By the time you read this......

I will be on my way to the NC coast with Lisa to SEW ALL WEEKEND!!! winterize and close down her dad's house for the season.

Two girls and shelby-the-dog, we are on our way to Holden Beach! I had to ask Lisa just today "Where is it we are going??" Because I just really didn't pay all too much attention at the time she asked me. I only heard.....NC COAST.....BEACH HOUSE.....SEWING...and that was all I needed to know!

We will return Sunday, so it's a short trip, but I'm looking forward to some behind-the-machine time. I'm dumping the "Texas" duds out of my suitcase, and re-packing it with "2-girls-roughing-it-with-no-make-up" duds!

No plans for meals, or cooking...we can stop by the grocery store and pick up breakfast stuff. No plans for dinner...we can go out or stay in or have pizza delivered or do whatever!

It's been SO COLD here in NC, that when I arrived home last night it was 22 degrees with a windchill that made it feel like 13. So I was a bit worried about what the weekend would throw at us. In fact, my car sat in the garage un-driven since Friday, and when I went to go mail out book orders, it wouldn't start! TOO COLD!!

But look!! This is the forecast for Holden Beach!



This doesn't look so bad! Long bundled up walks on the beach? I'm there! Sleeping in if I want to? I'm there! The rain/wind for Sunday doesn't sound so great, but it can come after we are on our way home.

Part 4 of Roll Roll Cotton Boll is already to be released in the wee-small-hours of Friday, so you don't need me around for anything else, do ya? ;cD

Oh. PS. I've had some people email and ask, looking for things --- thinking they were on the blog, wishing they were on the blog instead of the website, asking if I would kind of consolidate it. I'd love to make it easier for you to find things! So I'm considering moving some tutorials and tips & technique stuff over here to the blog. It might mean a post with a chart of cutting side triangles comes through your feed, stuff like that, but it would be nice to have it in one place for easy reference for you, so I'll do it. A little bit at a time!

A Funny Thing Happened......

I posted this on the Quiltville Friend Page on facebook, and a reader sent me this HILARIOUS cartoon to go with the story. You probably need to click it to biggie-size it. It was too good not to do a re-cap here for those who are not on facebook!

Yesterday morning as I went through security on my first flight from Harlingen to Houston, I was one of the lucky ones to go through the xray machine....

"Ma'am, place your feet on the diagram feet...palms above your head, palms open and face forward please!"

((this felt like some weird version of twister with no way to twist!))

Then I had to step to the next station and get the "Pat Down" routine...evidently my underwires required further inspection!

The female officer was friendly and I had no problem with it as I really....really...had nothing better to do! I was plenty early to the airport, so hey, I'm always up for an adventure!

When the process was completed she double-checked my boarding pass and said "Wow! You really ARE Bonnie Hunter!"

I laughed and turned beet red. Turns out she is a quilter too! We chatted for a few minutes and I told her what I was doing in Harlingen....too funny!

It's nice to know that even TSA agents quilt! Still, it catches me off guard a bit!

Oh, she also said...."Wow! from your pictures, I thought you were a lot shorter..." Heheheh!

It was just all very cute, and it kept a smile on my face all the way home.

I crashed early last night...slept all the way til 7:30 this morning. It's a catch up day! I've got the next two parts of Roll Roll Cotton Boll to write and post-date. I'm going to be out of town the next two Fridays, so they've gotta be ready to release for you!

I've also had questions on various things like

* Why do you use phone book paper, can't you just sew strips and trim?

Well, yes, you can, but the paper adds a bit of stabilizer as I sew. Not all my strips have straight edges, and this helps me keep things flat so I don't get hills and valleys in my piecing.

The paper also gives me a BOUNDARY to shoot for. I can start with longer strips down the center diagonal, but I can use the shorter strips and even triangles in the corners. This makes everything usable. Remember, I'm not working from strictly FQ length strips, or yardage long strips.....The shape of that paper is my guide on the sizes of strips I can use AND where they will best fit.

*Someone wrote about their stitches coming undone as they pulled paper:

My stitching starts at least 1/4" before the paper....and my stitches are VERY SMALL. 1.5 on my bernina, 1.4 on my janome. if your stitches are pulling, your stitch is too long. Any loose stitches should be trimmed off by the time you square up the block.

*Someone wrote about having to crumple the block to remove the paper??

I have NEVER heard of this. I start in one corner, and rock the piece I'm removing. I'm right handed, so it rocks from left to right, just as if I were removing binder paper from a notebook. Remove the corner piece, tug on the corner a bit to loosen the top edge of the next strip, grasp it and rock it from left to right...loosen the top of the next strip of paper, and remove that one just like from a binder as well. No crumpling, no problem. Again...if you are having problems, you are not starting at an edge, and/or your stitches are STILL TOO BIG.

