Quilting Linda: A Quilting Blog by Linda West

Nov

26

Piecemakers Row Quilt 2013

Posted Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 in Quilting | Read More

My quilt group, Hicksville Piecemakers, completed this row quilt recently. We are going to raffle it to raise money for a friend who has been experiencing serious medical issues. You can buy tickets at the Village Christmas event. We will have a booth in the multipurpose building at the Defiance County Fairgrounds on Dec. 6,7,8 and 13, 14, 15.

The pattern is from a mystery quilt in McCall’s Quilting magazine in 2005. We divided the rows among the quilters and used fabric from our group fabric stash. Some of the rows had as many as three people working on them. We made the rows at home and brought them to quilt group meetings to assemble the quilt top. I quilted it on my short-arm machine and frame. This is our best quilt ever! I had no issues with loading it on the frame and quilting it. Good job ladies!!!

Jul

14

Piecemakers Row Quilt – 2013

Posted Sunday, July 14th, 2013 in Scrap Quilts | Read More

Piecemakers Quilt Group made two row quilts in the past. We chose a color scheme, background fabric, and pattern. Each person chose the row they wanted to make and we added our own fabrics to the row. This has been a favorite project for the group and we wanted to make another row quilt.

I found a pattern in an old magazine and took it to the group. The pattern was approved by the group but there were not enough rows for each person to do an entire row. We divided the rows to fit the number of members. Jeannie and I are working on the same row. I am making the people and she is making the hearts.

We didn’t care for the pattern for the people in the pattern. I found patterns for boys and girls in a quilt book by Nancy Johnson-Srebro  and used them for my blocks. Jeannie and I used the same fabric for the background but the other fabrics are from our fabric stashes.

Jeannie’s hearts will go between the children in our row.

Stayed tuned for further updates to the Row Quilt.

May

28

Piecemakers Challenge

Posted Tuesday, May 28th, 2013 in Quilting | Read More

My small quilt group, Piecemakers, has a fabric stash that we recently organized by refolding. Everything is now folded to the same size and is more accessible. We were challenged to take a few pieces from the stash and make a quilt. The finished quilts will be put in  our quilt bank for emergencies.

I chose a panel of fabric and used my fabrics to make a pieced border for the quilt. The panel was not an even measurement that matched the size pinwheels I made. I added solid black to the left side and bottom of the panel to make the border fit the panel. My idea was to only border the sides on which the black fabric was added.

I put the quilt top over my frame and left it there for a few hours. Every time I walked by it, I thought it looked unfinished. I decided to add pinwheels all around the quilt for a finished look. I think I like this better.

Which do you prefer?

My next decision is to choose a thread color for quilting. I am thinking of a bright variegated thread.

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.

Apr

15

2012 Quilt for “Relay for Life”

Posted Sunday, April 15th, 2012 in Patterns, Quilting | Read More

Each year my small quilt group, Piecemakers, makes a quilt to be raffled for Relay for Life. The group was given a large piece of bright pink fabric to use in the quilt. We decided to use it with black and white fabric to tone down the bright pink color. Ten of us were given six squares of the pink to use with our own black and white prints. We each made 6 nine patch blocks with the pink in the center square. The nine patches were cut into quarters, turning two quarters 180 degrees and sewn back together. The block is called 9 to 4 or Disappearing Nine Patch.

We added a small flange of the pink fabric between the quilt top and the border. The flange was top stitched to avoid catching it on the machine foot while quilting.

I quilted it with white thread in a  loopy meandering pattern.

Mar

9

Machine Embroidered Quilt Labels

Posted Friday, March 9th, 2012 in Embroidered Quilt Label | Read More

Every year our quilt group, Piecemakers, makes a quilt for the first baby born at Community Memorial Hospital in the new year. This year we forgot to put a label on the back. The mother of the recipient sent us a thank you note and asked for information about the quilt and if we would make a label for the quilt. This afternoon I embroidered a label for it on leftover backing fabric.

While I had the embroidery machine opened, I made a label for the quilt that the quilt group is making for Relay for Life.

Mar

5

Getting an early start…

Posted Saturday, March 5th, 2011 in baby quilt, Fabric Stash, Fabrics, My Projects, Quilt Blocks, Quilt Guilds | Read More

Each year my small quilt group, Piecemakers, makes a baby quilt for the first baby born in the new year at CMH (Community Memorial Hospital). We decided we wanted to get started early this year  so there is not a rush at the end of the year to get it quilted. I appreciate this since I am usually the person doing the quilting.

