STAYING AT HOME... AND LOVING IT

Hello!

Well here we are at the end of May... how did that happen?

The sewing marathon continues.....

I’ve delivered two quilts... first the Civil War STASHBUSTER ....

PIECED ON MY 201K TREADLE, QUILTED ON MY SWEET SIXTEEN

The backing was a floral piece I must have bought years ago ... use it up, use it up!

CIVIL WAR STASHBUSTER
GIFTED TO MY BROTHER ROBERT

Our beautiful Scarlett has received her Farm Quilt ...  I’ve lost count of how many versions I have made of this quilt.  The Pattern is Farmyard Friends by Ella and Skysie but it appears to be discontinued. 

FARM QUILT FOR SCARLETT

THE BACK OF THE FARM QUILT

I’m treadling my days away.... I really enjoy treadling!   I’ve completed piecing a stash of log cabin blocks, two more STASHBUSTER quilts and now making string blocks. I use a 6-1/2” square of phone book paper to make my string blocks.

ANOTHER STASHBUSTER .. ALL CUT ON MY GO CUTTER

THIS I SPY  STASHBUSTER IS VERY BRIGHT! 

STRING BLOCKS

A GIRLY STASHBUSTER TO GO WITH THE I SPY ONE

TREADLED THE I SPY STASHBUSTER

A STASH OF LOG CABIN BLOCKS

 

 LOG CABIN BLOCK - I START WITH A 2-1/2” SQUARE THEN ADD MY STRIPS, TRIMMING AS I GO

STRING BLOCKS
NO PLAN FOR THESE..... PERHAPS ANOTHER TABLE RUNNER!

Hubby and I have been going out for our coffee but that’s all we are doing.... not venturing too far. Although we could go out for a meal now, we are reluctant to do so  We do get a take-away each week though.  I’m still to go to the hairdressers and will be booking that appointment soon. My nails are desperate for a manicure but I’m holding out as long as I can.    I did go fabric shopping recently😀. I was gifted a gift voucher for Peppermint Stitches, my LQS. They take appointments so I booked a half hour last Saturday.  Managed to spend the voucher plus some!  

MY FIRST EVER LOG CABIN BLOCK!

BLOCK 7    CIVIL WAR QUILT

BLOCK 7 DONE IN COURTHOUSE STEPS

This weeks block was fun and very easy.  I can't believe that I have NEVER made a log cabin block before!!!   and I have NEVER made a courthouse steps block either!!!

My fabric choices for the log cabin actually look better off camera.  I had no trouble with this block!  I did find that it needed a true 1/4" seam, not a scant one.  My block came out at 8 1/2" square with no trimming required.

I was so taken with Spiral's courthouse steps version of this block, that I made one too!!!   Thank you Jeanne!  I love the courthouse steps block!!

LESSONS LEARNT

Well not too much to say here.  The block went together very well.  As I said above, a TRUE  1/4" seam allowance is required, NOT a scant 1/4".   Well, that's how it went for me anyway!!

Now, my general quilting tip for today.......

You know how you change your blade on your rotary cutter???  I always change mine as soon as it starts missing threads.  Well, I changed the blade on my cutter only a day or two ago and yet today it was groaning through the fabric!   I decided to take the cutter apart again and give it a good clean.... inside the blade area was a heap of lint!  Once I cleaned it and replaced all the bits, it cuts like a dream again!!  Now, keep in mind this was a NEW blade just a matter of perhaps 48 hours ago!! (yes, I did clean the whole darn thing when I replaced the blade!)     Then it hit me... I am using the 10" squares of 19th Century fabrics which I collected last year and DID NOT WASH!  The way I see it is that this fabric will have much more lint and fluff in it than fabrics I have washed prior to cutting.   So, it makes sense to me that I will need to clean the rotary cutter more frequently during this project.

So, if you are having trouble with your rotary cutter not playing nicely, take it apart and give it a really good clean!!!

Now I can go and make some more of those delicious Hot Cross Bun blocks!!

Happy Sewing!!