>>>>

Monday, February 26, 2018

Completely Checkered Out!

20180225_144307
You knew I couldn’t stop, didn’t you?

I was 10 red string blocks short on the one project I was counting on working on.

The other “On the Go” project was packed and ready to fly to California on Wednesday.

What else is a girl to do but keep going?

So is it still a legitimate Leader & Ender project if I am using block parts to build more blocks while building rows?

I think so!  As long as one unit is being left under the presser foot at all times, you are Leader & Endering – right?

At any rate – This was the project before me and I didn’t want to leave the cabin without a finish.

20180225_150816


With more mountains in the distance!

Yes, this is my attempt at those artistic quilt photos, where you see quilters running with a quilt along the shore, corners flapping in the breeze and it looks great.

In my case…it looks like a patchwork episode of Scooby Doo:

maxresdefault

Well, sort of!  LOL!

20180225_150819

But I’m happy, oh so happy with this!

It's 82'' x 97'' -or about Queen coverlet size.  It would fit a full bed with a nice drop.  I make big quilts, I keep trying to use up more fabric!

When it is quilted and bound, and in my not-so-spare time, I’ll see about doing a graphic that shows what I did.  

I did not make pieced setting triangles, but laid out the blocks on point, filling in the left and right sides with whole 6-rail blocks. (no checkerboards on them) I trimmed the blocks on the outer edge by placing the 1/4’’ line on the ruler on the diagonal of the edge blocks, paying attention to which way the rails needed to slant.  I trimmed the blocks leaving 1/4’’ seam allowance beyond the diagonal.

On a quilt with piecing all the way to the edges I like to set my machine on its longest straight stitch, and run a line of stitching about 1/8’’ from the edge to minimize stretch and to keep all of those seams from popping open during the quilting/binding process.

Is that about as clear as mud?

20180225_151514

What to do with these?

These are my cut off pieces and parts!  I will likely use them up by piecing a column or two and piece them into the backing for fun and interest.  

Also in my not-so-spare time! LOL!

20180225_151131

Off the front porch rail photo op.

No, my photos are never as innovative as those younger “Modern” girls, but I still love how good a finish feels, don’t you?

You'll find the block pattern for Checkerboard Rails under the free patterns tab at the top of the blog. The layout of these blocks is up to your own imagination.

Today is for catching up on all of the mail order that came in over the past 10 days that I was gone.  Jeff and I have plans to knock it out of the ballpark between today and tomorrow.

I’d love to squeeze in a Quilt-Cam – I know it’s short notice, but how about 8pm Eastern tonight?  We haven’t done an evening one in a while, and tomorrow will be an early to bed night as I leave for California super early.

Meet me in Facebook Live at 8pm Eastern and you’ll find me working on those 10 remaining red string blocks.  If you miss it, I’ll post it in tomorrow’s blog and you can catch it that way.

28276346_10156228635488909_2615626747464747461_n

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Things that make me giggle on a Monday morning!

Have a great week, everyone!


25 comments:

  1. Love those words of advice...don't sit on the cactus!!! Looking forward to a live quilt cam...I have been watching them after the fact!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice finish! And seriously, who cares about the official rules of leader/ender if you're having fun with your sewing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Today's quilt quote is definitely going on my wallpaper. Love it. Really, really, like your leader/ender project finish. I had so many projects to complete for new babies coming this year that I decided to use the mystery quilt, On Ringo Lake, as my leader ender challenge starting in January. Made up lots of the individual units but now it is all going to be leader/ender. Hoping to complete it before next one starts.
    Thank you, Bonnie. Have a wonderful time at Asilomar. I have many fond memories of that place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! It turned out so great. I love it. Looking forward to a new quiltcam. Thanks for all you do.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am always so surpriced how the on point setting change the whole quilt from ordinary to amazing. Love your quilt!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, this is really big! How big is it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's 82'' x 97'' -or about Queen coverlet size. It would fit a full bed with a nice drop. I make big quilts, I keep trying to use up more fabric!

