Sister's Choice

Sister's Choice

60 x 80

I started with some swapped 6 inch nine patches in blue and tan civil war reproduction fabrics with a red center. 

Then I added a tan background and blue star points and continued with red in the center sections of the outside of the nine patch to make a Sister's Choice block. 

Then I sewed them all randomly together since I don't have a design wall and since it is civil war repro fabrics I didn't figure they had design walls back then either.  As you can see sometimes random sewing ends up looking not so random and the same blocks end up next to each other in a quilt.  Doesn't bother me.  Most people I give my quilts to don't hold them up to inspect layouts.  

This quilt is for my husband to replace that old one he uses in his recliner. 

Sometimes when I look at the quilt I see this design  (four patch in the middle) instead of the Sister's Choice. 

I quilted it very simply with straight and diagonal lines on my DSM and bound it in red. 

I used a wide backing printed with tan roses. 

The overall quilting. 

This was my August goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.        (#33 at the Goal Setting Party)

This was also my goal #3 of my Q3 Goals for the   2015 Finish Along. 

This WIP is gone so I'll be linking today to WIPs Be Gone at A Quilting Reader's Garden

and Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. 

10 x 4 Apples Up on Top

I've finished another quilt for the hope chest.   This time it is a quilt for my first great grandchild.  It may be awhile - my grandkids aren't even in their teens yet. 

I decided to call the quilt 10 x 4 Apples Up on Top and put one of my kid's old books (probably about 40 years old, read a lot and falling apart) with it in the hope chest. 

The quilt is made of 30s reproduction fabrics. Some of the blocks are from a couple of different swaps - one of apples and the other of 9 patches. 

I hand quilted it with #8 red perle cotton. 

54 x 66

This is the first quilt from my 2015 30s Bin Bust Challenge. 

This was one of my goals (#6)  for First Quarter Finish Along. 

At the end of the month I'll link up to Julie's Binding Blitz

Also linking up to:

Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

WIPs Be Gone at A Quilting Reader's Garden

Sister's Choice

 

Awhile back I participated in a 6 inch 9 patch swap in civil war reproduction fabrics - blue corners, red centers and the rest of the block in tan. 

I've slowly been turning them into  10 inch Sister's Choice blocks. 

Design Wall Monday

Tales from the 9 Patch Time Warp

Earlier in the year I swapped 6 inch 9 patches in civil war reproduction fabrics and in this color configuration. 

Just the other day after I finished up my churn dash quilt made of civil war reproductions I was trying to remember what I was going to do with these swapped nine patches. I knew I had something in mind. So, before I forget again I made 6  Sister's Choice blocks out of a few of the 9 patches. 

I think they look more interesting on point. 

Last year I swapped some 6 inch 9 patches in 30s reproduction fabrics. Half of the blocks had white corners so I pulled out the ones with dark corners and made a few more to add to the pile. I don't think I have enough yet...

I'm going to alternate them with some 6 inch Apple Blocks in 30s reproduction fabrics. I'm waiting for that swap of Apples to appear in my mailbox. 

And finally I made 60 - 6 inch 9 patches out of snowflake fabrics I've accumulated.  

I made 60 - 6 inch Snowball blocks out of snowmen fabrics last year intending to make a Snowball 9 Patch quilt for my daughter for Christmas last year.  I guess there's always this year.  I'm ready to assemble this top for a quilt 60 x 72. 

Linking up to Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River.  Warp speed ahead! 

Only 70 More To Go !

I've just finished 15 more 5.5 inch Sister's Choice blocks. I've completed 218 blocks but need a total of 288 to make an 80x90 quilt (if my math is right).  I've used WOW for the background and various blue fabrics for the star points.  I participate in a 3 inch 9 patch swap with some ladies in a Yahoo Group so I have the 70 9-patches I need to complete my goal.   Then I just have to figure out what to do with the 9 patches I receive in the next swap!

To see what other folks have on their Design Walls this fine day visit Judy's Patchwork Times.

