Design Wall Monday

I've been away from home so my quilting time has been greatly limited. I do however, have a few quilts on which I'm working. I've got to finish a couple more Quilts of Valor before the presentation November 10, so that's what I've been trying to get done.

Here's a modified Trip Around the World. I'm auditioning borders that will be added to the top and bottom only so I can have it the correct size.

I generally do not make two of the same quilts that will be presented on the same day. I really want to be sure that each recipient gets something unique. With that being said, we will be presenting 12 quilt this year and I knew that my schedule would make it challenging for me to get all the quilts made. So, I decided to make two disappearing nine patches because I know from experience how different they can look based on fabric choices and turning of the blocks. 

Here's one that is ready the have the blocks sewn together. I used a variety of blues in this quilt, including some left overs that I had from the American Honor challenge. 

This one is ready for quilting. The layout is identical to the quilt above. I simply swapped the light and blue fabrics. What do you think? Do you agree with me that they look different enough to present on the same day?  

What are you working on today?

Check out the quilting eye candy at

Judy's Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 

and 

Beth's Monday Making

Two Quilts!

One simple block, made 64 times, and I've got the insides of two quilts completed. Here's the simple, scrappy nine patch block, snowballed which makes it end up on point.

This is simple to make, especially if you are using left over jelly roll strips, or 2 1/2" stash strips. I had a variety of strips left over from a jelly roll (I can't remember the name!), as well as some "kid-friendly" scraps from fat quarters. I cut all of my strips 2 1/2" x 22" and made strip sets. I thought that would be quicker than working with all 2 1/2" squares, but provide a bit more variety than working with 42" strips. Because I wanted to use all the fabric scraps, I made a total of 24 strip sets and then cut them into a total of 192 - 2 1/2" segments, which resulted in 64 - Nine Patch blocks.

I added triangles to each block (snowballed the blocks) and after trimming, the blocks measured 9", unfinished. I showed this step HERE and HERE. 

I used 30 blocks for this straight layout.

I used 33 blocks for this staggered layout.

I've decided to add a small floating border of the black to both quilts and then begin the stash search for outside borders. Right now, both quilts measure about 42" x 51" and I'm thinking about adding a 2" floating border. That's only because all the squares measure 2" finished; and because if I do that, I will use up most of the black fabric. The little bit that is left will be cut and put into the strip bins that I've started. It sure feels good to have made these entirely from stash. Yippee!! 

I've still been working on the Disappearing Nine Patch blocks. Here's the progress of that so far.

Pretty soon, this will be the "main" project and I'll be starting a new leader and ender. It just so happens that I'm ready for that. 😄

I want to make a quick rag quilt for a mid-January birthday gift and I've pulled the fabrics. These are cut and ready to sew. I even have the batting ready, but that isn't pictured here. I'm using rectangles instead of squares, just because I wanted something a little different. I'll post pictures of this as I start working on it.

Enjoy your weekend! It's cold here and I plan to spend a good amount of time hanging out by the sewing machine. I hope you get that opportunity as well.

New Year!

My blogging hiatus is over and the New Year is starting out beautifully.

I am not a resolution-making kind of gal, but I do like to make goals, especially quilting goals. I may (and frequently do) change those goals, but I still tend to make them. I have ten people for whom I want to make a Quilt of Valor in 2017. I do not have to have these done until November, but I would like to get a head start on them because I know others will be needed as well. With that in mind, I have two of those quilts in the binding stage and one that is ready for quilting.

 

I also have two quilts in the piecing stage - not QOVs. I'm using the leader/ender method of piecing them, and I know that I'm going to love both of these quilts. There might actually be three quilts here. I have enough of the one set of blocks to create one large quilt or two smaller ones. I'm leaning more toward the two smaller ones because all of these quilts are intended for donation.

The scrappy nine patch blocks that I'm piecing are going to be used in a variation of Pat Sloan's Stitched pattern. It's these blocks that I've made extra.  

In the first picture you can see the two 5" charm squares being sewn together. Those are part of a Disappearing Nine Patch quilt that features the Monkey Tales fabric line. It's going to be pretty darn cute!

What are you working on today?

Check out Judy L's Patchwork Times

and

Monday Making