Puppy Pouch and Cutting Diamonds

    My older granddaughter is getting ready to start the school year and requested a puppy sew on to her bookbag.  When I was searching through my appliqué designs for a cute puppy, I came across a McCalls pattern for a cute puppy cell phone case.  I adapted it and made this zippered pouch.  I hope she will enjoy attaching it to her bookbag.  She may still want a puppy appliqued. 

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    Friends in my church quilting group are planning to each make a simple Lone Star quilt.  A couple of months ago when the Pizza Girls from Quilters Gallery did a show for Greater Columbia Quilters  ( http://gcquilters.blogspot.com/2013/03/quilters-gallery-show-and-tell.html ), I purchased the “fussy cutter ruler set” that includes a giant diamond template for a very large Lemoyne star which I believe finishes at 24”.  The Lemoyne star is similar in piecing to a simplified Lone Star using the y seam technique. I was looking for something to play with yesterday and pulled out the template.  I have had a stack of bandana seconds for several years and decided I would use them for a stack n’ whack star.  If you have never made a stack n’ whack quilt, you first have to do the stacking and tedious pinning to match the number of layers needed.   I needed 8 to use my giant diamond template.

I managed to cut one stacked set for the largest diamond and then cut as many smaller other ones as I could fit.  

I will show more after I sew some together.

Working on Scrap Blocks

    While my kitchen is being worked on, I am trying to do a little sewing while the workers go in and out.  Today I pieced about scrap 12 blocks.  I started with 3 orphan blocks.  I partially deconstructed 2 and added to the color scheme.  I used greens, purples and yellows and have 20 blocks.

I am thinking of adding sashing and a border to increase the size.

  My new kitchen has a new floor and cabinets.  It will be a couple of weeks before they counter tops but I am excited by the progress.

Quilting 101 Class

    This evening I taught the first quilting class for JoAnn Fabrics. The ladies were new to using a rotary cutter so we took time for accuracy and safety.  They did a great job piecing their first quilt block, the Hole in the Barn Door.  Here they are working.

It took a little over the scheduled time but everyone finished one block.

Ginger

Cil

Debbie

Thanks, ladies, for taking the class.  I look forward to seeing more of your piecing until you have enough for your first quilt.