Carrie’s Quilting Mania

E13, Moth in a Web November 28, 2008

E13, Moth in a Web

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: November 28, 2008
Number of Pieces: 26
Description: paper pieced
Color Group: turquoise
Number of blocks completed: 59
Number of pieces so far: 1040+ 134 sashing
Interesting current event: A Wal-Mart worker was trampled to death during a Black Friday stampede. What is this world coming to?

It’s been a while since I worked on DJ, but I decided to jump back in with a mixed applique/paper pieced block. I had the paper piecing patterns printed out, but wasn’t sure what type of applique it required. When I looked at the pattern again I realized that there was no way in hell I was going to applique those tiny little triangles. Instead, I made my own paper piecing pattern for the four corners by extending the line of the triangles. Easy-peasy. I don’t know why the DJ software has such a hard time coming up with paper piecing for little sections like that.

I was really happy with the block until I looked at the picture. I knew I had cut off a couple of my points, but it really looks wonky here! Once it is in the quilt no one will ever notice so I’m not going to try to re-do anything. I’m just happy I did this all with paper piecing instead of trying to applique all those itty-bitty points.

Round Robin Border 1 November 12, 2008

Anjea’s center, my border

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

I finished this a couple of weeks ago but forgot to post it here!

This was the first block I was sent as part of a Round Robin. Anjea created the block and I added the green border and the star border. She included several fabrics and I added in the black, green and blue fabrics.

I spent WAY too much time trying to get this sucker done. My original idea just had four patches up the sides with spinning pinwheels as the cornerstones, but it looked terrible.

I bought The Border Workbook and decided this was the most approrpiate border.

Enter the math.

I spent days putting things together and ripping them apart again because I just couldn’t get the math right. It finally all came together and I got it done!

Overall I’m really pleased with how my border turned out, though I probably shouldn’t have used the purple in the border since it blends with the black.

A3, Hunter’s Moon October 3, 2008

A3, Hunter’s Moon

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: October 1, 2008
Number of Pieces: 3
Description: machine hand applique
Color Group: turquoise
Number of blocks completed: 58
Number of pieces so far: 1014+ 132 sashing
Interesting current event: Wall Street is failing and needs a $700 trillion bailout or the next Great Depression will start. I’m already depressed thinking about it.

I kind of got stuck with this one and it sat on the side table for a couple of weeks before I did the hard part. First, I appliqued a black circle onto the background fabric. That was super easy. Then I had to figure out how to cut things so I could reverse applique the middle blue section. I really hate doing melons, so this made sense at the time but in reality it didn’t work so well. As you can see, there is still glue all over this block because I’m afraid to soak the glue out. Will the edges be totally frayed because I didn’t have enough seam allowance? I don’t know!

This looks ok now, but has the potential of a do-over if I soak out the glue and find that the lack of seam allowances in the corners created a big problem.

G5, Poof September 14, 2008

G5, Poof

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: September 7, 2008
Number of Pieces: 8
Description: machine paper pieced/ hand applique
Color Group: yellow
Number of blocks completed: 57
Number of pieces so far: 1011+ 129 sashing
Interesting current event: Hurricane Ike is hammering Texas and causing flooding through out the Midwest.

This was actually a very easy block. I printed out two copies of the block, then used a ruler to continue the black lines so I could create my own paper pieced pattern. The hardest part was remembering to add the seam allowances. Yikes!

After I paper pieced the background, I was able to easily applique on the poof. I didn’t get it on there quite as straighta s I would have liked, but I don’t think ti is too noticable. I don’t like the way the yellow looks when I scan it in (it looks dirty), but it looks great in person.

B2, Sweet Tater Pie September 3, 2008

B2, Sweet Tater Pie

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: September 2, 2008
Number of Pieces: 16
Description: machine pieced/ hand applique
Color Group: turquoise
Number of blocks completed: 56
Number of pieces so far: 1003+ 127 sashing
Interesting current event: Sarah Palin is still making news as the strangest VP choice in current history. Her 17 year old daughter is pregnant, yet she believes strongly in abstinence education.

Whew! I’ve been staring at this one for months and dreading it, then I saw the tutorial over at Dear Baby Jane so said “a ha! I can applique!”

I just made two pinwheel blocks (btw, ignore the part that says theoretically you can cut your squares at 2.75″. You can make the circle block that small, but if you do the background block that small your block will be way too small. Go with the 3.5″ for that block). then cut a circle out of one and appliqued it on.

