Works in Progress Wednesday

Here I am still messing with the St. Louis 16 Patch Block. It's been hanging on the design board for a long time. It first looked like this. I did rearrange so  

 

that the coral blocks were spread out more evenly. But then I kept coming across other images of this same pattern and just couldn't reach a sense of satisfaction. 

I contemplated on creating a disappearing 16 block but didn't like how it would cut off points. Then I saw an image of one with the blocks on-point and loved that setting. It had a plain block for every other one. Since the blocks are 16" blocks I nixed that idea since it takes away too much of the scrappiness and makes the quilt way bigger than desired. Back to the drawing board or better the design board. I rearranged and played with the idea of sashing and setting the blocks on-point. Hmm this is appealing and different. 

 

 

So should the on-point blocks float?  This appealed to me.

How about keeping with pattern with set-in blocks? Oh I like this too.

Now I have a enough blocks to make one more quilt.

In the process of making 2 sets of 15" Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. One set is for a custom order and the other will be for My Etsy Shop. 

I had a whoopee moment last week as I made my first sale in My Etsy Shop a Raggedy Ann outfit.

 Another nice thing happened last week. It was a pay-forward sort of thing. So when that happens I want to do it in return. Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs created the pattern for Arrows All Around.

I just love this quilt . . . and she sent me the pattern!  Last evening, finally having a moment to read the pattern, I decided I needed to make this quilt. I visited her blog a few minutes ago and once again have been wowed away with her awesome quilt designs! If you have a moment take a peek.  You will see lots of eye candy other there!

That's all for the Works in Progress updates.

This week I am in high giddy mode having Modern Star Quilt being featured at 3 Linky Parties this week. To read more about it go here.

Go here to see the closeup images of Modern Stars

Linky parties I am attending: 

Happy quilting all,

Second Quilt Entered in Bloggers Quilt Festival - Two Color Category

Well I debated as to whether to enter one more quilt into Amy's Creative Side's Bloggers Quilt Festival. I will be entering this quilt in the category of Two Color Quilts.

I don't think I was blogging at the time when making this quilt and I am quite thankful for taking time to make a label to even remember when I made this quilt that I am entering. For the most part the quilt has not been used other than to look pretty on a bed or hanging on my open bannister.

Today while taking pictures it was equivalent to looking at family snapshots taken and recalling the event. I was taken by surprise when I noticed the date it was completed, May 2008. Really? Has it been this long? I made this quilt for my hubby as he kept asking "Where's my quilt?" I had just finished a quilt for each of my sons and he wanted one.

The block is the Wyoming Star found on my Electric Quilt software with rotary instructions and templates printed from the program. So off to Mary Jo's Fabric Store I went to purchase fabric. Initially I had intended every block being a Wyoming Star with every other block having a white star vs. a dark blue star. All the blocks were made and I decided the blues were fighting each other and nixed the idea.

Every star was quilted in cross hatching 1/2" spacing. Since I quilted this on my Janome Gal domestic sewing machine this was quite an undertaking since the quilt measures at 94" x 69" which is a large quilt! Every line was marked using a long yard stick. The biggest challenge was making sure the lines were straight from top left corner to  bottom right corner. That bias line is a long one!

Every blank block has a feathered wreath with cross hatching in the center and corners. I used a stencil for marking the wreath. Though this quilt was free motion quilted I was not ready to cut loose and just stitch without a stencil. It took me about 2 1/2 months to quilt.

5 mini stars make up each corner of the border.

I love the quilting design in the sashing! It is feathered roping!
Isn't it gorgeous? And as you can see more cross hatching on the border. 

Back reveals the density of quilting. 

So did you wonder what happened to the other blocks?  They were made into another quilt top. Yikes! an unfinished WIP since 2008!! This hangs in my closest with 4 other large, large quilts.

This is my other quilt that I have entered in the Bloggers Quilt Festival under Home Machine Quilted Quilt.

Hope to see you at the festival!

P.S. If you haven't yet visited Quilts from My Crayon Box go take a peek at all the fabulous quilts she is featuring this week. Every Sunday she hosts Stunning Stitchin Sunday. So I am a bit giddy she included one of my quilts, the Modern Star Block Quilt this week. Thank you Michele!! Read more about my Modern Star Quilt and see each of the blocks up close here.

P.S.S. Giddiness is over the top. Stitch by Stitch is featuring Modern Stars for "Anything Goes Mondays" too. Just click the button below to see the featured goodies and to join up with the linky party  Thanks so much Marlize!

And Fabric Story also featured  Modern Star Quilt this week for Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story. Again thank you, thank you!
 


I am linking up to:

Modern Star Quilt Finish!

A finish hot off the sewing machine this very morning. The Janome gal has been purring for a couple of days -  mornings, afternoons and evenings. Back at it by 5:00 a.m. this morning

I now can say "Finished!" 

Just in time for the Friday Finish Linky Parties.

I am pleased with how well the Quilt-As-You-Go - Fun and Done style technique went overall.

 I have a couple areas I am not too crazy about, but that had more to do with not cutting 2 of the backs wide enough. I made it work though by sewing additional strips to widen and lengthen two blocks.  But as my quilting friends would say, Who would notice riding on a galloping horse?"

Looking good on the bed!

Hanging on the fence sideways!

The backside of a block!

Pleased with the end results of quilting density!

Orange Wings! 

I began to use the stiletto to score the stitching lines. Worked like a dream giving me a defined line to stitch on. No cleaning up markings!

Golden Rod!

Taupe and pink wavy!

More rays for pink wavy!

Navy wavy! 
Center is wavy cross-hatched!

More rays for wonky fussy!

The sashing for the Fun Done went well by lightly folding the sashing and pressing pins downward in the ironing board pad holding the sashing in place. 

I found that I had better control of creating a more straight fold where the body of the fabric helped to keep it in position until I glued and pressed.  

(If you are just now seeing this technique for the first time -  after quilting blocks place the back sides with wider backs and sew together along the front block edge in order to connect the QAYG blocks.)

Yes! glue was a brilliant idea! When taking it to the sewing machine I wasn't getting pricked with pins while managing the weight of the quilt.

I used a long nozzle to bead the glue.  With a hot iron I pressed the sashing in place removing pins as I went along with the iron.

I am linking up with: