More of the Same!

That means minis, of course.
Good news--the trunk show is in less than two weeks. Maybe then I can change the subject! : )
Not a lot of quilting time lately, but I have been able to completely finish two little quilts--right down to the labels! The smallest squares in these two quilts are 1/4".

Baby Steps to Heaven and Churn Dash & Chains

I've started the quilting on three of my other minis. I am doing a mix of SITD, FMQ and hand quilting.

 I got  the Spring-colored pineapple ornaments made. I love having little stitched seasonal items to hang from the pegs.

I finally finished the borders on my mini feathered star. You can see the shadow where I am having a hard time getting one of the seams on that center square to lay flat. I have graded the seam allowances and steamed the seam over and over. Maybe I just need to pin it in place and quilt it down! : )

I came across some leftover 4-patches and squares from the quilts I have made from Kansas Troubles fabrics. I trimmed them down so they finished at 1" and made this little quilt top.

We have enjoyed a wonderful 2 week visit from DD#1. She flew back to New Hampshire today. While she was here she wanted to try her hand at wool applique, making some of the  Primitive Gatherings Christmas Stockings. I had purchased the pattern while visiting her in NH last Fall. The last week she was here she got 4 of them made, but I only got photos of the first 3. I think she did a great job!

 She brought some things with her for me to use in my mini trunk show. She made these little ornaments using hexies that have 1/4" sides. I put a quarter in the photo so you could get a perspective on the size. Aren't they cute? I don't know how she does them that tiny!

Next week is the trunk show--finally! But it is also the 3rd anniversary of my blog. I'm sure a giveaway of some kind is in order. I haven't put my mind to it yet, but I'll bet I can come up with something. : )

Oh, I also wanted to pass along some Christmas scraps. When I was working on my Christmas version of the Barrister's SAL, Randy and Sio sent me Christmas scraps. Now that my blocks are finished, I would love to pass them along to someone else interested in making a Christmas sampler. Let me know in your comment if you would like them. If there are just a couple of you, I will split them. If there are more, I will draw a name.

I'll be at the HMQS in Salt Lake City this Friday. Will you be there? I'd love to meet you!

That's all for now,
Janet O.

I get by with a little help from my friends.

I've always loved braid quilts, but after trying one during the Simply Charming Every Other Month SAL last year, I was leery of the bias edges. Since any slight deviations are very obvious in mini quilts, I wasn't sure I could risk it. But when I found a foundation pattern, I knew I would give it a go.       This was made using two mini charm packs of Barbara Brackman lines--Civil War Album, and Ladies Album (thanks, Kris!). I cut each square into 3 strips to use in the braids. The outer border is also from the Ladies Album line. The braids measure 1 1/2" x 7 1/2", and the sashing is 1/4" wide. I alternated the direction the braids pointed to give a subtle chevron effect. That is about as close to "modern" as I will ever get. There are plenty of little strips left--I feel a mini rail fence coming on!

I tried the wandering geese strips of this little gem set in many different colors, but I loved it best in this blue. I tried really hard to love it with a soft purple, but it just didn't click for me. However, I didn't have enough of any one blue this shade in my Civil War repros. I tried to match it at both LQS, without success, and finally determined to "make do". I am loving the fact that this quilt is so fresh and springy looking, and came out of my CW scrap baskets. It would never have worked if I haven't been blessed in the past with scrap donations from blogging friends (thanks Karen and Carol). 

I didn't achieve my goal of having all of the sawtooth borders on this feathered star by tonight. But only one more to go. Part of the issue was that I didn't like the pink border as wide as it was when I had sewn on my first strip of HSTs. So I unpicked it and trimmed down the pink border all around so it would finish at just over 1/4", before reattaching it and adding more. I may add another narrow pink border after the sawtooth border is completed. I am thinking it may be tricky to put the binding on the sawtooth edge after the foundation papers are removed.

Some have asked me where I am getting the patterns for these minis. All of the ones pictured here are based on foundations from issues of the now out-of-print magazine, Miniature Quilts (thanks again Denise and Carole!). I didn't follow any of the patterns as written, but I used the foundations for the braids, geese, and feathered star, to form my own versions of the quilts. If you are interested, keep your eyes open for the magazines at guild swap and giveaway tables, in thrift stores and online (ebay and Etsy usually have some).

Just have to say, this may be the first guild trunk show where much of the quilts are flimsies. Pretty sure the tops I have made so far will not all get quilted in time.  : )
Until next time,
Janet O.

One Down--Three to Go!

I'm talking about the border made of itsy bitsy HSTs on this feathered star. They finish at 1/4"! I couldn't bring myself to make another one yet. That is labor intensive! But I am happy with how this is turning out.

The star block in the center finishes at 4 & 1/4"!

 While I had the pink repro scraps out for the feathered star, I decided to dig out more Spring-like colors to try the Wandering Geese pattern. I will make one more strip of geese and try to squeeze out enough of that blue to border the whole thing.

 I pinned up the 2 1/2" square ruler again to give you a frame of reference for the size of this. The geese finish at 1/2"x1".

While I had the happy colored scraps out, I made a couple of pineapples (2" finished) that will be turned into ornaments to hang from my Shaker peg rack for Spring decor.

Now, what you have all been waiting for--the baby lambs!

This is the view from my sewing room window lately. See that llama sitting sedately among the ewes and their babies? It is their protector and defender, chasing away stray dogs, and any other predators that may happen along. But it is something more than that. It is the babysitter (which apparently means "something that sits while babies climb on it). : )

 I stood at my sewing room window taking pictures and laughing at the antics of the lambs playing "King of the Hill" (or llama) for about 15 minutes the other day, before the llama decided that was enough, and stood up.

So cute! Even a little nuzzling amidst the play. : )

I realized my last post was my 200th. I should have had a giveaway, I guess, but next month I hit my 3 year blogiversary, so I will wait for that milestone. Stay tuned.
Until next time,
Janet O.