Scallop Borders Continued!

Continuing the topic of scallop borders from my previous post, I should have shown this option:

Another super easy way to get a scalloped border is to quilt one!
I used my sets of swag rulers from Handiquilter

I wanted to use this stripe for the binding, but
only had fat quarters, so I did a lot of piecing.

We finally had a little sunshine to show off the quilting!

 Temecula Anniversary Row Quilt 
I loaded this on my machine a while back but didn't have time to quilt it right away. When I realized retreat time was coming up and I needed a quilt to donate to the facilities fund raising auction, I had to get to work!  I planned to donate my Scrappy Trip Around the World top, so I managed to get the Row quilt done with some freehand and ruler work in order to be able to load the Trip quilt.

Yay! The Trip quilt is quilted and bound. I used an all over panto design. 

Grandmother's Choice Block 33: Contrary Husband
(we all know about those!)

I may not get to post Stitch Therapy photos until after retreat, but I had to show you Jeanne's antique quilt she brought to show us--beautifully quilted by Rebecca Anakala!

April Stitch Therapy

Our April topic for Stitch Therapy on Monday was BORDERS! 

Yes, we have some busy embroiderers that have the entire center of their quilt ready to finish up with a border. 

Sandi's beautiful version of The Wish Quilt

On my Wish Quilt, I did a simplified version of a scalloped edge. I love scalloped borders, but I don't exactly love making them. 

My first scallop border was on my Apron Club quilt.

 Apron Club pattern by Lori Holt
We did this quilt as a Stitch Therapy project a few years ago.

I felt that the scallop border in Lori's pattern was a bit wide, and I also liked the look of real scallops other than a wavy scallop edge. Needless to say, this border was a lot more work! I followed a Sharon Schamber tutorial (see here)--that was very helpful, but the actual technique was sooo time consuming. I loved the results, but I'm not sure I would do it again. 

I really liked the way the dog ear corners came out!

Sharon's video show how to make tiny darts in the binding at the inside corners. 

So, the next time I decided to do a scallop border, I tried the waves....

So much easier!
Quilt block patterns are from Crabapple Hill Studio

The drawbacks: you do need to use bias binding (starch!!)
and if you are hanging the quilt, the scallops make it a bit difficult.

Truthfully, I didn't set out to make a scallop border on the Wish Quilt. I wanted to use up  my sampler fabric, so I cut borders wider than specified in the pattern. Then, of course, I decided it was too much light
fabric to frame the center.
I didn't want to cut down my precious sampler fabric, so to tame it down a little,
I came up with this border:
I guess this would be considered a reverse scallop?
I would do this one again, for sure:
 no bias binding, no tiny darts, and no floppy scallops!

To make the scallop border overlay, I made a freezer paper template, ironed it to the back of the strip of  Buggy Barn dot fabric, starched back the seam allowance and appliqued in place. I did the sides first and when I added the top and bottom scallop strip, I folded back the ends to look like a mitered corner.
Oops! I didn't line that up very well, did I??

I hand appliqued this,
but you could easily stitch it by machine with a narrow zigzag or use your buttonhole stitch.

 An absolute must, in my opinion, is the Easy Scallop tool designed by Darlene Zimmerman--no cups, plates or Tupperware bowls for me!

Coming up later this week: more photos of the Wish Quilt in progress! 

Update!

Grandmother's Choice Block 32 Mr. Roosevelt's Necktie

I've been busy getting ready for retreat on the 20th. 

I had planned to work on my first project using some of my Indigo Crossing stash. 

Lots of half square triangles!

I decided to use only the lightest lights. I'm saving the cream backgrounds for my second Indigo Crossing project (still a secret!). It took me a couple days of sorting through patterns, books and magazines, but I finally narrowed it down to the two quilts that I wanted to make using these fabrics. 

The first one is a pattern from Buggy Barn.

I was going to pack these up like this and take them along to work on at  retreat,
 but decided to make a test block to figure out what rulers or tools I would need to bring along.
Good thing I did, too!

My test block.
 After realizing that each block has 64 pieces
(not counting the already pieced half square triangles),
and finding out how much I had to pay attention to what I was sewing to what, I figured it wouldn't be a good idea to try to make these while I'm at retreat--too easily distracted there!
I went ahead and made all nine blocks.
I'll be sewing them together with the sashings at retreat.

From the pattern Buggy Wheels by Buggy Barn.
The scrappy version of this pattern (twelve twenty blocks) used to be a free pattern on the Henry Glass website
(I don't see it there now--sorry!).
Better Homes and Gardens renamed it 'Round the Stars and made it smaller using blue and white fabrics.
The pattern is in the Special Interest issue of Sew Scrappy Volume Two.

This is my Number 8 for Connie's Game:
Temecula Summer Star Sampler 
I need to quilt and bind it, but probably won't get to that until I get back home.
 

