tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561858312052669942024-03-19T07:46:07.783-04:00QuilterEvolutionA quilting blog by a fabric lover who enjoys exploring color, shape and fun!Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-28412536480380983172014-11-19T17:41:00.002-05:002014-11-19T17:58:06.333-05:00Stars Aligned Row by Row Quilt <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-68044746885993710802012-08-05T16:49:00.001-04:002012-08-05T16:50:01.179-04:00Ugly Fat Quarter Class I dunno. I think all fabric has something to like about it. Some may be more of an acquired taste, while some may just not be your style. Others are just difficult to work with...maybe for a color, design or size problem. While I adore Kaffe Fassett fabric, one of my favorite quilts made from it had my husband comment: While there are many aspects of it that I appreciate, looking at it is not one of them. Talk about a diplomat...but what he was really saying was that the quilt was UGLY!<br />
When my quilt guild was looking for new programs for next year, we talked about having a class based on using up some ugly fabric. The class evolved to be an ugly fat quarter class. So I got to work designing a pattern that would use but not hide an ugly (or difficult to use) fat quarter. I'll be posting photos and instructions soon...but until then, I'd love to see your ugly fat quarters that you'd like to use up...and ship out! Or, maybe fall in love with all over again and keep for the winter!Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-47471245093020820622012-07-19T18:57:00.003-04:002012-07-19T18:57:56.785-04:00Starting a New Quilt I've always admired Sunshine and Shadow quilts...especially Amish ones. And I've always wanted to try one. I even have Eleanor Burns' book on how to make one in a day...but I can't find it!<div>
Plus...the fabric I want to use isn't strip friendly...it's boxes of berries, and I have to fussy cut. So, in for a dime, in for a dollar...I'm making it from 2 1/2" squares.</div>
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Here's a first look as I'm putting it together...what do you think? I'll post more as it gets put together. One of the joys of doing a quilt this way is that you can rearrange the pieces easily because they don't get sewn together in strips.</div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-80897920889711422532012-07-16T12:45:00.002-04:002012-07-16T12:47:48.062-04:00A Wizard of Oz Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A friend of mine has a quilt shop, and I loved hanging out in the store and quilting the day away whenever possible! One day, a Jackie came by with a special project. Her husband adored The Wizard of Oz, and she had been secretly buying up Wizard of Oz fabric to make him an anniversary quilt. Trouble was, she wanted to have an original quilt, and showcase all the fabulous fabrics, but she couldn't find a pattern that worked across the board!</div>
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It seemed the only solution was to make a custom quilt, and I jumped at the change to help design the quilt. There really weren't any rules: just to make sure that the best parts of the fabrics came through and that the quilt was instantly recognized as The Wizard of Oz.</div>
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Some of the fabrics had large images, such as the Wicked Witch, Glinda, and the Emerald City. They dictated the size of the blocks. Other small scale fabrics included plain yellow brick road, ruby slippers on the yellow brick road, fields of poppies, Wicked Witches on dark green, circles with characters on red, quotes, smaller portraits, apple tree fabric, wands on deep blue, Glinda floating in her bubble, Dorothy, Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion swirling on the yellow brick road...and film strips with different movie scenes...the list was extensive!</div>
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Every block of this quilt involved Jackie's decision making. My part was to figure out how best to fussy cut the fabric, and what kinds of blocks would show off this amazing fabric!</div>
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Of course, it was easy to turn the yellow brick road into sashing! It just seemed to make sense! We needed some contrast for the cornerstones, and we didn't want to have bits and pieces of the characters cut off...so the magic wand fabric was the choice! To keep the character of the film strips, we bordered two of the blocks with black to make them the right size. Whenever there was a few inches or more, we incorporated as many different fabrics as we could. the block made from diagonal strips is one way wer tried to show some of the different fabrics in the quilt.<br />
One of the biggest challenges for me was that the fabric had so many colors...I loved the rich reds, greens, yellows and browsn, but the pastels threw me for a loop or two!<br />
The pinwheel block in the top row was one of the biggest challenges...the fussy cutting was especially important so the 4 main characters were shown in their entireties. You can see what the fabric looked like at the start in the block diagonally down and to the right of the pinwheel block.<br />
Once finished, Jackie embellished some of the blocks with beads and embroidery, and her husband was THRILLED!Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-49647177555121575642012-07-08T21:59:00.001-04:002012-07-08T22:01:34.003-04:00Vintage Silk Tie Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a while since I've posted, mostly because I've been struggling to finish a few projects! Here is one of them: a friend asked me to layer and quilt a quilt top she had purchased at a garage sale. It was one of those quilts made from old ties. It was small, she said. It sounded like I would enjoy the project. It was all triangles, and I thought for a while about the best way to free motion quilt it. Of course there were complications: not enough batting, having to sew the backing together, and all the triangles were hand-sewn! It was a nice experience connecting with someone else's work, but over time the triangles had stretched, and it was difficult to get the quilt top smooth. Plus, the quilt measured 78" x 61"...not small at ALL! Here are the results (the friend has to tack the binding still)!Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-62528839631093108572011-11-28T07:01:00.001-05:002011-11-28T07:22:51.702-05:00An Easy Log Cabin Quilt in Black, Bright and Even Rainbow Fabric!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anyone who's ever gone shopping with a 6-year-old is almost guaranteed to have some rainbow fabric in her stash! You almost promise them anything if they will just be patient while you finish looking at fabric. Then, once you have their rainbow fabric, you start collecting small amounts of coordinating fabric...the only trouble is, it never really does go together! Enter this simple Log Cabin quilt that uses up that rainbow fabric, as well as some fun bright fabric you'd never get to use anywhere else...<br />
This quilt is based on 16 identical Log Cabin blocks. The center square starts off as a 4" square, and the strips are 2 1/2". divide four remaining fabrics into darker and lighter pairs, and start your log cabin going around the center square with the lightest fabric first, progressing to the darkest fabric. For this quilt, you will use the same fabric going around the Log Cabin for the second row as well. I did take the time to line up the rainbow print to give it a continuity in the design. That is what makes the pinwheel stand out as much as it does.<br />
