I Can Dig It!

Hi everyone!  As I mentioned in my last post, I'm still working on my Kansas Dugout phone book quilt.  I got to about here ...

... then asked my friends if I should keep going or call it done. It was a close vote, but I decided to keep going. Mostly because I still am swimming in scraps.

As I mentioned, I "double marked" my flippy squares, so I automatically have another half square triangle (HST) ready to go:

I am up to my ears in these things for this project!  I've been cutting between my two lines ...

... then need to square up my "leftover" HSTs.  Fortunately for me, my friend Pam shared an awesome link (found here) that shows a quicker way to square them up.  Half the cutting.  It's awesome!  I do have a tiny 2.5" ruler that is perfect for these:

I've found it's a bit hard to hold that ruler still.  For me.  At this point.  I have no idea.  Anyway, if I use another, larger ruler, it's easier.  I can use my 8.5" square ruler and just line up the 2.5" mark on both sides of the stitched line, then slice away.  OR rather than using a dry erase marker like in the link from Pam (since I'd have to go buy one), I can use masking tape.  Easy as pie.

Mmm.  Pie.  Make mine Lemon Meringue, please.

ANYWAY ...

I played around with my HSTs in the same layout I showed you yesterday:

What would you call that?  A twist?  Double Helix?  DNA?  Something.  Anyway, I think it's very cool.

Here's where I'm currently sitting with my Kansas Dugout blocks:

It's shaping up nicely - AND I'm starting to see the light of day in some of my scrap/string baskets!!!  I'm totally digging this Kansas Dugout!

Thanks for reading!

KZK

Back To The X&+ Scene

Hi everyone!  I mentioned last month that my friend Denise and I were going to work on a scrap quilt together -- the X Plus/X&+/whatever block.  I'm happy that a few other friends have joined in!  Since I jumped the gun before Christmas, I wanted to try it again, using different fabrics.

I chose to work in a line I'd purchased YEARS ago - I made a quilt for a friend with some of it, made a quilt for us with some of it, made some pillows, and ... I had always planned to make something for our dining room table, too.  Now was the time!

Here's the first block:

Egads, I love that fabric! In keeping with the "scrap" theme, I wanted all of my blocks to be different. It's a good thing, as I didn't have enough of anything to make them all the same anyway. Here is the lineup of blocks I came up with:

I'm not sure if the greens get lost. Do they? Or is it because I don't see greens well? (I am color-blind.). They "go", but seem ... blah. The runner needed something else.

As I made the flippy squares for the "X" part of the block, I also marked 1/2" away. I sewed on both lines, then cut down the center, so I'd have lots of half-square triangles (HSTs) to play around with:

I started to see what I could do with them. I really liked this layout ...

... but not for this project. (I'm also saving the HSTs from the current phone book quilt, the Kansas Dugout one!  This is a definite possibility for them!)

I came up with another idea for a bit of a border; you can see a bit of it here:

The only problem I hit making this is wow. I generated more scraps.

How does that happen?!!? Oh, well. They're going into the Kansas Dugout quilt with several thousands of their friends.

I've got the binding all set:

I've also got it all basted and chose my quilting thread:

Fear not! I have another spool. It's King Tut, Sands of Time - variegated beiges. Oh, so pleasing!  I am having a hard time deciding how I want to quilt this, so it's temporarily on hold.

I'll show you how the KS Dugout is coming soon. I'm also still sewing the binding on the Frenzy Quilt.  I'll get there!

Thank you so much for reading!
KZK

Lots Going On!

Hi everyone!  I've been going crazy in the Quilt Studio lately.  I'm taking this afternoon off to do some cooking and laundry - and to try to catch you up a bit!

Didn't I swear I wouldn't do another phone book quilt again?  Or at least not any time real soon?  Then explain this:

At least it's a break from this:

Yep. Still sewing the binding on the Frenzy Quilt.

But see ... I had some partial pages of strings sewn together --leftovers from the String Quilt that I made for the foot of our bed.  I couldn't just toss those away! Right? I thought they'd make cute 3" Kansas Dugout blocks!

That's them on the left there. I cut the "flippy squares" for the corners the wrong size on one. Or four. Actually eight times, if you want to get specific. But hey! There are no mistakes, just creative challenges. Right?

I thought the 3" blocks were so cute, I made some larger ones.

Somehow my baskets of scraps are still very full, so I thought this would be a great idea! (Except for the picking the paper out, but ... whatever.)

Before I knew it, my KS Dugout blocks had multiplied and I had this:

I thought they needed more friends, so ...

And ... yeah. I'm still making more, just because.

