How About Some Photography Fun?

Kelly Ann at Kelly Ann's Quilting posted a fun idea on her blog, and I think I'll play along.

The "rules" are here.

It's a photo-a-day for February, and sounds like a lot of fun.

Let the creativity begin!

Umbrellas as a Public Relations Tool

In the Grandmother's Choice BOW this past Saturday, we learned that parasols were used by women due to their delicate nature back in the day.  Our enterprising foremothers turned them into billboards for soliciting votes for women - clever of them!  So of course, this week's block is a parasol. 

It was quite the challenge for me because I am not very experienced at applique.  I must say I quite like what I came up with:

Week 22: Parasols & P.R.

I have a bit of work to do on the handle, but as Dustin said, it's ergonomic!

Houndstooth, Anyone?

It's Grandmother's Choice BoW!!  I got a slow start today as some friends and I went to check out what might have been a great sale on fabric.  But, alas, it was okay, but not spectacular.  Next we visited a brand new quilt store in our general area - always nice to have more shopping options!

I did engage in a little shopping therapy today, and one of the prints is in my block this week.  This 20th week commemorates Emily Wilding Davidson and is called Memory Wreath.  See the link for more info:  Memory Wreath: Emily Wilding Davidson

The block has a 4 inch center.  Many folks are fussy cutting fabric to include in that middle area.  I started to do this with a graphic rose print, but it just was not working.  I decided to go with a large scale houndstooth print instead.   I then incorporated a small houndstooth print, my standard turquoise, and a newly bought black check. 

Week 20: Memory Wreath

FIINALLY! Borders Are On!

I finally decided what borders to put on the red & white challenge quilt and got them sewn on!

I was deciding between a wide or a narrow white border.  So which did I pick?  Neither, of course.  After numeous ideas from my guild meeting on Tuesday night, I decide to add a narrow white border then a wide red border.  It now measures 76" square.
 
I am very pleased with the outcome.  Now it has got to get to the quilter so  I can get it into the show.  I hope I'm not too late!

Mini Treasure Trove

Grandma's Pattrns

I have said I am going to incorporate some of my paternal grandmother's embroidery into the Dixie Diary blocks.  As I was putting some of my mess stash away yesterday, I remembered the large box I have from my maternal grandmother's "quilt drawer".  She had a chest drawer full of quilt, embroidery and craft patterns.  I remember her deciding to make, say, a Sunbonnet Sue quilt and rifling through the drawer to find the appropriate pieces.  I know have the contents of that drawer in a large under-the-bed storage box.  Some day I will go through it to try to put the pattern pieces with one another.


I decide not to open the bin at midnight last night because I know there's so much in it.  Then I see a white tin on the shelf.  I don't remember what is in it, but it's not too big, so let's investigate:

 I open the tin - hmmm - bunch of newspaper clippings and I see a little fabric.  The newspaper clippings and a Farmer's Almanac cover date from 1928 - 1949.  One of the items in the tin is my great-grandmother's Order of the Eastern Star membership card dated 1938.  Ah - that's right!  This is my great-grandmother's tin of bits and bobs.

 So - it's a relatively small tin - how much can there be in it (ha ha ha) - so I empty it at 12:15 this morning instead of going to sleep.  I'll be darned if it isn't a little treasure trove:

Great-Grandma Walthall's patterns and stuff

I'm glad my grandma kept these and passed them on - I am going to enjoy going through it all!

Wonder where I can find an embroidery pattern to work into a Dixie Diary Block?

 A little piece of gingham with a cross-stitched mouse

Close-Up - this is 2" x 1.25"

 
JACKPOT!  What fun it was to find this.  I can't wait to incorporate another generation's work into my Dixie Diary blocks!

Easy Street Progress

I am plugging away at the Easy Street mystery quilt construction.  I have all my pieces separated into what will be used for each block.  I have all of the corner and side triangles and 3 of Block A completed.  4 more of block A are ready for final assembly, and still have 9 more Block As and 9 Block Bs to do.  It may take a month or I may get it done over this week and the weekend.  It depends on what else I get myself into!

