A Few New Finishes

 It seems I have been getting a lot done lately... Here are a few new finished quilts

1 It's A Puzzle--3" blocks. Based on an antique crib quilt, circa 1920, this has 300 3" blocks. The top was 45" x 60", it's a little smaller now that the quilting is done:

The quilting started with a diagonal line through the half square triangles, to create rows to add feathers. It went pretty fast and I was very happy with the improvement in my feathers:

As a class sample I made 4" blocks, which only requires 90 blocks to create a decent size crib quilt. Students can choose to make either size block--I find they prefer the 4" blocks to learn the technique, since making 90 blocks seems much less daunting than making 300. Here they are side by side:

The quilting on the smaller one is simply diagonal lines, using ruler work, fast and easy. It's a Puzzle 4" blocks, 36" x 40":

Many quilters have made "COVID" or "Stay at Home" quilts over the past year. Mine is called "Pandemic Paradox"  If only the virus was NEON GREEN: 

It's about 48" square and each group of circles includes one "bad" one--the NEON GREEN we need to avoid. I used Applipops and Karen K Biuckley's Perfect Circles. The lettering was printed directly on the border fabric, written in Word, and then run through the printer on 8.5" x 11" cuts of the fabric, with freezer paper on the back for stability in printing. 

The quilting is a combination of ruler work and free motion swirly lines: 

I include a hanging sleeve on every quilt I make. The Tutorial can be found above, in the list of Tutorials. Another Tutorial discusses binding and another one talks about adding a label to all your quilts. 

Now I am trying to finish Afternoon Delight Made Easy ,see that post HERE.  Then a BIG project lands in my lap that will take quite a bit of time to complete. I'm never bored nor wonder what I'm going to do each day. I hope the same is true for you.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

ANNOUNCEMENT: HOUSTON 2021

 I am thrilled to announce that more than 20 of my life's works will be on display at International Quilt Market and Festival this Fall. Festival dates are  October 27-31, 2021. The Special Exhibit, entitled "My Joyful Journey", will feature some of my earliest, truly beginning quilts, and show my progression to the quiltmaker I am today. Four of the quilts will be those that have won Best of Show. All 5 of the quilts in the banner up above will be there.

Many of them are stored here:

Some are stored rolled up and some are on display throughout my home. A few will be for sale. Photos of the quilts can be found earlier on this blog--I told the story of each one beginning December 20, 2020, and finishing March 21, 2021. 

There is something magical about seeing a collection of quilts featured in Houston. I have had several quilts displayed in the Special Exhibit "In The American Tradition".  Seeing your work among such wonderful quilts is hard to describe. 

 Here is a photo I took in 2018--the black drapes, the perfect lighting, the signs telling the story of each quilt--just so amazing. This is a special exhibit, featuring my friend's quilt: Contentment: A 25th Anniversary Celebration, by Teresa Yielding Rawson:

I told my family I consider this my "Lifetime Achievement Award" and very much want them to come see it. So, I better find them a room...

It is sure to be almost as exciting as 2014. And Red and White--By The Numbers, will be featured as part of my Special Exhibit. It is part of the Corporate collection of Quilts, Inc.:

I hope you will be able to join us in Houston this Fall. Get your shot and wash your hands!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

AFTERNOON DELIGHT MADE EASY

 Afternoon Delight, designed by Sue Garman, was the 2020 Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show. Many people made it and it is a beautiful design. Forty applique' blocks, 9 Shoo Fly blocks and 64 Double 9 Patch blocks, each with 45 tiny squares, each 3/4".  The Double 9 Patches seemed to do most people in, about 3/4 of the way through. There are just so many of them.

I made two of these--the original for the taping of The Quilt Show and a smaller one so I had step-outs for the year-long blogs I write in support of the Block of the Month for The Quilt Show:

Little Afternoon Delight

The original size pattern

One of the Sunday Sew and Sews, Janet, had a plan that was sure to be easier. At our February 2020 meeting, she had a  sparkle in her eye and a big grin as she showed us what she was going to do. Here is Janet that day, in the red blouse, seated in the comfy chair usually reserved for her: 

She had a plastic box filled with beautiful fabrics. Printed yardage featured a floral pattern with hummingbirds. The design was a good size for making Afternoon Delight--WITHOUT applique:

 

Just a few weeks later, Janet died suddenly from a stroke. The Sunday Sew and Sews helped her daughter deal with an unbelievable stash and complete a BIG project of making 50 charity quilts Janet had started. I wrote much about all this several times last year:

Tribute

Legacy

Quilter's Estate Sale

When it came to the sale, I snapped up that plastic box, full of Janet's planned "Afternoon Delight Made Easy".