Carol and I went to a quilt shop in Roanoke, IN the last week in December, 2010, and found a nice panel to use for the center of the quilt. We decided to make a border of four-patch blocks using the colors found in the panel. The quilt group looked through our stash at the church and found colors to match. I cut the fabric into strips and they were taken home by several members.

Last Thursday the group arranged the four-patches around the panel and Kris and I sewed them into borders at the meeting. I brought them home and added them to the panel today.

As soon as I find fabric for the backing, I will load it on my quilt frame and do the quilting.

Dec

18

Quilt for 2011 New Year’s Baby

Posted Saturday, December 18th, 2010 in baby quilt, Piecemakers Quilt Group, Quilting | Read More

Every year my small quilt group, Piecemakers, makes a quilt to be given to the first baby born in the new year at Community Memorial Hospital. This year we each made disappearing  four patch blocks using bright fabrics. Carol put them together using black polka dot  sashing fabric and I quilted it with bright variegated thread.  Colleen is adding the binding, using the same black polka dot fabric.

Welcome baby!

Dec

11

Piecemakers Christmas Party

Posted Saturday, December 11th, 2010 in Christmas gift, Quilt Guilds, Quilting | Read More

Thursday night my quilt group met for a pot luck dinner, games, and gift exchange.  The meal was delicious  and the fellowship was wonderful. We each brought 2 fat quarters for prizes for Christmas Bingo and a gift. For the exchange we could chose a gift from under the tree or could take a gift that someone had opened.  The first gift I opened was taken and I got to choose another gift. The gift I brought home was hand made. It is a wooden waste basket with a quilt block painted on it. The basket holds a plastic grocery bag by slipping the handle opening over the handles on the basket. I also received two mini-bolts of green fabric. They are the same shades of green as the two fat quarters that I won playing Bingo!

Jul

31

Double wedding ring quilt is quilted!

Posted Saturday, July 31st, 2010 in Family, Quilting | Read More

I made a double wedding ring quilt for my daughter and son-in-law for their wedding almost two years ago. I finished the top but was stalled by the quilting process. I wanted to quilt it myself but was very intimidated by the pattern.

I had checked with a longarm quilter and her rates were astronomical for a double wedding ring quilt. I met another longarm quilter and checked her rates which were much more acceptable. I scheduled a quilting time with her in December 2009  and found she did not have an opening until July, 2010. I took it to her on July 13 with a scheduled date of the week of July 26. (She reserves an entire week for a double wedding ring quilt.)

I received a call from Kat on Thursday afternoon, July 29, saying the quilt was finished! I picked it up on Friday afternoon. It is beautiful!

The next step is the binding. It has a scalloped edge all around the quilt. I will have to make a bias binding much more narrow than I normally use . My goal is to have it finished by September 27, Jen and Tristan’s second anniversary.

The longarm quilter is Kat Waterson.  Her website:  http://www.quiltingkat.com

Jul

11

Piecemakers Workshop

Posted Sunday, July 11th, 2010 in Patterns, Quilt Blocks, Quilting, Websites | Read More

On Saturday, July 10, nine members of  Piecemakers Quilt Group met at Grace United Methodist Church for a workshop and pot luck lunch. This is an annual event where we all work on our own projects but use the same pattern. This year we decided to not start a new project, but to bring an unfinished object (UFO) to complete.  This event was so successful that we now plan to hold another workshop in the fall.

The project that I took to the workshop was the Fun and Done quilt that I started at the workshop last year. It is a quilt- as- you- go pattern. I had completed 48 blocks and had them joined into rows. On Saturday I top-stitched the sashing pieces that finish the quilt. When the workshop ended I had all the sashing finished and just had to top-stitch the binding which I did at home.

The finished quilt is approximately 45 X 60 inches.

To see more Fun and Done patterns go to  http://www.prairieskyquilting.com

Nov

26

Piecemakers’ Row Quilt

Posted Thursday, November 26th, 2009 in My Projects, Quilt Guilds | Read More

Our quilt group that meets at Grace United Methodist Church made this quilt in 2009. Each row was made by a member of the group. I pieced the fence and the row of houses. This is the second row quilt we have done.

May

11

New QAYG pattern

Posted Monday, May 11th, 2009 in My Projects, Patterns, Quilt Guilds, Quilt Shows | Read More

I bought a new pattern and templates at the Sauder Quilt Show to make an “Easy Diamonds” quilt with the FUN AND DONE quilting method. It is similar to the “Cotton Theory” quilt as you go method.