My Own Twister Block

   After my guild potluck picnic lunch, about a dozen ladies stayed for Lari’s After-after on the twister block technique without having to purchase the templates.  Lari shared how the new angles are the perpendicular intersecting lines rotated by 60 degrees before cutting.  You can make your own template for any size.

I came home and finished my example. Lari told us to piece a 4 patch of 2 lights and 2 darks then add a simple border. Here is how mine started.  

  It was a simple project.  There was some waste but I can use my scraps in a crumb project.  One other concern is all the bias edges.  If I do this again, I think I will spray starch the fabric ahead of time so as to give a little more stability.

Here is my finished top. 

  

Wedges and Wheels Quilt

Last May I started playing with wedges and wheels.  This post shows the work using a 9 degree wedge ruler.   http://elizabethsquiltprojects.blogspot.com/2012/05/wedges-and-wheels.html

I put the center panel aside until a few days ago.  To make a border I cut similar fabric into rectangles and then sliced them into wedges with only one edge on the bias. 

This weekend I concentrated on piecing the scrappy border wedges.  I tried to make it look like the wedges went around the corner.  I should have paper-pieced the corners.  It would have been easier.  The top is finished at 56 by 68”. 

I really over estimated the number of pieces needed.  This is my stack of leftover pieces. 

  It is good that 4 of these wedges sewn together can be trimmed up to make a 6 ½” square so I know they will get used somehow. 

Rainbow Sundress

     A month or so ago while reading quilting blogs I came across a girl’s rainbow sundress for sale at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BananaOrangeApple .  I decided to make a similar one for my granddaughter.  I adapted a McCalls sundress pattern.  I pulled nickel squares from my stash and my sister contributed some.  I serged the squares together for the tiers.  The red tier has 14 squares; orange/yellow has 18; green has 24 and blue/purple has 30.

Here is the dress hanging. 

This shows how full the skirt is.  It just needs a little girl to put it on and twirl.  

Sister's Finished Projects

    My sister Irene  and I took the same classes at the NC Quilt Symposium at the end of May.  She has finished both of her projects so I wanted to share her beautiful work.
   The first is from our class from Judith Montano on crazy quilt embellishment stitches.

    Next is the dogwood wall-hanging from Annette Ornales' class on curves without curve piecing. 

ADDQ - Attention Deficient Disorder for Quilters

     I took some time to make myself a summer dress using an old favorite pattern.  I need some more new clothes and I HATE to shop.

     While looking for something I came across 6 leftover squares and decided to make bear claw blocks with them.  I have had some Thangle papers for some time so I used them to make HSTs.  They are convenient because these use 2 ½” strips to make 2” finished HSTs.  With the light fabric next to the paper, they easily press toward the dark and finish. 

I forgot that each square creates 2 finished HST squares so I ended up with twice what I needed for the 6 blocks and have enough for 12 blocks.  I put that away for another day. 

    My Leader-Ender project has been squares of light and dark basic colors.  I decided I had enough twos and started putting them together for rows of 4.  I could not stop there so put together 16 patch blocks.  I have 15 finished and 3 more half done.  

My original idea was to make a “16 patches and pinwheels” quilt I have seen several places.  This is my EQ plan for what it might look like.

 I also played with another option.

I have put my 16 patch blocks on hold for now.  I have too many other projects that need attention.   I am collecting boxes to pack up my kitchen for remodeling.   That will be a job but I’m looking forward to a beautiful new kitchen.

My First Coiled Fabric Bowl

     I finally got around to making my first coiled fabric bowl.  I have 2 books years ago after seeing them being made on a  quilting TV show.  My sister borrowed my books and started making beautiful bowls years ago.  I have been collecting 3/4" scrap fabric strips in a bag planning to make a bowl.  Yesterday I added the binding to the latest children's comfort quilt and was looking for my next project.  I pulled out my book, cotton clothesline and scrap strips.  It did not take long and here is my first coiled fabric bowl.

There are things about it that I do not like such as the long strip of light next to the long strip of dark.  A change of fabric would have broken that and looked better.  It is also a little irregular but it was easier than I thought it would be.  This one is very basic so I look forward to getting more fancy with them. I still have more clothesline and many more fabric strips.

Piecing and Quilting Progress

      My yard has been calling me so I have spent several hours a few days trying to bring it under control.  Then I relaxed in my sewing room.  I have finished piecing the "Pina Colada" top.  It is 60" by 72" so fairly large.

There is A LOT of light background because of the extra strip top and bottom to make it rectangular.   Because the pattern sample used a batik, it was not obvious how dominate it would be.  I may have to plan some special quilting for the large light areas.  The very large star in a star in a star was simple to piece and even the HST border was not difficult using 6" finished HSTs. If I use this pattern again, I think a busier print would be better for the background fabric because of the large areas.  The corners also bother me.  I followed the pattern but may change them.

I have also quilted 2 children's comfort quilts for GCQ.  Today I tried out a couple of  different FMQ designs.  Here is one frame quilted using a kind of ray design
.

Here is one frame where I quilted sort of bananas or half feathers.  I used white thread on white so I know you can't see it well, but I did not want to in case it did not look good.  Sometimes I use charity/comfort quilts for practice.