What's the Deal with Teal?

There's a Rainbow Scrap Challenge going on at the SoScrappy blog and this month's color is teal (aqua, turquoise, blue-green).  I made 35 more Sister's Choice blocks out of my 3 inch 9 patches and since all the star points on them are blue I used teal for the points on some of them.  (I consider teal as a form of blue when I'm quilt making.) I now have a total of 191 and need 288 for my quilt.  I also made a 49 patch out of some leftover 1.5 inch squares.  More teal projects can be found at the Scrap Happy Saturday linky party.

A Variety of 9 Patches

I've worked in the last week a little on various projects that involve 9 patches. All are so different.  First are the Twinklers using some red scraps. Along with the blue Twinklers they will make up a quilt for Quilts of Valor.

I also turned some of my 3 inch 9 patches from a swap with a Yahoo Group into 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks.  I've been using blue for the star points and WOW fabrics for background.  So far I have 156 blocks and I think I figured I need 388 for the size quilt I want to make.  So far I don't think I have any repeat fabrics in the 9Ps. I love looking at all the various fabrics in the 9Ps I receive in the swaps held 3 times each year.  This has been a UFO for quite a while and will probably continue to be one for quite another while.

And finally I've made some 9P blocks for another swap for another Yahoo Group. This time they are 6 inch blocks  and consist of a 30s reproduction fabric plus a white solid. I used Kona White although I usually like to use Kona Snow with 30s but it might not be as white as the other whites used in the swap.     A set consists of 5 blocks of each configuration as shown.  After I get the swapped blocks back I'm going to turn them into a 14 inch block like I saw at the Quilt Ladies website which looks like a combination of 9P and Churn Dash and then some.  I probably have enough 30s scraps to use up in those blocks.

Singing the Blues

This month's color for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge  is sapphire blue (not aqua/teal/turquoise, not pastel/light). I had set aside a bunch of 2.5 inch strips left over from other projects to use in a QOV quilt. Lots of the strips are blue so I stitched up some 6 inch Twinkler blocks

Next I added some 3 inch spools to my collection. I just participated in a 1.5 inch strip swap and pulled the blues to work with from the lovely pile of fabrics. 

I also just participated in a 3 inch 9 patch swap so pulled the ones with blue in them to make into my 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks.   All of the blocks, no matter what color the 9 patch, have scrappy blue points. I now have 132- 5 inch blocks and figure I need 288 for a good sized quilt.  So, I guess I'm not even half way there ;-( 

Hop on over to SoScrappy's blog for ScrapHappySaturday to see who else is singing the blues and why! And, why not dig out some blues and participate too!  

Does Size Matter? I'm Fine with 1.5 Inches! In Fact, I'm Having Fun!

A few times a year I participate in a 3 inch 9 patch swap. These are some of the ones I'll be swapping in April.

Since last year I've been making them into 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks with blue points and wow background.  I now have 112 blocks and hope to someday make a queen-sized quilt. 

On another list there was a postage stamp swap. Yes, I swapped 25 sets of 50 1.5 inch squares! I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them but my 4 year old grandson helped me sort them into color groups and then I sewed them together into 7x7 blocks.  I put all the little novelty/I Spy type fabrics into a block of their own for a tiny I Spy doll quilt.  The rest of these might go toward a rainbow type postage stamp quilt.

Then there are blocks of black, white and gray and a couple of red blocks...so maybe these will go toward a black, white and red quilt or the red will go into the rainbow quilt and I'll have a separate black/white quilt.

Most ladies who swapped  must prefer blue or brown since I was able to make 4 blocks of each color. 

 I'm definitely going to make a separate brown/cream quilt. I like these squares the most.

And now I've cut up a lot of my small  (and old) pieces of fabric into 1.5 inch strips for a spools strip swap with ladies on yet another list.

To see what others have on their Design Walls, Floors, etc...visit Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times!