This week I started working on it. The floral designs were able to be cut into 7.5" squares. In the box was a soft yellow print that I used to enlarge those designs to 9" finished squares by adding a 1" finished border to each floral design. There is a large amount of off-white print fabric for making those blocks. 

There is also a LOT of an companion fabric to the floral panels I will use for border and backing. Janet bought fabric in HUGE amounts and I am glad she did for this project:

The Double 9 Patches are still daunting, but they are made from 1" finished squares so not too bad. 

I have decided to make this about twin size and will then pass on the box to another Sunday Sew and Sew who wants a Hummingbird Afternoon Delight of their own. My progress so far:

It is a great "Leader/Ender" project, using strips to make various combinations of 9-patches:

Little known fact--20 years ago when we built this house, I named it "Hummingbird Hollow". Each year I eagerly await the return of the beauties. Our feeders are up and they should show up any day now.

Janet would be pleased her vision is coming to life. She wasn't about to make 40 applique blocks when she had these beautiful floral bouquets, complete with hummers.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

The Storm Before the Calm

 Sorting, discarding, organizing, bundling, finding lost treasures--that is what happens when I decide to Destash my Stash.

The little sale has gone well, more than half of the books and fabrics have gone to new homes. If you missed it, take a Look Here.

Just a few photos of the organized chaos this will be until I open the door to my local friends and say "Come and Get It":

Printed Patterns and a bunch of blocks done

Never know what you will find when I destash

Dining Room table for staging

And everybody gets a tote bag--they must multiply

No idea how much longer this will take about I'm guessing at least another week.

We are babysitting our 5 and 2 year old grandkids for 4 nights starting later this week so me time will be limited.

And I'd rather be quilting...

Let's quilt.

Barbara 

Fabrics and Book Sale

 I decided to do a GIVEAWAY of excess supplies and that will happen soon. Local friends and students will be notified when they can "come and get it"--lots of stuff to dispose of, so I can close the closet doors again. 

As you might imagine, it takes time to sort, organize and DECIDE what can go. 

In the meantime, I found these truly great things that need a new home but are too valuable to me to give away. And since my locals always get to come to my sale, this time I thought I would offer these items to YOU first. 

US Shipping only, international would just be outrageously expensive.

Shipping will be $15-20 depending on size of the box and will take as long as it takes--no guarantees any more from the US Postal Service.

SOME GREAT BOOKS: $10 each except as noted

SOLD B1 Truly a favorite 

B2 Love the quilts in this book and  have made several

B3 I taught beginning quilters with this book for a while 

SOLD B 4 Love his style

B 5 A Classic from the beginning of rotary cutting days

SOLD  B 6 Includes the CD with all patterns

SOLD B 7 Make your own Medallion quilt

SOLD B 8 Still not this insane

SOLD B 9 Includes Pineapple Trim Tool Ruler $15 Total

SOLD B 10 My all-time favorite quilt book every quilter needs--this is my 3rd copy

ORIENTAL FABRICS--priced as marked:

        SOLD F 1      8 fat quarters $12

SOLD  F 2      24 fat quarters pre-washed $40

 

SOLD F 3      4 fat quarters--see below for back side $6

F 3     Back side of packet shown above

SOLD F 4      4 fat quarters $6

F 5     4 fat quarters $6

SOLD F 6     28 fat quarters $49

SOLD F 7     13 fat quarters $20 see below for other side and edges of complete package

F 7     Other side of 13 fat quarters package shown above

F 7    Edge of package above showing all 13 fat quarters

SOLD F8   6 One Yard Pieces. $40--see below for back of packages

F 8     Back of packages with 6 one yard pieces

SOLD F 9      Six 1/3 yard or larger pieces, Over 2 Yards  $12

SOLD  F 10    Six 1/3 yard or larger pieces, Over 2 Yards $12

SOLD F 11       Six 1/3 yard or larger pieces, Over 2 Yards $12

F 12     One Yard $6

SOLD  F 13     3 one-third yard or larger pieces of same fabric, one yard total $6

SOLD  F 14       10 Half Yards, some are woven, beautiful hand to these fabrics $35

SOLD  F 15      4 fat quarters Pre-washed $6

To purchase, COMMENT BELOW with the numbers of items you want to purchase--NOT ON FACEBOOK. You must provide an email address so I can send an invoice for PayPal. Local people, no shipping, contact me privately to arrange pickup.  

Don't worry--I have kept tons of books and fabrics--much more digging out to go--watch for GIVEAWAY post in the future. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara