What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Progress is slower. Still fun. 

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The border doesn't show up that much in this photo but it's there.  This quilt is 7 Martha Negley fabrics that I had chosen 2 years ago and finally got around to using.  It ended up at 69.5" x 85".  Now I'm trying to decide whether to use Martha Negley fabrics on the back, or to go with a light color print from my stash.

Thanks to my friend Mary G, I caught the 2 four patch blocks turned the wrong way in the last 2 row segment.  I'm glad I hadn't sewn it ...

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A couple more wedges completed.
I shifted to working from both balls or yarn so could keep the color changes from narrowing. I really like how it is working up. This is the part where it starts to take a long time to knit each wedge. 

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At the left is the photo I showed yesterday of the beginning of a layout, inspired by a Mary Ellen Hopkins layout (also shown yesterday).  On the right is my box of 4" components, cut over a period of a few years.  I did some more trial layout choices to see if scrappy was going to work.

I don't have a lot of light fabrics already cut but there were enough to get a feel for how this is working.  I tried 4 different centers and this was the first one.

Here is number 2 center trial.  This is ...

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A friend gave me this fun yarn from Knit Picks a few years ago. I was going away for a weekend and wanted a hand project to take along.
I used my winder to make some fresh cakes and picked a color order. 
The pattern I decided to use is Dotted Rays by Stephen West. I find this shawl to be perfect for those times when my hands need something to do but I don't want to really think about it.
I did the first couple wedges in this orange. 
Then, switched to the rainbow yarn at the orange ...

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We were under a tornado watch last evening but the storms mostly missed us.  We only got enough rain to wet the driveway and then it moved on.  We haven't had a good rain since May 1.

I got the first group of pieces cut with my new die.  They are 8" so one X block would be 16".  I don't have any idea what I'm going to make with them but I'll continue to cut and also choose a fabric for the triangles that complete the blocks.

I'm used 10" squares from layer cakes ...

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Cutting pieces, quilting, knitting and berries.  The sun was out and no rain.  Georgetown is moving along with the blue block – this block has a lot of pieces so it will take me another day or two of cutting and prepping before I’m ready to piece.  Here is a start.  I have mostly gray […]

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I feel a bit like a stranger who has been gone too long. I know I have been busy, but hadn’t realised I had missed a whole month. Plenty of medical issues have kept me busy and none of them were mine. Lots of time has been spent in waiting rooms and next to hospital beds, and being a taxi driver. As a result, sewing has slowed, but knitting and embroidery have kept me company. So now it is time to catch up.

Meet my little cheer squad.

I had run out of my gift supply of knitted monkeys ...

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 I was in the basement doing laundry and finished up a few other tasks.  One was stacking the trays with the 2" x 3.5" rectangles.  I store these in a large bin with trays of 2 other size rectangles.

I found this partially sewn project.  I could slice and sew the strata and make another section like the first or I could cut it into 2 sections and add stripes to both sides of the sewn section, lining up the fabrics to continue the design.  The first option would make one piece 24.5" square.  The second option would ...

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The Tilda Whimsey quilt is finished, pattern on Tilda's website.  It's so hard to get a good photo of these soft color quilts.  It is prettier than this photo shows.

This quilt is 56" x 74" and has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it.

It was longarm quilted by Robin Diaz.

I love the bicycle print on the back of the quilt.  It isn't a Tilda fabric but I thought it was a good choice for this quilt.

I found a pile of light value floral prints so I cut more 2" triangles to match up with ...

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The binding on this Tilda Whimsey quilt might take about 5 nights for the hand stitching.  That will still make it in as a finish for April.

I had several balls of cotton yarn in this coloration but in the others there was a wide stripe of coral color next to the brown.  This one looks like they ran out of dye when they were making it.  This is a strange one.  There is enough yarn left to make one smaller dishcloth but I may just use some of it in a multicolor one where I'm using all of ...

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On this episode Vanessa gives an update on the projects she’s been working on! Cranking out socks on a circular sock knitting machine, making wallets with student in the Mystery Mini Bag Club and what’s coming up next with garment sewing!

• Join the my Mystery Mini Bag Club #1: https://craftygemini.com/shop/mystery-mini-bag-club1/

• The Crafty Gemini Curvy ruler is back in stock here: https://craftygemini.com/shop/curvyruler/

• Our 5” x 10” ruler is back in stock here: https://craftygemini.com/shop/crafty-gemini-5-x-10-ruler/

• Curve Runner- Crafty Gemini Edition Rolling Ruler: https://craftygemini.com/shop/curverunner/

• My favorite ...

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A little over a week ago I showed some pieced strips I found in a drawer in my studio.  This photo shows what is left after using some of them.

I also showed 2 possible small tops in progress that the strips could be used on.  This was the winner and I got all 4 borders sewn on Wednesday night.

To break down this design: I started with 4 star blocks and then added sashing made of Flying Geese.  After that I added Bow Tie blocks as a border and then it stayed in limbo for 4 1/2 years ...

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This was another week of hand stitching projects.  I finished off the outlining of the dark purple lupin and moved on to the lupin to the left.  It was partly done before and I am almost finished it.  There is more outlining to do on the leaves at the bottom of the picture. 

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 I've been busy knitting some blankets for kittens.  Every year the Knit World shops throughout New Zealand choose a charity for their customers to support, and provide patterns.  This year, they are supporting the SPCA, (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  After checking it out I decided that I would like to help with this good cause.  I got the free pattern, purchased three balls of the discounted 12 ply yarn, and started knitting.

All ready to start

"At SPCA, we always need heaps of knitted blankets for our cats and kittens.  Each cat and kitten receives ...

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I started these blocks at a recent guild retreat after mulling over the design for a couple of months.  I made two at the retreat and one more today.  I have more colours pulled to make nine blocks for this wall hanging. Here is the pink block. 

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It was an uneventful day yesterday, mid 60s outside, a few windows open.

I stuck with the current project and finished the last 24 sixteen patch blocks.  It was too late to press them when I finished.  I don't know if I'll do a layout of the blocks today or wait until the weekend.

I finished knitting the 2 tone denim color dishcloth.  I used all of the lighter color and have a little left of the darker.  It will get paired with some other colors eventually.

The rose color cactus bud is finally at full bloom.  I ...

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The Tilda Whimsy top was finished last night and I'll press it today and take its photo.  There were only 5 seams in both directions but they were long ones so it took a few hours.

I got the next batch of strips ready to sew for 16 patches.  That project will probably be my evening sewing for several days.

I didn't have any dishcloths on the needles so I started one last night to use up the lighter blue and I'll finish it with the darker blue.  The lighter color is called Stonewash and the darker ...

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