Quilting Linda: A Quilting Blog by Linda West

Feb

4

Women of the Bible – Blocks 5 & 6

Posted Sunday, February 4th, 2018 in Quilting | Read More

The latest  blocks are Hagar and Jezebel. I have added new colors for the Jezebel block. I plan to use all of the colors in my pack of fat quarters which includes pink and more blue and yellow fabric. I am using some plain colors that were originally with my 1930s fabrics.

Dec

13

In the Pumpkin Patch

Posted Wednesday, December 13th, 2017 in Fabric Stash, Magazines, Patterns | Read More

I started this quilt last fall. It is another quilt by Bonnie Hunter and was in Quiltmaker magazine. The instructions in the magazine were not written by Bonnie. The pumpkins were supposed to be paper pieced but I skipped that and made strip sets. I then cut them into the size pumpkins I wanted and added corner blocks.

The orange fabric I used was from a fat quarter bundle that I ordered online. Most of the background fabric was given to me by a very dear friend from back home. I had given her a ticket for a bus trip to a quilt show that I was unable to attend. She surprised me with a gift bag STUFFED FULL of fabric. Included with lots of other fabrics were text prints. She knew I loved  text prints but didn’t have any in my stash. I saved them for a special quilt and this is the quilt I chose to use them in. Thank you Kris! I love this quilt!

I still need to hand stitch the binding to the back but it will have to wait until all the Christmas quilting is finished! To see a close up of the text prints, click on the picture.

May

1

How I Spent My Sunday Afternoon…

Posted Monday, May 1st, 2017 in Quilting | Read More

Last Sunday, my local quilt shop, Quilt Trends, held a program they call QuTee ReVue. They sell tickets and you get a reserved seat, a goodie bag, and refreshments. The program is an introduction to lots of new patterns, rulers, notions, demonstrations and prizes . All the items are sold at a discount the day of the event. I won a very nice prize, Bali Crackers, a collection of 40 ten inch batik fabrics.

I have a pattern that I have been planning to make with these exact colors. My prize could not have been a better fit for me!

Our goodie bags were useful and reusable bags with a snap to close the top. Inside were these nice gifts…

There was a package of machine needles in the white bag shown here along with a guide to all the different sizes and types of needles. The fat quarters and zipper were with  the pattern for the zippered bag. The magnet at the bottom of the picture matches one of the wall quilts that I have made for my sewing room.

Of course I had to purchase some goodies too! I bought two new specialty rulers, some patterns and a bundle of fat quarters to go with one of the new patterns. A couple of things that I ordered are on back order. They are an aqua colored rotary cutter and a nifty marking pencil.

These fat quarters will be used with one of the new patterns and specialty ruler that I bought. They had a sample quilt made using the same pattern and fabric and it was beautiful. I will use a plain white fabric for the background in this quilt.

While I was there, I picked up the next clue for the Brown Bag Mystery Quilt. The clues are very simple and easy to sew.  I made and pressed clue 4 this afternoon.

Jul

5

Twisted Blossom – Block 1

Posted Sunday, July 5th, 2015 in QAL | Read More

Sew Kind of Wonderful is hosting a free QAL, July 1-August 31, using the Quick Curve Ruler. This was of great interest to me because I bought the ruler when I saw a demo at the local quilt shop last spring. I have wanted to try it but was not ready to start the larger project for which it was purchased.

I had to purchase the Metro Twist pattern to make this block. I went to my LQS  where I bought the ruler but they did not have it in stock. They offered to order it but I didn’t want to wait to start my block. I ordered it online and did the digital download to have it instantly.

I looked through my fabric stash and found a small bundle of fat quarters that I bought but didn’t have a plan for its use. I divided it into 4 colorways and added some fabric to it. I cut into the reds before taking the following picture. You will see them in the finished block.

This is the first block.

This is the first time I have used the Quick Curve Ruler. I liked the way it was constructed. It was easy to cut the curve with my 45 mm rotary cutter. It was very sturdy which made it stable while cutting.

The pattern seemed a little complicated. I read through the entire pattern before starting. I went back and concentrated on just one step at a time and it was not difficult to follow. Because the pieces are right and left sided, it is important to cut half of them right side up and the other half right side down. The other important direction to follow is where to start sewing the curved piece. One side starts 1/4 inch from the top and the other side starts 1/2 inch from the top. The illustrations are very good and give you this information.

The curved pieces are VERY EASY to sew without using any pins. I did use tweezers to hold the end while sewing.

I hope this encourages you to join me in the quilt along! Happy Sewing!

Jun

28

Cut, Sew, Press, Quilt!

Posted Sunday, June 28th, 2015 in My Projects, Quilting tools | Read More

I have been so busy with the family that I have not posted some of the projects that I made this spring. We are loving the fact that we live so close to our family now. It is amazing to watch the babies grow and learn. (Although I doubt Eli would like to be called a baby. He is three years old!)

