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Jane Is Quilted!

Dec30

The quilting is completed and the final thread count is 730 yards. Here are the final quilted blocks from row H. Click on the photos to view the quilting details better.

Left side triangle 6 and Block H1. They’re both stitched in the ditch.

Blocks H2 and H3. Both are also stitched in the ditch. H2 I appliqued circles instead of the triangles.

Blocks H4, H5 and H6. H4 was stitched in the ditch then I quilted lines to emphasis the diamond shape. H5 was first stitched in the ditch, then I quilted overlapping half triangles inside the blue triangles. H6 was stitched int he ditch. Maybe I should have followed the circle around in the white corner squares. I can always add it later if I want, but I doubt I will.

Blocks H7, H8 and H9. H7 and 8 are both stitched in the ditch. H9 is also stitched in ditch, then I quilted straight lines in the blue corners.

Blocks H10, H11 and H12. All three of these blocks are stitched in the ditch. H10 I added a curve in the white rectangles and in H11 I echo quilted 1 line in the blue shape.

Blocks H13 and right side triangle 8. Both are stitched in the ditch. H13 I quilted overlapping lines in the blue triangles. RS triangle 8 I quilted a line to emphasis the curve in the bottom and stitched a quarter-inch inside the larger blue heart.

A view of Jane laying on the bed. She’s not completely finished though. A quilt is not completely finished until the binding is sewn and the label attached. For some reason, I don’t enjoy the binding part and normally let the quilt lay around for a while. Not this time, I’m going to get this quilt completed!

I didn’t want to have to worry about running out of blue fabric while piecing Jane, so I bought a whole bolt of the blue. There is plenty of fabric left so someday, there will be another blue and white quilt.

I’ve appliqued another block for the Pastor’s Attic quilt. This is the 2nd block I made from this design and is to replace the 2nd one that was supposed to have all the feather fingers sticking out. No way was I going to applique another one like that again!

By Christmas Day, the children who were able to come home had come and gone. It was a quiet, peaceful day here, a wonderful day for sewing. I decided to do some fun sewing, no quilting or appliquing.

I had made flannel pillowcases for the grands but we wanted some too. The table runner was pieced several years ago but never quilted, so I finished that project.

Have you ever bought a jellyroll just because it was on sale? Several years ago, a friend and I were at Lolly’s Fabrics and they had jellyrolls marked way down on the chopping block. Of course we both bought a roll, they were on sale after all. She sewed hers up and made a really cute quilt for a grandson a year ago. After I sewed the pillowcases and table runner, I got out my jelly roll and started sewing a Zippy-Strippy quilt. The center body of the quilt was sewn by bedtime.

She has an Accu Go-cutter and using her dies, I had cut out 12 snowflakes using shimmer fabric earlier this fall. They were ironed on Saturday morning and machine appliqued throughout the day. By 9:15 PM Saturday evening, the snowflakes were all attached. I looked through all of my dark blue batik fabrics but none of them were the correct fabric for an outside border. That is on my list for the Pumpkinvine Inspiration club, Monday January 4th.

Linking to My Quilt Infatuation, A Quilting Reader’s Garden, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Love Laugh Quilt and Podunk Pretties.

Quilting Jane, Row G

Dec22

Row G has been quilted, this means just one more row to quilt! Row G is the center row of the quilt. Remember, click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Left side triangle 7 and block G1. Triangle 7 is stitched in the ditch. I added addition quilting in the center oval/circle and in the zigzag. G1 is stitched in the ditch.

Blocks G2 and G3. Both blocks are stitched in the ditch.

Blocks G4, G5 and G6. G4 is stitched in the ditch. G5 is stitched in the ditch and then I quilted a couple circles in the center but they don’t show. And yes, some of the blue shows through the white. It doesn’t look that bad in real life, but that’s the way it is. G6 is stitched in the ditch, even the tiny star in the center of the star. I also added quilting to the white background fabric.

Blocks G7, G8 and G9. Blocks G7 and G9 are stitched in the ditch. For G8, I added curves in the center which made a really neat star. Then I quilted a small circle in the center.

