Monthly Mini and Pam Buda projects

My January monthly mini is made of Old Italian blocks (sometimes called X blocks). I think I first was introduced to this easy construction method on Barbara Black's blog here.  I used her directions that call for 5" charm squares, with blocks finishing at 3". That makes this finish at 15"x18". Will link up with Wendy at The Constant Quilter blog when her Monthly Mini post goes up.

I had received a gift of a lovely charm pack a few weeks ago. I pulled several squares from it, and a few more squares from a couple of other charm packs I had on hand. I ended up cutting six more blocks from my scrap baskets, trying to get a good variety of styles and colors. I chose a couple of Barbara Brackman grey/blues for the binding. I wanted it to look like a "make do" scrap quilt where I didn't have enough of one fabric for the binding (even though I did). But you can tell I wasn't real brave about it or I would have used two fabrics that didn't look so much alike.

Oh, it was hard for me to resist continually rearranging the blocks to avoid like colors being next to each other. I am so proud of myself for leaving the two brightest blue blocks touching each other at their corners, and leaving a cluster of 3 red Xs next to a red block. It doesn't even bother me. (*twitch*twitch*)

I don't know if you can tell from either photo that I just quilted in every single, stinkin' ditch. That is only 49 passes across this little quilt to get the diagonal lines and the lines between the blocks.

And yes, in case you are wondering, I have not yet stained my mini quilt display rack. Eventually...

 

I have the first row made of my "Every Little Bit" quilt, designed by Pam Buda (in magazine found here), along with 2 rows of sashing. I know I won't always be able to get a row made in a month, but I am grateful when I can find enough sewing time to make this kind of progress. These are 6" finished blocks and there are 52 different fabrics in each block.

I realized that the two projects on my design wall are each designed by Pam Buda. I attended a retreat 7 years ago where she was the featured teacher. One of the days was spent working on the Settler's Puzzle quilt (on the right). 

It is designed as a 2 color quilt. I went rogue and cut mine in 3 colors, but after the retreat it spent a LOT of time in the closet. Two years ago I pulled it out and determined I would finish the blocks, which I did. A few months ago I pulled it back out and was working on the borders. I just had to do it--I HAD to add a fourth color, and I cut a dark green border. If I have enough, I may bind it in the same dark green. I really stall on borders, so I am leaving this on the wall until I force myself to get the borders attached.

I can't even think of a way to close this post. Mom isn't doing well and I am emotionally spent. So there you have it.

Until next time, be kind and generous in your attitude toward others--even those with whom you disagree.

Janet O.

Full moon rising over the Bear River Range of mountains on Thursday. The photo is a tad blurry, but it is a lovely view.

Which mini will win?

I had intended to finish this little quilt for my June mini. As you can see, I did not. 

So will it be July's? Yet to be determined. It is made from a pattern for a flag pin, by Diane Hansen of Flag Farm designs. This is an enlargement of the pattern, and I added  everything from the red border on out. I'd had it all squared up, but the triple sashing border is really crooked and I didn't notice it until I was pinning to quilt it. Just couldn't bring myself to do it--it will have to be unpicked and maybe just leave that border off altogether.

I could just quilt this up--another less-than-satisfactory assembly job.

A few months ago, on a hunt for something else, I came across a little bag that contained a bunch of purple scraps, with a few blacks, some tan, and a tiny bit of cheddar. They were leftovers from another mini a few years ago. I had put them in the bag together thinking one day I would challenge myself to make something just using those scraps. I've finished it, taken it apart, and reassembled it a couple of times. This last time I just decided to border it and call it done. I pulled out a lovely FQ of this black miniature print by Judie Rothermel that was a gift from dear Victoria, once upon a time. I have loved it and saved it for something special. But I thought that maybe putting it on this little piece would make me like the quilt  better. It was too much black, and the cheddar in the center looked really out of place. A dig through a couple of scrap baskets produced enough purple and cheddar to add the pinwheels to the corners. I do believe the black border makes me like it more, and the cheddar in the corners pulls out the center, but I don't know if I am ready to call it done and quilt it any more than I am the one above. You will just have to wait on pins and needles to see which one I actually finish before the month is out--or maybe it will be something entirely different. Can you handle the suspense? :)

Since I seem to be rolling out the old projects lately, here is another one--though not as old as my GFG, by any means. This one has only been around about 5 years. Meet Settler's Puzzle--a Pam Buda design.

