Rhododendron Trail all Quilted!

I finished quilting Rhododendron Trail on my longarm. This one went so fast! I started it Friday and just finished it this afternoon. It measures 85" X 100".

This is the pantograph I used. It's called Brocade and each pass measures about 8 inches. I decided to use a pantograph since this quilt is so scrappy. It's difficult to see the quilting. The pantograph was the way to go.

This is a picture of the quilt while I was quilting it. I used Auriful 50 weight top and bottom.

Here's a closeup of the front of the quilt.

Here's the back. I love how it looks. I need to bind it but that will have to wait for another day. It took me all day to finish quilting it and then trimming the sides. Enough for one day! Phew!

I Like Thursday #132

It's I Like Thursday! Please visit LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color to visit more blogs that feature positive and uplifting posts. It's Thursday but also St. Patrick's Day! I tutored this morning and wore my shamrock scarf. My student, who's from Turkey, asked about wearing green on St. Patrick's Day. We read an article together explaining the wearing of the green! We had a fun class. 

Swoon block # 7 is complete! I have 2 more blocks left to make. They're actually both cut and just need to be sewn together. Swoon is such a fun quilt to make. I just might make it again! It uses up 18 fat quarters which is great since I have way too many fat quarters!

I've been using my 24" X 36" mat for close to 20 years. The lines are faded and hard to see. It's cracked in a few places. I went to JoAnn's and couldn't believe how expensive they are. I found this one at The Quilt Show. I had a coupon for 25% off. I ordered it Sunday and received it this morning. And, it's double sided! It was a lot cheaper than JoAnn's.

I also bought this pattern. I want to use up scraps and thought this was a great pattern. It measures 70" X 70". I'm looking forward to making it! Another scrap buster!

I hope you all have a great weekend! 

 

Swoon 1-6

I'm enjoying making these Swoon blocks. I like it so much that I'm already 2/3 done! That's the nice thing about a quilt that uses big blocks and only need 9 total blocks.

This is my fifth block. The colors aren't exactly true to the fabric. Each block measures 24.5 inches square. 

         This is my sixth block. Block 7 is partially sewn together. I'm actually thinking of making      another Swoon quilt. I have a really nice Tula Pink fat quarter set that would look great in these blocks. 

   

I Like Thursday #131

It's time for I Like Thursday! LeeAnna, over at Not Afraid of Color, encourages us to write uplifting and happy posts. You can visit her page for links to more of these posts. I saw some movement in my front yard and this is what I saw! Five deer were walking in a row. They nibbled on one of my bushes before crossing the street and heading into the woods. They're always fun to watch. I think sometimes they see me through the window but I'm not sure.

I'm up to 4 blocks for my Swoon quilt! These blocks are big (24.5 inches square) and fast! I love making these blocks. I would make this pattern again. It uses 4.25 yards of background and 18 fat quarters. 

I had ordered a wideback from Keepsake Quilting for Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, Rhododendron Trail. However, due to supply chain issues, the fabric wouldn't be shipped until sometime in April. I decided to cancel that order and pick something new. I just got this in the mail. I feel there are so many colors in it that it would look great backing any quilt. I still have to wash it before I can load it onto the long arm.

I just finished this book and it was wonderful! The main character leaves a recording for her children to listen to after she dies. She has quite a story to tell them. It brings her children together and they discover much more about their family and where they come from. I highly recommend it!

That's my week! My student cancelled her tutoring session today so I'm enjoying a quiet morning at home. Have a great weekend!

More Crumb Blocks

I've been posting about my Swoon blocks but I've also been working on crumb blocks. For some reason, I thought I had made quite a few but in reality, I've only made 3! I was working on these blocks when I had to pack up my sewing room. Now that my sewing room is renovated, I got out my blue fabric and made another crumb block. These are great to work on while making Swoon blocks. 

You might be able to see that some fabric from Swoon is in this part of the crumb block. This block is fairly easy. I just put enough scraps together to from 1/4 of the finished block. Then, I add a blue strip on an angle. That's it! You make 4 and sew them together. They measure finished 12" square. Easy Peasy! And I'm actually using up scraps! This is a fun block to make. I'm not sure what I want the final size to be but I think I have a lot left to make!!

Swoon 1-2-3

I'm enjoying making these Swoon blocks. As you can see, I have 3 blocks done. I need 6 more blocks and then it's time for sashing! This is so much faster than what I'm used to and I love it!

This is the second block I made. I love Tilda and this is the Lemon Tree line of fabrics. 

I just finished this third block this morning. Each block measures 24.5 inches square. 

These two pictures show a problem I encountered while making the third block. The directions assume your fat quarter measure 18" X 21". I had one fat quarter that was not quite 18 inches. Once I cut off the selvage, I was well below the amount of fabric I needed. So, I sewed a little strip to the square to make it the correct size. I ironed the seam open to cut down on the bulkiness. It's hard to notice unless you know to look for it. I do have a few extra fat quarters to use if something doesn't work out. I just hope this doesn't happen again. This pattern really uses up all of the fat quarter for one of the fabrics. You really have to be so careful!

 

Swoon - Finally!

 I bought a Swoon pattern when it first came out and everyone was making them. I never got around to making my Swoon quilt until now! Over the years, I've collected all sorts of fat quarter sets in hope of making a Swoon quilt with them. I chose this Tilda fabric line, Lemon Tree. 

The directions are clear and easy to follow. These are all the pieces I needed for my first block. Each block measures 24.5" square. That's a lot bigger than what I'm used to! You only need 9 blocks to make a quilt. 

Other than flying geese pictured here, you only need to make half square triangles. Not hard at all! I forgot to take pictures of the half square triangles!

Once you put some pieces together, it just becomes a big old 9-patch! I'm already working on the next block. This might be a quick quilt for me!