Green and white baby quilt: Almost done!

 Hello and welcome to my quilt blog!  I have been working away at this Green and White baby quilt, because the baby is due Jan. 24 2024 - but we know babies come on their own schedule.

The beginning of the project is described HERE.

I managed to get the 4 by 5 foot quilt to my long armers and she was able to fit it in.  Her Christmas rush was over.

Here is a view of the top:

Straight furrow setting.  And a close up:

Reproduction fabric - I have a lot of it!  Green and white are the colors of the nursery.  The quilt is back from the quilter's today, quilted with hearts and swirls.

Now for trimming and binding.  The quilt will go with the new grandma and grandpa as they travel to be with mom and dad for the birth.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

A finish for the end of the year

 Good Day, and welcome to my blog of quilty happenings.  I have a finish to report.

I have a lot of reproduction fabrics, including fabrics from the 1930's and 1940's era.  Time to use these up in a quilt.

I got a book on quilt patterns from the Kansas City Star, by Barbara Brackman, and focused in on a pinwheel pattern with a secondary pattern that forms.  It was shown in a vintage quilt dating to the 1930's or 1940's.  Perfect, even if it had templates (I'm more of a rotary cutter user).

I started cutting fabric and sewing in September 2019, as described in this post.

I finished the top in October 2019 as described in this post.

I sent the top and backing out to be quilted by a local long arm quilter.   Then, well, COVID happened, and it has sat ever since.  It's time to finish it.

I trimmed and bound it this past week.  The border is actual feedsack fabric, but I did not have enough for binding, so an unbleached muslin fabric was used.

Colorful pinwheels, and you see the secondary pattern, in green?  Looks good at this distance, yes?

Well take a closer look:

Some of the green strips do not line up well.  I worked very hard to get the eight triangles to meet nicely in the pinwheel, and so the green strips either worked, or didn't.  I did not feel like ripping and resewing, and could not see where this would help anyway.  Just smile and keep on going!

The quilt is about 55 by 77 inches, and does not have a home yet.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Green and white baby quilt start

 Good day, and welcome to my blog!

A new addition to the extended family is due later in January to my nephew and his wife.  I have started a project in the colors of their nursery.  And since I have the log cabin pattern on my mind,  I started green and white blocks:

In reproduction fabrics - I have a lot in my stash.  Logs finish at 1.5 inches, the block is 12 inches, finished.  I like the look of 4 together:

But I suspect I will set the blocks in the straight furrow setting.  I have 20 blocks for a 4 by 5 set.

I have fabric for the backing, which is not a reproduction fabric, but is so cute!

Now to wash the backing fabric, and push on with getting the front of the quilt done.  Then off to the local long arm quilter I have used before - she does a great job.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Blue and white log cabin project start

 Good day, and welcome to my blog!

I have made several log cabin quilts recently, and I have started another one - in blue and white, with a yellow center.  I am using my large stash of reproduction fabric - late 1800's and early 1900's style.

The 'logs' are 1 inch wide, finished.  The block is 10 inches square, finished.  Here is how four blocks together look:

My previous log cabin quilts have been set in a straight furrow setting but I am liking this arrangement!

Since I have my blue and white fabrics out I also starting cutting for Bonnie Hunter's Silk Path pattern.  No measurements here - check out her pattern for sale.  All strips, no triangles!

I have also started a green and white log cabin project - a baby quilt.  This one has a deadline - late January the baby is due!  More on this in a later blog posting.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Why I still don't have a finish

Short version: Flood in the basement due to a busted water heater!  The water heater was in an unfinished room in the basement, but the water seeped under the walls into the finished part of the basement, both the family room and hobby room, which contains my sewing area.  The sewing area now looks like:

On lower left:  Pile of basement items taking up space I use to lay out blocks and projects.  Middle: Piles of completed quilts, and some tops.  Table:  My sewing machine, back up machine, and things whisked off the floor before water could spread. Upper right: Brown bookcase blocking access to sewing table and ironing board.

It's been like this for 2 weeks, and likely to be this way for at least two more weeks.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

No finish this week - flood!

 Good day, and welcome to no progress in my sewing area!

Last Thursday the 25 year old water heater decided to leak catastrophically.  Water everywhere in the unfinished room where it resided - but the water spread out under the walls and into the finished part of the basement. It got very close to my sewing area, and some fabric on the floor got damp.  Reminder to self: pick up the fabric pieces and reshelve them!

All sorts of items are piled in my sewing nook, on the table, and in the staging area where I lay out blocks and tops.  No work here for awhile.  PS. the basement is now dry.

Viridian

A finish: Film at Five Pattern

 Welcome back to my blog!  I have been very busy in my day job but I have a finish to report.

In looking back at my blog entries I found that I started this Film at Five project (Pattern from Wedding Dress Blue Blog) in Spring of 2020, in the heart of Covid lockdown.  I used scraps and pieces of vintage fabric, and for background I used unbleached muslin that was left over from quilt backs.  No stores were open so I had to dig through my off cuts to get enough for the size I wanted.  Here is the final finished quilt, approximately 75 inches square:

Well, a bit of keystoning there!  A closer view is below.  I used smaller squares that the pattern called for, and adjusted my piecing.

