Plus a Star Block

I finished this block yesterday. It's a block for the quilt, Long Time Gone, by Jen Kingwell.  It's made of Plus Blocks with a Star Block thrown in for good measure! I tried to make the star stand out by using solids as well as bright fabrics for the 9 patch. I wasn't sure all these fabrics would work well together but I think it came out okay! I feel when making a scrap quilt, the more diverse, the better! Somehow, they work okay. This block measures 12.5" by 21.5". I think it took longer to cut out all the pieces than to actually sew it together. 

Here's the quilt so far. I love working on this quilt. I'm using up scraps and enjoying the process. My next block will be Churn Dash blocks. I have to make 21 of them at 3.5" square. This will be interesting!!

Loading the Next Quilt

Even though I was sick all weekend, I did manage to get a quilt loaded onto the longarm. This is the Block of the Month quilt from my guild. It's made of half square triangles. I started pinning on Sunday but got tired. I resumed pinning on Monday and finished the whole loading process.

Here's a closeup of the top of the quilt. It's all basted and ready to be quilted. 

This is the pantograph I'm planning to use. I have to tape it down a little better and mark it for this quilt. I use a plastic overlay so the pantograph can be used over and over again. I also have to practice this motif. I turn the machine on and follow and pattern with my laser without sewing. I'm getting better at following the pattern. It will take me a few days before I feel comfortable enough to start the real quilting. I love this pantograph and hope I can sew it properly. It would look so pretty on this quilt!

Binding GTSB

The binding is done! I've been sick for the last few days with another cold. This is my third this season. I've been resting as much as I can but I wanted to get some sewing done. I've had the binding ready for awhile and thought I should be able to sew it on, cold or no cold.

I put my walking foot on and was ready to go!!

I think getting this binding on helped me to feel a little better. I'm still hanging out on the couch but at least I can hand sew the binding down. I guess it's not so bad to be sick after all!

Long Time Gone & Trip Around the World

I finished the Trip Around the World block for Long Time Gone. It measures 13.5" X 13.5" including the seam allowance.

This block is made up of 169 squares, 13 X 13. I didn't want to have to match up 12 seams every time I added a new row. I decided to make it into a large 9-patch. I started in the middle and then worked my way around the block. With this method, I only had to match up 12 seams two times! Much better!!

Here are my blocks so far! I'm really enjoying working on this quilt so far! 

Schoolhouse Shop Hop 2019

I had a very fun day yesterday. I took part in my first Shop Hop! I went to 5 different quilt shops.

The Quilted Crow, Bolton, MA

Cobblestone Quilts, Townsend, MA

The Bunkhouse Quilt Shop, Lyndeborough, NH

Quilted Threads, Henniker, NH

The Red Barn Sewing and Yarn Center, Merrimac, MA

There was lots of driving involved! We started out in Massachusetts, drove north into New Hampshire and ended up back in Massachusetts again. 

Every shop gave us a free fat quarter as well as a quilt pattern. At the end of visiting the 5 featured shops, we were given a coupon for 20% off total purchase at each of the participating shops. We were also given a blue zippered case where you can place your quilting tools if you're taking a class or sewing at a friend's house. 

There were some great sales going on at each of the shops. This is the stuff I ended up buying! I'm so glad I can return to these shops and use my coupon. I saw so many other things I want! 

All in all, it was a great day. We ate lunch at Daniel's in Henniker, NH. This was the view while we were eating.

We were tired when we got home but it was well worth it. Quilt days are always fun!!

Green Tea Sweet Beans Finished!

Green Tea and Sweet Beans is done!! It measures 71.5" X 75.5". My binding is all ready. I just need a little bit of time to sew.

Here's a video that shows the quilt coming off the frame. 

These are just a few close ups of the quilt and the quilting after the excess batting and backing have been trimmed.

I still have a few little things to fix after the binding is sewn on. 

This quilt was quite the project but it's a wonderful feeling to have all the quilting done. I wasn't sure I could execute the quilting I had in mind but it all worked out fine!

Beach Houses Pinnie

Taking a break from my other projects, I decided to make a cute pin cushion! This one is called Beach Houses and it's found in the book, Pin Pals, by Carrie Nelson.

These are all the little pieces I had to cut to make the pinnie top.

Here are my three little houses. Of course, I just used scraps from my bottomless scrap bag.

I sewed my beach houses together and added a little strip of grass. I also added background strips to the top, bottom and sides.

The top and bottom were layered over batting and then quilted. I just sewed straight lines on my domestic. The top and bottom were both trimmed to 4" X 6".

I filled the pin cushion with crushed walnut shells. This was a fun and quick project. I love this book! I may end up making all 40 of the pin cushions!