Tag: Bonnie Hunter’s wild and goosey block

Turkey Tracks: I DID IT!!!

Turkey Tracks:  December 26, 2019

I DID IT!!!

On Christmas Day I met a friend with a dog for a super pleasant hour of exercise for all involved.  It was cold enough that the dog park mud was frozen.  Others came, the thrown balls bounced high and traveled far, and the dogs and people were all happy to spend this time together.

I came home, had a nice lunch, and…started my planned Christmas Day project.  In between I talked with various family members via Facetime.

With the help of a terrific video, I took apart my Brother 1034D serger, cleaned it, greased it, CHANGED THE KNIVES, changed the needles, and rethreaded it.

I had some trouble at the end with getting the thread on one of the loopers right, but this morning…

PERFECTION!

And now I understand EXACTLY how that looper threading works.

That serger is running like a dream!  The new knives made all the difference—and the lubrication and cleaning, well, the thing is running super smooth.  Now to make the knit garments I have stockpiled for winter sewing.  PLUS, I’ve realized I don’t have to take EVERYTHING apart just to change the knives.  But, cleaning this machine thoroughly may become a Christmas project yearly.

Here’s the very helpful video, and I had a lot of fun assembling the products this generous woman uses for this project.

Look what’s on the longarm today—Bonnie Hunter’s Wild and Goosey block is now in a quilt.  This one has been a LONG project—two or three years all told, off and on.  Many, many, many hours have been used in getting all these blocks done and into a quilt.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

And all my best to everyone for 2020 and beyond.

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 3

October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 3

The Work

Wow!  Look at this fun quilt Deb Hazell is making:

Here the pattern:

Deb H. also worked on this yummy wool blanket that is meant for “ownself.”

The blanket is yummy, but look, too, at the nifty portable sewing table Deb has.  The top has a clear acrylic piece that fits exactly around your machine.  I think the brand is Sew Eaze???  They are not horribly expensive either.  To her right is one of the portable tables that let you put your cutting board or ironing pad and iron right at your fingertips.  I got one at Amazon and can’t imagine what I did before I had it.

Tori Manzi is a master foundation piecer.  She finished the side sections of this quilt on this retreat.  There is a big plain section that goes between the arrow points.  And see below that the arrow head and some of the stock are elaborately foundation paper pieced.

Tori has a lot of the components of this quilt done now.  I think the little stars on the right will go into that middle section.  My goodness!!

I love this quilt Jan Corson is doing.  Blue and neutrals, stars and log cabins, what’s NOT to like??  She got the top done this trip and all the blocks trimmed up so the quilt will lie true.

Next, she made these little pouches for her daughter’s wedding in July–gifts for the bridesmaid’s.  Four done!

The inside of each has a different, charming fabric.  If these pouches run away from home, Jan, you could start looking at my house.

I am living vicariously through Deb Torre, who is just moving into the most beautiful farm house with a BARN and outbuildings.  Animals are coming in the spring.  I voted for chickens.  Hubby has a new tractor.  Deb is making this “star” quilt to go with the new bedroom’s colors.  She made great progress during the retreat.

In addition to her star quilt, Mary Bishop also made this Halloween table runner.

Mac Saulnier worked on these log cabin wreaths.  If I understand her correctly, they will be put together back to back to make a hanging for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.

Jan Kelsey worked on two Christmas funky block log cabin quilts.

But her big project for several retreats now has been this quilt that uses old postcards saved by her grandparents during their travels.  She copied the cards and printed the copy on to fabric.

Clever!  And, a lovely way to capture family history.

Vicki Fletcher got borders on her “disappearing 9- patch” quilt.  From a distance, this quilt looks so lacy.

I got the last 40 Tula Pink blocks done, from TP’s book 100 MODERN QUILT BLOCKS.  I used all Cotton + Steel fabrics and will set the blocks in this “city” setting.  Mary B. said the blocks remind her of old-fashioned comic book pages, all colorful and each page different.  Yeah!  That’s the look I wanted.  Now I am looking for C+S setting fabric.  The ones I like are virtually sold out.  I really liked the sparkle/Stardust fabric in grey.

I relaxed by making some Wild and Goosey blocks with my teeny scraps–a pattern from Bonnie Hunter.

I’ll set them with black and white strips and will set the blocks with wide sashing grounded by a small-block 9-patch.

I made two of the big star blocks (16 inches) that I designed after taking Amy Friend’s improv workshop.  Her book on this method is IMPROV PAPER PIECING.

It was a productive retreat.

Turkey Tracks: Quilting Update–February 2016

Turkey Tracks:  February 6, 2016

Quilting Update–February 2016

Yesterday was our first real “snow day” of winter.

Finally:

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I sewed all day–and the day just flew by.

Here’s what my design wall looks like now:

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Yep.  That’s SEVEN active projects, if you count “Allietore,” which is waiting  on the long arm to be loaded and quilted.

Note how the hexie project has grown.  (From Edyta Sitar’s HANDFULS OF SCRAPS.)  I’m using my 2 1/2-inch scrap blocks to make this quilt.  The top right side shows the top and right borders–with relation to the center blocks.  I’m working on the top left part now.

The blue blocks are waiting for me to finish more of the large half-square triangles–they are going through the leader/ender process–I only need about 70 more of them.  That’s a Jacob’s Ladder nine-patch block.

On the far right are more Farmer’s Wife blocks–see earlier posts–and I will do a separate entry on those blocks.  They are so fun and pretty.  And, addictive.

I will need to make more of the sashings (from my crumb bag) for the cheddar quilt.  I have a lot, but not enough for 30 or so blocks.  But I like how this quilt is going to look.  Lively and full of energy.

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These blocks are the start of a quilt using a collection of Kaffe Fasset prints that I got at the Norfolk Mancuso show some years back.  There was a demo quilt using these fabrics and the pink polka dot fabrics in a snowball block.  I fell in love with it.  I’ve got some wild fabric out of that collection for the back and borders.  AND, there are darker prints in this mix as well.  Not all are ironed and cut yet.  This quilt will be very feminine, but with some wild twists–and it’s for a granddaughter.

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I’ve longed to try Bonnie Hunter’s Wild and Goosey block for some time.  So, guess what else is coming out of my crumb bag?  I couldn’t resist.  I have two of these blocks finished after yesterday’s snow day.

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I really like the black and white neutrals in the cross piece.  Will likely stick to that idea.  Probably this will be a quilt for my newest granddaughter–as it will match the bright nature of her sisters’ recently finished quilts for their new bedroom.  (Pics on these quilts after they have been delivered.)

I still have over a thousand 4-patch blocks from last summer’s work, but I have ideas about those blocks…

Will the winter be long enough???