Catch Up

My new computer has been in the shop for a week (hopefully all the problems are fixed!), so this is a long post - amazing what can get done when I don't spend time on the computer!!

I finished off the Dresden Plate quilt last Sunday (it is in my guest bedroom).
The quilt is 95" square. The fabric is Boutique by Chez Moi (for Moda) with Kona ivory solid for the background. I used Hobbs Tuscany Wool batting. The thread is Aurifil 50WT (in pink and ivory).

I had left lots of room for quilting. It is the first time I have quilted so much on a quilt, and with a plain background. The DP's are about 11" and the blocks are 14".
I free motioned feathered wreathes between the Dresden Plates. They are echoed and the centres have pebbling (like the dots in the fabric centres of the DP's). The Dresden Plates are quilted in the ditch around them and the centres. I also quilted a loose flower/feathered wreath over the DP's. There is my form of McTavishing (great link with video) in the background.

I did a serpentine feather border around all the DP's and then perpendicular parallel lines to the border.

 The 2" squares in the border have a continuous line quilted on every side (I found it really hard not quilt more that the recommended 1/4" away from the seams at the centre - but got lots of practice).

The outer most line I quilted after I had attached the binding (thanks for the tip Wendy), so that the quilting would look even.

The only marking I did on this quilt was the lines for the feathered wreathes (using various size lids and a Hera marker - just leaves an indentation in the fabric), plus I also marked the centre of the serpentine feather border

It is all quilted on my home sewing machine (Husqvarna 870 Quilt). I like to bunch the quilt when I quilt. It was a real pleasure to quilt.

I usually vacuum out my machine after I finish a big project - for this one I did it twice. It always amazes me how much lint accumulates.

I worked on some blocks of the month too -

The November Hop to It one (machine appliqué).
For December Hop to It BOM Joan picked block #2.

The December EQ BOM.

Now that all the blocks are finished I am working on the final project (we are not given instructions for that and have to create something on our own).

These are the borders for the Granny's Hankie BOM (Novembers instructions). They went together so well, the instructions are wonderful.

I did change the pattern slightly -

The pattern called for 4 1/2" squares (mine are black) for the corner blocks, but I didn't like the results, plus it was different from the picture.

So I changed them to 5 1/2" squares, now it looks like it is supposed to.

I finished knitting a hat,

and started on a piece of Romanian Point Lace (the pattern is one I designed).

Finally!! this last picture shows all three quilts that are on the guest bed now! My first large quilt that I quilted on my sewing machine (Spanish Steps), the first large quilt I hand quilted (Orphan Block), and my last quilt that I machine quilted.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!♥

Dresden Plate Quilting

It has been a busy week (3 days of volunteering). I am hoping to finish machine quilting the Dresden Plate quilt on Saturday.

There are 12 feathered wreathes all quilted and

the scalloped edge around the Dresden Plates. I wanted a really classic style of feathers for this quilt (I'll go into more details on how when I finish the quilt).

I am working on the background filler now (not such a classic style - for contrast).

I am using wool batting for this quilt. I bought it at the LQS for $75 for a King size, and purchased this King size package from Hamel's for $57 when they had free shipping last week (plus I saved a tax). I know where I will be buying batting from in the future.

The book I won from Wendy at Inky Threads came this week. She is having another great book giveaway until the 30th of November.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

Friday Night Sew In Results

My Friday Night Sew In started at 8.30 yesterday morning.

After I drove my youngest to school, I Skype'd with Joan (Joan at Leschenault) in Australia - so her (late) Friday night.
I got the freezer paper all traced and cut out for this month's Hop To It appliqué block, and Joan worked on her Granny's Hankie BOM block.

In the afternoon I started quilting the Dresden Plate quilt.

After free motion quilting around the centres, I quilted a feather style flower in a peach Aurifil 50 WT thread on the DP's.

All 25 DP's are now quilted, and I have started working on the background.

I also finished the socks I have been knitting.

They have such a pretty top. The pattern is "Traveler's Stocking" from the "Knitting on the Road" book by Nancy Bush. I made them with a kidmohair blend yarn from L'Angelaine - lovely and soft.

I started knitting a hat last night. The pattern is from Ravelry - a wonderful site. The pattern is Button-Tab Knit Hat and it is one of the free patterns.

Great Friday Night Sew In - thanks Heidi!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!♥

Dresden Flimsy

I finished piecing the Dresden Plate quilt.

It is 95" square (couldn't find a big enough place to lay it out). I used a whole jelly roll with a few extra squares cut from the leftover fat quarters to make the borders (they are 8" wide).
Just need to buy some batting and backing fabric, then I can get started on the quilting.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

A Winner and Borders

I used the RNG to select the winner of the book

and Carla was the lucky winner. Congratulations Carla!
Thank-you to everyone who entered and for all the kind comments!

I have been working on the border for the Dresden Plate quilt.

I had bought a jelly roll on sale last summer and thought it would be perfect for the border.

I cut the strips in half and pieced them together in groups of two

and then groups of four.

I then cut them into 2+1/2" segments (there is that handy tape trick again!)

I am randomly joining them all together.

Have a  great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

Dresden Plates

I have been making Dresden Plates! The online information and videos for making them has been wonderful. They were much easier to make than I thought they would be.

I used the book and template by Anelia Belden (if you click on the "Google Preview" on the link you can view the book), but there are lots of similar templates out there. I decided to go with a template instead of a GO! die because I thought there would be less fabric waste (there was really very little).

I used 4+1/2" strips of fabric and cut up 11 fat quarters in no time at all. The fabric is Boutique by Chez Moi.

I decided on the "peak top" for the dresden plate blades,

and chain pieced the the tops.

When I was preparing to sew the tops I finger pressed the centre

to make it easier to line up the centre when I pressed the point (I did trim the seam allowance at the point and pressed  the seam open).

The blades are sewn together starting at the end with the point. After it took a bit of fiddling to get the DP's to lay flat I realized that I had to sew a slightly wider seam allowance as I got closer to the centre when joining the blades. This seems to be a common problem even with the GO!.

I made the centers 2+1/4", using the freezer paper appliqué method (the stencil works great for appliqué circles).

I decided to appliqué the centres before appliquéing the Dresden Plates to the background square (easier to remove the freezer paper - I didn't want to have to cut the background square to remove the freezer paper).

I used a tiny zig-zag and 100WT thread.

It didn't take long to make the 25 DP's I needed.

Once again I used a tiny zig-zag and 100WT thread to stitch the DP's to the background square (I used a 14+1/2" square of ivory Kona cotton - finished size of 14").

I sewed the blocks together on point with setting triangles and corners (just because I preferred this look than to straight rows). The DP's are just over 10". I used large squares of fabric for the background because I wanted to have lots of room for quilting.
I am working on the border now.
The partially finished quilt top is in the spare bedroom, where I think the finished quilt will go. My oldest son told me it looked old - that is exactly what I wanted!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

Tomorrow is the draw date for the book I am giving away.

Friday Night Sew-In Results

 Stitched up 5 more Dresden Plates last night. They just need their centres appliquéd. I got all the remaining DP centres ready for appliqué too.

Had a pair of Blue Jays at the feeder today.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥


Don't forget to enter my giveaway.