Blocks G10, G11 and G12. G10 is stitched in the ditch. G11 is also stitched in the ditch but I added a curvy square in the center square. G12 is also stitched in the ditch with a curvy square in the center but it has loopy corners.

Block G13 and right side triangle 7. G13 was stitched in the ditch then I quilted over it with a Baptiste Fan design. RS triangle 7 is stitched in the ditch. The hearts look a little puffed. Very cute.

I have also been working on appliquing another Baltimore Album block for the Pastor’s Attic quilt. Let me tell you, this block was a sleepy one to work on before going to bed. There are 38 of those feathers and they appliqued very slowly for me, I had to fight sleep to be able to work on them!

There are supposed to be two blocks with this applique in the quilt. That is NOT going to happen. I’m going to substitute another design.

All of the blocks I’ve appliqued so far for this quilt have been back-basted applique. It has been easier for me to trace the design on the backside of the background fabric then baste the fabric on the top. I just haven’t had the time to make bias for the other blocks. When Jane is finished, I’ll have a life again and be able to work on some other projects.

Linking to –

Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Love Laugh Quilt

Cooking up Quilts

Quilting Jane, Row F

Dec15

Quilting row F has boosted the yards of thread count up to 655 yards. This row was mostly stitched in the ditch, but a few blocks have some different stitching designs.

Left side triangle 8 and block F1. LS triangle 8 is stitched in the ditch. I also stitched crossing straight lines in the bottom triangle. The triangle was supposed to have had ovals appliqued onto the pointy end and those nasty teeny, tiny triangles on the seamline beside the inverted M. Perfect circles to the rescue! F1 was completely stitched in the ditch.

Blocks F2 and F3. F2 completely stitched in the ditch. F3 has a nice quilting center so I quilted the 4 little hearts. The rest is stitched in the ditch.

Blocks F4, F5 and F6. F4 and F5 are both stitched in the ditch. I added straight V’s in the blue triangles for F4 and added a curvy square to the inside of F5. F6 is stitched in the ditch but quilted curvy V’s in the white squares.

Blocks F7, F8 and F9. I did not want to ditch stitch F7. I used a flower stencil and quilted that design over the top of the star. A second petal extended into the blue border. It is hard to see but I like it! F8 and F9 are both stitched in the ditch.

Blocks F10, F11 and F12. F10 is stitched in the ditch with an added curvy square in the center. F11 and F12 are both stitched in the ditch.

Block F13 and right side triangle 6. I quilted around the appliqued melons and circles in F13. You can’t tell from the picture, but they puff slightly and look very nice. RS triangle 6 is stitched in the ditch. Triangle 6 was a very interesting one to piece but is really an attractive block.

I also did some secret Christmas present sewing this week but, sorry, can’t show you anything.

Linking to –

Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Love Laugh Quilt

Quilting Jane, Row E

Dec9

Can you feel my anticipation? I see the end nearing, just 3 more rows to quilt! The thread yardage count is up to 618 yards and here are the completed blocks from row E.

Left side triangle 9 and block E1. LS triangle 9 is just stitched in the ditch. I added some curves in the blue bottom. E1 is also stitched in the ditch and then I outlined the curves on the inside of the melons and a little background quilting.

Blocks E2 and E3. E2 is stitched in the ditch with background quilting. E3 is completely stitched in the ditch. I like that pinwheel in the center.

Blocks E4, E5 and E6. E4 is stitched in the ditch with background outline quilting. I also used my perfect circle templates and made an elongated curvy square in the diamond. I like the loops that were formed on the 2 pointy ends of the diamond. E5 is stitched in the ditch and is very aptly name, Rising Sun. E6 is stitched in the ditch with lines radiating out from the corners in the background fabric. My appliqued squares actually look like squares too!

Blocks E7, E8 and E9. E7 is stitched in the ditch. E8 is just a weird block. The center was large enough I could quilt a flower in there. The rest of the block is stitched in the ditch. E9 is all stitch in the ditch.

