Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Frequency Quilt Pattern: A Slightly Goofed up Test

Jessica over at Desert Bloom Quilting (here) released her new pattern Frequency today so now I can show my test version and apologize once more for my goof in working on the design. Jessica has a tester group and for this round she had three specialty rulers to give away to the testers to use with the assignment. The pattern includes paper templates for those who do not own a Lazy Angle ruler but for this test I was fortunate enough to get one of the rulers. Learning how a new ruler works can sometimes be a challenge but there are all kinds of YouTube videos out there to help you.
My goof was in laying out the final blocks. The big diamond in the centre is not supposed to be in one long row. It should alternate between the outside edges where it is on mine and the centre. The pattern is layer cake friendly and comes in several different sizes.
Piecefully, Joanne

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Using the design floor to arrange some bright strings

I do love making string quilts. This one has black centre strings and then every bright bit I could find. And there are enough bright bits to make at least one more just like it.
In a couple of weeks I am away for a few days sewing with my retired friends. I have missed the last two get togethers because I could not travel with my knee. So I am really looking forward to this get together. I arranged these strings and organized the rows so that this could be one of my sewing projects while I am there. Of course I think I already have enough projects packed to sew for a week and a half not four days.
September has been a busy month and it shows no signs of letting up. We had Quilt guild last week and it was great to see all my guild friends again. As usual show and tell was the highlight of the meeting. This year I have offered to do a different brick based pattern for a mini demo each month. I will show these on the blog later this fall. September went well and I am working on the October demo. I have a huge list to draw from and lots of bricks cut. I do scrappy and they expect nothing less. That and sometimes really small. So combining those two things is also expected. Piecefully, Joanne
Linking up with Cynthia at www.quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.ca

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Playing with some scraps to make a mini

Janice and Jen got together and set up this little mini blog hop featuring the Shadow Box quilt. I got my top finished but like a lot these days it isn't quilted yet. I have admired this style of quilt top for some time. Making the mini allowed me to experiment and I must say I do not know why I delayed so long to make one. These are quite easy to construct. The original instructions were written up by Debora at Studiodragonfly (here). I will confess I studied her directions and them made some efficiencies to allow a bit more chain piecing. My mini measures 17 1/2" x 21 1/2". The coloured squares started at 3" square.
The boys have been here a lot in August. So not much has been accomplished. I have done several test quilts for some new to me designers and really enjoy that part of the quilting journey. The only difficult part is keeping everything secret for what seems like forever until the pattern is released. By that time it is such old news. My sewing room has been excavated and it is nice to be able to walk across the room and not around piles of stuff to get around the room. I am looking forward to regular routines starting up now that summer is almost over. Well it is over for the kids. We retired teachers tend to enjoy this weekend a lot more than we used to.

Please take time to visit the other bloggers who signed up to participate in this mini blog hop and see how they interpreted the directions.

The other bloggers are:Jen Rosin at A Dream and a Stitch
Janice Holton at colorcreatingandquilting
Debora Exum at Studio Dragonfly
Amanda Everest at Quiltologie
Susan Arnold at Quilt Fabrication
Bonnie Stapleton at Institches with Bonnie
Jennifer Fulton at Inquiring Quilter
Jennifer Strauser at Dizzy Quilter
Joanne Harris at Quilts by Joanne
Anja Clyke at Anja Quilts
Mary Schuberg at Needled Mom

Piecefully, Joanne

Linking up with Lorna for Lets Be Sewcial (here)