*Someone wrote about removing the paper first and then squaring...

To which I reply...do whatever works for you! There are really no rules, and if that works for you, fine. I just do what I do because I like to do it that way, it is not a "rule" that you have to do it this way.....find what works for you, try other ways...what matters is that you end up with the units you need in the right size they need to be. There is more than one way to skin a cat as they say!

*Someone asked why I use phone book paper, and not the kabnet wax paper.

I discovered phone books for string piecing after I had finished using up my kabet wax paper and was in a hurry and didn't want to go make a long drive to go buy more. I grabbed whatever was at hand. And you know, I really like the phone book paper better! I think it tears off easier than the kabnet wax paper. But you can use any kind of paper you want. I do a lot of paper piecing on just regular re-purposed printer paper. It's more about the recycling, and giving things a second opportunity to be used before they hit the landfill instead of having to go BUY SOMETHING that I'm going to just tear up and throw away.

My favorite comment so far? The gal that said she realized her phone book pages could get a 3rd life, by going from string piecing....and into her worm beds! Now that is frugal quilting at its best! :cD

*Someone asked about piecing a panel into a tube and then using a ruler to slice them that way.

Well..if it works for you, go for it. Again, I am using junk strips. These were many different lengths, widths, grain lines, and not all straight strips. Some tapered wide to narrow, some had even a gently curved edge. That would not work with a tube method. A tube method would also give you identical blocks. I'm not a fan of identical blocks. My goal in this step was to empty out a lot of stuff I had been saving for years. I was not working from new yardage. But if it works for you, go for it.

I think this is one of those steps that either people love it, or they hate it. I personally LOVE it...each and every scrap that gets used....

My printer is working over time this morning, printing out the pdf pages of Scraps & Shirttails II! Oh!! You guys!! It looks SO GOOD! As soon as I get a cover to show you I will. As soon as I get the go ahead, I'd like to do a weekly "preview" and show you one quilt a week or something like that so you know what is in the book. I just haven't been told that I can sneak-peek anything yet. If we go OVER on the page count we'll have to maybe pull a pattern and let it go in the NEXT book...so...we are working on it to get everything to fit!

December is crazy, so I'll be starting the pre-orders on January 1st and I'll keep you updated on that, however, I hope to hear this week when I'll get Tonya's Word Play Quilts book in stock, and you will know as soon as I do!

Quatro Quilters y Ropa Usada!

I'm on a lay-over, waiting for my last leg home from Texas!

Of course, now that I am going home, the weather has decided to turn sunny and warm...auugh! I must have a frozen fairy on my shoulder, because it has been cold and windy in Texas the whole time I've been here, until this morning, that is!

Yesterday, oh yesterday! How can I find the words to describe to you JUST. WHAT. I. SAW!!

I was picked up by Jan and a whole carload of winterly-displaced Minnesotans ((who call themselves Winter Texans, but are fooling NO ONE with their totally home-sounding-to me "Oh, Yaaaaaaaaa..you BETCHA, Don'tcha Know??? Don'tcha wanna come WITH?!?" Minnesotan slang! :cD))We headed out. To MC ALLEN...for my first venture into the land of ROPA USADA!

What Just IS Ropa Usada, you ask? Oh Man. Oh MAN. It makes the Goodwill Clearance center look like a teeny tiny yard sale!

I know the building looks unassuming from the outside, but....



This was my first view through the big wide-open loading dock doorway.

MOUNTAINS!

MATTERHORN MOUNTAINS of recyclable clothing!! And about anything else could be hidden in there too. The price? 50 cents a POUND.

((OKAY. YES. I KNOW. My bags were almost already at their weight limits anyway! But the MN girls said they would ship a box for me if there was something I could not bear to leave Texas without!))




The piles LITERALLY went to ceiling level. And you had to watch out for the killer fork lift that was beeping and backing up, and dropping new bales of clothing, and using its deadly forks to push the piles back up to the ceiling....people were climbing on the piles and digging. DIGGING...for hidden treasures!

I was told before coming, that I should wear tennis shoes....no flip flops or clogs..because one could easily lose their shoes, and any other loose items in the piles, never to be found again! I can see why!




Jan snuck a sneaky pic of me digging and checking out labels, hoping that things I was finding had that 100% cotton tag!



The second place we hit was a bit different...and of course, because it was "somewhat organized" in bins...the prices were a bit higher. They had done half the digging for you...and I'd say that was worth it!