The April Dixie Diary block: Asylum--heart version...

And the star version.

I Should Have Bought a Lottery Ticket!

On Saturday, this little box was delivered by UPS.

Hmmm...I wasn't expecting something that would come packaged like this and Mr. Moosebay even agreed it couldn't be fabric.

Oh... but it WAS!!

Four generous one yard cuts of Kim Diehl fabric from Henry Glass fabrics!
I won them in a drawing on the Henry Glass  blog.

It was a surprise, as they said they would send something from the warehouse
 but nothing specific. 

I'll be adding them to my little stash of Kim's fabrics..
I definitely need more blues!
I LOVE the orange print--I need more of that one.
I had it in blue too, but used it up. 

I see a scrappy quilt in my future from one of these books. 

I also won this pattern last week at the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle meeting!

Sandi Baker drew my name--thanks Sandi!!
I'm thinking this would look sharp in blue--the  pink isn't doing it for me.

The pattern is signed on the back by Pam Buda, 

our Prairie Women's Sewing Circle author. 

Here I Go Again

Just when I was catching up on some things, I decide to add another project to the list! 

Sherri and Sinta have been hosting a Schnibbles Sew Along for several years, and it's always fun to see the end results each month. So far, I had resisted sewing along, but you know I have a pile of Charm Packs waiting to be turned into something. I will be using the Chambray Chateau pack that I won last month from the Sentimental Quilter (she has another give away going on through this weekend). 

I purchased half yards of a couple coordinates the last time I went shopping at the Old Country Store. 

Good think too, since there aren't enough charms in this pack to make Hat Trick, 

and most of them are lights. 

In my last post, there was a problem with the link to the Twisted Hexagons tutorial from Janet M. Davies of New Zealand. I think I have fixed it on the original post, but just in case you missed it, here it the direct link to a printable PDF:

http://jmddesigns.co.nz/tutorials/twisted_hexagon_tutorial.htm

One of my eBay listings

On Sunday I finally got around to doing some eBay listings of a few things from my pile of stuff that has got to go. Somehow I ended up with doubles of books (I guess that means that they are really good?) and some FQ's that I am not going to use. I'm hoping to add new items every week to whittle down the pile I have going in the corner of my sewing room.

 ebay listing link

Later this Spring I'm hoping to be motivated enough to rearrange my sewing room. Now that I've been in here for a while, I'm rethinking how I set things up. I also want to paint my shelving white, so I will have to wait for the temps to warm up so I can do that in the garage--I don't want to mess up my new wood flooring! That's why I need to weed out some things--oh, and to make room for new stuff like this:

I can't wait to get my hands on this book!!

A new book from the Country Threads ladies.
You can pre-order it now from Amazon:
The Blue and the Gray: Quilt Patterns for Civil War Fabrics
I've already ordered and paid for my copy!

This and That

Okay...why???

Yesterday was a Prairie Women meeting day and it was fun to see all the wonderful show and tell and get our new pattern for the month. I always think I will go right home and start on this months project, but that never happens!

These are Martha's Twisted Hexagons--so cool!
Tutorial HERE 

I was inspired to get back to work on my hexagon table runner,

 so I finished up the half diamonds that I needed for the sides.

All the components pinned to the design wall

The half diamonds weren't as much fun to make,
so I had to push myself to get them made. 

Now I just need to work on the background path.  I have a little start on that. 

I need to make 246 background pieces according to my "map".
I'm using all one fabric for the them to tone down the scrappy diamonds.

April's Chicken Scratch blocks. 

Grandmother's Choice
Block 31: Tinted Chains

Happy April!!

After teasing us with a couple really nice days, Mother Nature has gone back into winter mode here. It's cold!! No worries: celebrate the first day of April with these awesome new technologies!!

Google Nose Beta

Be sure to click on all the links for great information--your dog lives by his nose and we can too!!

Alex Anderson's son-in-law is an engineer and has developed an App for us sewers!! 

Why didn't someone think of this before?

Stitch Removal Tool: The Jerry Stitch Eraser

And on April First ONLY you can get 25% off all pre-cuts at Old Country Store. It's TRUE!
Also, after finally reading the fine print on their friends and family policy, if you haven't ordered form them in the past, you may want to know about this: 

• A first-time customer will get $10 off their first order (of $35 or more) when at checkout they enter the name and e-mail address of the existing customer who has both ordered from us in the past and has referred them to our website.
• If you are the existing customer who has ordered from us in the past and makes the referral, YOU will also get a coupon code worth $10 off a future order of $35 or more. The coupon code will be emailed to you only when the first-time customer places an order of $35 or more.

I'm not sure if the percentage off pre-cuts would qualify  for the $10 discount, but it may be worth a try--not that you wouldn't be able to find a lot of other things you need at their great prices!! If you want to use me as your existing customer, let me know and I'll send you the info! 

Happy Spring and happy shopping!!