My daughter gave me a bundle of batik fat quarters, “Bobbins and Bits” by Pat Sloan, for Christmas last year. She also gave me a pattern by Lori Holt, Cut. Sew. Press. Quilt.. I had so much fun making these quilts. I was happy that I had “Alphabitties” to help me keep track of the pieces. I won them last year when doing a quilt along with Lori Holt.

I haven’t quilted them yet. I am still trying to decide if I want to quilt them or frame them. They will all be hung near the appropriate area in my new sewing room.

Don’t forget to come back for the next “Zelda: The Quilt-Along” block later this week!

Happy Quilting!

Linda

May

16

Spring 2015 in Columbus

Posted Saturday, May 16th, 2015 in Fabric Stash, My Projects | Read More

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted anything except Zelda blocks. This has been a week of finishing some of my projects.

Jen and I took a  class at Quilt Trends this spring using a Judy Niemeyer pattern. Judy’s patterns are paper pieced and that was never very high on my list of things to do. I do have to say that I really enjoyed the class and am ready to make another PP quilt.

Quilt Trends made up kits of fabric for this class. We purchased the kits and I loved the fabrics they selected. Jen and I have identical fabrics but we chose to pair them differently. This week I put the final border on my “Island Sunrise” quilt from the class. My plans are to hang it in my entrance way when it is quilted. The colors in the quilt are more intense than they are in the picture. (This was taken with my phone.)

Last fall I bought a pattern to make a wall hanging for my kitchen. The pattern was purchased at Quilt Beginnings in Columbus and is from Fig Tree Quilts. I bought two red FQs but the rest of the fabric I used is from my stash.

I wanted to find another pattern to go with the pears but could not find what I wanted. When I received the “Farm Girl Vintage” book that I had ordered from Lori Holt, I found a cherries block that was just what I had in mind for the second wall hanging. I used the leftover scraps from the pear quilt and added a few more red fabrics from my stash. I designed the quilt using the cherries blocks to be similar in size to the pears quilt.

I have several other projects to show you but they will have to wait until I take more pictures.

May

9

Night Sky / Lily Pad Lake

Posted Friday, May 9th, 2014 in Quilting | Read More

Some of my Piecemakers friends and I went to the quilt show at Sauder Village on Saturday, May 3. We enjoyed viewing all the beautiful quilts and watching the demonstrations of new quilt products. The demo that caught my eye was the quilt pattern “Night Sky” and the accompanying ruler, “Sidekick” by Jaybird Quilts. Each block in the quilt uses four shades of the same color. Four fat quarters will make six blocks. I have the perfect fat quarter bundle for this pattern. Last Christmas, Bob gave me a Robert Kaufman Fat Quarter Bundle in Farmer’s Market Colorstory. It contains solid color fat quarters in 23 different shades of green.

I do not want to use black background as shown in the pattern because the darkest FQs are very dark. As usual, my daughter had a great idea for the color of the background fabric. She said the blocks reminded her of water lilies and suggested a blue background. I will expand that theme a bit and  make one block in shades of pink to represent a water lily flower.

My next step in the construction of this quilt will be a trip to the quilt shop to choose background fabric and some pink fat quarters.

Stay tuned for the finished quilt, hopefully soon!

Apr

28

Great Granny Squared Sew Along

Posted Monday, April 28th, 2014 in Quilting | Read More

A new sew along began on April 21. We were away visiting our children and grandbabies for a few days and I didn’t start my first block until the end of the week. I finished my basket block on Sunday and cut out the yarn block too. On Monday I put the second block together. I have to admit, I didn’t know what the crochet hook block was until I read the blog. (I thought it was an arrow. lol)

I am using 1930’s reproduction fabrics leftover from the barn blocks I made last year.  I may have to use a few fat quarters from my collection before this sew along is finished.

If you want to join the sew along, it can be found on the Jolly Jabber blog. There are two settings for the blocks. I plan to use the setting by Kimberly.

Basket block

Crochet hook and balls of yarn

Aug

30

Eli’s Tractor Quilt

Posted Friday, August 30th, 2013 in Accuquilt Go cutter, baby quilt, Quilting | Read More

Our grandson loves tractors. When he visits us, he likes to ride on the old pedal tractor that Grandpa played with as a child, and ride with daddy on the John Deere lawn mower.When I saw how much he loves tractors, I had to make him a tractor quilt.

I had several John Deere fat quarters that were a Christmas gift from Jeff and Christina several years ago. I also had a tractor panel that I bought to go with the FQs. I cut the FQs into six inch tumbler blocks with my Accuquilt Go cutter and joined them to make borders around the panel. I quilted it with a meandering design.