Blocks E10, E11 and E12. Click on this photo to see the quilting details. In the squares of E10 I quilted curvy squares and added a circle in the inside. Stitched in the ditch around the melons. I thought about outlining the inside of the melons like I did in E1 but decided not to. Curves were quilted in the center of E11 and made this pretty design. E12 was stitched in the ditch.

Block E13 and right side triangle 5. E13 does look like a moth or butterfly in the center so Moth in a Web was a good choice for the block name. She was stitched in the ditch and outline quilted in the background. RS triangle 5 was also stitched in the ditch with some addition quilting in some of the larger pieces.

It is a good thing I don’t mind stitching in the ditch!

These are the last of the charity projects I have been working on. Kits for crib quilts were brought to guild in September. They just needed to be put together and quilted and this is what I came up with. The left quilt and the center quilt are both quilted with straight line quilting on my home sewing machine.

I decided to do something different on the right quilt for variety. This fall, on another blog, I saw a quilt that was quilted in a spiral. Of course, I didn’t remember which blog it was anymore and I do remember the quilter saying she had taken a class somewhere, but not me! I just jumped in and learned by trial and error. The spiral takes a lot of thread, make sure you have a LOT of bobbins wound and ready to go. The quilt doesn’t lay/hang flat and the inside isn’t the same width/length as the outside. But still, I think it does look interesting.

Linking to Esther’s Wednesday Wow, Freshly Pieced, Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

Quilting Jane, Row D

Dec2

I’m starting to get pretty excited, with just 4 more rows to be quilted, the end is in sight! Row D has been completed and I’ve used a total of 575 yards of thread to date.

Left Side Triangle 9 and block D1. I stitched in the ditch on these blocks.

Blocks D2 and D3. Block D2 I did an outline in the white background then stitched around the blue flower. I made a mistake when I pieced this block. The outside corners of the blue flower were supposed to also have had a white triangles sewn on them. I missed that and came up with this design. I think it is cute and just adds originality to my quilt. D3 is stitched in the ditch in the white center and straight line quilted in the blue background.

Blocks D4 and D5. I outlined the star in the white background fabric and stitched in the ditch around the melons. Then using my perfect circle templates, I drew the center design. I really like it. Block D5 has a similar star in the center but I added a circle instead of a curvy square. The rest of this block is stitched in the ditch.

Blocks D6 and D7. I used one of my quilting stencil designed for the center of D6 and extended the quilting into the corner triangles. I also stitched in the ditch on the white strips. For block D7 I used a spiderweb stencil but it doesn’t show very well. I also stitched in the ditch around the white center and the outside of the blue.

Blocks D8 and D9. Block D8 was a simple stitch in the ditch around the applique pieced and D9 was stitched in the ditch around the outside of the album and on the inside around the white center. I did an outline stitch in the white background.

Blocks D10 and D11. Both blocks were completely stitched in the ditch. I thought about adding more background quilting in D11 but decided not too.

Blocks D12 and D13. D 12 is completely stitched in the ditch. The center of D13 was big enough I could quilt this flower. I added some quilting in the blue background.

Right side triangle 4. This triangle was stitched in the ditch. I quilted a curvy square in the center square.

I think this row had the most blocks with center spaces that needed quilting. This was a fun row to quilt.

I also worked on another charity project. Our guild is making the Sweet Surrender quilt designed by Sue Cody of Dragonfly Studio. I appliqued several triangles several months ago. The applique blocks are alternated by pieced triangles. I had pieced some triangles in October but didn’t post about them. The committee still had triangles to be pieced so I took 4 more. The directions tell you to EPP the pieced triangles but that takes awhile. One of the women showed the pattern to a draftsman at the factory where they work. He drafted a foundation paper pieced pattern which is a LOT faster than EPP. The triangles aren’t squared up and I don’t have to remove the paper, the committee will do that.

I’m linking up with –

Esther’s Wednesday WOW

Freshly Pieced

Quilting is More Fun than Housework! (This is so true!)

Love, Laugh, Quilt

Charity Wallhanging

Nov29

Over this past fall I’ve been accumulating charity projects to be worked on. I decided it is time to complete them and move them out.

