Barn Quilt

Al has been busy painting his barn and adding a little something for me. Here's a picture of Al painting our barn quilt block. This is called "Pat's Pines" named after my mom, Pat. Al painted this while I worked and was busy with other things. Didn't he do a great job?! I'm going to add the directions to this block (12") the next time I'm online. It's really easy if you have the Tri-rec tool.

UPDATE (4-16-12):
I've stiched up the Pat's Pines block so that I can post a tutorial for anyone that would like to make it. You'll need to purchase the Tri Tool/ Rec Tool. These come together and are wonderful acrylic templates for making all kinds of blocks and rows that use triangles.

For my pine trees, I used up scraps of dark green. I had lots of 2-1/2" strips so I stitched three together to form a long 6-1/2" strip. I trimmed this to 5-1/2" wide. If you'ld like you can just cut a 5-1/2" strip of fabric. The strip length I used was half of a WOF (width of fabric) or about 21" long.

Pat's Pines Block Tutorial

Fabrics:

Green: (1) 5-1/2" wide strip (mine was a scrappy strip)
Background: (1) 5-1/2" wide strip  AND (2) 2-1/2" strips
Brown: (1) 1-1/2" wide strip
Red: (1) 2-1/2 x 2-1/2" square

From the strip of green, cut FOUR trees by using the Tri Tool. Line up the 5-1/2" line at one edge, the top should line up on the other side, and cut the two angles. Flip the tool to the opposite end to cut another. Repeat cutting until you have 4 trees.

Fold the 5-1/2" background strip in half, right sides together and cut 8 triangles using the Recs Tool. Line up the 5-1/2 line on one edge and cut the two other sides. There is a TINY little extra cut at the tip that you cut also. Seems like a little thing but this little clipped point helps to line every thing up for sewing.

Using one of the "trees" and two of the background triangles, stitch the sides of the tree to for a 5-1/2" square block.

Here's that extra cut you made with the Rec Tool. This makes everything line up nicely.

Here's how the second seam line up. You should be stitching your 1/4" seam so that you stitch right off the end in the V made by the two pieces.

Now stitch together one 2-1/2" background to the brown strip and then add one more 2-1/2" background to SANDWICH the brown between them.

Cut off FOUR 2-1/2" slices.

Lay out all of your pieces to look like the picture above. You have 9 pieces. Put this together as you would any 9-patch block.

On any 9-patch block, I press the seams out for the outer rows (top and bottom) and in for the inner row. This helps to "lock" my seams together when I complete the block. Here's my idea for finishing up the quilt. I would probably put a sashing between my blocks... maybe a 1-1/2" to a 2-1/2 wide....then border the whole thing a few times. The one below would be a lapsize... use 20 blocks (4x5) or more for a bed size.

A new mug rug... or is it a pot holder?

Here's a new pattern I came up with to make a mug rug or potholder using a few paper hexagons. (See bottom of this post for how-to)...
This month I have a class at Hearts to Holly teaching English Paper Piecing. Thought this would be an easy project for someone who wants to give it a try but not make a HUGE quilt.
Wouldn't this be a nice baby quilt if maybe a dozen or so of these blocks were joined together? I just might have to make one...
Yeah... so I'm hooked on paper piecing... I really enjoy it... It gives me something portable to work on when Al and I are traveling plus something to take to "chattertime" on Friday mornings. Right now I'm doing Seven Sisters (with diamond paper pieces), a set of dresden circle blocks that are in 30's on aqua background, and a block of the month sample for the quilt shop that has paper pieces in parts of it.

So the past few weeks (when I wasn't sick in bed), I worked on the new block of the month from Moda that the lqs got in. It's going to be a store sample and it's coming along nicely. When I get a little farther along I take a picture. It's all in 30's, which I love, and mostly in primary colors. The challenging part of this quilt will be the scalloped border but it's also one of the things I like best about it.

For the Mug Rug:
I purchased some 1" (I think) hexagon papers (www.paperpieces.com or your local quilt shop).

Stitch 7 together to form the hexagon flower (if you need a how-to on English paper piecing, www.paperpieces.com has one. It's under the tab BASICS). I used dots in the center with solid and gingham alternating around the center.

Cut a square backing piece about an 1-1/2" larger than the largest measurement of the paper pieced flower. This will allow for seam allowance. I used aqua solid.

Applique the flower to the background then flip it over and carefully cut away the background that is UNDER the flower but no closer than 1/4" to your stitching... This will allow you to take out the papers.

Press.

Cut 4 border pieces the length of your background block and 1-1/2" wide. I used my dots again. 
Cut 4 corner pieces 1-1/2" square. I used a 30's repro print.