We found the "PLUS SIZE" area....and the prices were only $1.50 a pound! Look at this yellow striped XXXX large shirt! Whooooo! This definitely came home with me, and made for a fun "object lesson" in just how MUCH fabric can be found in a shirt-of-significant-size!

Jan also grabbed a pic of the other three of us as we prepared to stow our goodies in the back of her car:



It was such a great day! We found a terrific Mex-Tex place to eat on our way back to Harlingen, and I was able to rest up and do a load of laundry, catch up on email, and unwind before doing my presentation for the guild last night.

My flight boards in about 20 mins, so I'm running to finish this up....we'll catch you again from NC!

A Quilty Day in Harlingen, TX!

The gals in Harlingen really are a bunch of "Texas Tornadoes!"

This was such a fun workshop..and we were full at 24 students!

One of the things I love about this workshop is getting students to let loose and really play with variety! We worked strictly with pre-cut bricks and squares that everyone cut ahead of time so that when we began, we began big time!

I've uploaded a little slideshow to webshots!



Harlingen, TX 2010

There is also a link below the slide show for you to click through to view the pictures individually if for some reason you are unable to see it.



After the workshop, we drove out to South Padre Island! It was my first time, and though it was a quick one, I'd love to come back some day. I tell you what, if you wanted to gather some girl friends and retreat...even the Hampton Inn had rooms advertised for $22.95 as it is really OFF OFF season right now. If it weren't so far to get here....I might consider it!

We stopped to have dinner at Pirate Landing, yummy blackened red snapper!! It was a windy blustery night, but I loved it! There is something about palm trees blowing in the wind, even in a stormy wind, that just makes me feel like I am in another world. And..I suppose I am! Since I left snow in NC! I feel like I am getting away with something that I shouldn't be....

The weather was gorgeous when I arrived....and the last two mornings, even though it has been brisk, I've been out the door about 6:45am power walking for about 1.5 hrs....feels good!

One funny thing about Texas...Every town has at least one, if not several HEB grocery stores! I loved the HEB when we lived in Waxahachie....

I stopped to get some breakfast things, cereal, yogurt, fruit, milk..and OH OH OH !! They have my absolute fave! Pina Colada light yogurt. This is the BEST, better than the "name brands." There are actually pineapple and coconut bits in it...MMMM! So guess what I had for breakfast today? :cD

I'm being picked up by Jan and her cohort, I'm being shuffled around for a bit of sight-seeing today, and lunch out! So far, we've hit the BBQ place the first night...hit the seafood place last night....and today....I've got Tex Mex on the brain! So that is my request for lunch.

This evening is my lecture/trunkshow, and tomorrow....it's already time to go HOME! Time really does fly fast when you are having fun, as they say!

Adventures in Aviation!

Yesterday I had a great day with Friend-Jen, showing her how to paper piece! This is her first block, one of many...for an airplane quilt for her son! See the sections? Yeah, she didn't choose the easiest, there are weird angles etc...but she is a trooper!

First, we took the pattern and labeled the sections. We also figured which size of strips the pieces would each come from.

And then we took another pattern and cut it apart, using some of the pieces as patterns to rough-cut so she wouldn't have to guess the placement on some of these weird angles, mostly in the background pieces. This also helps eliminate waste as well as helps placement!

And then we set to sewing!



This is the first block, DONE! As of an email I got this morning, she is up to 5...nearly a whole squadron! It's going to be so cute, what growing boy wouldn't like a quilt with these planes on it? They finish about 10" square...

I wish I was having as much fun with my flights today as we were with Jen's airplanes yesterday. :cP

You know, 3:45am comes AWFUL EARLY....and we were a bit late leaving Greensboro. I thought to myself...not a problem...plenty of layover...and I found my gate at Dulles with about 15 minutes til boarding. Just enough time to head to the powder room, get all in order.

We boarded the plane (And I got bumped up to first class...WHOOOOO!!) and all systems "SEEMED" go. Safety demos were presented, the pilot came over the loud speaker and told the flight attendants to take their seats and prepare for take off...we had taxied all the way out..and then...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a sick passenger on board, we are returning to gate for medical help." WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Of course, we more than anything wanted well for this passenger, and if they needed medical attention, of course...

The thing is...I "saw" this lady when we were at the gate. She was wearing a blue medical mask. She was hacking and coughing and blowing her nose and looking miserable. In my opinion, should she even have thought to travel today? What was she thinking? Is that mask really going to keep her from polluting the rest of us with whatever she was suffering from? I moved to the other side of the gate before boarding. When they said over the loud speaker that a passenger was ill, I knew it was her. I just knew it. Why was she let on the plane?