More UFO Work

I participate in a 3 inch 9 patch swap several times a year with the Block_Swappers Yahoo Group. I've been slowly turning them into 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks. I now have 92 out of the 288 necessary for my quilt. I better get moving if I want to finish a quilt made of these any time soon.

Oh My Stars!

Every quarter I take part in a 3 inch 9 patch swap over on Block_swappers Yahoo group. I just sent this quarter's blocks in and figured I better get back to turning my 9 patches into Sister's Choice stars before I get the next patch batch back.  (Say that 3 times fast). I've made a dent in the pile. 

Sewing Blues

I finished 48 blue string blocks with black centers for Heartstrings Quilt Project.

I'll wait until I do another set of 24 kid's blocks before I mail them off.

 Also worked a little this weekend on sewing together my double 4 patch blocks I've had laying around for a couple of years from a swap with a yahoo group I no longer belong to because I didn't like the direction it was headed. 

And finally since  I like blue so much I am participating in a Double Disappearing 9 patch swap with the Block_swappers Yahoo Group.  I made 32 blocks (8 sets) for swapping and some for myself besides. 

And...maybe I will use up some of the blues I like so much and have more scraps for another blue heartstrings quilt. 

Charity Quilting

After an exhausting 3 days with the grandkids (planting seeds, joining summer reading program, park, playing cards, camping out in backyard) they went home this a.m. and so I chose to spend some time on my extra day off work sewing for charity. 

 12 6inch 9 patch blocks for a lady who sews them together for new moms and grandmoms.  

5 - 8 inch heart blocks of choice for a lady who sews them together for those who have lost a close loved one. 

17 (out of 48 for an adult quilt) blue string blocks with black centers for Heartstring Quilt Project

And finally 10- 12 inch stars for Quilts of Valor. 

God bless our soldiers and keep them safe.


Edited on Tuesday - Linking up at Quilting by the River: Linky Party

9 Patch WIPs

I participated in a scrappy 3 inch 9 patch swap. I'm going to particpate in a couple more...

...and turn them all into 5 inch Sister's Choice blocks with blue points.

I'll also be participating in a 3 inch 9 patch swap of blocks made of 30s reproduction fabrics and kona snow. I will just throw them all in a box and pick them out and sew together. There will be no further manipulating of these.

I won the last block lottery on another list and so I got to pick the next block up for lottery. I chose an easy 6 inch 9 patch block since summer is here and it's easy to make. These are the blocks I'll be sending the next lucky winner. I chose country type fabrics and made a set of blocks that alternate placement of lights and darks.  And the reason I chose the fabrics I did...

...is because I needed some more Country 9 patch blocks to add to my collection Add a medium shade 5 1/8 inch block cut on diagonal to all sides and you get a 8 inch block from your original 6 inch.

And now I have a pile of country blocks that may be enough to make a full size quilt. Some of these blocks were originally swapped on yet another yahoo quilt group last year.

Another way I am using 6 inch 9 patch blocks is by alternating them with 6 inch snowball blocks. I need to add 4 more rows and I will have a top for a queen sized quilt. Then I have to decide on borders...I think I will have a prairie point border that looks like leaves since this is a "Bird Quilt". Colors are mostly pink and lime green (both colors I originally hated) as well as deep purple and blues. I think a little border of plum then a little wider one of pink then the green prairie points is the way I am going to go. This is the quilt that will also have a matching crazy quilt bedrunner to go over the top of it (or I suppose it could be an extra long and thin wall hanging.)

You know, I was watching an old VCR tape I had of me in the garden when I was a little younger. I was struck by all the colors when I watched it. I don't think I had ever noticed so much color before when walking through the garden. I mostly notice the weeds since my flower garden gets weeded only after the veggies and with working full time + at my paying job the huge flower garden is never all weed free. But, I stray...anyway...color...when I watched that movie I was struck by the color and I couldn't help but feel uplifted and joyous. I hope when I look at this darned quilt I get the same feeling because this thing is pretty wild if I say so myself.