The first project was this small wallhanging, designed and appliqued by Frances Stauffer. Frances was a very prolific designer in our community. She died a few years ago, but left many, many small wallhangings to be quilted and then auctioned at the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale.

Someone had done some preliminary outline quilting on this little quilt, but it needed more stitches. I added the clam shells in the sky and quilted my version of echo quilting in the grass and pond. I’ve never done echo quilting before, and my echo lines aren’t as close as they should be, but for a first time, I think it is pretty good. They hadn’t quilted at all in the border so a cable was quilted there then I finished her with brown binding.

I used black thread for the quilting on the border and it was hard for me to see on the dark green. I think my days of quilting with black thread on dark fabrics are finished.

Charity project #1 is a complete and onto project 2.

I’m linking up with –

Quilting is more Fun than Housework

Love, Laugh, Quilt

Freshly Pieced

Quilting Jane, Row C

Nov25

With the quilting completed on row C on my Jane, I’ve used 527 yards of thread and just have 5 more rows to quilt. My goal is to have the quilting finished by the first of January, 2016.

Left side triangle 11.

Row C, blocks 1, 2 and 3.

Row C, blocks 4, 5 and 6.

Row C, blocks 7, 8 and 9.

Row C, blocks 10, 11 and 12.

Row C, block 13 and right side triangle 3.

I’m not giving a lot of explanation about quilting these blocks, they are mostly stitched in the ditch.

Earlier this month I hosted out-of-area friends overnight on their way to the Just Takes Two retreat in Shipshewana. As a thank-you gift, Chris gifted me a copy of the Dutch Treat applique book written by Judy Garden. I’ve been paging through this book entranced by the beautiful reverse applique. My applique skill isn’t up to the standards necessary for this quilt, but then I thought, “What about embroidery?” Wouldn’t these blocks look lovely in blue embroidery? I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever seen this quilt embroidered. I’ll have to think about this some more.

My last post was about the Jane Stickle quilt retreat I attended last week. I had one more photo I wanted to add. We had received 7 inches of snow on Saturday and yes, this was the same snow storm I drove through to get to Caroline’s Cotton Cottage. This picture was taken Sunday morning outside the eating room looking west toward the conference room where we sewed.

Linking up to Esther’s Wednesday Wow, Freshly Pieced, Quilting is more Fun Than Housework, Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, Love/Laugh/Quilt, Cooking Up Quilts and Quilt Story.

Jane Stickle Quilt Retreat

Nov23

I had a wonderful time at my retreat. I originally planned to write a post on Sunday but decided not to. Writing posts when suffering from sleep deprivation is not a good idea! But now I’m wide awake, most of the laundry is caught up, so here it my report.

We had very nice weather for the first 3 days of the retreat. One of the benefits of having the retreat at the Farmstead Inn is it is close enough to Yoder Department Store and Lolly’s Fabrics that I can easily walk to the stores in “downtown” Shipshe.

The Jane Stickle Quilt retreat is named to honor the quilt Jane Stickle pieced during the civil war. Elaine Frey’s Jane was on display for the week-end. This quilt was made and gifted to her several years ago by retreat participants. The quilt was a gift of friendship in appreciation for her time spent organizing the retreat for so many, many years. The retreat wouldn’t exist if not for her leadership.

The first Jane block I ever pieced is in this quilt. (G5-Poof)

Someone commented on my last post that I should make some shopping time, and I did! Most of my shopping came from the resale table at the retreat where I bought these treasures, Ayers House Dancing Dollies Quilt by Irene Carrig and Auntie Green’s Garden by Irene Blanck of Focus on Quilts fame!

I scored the patterns on Wednesday evening and then on Thursday, Irene actually stopped by at the retreat to see her friend Patty Harant. She autographed the pattern for me and then we took a photo together. The whole retreat was a wonderful experience, but getting to meet Irene Blanck was the highlight of the entire week-end. Here we are, Patty, Irene and me!

A friend and I took some time on Friday to shop at Yoder’s and Lolly’s. Well, she shopped and I did reconnaissance in anticipation of Wana Night Out on December 1st. I’m getting my list ready!

