"Bank One - 3700" DONE, a split 9-patch

 

Finally done - I started this in November 2015, and it kept growing.  I said I wanted to use purple and orange, knowing the combination was unusual, but I knew it would work.  There are slightly less that 3700 pieces, but it was not difficult construction, as the entire process was streamlined.  And because the pieces are small, I could blend many scraps.  "Bank One" was embroidered on a lovely blue shirt given to me - see all the beautiful glowing blue color?  -- that shirt fabric was too good to discard. 

My husband looked and looked at the finished quilt and then HORROR came over his face when he realized there are some "odd" layouts to this quilt.   He said I messed up!!!   I laughed because that is exactly what I had planned.  At first it looks like an ordinary layout, but I wanted to "trick" the viewer exactly the way I tricked DH! 

 I did straight line walking foot MQ'ing in the darks and swirly motifs in the lights.  The border is pieced, and MQ'ed with "innies and outies" all around.  It's 304 blocks, 68" x 79" , and I put that info on the label. 

Thanks Jackie Robinson for her DVD and engineering plan! 

Another Split 9-Patch,

Oh dear I have fallen behind in my posts!

Here are 3 rows for yet another Strip and Slash (Jackie Robinson), Split 9-Patch.  it will be 16 blocks across by 20 down, but the blocks are small, finishing at about 3.75. in.  My previous similar project was in yellows and browns.   I aimed for oranges and purples in this one.   See that purpley blue?  Another shirt from a friend's son.  8-)))

The macrame Christmas tree has been with be for a very long time - I treasure it for the good memories  when it was made. 

Long time, no see

 Funny little Log Cabins - just playing.

 Hah, a project all ready to baste.  Even managed to set the garage swept out beforehand!

 Ready to machine quilt.

=

However, my usually trusty Janome MC6500 is still acting up.  I did all the checks, thread, new needles, tensions, cleaned, dusted, and even solved this snarl along the way (how did it DO that...look closely - giganto snarl all over the top!)  OK, I can fix that part, but it's going back to the shop Monday.  I'm disheartened to have my machine uncooperative and been unable to do any machine quilting since it came home from the shop months ago, only straight sewing, so, something is still not right.  Exasperating - can only take a few inches of stitches, the thread skips, breaks, etc.  Groannnnn,

However, I DO have the required 72 blocks made for Bonnie Hunter's "Texas Tumbleweeds" but when I get back to it, I'm going to name it "Tornadoes and Tumbleweeds".  We've had many, many storms, tornado watches and warnings, and rain which is almost always accompanied by hail.   We have tumbleweeds here as well. 

Birds, Goodbye Loved Avenger, Split 9-Patch

We have been enjoying lots of finches, (blue) buntings that I thought were Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo  Buntings and that brown/black one on the barn feeder is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak.  

No owl these days - we think the little ones might be hatched, and parents are sitting on them, based on dates of several years ago.   Several years ago, I had photos of the new owlets perched on my deck on June 24.

My much loved car (Avenger) is getting traded in.  It is almost 20 years old, I am tearful and sad  with my decision, but it is low and I have to FALL into it, and CLIMB out - very hard on knees, and both actions require a lot of UUMPHF and groans.   8-))  It's been a wonderful, reliable car.  There is little room in back seat for my quilting girlfriends, but someone else is going to have a nice little red car with lots of zoom! 

Split 9-Patch -- this is all the rows put together - looks a little washed out!   It's about 52 by 60 in.  I will add some borders and bring it up to about 60 x 70 in..  

 Perhaps this brick/like print for a narrow border, then this light pinky-orange for 3 or 4-inch border.  The blocks (each HST) finish at 3.75 inches.   There are 3256 pieces in the center.  Wowsa!   I've LOVED making this one, and finding many bits of suitable fabric.  Again, this is called a Strip and Slash design by Jackie Robinson and the 3 or 4th I've made, and the setting is a Split 9-Patch.   

Enuf! Progress on Split 9-Patch

This top is finally together -- I was getting tired  - so many little pieces, and have named it "ENUF!"  There are well over 3000 pieces, and for so many pieces, you'd think it huge, but NO, it's about 51"x 74" -- a lotta work for a small quilt!  It's from Jackie Robinson and she calls it Strip and Slash.  

Getting those chevrons to "close" at the top and bottom took extra thought and planning.  There are also a few almost-quarter-square-triangle blocks at the top and bottom inside and outside points.  That took planning!  I would not have thought of it if Kathy G., a new quilt member, had not made that suggestion!  Then it needed more lights around the chevrons so I made MORE lights, then the border needed more lights, so I made MORE!  Now I've called it DONE, and stay-stitched around the edges to hold them in place while wrangling the quilting - to be started soon.

