One of the projects our guild is working on this year is fat quarter quilts.  During the next year we will be making 4  quilts from Lori Smith’s Fat Quarter Quilting. When I saw the quilts, I just couldn’t resist!

Our first project is Delectable Mountains – and it is full of flying geese and half-square triangle blocks.  I just hate working with the bias edges of triangles.  There has to be a better way.

First I made a sample using the pattern directions to determine the final size of the block.  Then I went to the Internet for help and found a site on How to Make Flying Geese.  The method for making several flying geese at one time certainly was easy, but the finished size was too big.  I decided to try cutting the squares the same size as called for in the pattern – and it worked!

Cut one 3-1/4″  square for ‘goose’  and four 1-7/8″  ‘sky’ squares

Draw diagonal line on each of the ‘sky’ squares

Place two ‘sky’ squares on top of  ‘goose’ square,  right sides together.

Sew 1/4″ seam on either side of drawn line.

Cut on drawn line

Press open

Place ‘sky’ square on corner of ‘goose’ triangle and sew on either side of drawn line.  Cut on drawn line.

Completed Blocks:

Finished Flying Geese

Perfect Flying Geese – and no stretchy bias edges to worry about.  I still have to go back to the Internet directions and find out what I did wrong – but for this project I’m home free.

I’m working at keeping my New Year’s resolution to complete some of the UFO’s that seem to grow in my storage area overnight.  The first month of the year is just about over and I have at least completed some of my list  (I started with the easiest):

• Watson mystery 2007 and 2009 quilts- binding  - Done!

• Seasons wall hanging -

quilting patterns chosen and practice pieces completed

• Autumn Pennies table topper from a class by Kim Diehl  and

• organize my stash!

- And now to the more challenging:

Today I did some practice quilting for my Seasons Wall Hanging.  I decided to try out my new Clover Mini Iron II “The Adapter Set”. (A Christmas gift from my son.)  One of it’s accessories is a hot knife tip that works beautifully when making stencils.

Cut stencils

Next I practiced some free motion quilting on some 15-inch muslin sandwiches.  Now I’m ready to start the actual quilting on my quilt top.

Practice

Goals for next month are:

- UFO’s – finish the quilting on this top as well as the binding

- New:  guild projects – fat quarter quilt and sample block for 2011 raffle quilt.

Each year our guild members make a raffle quilt to raise money for programs and charity projects throughout the year.  I am co-chair for the 2011 project.  Members normally are asked to put the quilt together during the first year and the top is quilted, either by hand or machine, during the second year.

"Granny Squares"

My co-chair, Julie and I have chosen Nancy Mahoney’s pattern Granny Stars featured in the July 2009 issue of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting.

We looked at a number of patterns before making our final selection, but both of kept returning to this one.   Granny Stars combines both piecing and applique techniques into the quilt.  Piecing techniques range from simple for the corner units to the intermediate star points.   The applique will be needle-turn.

Our Guild members’ talents range from beginner to award winning quilters.   So this should be a quilt that any of them can, and I’m hoping, will want to work on.

With the help of two of our guild members, Marion and Sandi, Julie and I were able to coordinate the material for the quilt top at Patchwork Plus. We really ventured outside the box – batiks are not normally a fabric that either Julie or I would choose when making a quilt.  I was definitely a bit skeptical, but now that I have laid the material out on my cutting table and ‘played’ with it a bit  – I’m excited.  As Marion said, “This should be an earthy and warm looking quilt.”  I’m hoping it will appeal to a large number of people.  (We do want to sell a lot of raffle tickets after all!)

We had been  looking for a quilt that would turn heads when displayed.  I think with this fabric selection we’ve found it! 

What a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Sandi was intrigued by this particular fabric and has volunteered to design an applique border using it’s elements.   She put it on her copier, enlarged the designs on the fabric and will design a very unique applique border.  Never would have thought of that myself – but it really is a great idea.   I appreciate anyone who has such a creative talent.

Fabric Detail

What a talented group of quilters I found when I joined Thumbstall Quilt Guild.  It makes quilting with friends all the more worthwhile.

I finished my hand embroidered Seasons quilt during our 2009 winter get-away and have been stymied as to how to quilt it without sacrificing the beauty of the embroidery.  I took the top to a guild meeting and received some very good suggestions.  I was going to add some more embroidery to the white spaces, but now have decided that I would fill them in with quilting instead.    I needed some quilting options.

Seasons Quilt Top

After putting it up on my design wall, I checked online and got a few ideas then went into the EQ5 program and found some perfect quilt stencils to compliment this quilt.

Quilt options

Quilting Pattern for Blocks

Seasons Quilt Stencils for Borders:

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

My next step is to make some quilt sandwiches to practice quilting these designs.  I normally cut muslin and backing squares 12″x12″ to use as practice pieces.

With all the sightseeing we’ve been doing on our winter get-a-way to Charleston I haven’t, unfortunately, done much quilting.  (Be sure to check out our website, Tom and Lucia on the Road.)I did finish the binding on my octagon table topper.  I started it last October at a quilters’ weekend. (One less UFO in my stash!)

I’m glad that I decided to make the topper’s theme winter rather than Christmas.

Christmas Table Topper

At least  I can display it  for a while when we return to upstate New York next week.