I did something that was smart and stupid at the same time. I thought the big bundle of seams in the middle of the background circle would be too lumpy, so I precut out a tiny little circle from the background.

STUPID! It made the background block very stretchy and I could have easily ended up with a disaster.

Smart, because it made the background block stretchy so I could carefully line things up a little better, though I had to be VERY careful about not making the whole thing a puckered mess.

To keep it from puckering too badly, I sewed down one black wedge, then sewed down the opposite black wedge, and worked around the block with opposites since I had to switch thread colors anyway.

E10, Five and Dime September 2, 2008

E10, Nickles and Dimes

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: September 1, 2008
Number of Pieces: 6
Description: machine pieced/reverse hand applique
Color Group: pink
Number of blocks completed: 55
Number of pieces so far: 987+ 1125 sashing
Interesting current event: Hurricane Gustav didn’t devastate New Orleans as much as had been predicted, but it was still a nasty storm. I’m so glad we didn’t have to watch another Katrina rip across the area.

Another easy-peasy block. I love reverse applique.

B1, Bachelor’s Buttons September 1, 2008

B1, Bachelor’s Buttons

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: August 30, 2008
Number of Pieces: 5
Description: hand applique
Color Group: blue
Number of blocks completed: 54
Number of pieces so far: 981+ 1123 sashing
Interesting current event: Obama just made history as the first African-American nominated for president. McCain just made history for making the poorest VP choice in the history of the country. Ok, so I just made that last one up, but really, WHAT was he thinking? She’s already spawned a circus with the possible “faking having a baby to protect her daughter” thing (false). It’s only going to get weirder from here, I’m afraid.

This block was surprisingly easy. Way, way back when I first started my DJ I tried this block with a method of invisible machine applique. I never could figure out that method so the whole time I was sewing down the circles by hand I was laughing at myself. I was so desperate to find a short cut that I never stopped to consider how fun applique could be! I find myself looking for a way to applique all the blocks!

Round Robin Center Block August 24, 2008

Center Block

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

This is my official center block for my Round Robin over at LJ.

It is Desert Corsage from Quilter’s Cache. I LOVE the colors!

I needed a 12″ block, but this one was only 9″ so I had to design a little border to go around it. I’ve never done anything quite like that so I had a few issues, but I think it looks pretty good. I need to press this block again and remove the paper backing. Overall I am very happy!

Pattern HERE

You can see my reject center if you are dying of curiosity. I must be a glutton for punishment to upload it. It is located HERE

C6, Ashley’s Aura August 22, 2008

C6, Ashley’s Aura

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: August 22, 2008
Number of Pieces: 6
Description: hand applique
Color Group: pink
Number of blocks completed: 53
Number of pieces so far: 976+ 1124 sashing
Interesting current event: The USA is having a really unlucky year in the summer Olympics in Beijing and Russia has invaded Georgia.

I’ve had this one sitting around for about a month, just waiting for the opportunity to find the right color thread. I hate that the nearest store that carries thread is a good 15 minutes away. Every time I plan to go down there, we have a huge thunderstorm. I hate driving on the freeway in a thunderstorm.

This block looks a lot better in person. It scanned in crooked, but it really is straight.

I followed some advice I never would have thought of on my own, and appliqued down a black circle first. Then I appliqued the cross on top of it, creating my melons that way. Pretty cool! What looks like a complicated block is actually very easy when done that way. You can even use the scraps from the middle to cut out one of your applique circles for Bachelor’s Buttons. I think. I haven’t tried it yet, but that’s my plan.

H12, Hannah Lou’s Hearts August 21, 2008

H12, Hannah Lou’s Hearts

Originally uploaded by Ramble Queen

Date Completed: August 20, 2008
Number of Pieces: 5
Description: hand applique
Color Group: purple
Number of blocks completed: 52
Number of pieces so far: 970+ 112 sashing

I thought the hearts would be really difficult, but they turned out to be a breeze once I gave up the idea of using my fat fingers to turn under the seam allowances. I don’t know why i thought I could use my fingers instead of my customary toothpick. Toothpicks are the only way to go if you’re gluing down seam allowances. Thus spoke the novice.

The block looks a lot nicer in person than in the scan and I’m very, very pleased with it. It’s so nice to have a great looking block once in a while.