      Delete
  7. Gah!! Another one to add to my list. Bonnie, how is it that every single quilt you finish is as wonderful as the last? If my job didn't interfere with my actual life, I'd try to keep up, but as it is, I'm going to be really busy in retirement making all these BH quilts on my list. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Perfect setting triangles! lol on leftovers from your Leader/ender. Good you got help taking your Pictures holding your Quilt. Hubster and Tall Boys are good for that. YEA, I can watch Quilt Cam while I Quilt On Ringo Lake tonight. It didn't get loaded on my 'Betsy' yet. Too many late nights watching the Olympics...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this piece!!!! I also love your word of the day!! Have a great trip to Asilomar. We were just up there a few weeks ago. Love it up there!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can I tell you how over snow I am? 4th time in a week it's dumped at least 3" with a total of more than 10". Husband has an injured shoulder so cannot shovel. I am so ready to fly to CA on Thursday.

    Happier thngs - quilt cam I can watch live! I will watch while cleaning the sewing room a bit. Love this quilt. It's one I'm keeping for myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Save me a seat on that plane! I am in Anchorage and shoveled so much yesterday I can barely move today. Oh, to be headed to Asilomar with Bonnie!

      Delete
  11. What a great quilt! I'm looking forward to finishing mine up too. Your quote cracked me up ... YIKES! Please don't sit on the cactus!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love your finished quilt. It's beautiful. And I love the way you take photos of your quilts. You can actually see the beauty in the pattern. Not just the colors of fabric used.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Every Spring, the local quilt shops have a Shop Hop. I try to have a theme that guides the fabric I buy at each shop, and last year I decided on doing a Rail Fence quilt using the 7 rainbow colors. Not much was done in 2017 with the 1 yard of each color I bought, but 2018 is my year to focus on the 10-12 UFO projects I have (probably have more but 10-12 are the ones I can easily name off and locate). So I cut a few 1.5" WOF strips of each fabric and then sew together into pairs as my LE's. I know I can get 5 blocks from each strip set and I know I want one WOF strip set to go on the back of the quilt. That's all the planning I'm doing right now. May or June will probably be when I start figuring how many blocks I have and plan a layout.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It looks great. Beautiful backdrops.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love the quilt. The pieces that were trimmed off would make beautiful matching cushions. X

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wild Bonnie quilt! It is terrific. 😊
    Your quote today is a good kick starter. Dealing with grief can slam you hard. Quiet literally all of the suddrn energy level drops and mood changes. So good to have your inspirationals to help brighten the day. Bonnie's Sunshine ! Thank you, hugs, JulieinTN

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your checker board quilt looks 3-dimensional. I love it.
    Vivian in TX

    ReplyDelete
  18. Im still trying to figure out was "Leaders and Enders" are Help someone!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Bonnie! I missed out on your Bedford workshops, but it couldn't be helped. In the meantime I'm doing some "stitch therapy" by starting on the Jamestown Landing pattern, anyway. I'm got a whole NINE string blocks done so far! LOL Whoo hooo! I'd send a pic here to you, but don't see a way how. That's okay. Next time, I'll make it to see you. ~Janea

    ReplyDelete
  20. Bonnie Love your blog! One request - when you blog, can you put the date when you are having QuiltCam? I seem to get the notification to read your blog early in the day AFTER when I think you're writing/posting to your blog so it's hard to know what day you're talking about when you say "today" or "tomorrow".

    Love reading about all your travels and quilts. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love this quilt! I have put this on my to do list, which is getting pretty long but that's ok....

    ReplyDelete
  22. LOVE it!! The on-point setting of this quilt was an unexpected surprise to me, as I thought you would be setting the blocks in "regular" rows. Thanks for sharing your method of dealing with the setting triangles. That worked well!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Your quilt is gorgeous Bonnie. I love it.
    Looking forward to quilt Cam and have a wonderful save trip! Happy quilting, Yoka Bazilewich

    ReplyDelete

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)