This quilt is the challenge project  for Thumbstall Quilt Guild’s biennial quilt show in July. The challenge is to use this bright colored focus fabric and blocks that contain only squares. Other elements that could be used are setting triangles and embellishments.

I struggled with the coordinating fabrics for this quilt because I normally choose  earth tones and ‘Thimleberries’ type fabrics – not brights for my quilts. However, I think I came up with the perfect fabrics to compliment the focus fabric – off-white and white on white.

These toned down the focus fabrics and I think the finished mini-quilt (it measures 18″ square) looks as those it’s full of brilliant gems.

Well it’s finally done.  I put the final border on the Delectable Mountains quilt tonight.  Those triangles really took a lot of patience to complete.  Unfortunately I had to unsew t and resew  – All those points!

I definitely would sew the half-square triangles by the using Sew and Cut.  The BellaOnline website shows how easy this method is:

With a pencil and ruler, draw a line on the wrong side of the light color square.  With right sides together, layer the lighter square on the darker square and stitch a 1/4″ seam on BOTH SIDES of the drawn line.  Cut apart on the drawn line and press seam allowances toward the darker fabric.  Trim points and you are done. You now have two half-square triangles that measure 2-1/2″ on all sides.  They will measure 2″ when sewn into the block and then into the quilt.  This method lets you avoid handling the bias edges, therefore yielding half-square triangles that are more accurate in size.

This week I’ll be spending time quilting:  Delectable Mountains, the Challenge and  Silent Auction pieces for the guild’s biennial quilt show.

Well the “worst” of the storm is over.  Officially we received 18″ of snow.  That measurement was taken at the airport (about 20 miles from our home).  I think we actually received closer to 2′  here.  I can hardly my deck.

The sun came out on Friday – there’s nothing more beautiful than a blue sky with the sun shinning on newly fallen snow.  The snow  “crunches” as you walk on it and is definitely perfect snowman snow.  It makes me wish my grandchildren lived closer so that I’d have an excuse to be outside playing in it.

Instead I spent the day working on my Simply Charming miniature.

The applique pieces are all cut as well as the circles.

My favorite tool for making circles:  Circleese

To make prefect circles every time:

• Place template on wrong side of fabric:

• Spray fabric on front and back.  Iron both sides until dry.  Let set before removing circle from template.

• Trim.
• Remove circle template.  Press on both sides using additional spray starch as necessary so that circle holds it shape.
• My other must have for preparing applique pieces is the Clover Mini-Iron. The multi-attachment version has two mini-irons, which are prefect for pressing applique pieces.
• The applique pieces are ready to be attached to the background by needle-turn applique, using an invisible applique stitch.

We ended a perfect winter day with a dinner in Skaneateles.  Skaneateles Lake is one of the beautiful lakes that make up the scenic Fingerlakes of Central New York.  The main street consists of buildings dating back to 1796 that house boutique type shops, restaurants, an inn, and bed and breakfast.

We love walking around the lakeside community – no matter what the weather.  Last night we were treated to lightly falling snow and mild temperatures as we window shopped after dinner.  Driving home we ran into a whiteout about 3 miles from our house.  The only reference we had to make sure we were on the road was the piled up snow along the highway.  Winter can be a challenge here  – but we’re Central New Yorkers – we can handle it.

I decided that I needed a break from sewing triangles for my Delectable Mountains quilt so decided to start a new project.  It’s been suggested that we make  the cover quilt from Fat Quarter Quilts by Lori Smith for our next guild group project. - I really like needle turn applique so I thought I’d work on Simply Charming – even if it’s not our next project.

Today was the prefect day to quilt.  We are in the midst of the first ‘real’ winter storm of the season.  This year the winter storms have hit north and east of Syracuse.

A perfect day to be home quilting. (I really have to work at being retired.  Tough job – but someone has to do it!)

My husband must be thinking of Spring.  He surprised with me with this little bouquet this afternoon.  (He is definitely an incurable romantic.)

• First, I traced the applique placement on the background fabric.

• Next Skinny Stems:  These are really easily made with the aid of bias bars.

• I’ve cut out most of the applique pieces.  The circles still have to be cut out.

I’ll begin the applique while watching the Olympics tonight.  Ice Dancing and Ladies Free Skate have to be my favorite events.

My miniature quilt from Lori Smith’s Fat Quarter Quilting is coming along – but not without some backtracking.

I added the saw tooth border and put in up on my design wall – Oh no! I had placed the triangle blocks wrong and now have an ugly secondary pattern.

Ugly Secondary Pattern

Out with the seam ripper for a bit of unsewing.  (If there’s anything that I like to do less than sew triangles, it is resewing them.  But sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!)

Putting it back together I found that I still had the ugly bar.  ????????????????  I checked the placement diagram -  I had placed the

Corrert Triangle Placement

squares  exactly as directed.

So I turned the blocks around -  the result was exactly like the picture of the quilt in the book.

I thought I should notify Lori Smith of the error so it could be corrected in the next printing.   I also suggested that since this is a miniature which requires precision piecing, it would be helpful if the sizes of each finished section were published with the instructions.

Here is the email response I received:

"Sorry you are having trouble with the book.
I will forward your comments to the publisher
Martingale. While the quilts are mine, the
publisher wrote the directions and did the diagrams
in the manner they considered appropriate.
I think you have some very valid points and I hope
they will take that into consideration.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Lori Smith"

I was really surprised. I’m not sure that I understand why the publisher executes the pattern and not the  designer – But what do I know?