Pillowcases and more Double T blocks

I've made more Double T blocks -- look at the fabric I found for the zig-zag sashing - it's PERFECT!  I think I have 10 more blocks to go.  So far, they are turning out  PERFECT, every time, thanks to that good ruler by Lazy Girl (previously posted). 

This cute fabric (below) was given to me, but I've had it a long time, wondering what to do with it???  All those darling OWLS are not the easiest to work into a quilt.  However, after making several pillowcases for young foster children, something clicked -- voila!! That fabric  will be PERFECT for another pillowcase.

Here is my latest pillowcase - how long have I had those birdhouses???  I've saved that border, again, wondering what to do with it and lo and behold, it's the PERFECT border for another pillow case!  Do you ever make things for charity and then wish you'd made them for yourself?  I won't be tempted to keep it but it IS pretty cute! 

Thanks, Janet, and to her Mom, and to her Aunt, for this fabric

I've learned to check my small car's trunk before grocery shopping, knowing how often there is "stuff" in the trunk taking up space that is needed for groceries.  Today is grocery day.

A while ago, I wrote a post, called "Thanks Ron's Mom," which was a gift of a good deal of fabric, some not so great, but a lot of usable fabric.  I'm still working on the usable stuff.  Last week it was Ron's wife, Janet, who gave me boxes of fabrics, when cleaning out her Mothers' things, after her Mom passed away. Her Mom also had things of her Aunt's, who'd also passed away some time ago. Janet brought it to me at my office, and I hadn't had time to look at it, so into the trunk it went.  She knew I was a quilter, and if I couldn't use it, I would bring it to Guild for others.
 
There it all is - slobber, pant, drool -- maybe I won't get to grocery shopping after all.

First, I pulled out some neutrals from the box on the left (above)  to work into my present project, those "T" blocks. 

Below - here is a template made of ice cream container (kinda warped) and a LOT of squares of vintage fabrics.  I won't look closer for now, but I see an easy WIP, almost ready to sew!

Below, these look like fabrics from the 70s -- not cut up for blocks.  I don't want to stop too long to inspect more closely.

OMGosh (below) I hate to use the word "Jackpot" but that's what I said out loud when I saw this!  Hand pieced, nicely done and ALL done.  No odors, done well, neat narrow seam allowances and all I need to do is sandwich it and it MUST be hand-quilted.  The vintage fabrics are all in good shape -- from the 40s? What a great winter hand-quilting project! 

And if that wasn't good enough, here is "Jackpot #2!", seemingly made by another person, as the stitches look different.  Again, no odors, no holes, well done -- another must-be-hand-quilted project  They both only need pressing, and possibly another border.

Ready for another?  This 6 pointed star will require more work but it also is well done.  The edge pieces are a bit raveled, but another Jackpot!  How I hate to realize those ladies didn't have the opportunity to finish them. 

Dear Janet and Ron - I promise to love them,  I know I'll finish the two that need to be hand quilted.  I am most grateful you thought of me.  Extra fabric will be used by my guild for personal and community/donation projects. 

And I haven't shown all the contents of the box yet.  First glimpses showed vintage 40s fabric in blocks, 2-3 different styles.  That's going to be another day of pleasure -- for now, it's time to get those dratted groceries.

Tutorial - No math flying geese - by Lazy Girl

I have over-simplified a Tutorial with more-than-enough photos, using the No Math, No Waste Flying Geese ruler, by Lazy Girl.  The instructions are straightforward and on the ruler.  You use 1 large square and 4 small squares for 4 flying geese units (I need twice this amount for my block).  Geese are usually the DARK fabric but in this case my values are reversed.  i.e., this light fabric will be my geese.   My finished unit will be 1 and 1/2 x 3 inches -- that's all a person needs to know, the finished size of your unit.  The photos should speak for themselves.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions. 

You will have to trim off the points.

Voila!  You can really see the "T" with this value arrangement.  Kewllll!

Scrappy T blocks

This ruler specially designed for flying geese eliminates all waste -- once you know correct measurements for flying geese and use this method, you don't even NEED this ruler, but I always forget and it's nice to have this great tool.  There is little stretching, and so far, all have been nearly perfect.  I will include a photo of the method in process next post.  You start with a large dark square for the geese and 4 small light squares for the background per block.  However, in this block, values are reversed. 

Here are my 9 inch "T" blocks.  I LOVE how the "T" is more prominent in some blocks than others, depending on the values.   Be sure those geese are  pointing IN or you end up with another design - not a bad design,  just unexpected.  I plan to set them on point, with a zig-zag setting, inspired by one of Bonnie Hunter's gorgeous projects. 

 

After making 6 blocks, and having some pressing problems with bulk, I realized that when making the large corner HSTs, I should press to the LIGHT, and the construction is much easier,  more exact, and it lays flatter. 
Below is the back, showing pressing direction.  In order to get those geese points to lay flat, I clipped the seam allowances to near the seam line and pressed them IN.  That solved a second pressing problem. 

As usual, I am using what I have on hand - a never ending supply. 

Sausage Pillow Cases

Quilt Guild asked for pillowcases for foster kids - something they can take with them when moved from one place to another ... that part is just toooo sad.

The one on the left, has the plaid as the header and frogs as body.  The one on right is the opposite.

These are made via the Sausage Pillow Case method, when all the seams are inside.  The measurements are 23 in. (WOF) for body, 13 (WOF) for top hem, and 2 in. (WOF) for the accent.  If you have two fabrics of one yard each, that coordinate, you get two decent pillow cases, each one opposite one another.  Easy!  The video is on Youtube, and it's called what else, Sausage Pillow Case!  I made two more for girls, but no photo.

Today I went to JoAnns, who was advertising their Queen $35.00 package of Warm and Natural for $12.99 with my coupon, and no limits.  I only wanted ONE package, but when I saw other ladies loading their carts up with that bargain, I picked up THREE!  GREAT bargain!  I also hit Walmart for tulip bulbs, fertilizer, with hopes for spring loveliness.   Now, to get them IN THE GROUND!!!   

Diamond Strings

 This is just finished this morning, after taking out 4 blocks of quilting in the black.  I had several events of poor tension, then poor thread choice, and twice I didn't like what I'd quilted, so for now, there is NO quilting in the black pointy parts.  The backing is light, while those black zingers caused a LOT of show-through, or maybe you call them "pokies". 

This quilt is a little bit more vibrant than the photos - it IS vibrant!

For months, I had been slobbering at Amazon.com over  a book called String Revival, and this was the cover quilt.   Wow, I pressed my clicker so fast whtn I saw it!  It was backordered for MONTHS!!!  In the meantime I prepared my fabrics, foundation paper (phone book pages), already had my strips cut, so when the book FINALLY arrived, putting it together was a snap.  The black starts as a template that come to a point about 1/2 inch inside the intersection, so it's on target every time. When the book arrived, it included 30 minute DVD as well, with some video of making 3 of the projects.  THAT was a nice surprise.

   

I quilted the borders differently.  The first inside border was a geometric squares/rectangles, the next was loopy with occasional flowers, and the last wider black border was a kind of innie/outie replicating (IMHO) what I had done in the interior.  This approach adds to the scrappiness and also helps to keep up my quilting skills.

I quilt is on a DSM, a Janome 6500 MC.


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