JELLY ROLL STAR - 2nd BOM

Background Fabric:

Cut 4 squares 4" x 4"

Cut 8 squares 3" x 3"

Star Fabric:

Cut 4 rectangles 3" x 6-1/2"

Cut 4 rectangles 3" x 4"

Place a 3" background square on a 3" x  6-1/2" star rectangle.  Mark the 3" square diagonally from top left to bottom right and sew directly on mark.  Trim off excess and press towards the darker fabric.  Do the same thing to the 3" x 4" rectangle.  Once finished, you will have this:

Be sure that the diagonal seams make a V when you place the larger one beside the smaller one as above.

Sew a 4" background square to the smaller rectangle. 

Sew the larger rectangle to the bottom of each of these 4 sections and you will end up with this:

Sew together as a four patch and you are finished with Block No. 2.
Makes me want to buy a jelly roll and make a whole quilt!! 

Ruffled Roses Finished!

This quilt now goes into the 2012 FINISHED QUILTS!  Bound and everything!! 

Sorry the quilting doesn't show very well but it is very cloudy and couldn't get the light right.  I'm just happy to have one in my finished category. 

2012 BOM attempt

I have tried everything to do an applique block in EQ7 and get the templates to transfer in "real" size, so if you want to do the applique block and have EQ, it is in the applique blocks, under eight elements, on the last page, bottom right, and called "acorn and oak leaf".  If you do not have EQ, you can send me your snail mail address (fratinid@bellsouth.net) and I will mail you the pattern.  The pieced blocks probably will not be those shown below but will all have a star feeling to them. 

Yardages:
Dark Fabric:  3-1/2 yards (dark red)
Light Fabric:   2-1/2 yards (pink fabric)
Fat Quarters:  6-8 different fabrics
Background for pieced blocks and applique block:  1/2 yard
Cutting instructions for pieced blocks (not the BOM pieced blocks) for the background:
Dark Fabric:
Cut 3 strips 13" wide by wof.  Subcut into eight 13" squares.  Cut these squares once diagonally.
Cut 4 strips 13-1/4" wide by wof.  Subcut into eleven 13-1/4" squares.  Cut these squares twice diagonally (both directions)
Cut 11 strips 2-1/5" wide for first border
Remainder can be used in the pieced BOM patterns.
I am not giving the amount of fabric for the final border but will figure that out when we are almost through.  If you find what you want before then - my usual rule of thumb is 3 yards so I can cut it on the length of fabric instead of cross grain. 
Light fabric:
Cut 2 strips 13" wide.  Subcut into six 13" squares.  Cut these squares once diagonally.
Cut 4 strips 13-1/4" wide.  Subcut into eleven 13-1/4" squares.  Cut these squares twice diagonally.
Use remainder in the pieced blocks.

You will need to make 12 blocks using the large  triangles from the dark and light fabrics to make this block
(unfinished block should measure 12-1/2"):

Take a dark and light triangle from the smaller triangles and a dark from the large triangles to make this block to make 4 blocks (all of these blocks should measure 12-1/2" unfinished):

One more block to go!  Make 20 hour glass blocks using the small triangles:

And here is my applique block (measures 12-1/2" unfinished).  I cut my background block 13-1/2", did the applique and then trimmed to 12-1/2":

If you prefer a pieced block for the center block, let me know and I will come up with one for you.  You have ALL year to do these background blocks, so you don't have to rush.  But I would do the cutting so I would know how much  fabric I have left to use in the pieced blocks.  I hope some of you will do the BOM with me.  I'm doing it for my guild and thought it would be fun to do on my blog.  Believe it or not:  ALL the fabrics for this quilt is coming from my stash!!! 
The quilt with a final border of 6" finished will be 100 x 100.  If you don't want the last border, it will finish at 88 x 88.

Rainy Days = Finished quilt tops

I don't like to be on my longarm when it is raining because, for some unknown reason (other than we live in the country), our electricity tends to go off.  So I have taken advantage of these rainy days by finishing two quilt tops.  The Quilt Show BOM is ready to be quilted.  I added an extra border because I wanted it to fit my king size bed. 

Yes!!!  Finished the top BEFORE the end of the year!!!! 
And then I finished my lemoyne star quilt -- it is large:  101 x 110. 

Any suggestions on how to quilt it????  
I have ordered the backings for both quilts from Delta Patchwork and they should be here next Tuesday.  Now if it will stop raining, I'll get back to my butterfly quilt. 
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!!!

Ruffled Roses BOM

Almost through with The Quilt Show's 2011 BOM.  Just need to finish appliquing the four corners and then I can sew on the last two borders. 
I love these pieced swag borders:

And I have two of the appliqued borders finished.  Two more to go.

And I wasted 3 hours making piping because I thought it would really set off the next borders on the quilt.  It was a wasted effort because it doesn't really show at all.  I had made enough piping to put on both sides of the border but decided it wasn't worth the effort.  It shows up pretty well in this photo but you can't really see it on the quilt top.

Two of the swag borders are sewn on.

I have expended a lot of wasted effort lately.  I am working on my butterfly quilt and don't think I like what I am doing around the butterfly.  What do you think?  I think it needs to come out but don't know what to do to make the butterflies zing.

Hope I have a better week this week because I am not looking forward to removing those tiny pebbles.

Two more finished quilts

This is a quilt I did for Marquerite:

And one for Barb -- the Hobo Quilt:

I now have my butterfly quilt on Matilda (as in waltzing matilda -- my longarm).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

My nieces, Paula, Pat and Phyllis, were here yesterday and we exchanged gifts.  We try to meet once a month to sew together.  I wish I had taken pictures while they were here!!!!
Pat gave me this beautiful pillow.  They come to McKenzie from Nashville and she has written on the pillow:  "Over the river and through the woods to Aunt Joyce's house we go to sew, sew, sew."   She even stuck a deer behind the tree for David.

And from Paula, a needle holder. 

And from Phyllis, a beautiful box with a cross stitched top:

Can't really read it in the picture, but it says "home is where the heart is".
I am so blessed to have 9 beautiful nieces and  5 handsome nephews!!
I scaled down on decorating this year and like it much better.  Two trees:  the big tree and a small one with hunting and fishing ornaments for David.  And my mother-in-law's old Christmas ornaments (from early 1930s). 

I have a few other knick-knacks around -- my snowmen collection, a ceramic Christmas tree that my daughter made before she died, and my Christmas salt & pepper shakers and two navitiy scenes.  Simple and uncluttered.
  HOPE EVERYONE HAS A  VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!!!