Playing with Baskets

Yesterday I decided to pull out these basket blocks that I have had for quite a while to THINK about putting this quilt together.  The receipt in the bag with the pattern, my finished blocks, and fabrics says November 2008.  Don't ya think it's time???  

This is a quilt pattern by Lori Smith, From My Heart to Your Hands, called Four Seasons: Spring Blooms.  The blocks are 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" finished. 

 I saw it at my LQS and had to make it.  Here is the photo of the original quilt from the front of the pattern. 

First I started playing around with the layout of my blocks.  Hmmm.. what would they look like without that green sashing? And with the little baskets around the sides, rather than in the middle?  Hmmmm.  I kind of like the busy-ness of this.

Then I cut some sashing strips and put them up on my design wall with the little baskets, like the original pattern.  Hmmmm.  Very soothing.

I have only made 4 of those green leaf appliques for the corners (see pattern photo) and probably will not use them after all. 

What if I added some green setting triangles with the little baskets?  Of course now I would have to make more little baskets. :-)  Green would also be used in the corners.

I even threw the border fabric up on the design wall to take a look...

Seems that I have created a design dilemma for myself...  What do you think?  I always appreciate feedback from my blog friends!

I have continued to quilt the red and white Oak and Reel quilt.  I am really loving hand quilting at night while watching TV.

Just a quarter inch around my design and in the triangles.  Next decision will be how to quilt the borders. 

Decisions, decisions, decisions.. I love it!

Happy Stitching,

Deb

Linking up at Kathy's Quilts on Sunday Slow Stitching. 

Gwennie Inspired Medallion QAL - 5th and Final Round: Something Fishy

This is the final round of the Gwennie Inspired Medallion Quilt Along.  

First let me say just how much fun this has been!!  I am so glad I decided to jump in.. despite my resistance to joining any monthly groups this year, and that I was able to stick with it!!  

Wendy at the Constant Quilter (see her blog here) chose the final border: "Something Fishy".  

Really?? <blink...blink>

Don't get me wrong.. I love fish themes.  In fact a lot of my original designed quilts and patterns are underwater themed. 

Here is a sampling of some of my fish quilts.  My header of my blog is a underwater quilt I did for someone years ago.  So this theme is not foreign to me.  You'd think this would be perfect....

But I looked at my GIM quilt.. with its modern/vintage feel...and I just couldn't see "Something Fishy".  As with the other themes, we can interpret this as loosely as we wanted. :-)

Soon I had a plan....

Can you guess?

A spiky sawtooth border I am calling a Shark Tooth Border!  Of course!

These are fun to make, as with most things Liberated!  Just put one rectangle askew on top of another background rectangle (I decided to go with the gray and pink dot again) and stitch.

Press the print to one side, flip and trim around your background fabric.

 You can then go back and trim that extra background fabric to your seam allowance to reduce the bulk.

I made about 120 'teeth', all different heights and widths, which went pretty quickly.  Soon I had borders ready to pin to my quilt.

And the first border was being stitched in place.  Unlike a traditional pieced border, when you reached the end, you can just lop off the rest!  So liberating!

Here is my finished quilt.  It is almost too large for my design wall.  It measures 55" x 55".  I started out with no idea of what I wanted my final quilt to look like and I love how this turned out.  AND it has been so much FUN!!!  Thanks Lori for getting us started and sponsoring, and Katy, Cathy, Cynthia, and Wendy - for your themes each month!  I would have never had made a quilt like this on my own without the inspiration from Gwen Marston and this wonderful team of quilters.

Happy Stitching!
Deb

Check out all the other Gwen Inspired Medallion quilts at the linky party at Humble Quilts.  Thanks, again Lori!

Summer Cosmos

I started an applique project earlier this summer... (always have to have an applique project going!)  And Eileen asked what the piece with the scalloped edge was in my last post.  :-)  Good catch Eileen!

Do you remember this from my last post?  Stitching on the deck while on vacation at the beach. 

Let me show you what I have been doing.  Here is the fabric pull for this project.  Light blue/green, tan, medium green, brown, and a little pink.

The blocks are called Meadow Cosmos from the book In the Meadow by Blackbird Designs.  Love Blackbird Designs!!

First block done.

 I am calling them Summer Cosmos since I started this in the summer... and someday hope to hang this in my dining room during the summer season. Make sense? :-)    

I am making four 20" blocks.  Layed out something like this... I'll decide as I go along. :-)

 I am using a couple different methods for laying out my applique pieces.  Here I have ironed down the freezer paper template I use for the scalloped ring applique.  I will trace around it with a water soluble pen.

This will help with placement of the flower points that go under the scalloped ring.   You can see the blue pen markings here. 

 For the leaves and stems I decided to use the plastic template method rather than tracing the pattern onto the fabric.  This method comes from Piece O' Cake designs and I have used it in the past with success. 

This is a 12 gauge, heavy, clear, upholstery plastic cut to the size of my block and then the pattern traced onto it with a sharpie permanent marker. 

 The leaves can then be moved into place under that plastic using the markings as a guide and pinned or basted in place. I like this for multiple blocks of the same design.  

 Pinned in place and ready for stitching.  Easy Peasey!

I have finished the second block and now am working on the third.  Stay tuned!

Happy Stitching!

Linking up today at Kathy's Quilts - Slow Sunday Stitching.  She is working on a beautiful bow tie quilt.  Check it out along with all the other stitching going on today!

Deb

Beach, Lighthouses, Quilt Shops.. and Relaxation!

We just returned from a week at the beach.  We take our summer vacation at the end of summer when  most of the vacationers are gone and we can enjoy the late summer days without the crowds.  For anyone who has grown up in a resort area, like my husband, you know that late summer is the best time of year at the shore. 

North Wildwood, NJ Seawall

Anyone who follows me in Instagram has seen some of these pictures during the week. 

It was also my husband's birthday and we visited some lighthouses.  One of his favorite things to do. 

We visited Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in N. Wildwood, NJ.  My husband grew up just a few blocks from this lighthouse. 

They have done a beautiful restoration and have beautiful gardens around the lighthouse.

Love the butterfly sign.

My mother-in-law used to have these pretty purple flowers in her garden. 

We had perfect days with blue skies.  Perfect for walking the beach

We also took several trips to Cape May, NJ for shopping and dinner. 

There was always time at the end of each day for some stitching and sipping. :-)

On Friday we took the ferry from Cape May to Lewes, DE.  My wonderful husband took me to two great quilt shop - Serendipity and Mare's Bears Quilts.  He even found time for a cat nap while I shopped. 

 Serendipity Quilt shop in Dagsboro, DE had a large selection of reproduction and traditional fabrics.

Mare's Bear's Quilts Lewes, DE had some great deals on modern fabrics. 

Two great shops!  I would recommend them if you are in Delaware anytime. 

I was also able to get the binding and label done for this baby quilt for someone at work. Love the backing fabric on this one.  I have had this in my stash a long time and it was perfect. 

I was even able to get this quilt basted together before we left to come home. So much easier without my feline helpers! LOL  I am hoping to big stitch this one. 

 

It was a fun week... good food, great weather, a birthday, and two quilt shops!

Happy Stitching!

Deb