I started this in January of 2014, when Pam Buda was our guest teacher at our winter retreat. I had come home with just a couple of blocks made, and every year I seem to eke out a couple more. So now all of the blocks are made. You can see I am auditioning a dark green inner border, and then there will be a sawtooth border, before a final wide border. This is supposed to be a 2 color quilt--and as much as I admire them, I struggle to make them. After too long with only two colors I start to get nervous, and I might even start to twitch--pretty soon I am grabbing other colors and throwing them in the mix. It is a miracle that I have only bumped this one up to 4 colors, after all those years. It feels good to be making progress on it.

Thank you to all who have contributed your thoughts and prayers for my Mom. They found a tumor in a lung when she was scanned for injuries after her fall in May. We are still learning what the future holds for her. One step at a time.

Until next time.
Janet O.

Back to Normal...

...normal life, and almost normal computer.
Had a glorious time at retreat, sponsored by Village Dry Goods in Brigham City, UT! I came home with no new UFOs! There were mini classes offered during the three day period, and I was one of only a very few that took none of them! Just kept my focus on the projects I brought, and making progress.

I took a different large UFO to work on each of the three days, and then I had a couple of minis and bonus triangles to use as leader/enders and to fill in the gaps when I got tired of my "big" project.

Day One: I worked on my Scrappy Trips blocks. This is a Bonnie Hunter free pattern, and I started it in January 2013, when it was really making the rounds in social media. A LQS held a free sew day to come and learn how to make it (which you can read about here). I already knew how, but thought it would be fun to participate, so I did.

(I didn't purposely lay it out in the shape of Utah, but thought it was interesting that it ended up that way.)
There were 12 blocks already made when I went to retreat. I made 6 more blocks, and got a start on two more--and I have all the strips cut for more, so I can just sew, sew, sew!



Can't decide how many blocks I will end up making for this quilt. I think I would like 40, but I may not be patient enough to wait another 5 years to see that happen!





When my enthusiasm for Scrappy Trips waned, I pulled out my little paper pieced blocks for the Kim Diehl mini. They really don't take long to make, but I didn't spend much time with them, so I only made 4. They will finish at 2".

Day Two: My "big quilt" focus for this day was the "Legendary" quilt of Sasquatch, by Elizabeth Hartman. I completed the Sasquatch block and the first tree in a class at  a LQS in November. So my goal for retreat was to get all of the flippy corners sewn on the tree sections. Mission accomplished! They went from this..............................................................................to this!






















Day Three:  My main project for this day was a quilt called Settler's Puzzle. It is a Pam Buda design, and I started this at the retreat in 2014, when Pam was the invited teacher.

I only had 2 complete blocks when I arrived, and I went home with 6 finished. The pattern calls for 12, so I am halfway there. Though all of the parts were already cut out, I had to spend a lot of time on this one, getting all of the individual components made. Once that was done, the blocks went together very quickly!




I have the next 3 laid out on design boards--sans the red/gold HSTs. Those are cut, and shouldn't take too long!



This was held at The Academy Conference Center in Brigham City, UT--the same place where I took Bonnie Hunter's classes last summer. Such a lovely venue. This is looking from one end of the room to the other.

Each quilter got a full table to herself, but they pushed 4 tables together so we could visit as we worked.

It is hard to tell from the photo above, but at the end of the room there is a big, wide staircase that takes you down into the luncheon area.

As we descended the stairs for lunch, we joked that we felt we should be wearing ball gowns, tiaras, and glass slippers.

Each day there was some kind of program at lunch. The first two days were trunk shows.
The third day was an author/potter. His wife is a quilter, so some of his pottery caters to us. I picked up this lovely, magnetic pin bowl. I love functional things that are pretty, too!












My retreat buddy (Kim), and I became good friends with our table mates, and look forward to next year, hoping we will meet up again.

Standing L to R: Liz B., myself
Sitting L to R: Kim W., Annette B. (Liz's MIL)
I shared this experience with such wonderful women--kind, thoughtful, funny, sometimes silly, and always willing to go out of their way for you.I'm sure that sounds like most quilters you know.
When I returned home I looked at the blocks I had left up on my design wall during my absence, and I suddenly knew what I wanted to do with them.

All of these blocks came from Karen (karen-logcabinquilter.blogspot.com). They are from two different projects for which she had lost interest. The 5 center blocks were from one project, and the outer stars are from another large bunch of stars that I seem to be parceling out to various projects. I have border fabrics hanging to the side. You can't see it in the photo very well, but each of the fabrics in the sashing, setting triangles, and borders are small prints. I didn't want solids, but I also didn't want to compete with the blocks. I want them to shine. 
Thank you, Karen, for the privilege of working with your lovely blocks!
Enough of my ramblings!
Until next time, 
Janet O.