I like the "Sprocket" borders.  Just one more close up:

Showing the vintage fabrics and feedsacks that I used.  This is quilted by a local long armer that I use frequently - she does a great job.  The quilting is a pattern of simple leaves on a vine.  The quilt has a thin cotton batting and is bound in the same fabric as the background fabric - more leftover quilt backing.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

A Project is moving forward...

 Hello and welcome to my blog!

I am busy in my day job so it's been harder to get into my sewing nook in the basement.  But I do have some progress to report.

I have been making snowball or octagon blocks in reproduction fabrics - specifically early 1800's reproductions, with their big bold designs.  The start of the project is described in this post.  An infusion of new fabric (of course!) and continuation of the project is in this post.

I almost have a completed top - just three long seams to sew.  Here is what it looks like now:

It's laid out on the floor.  Each block finishes at 8 inches, and the top is now 72 by 72 inches square.  A close up:

Showing the large scale patterns of the fabrics.  And quilts of the 1820 - 1840 era would finish with a bold border:

A classic pillar print on the left. This kind of print is getting very hard to find, and I am glad I have 3 yards of this.  This may be 9 or 10 inches added on to the quilt top - I haven't cut the borders yet.  It will be a big square quilt and I do plan on sending it out to a local long-armer for the quilting.  I don't have binding for this project picked out yet - must think on this.  I hope to have time this coming weekend to finish this off.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

A finish: Criss Cross Stars

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.  I had a finish a few weeks ago, but no time to write about it.  It's Wednesday, and time to share.

This is a pattern I am calling Criss Cross Stars, though there may be another name for it (Air Castles?).  The 9 inch blocks are made of real feedsack material and vintage cottons from the 1930's and 1940's.  The off white fabric is new.

Wide sashing, no border.  A throw sized quilt, though it is on my bed now.  I had it quilted by a local long arm quilter who always does a wonderful job.  The next photo is a close up showing the vintage fabric but also the quilting:

A thin cotton batting was used.  I am glad to have this bound and labeled.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

New fabric, new blocks, & inspirations

 Hello and welcome to Viridian's blog.  I have new fabric and blocks to share today.

I received a gift certificate to my favorite on line store, Reproduction Fabrics, so I had to spend it!  I recently received the fabric:

Fabrics designed by Michelle Yeo, and that's not all:

Fabric from other designers.  All are in the style of early 1800's fabric.  They may look vaguely familiar because this style of chintz fabrics are still being sold today as "furnishing fabrics" - for upholstery and curtains.

I quickly made new octagon blocks to add to my current project:

My inspiration for this project was an image from Pinterest, showing somewhat smaller blocks, most likely put together by English paper piecing:

When I sew together my blocks the tan will look more like squares, and be closer to this look.

In looking through my quilt history books, I found another chintz quilt to copy:

This quilt from the Poos collection is about 92 inches square and I estimate the triangle blocks are about 4 inches square, maybe 5 inches.  It depends on the width of the borders (not given in the description).  Since I had my fabrics out, I cut pieces and started sewing.

Yes it definitely has that look!  Individual squares will finish at about 5 and 1/4 inches.  A close-up:

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

A finish: Flower Garden quilt

 Hello, and welcome to my blog!  It's been raining in the American Midwest but today we will be slowly drying out.

I have a finish to report.  I started this project in August of 2022 and blogged about it in this post.

Well its time has come.  It was sent out to a local long armer and came back recently.

This pattern is called Flower Garden from the book Scrap Therapy: Scraps Plus One, by Joan Ford, which I found in my local library.  The colorful scraps here are all feedsack fabrics, or vintage fabrics from the 1930's and 40's.  If they have been stored properly, older fabrics are still sturdy and can be used in today's projects.  I have picked up these fabrics at antique fairs or ebay.

A closer look:

I machine stitched the binding to the back, folded it over, and top stitched the binding down, which needs a steady hand and your full attention, as noted previously.

A close up of some pretty feedsacks.  It finished at 58 by 72.5 inches, and is now on my bed.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Snowball blocks: now in early 1800's reproduction fabric

 Hello, and welcome to my blog on quilting projects.

I think I am working in a series.  I have been sewing up some snowball blocks in reproduction fabric:

a. in late 1800's repro fabric

b. in 1930's - 1940's repro fabric.

Now I have a new project in mind: use my stash of early 1800's reproduction fabric, in a little bit larger block size.  Did I mention I love studying antique quilts, and collecting reproduction fabric?

Using a tan solid I had in stash, here are the first 9 blocks:

Blocks finish at 8 inches square.  The tan is a little dark, but we just bought a new car, so I must be frugal and use what I have.  I have 2.5 yards of the tan.  I hope it is enough.

I kept making blocks:

Fabrics of the time period 1810 - 1840 were big and bold - no little calico prints.  That came later.  

More work on this project today I hope!

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Snowball blocks: Before and After

 Good Day, and welcome to what promises to be a warm day in the American Midwest.

