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Sunday, January 21, 2018

Such a Saturday As This!

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The snow is gone.

I mean, completely and utterly gone, even in those places where “the sun don’t shine.”

My van Moby is back up to the top of the lane way next to the cabin, and temps will be into the mid 50s today.

January in the south, you are a conundrum! 

Where it’s been in the teens and 20s for the past many weeks, this is a welcome respite, but I’m not up to trusting this trend yet.  We’ve had many an ice storm in February as winter gives its last fight toward spring.  No, I’m not trusting this at all!

But yesterday, the shining sun in a blue blue sky was enough for me to not want to hole myself up in the cabin basement studio.  I wanted to look OUTSIDE.  I wanted to watch the birds, the deer, and I’m still treadle hungry --

Notice the chain of pieces behind my foot pedal?  Yes – I was busy in the loft!


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The daylight was bright behind that window!

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Just putting pieces through!

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These are the lines I drew using my Bonus Buddy ruler on the plane home from San Diego!

Always love it when I can make good use of found moments of otherwise wasted time.

I’m stitching NEXT to the lines, just a thread away (but not TOO MUCH!) from the lines keeping my stitching between the two lines.  The drawn lines are your fold lines - where the fabric needs to fold so the unit will reach up and over all of the way.  The shorter outside line is my bonus line and this project is giving me many many many of these!

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Weeee!

(Who else remembers this red paw print? LOL!)

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I can’t live without the Bonus Buddy!

My Bonus Buddy Ruler is now available as a stand-alone single as well as being included in the Essential Triangle Tool package!  You can use the magic line on the Bonus Buddy using the full instructions included to save your cut off corners from these flying geese in a 2’’ size to finish at 1 1/2’’ with nothing to trim but dog ears.  You’ll find them in the Quiltville Store

This handy gadget also has the needle holes I use to assure that I’m getting the correct seam allowance so my units come out the right size.


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Oh yes!  This is what I want!

I love bonus triangles so much that I will often plan a quilt so that I WILL have them!  But there are a few things to pay attention to in order to make sure they are coming out the right size.

First and foremost…make SURE that your stitch & flip square is FULL SIZE in order for it to end up the size you need it to be.

This means that you need to cut your squares with the line that you are measuring by ON THE EDGE OF THE FABRIC, not just next to the fabric sitting on the mat. This makes a HUGE difference in the size of your unit.

If you don’t know what that means, please refer back to  THIS POST.

Make sure that you are drawing a FINE LINE, not a thick one.  The thickness of your line can throw you off.

Your thread weight matters.  Thicker thread will take up more space so you will need to do a couple of tests to see where you need to sew in regards to the line to achieve the best result for the thickness of your thread, the weight of the fabric, and how you cut that fabric.

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There was a lot of dog ear trimming while dinner was cooking!

The staggering amount of bonus triangles also means that I tackle the pressing and snipping of dog ears in small batches.  Let’s face it – Who wants to deal with a baggie of wrinkled, in-pressed and un-de-dog-eared (I just made that word up!) units that have been squashed into a zip lock baggie at some future point in time?

If I press them and trim them as I make them they are always ready for this project, or the next one.

And while I treadled and pressed and trimmed, this was going on toward evening time. 

Click to play:


I love watching the wildlife on the mountain!

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I need one more night on this and it will be done!

Tonight.  I WILL finish this long term project tonight!

Don't you just love the texture of hand quilting in low light?

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Yesterday’s #quiltvilleoftheday

Oregon or Bust from Scraps & Shirttails II!

I love working with recycled fabrics and simple blocks!  Both Scraps & Shirttails I&II titles are on sale in the Quiltville Store  for $19.99 each! These titles will be retired in the not so far future, so grab them while you can.

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

I’ve got some big dreams.  I think that birthdays do that to me.  Where do I want to be this year, next year, five years from now, and am I working towards it, or am I just holding on to pipe dreams?

I’m putting some action behind this one.  I’m not even going to talk about it until it is a done deal.  But it could be huge.

Don't just talk about it, DO IT and your results will do all the talking. Vintage quilt found in Temecula, California.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday, everyone!



14 comments:

  1. I'd almost forgotten how much I love Oregon or Bust, esp. in shirts.

    *moves that one further up the 'make it soon' list*

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  2. So exciting you’re hand quilted quilt is going to be an outstanding finish. You have really inspired me and I am going to hand quilt my farmers wife quilt. Do you recommend starting with the Baptist fan like you have done as I am really not sure how to eve begin lol I have an ordinar embroidery hoop will this be ok or do I need to get something better. Have a wonderful day.
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  3. Oregon or Bust, what a great quilt. Love it, love it!
    Happy Birthday! Yes, it seems like birthdays make me dream of big dreams and goals, too. Have a beautiful birthday, a nice dreamy one!

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  4. I am STOKED about that “on the line” cutting tip. I’d consider myself a pretty seasoned quilter but sometimes my blocks are hairs OFF...Now I know why....THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU And May you have a wonderfully BLESSED SUNDAY

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  5. I DID have some of that fabric! I got it at a quilt shop in Occoquan, VA in the early 80's, I believe! I still have some of the other fabric I bought that day! It was a great trip~attending my husbands' graduation in Quantico; exploring Manassas, Woodbridge & DC!

    Happy, Happy Birthday Bonnie! Can't wait to see where your journey leads you! xoxo

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  6. LOL - I have that print in 'dusty blue' and 'rose pink' in my sampler quilt c 1987 currently being reconstructed! Must have been pretty popular!

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  7. Lol, the paw prints by Cranston. Blue and Brown are in a few of my Mystery Quilts. Love the view from the Loft. Dream big, Bonnie!

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  8. Still have the red and blue paw prints in my stash. Need to pull and use!!!

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  9. I still have some of the red paw print fabric. I have been working on using it up. I guess not hard enough.

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  10. Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday and a year of dreams with work that come true!

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  11. Hi Bonnie - Trying to catch up on UFO's, but wanted to wish you HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!,
    and a HUGE thank-you for all you give.

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  12. Hello Bonnie, I have always preferred the look of hand quilting. IMHO, it makes a quilt look "puffy" no matter the light and not as flat as machine quilting seems to do.. This long term project is going to be so gorgeous..

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  13. I was looking at your treadle machine and noticed that it is exactly like the one i have. I have just set mine up with a magnetic seam guide so that I can sew regular blocks on it. I was mainly just using it for string quilts. I reallky love using it.

    Sharon Pond

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  14. If you have not gotten Bonnie's books that she has on sale right now and you might not be able to get later..... get them!!! I thought these books were kind of busy when I first got them, but as I have gone and looked through them (again and again!! I keeps seeing the next quilt(s) I want to make!!) And she is showing you pics of the quilts from the books - Fair and Square, she showed a few days ago, I am binding right now and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I honestly did not think I would like it as much as I do, but these quilts are magic. Remember, you will be using your fabrics, your scraps, your mememories of what you made before and Bonnie's patterns when you make them, become your quilts. So, get these books and don't miss out of all the fun to be had when you do!!! Just my thoughts!! :-)

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