Arrange the blocks in swirls, or create your own arrangement. add contrasting borders, and you have a fun quilt any 6-year-old or even 16-year-old will love.Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-70994077871667696652011-11-21T12:12:00.001-05:002011-11-21T12:31:43.694-05:00Flannel Floral Folkart Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a new quilter, I had no idea that flannel was more difficult to work with in a quilt than plain old cotton fabric. It's bulkier, less stable and it tends to shift, so piecing can be challenging, I did have the sense to pre-shrink the fabric though!<br />
After several visits to one of my favorite local quilt shops <a href="http://sewwhatsnew.biz/" target="_blank">Sew What's New</a> in Islip, NY (pssssst...they are usually open on Sundays!) I had to buy some of the floral flannel fabrics that had been catching my eye. I bought a quarter yard of some of them, and about a yard of the main print, which was about four vertical rows of 2 1/2" floral stripes with large motifs lined up between those rows, a couple of coordinating solids, and a coordinating mini print that looked like mini 1" log cabins. Now, what do do with it!<br />
I am not exaggerating when I say that I poured over patterns for MONTHS, maybe even YEARS before I came upon a book that seemed to help...<a href="http://amzn.to/ulftnO" target="_blank">Two-Block Theme Quilts</a> by Claudia Olsen. This book had many ideas, and with a little adjustment and creativity, I was able to come up with a plan for a quilt that not only showcased the large flannel motifs, but also had some fun and movement in it. As you can see by the small quilt (crib size), the small amounts of fabric I had purchased required coing some of the star blocks in red, and some of them in blue.<br />
To finish the quilt, I added a lime green border and stippled the whole quilt. It is technically a UFO, since it hasn't had it's binding added yet (it will be yellow) but I'm pleased with the results. One word of warning...a flannel quilt backed in flannel and filled with cotton batting weighs a TON!<br />
Have you worked with flannel in your quilts? Was it what you expected? I'd love to hear about it!Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-56258246096665851872011-11-15T23:37:00.001-05:002011-11-15T23:48:12.544-05:00Turning Eight Fat Quarters Into Two Very Different Small Quilts Sometimes those little bundles of fat quarters are just too adorable to pass up. I was reading a quilting novel, and the story involved a woman from Guatemala. In my head, the descriptions of the colorful fabrics centered on reds and yellows, so when I saw a little bundle of red fat quarters next to a little bundle of yellow fat quarters, each tied with a pretty ribbon at a local quilt show, I had to indulge! Here are the two quilts that came out of those fat quarters.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPQTOeJVIncEs753XDiDeQ0IsDEGZMbcJaHApP0b2aRAt6f0DOPJxhZW-jPR2ALtHgR6V1tySTLvRTWdTAYP5jeG-30_9BV_8-irQGZxE_zDPBsAfRy4MaMN1a7whA0GaRi_3S5hwRzct/s1600/qbwindmills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPQTOeJVIncEs753XDiDeQ0IsDEGZMbcJaHApP0b2aRAt6f0DOPJxhZW-jPR2ALtHgR6V1tySTLvRTWdTAYP5jeG-30_9BV_8-irQGZxE_zDPBsAfRy4MaMN1a7whA0GaRi_3S5hwRzct/s200/qbwindmills.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QIViArgvtCK_1o27dGXav_flGafZSrFfHhsQXwQ9RdI5HnPFgyopkCCmwwxMbRUHRXJtO8__POXmLXBNenbpT3kr3f3rXvwYpQhUjGov0XTKQ5h85ct320yWugKBB_VD3YvrdyayS8oX/s1600/qbchainquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QIViArgvtCK_1o27dGXav_flGafZSrFfHhsQXwQ9RdI5HnPFgyopkCCmwwxMbRUHRXJtO8__POXmLXBNenbpT3kr3f3rXvwYpQhUjGov0XTKQ5h85ct320yWugKBB_VD3YvrdyayS8oX/s200/qbchainquilt.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><br />
The quilt on the right was the first quilt,made in a simple pattern that I could imagine in Latin America.It was more difficult than I thought, because it has to be planned out to make the 4-part windmills fit together properly. To keep partial windmills from being on the quilt, I used a gold marble fabric. For the second quilt, I thought I'd add some white, to see if the colors would pop more. I'd never tried an Irish Chain pattern, so this was my first attempt. I definitely like the fabrics with the white added.<br />
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<br />Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-3605450662982158682011-11-11T17:45:00.001-05:002011-11-14T10:57:36.739-05:00Hollyhock Fabric Makes a Sweet and Summery Quilt Perfect for a Garden Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral "Heavenly Hollyhock" fabric by Northcott in an original quilt.</td></tr>
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Like so many quilters, I love gardening, too. That made it nearly impossible to resist a bit of this Hollyhock fabric from Northcott. It sure was expensive, so I only splurged on a little...maybe a yard or so. I also picked up a half yard of a matching allover hollyhock print. I came to discover there were many prints in the Heavenly Hollyhock line (you can see all the fabrics available in this series <a href="http://northcott.net/?sid=2&layout=2col&content=fabric_details&colid=277&colorid=453" target="_blank">here</a>, as well as what it looks like in a purple) but I only used these two, along with a wood-ish looking fabric I thought looked like fencing, and a green print for the background that I thought looked more vintage than the green that was in the collection.<br />
At the time, I was a relatively new quilter, and did almost everything in 12 1/12" blocks, thinking it would be easier to find help if I messed up on a standard size!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqy1p3ZZBwsc5vpWGnQUamONz5QbXFzVk553L-iL_DtpJnSt84pVQ2INGFOHzhFtWl2TIlsPB-YQ3X5id1LXQT-AREbbn2VKhfCB3DsSkNZDH9Gy1fBhPLp_HSRu9080AazBX-LvBXY06v/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-11-11+at+5.51.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqy1p3ZZBwsc5vpWGnQUamONz5QbXFzVk553L-iL_DtpJnSt84pVQ2INGFOHzhFtWl2TIlsPB-YQ3X5id1LXQT-AREbbn2VKhfCB3DsSkNZDH9Gy1fBhPLp_HSRu9080AazBX-LvBXY06v/s320/Screen+shot+2011-11-11+at+5.51.22+PM.png" width="184" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim31swWTXWorsECGy45v84PCiIvVkqXNXP-FEJdwcqtAX6egNPEpb5Hyh4kkOqvpg_lViyIyPmJ5JbWDs0mEO_tW6SY8WZ05zKHjL9yto1tM-3blcHgy7zBipnEpZSPj7KYoMPCuEZ-3jk/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-11-11+at+5.51.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim31swWTXWorsECGy45v84PCiIvVkqXNXP-FEJdwcqtAX6egNPEpb5Hyh4kkOqvpg_lViyIyPmJ5JbWDs0mEO_tW6SY8WZ05zKHjL9yto1tM-3blcHgy7zBipnEpZSPj7KYoMPCuEZ-3jk/s200/Screen+shot+2011-11-11+at+5.51.08+PM.png" width="200" /></a> To create this quilt, I basically knew just 3 things: I wanted a lattice effect, it was very important to show off the flowers, and I didn't want to spend any more money! I must have looked at that fabric for 2 dozen hours before I decided to cut up the panel as you would for a kaleidoscope quilt. If I recall correctly, I did have to go back and buy about a third of a yard more of fabric, as the floral print on the butterscotch fabric had about 3 repeats to the yard, and I needed 4. After stacking up the short lengths of fabric, I cut half-square triangles from the most interesting spots on the fabric. I was able to cut enough stacks of triangles to make 9 blocks, and decided to use the coordinating hollyhock print for the additional 4 blocks. They were easy, at least! I think that's when my love affair with larger prints began...they could be used for a whole 12 1/2" block if they were pretty enough! As I think back, I only had 1/2 yard of the plain hollyhock fabric, and had to cut the squares on the diagonal to make them fit. Once the blocks were done, it was easy to use 2 1/2" strips of the wood fabric to make the sashing, and luckily, there were enough fabric scraps to make the cornerstones.<br />
