Crazy Quilt Progress

Progress on the Victorian crazy quilt has been slow.  As you can see, Cassie can barely keep her eyes open as she waits for me to get something done.  I am adding hand embroidery to each of the six triangle pieces, changing colors of threads and changing stitches and I have all of them partly done.

Sally loaned me a nice book on embroidery that illustrates a number of stitches and that has helped a lot.  Here's a close-up of two parts.  I'll try to get it put together next week.

So, what else have I been doing besides not getting this project finished?  I must confess that I discovered the author Lawrence Sanders and have been very entertained by his series that feature the character Archy McNally.  I've checked out and read about four in a row now.  Fun!

ANOTHER Quilt Challenge

Each year, Cotton Fields Quilt Shop offers a quilt challenge.  This year, the secret package contained fat quarters of three fabrics:  a very Victorian looking floral on neutral background, a deep royal purple texture, and an olive green small tone on tone print. 

The rules instruct the entrants to make a cotton crazy quilt.  All of the given fabrics must be used on the front and other fabrics may be added.  The challenge started May 1 and is due by the end of July.  We will have a mini-quilt show at our annual anniversary sale in August and award prizes based on viewers' choice votes.


This year, I decided to join the fun (mine will not be in competition).  Last week I rounded up some fabric coordinates. and tonight was the night to get started.  Here's what the work table looked like as I began.

Out of the chaos eventually came six crazy patched triangles.  I will add hand embroidery before I put everything together.

Here is a close-up of one section.

I guess you know what I'll be doing over the weekend.

Little Baskets Wall Quilt

I freed the trapped fabric when I completed the four flower basket blocks.  Yesterday I put them together into a simple setting for a small wall quilt (22" x 22").

This won't take any time at all to hand quilt.  It will be a nice take-along project.


This afternoon I rummaged through all sorts of scraps, cutting 4" x 5 " pieces to make kits for my "Crooked on Purpose" pattern.  Baby, my faithful assistant, was on top of it all!

Fabrics will vary, but this is the quilt that the kit will make:

It's our best selling pattern.

Trapped Fabric

We've all done it ... a project isn't completed for any number of reasons, so we pack it away, with it's coordinating fabrics for borders, binding, etc.  Now that fabric is TRAPPED.  You don't dare cut into it because you might not have enough left to finish the original  project.  Here's the fabric that is trapped this time, a nice cream tone-on-tone.

Last month, I was on the "Paper Panache" website looking for the foundation patterns to finish these basket blocks when I came across the Round Tuit and I was distracted.

Here are the blocks, finished except for the trimming.  The leftover cream fabric is now fair game again!  I'm planning on putting this little top together today with these other ingredients.  It will make a nice small take-along hand quilting project.

Blondie's Castle is Complete

Blondie's Castle was almost together when I shared it last:

The flat roof on the right side bothered me, though, so I added a wedge of purple.  Then I added aqua binding before I started the embellishment.

The finishing touches were 1) a bat, 2) bead fringe below two roofs, and 3) embroidery in the form of asterisks and chain lines.  There are also a few random beads covering bloopers in the machine blanket stitch.  How about a couple of close-ups?

This was supposed to be a "cityscape".  Funny how Blondie claimed the whole construction!

Rick Rack Mats

Thanks again to P.  I saw this idea on the blog "String Thing Along", but she actually has a tutorial of the entire process on HER blog "The Way I Sew It".  Very good instructions. 

Here's one little tip that I'd like to pass along.  I learned it years ago when taking a class that involved sewing and turning circle shapes.  Instead of clipping curves, trim closely with pinking shears.  It has the effect of many, many tiny clips and really helps to form smooth curves.  Here are my two table toppers at the trimming stage.


And here are the finished table toppers.  They are approximately 15" in diameter.  P. warned that the application of the rick rack was a bit tedious, and she wasn't kidding!  It got easier on the second mat as I got the hang of it.

"Blondie's Castle" is getting its finishing touches and the finished piece will be available for viewing soon.


Right now I've got to get things rounded up for a beginning quilting class that starts here tomorrow ........  

Blondie's Castle!

I've finished the machine work on the "cityscapes" quilt.  With the fusing done, I machine quilted straight lines in the background and buttonhole stitch around windows and flowers.  The discovery of BLONDIE fabric fit right in with the whimsical feel.

What's next?  Beading and binding ... this project was fun and went together fast.


I made a little more progress on the black, white and red table topper, too.  Before I started, I replaced the blade in my rotary cutter and it made all the difference.  I am famous for waiting WAY too long to change a blade.  Maybe that is why my cutting mats are getting so ragged?   

Here are the pieces for the first one cut out.  I made enough strip sets to make two in these colors.  More tomorrow.