Our snow is almost gone from most places and the last few days were so warm, there are puddles, messes, mud everywhere.  I wanted to get to my favorite quilt shop  to purchase backing, but my LQS is waaaaaay out in the country, on gravel roads.  Traveling those roads in this weather is for fools only so I forced myself to "make do", and stayed home.  I'm relieved that conditions made me stay home and use what I had!  There's good in everything, isn't there?

I've been cutting extra fabric into 10 1/2 in. squares (below) and occasionally use the squares for a backing.  I already had over 150 pieces of 10 1/2 in. squares -- time to stay home and make the back from what I already have.  I pulled out the blues, lights and mediums, pressed them and laid them all out in one direction; i.e. all cross grain in my case.  I needed 6 x 8, (= 60" x 80") or 48 squares.

Then I made a quick drawing (below) of my diagonal plan, counted how many squares of each color would be needed. I most cases I had enough of each fabric, but added some that were close in value.  After all, this IS patchwork!!  If I had needed an uneven number of squares across and down, wouldn't it look great as Trip Around the World???



Here is it, laid out on my design floor.  This sews together FAST, if I stack each row, put a pin pointing either right or left on the top square, take them all to the sewing machine and just get sewing, pressing the seams either right or left for speed.  Whew!  Dreaded basting is next  (my least favorite quilting job).

You might consider using some of YOUR stash for the backs.  Getting the fabric cut into a usable size is the first hurdle.  I tried using chunks for the back, but somehow, it just was NOT attractive, or balanced and I cut them into squares instead.  This backing idea came from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com, and I've made 4-5 like this.  Thanks Bonnie!

Split 9-Patch, and Windows 8.1 progress

Above is a version of brilliant border that a new quilting friend suggested.  Thank you Kathy G.!! Kathy is recently retired, a new member of our Guild and also visits our local sewing group - this gal has clever ideas!!

My chevrons are running vertically on this quilt and somehow, the quilt needed a way for the chevrons, or HSTs to END.  I will do the bottom the same way, but might put the treatment on the LIGHTS to see how that looks.  This was time consuming and DEMANDING, as I had used up all my little pieces, and had to make MORE strips, sewing together, cutting diagonally, resewing, etc.  


Here's how the quilt looks - it's not huge, just looks that way.  I'm working on bottom border today - remember this view is horizontal, but in reality, it runs vertically.

On the new Laptop front, and Windows 8.1, my frustration has diminished, as 8.1 is soooooo much easier than regular Windows 8.  Thank you for consolation from some of you, encouragement from a few others, and enlightenment from a few MORE others!!!

We opted for a large screen HP laptop, and since we seldom go anywhere and wouldn't expect to take this laptop, the large screen laptop is working for us.  It's a big large and clunky moving from room to room, but DH and I are also kinda large and clunky, so this laptop size is a good match.

Onward to playing with those little Split 9-patches!!!

Scrappy Split 9-Patch, Christmas 2012

 

Current project on my Design Floor - LOL

I am working on yet another Split 9-Patch.  That red in the HSTs was the only fabric I purchased for this project.  55 blocks done so far - the goal is 80.  It was looking somewhat blah, until I added those light "sparkles" of lavender, pink and a few yellows.  I realized too late the dark area could have been arranged in a better pattern.  That's OK. 

No pattern - blocks are 6 inches, finished.  It's looking good to me.

My crazy knitted blingy scarves have found homes for Christmas, and several Christmas Banners have also found homes.  I still have a few surprises hidden from DH, who has a birthday on the dreaded 12/21, end-of-Mayan-Calendar-date.  Perhaps I should give them 12/20???  He  asks only for my Lasagna each Birthday - it always turns out delicious.

"Detours" - Done

Yesterday, Christmas Day, I finished this Split 9-Patch. It's named "Detours" -- you never know where a detour will lead you. Sometimes you like the side trip, sometimes you don't. The colors are more vivid in person. I LOVE this simple Split 9-patch block - - the possibilities of settings seem limitless.

Hope you can see the slim red "flange" - is that what it's called? against the binding. One problem I had with this quilt is that the black inner border, raveled, and while I thought the white border was thick enough to hide the possible black threads, it did not. Then, I tried pinking sheers (thanks Colleen) to try and eliminate the ravelings - that didn't work either and offered opportunity to cut something I didn't want cutting. I did the best I could with that problem, and left it unquilted, hoping the poof you see would slightly camouflage the frequent threads. The black was thicker in weight and would NOT press the other way. Live and learn!

As you see, we don't have any snow - in fact it's been unusually mild.

Too much Visual Stimulation!

That Split 9-Patch arrangement (previous post) is too much for me -- while I like things that are visually lively, I will probably tone it down somehow. Maybe I'll turn all the blocks in one direction but if you have suggestions, I'd welcome them. I'm not much for "giving the eye to rest" but there ARE limitations to how much visual chaos a person can take! LOL

I will most likely add a plain 2-3 inch white border around it, then another border made of ??? I'm sure the LQS will have the perfect thing.