What am I making? I have no idea. I don't want to get too big. We'll see, though.

More to come soon! Thanks for reading!
KZK

Rolling Along

I'm not sure why I took so many shots of the binding for the Frenzy Quilt, but let's have a go at them!

First, because this quilt is HUGE (have I mentioned that?), I made a lot of binding.  I had leftover fabs from the backing, so I cut 2.5 inch strips from them and sewed them together.  To prevent tangles and the binding from being all over the place, I wound it around an antique spool:

I like to do that for larger things; it keeps things a bit tidier. I set it in a magnetic bowl; the spool has just enough nails to keep it in the bowl, but it's "spinnable". That's not a word. You all know what I mean, though.

It's a good system!

I love looking at all the fabs in the top!

Again, each block has BDU fabric from my husband's old uniforms in the center, then all patriotic-themed fabrics.

I love looking back on all the "old" fabrics!  I also love my walking foot.  I just thought I'd throw that in there.

Rounding the last corner and heading for home!

Thanks so much for reading!
KZK

Moving Right Along!

Hi everyone! I'm happy to report that I've finished quilting the Frenzy Quilt! I know - I can barely believe it myself!

I stuck to my plan of 3 wavy lines in a cross-grid:

It went very well, except that I was going through thread like a hot knife through butter. I only had two spools of that lovely King Tut Lobelia, so when it came time to wind more bobbins, I was afraid I might run out. Since at least 75% of the reason I'm doing all of this is to use up things on hand, I had a dilemma -- wind more Lobelia and possibly run out of thread for the top? Or substitute something in the bobbin and make do? Note "order more Lobelia" wasn't mentioned - I'm not permitting myself to do that. Yet.

Anyway, I looked through my King Tut stash and ...

King Tut Suez. Close enough for the back. Lighter blues and some other things in there ... but it works.

Here's a look at the front:

I laid it out on the floor to take a couple shots and to show the back, but it would seem Cammie is rather fond of it. That truly touches my heart. Here she is, with a bit of the back showing:

I love that she is interested in this quilt.

I started piecing the binding before I'd even finished the quilting:

That's right -- I let the Pfaff have a little fun! Man, that machine still runs like a dream. It's very basic, but I still love it for piecing!

More to come!

Thanks for reading!
KZK

Next, Please!

Since I finished the newer String Quilt/Phone Book Quilt, I thought I'd best back up and actually quilt the first one I pieced.  You know.  Back in June of 2011.  Actually I started in February of '09. Whoops!  But hey, I'm going back to finish it, so that's what counts -- right?!?

This one is made a bit differently, but is still pieced on phone book pages, using nothing but scraps!  In about the center of each block, I put a small piece of BDU fabric (camouflage fabric from one of my husband's old uniforms), and went from there.  You can get a feel for my "pattern" at this link.  Maybe more "system" than "pattern".  ANYWAY ...

Let me just say that I'm really glad I'm finally quilting it ... and that it's huge. Here it is, as I was making sure I had pieced a large enough backing:

And then sandwiched with the backing and batting:

It's really a cool quilt. I put so many of these fabrics into projects for other people (and for us, too) - it's really fun to see them again.

Because it's so huge (why did I do this to myself?), I struggled with how to quilt. Again, making it easier on myself, I'm going with my favored wavy lines - only this time, I'll eventually have a grid: three waves one way, three the other. Here's the beginning:

The gloves are a pain to wear, but they really do help with gripping.

Here's a look at the back:

I started on the cross-grid yesterday afternoon, but didn't take any photos. I hope to get back to work on it today.

I'm quilting in King Tut 953 - Lobelia. It's LOVELY shades of blue:

And above is my tip of the day - to help keep bobbins with the right threads -- use a golf tee! Very handy.

The girls have been very helpful in the process. They keep me relaxed and laughing, and are great company!

Thanks so much for reading!

Check That One Off!

Hi everyone!  In my quest to reduce my stash and actually finish things, I've checked another project off the list -- the String Quilt!  YAY!

Here's a look, before I washed it:

Oh, right. The ball. I had help in the Studio that day.

"Hello."

Maggie seems to like it. A lot.

I asked my husband to hold it for me after I ran it through the wash. It's so long, he had to go upstairs and hold it over the railing:

And the reverse:

That gives a pretty good look at that triple-line wavy design.

I think I mentioned this is to go at the foot of our bed, overtop of the denim quilt. Here it is, all set:

Have I mentioned Maggie really likes it?

"Could you keep it down, please?"

Her sister does, too. That makes my heart happy!

Thanks for reading!