What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I know, I know – I’ve been gone for ages. All sorts of things have been happening.

Including lots of stitching. I’ve identified a few projects that I want to try to focus on. Try being the operative word. And this is one of them – Nocturne from Millefiori Quilts 3. I had started it ages ago but then it sat. So when that project box came out, I figured out what I needed to finish it and got all the shapes printed that I’ll need. A little fussy cutting/printing was done – of course. And now I’ll ...

This, the beginning of the Capriccioso quilt from Millefiori Quilts 3 that I now think of as the Candy Cane quilt, was one of the projects I looked at and was ambivalent about. Until, that is, I mentioned it to a friend and showed her this picture. She persuaded me that I didn’t want to toss this one.

Particularly since all the little stars for it are done and nestled in this box.

And all the pieces for what I think of as the bow-tie unit are all ready to sew.

So I decided to sew one of the ...

Remember these – the box full of batik sunflowers last seen here in 2017? They have been my focus for a week or so because I decided that I needed to make a few more.

A few? Famous last words. Because this was the result.

Thanks to a blogging friend who had sent me a lovely selection of batiks from her stash, which I had set aside for this project, I have a few really interesting sunflowers to be made. A few? Try 90+. I got carried away and any batik I had that I hadn’t used already for a ...

I know, I know – it has been a very long time since I blogged. I don’t even want to think about how long it has been. Lots has been going on, but I just haven’t blogged. I’m going to try, once again, to get back to blogging on a somewhat regular basis.

At Christmas a friend gave me a huge set of markers and an adult colouring book. I was hooked immediately! Since then I’ve progressed to coloured pencils and have found that I’m drawn mostly to colouring books that involve floral designs. Big surprise ...

I know I should have blogged last week but I have an excuse – I got my booster shot and it packed a bit of a punch! I’m glad it did as that means my immune system was busily making antibodies to help fight COVID but still – I wasn’t expecting to feel like I’d been hit by a bus!

However, two more Christmas Fireworks blocks are done, both the off kilter or not centred stars. First this one, which I think may be one of my favourites – so far, that is.

And then this one:

Today I’ll ...

I decided to get all the red diamonds pieced into pairs for the remaining 21 blocks of the Christmas Fireworks top. There were stacks and stacks of the diamonds like this one.

Each group in the stacks contained 16 of the diamonds.

So I loaded up the needle case with needles threaded with red thread.

Then it took just a few minutes to get each stack pieced into pairs like this.

Each stack turned into stacks and stacks of pieced pairs of red diamonds. Now all the piecing left to do is either continuous piecing or curved piecing or both ...

Christmas Fireworks, that is – my take on Willyne Hammerstein’s Midnight Fireworks quilt in Millefiori Quilts. Which, of course, I’m making with the Inklingo Midnight Fireworks collection.

First up an off-centre fireworks.

Then a centred one.

And finally another off-centre one.

Now I’ve used all the red diamond pairs I had pieced so it’s time to chain piece more of them. I’ve decided to do these blocks in groups of 8 or 10 so this time I’m going to chain piece (by hand) eight pairs of red diamonds for each of 10 blocks.

I had ...

So far I’m still sticking with the Christmas Fireworks and two more blocks are done.

First one with the star pointing straight.

Then an off-centre one.

The back of the straight star after grading of the seams and pressing it. When I was taking the photos, I happened to scroll through my camera roll really quickly and it was fun to see how much movement the block that seems off-centre adds. Now I’m really glad I decided to do the blocks both ways!

I’m also very grateful that I caught on to the effect of the two ...

This block was done in March. Of. 2010. That’s right – 2010. That was when the first block of Stormy Seas was sewn, although I just watermarked it now. And the project is still not finished!

These 25 blocks were finished by 2012, and there it appears to have sat until 2018 when a handful more blocks were finished. Blocks like these ones:

And these:

And these blocks as well:

That was September 2018, well over three years ago. Now there are only ten blocks left to make. Each envelope in this box has all the pieces needed for one ...

My Christmas Fireworks, that is, which is what I decided to call my version of Willyne Hammerstein’s Midnight Fireworks in Millefiori Quilts.

Notice anything? I realized after I had put together a few more of these blocks that I have been adding the black framing pieces two ways – one has the centre star’s central point pointing right up while the other doesn’t.

And while this picture isn’t very good at all – I laid the blocks out on top of the duvet so there were lots of hills and valleys – it shows an example of what the ...

