Category: Quilts

North Star State Update

It has been a while since I shared progress on my version (miniaturized) of the North Star State Quilt. But, I have been slogging along in the background, trying to complete (more or less) a block a day. Persistence has paid off and I have 56 of 56 basic blocks completed. YAY!

Next focus is the setting blocks. I have 31 of them so far, but it will take over 90. More slogging. But, I really do want to see how it will look finished, so I must carry on.

I hope to have the quilt finished sometime this fall.

One Thing Leads To Another

The kitchen/dining chairs really needed new seats. My father built this set in the mid-1970s after one of their old chairs broke while my mother was standing on it to reach the top cabinet to get down the silver chest for a holiday dinner. She broke several ribs. He was very angry and broke the old rickety set to pieces and made one that WOULD NOT BREAK.

I was given the set when I moved out on my own. What a great gift!

It has been used and used. Four children and all their friends. Meals. School projects. Game nights. Teary conversations. Grandchildren.

The seats have been recovered a few times.

But the table top also needed help this time. It looked a little shabby next to the new, shiny seats.

And that started to reflect on the condition and decorating of the adjoining living room, so I started a new quilt.

Yep, that is how things happen sometimes.

Safe Haven Alternative Finish: Top Complete

At last! The blocks sat for a year, more or less, before I came back to them and pushed towards a finish.

And I am pleased with it. Yes, the picture isn’t great due to size and adverse weather conditions, but you get the idea.

Final size is 84″ x 96″. A useful size and reasonable shape. It will be a while before it is a true finish. I need backing fabric and quilting and binding, but, this is a complete top and I am glad of it!

Welcome Home #3

Hopefully you aren’t tired of seeing them, because I am not tired of making them.

It is so easy to take 2-1/2″ strip leftovers, or to cut some from scrap, and before you know it, TA-DAH, you have a quilt!

And, as was pointed out by a reader, no background fabric is needed. Just happy-scrappy beauty.

No one will be bored sleeping under or snuggling in this quilt.

ps–Here is the link to the block tutorial: TUTORIAL: Welcome Home Quilt Block – Wedding Dress Blue (wordpress.com)

Safe Haven Alternative Finish: Step Two

Another tentative step forward on an alternate setting for the blocks I have finished for the Safe Haven quilt kit.

I decided to add 1-1/2″ strip around each block.

Each block gets a different color, one that is contained in the block but not dominate on the side.

All of them are finished and it is time to contemplate Step Three. I am going back and forth between 2-1/2″ sashing in the light tan color that serves as a background in several of the blocks, a 1-1/2″ sashing of the same, and just sewing them all together. Your thoughts?

Another Potential Project

Hand-me-down projects are so much fun to work with. I try to approach them with an attitude of curiosity: What can this be?

Still thinking on this, but in the meantime I can start ironing those half square triangles open and squaring them up.

It will be exciting to see what happens next.

Safe Haven Alternative Finish: Step One

The first step to help me along towards a finish of the Safe Haven quilt was to make all the blocks the same size. While 8 blocks in the original plan are 20″ x 20″, the other four are 18″ x 20″.

I added a 2-1/2″ strip of fabric that is in the block but not on the edge of the block to one side of each of those blocks. There is a lot of surplus fabric (Did the original owner get two sets of some blocks?) and that is really helping at this phase.

The next plan is to add a border to each block. I hope to have that Step Two update to share within a week.

Star Kissed 1-1/4″ Finished

The first quilt top created was the last one finished. That happens sometimes. But I am pleased with the outcome and look forward to sharing a round up of all of them (four sizes).

If you have a Star Kissed top/quilt you would like included, let me know. I would love to see how you finished yours.

The pieces in this one are SO TINY! It makes my heart happy.

For now it is staying here with the other three. I have some notion about doing a presentation of some kind on scale and setting options in quilts…I don’t know how that would work, really. But it might be fun.

In the meantime, I have a lovely throw to enjoy.