Attach a border piece to each side of your center.
Attach a corner piece to each short end of the two remaining border pieces, then stitch these on the top and bottom of your center.

Your mug rug FRONT is done.
 
Now all you have to do is find a backing scrap, a batting scrap, quilt it and bind it.

Shipshewana Quilt Show

I'm posting just a few pictures of the many I took on my trip to Shipshewana... these were just outstanding! There were so many well done quilts... such nice handwork. The one below is a dear jane... I've been wanting to start one of these for years. It's just another of 100's on my "someday" list.

This quilt should have had a blue ribbon but didn't and I really don't understand why. She made all those cute little quilts, really mini quilts, that are hanging in this quilt show quilt. The one next to the barn is a yoyo quilt with REAL yoyos... tini tiny ones! And the quilt with the scotty dogs are all VERY tiny scotties pieced or appliqued in. JUST AMAMZING!

This one had me with the hand quilting. The quilt is beautiful but the handquilting is so tiny and straight and CLOSE together.

And here's my favorite of the show (yes, it got some ribbons!). The quilting was PERFECT and so pretty... someone has a great eye for color.

There were many more but I'm trying to post this in a hurry (my computer is about to die and I'm running out of time). Enjoy!

Playing around with some new blocks

The color doesn't show very well but these are 30's repros on an aqua solid. Lisa and I started a couple of blocks after visiting Yoder's. We picked up some paper pieces shaped like these rounded petals. The pack comes with 16 petals and 2 circles for the center. This gave us something to work on in the evenings in Shipshewana. Our fingers were itching to play with our new fabrics :) I think we bought about 25 new pieces of 30's fabrics.

Tomorrow when I get home I plan to post pictures of the quilt festival. We saw some wonderful quilts. The handquilting was AMAZING! While eating our lunch at the festival, we shared the table with some talented ladies. One was experienced in dyeing her own wool so she gave us lots of tips... she teaches a class in wool so I guess you could say we got a free class! We're back in lower Michigan now... Lisa is back home and I head back up north tomorrow... And we're both so tired (but happy!).

A present from my daughter

When I went downstate today to pick up my daughter, Lisa, she had a present for me. I had admired the doll she made that sits on her sewing room shelf.... she made me my own dolly!

Isn't she adorable? I took her on our trip to Shipshewana.

We've already purchased fabric even though the quilt shops are closed. Stopped at the anique store that was open for 40 more minutes. We sped through it, zooming in on quilts and old quilt fabrics. I found 3-1/2 yards of a vintage fabric for 12 dollars! I love it and now have to figure out where to use it. Lisa bought a bag of scraps for 8 dollars and here's some of what was in it:

She found a bunch of old quilt blocks in the bag and one of them had the newspaper still attached to the back. We read the paper and found out it was from the early 30s. The block is not well done but she loves the fabrics in it and seeing the old paper. She's going to keep it just to have it as a piece of history. The top three blocks in the picture above are going to be put into a quilt. The middle one will fit in a farmers wife quilt. The basket needs a handle and to be appliqued onto a back ground. The dresden fan is only 1/2 completed so she plans to finish it up and maybe make more that match. The bag had lots of fabric scraps too. Lots of fun for the price :)

The Quilt Show - Part II

Here are some more of my favorites: Lisa, I thought you might like this one... has your colors:

Love the birds....

Lisa, another one for you to check out... those are yoyos appliqued on the vines with buttons in the center!

And this is one that I did like that much when I was close up but when I stood far away the pattern showed up... I LOVE it!

And here is the BEST OF SHOW! Those are all little pieces... and all the points are perfect on the triangles and corners... all stitched in the ditch.. IN EVERY DITCH!!!!! Amazing!

This one didn't have a ribbon... not sure why... it was very well done. I loved the colors.

Here's another with wonderful colors:

Another beautiful blue quilt... I should have gotten a picture of the one to the left of it... I dont remember looking at that one. Looks really pretty from the little bit I can see...

And finally here's a pretty appliqued quilt:

There were a few more pictures but quite a few were blurry... Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

The Quilt Show -Part 1

Well, I sure did enjoy the show!! BEAUTIFUL quilts :) This one was my favorite and the one I thought SHOULD have gotten best of show (but what do I know)... It was absolutely amazing. Check out the double edging... cream and burgandy scallops on all four sides! and all those beautiufl scallops that are appliqued in the vine borders. Well, I give this one MY viewers choice award. So, you're wondering how I did? WELL... here it is... hung next to my friend, Marg's quilt, and there's our blue ribbons :) Yup, I was jumping up and down (and I'm not exagerating at all). My quilt was in the wall size quilt group... it was just over 24" square. My friend's quilt was a little smaller and in the mini quilt category. Her's is amazing... each of those colors in the braid is is separated by a little black satin ribbon stitched in! And her applique work is perfect. I didn't get a picture of the purse just below my quilt, wish I did... it was the cutest! Sparkles and beads and pretty fabric.