I know, I know – last time I said I was going to blog more often. Ha! Then I vanished for ages – again. However, here I am again and hopefully will get back into a blogging routine.

Remember this clamshell block with sashing?

I finished another of the blocks.

There’s one more of those to make and then I’ll add more of the sashing – assuming I can find that black and white fabric which I had used and know is somewhere – and that will be it for that clamshell project.

BUT — there will be loads more very colourful clamshells ...

It’s 9″ by 12″ and I absolutely love how it turned out! It’s destined be a Christmas gift but I’m pretty convinced that I want to make a lap quilt using these fabrics. This was made using the 3″ Inklingo Winding Ways collection. I’m thinking if I do make the lap quilt, I may use the 4.5″ size instead — although maybe not. These little 3″ blocks were pure bliss to piece as every seam involved curved piecing and each block seemed to be done very quickly. So I’m thinking a lap quilt made up ...

Now that I have nine of these little 3″ Winding Ways variation blocks done, I’m tempted to make a lap quilt using these fabrics and blocks of this size. These blocks are destined for a mug rug but the temptation is almost impossible to resist. I may change my mind once I get these all sewn together but somehow I don’t think that will make a difference.

The back of two of the blocks, after the seams were graded and the blocks were pressed.

I’ve been jumping from project to project over the past week and rarely ...

When I saw this variation in the 6″ Deluxe Winding Ways collection, I knew I had to try it. It’s fun to piece with all that lovely curved piecing. I think I’ll make enough of this one for a table topper or wallhanging. The variation is available in all the deluxe Inklingo Winding Ways collections.

The back after pressing and grading the seams.

I’ve made a couple more of the little 3″ blocks with the floral and green fabrics. I think I’m just going to make 12 of them and then turn them into a mug ...

The two boxes were finally full of the completed blocks late last week. When I was counting them to make sure I had enough, I was really surprised at the amount of yellow in the blocks. At least 50 per cent, if not more, of the blocks have yellow in them.

I am joining them by hand. I know it would be much faster by machine, but I’m enjoying sewing them together and can substitute blocks easily if I see that a block is too close to another block with the same fabric. And, truth be told, the disaster ...

Other projects were found as the sewing area was moved. One is these very colourful 9-patch blocks on point. I love the look of these so don’t have any idea why I’ve let the project just sit for so long. However, now that I’ve got it out I’m hoping I finish at least one or two of the blocks every week. The 9-patch blocks are all done. All that’s left to do is add the triangles.

Then the various Silent Garden projects were unearthed, starting with the blue and brown Silent Garden project. I’m ...

This was one of the projects I unearthed during the relocation of my sewing area. The block was made with the Inklingo 3″ clamshells and clamshell sashing collections.

A second block was done, but it has no sashing.

A third block was done as well.

I also found two more sets of clamshells for the fourth and fifth blocks. Once they’re done along with sashing this will turn into a small table topper.

The blocks are all nicely pressed, but the seams aren’t graded – yet. I’ll do that before I start sewing blocks 4 and 5.

I ...

The Inklingo 12″ Winding Ways collection was released on the weekend and I immediately printed enough for one block. I initially thought I’d make a lap quilt using the large block in a different fabric but, as soon as I got the collection, I decided to do just one of the block for now in the same red and white as the tiny 3″ blocks. This is going to be the centre of the quilt and will be surrounded by lots and lots of the tiny ones.

The back, after pressing and grading the seams. The one long centre ...

I am finding the Inklingo 3″ Deluxe Winding Ways blocks absolutely irresistible.

So much so I had to make a couple with these little floral and soft green fabrics. This is one of the variations in the Deluxe collection – the centre, dividing pieces are just a bit larger. The camera doesn’t seem to like these fabrics as this looks much prettier in person than it does in the photo! There will be a few more made with these fabrics and they’re going to be, I think, turned into a special mug rug for someone. I think that all ...

Typing that heading made me think of Laura Secord Miniatures. A good friend used to get a box of Laura Secord Miniature chocolates for Christmas every year. No one — and I mean no one — got to touch that box. She absolutely loved them but then the Laura Secord store that was close by closed and no more of the miniatures.

My French General miniatures are much less fattening! It all began with Winding Ways, Quilting the Inklingo Way, Linda Franz’ new book. While it uses Winding Ways block, the lessons taught in it are applicable to any block plus lots ...