Lost Ship Block and a Barbie Challenge

Janet Wickell of http://www.quilting.about.com gave us the ninth block in the Scrappy Sampler QAL, and it is called the Lost Ship block.  I tried to learn a bit about this block, but could only find that it is a coastal quilt block, probably New England, that experienced a name change, Rocky Glen, when used by an inland quilt maker http://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v23/v23n3p099.html  . 
So, I guess the ships could look like glens depending on your point of view.

Coincidentally, I spotted this block in Mary Ellen Hopkins' book, The It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt Book, but it was put together slightly differently.  Her version had the large, light hst's on the bottom and the small hst corner on the top.  So I did a search and found a third orientation, where my block is flipped in the other direction:

I conclude, therefore, that anything goes. 

 

 

The Barbie doll playing little one gave me a challenge today.  She asked me to make an evening dress in orange with pink polka dot trim.  I can't know what she envisioned this dress to look like, but this is what I could make from what I had in the stash.  Believe me, I did not even think I had pink polka dot trim, but I did : ) 

God Bless.

Simple Things Finish

It's so pretty.  Thank you to Kelly of Charming Chatter  and to Carol of Brown Quilts for this qal.  I am so pleased with the results.  I might add some buttons to the border, but doesn't really need them.

It's very hot here today; over 100 degrees.  Just plain awful.

When I awoke this morning I couldn't find Moxie, who usually is either on my bed or follows me out of my room from her hiding place.  But not this morning.  I looked for her in the usual places, but couldn't find her.  Then I went back into my room and saw this: 

Her own personal hammock.

God Bless.

Progress Report

For somebody who said she didn't want to sew anymore, I've been happily busy at my sewing machine all week.

One finish:  my Cat Nap Quilt, nicknamed Lucky Cat Quilt (as suggested by Sue of Quilt Times)  because it escaped the iron scorching episode.  Quilting not perfect, but so what.  I'm feeling very bold about quilting today because I am reading a library book by Mary Ellen Hopkins, The It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt Book.  Yep, no masterpieces here, but beautiful nevertheless.

SewCalGal is hosting Pets on Quilts next month, and I will have to see if this quilt will meet the requirements.  If so, I'll enter it.  Have to get Moxie on it for a picture.

My apologies to the designer of this cute cat design for not acknowledging before where I found it.  Here it is:  http://www.sewvac1.com/Library/catquilt.htm

Quilt top almost finished:  Simple Things.

I ran into a problem with the border not fitting, so I need to make some adjustments.  But it is such a sweet quilt top, I love it.

Work in progress:  I began to put together the crazy blocks.  So far, just sewed strips together, but I need to trim and do the sashing between columns.

I chuckle when I look at these blocks, but I do like them.  Yep, this is the flip side of my taste scale.  I like classic/traditional and then I like stuff like this.  Go figure.

God Bless.

I Guess I'm Fickle

Yesterday I told my sister I was tired of sewing.  It was a bad day all around and my projects looked like nothing but work with no fun included. Later on I got bored and started to trim the Simple Things squares, completed them and went on to the border of my Cat Nap Quilt.  And I'm sewing again:)

For the Simple Things squares I ended up using glue stick to keep the template from moving while I trimmed, and that made the job much easier.

When making the Cat Nap Quilt I saved the small triangles that were cut off at the cats' tails.  I always save those pieces, and for this quilt I found a way to include them.  I sewed them together and then into four patch squares and placed them at compass points in the final border.  I really like the way it looks.

I'm very lucky to still have this quilt.  While I was pressing the border my iron suddenly got very hot, melted the thread at a couple of seams and scorched the ironing board cover.  Fortunately when I saw my seams pulling apart I lifted the iron, but it was close.  Good bye iron.  If this had happened yesterday, I probably would have kicked it to Timbuktoo.

Thank you to Rachel of Just Sew y'All Know  http://racheldquilting.blogspot.com/ .  I won a fabric giveaway on her blog, and I can use them.

Hoping for good things.

God Bless.



July Christmas QAL Post 3

I completed this month's Scatty Stars.

My star collection to date.

I'm quitting for now for today.  Thank you, Sue, for another fun and productive Saturday.

Until next month,

God Bless.



July Christmas QAL Post 2

I've put together the small quilt and need to decide whether to use the green or the blue for the border then the top will be done.  I'm going to move on the the Scatty Stars after I take a break and visit the other bloggers to see what they are making.  That's always an enjoyable part of these Christmas QAL Saturdays.

July Christmas QAL - Post 1

Sue is hosting the Christmas QAL today http://www.quittimes.blogspot.com and she's set the Chrismas mood for us so it should be a fun day.

 This is what I'm working on today.

I did a search for free quilt block patterns yesterday and found this cat block.  And I had this really cute vintage-look cat fabric, so it's all going together for a small quilt. 

So my cat blocks and the Scatty Stars blocks are what I'll be doing,

Friday Afternoon Catch-Up

I worked on the Simple Things blocks for this week.  The border blocks make a beautiful trim on this quilt, but, well, they do require a bit of attention.  I did the sewing, but now I have to trim them down to 3.5" and that's taking time.

One down and 43 more squares to go.

This may take all week and a really good book on tape to keep me going.

Have you ever made something and then put it aside and forgotten making it?  I pulled out my bag to bring to the hospital today and saw this quilt which I completely forgot about.

I just remembered that this pattern is one of the QOV blocks that I made that went very fast, so I used it for a lapghan.  Hopefully the colors will be acceptable. 

On the same subject of the lapghans, this is the crocheted lapghan I made with the revised border.

I took out all of the single crochet stitches and used a double crochet shell pattern for the border.  It looks much better. 

In April Barb of Bejeweled Quilts http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com/2011/04/ten-minute-blocks.html   let us know about Suzanne McNeill's You Tube how-to's for blocks that are big, go very quickly, and look great.  I think I'm going to try making those blocks next for the hospital lapghans because it will probably take only 4 blocks with border to meet the 40 inch requirement and they look great. 

Tomorrow is Christmas Quilt Along Saturday and I am looking forward to it.   What am I going to do? 

I'm thinking about that:)  I have some charm packs of 2010 Christmas fabric and want to make something nice with them.  But I have other possibilities as well. 

I just wanted to mention something about the FabShopHop.  This month the quilt block patterns are for the cutest Halloween Quilt.  I was surprised that I got most  of the block patterns on the first day that I played along.  I don't do much for Halloween but I am planning to make this quilt.  http://www.fabshophop.com/enews/FabShopHop_enews_halloween-smplr_6-29-11.html

Hope you are all well.

God Bless!





Keeping Up With Simple Things

I no sooner posted my blocks for last week's Simple Things blocks, then Kelly of Charming Chatter http://cottoncharmquilts.typepad.com   posted the next blocks.  So I kept going and completed that set.

God Bless.