Vintage Summertime

I worked very hard this weekend to get Vintage Summertime done and I'm happy to say, that after a year, it is DONE!  Well, the top is pieced.  Needs to be quilted yet.  I have to decide on what I'm going to do for a backing and binding.

It's super long.  A tad too long for my bed but I love it anyway.  I have some ideas on what I'm going to do with my bed since it's long in length but short for width.  I found a very soft and fluffy cotton blanket at Target in their Shabby Chic area of bedding that I think would be perfect under the quilt to help cover the mattress.

I have a lot of threads on the underside to clip and order my backing.  THEN I can send it off for quilting.  Super excited!

turn your head.  I hate when blogger turns the pics

on my bed

top half

bottom half

Next on my list... jelly roll sampler.  Time to get those blocks sashed and pieced into a top. 

I'm on a roll!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Double Duty - It can be a door stop too!

I finished my Charming Girls pin cushion for the swap a while ago.  I just sat down and sewed a button onto it.  The pinwheel just needed "something".  I used ME fabrics that I had in my stash.  I hope my partner likes it.  I think she will.

The pin cushion is so HEAVY!  I filled it with crushed walnut shells but I didn't overfill it and she can use it as a door stop if she wanted to.  I made a sweet treat bag and 2 covered button memo magnets.  Everything is going into the mail tomorrow.

pinwheel pin cushion - a.k.a pinwheel door stop

Vintage Summertime is coming along.  I have 2 more rows together.  I have 2 more rows left.  Then the borders.  I'm hoping that by next week, I will have a completed top to show you, ready for quilting.

Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)

Vintage Summertime

Pinwheels, pinwheels everywhere.  I am so tired of making pinwheels.  But I'm so happy to say that my pinwheel blocks are DONE.  Woohoo!  I made 28 blocks.  I was on a roll and ready to make 32 blocks but I ran out of my white on white fabric.  So I squeaked out 28 blocks.  My last 4 blocks don't have mates.  I had to blend them into my top.

I got three rows sashed and put together last night/this morning.  I was going to work on the 4th row but I ran out of steam.  Those little pinwheels in the sashing are a pain in the butt.  But I like the little bit they add to the top.

Of course this morning, I noticed that placed the same block design side by side.  Oh well.  I'm not fixing it.  I was tired last night and didn't notice my oops.

Vintage Summertime is the name of the quilt top that I'm kicking around.  Not sure about it.  Maybe something better will surface.

I have border fabric coming.  Should be here by tomorrow or Tuesday.  I will work on it more tonight.  Maybe.  I have those micro pinwheels to still make.  I only made 6 so far.  15 more needed.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

It's coming along

I have pinwheel fever again.  It's coming together.  In the last couple of days, I have made 6 new blocks for my sampler top and removed two.  The two I go rid of, I made them last year when I was having pinwheel frustrations and they looked crappy and I really didn't like the pinwheel style.  I didn't want them to spoil my pretty top.  :)  And there are a couple that I liked but again, looked crappy, so I'm remaking those.

I'm thinking 11 more blocks and then I will lay it out on my bed and figure out if I need more.  I will have 24 blocks at that point and I'm going to add a border to the quilt too.  It may just be a nice Spring/Summer coverlet for my bed.  So excited!!  I wish I got this pinwheel fever last year then this project would be done by now!

Wanna see what I have done so far?  There is one pinwheel at the top that is hiding.  So far I have 13 blocks done.

not the final layout.  :)

I also went through my remaining fabrics and pulled out the ones I haven't used yet and want to use.  I hope to find some time today to cut a few more pinwheels.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Pinwheels Resurrected

Like a lot of quilters out there, I have projects started and not finished.  Too many that I care to admit.  One of them is the pinwheel sampler that I started last year in a quilt along.  I had wanted to make it large enough for my bed and got discouraged.  I put the whole thing away and haven't really thought about it.

It's been gnawing at me lately because I really want to get this finished because I love the fabrics I'm using.  So I pulled it out yesterday morning.  I told myself that I'm going to make all the pinwheels I can with all the fabrics that I have set aside for the project and that's that.  If it fits my bed, great.  If not, I'll use it elsewhere. 

Here are the two blocks that I worked on.

turn your head.  Darn blogger!

I have a few more pinwheel blocks that I've decided I would like in my sampler so I'm going to work on getting the fabric cut for them.  When I get the itch, I'll get them pieced.  My goal is to have this top complete by the end of the year.  I think I can handle that.  :)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Renewed Interest

Earlier this year I participated in a pinwheel block quilt along.  The last few blocks that we were "assigned" didn't come out too well and I scrapped put the whole thing aside.  I really wanted to finish it so that I would have a nice bed quilt for my bed but I wasn't happy with my results.

Then I was seeing a quilt layout out in blog world and I really liked it.  Sharon is working on one and so is Kim.  I originally wanted to do this block layout for my jelly roll sampler (and I still am) but I wanted to play around with a couple of my pinwheel blocks that I really didn't care for.  So if I messed it up, I wouldn't be totally heart-broken.

