Finally, back to Quilting! And, QSTs

Quilt Guild show is coming - wonder if I can get this quilt DONE! (photo kinda fuzzy).

I had to actually HIRE a helper to get this sandwiched and pinned as my knees are still hurting after my nosedive! Wow - talk about reality of getting older! Thank you ALL for asking about me - I had more comments than ever before, but I gotta admit, I still don't want THAT accident to happen again.

But, my helper (14) was thrilled I had asked her and ya know, one never knows where the next quilter might come from.

This quilt is 88" x 88". I LOVE my border, where the cornerstones continue around the 'cabin', something like a fence. You can vaguely see a dark trail of border cornerstones in the photo above - that's what I was wanting -- "vague". I had to re-do all four sides in the very center, where they met -- apparently I sewed them on different days and had solved the issue differently each time. I was firm with myself and redid each center.

(If you have never made a border where a small unit HAD to step around your quilt exactly, start at each corner and work toward the center of each side. You may have to fudge creatively at the center.) That's my tip of the day. 8-)

As many of you know, I love PatsyThompsonDesigns.com DVDs for learning to machine quilt on my domestic sewing machine. I watch them over and over, and enjoy them better than anything on TV! I also greatly enjoy my ThePamajaQuilter DVD, who has a different style, but is equally talented.

Feather type structures are in the light areas, and viney/weed-y leafy-type structures are in the dark areas. Lots more to stitch! Every project is more practice. I'm using a light thread in light areas, and dark in dark areas.



Next subject is Quarter Square Triangles. (I am going to assume you all know this method where starting with 2 squares 1 1/4 inch larger than finished size. Sew diagonally, press open, then put them together again, and sew another diagonal line -- not a precise explanation but ... ) I had to make a bunch and wanted to sew them together in a row. I 'spin' or 'twirl' my seams on the back to eliminate that bulky center, then press them in one direction, clockwise, or counter-clockwise.

So I picked them up, willy-nilly and was struggling wondering why some of the unit seams butted together, but not others. Duhhhh. (Lightbulb moment!) If you make your QST as stated above, HALF of them will spin one direction, and HALF will spin in the other direction. If you separate them into 2 stacks,

all the units in one stack will have seams and butt nicely together no matter which way you put them together (below photo), and other will do the same. I'll bet many of you know this - I didn't! Sure made sewing them together easier when I learned the trick.