It's Been Far Far Too Long Since I Have Posted!!

It has been a record two months since I have posted on this blog.  My excuse is that (besides the annoying way pictures are stored in this new computer) is that I have been very very busy machine quilting the 30 tops I completed up north.  I have done 15 so far -- 9 since the last quilt meeting 3 weeks ago.

This is one of two that I completed. and they are pretty good sized at 42 x 80.  If you look closely, you can see something new that I tried -- faux piping (that thin yellow strip next to the blue binding).  Luckily, I didn't look on the internet on how to do it!  My way worked well and I think was a lot simpler.  I cut my binding at 2 1/2 inches like always and then cut some yellow 2 1/2 inch strips in half (I have a ton of them!) so that I had strips that were 1 1/4 inches.  I folded them in half and ironed them.  The trick for me was how to turn the corners.  Well I did for the blue binding as usual but started the sewing down of the binding at about an inch from the corner with the yellow strip with the folded side out reaching to the corner.  It worked just fine and the 1 1/4 inch size seemed just about right.  I did this with several of the quilts I completed that I thought just needed a little something extra!

This is another of the larger quilts I finished.  I also did the faux piping on this one.  

This is one of the "potato chip" block baby quilts I finished.  I have tried to use cute fabric for the backs of the baby quilts I made this summer as I used fairly bright colors on front instead of the more subdued colors I usually use.

Another of the quilts with chickens on the back.

There are a bunch more of the baby quilts that I have finished but the next three are just starts of yet more baby quilt tops!!  I have literally a huge stash of 5 in squares and bags and bags of 2 in strips.  I saw the block on the internet in two different settings -- one straight rows and one with rows going diagonally.  I decided to try something new and these were the results.  They are made up of half square triangles and 2  in strips -- very simple but I think a design wall really helps setting them up.

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I now have piles of yellow, blue, green and purple blocks so there are definitely  more of these in the future.  As they are a bit small for the neonatal quilts, I will be adding a white border and then a colored border (color yet to be determined) before binding them.  I have seven more baby tops to do but have to get some batting from the club to finish them..

Still Making Comfort Quilts!

Trying to use up the bags of miscellaneous strips that I brought from NC and I am absolutely sick of looking at them and the pile never gets smaller!  I may do the unforgiveable and just heave them! 

I had a couple of huge bags of purple 45 degree triangles left over from a quilt I made in 1998!!  So I decided that I would make a purple version of the "blue bagel" quilt I made a couple of years ago.  I did have to cut up the light colored background pieces though as well as some of the corners.  This is a closeup of the block so I will remember it the next time I make this quilt!!

I decided to do something a little different with this one.  I get bored easily!!  So I added yellow in two corners so I would end up with flowers of a sort!  I had to hold myself back from adding light green in as I do love the purple/green/yellow combination.

And here it is -- the finished top!  I do  like the combination and may do this again.

I didn't even touch the lighter purples in the previous quilt but thought they would be nice for a baby quilt.  This is using the medium purples.  I intended to put it together like the previous one but accidentally twisted tthe upper left hand corner and decided I liked the look so twisted all the corners.  It then gave me an idea for yet another variation which I will try some day.  Surroundind the four inner bagels is somewhat of another circle in white.  I am thinking I will vary either that color or the pieces in the center of the four bagels!  

Slowly Using Up All Those Previously Cut Pieces !

I had a huge pile of 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 in strips as well as an overstuffed bag with 3 1/2 4 patches.  Usually when making this pattern I use 3 1/2 in x 7 1/2 strips but decided to use what I had.  Between this and the following quilt, I used up over 200 4 patches and actually had to made about 20 more to complete both of them!

This has one block turned around which I subsequently fixed but somehow lost the picture!  It took me 45 minutes to undo and redo as the bad block is on one of the insde spots!

I dug into my 5 inch squares and found enough variety to made this top which has lots of flowers and animals in it.

I am now diving into a huge bag of 60 degree triangles all in purple!!  I have lights, mediums and darks.  I will first make one of my "bagel" style quilts and then not sure as there is probably enough pieces to make several good sized quilts.  This bag of scrap 60 degree triangles is probably close to 30 years old!!  What was I thinking!!

It's Been Far Too Long!!

I had bags of 2 in strips -- blue and brown.  After constructing several  wonky log cabin tops, I decided I would just sew them together and make "fabric".  This fabric is about 70 inches long.  My Bernina does a nice job of sewing strips together without skewing them.

The past month has been busy with a birthday and a lovely visit with my oldest daughter.  Of course, continuing annoyance with new computer add to my avoidance!

 

This is the same size and mostly darker brown.

This is the lighter brown one.