This is what I did today.  I really should have finished quilting the pinwheel table runner since it is a gift and the party is next Sunday but I didn't feel like it.

What do you think??  I'm really digging it.  I'm not going to use the hand-dyed for the blocks but it's what I had on-hand here at home as a solid to play with.  Now these 2 blocks are uniform in size (15").  My pinwheel blocks were all ranging in size 1/4 inch or so and I was getting discouraged.  Not any more!  And with bigger blocks, I don't have to make as many for my queen size bed!  LOL!  I would LOVE to do larger blocks; add another border around in white but my largest square ruler is 15".

Now when I'm bored or don't feel like working on my to do list, I will continue with my pinwheels and hopefully next year, I will have a finished quilt for my bed!  I have to work on getting my jelly roll sampler finished first.  I want to give that one to Punkie for Christmas.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Jen

Pinwheel Sampler - Block 5

Here are my two blocks for the pinwheel sampler.  I don't like them.  The pink/green one, I had cut during my medication stupor a couple of weeks ago and nothing matched up when I pieced the block together a week later.  The yellow/blue one, I cut when I was feeling much better but it still didn't come out right.  I don't know why.

I finally finished the yellow/blue one a few days ago because it was just staring at me on my cutting table.  So, I'll throw them into my sampler top but I won't be making any more of this style for it.  I'll need about 4 or 5 of each pinwheel block to make my top big enough.  These will be the only two of this style.

Enjoy your day!
Jen :)

Some Advice

NEVER cut fabric - and SEW said fabic- ESPECIALLY HSTs - when you are delirious and hopped up on cold medicine, thinking you'll do just fine. 

That's all I have to say about that.

LOL.

Wow.  I put my pinwheel block together this afternoon.

Yeah.

I'm doing it over.

:)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Pinwheel Sampler - Block Four

Here they are.  I like them a bit.  Not my favorite but I can live with them.  My favorite out of these two is the white on white.  I know it's not enough contrast but I think that's why I like it.  The blue one, I had difficulty matching my center pinwheel point.  I'm sure if I take it apart one more time (which I'm NOT going to do), the point will match.  I can live with it.  The white one came out better.  Hmmm.  Maybe that's the REAL reason I like that block better than the blue one.  LOL.

I've had a couple of productive sewing days last week.  I got my Easter surprises done and I've started my potholders for the 2nd swap I joined.  I also had a sewing day on Saturday with a couple of friends of mine.  It was a good day to sew too because it was raining buckets.  I worked on my Magoo monkey.  I started him/her last year and couldn't get the curved piecing right.  So I put it away.  But I really wanted to finish it.  My friend was nice enough to spend her Saturday afternoon with me to show me.  So I worked on that but he's not finished yet.  Hopefully in the next 6 months I get it done.  LOL.

Enjoy your day!
Jen :)

Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along - Block Three

Here's my block three for the pinwheel sampler.  I LOVE the pink and yellow one.  That one is my all time favorite right now.

My additional block doesn't have much contrast to it.  Bummer but it will work.  And I want to know what is up with those threads!  I swear I clipped them off.  They multiply when you're not looking!

My favorite close-up...

Uh, does anybody else see the HUGE mistake in my block?!?!!?  I uploaded the pics last night and as I stare at them this morning... OMG.  Seam ripper, here I come!  I did the same thing on the other block but I caught the mistake yesterday afternoon before I put the block together....
Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)

Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along - Block Two

Here are the blocks for week 2 of the Pinwheel Sampler quilt along.  Easy peasy, right?  Huh.  Not for me!  I did both these blocks over.  So now I have a set of two.  I think I'll throw the extra ones on the back of my quilt.  My first green one, the center pinwheel point didn't line up.  I wasn't happy.  The blue one, came out perfect (in my eyes anyway) BUT was a 1/2" smaller than it should be!  How did that happen??  I have no idea.  It is a mystery.

But these are done and now I wait patiently for the block tutorial for week 3.  If you are still debating about joining, there is still time!  C'mon and join us!

Enjoy!
Jen  :)

Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along - Block One

Rachel is feeling better and has started her Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along and posted the first block instructions last night.  I was so excited that I made both my blocks last night.

Here they are.

Eh.  I like them but I don't LOVE them.  I personally like the yellow pinwheel/red gingham block better than the other.  I think it's the stripe I'm not loving.  And if you notice on the yellow pinwheel block... bottom right corner.  I sewed it on upside down and my HST seam is off.  Of course I notice all this AFTER sewing the whole block together.

I wasn't going to officially join the quilt along; just watch what was going on and then do the blocks at a later date by myself.  But I got this fabric line for Christmas 2008 and I bought it specifically for a pinwheel quilt for MY BED.  So why not?  I can handle a block or two a week.  I hope.  I'm going to have to make a few extra of each block style since I do want it for my bed and Rachel's will make a generous-sized lap quilt.

If anyone is interested, the fabrics are Darla by Tanya Whelan.  I just LOVE it.

Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)