So...we head back to the gate. we park on the tarmack for at least 30 minutes because no gate was available. When we finally get there, there is an ambulance waiting, there is paper work to be filled out, and all that goes with having to update our flight plan. 1.5 hours......auughh! We would have been 1/2 way to Houston by the time we could finally take off.

This means that a WHOLE AIRBUS 321 full of passengers MISSED THEIR CONNECTIONS...because one passenger thought they could fly while they were sick. AND..we have all now been coughed on and breathed this same air. Do I sound a bit paranoid? I hope not! I just hope that if I were "THAT" sick, that I would think twice before traveling. I don't know what the story is, or why she was traveling alone and so ill...but.....

At any rate, I hope she gets the help she needs.

So! We got underway, and the upside was:



BREAKFAST!!

OMGoodnes...I feel like I have never been SO HUNGRY in my life. I hadn't eaten anything since about 5:30pm last night. This morning I set my alarm for 3:45, and had time for a shower and a bit of packing of the toiletries before leaving the house at 4:15am! I honestly thought I'd get something in Dulles, but we were late, so no time..after I got the upgrade, I knew there would be munchies on the plane, but then the delay and return to gate, and waiting, and I didn't pack any munchies in my bag! I usually travel with a couple apples..but....forgot!

Needless to say, when the flight attendant asked if I wanted breakfast, my answer was, "How fast can you serve it!?" LOL!

You'll notice there are some hexagons on the left of my plate on the tray!Yes, there has been much hexagon sewing this morning too...and it will continue. Thank heavens for busy-bags! ((And busy hands...))

I did miss my flight to Harlingen, but I've found a comfy spot to plug in, catch up on mail, charge my phone, sew a bit...and of course, I can always power walk the terminals. There will be time for sleeping later!

And now for some exciting news!



Tonya's book is ALMOST OUT!! I am so excited I can hardly stand myself. It was Tonya who taught me these techniques back when we were in the same guild when she lived in Georgia and I in South Carolina. One weekend when both of our hubbies were out of town, she came and spent the weekend and changed my life forever with one simple tutorial..."Just piece your name" She said...yeah....sure....and a whole new world opened up to me! I'm so proud of her and getting this book underway...

And to top it off, I'm going to be selling Tonya's books on my site! WHOOOOO! I'll let you know as soon as I know when I can expect them to be in, and added to the Quiltville book store. My own book will be out in early Feb, so we will have more great things you will want to have.

I'm going to start pre-orders for Scraps & Shirttails II on Jan 1st, and hopefully I'll have more info on Word Play Quilts (maybe even have them in stock) So you can order them at the same time.

It's going to be a great new year full of Quilty Goodness!

Well into December!

Yesterday I was in denial, Today, comes acceptance! December will march on, all the way through, this year will be done, history...and a new year awaits! I just wish time would slow down a bit more so we could enjoy it!

I've spent time writing Part 3 of Roll Roll, Cotton Boll, but of course, that won't be ready to upload until tomorrow, so I thought I'd leave you a goodie I found while cleaning out my inbox!

Holly sent me this recipe after the episode of the gifted-fudge that came in the mail that I mistakingly thought was yummy-smelling SOAP! LOL!

Since it is December, and Holidays are in full throttle, I thought this might be a good addition to your December Yummy-making!

Orange Creamsicle Fudge
7 oz. marshmallow creme
12 oz. bag white chocolate chips
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
12 Tablespoons salted butter
3 teaspoons orange extract
3 drops red food coloring
5 drops yellow food coloring(suggested)

Steps:
1. Line a 9 inch square pan with Release Foil or line with regular foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place marshmallow creme and white chips in a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine sugar, cream and butter in saucepan.
4. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring once or twice, until mixture reaches 235 degrees F.
5. Remove from heat immediately and pour hot cream mixture into mixing bowl with chips adn marshmallow creme.
6. Stir well with a wooden spoon--mixture will look slightly stretchy and unappetizing, but don't worry, it will smooth out.
7. Remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside.
8. Stir orange extract and a few drops of each color food coloring into mixture which remains in bowl.
9. Stir until it reaches a lovely orange hue.
10. Adjust colors if needed.
11. Pour orange mixture into prepared pan. Pour or spoon white mixture on top.
12. Drag a knife through both to make swirls.
13. Using a sheet of foil, press down slightly to smooth top.
14. Let cool to room temperature (about 40 minutes) then chill for one hour or until set.
15. Lift fudge from pan using foil handles and using a large knife, score into squares. Makes 20 servings or 2 1/4 pounds of fudge. Enjoy!



