I joined up! You can too

Konda over at Moose on the Porch Quilts is hosting a Quilt-A-Long.  It sounds like a good time AND can be a stash buster (if you happen to have a stash that could use a little busting--cause then you can buy MORE fabric)
It is call a Jelly Roll Sampler, so you kinda need a Jelly Roll to do it...but hey you could just cut the 2 1/2 inch strips from stuff in your stash if you don't have a jelly roll.  It will be 12" blocks and the finished quilt will be 58" x 72" 
So why not join us?

A table topper -What is chocolate cake?

What a day.  I started making a table topper using a quilt as you go method.  This was a method I had not used before.  I got two blocks done and hated  it. - the method that is.  The blocks were tossed into the trash can.
I had seen a cute topper on Linda's Blog So I decided to 'copy and change' one of hers. What? Me, follow a pattern? Hardly! I try really I do...but well....I can't seem to rein myself in.

So, I took some charm squares, some yardage and went at it.
Here is the front.




Not perfectly square....cause I oop'sed a couple of times.

And here is the back.





I like it... flaws and all.

Now about the cake:
Anita and her husband have an issue about chocolate cake. You will have to read a couple of her posts to find out about it. BUT she is having a giveaway too. There are three great prizes- What are you waiting for Go enter
Oh, but leave a comment for me before you go!

Another Finished Quilt and a Movie Recommendation.

I have been a little bit lazy lately.  I haven't been sewing much.  I haven't painted anything. Just lazy!
But I did get the inspiration to finish my Ginger jar quilt.  I decided to not add any borders but leave it as a smaller quilt.   Here is a picture of some of the finished quilt.

It was just a top when I started on it again.  So this past weekend, I got it layered into the quilt sandwich. This next picture shows the backing.  I found this in my stash.  I didn't even know I had this piece of fabric. However, it fit so nicely with the background of the front of the quilt that I used it happily.  (Yep, a teeny bit of stash-BUSTING) And the binding is a plain caramel colored fabric. -Again from my stash!


















Here is a confession for you.  I love to watch a movie while I am free motion quilting.  While  quilting on this one the movie of choice was "Songcatcher"   It stars Janet McTeer, Aiden Quinn, and Emmy Rossum.  I had seen it several years ago, but when a friend offered it to me, I jumped at the chance to see it again.
As you may guess by the title, it is about music. More specifically, it is about the Scots-Irish music in the Appalachian mountains.   As you know I am learning to play the penny whistle. (an instrument directly from that same musical tradition)  So you can see how I could love this movie.  This movie was mainly a sleeper; most people never even heard of it.  It is rich in story and music.  I give it a BIG thumbs up.

Oh and if you didn't know I am learning penny whistle, you can see my two videos on my YouTube Channel

The Sashing Incident (and more penny whistle)

A number of you commented on my sashing for the Signature Quilt. (picture on the previous post)
There is a story that goes along with how I came up with that sashing. I was going to make regular sashing with cornerstones. (some of you know that I don't really like having to match corners though)

So I cut the vertical sashing strips first.  The plan was sew them on the sides of the blocks and make the rows. I put in a movie and sat down to sew. I picked up a block and a strip and put them right sides together. Whooops!  They don't match!  OH NO! the strips are too short.  (!!! memory fail!!!! )  Yep I cut them 12 inches and the FINISHED block will be 12 inches. I needed 12.5 inch strips.  I stopped the movie. Ironed more fabric, cut LONGER strips and went back to the machine (ad the movie) I sewed a row.  Then two more.  I didn't cut enough strips.

So I decided to start on the sashing. I had pulled out some 4" charms to use as cornerstones. Hmmmm. One of the packs was all orange toned. Everything from dark orange to white will tiny orange designs was in it. FUN!
So, I thought. I sewed some sets of 3 charms. I sewed a set of three to one of the 12 inch oops strips. I repeated. I grabbed a row and measured against the two strip sets -- a little short. Okay so I added a set of two charms in the middle.  Hmmm just a little too long. GREAT!   I can trim those off after I attach the strips.  I sewed a couple more  of these horizontal strips then had to go to bed.

The next night I finished it.  OH, when I attached the horizontal strips, I matched the center seam of the sashing strip to the (rough) center of the block row.(middle of the middle square of the middle block!) I didn't pin, just held it in place and sewed.

Now, when I used the "oops" strips that were too short, I invented a name for that.  I call it rescue piecing.

Rescue piecing [res-kyoo pees-ing]:  Using those "oh crap I cut it wrong" pieces to make something that makes the quilt even better. 


 I think this sashing made the quilt better, based on reader comments. 

It is BIGGER Than I Thought

Back last fall sometime, I was asked -no,  commanded- to be in a signature quilt block swap. We each made 12 signature blocks and sent them to the hostess. Then, in December, she sent each of us one from eveyone in the swap. I was thinking "Great! this will be a lap quilt that I can make for myself."


A couple of days ago I started cutting sashing strips and putting it together. Tonight I finished it. When I went to hang it so I could take a photo, WHAM it hit me. This is a lot bigger than my usual lap quilt.
It is BIGGER Than I Thought
Now I am wondering if I can wrestle it thru the machine to quilt it. It is approximately 48" by 68" which I know is not huge, but it is more than I have done in one piece before. I have done a quilt in two or three pieces, quilted those pieces, then joined it together into one big quilt. This time, I can't do that without messing up the overall look with the sashing.

Now I had plans for the backing on this too. Hmmm, those plans may have to change. Or else I will have to add something to it.

Ah, no worries, it will all work out eventually. By the way, I love the way it looks. Thanks to all the other participants in the swap