The setting triangles were a challenge. I didn't have large pieces of the floral print, and I did have that glorious butterscotch fabric leftover from the background, as well as some small pieces of the hollyhock print. Happily enjoying a "make do" connection with quilters of the past, I pieced 8 triangles together to complete the quilt top. What do you think? It always makes me happy when I look at it.<br />
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<br /></div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-64267356307441650492011-11-07T19:35:00.001-05:002011-11-11T10:23:00.977-05:00Easy Scrap Quilt with Floral Fabrics From Your Stash That Didn't Really Go Together at First Glance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zpPzscvJ-KKixQNwr7vGIfaKgs1YSpPqJ2H14VvCRpxMFywKkBpLsF3AurbDwhcqeAYHWWtEtru6AwefDi0xTaT0kJojwPEs8kxcwD4A0a2k4COuojir0A-mtfKBKeFPzCsVOsDwb_-Z/s1600/qbpurplescrapquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zpPzscvJ-KKixQNwr7vGIfaKgs1YSpPqJ2H14VvCRpxMFywKkBpLsF3AurbDwhcqeAYHWWtEtru6AwefDi0xTaT0kJojwPEs8kxcwD4A0a2k4COuojir0A-mtfKBKeFPzCsVOsDwb_-Z/s320/qbpurplescrapquilt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sometimes you have fabrics that you really like, but you don't have anything special to do with them. So, they sit, and you know they will most likely never leave your stash, especially if you only have small amounts of them. That's why it's important to go through your stash occasionally, enjoying and touching your fabrics.<br />
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For this quilt, I had several pretty floral prints, and just wanted to get them used up. The blocks in a sweet little<a href="http://www.leisurearts.com/" target="_blank"> Leisure Arts</a> book, <a href="http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/Item--i-B-870" target="_blank">Wonderblocks</a> by Terry Martin helped me on my way! Used copies are available online from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Blocks-Stack-Patchwork-Place/dp/1564777715/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr" target="_blank">Amazon</a> I chose the big 12" blocks because I figured the quilt would be finished faster! To make this quilt simple, I cut a bunch of 4 1/2" strips, and further cut those into 12 1/2", 8 1/2", 6 1/2" and 4 1/2" pieces. If I had enough fabric, I cut a few 8 1/2" squares, but nothing bigger. I kept returning to my scraps for bits and pieces that would go with the quilt.<br />
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Because there were florals, I was able to add some greens, although mostly softer and sagey greens. One of the florals had some lavender, so I pulled in some lavender fabric, and there was some coral and light orange as well, so I was able to add those colors, too.</div>
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Once I started making the blocks, in a more-or-less random manner, I actually started liking the effect, and wanted to show the blocks off. That's when I decided to pull out one of the darker shades of lavender, and use the purple fabric for the boarder. To add even more interest, I set the blocks on point and used setting triangles to create the boarder, then added another straight boarder of that same purple fabric as also illustrated in the book.</div>
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Even though I'd never done free motion feathers, I figured...why not try? It was a throw away project anyway, and I jumped in and tried it. Finally, I had a gorgous dark coral Kaffe Fassett print that I used for the binding. I love this quilt, even though it didn't have very much respect in the beginning!</div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-40415497645027719012011-11-07T08:14:00.001-05:002011-11-07T08:32:39.204-05:00Easy, Pretty, Vintage-Look Doll Quilt<meta name="keywords" content="quilt, quilt blog, quilt ideas, quilt pictures, miniature quilt, American Girl doll quilt, easy quilts, quilt photos, stash, stash ideas, quilt designs, quilts, easy quilts, quilt photos, stash, stash ideas, quilt designs, quilts, bright fabrics, easy quilt, fat quarters, jelly rolls, quilt ideas fabric leftovers, quilting, scrap quilt, scrappy quilt, geometric scrap quilt" /><br />
This little quilt was a lot of fun. I'd been given some small pieces of 30's inspired fabric at about the same time my daughter fell in love with American Girl dolls. Once she "adopted" Samantha, of course we needed a doll quilt for her!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C5hbSS-LyF0c4l-Lyj-H8KlcE68afPQ4B2y053n4yXqXgMpXyAZN1RLDjG1ZZEZEbtLqgII-IQW0yaCQ-8V8bvsC0sJ9ywI4rGDtCRRHfefnpR6Wz4UzuxPRMYZvD9OlGrdaGOhdNEUg/s1600/dollquiltblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C5hbSS-LyF0c4l-Lyj-H8KlcE68afPQ4B2y053n4yXqXgMpXyAZN1RLDjG1ZZEZEbtLqgII-IQW0yaCQ-8V8bvsC0sJ9ywI4rGDtCRRHfefnpR6Wz4UzuxPRMYZvD9OlGrdaGOhdNEUg/s320/dollquiltblog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The quilt is based on 2 blocks, each miniaturized to 3" finished. The first block is a scrappy 9-patch. Small scraps of fabric were cut into 1 1/2" strips and sewn together in sets of 3. Sometimes there was very little fabric for the third strip, but that was OK with me...it just added to the "scrappiness!"<br />
The sewn-together strips were rotary cut into 1 1/2" strips. Then, these 3-piece strips were arranged in groups of 3, and sewn together. Because they were so small, I finger pressed the seams to make them all nestle together when being sewn together.<br />
<a name='more'></a> The second block is a Broken Dishes block done in only 2 alternating fabrics: yellow and blue. By laying them out in the same orientation in their rows, an overall star pattern emerges. The blue fabric is always on the right and left sides, and the yellow fabric is always on the top and bottom.<br />
A pretty floral fabric that appears in some of the 9-patch blocks is used for the border: the border strips were cut at 2". To help with the vintage feel of the doll quilt, it was bound in pink and white gingham. Quilting was a simple diagonal grid across the 3" blocks...the border wasn't quilted. The overall quilt measures about 18 1/2" x 24" and has kept many a doll and stuffed animal cozy and warm on cold winter nights!<br />
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<br />Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-29657122327507242362011-10-30T20:35:00.003-04:002011-10-30T21:44:31.713-04:00Half-Square Triangles with Blacks, Whites, Strawberries, Daisies and Baskets!<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuO-4-bzMry6ERgIgO9D-aQiZ-xTBRi5B9bWgcWupkz6qASoBw0wT5shkWUV4O-SH0RAwws-yESP94FtWUqeSKlqY688Z2D4JUElCZ8vT78rKES0ftC_zuLjLGW4yHVpq-o3HHvtj32hC/s1600/berrybox5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuO-4-bzMry6ERgIgO9D-aQiZ-xTBRi5B9bWgcWupkz6qASoBw0wT5shkWUV4O-SH0RAwws-yESP94FtWUqeSKlqY688Z2D4JUElCZ8vT78rKES0ftC_zuLjLGW4yHVpq-o3HHvtj32hC/s320/berrybox5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Fabrics with berries have always been a favorite of mine, and I couldn't resist the black and white fabrics with the bright red strawberries. I held on to them for a while, not sure what to do with them, but enjoying them immensely just the same.<br />
One day, I saw a dynamic quilt in a magazine made out of half-square triangles, and thought I'd try it with this fabric. I pulled fabrics from my stash to go with the prints, and committed to a dark/light color scheme with black, white, red, green and yellow. Some browns were allowed in as part of the yellow family. No blues or purples thought! Here's the quilt...or part of it. The portion to the right represents about a quarter of the blocks that I have.<br />
