Tag Archives: Quilt

Paper Pieced Veggies

Posted on November 1, 2017 by heARTsCreations

PP Carrot heARTsCreations.com (Medium)

Last year I was asked to do a quilt to be hung at a farm stand. It’s for a dear cousin, so I said “yes.” Having sketched out my design, I was all ready to go until I came across some paper pieced veggie patterns (Quiltmaker “Garden Patch). And yes, into it I jumped – finally!

PP Watermelson (Medium) PP Tomatoes heARTsCreations.com (Medium) PP Radishes heARTsCreations (Medium)

They were not difficult and I do like the way they look. Now for putting it all together. I have somewhat of a plan, but it hasn’t fully emerged. I need to also put the name of the farm on the quilt. Setting this aside for now waiting for a rainy or cold day which we are promised very soon.

PP Onion heARTsCreations.com (Medium) PP Corn heARTsCreations.com (Medium)

October is now at an end so I’ve updated my project listing.

Fall I & Fall II Quilt and Sew-ins are next week, so I’m hoping to accomplish a fair amount there. The biggest benefit of my retreats for me is the great creative souls I get to spend time with, laugh with and share in their always amazing talents.

Oct 2017 WIPs heARTsCreations.com

Linking up with WIPS on Wednesdays

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Posted in Art, block pattern, Color, Fabric, Island Batiks, Pattern, Projects, Quilting Retreat, Sew-in and tagged Charity, Color, Patterns, projects, Quilt, Quilting, Retreats, Sewing. Bookmark the permalink.

Where Did April GO?

Posted on May 2, 2017 by heARTsCreations

It has been a beautiful Spring here in the Piedmont. A few really hot days, but mostly seventies with sunshine and just the right amount of rain. I have been more motivated than I have been in several years to work in the yard. There is a mighty lot to catch up on! The daffodils were spectacular, the azaleas were joyous and now we are awaiting the next blooms. I planted several annuals in pots – no longer do I plant masses of begonias or impatience in the ground (too much work!) And, what I used to spend on plants I now have allocated to quilting!

I did manage to spend a good amount of time sewing and April certainly produced positive results. The above quilt for Hospice was made from bright random strips of batiks donated by Robert Kaufman. (I’m working on using the Ipad camera, so sorry it’s a little fuzzy.) To date this year, six donation quilts are completed. I also completed a top that is going to be a wedding present for a special couple (I’ll save that for another post). I’ve got some things ahead of it before I quilt it, but am planning on doing that in August. The wedding isn’t until October so I should be safe – hopefully!!

April Project List

How was your April? Did you spend it in the garden? Did you do sewing or work on a different hobby? Read some good books? I love to hear how others spend their creative and/or down time.

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Posted in Art, Color, Fabric, garden, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting, Scraps, Stash and tagged Charity, Color, flowers, garden, projects, Quilt, Quilting, spring. Bookmark the permalink.

My First Round Robin

Posted on January 8, 2017 by heARTsCreations

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!

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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Posted in Art, block pattern, Color, Fabric, Pattern, Projects, Scraps, Stash and tagged Blocks, Borders, Color, Fabric, Patterns, projects, Quilt, Quilting, Round Robin, Scraps. Bookmark the permalink.

What I’m Working On

Posted on October 12, 2016 by heARTsCreations

backyard-ferns

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.

sept-project-progress

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Posted in Applique, block pattern, Color, Design Wall, Fabric, Pattern, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting, Scraps, Stash and tagged Blocks, Borders, Color, Fabric, garden, projects, Quilt, Quilts, Scraps, Sewing, UFOs. Bookmark the permalink.

Soft & Cuddly Baby Quilt

Posted on October 8, 2016 by heARTsCreations

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Baby quilts can be so cute – not as cute as the baby of course! My favorite baby quilts to make are flannel rag quilts. They are just so soft and cuddly. This quilt has a bright fun patterned flannel on the back and a pretty flowery, mostly pink pattern on the front. No batting is used – I layer the flannel to make it warmer and give the quilt more dimension rather than just sewing squares together. There are squares appliqued onto circles appliqued onto the main block, and there are circles appliqued onto squares appliqued onto the main block. Not only soft and cuddly, but the quilt is also nice and warm.

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There’s a fair amount of clipping but hey – no quilting or binding!! As soon as the last clip is made into the washing machine and dryer it goes. The transformation is fun – all fluffy!This is also a quilt that will serve her well until she is a young child. This is a present for a friend’s first grandchild and yes, they are expecting a girl. Better be a girl or I won’t have a gift in time!!

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Strips Make Quick Work!

Posted on September 10, 2016 by heARTsCreations

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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Posted in block pattern, Color, Design Wall, Fabric, Pattern, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting, Stash, Tips and tagged Borders, Color, Fabric, Patterns, projects, Quilt, Quilting, Quilts, Sewing, stash, UFOs. Bookmark the permalink.

September Already? August Roundup

Posted on September 3, 2016 by heARTsCreations

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.

Double Finish for Hospice!

Posted on August 14, 2016 by heARTsCreations

String Quilt 2016 (Large)

Hurrah! Two quilts done and going to Hospice at year end. As long as I have been doing charity quilts (10 years?) my goal has been two quilts a year. Retirement has blessed me with the time to add to that. This year’s goal is six, and here are two of those. The string quilt makes me so happy – so bright and lively. I love the way the black and white strips set it off. Most of the fabric was donated to our group by Robert Kaufman – thank you!

String Quilt 2016-2 (Large) Scrap Cat Applique, whole 2016 (Large)

Number two is a smaller lap quilt. It would be a fun quilt for a younger person, especially one who likes cats! This is the third quilt I’ve made from this fabric. After it was all pieced, I just knew it needed something. I took lots of tiny scraps and made the kitty applique. It was fun to do and adds fun to the quilt. I will soon do a little tutorial on how to do this applique. A loop-de-loop quilting was done on the colored triangles and I did straight line quilting on the white. I think the straight lines really enhance the white sections. It takes a bit longer but was worth it.

Scrap Cat Applique 2016 (Large)

There’s one more Hospice quilt to finish before our group donates them in December. Hey, I have lots of time – right?!

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Workin’ It Wednesday – Border Dilema

Posted on July 20, 2016 by heARTsCreations

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!

Pinwheels on point Border with white Border with red strip

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!)

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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Posted in block pattern, Color, Design Wall, Fabric, Pattern, Projects, Quilt Setting, Quilting, Stash and tagged Borders, Color, Fabric, Patterns, Pinwheels, projects, Quilt, Quilting, stash, UFOs. Bookmark the permalink.

Red, White & Blue Quilt Blocks

Posted on July 16, 2016 by heARTsCreations

A quilting tool and notions company, Martelli Enterprises, recently announced a quilt block drive for 12 1/2 inch blocks that exhibit a theme of law enforcement and patriotism. I had just finished quilting two quilts, so the timing was perfect. Not too much red, white and blue in my stash, bits and pieces really, but I did manage to put together nine blocks. No real planning – just cut and go. It all turned out okay, but there were two mis-cuts. I really need to start curbing my enthusiasm, plan a bit better, and measure twice cut once! They are already in the mail – astonishing – and I love knowing they will be put in a quilt that will comfort a person or family. Love it when a company shows its heart and gets involved this way.