When I showed the quilt to Eli, he pointed to it and said, “Tractor!”. We put the quilt on the floor and he danced on it and then rolled on it as he wrapped it around himself. Next he stood up and dragged it behind him as he went to the bedroom. I think he likes it! LOL

I’m sorry for the poor photography but he was on the move!

Apr

25

2013 Relay for Life Quilt

Posted Thursday, April 25th, 2013 in Quilting | Read More

Hicksville Piecemakers, my small quilt group, has made a quilt for Relay for Life each year since 2006. Last year we were given four yards of a bright pink fabric to use in our quilt. We made a black and white Disappearing Nine Patch quilt with the pink in the center block. It was so well received that we decided to use the black and white palette again this year. Each quilter was given a piece of the pink fabric and a fat quarter of white with black polka dots background fabric. We each chose two block patterns and made two 12 inch blocks. Colleen purchased black fabric to frame each block and a white on black print for sashing.

We made our blocks at home and took them to our weekly meeting. As a group, we trimmed them all to 14 1/2 inches. Five of us met on a Saturday to assemble the top. I brought the top home and quilted it, added the binding and made a label. Colleen will hand stitch the binding to the back of the quilt.

The quilt is twin sized, 66 1/2 X 82 1/2 inches.

Jun

2

Mini Quilts

Posted Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 in Fabric Stash, Fabrics, Quilting | Read More

Last month I refolded all the fabric in my armoire and found two kits for small wall hanging quilts. I ordered them both from Connecting Threads several years ago. I worked on both of them over Memorial Day weekend.

This quilt kit was called “I Love to Quilt Spools” and included the pattern and fat quarters of fabric.

This second quilt is called “Flowers from the Scrapbag”. It also included a pattern and fat quarters. When I completed the top I had enough fabric leftover to piece together for the backing.

I fused the flowers to the quilt and machine blanket stitched in matching thread around each applique. The stems are pieced into the background fabric.

Jan

30

2012 Craftsy Free BOM

Posted Monday, January 30th, 2012 in Amy Butler, Fabrics, Heather Bailey | Read More

I am making the free block of the month quilt offered at craftsy.com this year. There will be two patterns available each month. The picture  shows the blocks I made for January and February. I am using  Amy Butler and Heather Bailey fabrics that I bought at Fabrics and Friends quilt shop in Roanoke, IN.

Three friends and I went to Roanoke together and we each bought one yard of seven different fabrics. We took it home and cut it into fat quarters. We then exchanged FQs to each have 28 different fabrics.

I am enjoying these fabrics. They are not the patterns and colors that I normally use in my quilts.

Sep

25

Happy Quilting Stars Quilt-Along Table Runner

Posted Sunday, September 25th, 2011 in My Projects, Scrap Quilts, table runner | Read More

This table runner was made of scraps from the Modern Row Robin quilt-along that I participated in earlier this summer.  The binding will  be scrappy.

I finished this top last evening to take a break from the Double Wedding Ring quilt that has consumed my sewing time this summer.

Sep

4

Happy Quilting Block 4

Posted Sunday, September 4th, 2011 in table runner | Read More

This is the fourth block.  I have plenty of fabric left and plan to make a scrappy border to place around the table runner.

Jul

15

Modern Row Robin Quilt Along

Posted Friday, July 15th, 2011 in baby quilt, Fabric Stash | Read More

Last week a quilting friend sent me an email with a link to a Row Robin that does not require exchanging rows with other quilters. Five bloggers are creating this  row quilt by posting a new row each Monday  for five weeks. I have completed two rows at this time.  I am using fat quarters from  Moda’s City Girl line of fabric.

The finished quilt should be 48″ X 60″. I think it will make a nice baby quilt.

Row 1 was posted by  Lisa Marie from That Crazy Quilty Girl

Row 2 was  posted by Melissa from Lilac Lane

I did not place my row 2 blocks in the same order as the designer.  I want the  largest star to move  into the row from the end because  it only has four points, progressing down the row to the smallest stars.

If you would like to quilt along, visit the sites listed below.

Row 1- Lisa Marie from That Crazy Quilty Girl
Row 2- Melissa from Lilac Lane
Row 3- Heather and Megan from Quilt Story
Row 4- Anne Marie of Gen X Quilters
Row 5-Jen at ReannaLily Designs Blog

Check back next week to see my next row!

May

2

Planning a new project

Posted Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 in Fabric Stash, Fabrics, My Projects, Patterns, Quilt Blocks | Read More

I saw this collection of Frolic fabrics by Moda at Threads of Tradition quilt shop in Archbold and just had to have them. There are 11 fat quarters. I will use them to make a small version of  Turning Twenty Again putting an embroidery design in each block. I am thinking of using a dark brown embroidery thread to do a floral design.