I'd also like to take a moment to wish those that celebrate, a Wonderful, Warm and Happy Hanukkah!

Joyous Hanukkah!
by Eva Grant

At last! At last! Hanukkah is here!
The whole house is bursting with holiday cheer.

Pancakes are sizzling as hard as they can,
Browning delectably crisp in the pan.

The dreidels can scarcely wait to be spun;
Presents are hidden for Hanukkah fun;

And there, on the table, polished and bright,
The shining menorah gleams through the night,

Like the oil lamp in ancient history,
That burned on and on miraculously!

And each flaming candle proclaims the great story
Of the Maccabean heroes, their deeds and their glory.

On This Date....

NOTHING HAPPENED!!

Well not nothing, but my day yesterday was just so blissfully normal. Not a weekend. Not a Monday, Not a Friday. It was a TUESDAY. And a very ordinary wonderful Tuesday!

I had been buried in paperwork, trying to find my way out of a stack of papers that I couldn't even remember why I stacked them there on my desk side table, no rhyme or reason for what I intended to do with them....

Some of them were contracts and I needed to make copies before sending them back to their prospective guilds, but low and behold...as soon as I started to copy the first one, the printer decided to run out of ink about half way down the page >_< !!

About this time Jen called! I told her of my printer cartridge woes and that I was going to have to run for a new one, and pretty soon we were making a lunch date for the Chick Fil A that is right there near the Walmart/Staples where I was headed!

Is there anything better than a friend who can make an un-wanted errand trip turn into a fun lunch?! Thanks Jen, it was a great day! We are planning to get together on Friday and SEW. I'm always up for that! She has an adorable airplane quilt she wants to make for her son for his next birthday. (Did you get that pattern enlarged at Staples? What size did you decide?! :c) )

At Walmart, I found the printer cartridge, the LAST ONE of the kind I needed. Thank you ink-fairies! And I realized that I didn't have to rush, I could slow down and WANDER! No quilting stuff came home with me. Not that there is much to be found there anymore, but I can usually pick up machine needles, rotary blades, and other little stuff if I need it.

This walmart has gone to completely having only pre-cut packages of fabrics on hand, mostly for home-dec projects, though the bundles say they are for quilting. You know, when you can't really open the fabric like you can on a bolt..and feel it in your hand ---because it is so tightly wrapped that you can't see how thin it is, or what the texture is --- it just loses something in translation!

I can see myself grabbing the 2 yard cuts of the 100% cotton solids they have there. 2 yards for 5 bucks? Yes, I've used that "Country Cotton" or whatever the brand name is, and I like it...but that is the only fabric I think I would trust from there right now because I know I've used it, and have had experience with it. The others? The prints look kind of "cheap" for lack of a better word. I'm just not impressed.

Still....for those in rural areas ((Yes, and that includes me too since they closed down the Ben Franklin that was the "MAIN" quilt store in Kernersville)) This is it. This is all there is if you need thread, notions, fabric, whatever. At least the Walmarts are TRYING to provide us with some things we need. But it's sad that it falls this much short.

They also closed down Randy's Quilt Shop in Greensboro...And there are a couple shops in Winston-Salem, but they are clear on the other side of the planet from me, and my errands just don't take me anywhere near where they are located, so I do most of my shopping when I am teaching on the road rather than make a 40 minute drive one way locally...but that's another tangent! When I am home --- The less time spent in the car the BETTER!

So what DID come home with me?! I decided it was time for a NEW IRONING BOARD COVER. Oh how that can perk up a sewing space!

And I decided that it was time to go through this basket of bills, statements and receipts and do some organizing there. I bought a collapsible file and spent time sorting and clearing out (None of this had been done since Tax Time in April! It just all went in the basket!)while watching "In Her Shoes" With Shirley McClain. Oh Chick Flick Heaven!

I sewed a bit....and puttered. That was it! That was the whole day, and I am so grateful for it!

I'm gearing up to head to Harlingen, Texas on Saturday. I've got a trip to meet with the Frontera Quilt Guild! WHOOOO!!!

This is an area I've never been to before, and I'm really looking forward to it. We are doing the Oklahoma Backroads Workshop to use up HUGE amounts of bricks and squares! YAY! And a Lecture and Trunk show as well...

Gals, I have two requests, any time I go down to Texas! BBQ & Tex Mex! Bring it on!

Christmas Lights, Part 3!

If You've reached this stage, you are ready to put this quilt together!


Click HERE for printer-friendly .pdf version!

*note* You must have adobe reader installed to view and print this file. You may need to right click to save, and then click to open it to print it!