This is the brown wonky long cabin top I made with the darker brown strips.

I decided I would make a traditional log cabin from the strips.  I think I like the wonky one better!

I decided I would make an extra large wonky log cabin from the blues so it will be for a king sized bed.  I will quilt it in two sections to make life easier on myself!

Another way to use those half square triangles and 5 inch squares.  Of course I had to cut those squares down..

This is the first of 2 Jewel box tops that I made using those half square triangles and four patches.  I had made a ton of these 4 patches to use with another top but decided I wanted to try this block.  I made this one using the traditional way of making this block ( four half square triangles surrounded by four patches}.  When I put up on my design wall, I nneded to add 8 inches so decided to expand the pattern all the way around.  I discovered that it was basically a four patch of half square triangles and a sixteen patch between them  It was one heck of a lot easier to piece this way!!  All the versions I have seen of this use white as the background { did see one with black background).  I like my version better!!

This was the second one just finished today.

I did finish this QAYG top.

This was the beginning of another use of those 5 inch squares.  Originally I was going to do a version of this where you have a criss cross but I had a heck of a time keeping it straight and it looked boring with all these ugly fabrics.  I call this my ugly quilt.  I needed something to  pep it up.

 I was very pleased with this use of those fabrics plus a bunch of half square triangles that I had made months ago from some batik 10 in squares from my sister.  I thought the addition of the black really set it off so that the squares don't look so ugly anymore!.

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Catching Up!

 

I decided to do some dyeing this past week while my husband was away.  I was anxious to try a new technique I saw on FB.  It seemed it would be less work than some of the other techniques I use in Ice dyeing.  

The technique is to apply the dye directly to the fabric, sprinkle some soda ash on top and then cover with the with the ice.  The tshirts were first soaked in soda ash solution for several hours and then dried before applying the dyes.

Hint -- it was probably not less work and I am not sure I am crazy about the results but it was worth a try.  There was so  much dye used that the rinse out was a super pain!!  Bloggerf is not behaving and keeps losing my pictures and making all my text get underlined and changing colors!

This was an attempt and vertical stripes but not very successful.

This was probably the one I liked the best of the bunch!

A slightly more successful stripey one.

Not too bad but still not there!

This and the next top were both finished from the same flowered fabric and I have a lot more but will use to back one of the quilts.The third picture is the fabric I used,

These are more of the wonky log cabin blocks and I am seriously getting sick of the blue strips I have!!  I decided to use some of them to make a large tote bag which is pictured below.  Because I don't have a great cutting surface here, it was touchy but I got it done and it is practical.  I will probably quilt the bag if I do another one,  I certainly have enough of these blocks!

Back to doing a quilt as you go quilt.  I am further along now and used a medium blue for the sashing and the binding.  The back is really pretty cute but find this a little too bright even for me.  As I mentioned before, I am sick of these blue strips and still have a large bag filled with them!

Snickers Bar Cookies Recipe - So I Won't Lose It Again!!

My husband found this recipe on the old company website many years ago and it is one of my favorites for times when I need a dish to pass.  I can't make them for us as I would eat them all and even freezing them didn't prevent that!!

"Snickers" Bar Cookies

Ingredients:

•  bag choc chips
• chocolate cake mix
• 14 oz caramels
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup peanuts
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk. 

Melt caramel in the sweetened condensed milk. Mix cake mix and melted butter.  Bake half of this cake mix and butter in the bottom of 9 x 13 pan for 6 min at 350 degrees.  Spread choc chips, caramel mixture and peanuts on the top of this.  Then add the rest of the cake mix concoction on top.  Bake 20 minutes -- check that cake mix is cooked.  

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What To Do With 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 Strips!

Well, this actually uses not only those 4 1/2 in strips that I had a ton of, but also uses 2 1/2 in shite squares and 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 in pieces.  I have made several quilts from these 2 blocks which I illustrated in an earlier blog.  I will put borders on this and it will end up about 40 x 60.  I will quilt it down in the south when I get there.

 
These next two are the so-caled potato chip blocks and are made totally of 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 strips.    These will end up as 40 x 40 for the neo-natal quilts.  Super easy block to make.  These are totally scrappy!

This one hasn't been sewn together yet and I will rearrange a couple of the pieces!

We had a great RAFA meeting this week with Joyce Martelli teaching us how to make origami books using  2 5 in pieces of cardboard, 2 pieces of 7 in square fabrics and 3 pieces of paper 8 1/2 in square. It was great fun!!  Here is mine done and expanded up.

Here it is all closed up.  You can put pictures in or writing on the surfaces.

I had to share this fantastic felted piece that Demaris did of her cat! It even has some cat whiskers which she saves when she finds them!