my quilt's life that I unconditionally love it. Both of these times feel like the quilt is emerging from a cocoon or coming home after a makeover.

The first time is when the backing and batting is trimmed away, making the quilt straight. As you know, the batting and backing is usually larger than the quilt top to allow for shrinkage, and they just hang out from underneath the quilt top, making the quilt uglier than it really is. When they are trimmed away, the quilt looks better than it ever did, and I love it unconditionally for the transformation.

The second time, since I know you are wondering, is when I finish the binding. When I bind the quilt, the back is facing me, so when it is finished and I turn it over, I am seeing the quilt again after a makeover in its finished stage, looking better than ever, with the edges all wrapped.

After that, I can look at it more objectively to see what I did that was successful and what could use improvement. But at those two moments, it is loved unconditionally.

2021:  Week 34 of 15 Minutes to Stitch

This week, I made the Fish and Bubbles quilt I showed you in my last post. As you can guess, I also trimmed the Quote Quilt.

15 minute days this week --7 out of 7

15 minute days this year -- 212 out of 234 days

Success rate  = 91%

 

Linked with:

15 Minutes to Stitch

Design Wall Monday

Quilt Reveal: Fish and Bubbles

 Queenie Patch has a weekly feature where she suggests other blogs to read.  One Monday, she suggested my blog on this post. I am so honored and tickled with her positive comments. Thank you so much!

Here's my mini quilt for this month. I started with bits of fabric from the Amalfi Coast quilt. Little slivers from straightening out the fabric and other bits were put on top of a shirt leftover from the shirts quilt. There were a lot of bits and I tried to use them all.

 

 

I placed some tulle over those bits and quilted them down. There are so many layers, I don't need batting!

 

I added the fish and bubbles on top and folded the shirt over to finish off the edges.

Linked with:

Free Motion Mavericks

Friday Night Sew In 

Off the Wall Friday 

A Pageant of Finishes

Productive Quilting Week

 

 

Kate is doing a photography challenge with her family, and I am tagging along by following their prompts. This week's prompt was Black and White. I decided I would take a photo from my August folder and change it to black and white. I couldn't choose one so I have two black and white photos in this post.

 

2021:  Week 33 of 15 Minutes to Stitch

 

 

I added more motifs to the Quote quilt. I have finished quilting all of the blocks, and just need to do an inspection to see if there is more quilting needed on the border. I will start preparing the binding today.

I am planning my mini quilt of the month, using some fabric from my fabric trash can. I am also trying to hold off starting anything else until the Quote Quilt is finished.

15 minute days this week --7 out of 7

15 minute days this year -- 205 out of 227 days

Success rate  = 90%

 

Linked with:

15 Minutes to Stitch