Best MQ book so far, and Split 9-Patch

This is the last book I'll ever need to keep improving on my Machine Quilting on a DSM. The author, Judy Woodworth, is a member of our Guild and makes the most amazing quilts, and then long-arm quilts them with astonishing perfection. Every winners list on MAJOR Quilt Shows include her name among the winners, frequently with her friend Mary Sue Suit, also an author and another member of our Guild. Aren't we lucky? What I like best about this book is the detailed, brilliant photos of her amazing, heavily-quilted backgrounds. This book is for quilters who use either a DSM or a long arm.
I've shown many of my quilt books on this blog, and every one of them has something to offer. I AM a glutton for books - love them all - but even if a quilter gets only one idea from each book, that's good enough. The best thing I get from books is ENERGY and INSPIRATION!

Below is a likely arrangement of my recent Split 9-Patch, "Which Way?" I LIKE how it jumbles my eye, confuses where to look - I like it this way. This photo could use a white border to help set it off. I WANT it to be confusing, wondering which way it goes, which side is up, etc.

Life Intervenes!

Yuck!!! Crud!!! *%2)%##!!! We've had a LOT of issues - tornadoes, strong storms, wind, a LOT of hail, unusual rain, emergency trips to the basement, our NOAA weather radio is freqently sounding the alarm, and one result is this mess! Oh yes, and an old sheet protecting the sofa -- Lovely, huh? We thought it had been fixed. It had previously been a small stain, but our recent, very heavy rains caused it to fall apart! We had to cut out the ceiling in order to divert the drip-drip-drip into the bucket as opposed to down to the floor, carpet, electrical, etc!

We called the adjustor, insurance company, etc., to be told our entire roof needs replacing, and the garage roof, and the facia, and the shutters are all destroyed.

Below is something more pleasant. I've shown it recently, but have decided to give it to the Guild Silent Auction. I LOVE it, hence more photos, but this house is bursting with quilts already - and maybe no one will want it, and I can bring it back home.


This week I finished quilting a friend's Kaleidoscope quilt. It's gorgeous - take my word for it - but it's HER quilt, not mine so I will only show a peek. Just for info, I noted the time spent, and it was 22.5 hours, and is about 78 x 100 inches. Time spent was most enjoyable! I only work 1 hour or less, at a time.

Easiest Quilting Pattern

A number of you have asked for the pattern I used on my recent Split 9-Patch, quilting on a DSM (domestic sewing machine). This is about as easy as it gets!
Note the starting point (lower left), and I left the curves 'open' on purpose, in this case. Most of them have 3 curves back and forth and then I would go off in the most open space to make the next curve. Sometimes I ended up in a space where I didn't want to be, so I made 4 curves to go in a different direction. (My real quilting lines are nicer than marker lines!) And sometimes I just had to do some curves back and forth to get out of a space, but always tried to copy the look of the curve. (In other words, not skinny curves in some places, and fat ones in other places.) They all have about the same curve (called a teardrop), even though some are small, others large and some are just back and forth, to fill a space. And sometimes you end up inside everything else, and have to stop and restart.

I usually make one unit of 3-4 back and forth movements, then STOP and see where I'm going next. And I don't go fast.

OK class, let's see your samples! 8-))) Remember, your goal is to add texture, NOT to see your thread, even though you'll see it. After it's washed, it should be much less noticeable! Also, your eyes and nose will be right there within inches of your stitching, seeing every stitch - do not get upset if your stitches aren't quite right! You'll get better and probably those stitches will not be noticed when it's done! Ya gotta practice with anything that's new to you!

She basted ... She quilted!

This is MY basting tool, not quite like Quilt in a Day, but I want tools that do double duty, in order save space. This is a plain Phillips screwdriver, and the rubber band keeps the pin tip from sliding when closing the safety pins. Without the tool, closing those pins is hard on nails!

While basting, I had the advantage of the Animal Planet TV teaching me how NOT to get eaten by lions! Whew - glad I learned that! LOL

It's cold and blustery today - I'm indoors. Today, the entire basting job, from setting tables up to putting it all away took about 1 hour. I used spray and pins - not sure why I doubled the effort - but there's nothing worse than finding a wrinkle on the backing when you're all finished basting!

Half an hour at the machine and one long side has been quilted. It's a simple teardrop, echoed 2-5 times. My quilting thread is a medium blue - gosh what else could possibly work with all those light and dark values!


It's good to be back 'home' at the machine.

She sewed!

My humble Split 9-Patch has taken on a beautiful appearance. It's hard to even find the original block, isn't it?