This week, I have a project that has changed its direction.  I had made a top with Snowball blocks, finishing at 4 inches.  

What about changing the pattern, make the blocks bigger, and feature some of my reproduction 1930's and 1940's fabrics?  How about blocks that finish at 6 inches?

Below is my first iteration at this.

I followed the style of the top above, with plain Kona Snow fabric in the alternating blocks.  Oh, but I don't like this at all.

Try again, getting rid of the alternating blocks:

This is much better!  I am going to make this a small quilt though, and chalk it up to a learning experience.

Linking up with Midweek Makers , Wednesday Wait Loss (she featured my Dutchman's puzzle quilt top!  Thank you!), Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Spring Sewing

 Good Day and welcome to my blog.  When I am off contract I can get a lot of sewing done - and I have. 

I dug into my stash and new acquisitions of 1930's reproduction fabrics, and I have been making many flying geese units.  I have assembled them into Dutchman's Puzzle blocks and finally this past week I sashed and bordered them, to make a large-ish top about 78 by 88 inches.  Here it is laid out on my floor in my sewing space.

Well, hard to see what's going on so here is a view of a corner:

Each block is 8 inches square, with 2 inch (finished) sashing, and a 4 inch border of a pretty green print.

A closer view.  If you use stash and scraps for both 'geese' and 'sky' you can use up quite a bit of scrap fabric.  

This is a pretty big top, for me, and so I think I will send it out to a local long arm quilter, rather than wrestling with it on my trusty old Kenmore.

Linking up with Midweek Makers (she featured my quilt top!  Thank you!), Wednesday Wait Loss, (my two quilt tops were featured here too! Wow!) Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Two tops done; one to be quilted

 Good day, and welcome to a cool but pretty day in the American Midwest!

I have been busy sewing in my corner of the basement (quilting nook).  First up:  a finish of a top in real feedsack and vintage fabrics.

This is the pattern Flower Garden from the book Scraps plus One.  I am sorry, I do not have the author's name.  This quilt is now at the long armer that I use, Boone's quilting (find her on Facebook).

A close up, so you can see the fabrics used:

I love these fabrics from the 1930's and 1940's.  Hey, I love all sorts of reproduction fabrics.

Moving to a very different era, here is a Snowball block quilt:

The top has a very dark navy border, and is nearly square.  I describe the beginning of this project in this blog post.   Each block finishes at 4 inches square.

Those little triangles are one inch on a side.  I'd like to make this pattern again, but in bigger sized blocks.  The reproduction fabrics used here remind one of the late 1800's and very early 1900's.  As I said, I love all sorts of reproduction fabrics.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Doll Quilt Exchange

 I participated in this year's doll quilt exchange run by Lori at her Humble quilts blog.  I made a little red and white quilt, shown in this blog post, and sent it off.

In return, I received a darling quilt with hexagon flowers and lots of hand work:

This is from Lora, and is hand-quilted.  Thank you Lora!

Viridian

Update on two finishes

 Hello and welcome to my blog!  It's a nice Spring day in the American Midwest.

I have two finishes to report.  First, a doll quilt for the exchange run by Lori at Humble Quilts.  12 by 18 inches, machine quilted, hand bound.  Yes the flying geese are 3 by 1.5 inches.

And a close up:

You can see I had fun collecting reproduction reds and shirting fabrics.

My second finish is of a columns quilt, in black and white, and reproduction 30's fabrics.  It was quilted by a local long arm quilter.  An overall view:

More on this project at this blog post.  I added the binding by machining it on to the back, ironing it over, then topstitching on the top.  This needs a steady hand and your full attention!  A close up of a corner below:

It goes quite fast.  I am happy to have these done.  The exchange doll quilt is in the mail today.  The second quilt I am saving until the right recipient comes along.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Progress on two fronts

 Hello, and welcome to my blog.

I don't have a finish, but I have been able to make some progress on two projects.

First a small doll quilt for an exchange:

This is 12 by 18 inches, and yes, needs to be trimmed and bound.  It is supposed to look as if it time traveled from the past - so I used reproduction reds and shirting fabrics.  The exchange is hosted by Lori at Humble Quilts.  I need to get going on this!

Second, I have been moving ahead on snowball blocks, using a pattern from a book by Julie Hendricksen.  The individual blocks finish at 4 inches square.

Here is what I have so far, laid out on the floor.  I have a ways to go, but I am liking how this looks.  Again, reproduction fabrics in navy blue, black, red, pink, and shirting fabric.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Tops to the long arm quilter

 As mentioned in my previous post, I have been working flat out in my day job.  But I have gotten a little stolen time in my quilting nook in the basement.

My cookie tin has more blocks in it.

These are block parts for two different projects.

And, I assembled a top and put borders on it.

All 30's reproduction fabric.  A close up:

Pretty electric I would say!  Next, a top of Criss cross stars (what is the correct name for this block?) done in real vintage fabric and feedsacks:

And a close up:

Both quilt tops (and backing) have been dropped off at the long arm quilter.  I use Boone's Quilting - you can find her on Facebook.  She does a great job.

Linking up with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Nina-Marie,  Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian