Melinda Quilts etc
I finally finished another 25 bowtie blocks. I now have 600 done. Since the blocks are 3 inches finished and I think I am going to sew them into nine patches first. Then if I set them 10 by 10 I think I will end up with a quilt that is 90 inches square. That is the right size for my bed. I hope I figured out the measurements right!
Here are the 25 I just finished.
Melinda
While working on other projects (in the middle of the night as I am going through a period of not sleeping well) I have been making bowties as leaders/enders. I am on the downhill slope as I need about 900 and I now have 550 – plus about 7 more on the design board. I only count them when I have 25 on the board, then I put them in a baggie and they join their friends waiting.
I am starting to think about how to put them together someday. At this point I am considering making 9 patches with all the bowties going the same direction. I think I would be able to then play with the design without having so many little pieces.
Melinda
I haven’t worked on my bowtie leader/enders for quite a while. Since I finally got around to cutting more fabric I finished up another 25 blocks and have them put away with the others. These are numbers 501-525. I think I need around 900 to make the size quilt I want so I am over half way.
It certainly is going to be a colorful quilt!
Melinda
On my design wall today is a quilt that I plan to enter into the guild show. The deadline is today for entries and after I took this photo, I realized there is a mistake on the right side of the quilt. Two of the blocks are turned wrong. I took the photo yesterday so last night I picked out the two blocks and got them turned correctly.
I am going to the shop this afternoon to teach a kids’ class so I will take the quilt again and take another photo, I don’t know why I can see the problems in person but they are easy enough to see in a photo. Thankfully, the quilt isn’t quilted yet. The pattern is from Bonnie Hunter and is Many Scrappy Trips. All the fabrics are batiks and it is 94 inches square.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.
Melinda
We had our monthly meeting at Tiny Stitches yesterday. Lots of scrappy goodness. Several were working on their Grand Illusion quilts. Michele had already finished hers. She decided on an alternate setting.
While we were there, Nancy got the borders on hers so it is ready to quilt.
Lots of other blocks were being worked on.
There was also a Many Trips being worked on.
Lastly, Carolyn was working on her scrappy pineapple blocks.
I am still stuck on the first clue – you won’t see this one on my UFO list to complete soon. I will just keep working on it.
Melinda
I have been making slow progress on my leader/ender bowties. I now have 500 made so I am more than half way. I think I need about 900 to make a quilt the size I want. Here are the latest ones.
I have a little design board that holds 25 blocks so I make 25 and then put them in a baggie to wait with the others. I am starting to think about how to set them. I think I will sew them into 9 patches first.
I cut a few more scraps last night so I have some more ready to sew. My main project has turned back into the One Block Wonder. I still have lots more of those to piece together.
Melinda
I am late with my design wall because my friends and I went on a river rafting trip this morning. We had a great time and I will tell you all about it after I get some of the photos.
Here is what is on my design wall today. It is the start of Carolina Crossroads – Bonnie Hunter’s first mystery from several years ago. I did all the parts during the mystery but never got it put together. At Bonnie Hunter club yesterday I got several of the blocks made and I am really liking how it is looking.
Stuck down in the bottom corner is my sun for the Hexie BOM. I need to get it put on the background before Hexie Club next week.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.
Melinda
My latest Christmas quilt is on my design wall today. Each block is 16 inches and there are only 9 blocks in the quilt. The pattern is Solstice by Kate Spain and the fabric line has the same name. It needs to be finished for Christmas in July at the shop at the end of July. I went to the Atlanta Modern Quilters Guild sew-in last week and managed to get all the blocks cut and in baggies so it is fairly easy to work on a block. The fifth one is almost finished.
As a result of making these blocks, I am also making progress on my Bowties. Here are blocks 426-450.
I think Bonnie used 729 in her quilt but I am thinking of maybe making it a little larger so still have lots more bowties to make. I need to spend a little time soon cutting up scraps to be ready to make more of these.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times here.
Melinda
Now just to find the time to get them quilted. I still can’t decide which one I like best but I think I probably like the more scrappy one slightly more. Fun what different quilts turn out from the same fabrics.
Melinda
Here is my design wall from last Monday.
Here is is today!
As you can probably tell, I mixed up each of the sections and kept the colors together. I need to get a few more rows done but I think I like this version – maybe better. When I teach this in July, I will have two different samples to show so that should be fun.
The pattern is Scrappy Mountain Majesties from Bonnie Hunter with help from Carol for inspiration.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.
Melinda
I got the top for Scrappy Mountain Majesties finished at Bonnie Hunter club yesterday. Here it is on the shop’s design wall.
I had planned on making it larger but decided to get it finished instead. I picked out the two borders so just have to get them on this week. I still have more fabrics cut out and plan on making another top with the fabrics mixed up within each block – thanks Carol for the idea!
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.
Melinda
More Kaffe mountains on my design wall today. I am getting close to having half of them made.
Of course, along with the Kaffe I have been making leader/ender bowties. Here are numbers 381-400. I am more than half way to making a quilt!
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.
Melinda
I have made some progress on my Scrappy Mountains Majesties quilt top. I know they will need rearranging but here are the ones I have completed so far up on the design wall.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times here.
Melinda
I have worked on Scrappy Mountains while also working on Sisters Choice. I had to take the Sisters Choice blocks off the design wall to make more room for the Scrappy Mountains blocks. I have cut all the background squares but am still working on cutting more Kaffe.
I also finished an applique block for the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild raffle quilt. It is going to be beautiful. For the first round, they gave out blocks to piece. Here is the one I did.
They then repackaged them and gave out applique kits. I wasn’t at the meeting but Lynda got two so I offered to do one of them for her. Here it is.
Melinda
I have a couple of things on my design wall today. At the top are the current blocks for Sisters Choice. Still have lots more to make. At the bottom are the first of my Scrappy Mountain Majesties blocks. I am going to teach this project in Las Vegas this July so need to get a sample made. I am using various Kaffe fabrics with black and white dots – also mixed.
The blocks will be mixed up – not set like they are now on the design wall. Now that I am sure of the size and that I like them, I am going to try to get them all cut out so I can work on them a little at a time.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.
Melinda
Today on my design wall I have my Sisters Choice blocks. There are only six blocks so far but I have several more kits ready to make several more. Bonnie Hunter shows her quilt without sashing but her backgrounds are much more calm – with black and whites, they are much busier and will need some calming down. I am thinking of scrappy blacks and will have to think about cornerstones.
For some reason, there is a lot of red in these blocks but the next batch is more varied. I am using green for the star points but anything goes for the nine patches.
For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times here.
Melinda
We had a great time at Bonnie Hunter club today. I spent my time cutting for my bowtie leader/ender project and kitting up some Sisters Choice blocks. I think I need 64 blocks to make the size quilt I want as I am going to add some sashing. My background fabric is just too busy not to have sashing. Unfortunately I can’t locate a photo right now. I will try to get them on the design wall for tomorrow.
Michele brought two quilts to share.
Nancy also brought two.
and finally – Marla also brought two.
Lots of fun, as usual.
Melinda
Another great day in the mountains. Lots more progress on Sisters Choice quilts but there are a lot more quilts being worked on. Here are a few of them.
This is a quilt from the Amicacola retreat earlier this year.
Next is a Hunters Star
A Jelly Roll quilt
Another Jelly Roll quilt
Magnolia Lane
One Block Wonder
Rain Drops
Simply Woven
Some string blocks and the start of Smoky Mountain Stars
Melinda
We had a lot of fun today and most people worked on their Sisters Choice quilts. Here are a few photos.
Carolyn was putting borders on her Lazy Sunday quilt.
Melinda