Both I and DH are amazed at how those little triangles in the border improved a somewhat ho-hum scrap quilt! Even though my border triangles are not sharp due to the method I used to add them, I'm very happy with the end result. Again, all fabric except the last blue border was taken from my scrap box of 2 1/2 inch strips.

Look at my luck with this backing fabric I already had.

The original inspiration came from Quiltville.com, in her February post. Thanks Bonnie!

Now, on to the basting -- my least favorite part, but getting to the quilting, my very favorite part!!!

HSTs, inserted and fused to border

Finally, something to show!

I've been working away on this same Split 9-Patch and making decisions on the border. It seemed that a WHITE border was my best choice, but it looks kinda wimpy and washed out. I've used this technique before, when the block seems to stop too abruptly, and some version of the block would look good repeated out into the border. I wanted my border to be all one piece, not broken up into segments just to add the blue or red triangles. I think my fusing method saves time, (assuming you remember to put the fusible on the correct side at the get-go!).

I've faced the triangles with fusible interfacing, turned them right side out and INSERTED that unit between the border fabric and the quilt top. It cuts down on the effect of so much WHITE border, and it also blends the block into the border. BTW, after turning, these can be pressed gently with an applique pressing sheet - what a great invention!



Be sure to configure the background border with enough room for the fused triangles. When the quilt top is finished and pressed, I fuse them down, then blanket stitch them permanently with invisible thread, before quilting.

The blue plaid is my last border. This is a humble scrappy quilt - those triangles in the border do NOT have sharp points - I can live with that. But ... what if a person made them roundish? Another possibility for another quilt.

Except for the borders, I only pulled fabrics from my 2 1/2 inch box. I also made 10 Spools Blocks and 8 other blocks from that same box. hmmmm, now the box barely closes at all!

Split 9-Patches

I hope you didn't give up on me ever resurfacing! LIFE occurred, but I DID manage to use up scraps on this little 6-inch unit, called a Split 9-Patch, This is a busy photo - just look at the blocks in the foreground! I made half with red HSTs, and half with blue HSTs and just started attacking my 2 1/2 inch box of strips, using very lights and very darks. I had a LOT of dark blues, purples, etc. This little unit has an enormous variety of patterns, depending on how/where you place your colors. I kept the white on the HST as my constant. There are 96 units, 4 to a block and my plan was to make is 4 x 6 blocks, although one never knows until it's together! 4 x 6 blocks may look unbalanced -- maybe 5 x 5 would look better.
Here they are with all darks at the 'center' or all lights at the 'center'.

And here they are with the alternate dark/light placement, making a sort of heart in the center.

About the same time as I started mine, Bonnie at Quiltville.com showed a similar version and with her speed and energy, hers was done several weeks -- uhhhh MONTHS ago (see February 18, 2010 at HER blog)! 8-))) My gosh, I dIdn't want to be a copycat, but I am leaning towards copying her braided border -- I've never done one and it's really cute!

Also, this happens to be our Guild BOM for April.

My 2 1/2 inch box of strips DID finally close, but only barely.

I'm still in Slow Mode with the crooked neck/pinched nerves. We tried to take a drive 2 weeks ago but had to return home after 60 miles - too much jouncing for me -- me who LOVES to drive! Arghhhhh!

Split; 9-Patch - WIP

I thought I'd add blocks with BLUE as the diagonal - I like it! Maybe I'll alternate the blocks - not sure yet but so far, it looks good to me.

At first I found this pattern tedious until I had a duhhhh moment, and practiced webbing the block. Wow - who knew it would increase efficiency and decrease hand movements so dramatically? Of course, webbing is easier with a 9-patch than with a 36-patch but so far, so good. (note to myself ... Why do some clever techniques take me so long to adopt?) Mom always said I was stubborn.

And I noticed the inspirerer (is that a word?) of this piece, Ms. Bonnie, (Quiltville.com) has a new project, with what appears to be the same units.

And I DID manage to finish a challenge R x R block - I hope Jacci likes it! Nopers, no photo. All of them will be revealed at next Guild meeting - I cannot imagine what mine looks like. This has been fun, a stretch to our imagination and skills.

A Pile of Strips

OK, we probably all have boxes looking something like this -- what a mess but ....
Look what they turned into - this is called a Split 9-Patch. The original idea is from Quiltville.com, but there are many variations arount the net, and Bonnie's version WAS my favorite, with the red/white in that position. I will keep the red/white constant, although I already ran out of that particular RED - I have others. First issue I am having is, what value should my darks be? Next issue is, 'should I go to the tans, browns, forest colors? or stick with blues, reds, etc., or shall I mix them up?

This is about one hours worth of work, with strips already cut, and I DID remember to do some stretching X's between working. (clarification) This is 4 blocks together, making one 12 inch block. I'm liking it!