To start, the fabric was cut into 4 1/2" squares, a diagonal line was drawn on the backs of the lighter squares, and two lines were stitched on each square: each 1/4" from the line that was drawn.<br />
<a name='more'></a> The squares were then cut on the drawn line, and pressed open towards the dark fabric. You will be surprised at how quickly the squares add up! Each individual square was jointed to another, and to sets of those were sewn to each other to create a four-patch block about 8 1/2" unfinished. The important thing to remember is that the darker triangles all need to be placed in the same orientation. Of course, once the "quadrants" or quarter pieces of the quilt are assembled, you are free to arrange them in any way you want...perhaps in this manner, courtesy of a word processing program.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2NtOIQ4K5YBIfJgzQEAlaivSWaDThLgBH-D5GdDkcINoS6XoQJgQnmiYi7R4SuvO0QGCQThogby12rkqQGSQE-L-mQccv6_y0w6Acp8Un2CTg4Q_oaX5oj6P3Sadh0aWMe_X6wh-exo5/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-10-30+at+8.27.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2NtOIQ4K5YBIfJgzQEAlaivSWaDThLgBH-D5GdDkcINoS6XoQJgQnmiYi7R4SuvO0QGCQThogby12rkqQGSQE-L-mQccv6_y0w6Acp8Un2CTg4Q_oaX5oj6P3Sadh0aWMe_X6wh-exo5/s200/Screen+shot+2011-10-30+at+8.27.40+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOA4ZgMm4fZs90R3mt1rMmbMKoly_6xFtMN8rYdnH_7m8dJHGOhlc7yKE_BmtmRLCxO-Wvft2lqhSUps459-ML5w60v4gUSp1Irc91GvsAXlqYDuOflBzgGoq0eJoryLpzTqYW6jJIofV/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-10-30+at+8.26.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOA4ZgMm4fZs90R3mt1rMmbMKoly_6xFtMN8rYdnH_7m8dJHGOhlc7yKE_BmtmRLCxO-Wvft2lqhSUps459-ML5w60v4gUSp1Irc91GvsAXlqYDuOflBzgGoq0eJoryLpzTqYW6jJIofV/s200/Screen+shot+2011-10-30+at+8.26.41+PM.png" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><br />
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Here's a close-up of one of the 4-patch blocks waiting to be sewn to others. The finished quilt should be about 64" square without borders, just a binding. What do you think? Do you love half-square triangle quilts as much as I do? There are so many ideas for them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXzZ1KENXtjmpwYykWsB3MwvmppdXNE0VapqZL0chdmVdXt7-f-PMXaQEUDNbDkhkHj5IQ-NzGUW2_lY9J_w3xXkGAe-tHdiQH_JH-5IzjFMiT1WuK5uomm4bMoCQSIxVi6Y4DNCi70u0/s1600/berrybox4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXzZ1KENXtjmpwYykWsB3MwvmppdXNE0VapqZL0chdmVdXt7-f-PMXaQEUDNbDkhkHj5IQ-NzGUW2_lY9J_w3xXkGAe-tHdiQH_JH-5IzjFMiT1WuK5uomm4bMoCQSIxVi6Y4DNCi70u0/s200/berrybox4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
A similar fabric to my black strawberry print would be Annie's Farm Stand Black Strawberry Toss (search for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">black strawberry toss</span>), available at <a href="http://www.fatquartershop.com/store/stores_app/Browse_dept_items.asp?T=1&Store_id=499&page_id=17">The Fat Quarter Shop</a> as of this posting.<br />
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<br />Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-2348993068213578432011-10-27T17:14:00.002-04:002011-11-06T08:23:35.802-05:00A Classic Winnie the Pooh Baby Quilt When Winnie the Pooh Fabric Was Hard to Find<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloiY9pvkRhcCjhU2EmQUCrILw4gBkR1J53QaVxu6OplJrEO_3u2TSStfKxtsqB3gbUYxvMah0XknUMjODUHPK-5Lk7fr-eCyqO5cmW-KCk-cbzyv2QQLaquHI-TwmKQn0eSvIXLInCou7/s1600/poohpackage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloiY9pvkRhcCjhU2EmQUCrILw4gBkR1J53QaVxu6OplJrEO_3u2TSStfKxtsqB3gbUYxvMah0XknUMjODUHPK-5Lk7fr-eCyqO5cmW-KCk-cbzyv2QQLaquHI-TwmKQn0eSvIXLInCou7/s320/poohpackage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Sometimes a baby quilt is just the project to get your quilt imagination going! But when my daughter Shannon's dance teacher of 10 years (since Shannon was 3!) was ready to have her longingly awaited baby, my joy at making a baby quilt quickly turned to panic...when I realized there just wasn't any Winnie the Pooh fabric in the quilt shops! And the dance teacher was absolutely set on having a Pooh-themed room...Classic Pooh, no less!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH7qvZ3cDZgH0KGa0x4NY3EObRgCtOjY-re20Uui3hsiibIpQPL8xAr84ClLiMPft3h4KBJp1-oSomwIyTcmUFsiqZ0JM3rTmJlOM5xO09mOlBdRpsCMYEGuif02RaHXNhn6SMM-bu0iL/s1600/poohfabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH7qvZ3cDZgH0KGa0x4NY3EObRgCtOjY-re20Uui3hsiibIpQPL8xAr84ClLiMPft3h4KBJp1-oSomwIyTcmUFsiqZ0JM3rTmJlOM5xO09mOlBdRpsCMYEGuif02RaHXNhn6SMM-bu0iL/s320/poohfabric.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div> After scouring the internet, all I could find were a few fat quarters...and a yard or two for the back. I was almost going to buy them, when I went up and down the isles of a different JoAnn's than I usually visit. There, tucked in the juvenile prints, were one or two prints. I grabbed them! Happy to have anything with Pooh, I quickly chose some coordinating pastels. It seems the dance teacher was NOT making it easy on me at all, as she wanted to be surprised by the sex of her baby. Since one of the prints was green, I had no choice but to incorporate light blue, light pink, yellow, and a pastel rainbow stripe, as well as a small piece of gold fabric that I thought looked like the color of honey. It got a little complicated because I didn't want to use any floral fabrics...after all, what if the baby was a boy?<br />
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Once this new fabric was home, the ideas came together more quickly. I took the white print with the scenic pictures of Pooh and his friends and decided to make it the centerpiece of the quilt. Then I remembered that Christopher Robin liked to fly kites, so I used a variation of the kite tails pattern to surround the center medallion...adding extra batting to the "kites" to make them pillowy and puffy. It is heavily quilted to help the quilt wear well, and I know baby Sophia (a girl!) enjoys many hours on her own Winnie the Pooh quilt made just for her! <br />
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</div></div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-7446070423707886432011-10-27T11:24:00.003-04:002011-10-28T06:31:41.774-04:00What to Do with Fabrics that Have a Little Bit of Gold in Them A friend who is a quilt shop owner had several fabrics that no one would buy.While each was very pretty, there was no related fabric to help tie them together. Adding to the problem, one was turquoise, one was lime, one was purple and one was orange. There just wasn't an easy way to make a traditional quilt with a purpose or a theme.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7ZX6nTirX45kOSxZRvyT1jU_ClFdIk5nAJiPtJiQAQHPhjZezhfMdnzXEqZt-6W24rOuiktUcgmUx8opbJjiSCTHiASvLLmgahyphenhyphenR7Fb2fmCnKXhSXJGC-V7tkh3gB8mOSWsttBBwvh8b/s1600/goldfish1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7ZX6nTirX45kOSxZRvyT1jU_ClFdIk5nAJiPtJiQAQHPhjZezhfMdnzXEqZt-6W24rOuiktUcgmUx8opbJjiSCTHiASvLLmgahyphenhyphenR7Fb2fmCnKXhSXJGC-V7tkh3gB8mOSWsttBBwvh8b/s400/goldfish1.jpg" width="391" /></a></div>
I wound up buying a half yard or so of each color, and thinking. What came to me was that they seemed kind of Moroccan...they had an overall exotic feeling to them. After working with the fabrics, particularly the turquoise and orange, and after getting acquainted with the gold metallic embellishment on the fabrics, I started referring to this as The Goldfish quilt. Probably a poor name, as even if you do see the fish shapes, they are starting to look to me more like kissing fish than goldfish!<br />
