Baby Bricks

I saw a postage stamp quilt, something on my list to make someday, and I decided the time had come. So I went in search of small squares - I knew there were some here. I started a quilt at some point and decided to give it up; those pieces would be a good start. Well, I found the pieces. Everything was cut for the original quilt and 91 blocks were finished with some being sewn together! There was just too much done to begin cutting it up. So I had a change of plans. I decided to finish Baby Bricks. It would be a table cloth with 96 blocks for our screen porch instead of a donation quilt to the Children's Hospital.

This 51" square quilt went together FAST! I used Free Fuse to baste it and learned that one should check both sides of the quilt before quilting just like when pinning. At least it was just a tiny crease and with a little ripping out, it was fixed in under 10 minutes. I won't forget that lesson though.

I used Aurifil #5006, a light turquoise thread to quilt this. I saw a video and decided to try quilting a curvy braid motif with the walking foot. I think you can see the quilting better on the back.

The  backing is a light turquoise fabric with colored fish that was in my stash.

I seldom have a quilt that I don't like. I'm really glad that I set this one aside because I am going to love it on our porch table.

Here are my notes on the curvy braid:

1. I made a large template with pointed ends using a pizza pan. I measured and marked the middle of the template (end to end) with a small hole. My template, cut from a file folder was 9" by 3 1/2".

2. I marked a straight line across the quilt and positioned the template on it with the ends both on the line. I traced the template and put a dot for the middle of the template on the line. Repeat with template end to end all the way across the quilt. Now repeat this whole process across the entire quilt putting the lines as close together as you like. Note: I used diagonal lines on this quilt about 4 1/2" apart.

3. I quilted each braid as a serpentine (doing left side, right side, repeat) from end to end. Then I quilted the opposite serpentine. The quilting ideally crosses at the straight line but who will ever know?!

4. Marking the second set was easy; I just matched the ends of the template to the center marks on the straight line.

5. ! quilted the second markings using serpentines just like the first.

It is a lot of marking but not hard at all. I always wash my quilts in plain water, no soap, to be sure any and all markings are removed.

Jamestown Landing

Jamestown Landing is finished. I made this using Bonnie Hunter's pattern. The entire quilt is made with fabric scraps and I still have more.

This 63" by 75" quilt with stay with us. It looks nice on our new couch

or behind it.

I used Free Fuse on this quilt to sandwich the layers with no problems. I'm pretty convinced that you can use Free Fuse on any size quilt. I did roll the quilt top, the batting, and the backing on boards just like I do when I pin baste. For me, that really helps with controlling everything. 

I used light blue Aurifil #2715 thread to free motion quilt this. I ran out of thread with about a square foot left to quilt so I had to wait a couple of days for the guy in the brown UPS truck to bring me more. That nice man has almost become family this past year! 

I used a sort of flower motif. Here is a quick rough sketch:

The back is a light blue print.

Health Update: I saw my neurosurgeon Monday. My surgery will not occur until I have taken at least 6 months of the bone-growth meds and have new scans. That means at least September. The surgeon says he will not do the spine surgery sooner or he would be redoing it again in two years. He will be replacing all of the screws in my back, and adding more as he fuses another vertebrate in place. Today I saw my general physician. She and I had a long discussion about pain management. My pain tolerance, which did a good job of getting me through a rough back surgery 10 years ago, has met its match. She gave me some meds and I'll be seeing her often between now and the surgery. She knows how much I hate taking meds and she wants to be sure I have some quality of life in the next months. Fingers crossed!

The I Spy Tree

I finished The I Spy Tree quilt top in early February and it is now a finished quilt. This quilt is based on Bonnie Hunter's Pine Tree Point. Each tree is a color family except the one in the lower left, The I Spy Tree. That tree was made with strings of any color, some with images.

This is the first quilt sandwich that I basted with Free Fuse basting powder. What a game changer that has been for me; I may never go back to pins! 

This 51" by 61" quilt is a donation quilt. I stitched-in-the-ditch around each tree block and on each side of the sashing strips. I free-motion quilted a horizontal stipple in the background of each tree block and in the turquoise border. The lazy eight motif was used in the sashing and the light colored borders. 

Each of the nine trees have a different motif - stippling, vertical lazy-eights, improv, paisley, wavy line, feathers, spirals, double loops, and loop-de-loop. Each of the nine tree trunks also have a different motif - diagonal squiggle, ribbon candy, vertical lazy eights, squiggle, horizontal squiggle, wood grain, horizontal lazy eights, diagonal lines, and vertical lines.

The backing is turquoise and purple. I used #2600 Dove gray Aurifil thread in all of the light areas of the quilt top and on the entire back. Each tree has a 'matching color' thread as do the tree trunks.

There will be more finishes soon!