Tag Archives: Borders

What I’m Working On

Posted on January 14, 2017 by heARTs Creations

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For quite some time I’ve wanted to do a postage stamp quilt – a true postage stamp with 1 inch finished squares. I pulled out a bunch of my Kaffe prints and found a neutral batik that I love. This is a wall hanging – another day I will do a larger one (maybe?). The arrangement is somewhat of a colorburst. I did have fun arranging all the pieces.

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Now for the border. After sketching on paper and deciding on dimensions, Hubby put it in EQ for me so I could print out paper piecing patterns. The sewn piece on the design wall is not trimmed yet, and will be much smaller when done. Now I just need to decide what will go in the outside corners. I haven’t given that much thought yet or played with it, but would certainly welcome suggestions.

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I also got out my black and white scrap bin. Boy is that bin jammed packed! There is now a pile of 2 1/2″ squares that will be pieced as Leader-Enders. This will be my first quilt that will be entirely black and white. I’m thinking of using solid black and solid white half square triangles to make a Buckeye Beauty block. Much more sewing needs to be done before that decision is made.

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Maybe, just maybe, by February I’ll have another empty project box!

NOTE:  Quilt & Sew-In Retreat Fall II still has openings! Hope you’ll join me for all the fun!!

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation

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My First Round Robin

Posted on January 8, 2017 by heARTs Creations

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One of my New Year’s pledges was no new projects until a few bins are empty, charity and gift quilts excepted. I did decide to join a Round Robin with 3 other quilters. Did I break my pledge? Technically, NO! Several years ago I started a paper pieced star that has four sections and 14 pieces per section. A little over the top, don’t you think? I had two sections already done, scrappy style, and just completed the other two sections. I’ve put them together and added a border and I love it! Oh – so many ideas for the center block of the Round Robin. This star was already started so it was the winner and a no-brainer! I’m really ahead of schedule. I even have the scraps and yardage in my box already and we don’t even need to have it done until the end of the month!

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Project box filled with scraps and yardage.

I’m excited to design and add borders to the other quilter’s blocks. Don’t know what a Round Robin is? Because we are a small group, we are doing it about every two months. We’ll exchange our project boxes and add a border to that quilter’s block. With just three borders being added, it could finish as a wall hanging. My block, however, is starting out at 14″ so it may be a bit too large for a wall hanging for me. After all three borders have been added, we may choose to add more to our own.

I am excited to try some inventive and creative borders. Borders can add so much to a quilt. Now, the math may end up being a bit challenging for me, but I’m no stranger to that dilemma. Enter husband help! Also, the other 3 quilters are truly talented – I’m a bit intimidated but am up for the challenge!

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We got about 6 inches of snow here in NC Friday night which is a great event! I made two pots of soup and am enjoying watching the birds eat the seed I scattered on the driveway. We have bird feeders, but they fight and only allow one bird at a time. Now there have been up to a dozen feasting on the driveway and six different kinds of birds! We have Sparrows, Cardinals, Blue Birds, Thrasher, Finches, and Woodpeckers. Hubby spotted a Blue Jay. Wish I would see him – would be so pretty against the white snow. The rest of the day was spent in the studio sewing. Lucky me! Did you get snow as so many states did? How do you spend your snow days? Is it an event, or the norm, as it was when I lived in New York State?

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I’m linking up with Oh Scrap!, Em’s Scrapbag, My Quilt Infatuation and Patchwork Times.

 

 

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What I’m Working On

Posted on October 12, 2016 by heARTs Creations

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Beautiful weather here in the Piedmont of NC! Where I live, we were very fortunate – only some much needed rain from Hurricane Matthew, no flooding or downed trees. The clear sunny skies and high 60’s moved me outdoors to do some much needed yard work. Ughhh! For years I spent sunup to sundown digging, planting and weeding. That passion has been replaced with sewing! After a few hours of that and a bit of housework ( double Ughhh!), I headed for the sewing studio.

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Both design walls now have something on them. The first is a postage stamp wall hanging that I’ve wanted to do for some time using Kaffe fabrics. And yes, the squares are one inch finished. It looks pretty skihawed because the rows are not sewn together and it’s on the wall a bit crooked. More neutral squares need to be added to the end of all the rows and then the rows sewn together. This one is done in more of a colorburst style, grouping like colors. I have a pretty cool border planned but the math needs to be done first. “Oh Hubby – you are needed for quilt math detail!”

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The second is a background for a wall hanging. I have an applique in mind but haven’t gotten it designed yet. It too will have a border. This project was started years ago and every time I pulled it out, back into it’s project box it went. Not sure why, but it spoke to me this week and have been sewing on it quite a bit. Still no empty project boxes, but projects have been completed and progress is being made.

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Strips Make Quick Work!

Posted on September 10, 2016 by heARTs Creations

This is my second quilt with this fabric line. The first was gifted and my guess this one will go into my quilt collection or may very well be a gift to someone in the future.