On Saturday, I drove us through the first major winter snow storm of the year to Caroline’s Cotton Cottage in Rome City. (Hey, it’s northern Indiana. Unless I want to stay home all winter, you just have got to drive in snow!)

I bought designated fabrics for projects there. The bottom 4 fabrics are for Lucy Boston’s Patchwork of the Crosses I want to EPP someday. Doesn’t that border edge look lovely! The top left fabrics are 30’s fabrics to be used in Sweet Surrender and the blues on the top right are for the Salinda Rupp quilt, Nearly Insane. Some of the blues for Lucy Boston might make it into Nearly Insane too!

The final purchase I made was also from the retreat. I purchased a used Grace hand quilting frame that has never been used and is still in the box. (Does that make sense?) Son 2 is my handyman and he will get to put the frame together when he and his family are here after Christmas. I won’t be ready to use it until I complete quilting Jane on the old sticks and stand quilting frame. A new quilt frame gives me even more incentive to get the quilting completed. We’ll see if I can have her finished by the start of the new year.

Thursday evening was a pink pajama party with the famous pj’s from Target. There were 115 women at the retreat and 70 of them had the pajamas.

Many of the retreaters participated in a service project Friday morning and made dresses for Africa. 47 dresses and 8 britches were completed.

Late Friday afternoon Anita Shackelford was our guest speaker and gave a presentation about rescuing quilts. This was a very fascinating program with pictures from before and the finished rescued quilt. I would have thrown most of the before quilts in the trash but she took what I considered trash and turned them into treasures. She posts about her rescues on her blog. She really has given these quilts a new life.

Friday evening was Show & Tell. Only retreat participants can show & tell but the public is welcome to join us in the oohing and aahing. I didn’t get pictures of all the quilts but will just show you a few of the highlights. I also don’t remember who exhibited what except in the pictures that contain the maker. To see all of Show & Tell, visit Rosemary Youngs blog and see her smile box slide show. The first photos on Rosemary’s smile box are from the show & tell at the November 20th Moda club held at Lolly’s. Get a cup of coffee or tea, set back and enjoy all the beautiful quilts!

Lori displayed her Jane made with Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

Someone showed the start of their lovely Jane in blues. She changed up the cornerstones with itsy-bitsy 9-patches.

Val showed her 9th (!) Jane. Instead of using the normal corners, she substituted applique and embroidery.

Edith Shanholt showed this lovely quilt from both the Affairs of the Heart and My Mother Taught Me to Sew patterns. This picture isn’t from show & tell but was taken afterwards. Rosemary shows the actual quilt from show & tell and looks much nicer than this one displayed on the floor. Edith hand quilted her and used 950 yards of thread.

I can’t forget to show Lynn’s Phoebe designed by Diane Ford. This was a very long-term project and looks just beautiful.

These are just a few of the quilts from show & tell. To see them all, check out Rosemary’s slide show.

What did I work on over the long week-end? The main project was a kit I had purchased several years ago at Lolly’s for a queen sized, purple and green Summer Lake Log Cabin quilt designed by Judy Martin. The pattern is found in her Log Cabin Quilt Book.

This is 60 V blocks, 30 W blocks, 26 X blocks and 4 Z corner blocks. The borders are pieced piano keys. I had the strips along to sew, but just couldn’t sew another stitch on this project. All of the center blocks are pieced and I’ll lay them out and get the center sewn together sometime in January. That’s the plan anyway.

I also finished appliquing another album block for the Pastor’s Attic quilt.

When I started prepping for this applique quilt, I cut all the background squares. I like to overlock stitch the edges so they don’t ravel. I finished 5 edges, then decided this was extremely boring. I bagged up the remaining 20 backgrounds and took them along to the retreat. They have all been edged and are ready to be appliqued.

This retreat always kicks off my start of the winter season, a time for slowing down and doing the needlework projects I so enjoy. I also spend time in the barn feeding calves and other chores but there is no field work in the winter for me.

There are 142 days left until the April 2016 retreat which will signal the end of winter and start of the busy summertime here on the farm.

I’m linking to the following blogs –

Quilting is More Fun than Housework!

Love, Laugh, Quilt