Favorite Things Friday (again)

So Ms. Pyjamas hosts this wonderful FTF and you have to know, it's a great way to meet new bloggers and to enjoy a little bit of fun insight shared by others. Take a look and link on up with your own favorite thing.  You can't go wrong.

In thinking about this week's FTF, I had a few random quilt-related FTFs and then I would see some great food commercial and I thought about comfort food and doing a mosaic of it for you. I decided I'd spare us all that until next week and this week, I'd focus on a few quilt-related favorites.  They are small items but are no less important than any one large favorite.  So, without fanfare and without many pictures (okay, any pictures) here are my things.


It is a favorite thing when I am sewing and my machine gets louder and louder and louder.

It is a favorite thing when I run out of the color of thread I'm quilting with and I only have about 10 inches of quilting space left to fill.

It is a favorite thing when I don't plan ahead, cannot find a proper binding, there's a snowstorm outside and I promised the quilt would be in the mail yesterday.

It is a favorite thing when I start 16 projects and never finish one.  It's really great for this slightly-OCD person.

It is a favorite thing the quilt starts so pretty in my head and looks like crap when it's put together.

It is a favorite thing when I don't have time to blog like I want to.

It is a favorite thing when I don't have time to quilt like I want to.

It is a favorite thing...

when I get to say Happy April Fool's Day.

Cheers! Beck

Paper Piece QAL - Week 2

ETA:
ACK! I just realized in the post below I talk about this being a 9x9" square and it's not! It finishes at 9.5"x9.5".  Please translate that when you read 9" below.  My apologies. To those that have already printed and enlarged their patterns, it's OKAY to finish this out using 9x9 inch squares. It just means more leftover fabric instead of not enough.  I'm sorry for the inconvience.

I'm sorry this post is a couple days late. With it being quarter end at work and March Madness here, I lost 2 days of the week to other stuff.

This week: Pattern preparation and cutting.  Say it with me, "yea!"

Preparing the Pattern:
1) Pring this pattern.  Use THIS LINK, not the picture below (and disregard the "A" in front of the letters, it means nothing).  I've set it up so if you print both pages at your normal printer settings (for normal 8.5"x11" paper), it should come out to look like each sheet pictured in the link.  You may have to "download" it first but it should still print as 2 pages. 

For my friends using A4 paper (thanks for asking Shevy!) I am not sure how to advise you the best way to print. There is another link below, a JPEG of the entire block but it prints (for me) as a 6"x6" square instead of 9"x9".  Here's the JPEG link.

UPDATE: Ms Pyjamas of Australia states she printed this and it came out at 6.75".  She then enlarged it by 31% and it came out to be 9" blocks.   Just get it as close to 9" as possible without going over too much and make all your blocks the same size and this will still work out with fabric requirements.

Once you print, fold one side on the line and tape the folded part to the matching line on the other sheet.  THEN MEASURE IT, please.  Each block should print up at 9"x9" with both sheets.

2) Put the block under one piece of tracing paper and using a ruler, trace all lines onto tracing paper (including the block outline). Add the numbers to the sections on your tracing paper.

3)  Now, you can repeat step 2 for all other pieces of tracing paper (if I have a 4-block quilt, I'll do that but if I have a 35 block quilt, I follow the following approach) or you can line up about 6 - 8 pieces of tracing paper ("TP" now b/c I'm tired of typing it) and pin them together securely.  Then, with the thread OUT of the sewing machine, use the needle to punch lines through all layers of the paper to create perforated line patterns on the other TP pieces.  If you have a machine that yells at you when you are trying to work without thread (like mine) the other alternative is to use the tool below and do the same thing, puncture each TP piece. However, you can only do 3 or 4 at a time with this method. 

If your eyesight is poor, I recommend following direction # 2 above. 

The last alternative, print the # of blocks you need from the printer. I only use this occasionally b/c (a) it's thicker paper and makes tearing away more difficult and (b) it uses a lot of  paper and ink.

4) Once all sections are marked with perforated lines or actual, drawn lines, be sure to number them all.  Pay attention and be sure you don't accidently turn blocks upside down before numbering.   Set aside. 

Cutting the fabric:

NOTE 1: Since there are so many options, I'm not breaking cutting down by each quilt. I'm giving you the cutting requirements for each block. You determine how many pieces you need by the # of sections in each block x the number of blocks with that color scheme. In one version, I have 3 yellow blocks.  3 yellow blocks times 2 sections of the medium, dark yellow = 6 med., dark yellow pieces total.

NOTE 2:  Reminder, once we are done, there will be waste from the fabric cuts. This can be reduced with PP practice but because we have newbies, I want to be sure struggling with angling fabric is NOT part of this QAL. Plan to pass your scraps to a friend who likes applique if you don't applique yourself.  That's the best advise I can offer.

A) Cut fabric for sections as listed below.

Section 3 = 5 1/2" x 10"

Section 8 = 5 1/2" x 10"

Sections 1 & 5 = 4 1/4 x 8 1/4"

Sections 2 & 4 = 4 1/4 x 8 1/4"
Sections 6 & 7 = 4 1/4 x 8 1/4"

Examples of cut sections for my yellow blocks.

B) You can cut borders now if you don't already have them cut and (please refer to week 1 post for the measurements you need) but I always wait until the end to cut those. I tend to measure better.

That's it for this week, folks. Next week, we will begin piecing. I will post every Monday from here on out! Let me know if you have any questions and please remember to post progress on our Flickr group. :-)


Cheers!