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I started out by cutting 2 1/2″ strips using my Big Kick Pro. I used to be such a snob about these cutting machines, but now eat my words. Not only do they make quick work of what can sometimes be a tedious chore, they make totally accurate cuts! No more slipping an eighth of an inch and saying not so nice words in frustration. I used a quilt pattern I found on You Tube with Three Dudes. This was quick, fun and didn’t require a whole lot of thinking. I love to sprinkle these kinds of quilts among my other projects. Mindless sewing can be so therapeutic!

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If you have journeyed with me on my quilt adventures, you know I’m all about the borders. A plain white border sets off the center of the quilt nicely. Wanting to keep the pieced border simple, I just sewed strips, cut them, and pieced them into the long borders. Here’s something new I am beginning to do with these pieced borders: an eighth of an inch on each side I am sewing a seam, much like stay stitching in garment sewing. (The seams appear wavy because the fabric is not laying flat.) Now the seams stay closed when I work with the border and when the quilt top is quilted! This is another top for the “to be quilted” pile (you know, the one I never wanted to start to begin with.)

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September Already? August Roundup

Posted on September 3, 2016 by heARTs Creations

Summer just started – didn’t it? Now September is here and I’m thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas! The time between now and the end of the year always goes so quickly for me. Nooooo, slow down!

Pinwheel top (Large)

I have been sewing – some days I’m so on task and really enjoying myself. Other days I just sort of piddle. A while back I asked for advice on borders for this pinwheel quilt. I love the fabric, although it’s not what you usually see me work with. After days and days of playing with combinations, nothing worked. I thought a ribbon border might work. Then I realized the real issue. I was not passionate about this quilt and not  willing to spend the effort doing a complex border. I cut strips, sewed and voila! Done! And, I really like it! Off to the “to be quilted” pile. I don’t like having that pile, I want them finished pronto – but hey, I’m being realisitic. Can’t do it all! ALl in all, a productive and fun month.

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Workin’ It Wednesday – Border Dilema

Posted on July 20, 2016 by heARTs Creations

Pinwheel quilt

Leftover blocks from a split pinwheel quilt last year, so I sewed them up for another quilt top. I’m all about the borders lately, and don’t want to just “plain” border it again, which would be the easiest way to do it. I made some smaller pinwheels and am auditioning a couple of possibilities. Oy – what to do. A very thin red border and then the pinwheels on point with white print setting triangles? Or just the pinwheels with the white print and no separating border? WHAT should I do??? I need a quilt fairy on my shoulder advising me!

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I’ll need to live with this on the design wall for a few days and hopefully the bolt of lightening will hit me. Actually, I shouldn’t use that as we really did get hit with lightening last week. A huge tree was destroyed, telephones fried as well as our garage door opener. Yes, we’re fine, just experiencing some stress. I’ll just immerse myself in sewing – one of the best destressers I have (except when trying to decide borders!)

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This is just the “threatening limb” that was hanging from the tree and had to be removed. The limb alone was a pretty impressive size.

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Workin’ It Wednesday! Borders

Posted on June 22, 2016 by heARTs Creations

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What would I do without my design walls?! A couple of weeks ago I sketched a medallion quilt pattern and hubby put it on EQ for me. The plan was to use all Kaffe fabrics in blues and greens. After much sewing – flying geese and half square triangles, and much arranging and rearranging on the design wall, it just wasn’t working. I left it alone for a few days and then decided to just rearrange the pieces. This is not even close to the original design, but I do like it. Now it’s border time! I think borders help to make a quilt come alive. I will do a pieced outer border but need to decide on the inner border. Here are my three choices:

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Choice #1 – Too Busy – a NO.

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Choice #2  ??

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Choice #3 ??

 

I know #1 is a definite “no.” Help! Which do you think works better – #2 or #3?  Your help would really be greatly appreciated.

And what about my original quilt design?  I still have two bins full of Kaffe fabrics. I’ll happily pull some out and have another go at it another day!

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Scrapbuster Sunday – COLOR!!

Posted on May 14, 2016 by heARTs Creations

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Out came the yellow, orange and brown scrap bins. I pictured a warmth and brightness with these colors.  The stick pinwheel blocks were easy and fairly quick to put together. I arranged and rearranged the blocks so many times on the design wall. I altered colors, put them in rows and once I started to group the like colors I liked it better. The arrangement I chose just sort of fell into place. I love it!

Borders can really enhance a quilt and bring it to life. I pulled the “sticks” into the border corners coinciding with their colors. I think it pulls the colors out and then are enhanced by the brown borders.

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I also scrappy pieced the backing. Usually when I do a scrappy quilt, the bins appear to have the same amount of fabric in them as when I started. Not so this time – score!! There aren’t many oranges left and very few yellows. Even the browns are somewhat limited. Yeah! A true scrapbuster!!

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I love how my quilter quilted this one. She used both curvy lines and straight – a great vision for what this quilt needed.

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I’m calling it “Autumn Sunshine.” Yes, it is Spring – but I think the name definitely fits. (Someone did suggest this name to me and I only wish I could remember who it was so I could give her credit.)

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