To see the progress others have made click here:  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/01/mystery-monday-link-up-jan-7th.html

Looking Forward

And now it's 2013!  I am trying to formulate a plan of sorts for the year in my quilting journey.  Of course, it's all for enjoyment so any plans are subject to change!  My overall goals are to:

• continue refining my piecing skills - precision in cutting and sewing
• incorporate non-traditional handwork from my family into some work
• incorporate some of my photography into a quilt
• learn to paper piece

I plan to complete the Barbara Brackman Grandmother's Choice BOW project blocks and I hope to get the top assembled.  I need to decide on a setting, though, and I am bouncing ideas around in my head.  This project is helping me with my piecing skills.  It also helps in the design area because I can see what many other people are doing with their blocks and see different approaches to the same block.

I am also working to finish the Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street mystery quilt from the holidays.  I have all the small steps done, and am now constructing the 15.5" blocks - 3 block As completed, 12 more to go, then 9 block Bs.  I'm taking my time getting this one done, and am not worrying too much about complete precision because it is so scrappy.  I'm just enjoying the process on this one.

I also have two other projects in process - a red and white quilt for my overall guild's 40th anniversary and a star quilt from the last National Quilting Day.  I am finalizing borders on both and hope to get the to the quilter soon.

I just started the Barbara Brackman Dixie Diary BOM project.  It is geared toward beginning quilters and she incorporates an applique of a star or heart in each block.  However, I do not particularly enjoy applique and it is here I am incorporating embroidery and maybe some crochet snippets from other handiworkers in my family, particularly my paternal grandmother.

I may do the Block of the Month hosted by WebFabrics.  Carly has picked an "organized scrappy" look to the blocks and is leaving space in the middle of each block for us to finish how we like.  I think this is where I may include some of my photography.  This would be fun and would get me out using the camera for more than taking pictures of quilts!  I feel the need to play with my macro lens.

I have several other projects I could start.  Not sure what I'll do next.  I am going to my guild's retreat in March and may try the paper piecing out then.  I have a Celtic paper-pieced pattern and it would be appropriate since the retreat is just before St. Patrick's Day.

Looking Back

2012 is gone!  It was a good year - fun, friends, family were all happy and enjoying life!  As for quilting, I had a prolific year!  

My best friend's daughter got engaged, graduated from VA Tech and moved to Indiana.  I made a Fire Escape quilt for her for graduation.

My best friend's daugher-in-law and son had her first grandbaby - an adorable little boy who I met at Christmastime!  I made him a dinosaur quilt.

I made her husband a quilt honoring his love for his alma mater, VMI.

And I made her a wall hanging for her living room.

Micah's Graduation present

VMI Quilt

Liam's Quilt Side 2

Liam's Quilt Side 1

In addition, I comipleted piecing two mystery quilts - one from Kelly Ann's Quilting that went for 6 months, and the other from a retreat sponsored by Patchwork Plus.  I love both of them! The one from KAQ is ready to quilt, and the one from Patchwork Plus is ready to bind.

Patchwork Plus Mystery

Kelly Ann's Quilting Mystery

I also am participating in Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice Block of the Week.  It has been a great learning experience.  My blocks get more precise and better designed each week (at least I think so).

I have attended all of the Reston Unlimited Quilters meetings I can, and I helped out at the QU show this past summer.  I have enjoyed meeting fellow quilters and beginning to form friendships with some of these ladies.

These are the highlights!  I did some smaller projects as well.  I do tend to immerse myself when I am enjoying something as much as I am this quilting journey!

Borders - How Do You Decide?

One of the things I struggle with is deciding on borders for a quilt.  Most of my quilts are pretty busy, so I tend to go with plain (though usually print) borders.  I struggle with the width of the borders.  I have been using 1" or 1.5" inner borders in a dark color (generally).  The outer border, though, makes my head hurt so I usually just eyeball something or use what the pattern calls for if I am making it from a pattern.

So how do you decide?  I've seen potential formulae based on the block size in the quilt - never less than 1/2 the block size and no bigger than the block.  But then is it the largest block in the quilt, or the smallest?  I make stuff that doesn't necessarily have well defined blocks.

Here's an example:

I used a 1.5" red border to stabilize and ground the quilt.  Now how should I decide on the outer white border?  The smallest unit is 3" and the largest is 5 1/2". (And I must say this is after consultations with several folks!)

Narrower .... or .....

Wider?

I thought I would like the wider border which is 5", but seeing the picture makes me think the approximately 3.5" white border might work better.

How do you decide?