Beck

Progress on the quilt to Japan

I've decided to name this quilt, "Flowers for Japan" because, as it turns out, that's what it is in fabric and spirit.

This came together as quickly as I thought it would. I started Saturday, at about noon, with this.

Thanks to my Go cutter, 2.5" strips were cut in an hour. (Let me preface the rest of this post now by saying the top plus border could have been completed in one day if I started Sat. morning like I intended and didn't get stuck with my eyes glued to March Madness basketball games.)

Strips were put together in sets of 6 and sewn.

The set width ended up measuring at 11.5" so I cut them at 11.5" to make square blocks.

I ended up with stragglers. I have 3" cuts here and may or may not use them as a pieced border. I'm still deciding.

Currently, this is the top. As I said, a border (or two) will be added today and then probably a simple meander quilting & machine binding tomorrow so I can get this in the mail this week.

On a side note, I received the new Keepsake Quilting catalog in the mail and there is the picture of this quilt kit:

I laughed and the hubs agreed that in this household, that was a quilt for me, not him. I'm the chips & dip, sports, hotdog/hamburg, person and he likes more traditional quilts.  An hour or so later, it was confirmed when I laid out the Flowers for Japan and he commented he really liked the colors and look of that quilt. A lot.

Sometimes, life is funny that way.
Cheers! Beck

Winner, a must go to link, & a little weekend progress

First, the winner of the weekend giveaway, as determined by Random.org, Commentor #9:

deborah said...

I don't have a favorite fabric line, since I mainly work with scraps (yep..I love just a big mix) but I do like Sunkissed.

Congratulations Deborah! I'll hook up with you over email and get that turnover sent out this week!

Now,  I came across a link for this survey in blogland and HAD to share it. Piecemeal Quilts is having a survey based, in part, on comments to a post she wrote a few days ago. I encourage all of you to go take a look at both posts and answer the survey questions. They are quick and it will be interesting to see the overall results.  For me personally, I learned I've got quite a range of know-how under my belt (whether I'm accomplished at it, that's another story!) and where I used to say I was a tentative intermediate, I now KNOW I'm an intermediate level quilter or maybe even an adventurouse intermediate. Felt good.

If you still haven't signed up for the quilt along, WHAT are you waiting for? Go HERE and get the supply list. I promise it won't take too much time during the week. You can do it... and since I'm not above bribery, I will be giving somethign away to a lucky participant. So grab my sidebar button, spread the word and join up today. (That's my best sales pitch... I feel pushy but my brain knows it wasn't pushy.  Thank goodness I'm not in sales for a living or I'd starve.)

Finally, a little weekend progress. Here are the two stars for the Just One Star campaign.

In progress and I'm afraid I did something very wrong b/c measurement seem way off. I decide to suck it up and sew to see what it will look like anyway. There must be a reason they say to cut it this size.  (Gee, trusting a pattern, go figure.)

 

 Hmm, not bad. They want to trim and square it up so this is what I am sending along this week.

Cheers! Beck

Nat'l Quilting Day - Giveaway and Charity Announcements

First, HAPPY NATIONAL QUILTING DAY!

I missed this last year so I'm glad I'm paying attention this year because it means I can do the following 3 things:

1) Announce my participation in three charity events
2) Announce a GIVEAWAY!
3) Link a couple other giveaways I've seen out and about today.

First, I am going to participate in the following three events. I've been "meaning" to do something more this year on these lines but have not made much an effort. As part of this Lenton season, I've decided it's important I do it now and stop waiting for a good time.

JUST ONE STAR
TODAY I'm going to make two stars. One in honor of my hubby retiring and one in honor of fellow bloggers' family members who are currently serving or about to serve.  I pray for you all and will do so until I am no longer here.

QUILTS FOR JAPAN (or this site)
THIS WEEKEND  I'm going to finish up a quilt. I will use the pattern from Old Red Barn's quilt along from two years ago b/c I know it will come together very quickly.
An additional link per the comments (THANKS LIBERAL SPRINKLES!) with MANY other options to help with relief for Japan.  Check it out.

SHARE THE WARMTH
THIS WEEK, I'll create a quilt for this event using the same Old Red Barn design.

I encourage all of you to participate in one or more events. We are a generous bunch and a little time is all that is needed but it brings such comfort!

NOW I AM HOSTING A GIVEAWAY!!!
I ordered some fabric through Inchworm Fabrics (love this little store, very responsive and reasonable prices) and it turns out, my order was large enough to qualify for a freebie. I love the fabric line and freebie but decided I would share it with one of you, instead or I would start something new instead of finishing what needs to be done!

To one lucky commentor, I'm giving away this turnover.  (Of course, international, standard shipping is not a problem!) 

All you have to do is comment and answer this question: What is your current favorite fabric line? 
   Bonus: Today, b/c I want to spread the word about the charity events, if you blog or FB about the giveaway, and come back and comment a second time you've done so, you've just given yourself a second entry.
Entries close 6pm ET March 20.

Last but not least, here are some links to other giveaways I've seen in blogland today.
Bejeweled Quilts by Barb - 10 packs (10 winners) of hand-made South African buttons -ends 3/22
Samelia's Mum - 2 giveaways -ends 3/25
Quixotic Crafter - charm squares -ends ?? maybe Sat. maybe Sun. (If you feel like it, to give me an extra entry, please let her know you linked to her through me. :D )

And while your in blogland, why not stop by SewCalGal's blog and vote for the 2011 Quilter's Awards!