Starting with a bunch of 2 1/2" strips, I sewed 36" 9-patch squares, and bordered each 9-patch block in 1 1/2" border fabric. I was trying to create a quilt that gave the overall impression of a tapestry...one that would be at home in a street stall in Marrakech or in ancient Baghdad.<br />
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The whole quilt was tied together with a purple striped border, again in the same family of fabrics. It is free-motion quilted with swirls to stay with that exotic feeling. The whole quilt has grown on me...I absolutely like the total quilt a lot better than the individual fabrics.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYoFYqiwKsV8zVNsWyFf9nVR2BQ6bBk8ZzZjRkFnOvg0zPfguxml72mlp8A3FIRI669Uuv-OcYEDGRVa7Il20K8hdi5al5V1pN7UykmrbRgv3BtpXekqEKk3b37KCKIIDfm7IArsVJvv9/s1600/goldfish2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYoFYqiwKsV8zVNsWyFf9nVR2BQ6bBk8ZzZjRkFnOvg0zPfguxml72mlp8A3FIRI669Uuv-OcYEDGRVa7Il20K8hdi5al5V1pN7UykmrbRgv3BtpXekqEKk3b37KCKIIDfm7IArsVJvv9/s320/goldfish2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is a close up of a portion of the quilt. You can see the 9-patch squares, the borders, and some of the patterns on the fabrics. I'm sure you can see the absolutely strange flowers, the wiggly stripes, and the goldfish on the turquoise fabric! I still think the gold embellishment gives the quilt a richer feel, and I am not sorry I bought the fabric after all...although I suspect the rest of it is still on the bolt at the shop! What do you think you would do with this sort of fabric? Would you have bought any?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYoFYqiwKsV8zVNsWyFf9nVR2BQ6bBk8ZzZjRkFnOvg0zPfguxml72mlp8A3FIRI669Uuv-OcYEDGRVa7Il20K8hdi5al5V1pN7UykmrbRgv3BtpXekqEKk3b37KCKIIDfm7IArsVJvv9/s1600/goldfish2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-47585987638974626492011-10-25T08:08:00.001-04:002011-10-25T08:12:53.191-04:00Berries, Bunnies and Bricks in a Cute Little Quilt! Some of my favorite fabrics to collect are prints with berries on them. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries....they all shout "buy me" when I pass by! This little quilt is handpieced...something to do while waiting for my daughter at ballet class. The pieces were cut by template...in the traditional old way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW4pGXCm2jxm5O7v9BBnGX15EzJMGg67ZY6bA4aW1wm82nkQiKZduqtQ8143znYiK11Z5Uj55PZk9OoGloazwXhbstkVPwXhAQCGvepR0C4pUwN3aAtTL9cCk4nVilQgUKpgwjwwupokD/s1600/bunnyquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW4pGXCm2jxm5O7v9BBnGX15EzJMGg67ZY6bA4aW1wm82nkQiKZduqtQ8143znYiK11Z5Uj55PZk9OoGloazwXhbstkVPwXhAQCGvepR0C4pUwN3aAtTL9cCk4nVilQgUKpgwjwwupokD/s320/bunnyquilt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The concept always made me smile...there would be bunnies looking to get into the berries, but they would always be separated from the objects of their desire by bricks, straw, baskets and fences. This project started my appreciation for "architectural" prints....those that would be a good choice for buildings and cottages in a quilt. It also has some complimentary foliage in a dark green color, an alligator print that I prefer to think of as paving stones, and some flowers that probably are not an accurate portrayal of blueberry flowers, but, so what?<br />
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The entire quilt is about 30" square and based on a 6" block. While most of the blocks are made of 3 pieces, the center, the arc, and the outer curve, some have only 2 pieces, while others have 4. It's really up to you to decide what you would like to do with your patterns.<br />
To bind the quilt, I used one of the prints in the quilt, but didn't like the binding matching one of the outer blocks, so I added a dark green piping for interest and to act as a separator. What do you think? What fabrics would you use for a cute little quilt? Do you enjoy small hand-piecing projects, too? I'd love to hear and see about any cute little quilts you loved making!<br />Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-28602624968893628602011-10-24T13:13:00.000-04:002011-10-24T13:14:20.367-04:00A Summer Quilt with Butterflies in Popsicle Colors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR5rV6GSJPEcDOezr3wYrBk8jFHV1-wVUFWYlhhjGLQ6ApUlm7KhwIXGQU2tPjZAxfy9gVbfPlip8VjuDsKmoMgW6t2xrmRlIICs4YxSVcO8WkXnl3FXvQf51FsAUDDkxG3wEYP7Hcgmf/s1600/P1030643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR5rV6GSJPEcDOezr3wYrBk8jFHV1-wVUFWYlhhjGLQ6ApUlm7KhwIXGQU2tPjZAxfy9gVbfPlip8VjuDsKmoMgW6t2xrmRlIICs4YxSVcO8WkXnl3FXvQf51FsAUDDkxG3wEYP7Hcgmf/s320/P1030643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The first time I saw this fabric, the solids were placed next to each other, and my first thought was "Popsicles!" I really wished there were a blue fabric, too...to mix with some flip flop fabric for a beach quilt. I didn't have any luck finding the blue, but I did find the matching butterfly print, and I changed the idea to "Butterflies and Pinwheels.<br />
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It was a bit difficult to cut the print without slicing the butterflies in two....and I was lucky enough to find a dark fabric to mix with the popsicle bright fabrics. While I like the overall affect, and the quilt is cute, I think the butterflies got lost, and it does sort of end abruptly at the border. I still love the colors, though! Bright pink, lime and orange continue to make me think of those cold, drippy treats on hot summer days!</div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-30635615279610732482011-10-23T19:37:00.000-04:002011-10-28T06:28:45.163-04:00Sometimes Even the Prettiest Fabrics Make a Disappointing Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3pjeqHiGUyyvaPPXQeAEJ9uGU9FIBpiy8Fb1eAf-8ilchyphenhyphen5oTn3OZ-iSjqFCwB9yZ-PKrYFvEZXC8krsYK1h_uJxuuoQzqj4nHvgQ4y7UTnKsVSuexduExbLPE9-FBjaPYI0MA8MAcuf/s1600/lakehousefabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3pjeqHiGUyyvaPPXQeAEJ9uGU9FIBpiy8Fb1eAf-8ilchyphenhyphen5oTn3OZ-iSjqFCwB9yZ-PKrYFvEZXC8krsYK1h_uJxuuoQzqj4nHvgQ4y7UTnKsVSuexduExbLPE9-FBjaPYI0MA8MAcuf/s320/lakehousefabric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Combinations of blues and greens in high quality fabrics are almost irresistible! So I couldn't walk past this Lakehouse fabric without getting a smidgen of several prints. Things were hectic, and I wanted to work with the fabric so much that I took a suggestion from a magazine and made a super large quilt block into a whole quilt. Here's how it came out:<br />
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I suppose it is OK, and it looks great as a table topper with a bowl of hydrangeas, white dishes and some cobalt blue vases, but all in all, I think the fabric would have been given more justice if the pieces were smaller.<br />
If you do want to try your own, this is just 16 half-square triangles made up of 32 triangles: 4 dark blue, 8 floral, 8 stripe, and 12 white. Lay them out as shown, sew the triangles together, and join them to form the block. Border with complimentary fabric, and either miter the corners or use corner stones to make it simpler.<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BlU53DdyaM_ws8EU0aoqt8dgWuBhNehne3dxrjNDT3QjESoh5rS2OAXD3e6315ZVshKl6bq9yl-tJu0ggM9zWSFX7r6TPipeHW1rGpDfQCZn2zPwIkfTvAWuuJ5-QzWnGPt0TPgyrdku/s1600/lakehouse4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BlU53DdyaM_ws8EU0aoqt8dgWuBhNehne3dxrjNDT3QjESoh5rS2OAXD3e6315ZVshKl6bq9yl-tJu0ggM9zWSFX7r6TPipeHW1rGpDfQCZn2zPwIkfTvAWuuJ5-QzWnGPt0TPgyrdku/s200/lakehouse4.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUI65c2J02ncjRU2qAFtuG4jCaYfuZsYFvQUGNRXVuSaP5upkGwPagQTjLZJREZsKqkAhStp459iH2F_sdhXV3gL1O4EI_GHMVBRSIY2pIcEkSy3GgfpSkmi4kXKK3xgdjKqNl635GkC9/s1600/lakehoue2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUI65c2J02ncjRU2qAFtuG4jCaYfuZsYFvQUGNRXVuSaP5upkGwPagQTjLZJREZsKqkAhStp459iH2F_sdhXV3gL1O4EI_GHMVBRSIY2pIcEkSy3GgfpSkmi4kXKK3xgdjKqNl635GkC9/s200/lakehoue2.jpg" width="200" /></a> In the hopes that quilting would add more interest, I tried some feathers in the white areas. I think the overall quilt would benefit from a little more quilting in the white areas...although more quilting on the print fabrics really wouldn't show up. Here is a close up of the feather quilting...and another small photo of someone in the family who really enjoys the quilt!</div>