Here's a quilt I wanted my sister to see. It's an adorable dresden fan quilt.... and I think it's vintage. I like the yellow centers that match the outer border.

This is another old quilt...well, the top at least. The lady bought the top and finished it up. Isn't the edging nice?

This is another of my favorites... I didn't see a ribbon on it (maybe they didn't want it judged?) but I thought it deserved one and I told the maker that. This is now on my list of someday quilts.

Well, that's all I could upload at a time so I'm going to post this and put up some more. I need to show you the best of show quilt... done by a man!!! Yes! Pieced and quilted. He's a wonderful longarmer.

Quilt show in Petoskey

Today is the start of our quilt show in Petoskey Michigan. It's also on tomorrow if you're in the area. It'll be at the Knights of Columbus Hall (over by Burger King). I have one quilt entered... I meant to enter more but this has been a BUSY spring and summer. Maybe next time...

SOOO... this is the quilt I entered. This is a picture I took before it was quilted and bound. I'm going to the show tomorrow and I'll take lots of pictures to share with all of you.

AND the winner is.....

I did the draw this morning, for my pattern and the FQ, using a random name generator... that was fun :)
The winner is:
VROOMAN'S QUILTS!!!
Send me an email letting me know which pattern you would like. The choices are: Molly's Quilt (a beginner baby sized quilt, tacked and turned), Chopped 9 Patch Placemat pattern (makes 4 modern ones at once without binding or hand sewing), or the Tea Bag Tote (a tiny tote that holds tea/coffee/sugar packs in your purse.. also perfect size for doggie snacks or a pacifier). I'll mail your pattern and a pretty "Sunkissed" FAT QUARTER off to you as soon as I hear from you. Email: northerndeb@ymail.com
CONGRATS!!!!!

The last few days have been soooo much fun. Lisa was up for a few day... to visit, to talk, to sew. We had a chance to go to the beach and relax, we went over to Traverse City to visit Jenn and to shop and eat and shop some more. Lisa had her new camera with her and snapped a few pics at a park. I found this great rock for resting on and it came with a footstool :)

We worked on a few blocks for my "Farmer's Wife" quilt class that evening. I try to stay ahead of what we're all doing (since I'm teaching it) but that's not always possible. She helped me pick out fabrics for the different blocks. Isn't it amazing how different people are attacted to different colors? Daughter Jenn is artistic and seems drawn to bright, primary colors... American Jane fabrics, bright batiks, to name a couple. Lisa is retro and vintage so she likes the brown, orange, gold, olives. They both love vintage quilts and they both like the 30's fabrics. I love blues... and pastels, batiks and SOLIDS (my fav). I love amish quilts, civil war, 30's... anything vintage. Well, I pretty much love any fabric out there. It's really had for me to find a fabric that I hate.

Today I'll be working on more of the Farmer's Wife blocks plus some more blocks for the Block Frenzy (Hearts to Holly Block Swap). This is the first one I made with this month's fabric. Maybe if I make 3 or 4 blocks I'll have a better chance of winning them. Gloria (who I work with) won the last draw and boy, did she get some beauties. The fabric was Moda's Faith Collection. This time it's another of my favorites. I bought some of this fabric for my girls for Christmas. Love all the grays in it... and mixed with the browns?... Love it!

Don't forget to enter my CONTEST! Click "contest", become a follower and leave a comment on that page for your chance to win a pattern and a FQ of Sunkissed from Moda. I'll let you pick which pattern of mine you want... the easiest one "Molly's Quilt", the placemat pattern "Chopped 9 Patch" or my tea bag tote "Tea with Auntie Em".

Tea Bag Tote Pattern

This is my TEA BAG TOTE pattern. Hearts to Holly has kits and also the pattern (pattern is only $2!). You can also get it directly from me (www.northerndeb@ymail.com).

It's quick and easy... and SO FUN :) I made loads of them already. They're great little gifts... add in a pretty vintage tea cup, some tea bags and maybe even a matching mug rug....wrap it all up in some cellophane and you've got a great gift for a friend, mom, grandma, etc. I use the tea bag tote to keep my favorite tea bags with me in my purse. Make it up in a doggie print and store treats in your purse for your favorite pooch. It's also a great size for baby's pacifier. You'll find dozens of uses for it!

Don't forget my contest! You could win a pattern and a fat quarter of "Sunkissed". Just become a follower (if you're not already one) and leave a comment.