Cutting The Setting Triangles!



I believe in specialty rulers! I also love on-point quilts, so this ruler really comes in handy. I remember exactly where and when I bought it -- it was 1999 and we had just moved to Sulphur Springs, TX. This is "The Setting Triangle" by Omnigrid, and you know what? I just did a web search for it, and couldn't find it, so I don't know if it is even made any more! Bummer if not....but I'm sure there are other rulers by other manufacturers out there that do the same thing.

Basically, it is a HUGE "Companion Angle" type ruler, and allows you to cut big triangles with the straight of grain on the longest side of the triangle from STRIPS, not squares. I find it really easy to use. You find the unfinished block size (9 1/2") on the left side of the ruler, and it tells you what width of strip to cut for your triangles (7 1/4") and you use the ruler to cut them down the length of your strip. I've learned to give myself a bit of extra allowance with the first cut at the end of the strip, and those cut off corners are big enough to trim for the 4 corners of the top.

But if you don't HAVE access to a ruler like this, we are going to be cutting squares!



From your gold fabric, cut:

(4) 14" Squares, cut diagonally twice from corner to corner with an X to yield 16 setting triangles.

(2) 7 1/4" Squares, cut diagonally once from corner to corner to yield 4 corner triangles.

Lay out the quilt as shown in the picture above, paying attention to the direction the blocks are turned. That said, feel free to play with them! Rotate them! Find an arrangement that is pleasing to you.



On-point quilts are sewn in diagonal rows starting in one corner. Each row gets longer as you get toward the center of the quilt, and then the rows diminish again.

Stitch the blocks into rows, with setting triangles on the end of each row. Join the rows.

I like to sew the quilt in 2 "approximate" halves, and then join the halves together to complete the top, this makes things a bit less unwieldy when putting so much through the machine.

Trim the quilt center, leaving 1/4” seam allowance beyond the block corners around the outside edge of the top. There might not be much to trim, but this helps get rid of dog ears as well, cleaning up the top before adding borders.



Adding The Borders!

Black 1st border: Cut (7) 2" strips across the width of yardage.

Red 2nd border: Cut (7) 2 1/2" strips across the width of yardage.

Paisley 3rd border: Cut (8) 5" strips across the width of yardage.

*Note* If you want your borders continuous with no piecing in them, cut them lengthwise from 2 1/4 yard lengths of fabric. You will need 4 Strips of each border fabric.

I prefer to cut mine across the width of the fabric unless there is a pattern that I want to preserve in a certain orientation in the border. I also like any remaining yardage to be "full width" in my stash so I know exactly how much I have and what I can get out of it. It's easier for me to plan a quilt with 44" wide yardage than 30" yardage that has had borders for a previous quilt removed from it, get it?

I could do this the easy way, and just tell you the length to cut your borders according to the "math-perfect" dimensions, but you know? I find more people have greater success if they work with their own measurements. I want your quilt to be successful, so you need to cut borders that fit YOUR quilt, not the prototype :c)

Follow this procedure for EACH of the three borders shown, adding each border individually to the quilt and repeating the measuring steps with each border added:



Join the strips for each border end to end with diagonal seams. Press seams open and trim dog ears.

Lay quilt out on the floor, smoothing it gently. Do not tug or pull. Measure the quilt through the center from top to bottom. Cut two inner side borders this length. Sew inner side borders to the quilt sides with right sides together, pinning to match centers and ends. Ease where necessary to fit. Press seams to the borders.

Repeat for top and bottom inner borders, measuring across the quilt center, including the borders just added in the measurement. Stitch top and bottom inner borders to quilt center, pinning to match centers and ends, easing where necessary. Press seams to the borders.



If you are really ambitious, you could sew all three border widths together first, and MITER your corners! If you want to do that, you can find directions for that HERE!



Here is a close-up of the fabrics in my top! Writing this tutorial has really urged me to get this quilt out of cold storage the closet and get my holiday decorating under way!

Of course, you are going to layer and quilt "as desired". Christmas Lights is edge to edge quilted in free-hand garlands of light bulbs and cords that wind and meander over the quilt surface. I used a variegated gold thread.

Binding:

Cut 8 strips of paisley fabric (Or go contrasting if you want! I would have if the magazine hadn't already chosen this for me...I'm such a rebel and my binding is usually contrasting with the outer border!) 2 1/2" wide by width of fabric. (I know some of you are 2 1/4" binding girls, but I like mine a bit fuller and wider at 2 1/2, using the edge of my walking foot as a guide for my seam. It makes a nice 3/8" Binding instead of 1/4", which I like!)

For more on quilt binding...go HERE!

*Part 1!

*Part 2!

Oscar is HOME!

**Note* Oscar passed away in the spring of 2011. I miss him dearly, and it is a comfort to see his photos pop up occasionally through random blog posts. Oscar, you are missed!

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And let me tell you, he is NOT a HAPPY CAMPER!

He looks...well.....terrible. But better than he did when he went in to the animal hospital on Saturday.

The doc showed me his xrays...OY! You couldn't even see his heart or lungs hardly due to all the fluid that had built up. He said when the first started to syringe out the fluid, it just came and came and came, poor guy! No wonder his breathing was so labored. He couldn't GET ANY AIR!

He's been on mega antibiotics, and as soon as they got the fluid off, you could tell that he could breathe so much better.

However, he refused to eat while at the vet.....and I'm out to remedy that. I don't think it will take much to put the weight back on him, he made a bee-line for the bed-side table where his treats are found. He even jumped up there just fine and was purring to beat the band.

So now we just wait and watch. We give him antibiotics twice a day to make sure the infection is completely gone. We feed him to fatten him up and get his weight stabilized. We watch and we wait to see if the fluid returns, which is our main clue for how we are doing.

I know if he was still in bad shape, they wouldn't have called me to bring him home. So I'm thinking positive. It's a good day! It's a good sign...

It's a bad vet bill! >_< (But worth it!) Welcome Home, Oscar....you were missed!

Christmas Lights, Part 2!

Making The Blocks!

Click HERE for printer-friendly .pdf version!

*note* You must have adobe reader installed to view and print this file. You may need to right click to save, and then click to open it to print it!

In Part 1, we listed the fabric requirements, and all the directions for assembling the main units that go into Christmas Lights. Now we get to put them together into blocks!


Block 1, Block Quarter A!

From the Red Tone-on-Tone #1: Cut 120 Rectangles measuring 2" X 3 1/2". Cut 40 rectangles 2" X 5".

From Random Colored Scraps: Cut 40 2" squares of all colors (I just grabbed these from my pre-cut 2" squares bin!)



Grab 40 of the 52 4 patches (Say that 3 times fast!) and following the picture above, sew a red rectangle to one side of each 4 patch, paying attention to the directions that the colored squares in each 4 patch run. Press seam toward the red rectangle.

Join a 2" square to 40 more of the red rectangles. Press seams toward the rectangle, and add this unit to the 4 patch block quarter as shown. Press seam toward the red rectangle.

Block 1, Block Quarter B!


Following the photo above, Stack black/neutral triangle units as shown, paying attention to the direction they face. Stitch a red 2" X 3 1/2" rectangle to the right side of each triangle unit. Press seam toward the red rectangle.

Add the larger 2" X 5" rectangle to the bottom of the unit as shown. Press toward the rectangle just added.



Arrange 40 A-Units and 40 B-Units as shown and sew to complete 20 of Block 1! I love Asymmetrical blocks, they make really interesting designs as you rotate them in the quilt!

Block 2!



This Star Block also has a lot of motion/action going on!

For this block, arrange the Gold Triangle Units, the Mirror Image Triangle Units, and one center 4 patch as shown.



Stitch to make 12 Star blocks! (Yes, this is the same star as in the picture above, it is just rotated, and I'm feeling too lazy to take another picture! LOL!


On to Part 3!

*Back to Part 1!

Christmas Lights Part 1!

Click Here for printable pdf version!

*Note* You must have adobe reader installed to view and print this file. You may have to right click to save it, and then click to open it again before printing!

Quilt Size: 67" X 79 3/4"
Finished Block Size: 9"
Finished Unit Size: 3"

Last year, Quiltmaker Magazine published a 3 part Mystery that I designed called Christmas Lights! It's been on my mind to re-release it here on my blog for those who either never got to participate, or for those who never finished it!

Though it won't really be written as a mystery, more of a Sew-Along, you will find the steps here just for you! I am presenting this in 3 Parts to keep the posts not overly long. I'm posting each part as I complete it, so check back for part 2 and 3 to come soon! You will also find these linked in the Christmas Lights tab above, which will probably be moved eventually to the tutorials tab. For right now, we want to keep things easy for you to find!


Yardage Requirements:

Blocks:

Assorted Neutral Prints: 1 1/4 yard

Assorted Colored prints: 5/8 yard

Black Print #1: 5/8 yard

Red Tone-on-Tone #1: 1 1 /8 yard

Green print: 1/2 yard

Gold Tone-on-Tone: 1 3/8 yard for blocks AND Setting triangles

Borders:

Black Print #2: 1/2 yard for border #1

Red Tone-on-Tone #2: 5/8 yard for border #2

Red/Green paisley print: 2 1/4 yards for border #3 and binding.