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<br /></div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-41237409833435843402011-10-21T20:07:00.005-04:002011-11-04T22:24:24.430-04:00A Bright and Geometric Scrap Quilt with Mostly 2 1/2" Strips<meta name="keywords" content="quilt, quilt blog, quilt ideas, quilt pictures, kaffe fassett, kaffe fasset, birds in the air quilt block, easy quilts, quilt photos, stash, stash ideas, quilt designs, quilts, bright fabrics, easy quilt, fat quarters, jelly rolls, quilt ideas fabric leftovers, quilting, scrap quilt, scrappy quilt, geometric scrap quilt" /><br />
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Of course, the quilt is perfect to create from your favorite fabric scraps...you only need 22" x 2 1/2" of fabric, in pieces as small as 7 1/2" (2 of them) and 2 1/2"(2 of them), which is just a strip cut on the long side of a fat quarter! In fact, a fat quarter will supply the outer square fabric for 7 blocks.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> What I especially like about this quilt is that even though most of the fabrics are brightly colored, some rusts and browns found their way in.</div> Another important part of the quilt is that all the center blocks are in the yellow family. Some are brownish-yellow, some are orange with yellow flowers or dots, but all function as yellow when the quilt is viewed as a whole.<br />
This would be a fun and easy quilt to piece together from jelly rolls...with the centers a color that compliments the jelly roll strips. You could even use a 2 1/2" strip of fabric to cut 2 1/2" squares for the center; but I prefer the variety a larger center square gives the quilt.<br />
If you noticed the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=456185831205266994#editor/target=post;postID=6361141875059908426">Broken Dishes</a> quilt in this blog, you will see some of the very same fabric scraps, like the dark purple with polka dots, the light turquoise with dots, and the pink plaid!Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-73659833225753306882011-10-19T16:53:00.002-04:002011-10-22T07:24:55.667-04:00Adding Weird Colors Like Olive and Mustard to Your Quilts for Variety and Added Interest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC6uvwE2xAmEMziP4837zXTNt2VM5TlQsnAMEBTZi94gTcuBLUZwK5_xp4_k3YENUuuDeFjnEty_F1WnaleUjp6e7hyphenhyphenrdztF-K189Xseuhs2hBT-9riCyj04Zq9dowPCJtsSBAcDjHLaw/s1600/olivekaffe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC6uvwE2xAmEMziP4837zXTNt2VM5TlQsnAMEBTZi94gTcuBLUZwK5_xp4_k3YENUuuDeFjnEty_F1WnaleUjp6e7hyphenhyphenrdztF-K189Xseuhs2hBT-9riCyj04Zq9dowPCJtsSBAcDjHLaw/s320/olivekaffe1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I'm a huge fan of Kaffe Fassett fabrics. First, I love the colors and the designs. I especially like that the colors appear what I call "flat" -- meaning that there isn't any shading in any individual color. This works for me in a quilt, because when you find a different fabric with that same color, your quilt begins to pick up all kinds of movement that more delicate fabrics don't seem to have. The colors and designs are bold enough to create new design elements unique to your quilt! I also love the quality and feel of the Kaffe Fassett fabrics...they are thick and luxurious, and a joy to touch and work with.<br />
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I don't have many large pieces in my Kaffe stash...so I often have to come up with little challenges for myself. This quilt here has a number of challenges, as well as some odd colors I don't usually work with.<br />
<a name='more'></a> This quilt originally started out as an attempt at a round robin quilt with a center medallion. I wanted to see what it felt like to not have a pattern, and add rows as the quilt progressed. The starting colors were turquoise, purple and lime. Because I had very little of each fabric, I did a lot of thinking before cutting! From the center fabric, I cut 4 7 1/2" squares...but stacked 4 pieces on top of each other so I could center a design and get 4 repeats. Those squares then formed a kaleidoscope center. I know Kaffe Fassett has some shot cottons in his collection that I was curious about, so I found some similar material at a local quilt shope and made a border. From the lime rectangle fabric, i cut an 18" square from a fat quarter, and cut it on the diagonal twice to have 4 triangles. These were attached to form larger square, which was also bordered in shot cotton...this time turquoise. So far, both of the squares used a light lime print in the corners. Tht same print would also be used to boarder the third round on this quilt. I'll post a close up of that round soon!</div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-52599014811740864722011-10-18T20:31:00.000-04:002011-10-28T06:33:22.800-04:00Some Ideas for the Novelty Fabric You Couldn't Resist! I'm guilty! I bought an adorable novelty print of happy pigs on a farm. One is just cuter than the next! But what to do with it? I thought and thought, and came up with the idea of doing Hole in the Barn Door blocks using greens on the outer edges and woody print fabrics on the inside borders. I decided to do blocks of different sizes....either 6 1/2", 9 1/2", 12 1/2" or 18 1/2" so they would all go together. If I needed additional fabric filler, I was going to use a complimentary apple print, and reds and greens (including a red check to match one of the piggie's bibs!). I may put some Flying Geese blocks in, too. Here are a couple of the blocks: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjI9xt7GYRQ_myEXVjildpIuKyLkXcpbtqm4QfYdf3GzoamlOBz3FNU4DnsydAiNRZ5FWKKN0Du4nmomd66yAkBczonlTV1RMc3IyjecsijzC7U-_Sf3FaCWhTdILI940vjeyV_b5MtaU/s1600/piggies6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjI9xt7GYRQ_myEXVjildpIuKyLkXcpbtqm4QfYdf3GzoamlOBz3FNU4DnsydAiNRZ5FWKKN0Du4nmomd66yAkBczonlTV1RMc3IyjecsijzC7U-_Sf3FaCWhTdILI940vjeyV_b5MtaU/s400/piggies6.jpg" width="400" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkCwbHSFpzzi6-w0S69Y-40_3PhEFxJjyT4SA8iiEfnsDo7znKJeRL0eqQUChiIHBJwVlp6NDg1mKyZoO_CIma7zCIUq3-GnrE58IugGmNsCPt0bdBZ9gn6wqpM9RuI2zsMA-zenPcOLr/s1600/piggies3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkCwbHSFpzzi6-w0S69Y-40_3PhEFxJjyT4SA8iiEfnsDo7znKJeRL0eqQUChiIHBJwVlp6NDg1mKyZoO_CIma7zCIUq3-GnrE58IugGmNsCPt0bdBZ9gn6wqpM9RuI2zsMA-zenPcOLr/s200/piggies3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
There is a simple formula for figuring out how wide to make the strips on your blocks, as well as the half-square triangles for the corners....especially if you want regular sized blocks to put into a 6 1/2" or 12 1/2" format. In a nutshell, subtract 1/2" from the fussy cut piece. Then subtract that measurement from 6, 9, 12 or 18, whichever gives you a number between 4 and 8. Divide that number by 4, and add 1/2. This will be the size of the strips for the sides of the Hole in the Barn Door block. Go back and take the number again before you added the 1/2. Double it and add 7/8. This is the size of the squares you will need for the half-square triangle corners. Let me know if you would like more specific instructions: I'd be happy to post them.<br />
