Taught Barb to quilt

Barb came for the weekend and was going to do some projects around the house, but needed help that I couldn't give so instead I taught her how to paper piece quilt blocks. She took to it right away. She made a block for Ben's quilt and liked the color combo so well she made herself some placemats for her kitchen. She made them miniatures (which means each little block is only 2 inches bit and it took 16 blocks for each placemat). I had to help a little but the majority of the work was done by her. She really caught on quick and she's so creative with a great eye for color. I know she'll be making some beautiful quilts when she sits down to do it again. She sure is off to a fantastic start. Before this she had never even sewn. Quite an accomplishment for a weekend of work. And we had fun and fit in our own mini shop hop to local quilt shops. Life is good!

Last block

Finished my last block of a very sewful weekend. Unfortunately I don't know when I'll have another chance to sew. Too many other commitments. This one looks better in person than in the picture. It doesn't show the contrast in the photo. Not sure if I'll keep it, or cull it later. We'll see. Only five more blocks left to catch up.

Day and Night Star Flower Radiant Block

This pattern is free on Carol Doak's Web site but I had to modify it to make it fit in with all the other Radiant BOM blocks. I'm not sure I love the color/fabric placement, but it's okay for now. More to do, no time to waste. Tomorrow is a work day.

Another Golden Radiant Block

I modified the December block from the first Carol Doak Yahoo Group Block of the Month and made it in yellow, black and white to go in my Golden Radiant Quilt. Got it done just in time to wait for my new dishwasher. Life is good!

New Project

Last night I decided I needed to make something that wasn't red black and white or yellow black and white. I went digging in one of the fabric closets and found some fabric from a friend, who happens to be coming to visit this week. So I figured it would be cool to use it so when she gets here she can see it in a place of honor. I haven't made a table topper for my new house yet, so that was the project I picked. The fabric is Mary Englebreit. The table topper came out pretty good, even on the back. Bright primary colors always look so sharp against black. Took less than 4 hours, start to finish; quilted and everything. That's the kind of project I like -- immediate gratification. And it goes really well with all the other tea stuff in my dining area.

Mini Wall Hanging Challenge

Can't wait for spring.

Git 'er done

We have a challenge on my quilting group to finish started projects and do better at finishing anything else we start in 2011. It's called Get 'er done or GED. Earlier this year we had a challenge on the same group to make a quilt that was 9" x 9" or smaller and use 4 different block designs. After the challenge I put some borders on mine, making it 14 1/2 inches square. I love it! So I added it to the GED challenge and it was the first one I decided to finish. The stems on the flowers are actually done with a textile marker. I might just embroider them over top. I just have to dig out my embroidery thread. But at least it is done and can go on the wall as is. This is the first of about 30 projects I hope to finish in 2011. We'll see how that goes.

Cathy in SATX
Every day is a good day to quilt.

Ben's Quilt

I started this quilt 3 years ago with a block of the month, but my son wanted it to fit his queen-size bed, so I started making more blocks. He gave me the color scheme of red, black and white. I put it away with only 2 blocks missing. I had never done a bed quilt and thought it too hard. I took it out recently (after putting together a king-size quilt for someone else). I made the missing 2 blocks and then found two others I didn't really like, so I made new ones to replace them. I've done the layout now but want to look at it for a while before I actually put it together. Once it's together there's no changing my mind. In a graphics file I can easily adjust where the blocks are. What do you think? I have striped border fabric and some really cool backing fabric (although will have to use two different prints). I'm ready to sew it together, I think .....

Mock up of Golden Radiant Quilt

Added some more blocks to the layout. This is kind of what this quilt will look like, just so you get an idea of where I'm going. The outside black border fabric is actually a print with yellow and white on a black background. But the rest is pretty accurate -- although this is only a graphics mock up.

Two more Simply Radiant BOM blocks done

The sewing fire is definitely burning down. Not the desire -- just the time. I was only able to finish 2 blocks yesterday and don't think I'll have any time today for any. So until next Friday, this is probably it. But the good news is I have 13 blocks done, which is more than half of the 25 I'm going to do. The other good news is Carol Doak showed me a layout that doesn't include connector blocks, so 25 blocks is all I'll have to do for the king size quilt. I'll alternate those with solid black squares. She did a mock up and it looked good. I'm working on a better mock up using the blocks I've done so far. I like it.

So many points!

Yippee! I was able to finish 3 blocks again today. I had to stay up until midnight, but I got them done. This latest block was the most difficult one I've done so far. It was the March block of the 2008 Block of the Month. The original size was 6 inches, and that was hard enough but to fit in with the rest, I had to shrink that to 4 1/4 inches. That means all those points were even tinier than the first time I made this block 2 years ago. The points really radiate now. Well, it's finally done, it looks pretty good, and it's a keeper. I now have 11 of 25 blocks needed to finish this quilt. Who knows maybe I can do another 3 tomorrow. That would be awesome!

Another Radiant Block

I'm not sure if I like this one or not, but it'll do for now. It was originally the April block for the first Block of the Month the Carol Doak designed for her Yahoo Group. I liked it when it first came out but it doesn't really work in the color scheme I'm using. Once I get all the blocks done, I may replace it with something else. We'll have to see.

First Block of 2011

I had the perfect morning. Woke up, ate breakfast, started sewing. Now it's not quite noon and I have my first block done. This is a modified Rays of Hope block. It fits in perfectly with the Simply Radiant Blocks of the Month. It almost looks like Carol designed this one for this BOM. And I especially like it in these colors. On to the next.