Backing: 5 1/4 Yards

Batting: 75" X 88"


Making the Units!



Unit 1: 4 Patches!

If you know me at all, or have followed me over the years, you know how I am always using pre-cut pieces as leaders & enders between my lines of chain piecing. This gives me buckets and boxes of pre-sewn parts that can be easily utilized in scrap quilt making! My favorite? 2" squares that are quickly sewn into 4 patches between the lines of chain piecing other things. I stock pile these! They are so cute and versatile and were the jumping off point for this quilt. This little basket is just FULL of leader/ender 4 patches. I pin them together in stacks of 10 so I always know how many I have...it's easy to count that way.

You will need 52 4 patches for this quilt, made with either individual 2" squares, or strip-pieced from 2" strips. Each 4 patch has 2 colored squares, and 2 neutral squares, totally scrappy!

My 4 patches include ALL COLORS, not just red/green Christmas fabrics. I like colored lights on my tree! I like many colors of wrapping paper beneath the tree too! Christmas is NOT just a celebration of red and green at my house, my ornaments have all colors as well...I'm a color girl! I love how the many colors make this quilt sparkle!

Make 52 4 patches. They will measure 3.5" square and finish in the quilt at 3".



Unit 2! Half-Square Triangles!

I use the Easy Angle ruler A LOT for half square triangles. The biggest benefit is that it works with the sizes of scrap strips that I already keep on hand. This way it is easy to pair a light strip with a dark strip and cut my triangle pairs already matched with right sides together...I just cut and Sew! These triangles finish at 3", so if you are using any other method, take that into consideration. For instance, if you prefer to cut a 3 7/8" square, draw a diagonal line, and stitch 1/4" on each side of the center line, you can do it that way. You just have to know what size to start with to give you a triangle square that is going to finish at 3".

My directions will include use of the Easy Angle ruler!

Match a 3 1/2" strip of Black print #1 with a 3 1/2" strip of Scrappy Neutral, right sides together! Using the 3 1/2" marking on the Easy Angle ruler, cut 40 matched triangle pairs. My neutrals varied throughout the process. I'd get as many as I could from one strip, and then work with another one, and another one. If you want variety, go for shorter strip lengths in your neutrals to give you more to play with! For Instance, a short strip length of 9", one in neutral--one in black--will give you a set of 4 triangle pairs.

Stitch pairs on the diagonal and press seams to the black. You will have 40 half square triangle units. **Hint** It is a good idea to sew one, and measure one..just to make sure it is coming out at 3 1/2" square. Adjust seam width if necessary.

Unit 3! MORE Half-Square Triangles!


This time you will be matching a 3 1/2" Gold strip with a 3 1/2" random neutral strip! Cut 48 gold/neutral triangle pairs using the easy angle ruler. Stitch. Press seams toward the gold triangle.



Got them done? 40 black/neutral Triangle Squares and 48 gold/neutral triangle squares!

Unit 4: Quarter-Half Triangles!



The next unit is a bit trickier, we need half of them in Mirror Image! But that is easy to do with the Companion Angle Ruler!



Pair a 2" strip from black print #1 with a random neutral 2" strip, right sides together. Using the 2" line on the Companion Angle ruler, cut 48 matched pairs. To create the Mirror Image, so that the black will be on the right side in half the units, and the left side on the other half, simply sew half the pairs with the light on top, and the other half with the dark on top! Press seams to the black triangle. Trim dog ears! Make 2 stacks of pairs, one left, and one right.



If you don't have the Companion Angle ruler, and want to cut these the "regular" way, you will need (12) 4 1/4" squares of black print #1, and (12) 4 1/4" squares of random neutrals.

Match a neutral square with a black square with right sides together and slice twice on the diagonal with an X to yield 4 triangle pairs from each set of matched squares. You will have 48 matched pairs as above. Proceed to sew as previously shown, with half of the pairs with the light fabric on top, and the other half with the black fabric on top to give you the mirror image units required.

Using the Easy Angle Ruler, cut 48 Green base triangles from 3 1/2" strips of Green Print, using the 3 1/2" line on the ruler as a guide.

If you are sewing without the Easy Angle, cut (24) 3 7/8" squares from the green print. Slice squares on the diagonal from corner to corner to give you 48 green base triangles.



With right sides together, match a green triangle to each of the black/neutral triangle pairs. Stitch. Press seam toward the Green. Trim dog ears.

Assembly will begin in Christmas Lights, Part 2!