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Here are some fussy cut pieces of fabric waiting to be made into Hole in the Barn Door blocks. I do follow rules for fussy cutting...I don't want dismembered piggies if at all possible!<br />
Take a fresh look at some of the novelty prints that you've collected... maybe they will talk to you! Farm prints can be made into many blocks with farm animal names like Goose in the Pond or Turkey Tracks. Easy! There are many basket blogs and flower blocks, as well as blocks to showcase stars and circles. I love <a href="http://quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html">QuiltersCache.com</a> for their alphabetized listing of free patterns!</div>
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What do you think of these piggie blocks? Please comment and let me know...and tell me about your favorite novelty prints!</div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-63611418750599084262011-10-17T22:48:00.001-04:002011-10-28T06:33:36.385-04:00A Broken Dishes Quilt In Bright Colors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes you have 4 or 5 fabrics that you like together, but they don't really have a theme or common motif. This quilt started with about 5 bright fabrics...a lime green marble, a cobalt blue geometric squiggle, yellow wavy stripes, a hot pink and wine informal plaid, and a turquoise blue with dots. I wanted something very easy and a little random, so I chose a Broken Dishes pattern.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68kEgl0BIIdGDe_dIINM3mhWMUVdVzdK8PkdB9qL0gjEMVAssPk0nymKSYZrnkKAYfeCQ2SVwQeTEbggw5vh9__j_lnCm1C_WgseNzitIXxyZLsuofvg5G_EzWL0pTx48u80V2W3g-7sI/s1600/brokendishes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68kEgl0BIIdGDe_dIINM3mhWMUVdVzdK8PkdB9qL0gjEMVAssPk0nymKSYZrnkKAYfeCQ2SVwQeTEbggw5vh9__j_lnCm1C_WgseNzitIXxyZLsuofvg5G_EzWL0pTx48u80V2W3g-7sI/s400/brokendishes1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Each Broken Dish block is 6" finished, an it is composed of 4 half-square triangles. 2 half-square triangles are made from a light and a dark 4" square, with a diagonal line drawn across the light 4" square. A seam is sewn 1/4" on each side of the drawn line, and then a cut is made through the line. When pressed open, you have 2 half-square triangles that can be trimmed to 3 1/2". When you repeat the process, you have 4 identical 3 1/2" half-square triangles that can be sewn into the 6" block.<br />
<a name='more'></a> While the 5 main fabrics formed the starting point, additional bright colored fabrics were added to the mix for fun and variety...even if there was only enough for one block. This means a fabric could be added with as little as 2 4" squares! Here are 2 close up views of some of the blocks:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVdbsThYpgHZ8MfTCtk4u5qwaKWTUzh6uNBbpcoFRBn71-KUz7wKfC06Oy7z8GFb_TQ3ooGtlYa-2NxjyjhxuY8vNzozUofUxT7K4xstklkJQamRllnaNHV7DIwiiaEqZ-kywdqKyTK6b/s1600/brokendishes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVdbsThYpgHZ8MfTCtk4u5qwaKWTUzh6uNBbpcoFRBn71-KUz7wKfC06Oy7z8GFb_TQ3ooGtlYa-2NxjyjhxuY8vNzozUofUxT7K4xstklkJQamRllnaNHV7DIwiiaEqZ-kywdqKyTK6b/s200/brokendishes2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The blocks to the left show the cobalt blue fabric paired with a light turquoise dot fabric for one 6" block, and the same cobalt blue fabric paired with a hot pink fabric for another block. Likewise, the turquoise dot print is paired with a black stripe fabric in one block, and the pink plaid in another. The 4 blocks are arranged for diagonal movement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem_8YMs3DxeWTahYFKdWT4V1ezrRuYjpbm8woJPj6XQN62yaTYBXaExbxiCl__3kzZF0PCr3QZcBRq9GryAwwzj5oTkmglcbWFSQ7iqUJNOhyphenhyphen78lTlrBDHm-z4m6XObBxZPmxi57igqMh/s1600/brokendishes3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem_8YMs3DxeWTahYFKdWT4V1ezrRuYjpbm8woJPj6XQN62yaTYBXaExbxiCl__3kzZF0PCr3QZcBRq9GryAwwzj5oTkmglcbWFSQ7iqUJNOhyphenhyphen78lTlrBDHm-z4m6XObBxZPmxi57igqMh/s200/brokendishes3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
These blocks show that blocks with the yellow wavy lines can be placed next to each other to form a pinwheel between the two 6" blocks. They also show that a fabric like the bright lime can sometimes be the light fabric (when paired with the cobalt blue) and also be the dark fabric (when paired with the yellow wavy line fabric). This arrangement adds interest because your eye has to jump from the lime in the top left to the lime in the bottom right.<br />
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The quilt was framed with a triple border: the innermost border is a purple marble picking up a purple polka dot print in the quilt, a middle border of alternating squares of the 5 original fabrics, and another border of the purple marble. It is bound with a yellow binding to make the yellows in the quilt pop.<br />
One of the most fun parts of this quilt was making the squares and laying them out...what do you think of this quilt? Will you try one soon with your fabrics?<br />
<br />Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-78563450165184974592011-10-16T18:43:00.000-04:002011-10-28T06:37:08.694-04:00A Simple 4-Patch Scrap Quilt Using Asian Fabrics Sometimes you love the way some fabrics look....and just don't know what to do with them! I've often purchased 1/4 yards and fat quarters of very pretty Asian fabrics...and just never put them together. I enjoy the metallic golds, the swans and birds, and the flowers, as well as the ivy, leaves and branches. At one point, I had quite a lot of Asian fabric in bits and pieces, and no idea where to go from there! Here's how this quilt from Asian fabrics came together:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind_zEIHn3chv-hF9VDxEejIT5-_fBI91ZA2Vuzf_ZKPOcBDa1U_WMfQxmef2rfBsCjAaOPyLkIRR047gPT4CAQ4tdMHI42pO46B_gDOyrsIY5wAO2dPcRdXqdL0Yj11adBSW_Y1DaRMJQ/s1600/asianfabricquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind_zEIHn3chv-hF9VDxEejIT5-_fBI91ZA2Vuzf_ZKPOcBDa1U_WMfQxmef2rfBsCjAaOPyLkIRR047gPT4CAQ4tdMHI42pO46B_gDOyrsIY5wAO2dPcRdXqdL0Yj11adBSW_Y1DaRMJQ/s400/asianfabricquilt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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One day, I decided I wouldn't allow myself to buy any more Asian fabric unless I used at least some of what I had! And because I didn't have any better ideas, and because some of the pieces were scaps under 5" wide, I chose to do a 4-patch pattern based on 4 1/2" squares. To make use of the smaller pieces, I told myself it was OK to use some 4 1/2" mini 4-patch blocks to fill in for some of the larger 41/2" pieces. That way, I would be able to use 2 1/2" strips as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vgoWeRCDS5VSSRCHX_JK4V8raZbIWoVkaydC9m8Nd90GleuEUdOuVoKcVBIFsLd0aw9dEKkhk_GBWd-wEHk9MU7ku4qktC4qNNC7WbuM93TwH3I7tWr6H5YVAi_ttNzLlHQkCKf-MGFn/s1600/asianquilt4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vgoWeRCDS5VSSRCHX_JK4V8raZbIWoVkaydC9m8Nd90GleuEUdOuVoKcVBIFsLd0aw9dEKkhk_GBWd-wEHk9MU7ku4qktC4qNNC7WbuM93TwH3I7tWr6H5YVAi_ttNzLlHQkCKf-MGFn/s200/asianquilt4.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> I did make a few rules, though! First, all the mini 4-patch blocks had to have 2 matching smaller squares on the diagonal to give the quilt some movement. Second, the overall block placement had to follow a basic Light/Dark diagonal pattern. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> And finally, squares had to be fussy cut whenever possible to feature whole birds or flowers....headless swans were NOT allowed! For some reason it really bothers me when you focus on an animal print and the object of the focus has no head, although sometimes I will use such fabric if the pattern blends in enough so that no part of the animal in the print is recognizable.Every quilter has their quirks!</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkjnbl10FLjy-o8IgF5c51rJJbttGeV3KnlC25887-cYhM0pRP8LXvLDZ7wmoSqqmN3gv9Ti6e2yC2SeS1Ua6uRVjw7JG3Yf5iM1WdbNCy7qwrePl7c88KGmHMXnlRWaOlQJ0rnue02_K/s1600/asianquilt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkjnbl10FLjy-o8IgF5c51rJJbttGeV3KnlC25887-cYhM0pRP8LXvLDZ7wmoSqqmN3gv9Ti6e2yC2SeS1Ua6uRVjw7JG3Yf5iM1WdbNCy7qwrePl7c88KGmHMXnlRWaOlQJ0rnue02_K/s200/asianquilt3.jpg" width="196" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> The finished quilt has almost every color imaginable...beiges, blues, golds, yellows, reds, pinks, greens and blacks...and it has become one of my favorites to enjoy whenever it gets a little chilly in the family room... even if it doesn't really match anything else I have!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2003966208"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> Sadly, this quilt had a rotary cutter incident....and there was a serious lack of border fabric to fix it. I'll try to get a close-up of the repair and post it soon....it must be a decent repair, because I almost forgot all about it!</span></span>The quilt was framed in a metallic gold fabric, then with a larger scale Asian print boarder. The free motion quilting was done in a thin swirling pattern that I imagined as swirling chrysanthemum petals.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkjnbl10FLjy-o8IgF5c51rJJbttGeV3KnlC25887-cYhM0pRP8LXvLDZ7wmoSqqmN3gv9Ti6e2yC2SeS1Ua6uRVjw7JG3Yf5iM1WdbNCy7qwrePl7c88KGmHMXnlRWaOlQJ0rnue02_K/s1600/asianquilt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></a></div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-59333090822587470662011-10-16T13:17:00.001-04:002011-11-13T16:10:34.125-05:00A Sophisticated Baby Quilt for a Boy, a Girl, Maybe Even a Dog! Sometimes prospective parents just don't seem to be the type to love the usual juvenile prints quilters adore putting in their baby quilts. Maybe they have a fear of clowns and circus animals, maybe their sibling's baby already has Winnie the Pooh or Care Bears all over their nursery...or maybe they just want to be different.<br />
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Here's a simple baby quilt I made to use some sample fabric at a quilt shop I used to spend a lot of time in. It uses fabrics with a bit of gold in them. The pink is deeper, the blue a bit darker, and they are both set off with a cream fabric and a gold fabric. The exact fabric is called Pink Scapes and Turquoise Scapes, and is still available online in the blenders section at <a href="https://www.cutefabric.com/Subsystem/Fabric/FabricGallery.aspx?OrderUID=111010427&category=0&subcategory=18" target="_blank">CuteFabric.com</a>. The blue and pink squares alternate in the centers of each 8" finished block, and the cream and gold fabrics switch places in those blocks to create checkerboard 4-patch squares throughout the quilt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIsBc3CX5S6t8IetWAMfQff6xoCIz9JQyvRxCLhnLVLCVOY5BabJaJFEC5V5Y7zxwKURWs4ojQSa8eK4jh0okHoRhLAgxZ1NDy6ytCOFxA7tRhv94oCoMUv-y04XvT4dqX2S35WfQN2In/s1600/P1010722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIsBc3CX5S6t8IetWAMfQff6xoCIz9JQyvRxCLhnLVLCVOY5BabJaJFEC5V5Y7zxwKURWs4ojQSa8eK4jh0okHoRhLAgxZ1NDy6ytCOFxA7tRhv94oCoMUv-y04XvT4dqX2S35WfQN2In/s400/P1010722.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let me know what you think of this cute little quilt, and I can post a pattern if you like. Obviously, my dog Ranger is a big fan of this crib quilt! </div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-30506478770913950692011-10-12T08:09:00.000-04:002011-10-28T06:38:21.356-04:00What to Do with That Novelty Fabric You Couldn't Resist!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You know you're guilty! You bought a half a yard of a fall novelty fabric, and it sits there and sits there because you have no idea what to do with it! All I can say is, let it speak to you and tell you what to make with it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-nZwGkmpS19nJtbsFHzF6FHTExQnqlIESQgvNjs25ta2Ifpcd4MrYHQL45FDWV_ZNKDMrMIE7jibou1AEybXlnZxeIvoA7zynUN1Bn6RL5_CHrGHMZmBC441beKGsEdkAMxLkbzNo8gO/s1600/fallfestivalquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-nZwGkmpS19nJtbsFHzF6FHTExQnqlIESQgvNjs25ta2Ifpcd4MrYHQL45FDWV_ZNKDMrMIE7jibou1AEybXlnZxeIvoA7zynUN1Bn6RL5_CHrGHMZmBC441beKGsEdkAMxLkbzNo8gO/s400/fallfestivalquilt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the small quilt above, a fall novelty print forms the basis of a sweet wallhanging. It was cut to 18 1/2" by 12 1/2". Those measurements were chosen because of the wide availability of free 6 1/2" block patterns.</div>
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Fabrics were chosen to compliment the colors in the novelty print, and divided into light and dark piles. A dark green fabric was chosen to frame the panel first. It was cut into 2" strips and sewn on the 2 short sides first and then the long sides. Next, the dark and light coordinating fabrics were cut into 2" strips as well, and applied in log cabin fashion around the panel. </div>
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The four 2" strips sewn together (the dark green, and three strips sewn on in log cabin fashion) create a 6" finished boarder. This is important, because now the piece measures 30 1/2"...just right for 5 6" maple leaf blocks. The background of the Maple Leaf blocks is the same fabric as the outer log cabin strips for continuitey...the darker fabric is on the left and the lighter is on the right. Scraps were used to make the Maple Leaf blocks, leftovers from the log cabin strips and whatever else was available!</div>
What do you think? Please comment and tell how you use your novelty fabrics!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456185831205266994.post-55665172991957829912011-10-12T06:50:00.000-04:002011-10-28T06:38:56.088-04:00What Makes Stack and Whack Quilts So Much Fun! If you love surprises, Stack and Whack quilts are a hoot! For those of you who aren't familiar with them, the premise is simple...you take lots and lots of fabric (sometimes hideous!) and stack identical pieces exactly on top of each other. You then cut squares or triangles and sew them together to form pinwheel designs. What makes them fun is that you often don't know what the block will look like when you finish. Surprise!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jry-KkhnehJVqAHGPgP9PUg0URZT6gHCeDaDsD-Wm9aSWCgaNTWe2rgrdOZyKKKNEub5IA0LzGX9iaonNUJe_rM0ieIEGSV2YbgqQk96qOF_BsFOsL47BR4vTzQI4ECj0wjXpKd9B2Q1/s1600/P1020017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jry-KkhnehJVqAHGPgP9PUg0URZT6gHCeDaDsD-Wm9aSWCgaNTWe2rgrdOZyKKKNEub5IA0LzGX9iaonNUJe_rM0ieIEGSV2YbgqQk96qOF_BsFOsL47BR4vTzQI4ECj0wjXpKd9B2Q1/s400/P1020017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's one that I did a while ago.. The starter fabric was a huge print with watermelons and cantaloupes on it. My big mistake was not understanding how much contrast you need in a Stack and Whack block. While I love my Watermelon quilt, the yellows and oranges in the melon fabric tend to blend a little too much with the background yellow fabric. It would probably have been better to use dark green for the background and the yellow for the sashing. Oh, well, live and learn! And, enjoy it anyway! Although I still may use some dark green thread to outline each pinwheel to add some contrast!</div>
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What do you think? Please comment...and definitely link to photos of Stack and Whack quilts you have made!</div>Mary-Ellen Ransomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592123114541609490noreply@blogger.com1