Sewing on the lattice

    We sure enjoyed the cooler days last week.    Heat has returned but it is not severe.   Plus we have had very intermittent internet and phone this week.   Finally a repairman showed yesterday who couldn't fix it,  and didn't know what to do with our problem. He thought maybe they could get a guy out next week....huh? And that  lead to a strong verbal demand by me---while Sir Old Man melted into the floor--- but a second guy called and showed within the hour!   The fix was easy when he got to the main box.   So we are back up and running with service.   I hate  being the squeaky wheel sometimes, but you have to stand your ground.   

 On to the sewing room.....
   I finished up the lattice blocks from all the large 5'' squares I had cut.  I fiddled with them on the design wall, and realized the more I moved them the worse it was.  LOL....isn't that the way it goes.  So I decided to just put them up as I completed the sewing and trimming.  As long as neighboring blocks were not alike, it stayed where it landed. 
   I webbed together the top 4 rows and sewed them together.  Time to press.

  I still have 8 or so rows to  go on the design wall.  I will probably divide it into 2 sections so it is easier to handle. 

  In between sessions, I pulled out my floral string bin.....it is overly full with all the extra pieces from this last project.  I will be making some small string blocks next. 


   Our neighbor has been making deliveries to our front porch nightly.....as he is sharing his garden goodness!  I make him apple bread in the fall and he brings me tomatoes and cucumbers!  Fair enough I say.  I plan on making another Tomato Pie tonight for dinner  from his bounty.   The link is to an adapted Paula Deen recipe.  I only altered the crust and made a quick one with Bisquick and half n' half. 
  And now to the ironing station....I have seams to press.
Happy stitching. 

Comments from "no-reply"

 This is a rant! 
 I have been inundated this week with comments that are no-reply commenters.  Please tell me why you would ask a question and leave no way for the person to reply to you.  It is like leaving a phone message without your return number. 

   I started to copy and paste the comments here in hopes the person would see them, but why cause more distress.  If you are in doubt about your profile, check to see if your email is linked.  Linked does not mean it is openly displayed, but it allows the blogger to reply to you.  Nothing is shown on the blog.

  Instead, I thought about why I began to blog and what I wanted to accomplish here.  It is to promote quilting in general, to share my experience and knowledge, and have a record of the quilts I make.  So.............here is my list of general replies to some very common questions.   Take your pick  :)

#1.   I do not sell patterns.  Thank you for the interest and kind remarks.  My quilts are made as self-expression.  Many of them have a story behind them.  I suggest you use the search feature on the side bar to look for posts about the quilt you expressed interest in.  Or use the "Labels" feature to look for posts in general.

#2.   I no longer teach classes, instead I share all I know here on my blog.  Like I stated before, use the search feature to look for information on the topic you are interested in.  The Labels feature could also be helpful.  It may take some time, but it is free!

#3.   Each watercolor quilt is unique.  Duplicating them is impossible.  But the technique is learn-able.  I have a page at the top of the blog "Tutorial for designing...." .  Here you will find many links to exact posts full of the details you want.  You are free to print out the full tutorial to use on your own.   Under the Patterns tab at the top of the blog, there are 2 design guides for value for 2 watercolor projects.  I suggest you start there. 

#4.    I have no idea how much yardage is required for this quilt.  Scrap quilts are just that....made from scraps from other projects.   In this one, I added background fabric and border fabric as well as binding.  In general a queen quilt might take about 8 yards of fabric......if the blocks are scraps, who know???? And don't forget the backing.

#5.    A fabric stash is built over years.....not with a single shopping trip.   I bought what I could afford along the way.  For building a floral stash, I bought many fat quarters because you can get a lot of 2'' squares out of a 1/4 yard cut.  But yardage of  at least one to two yards is needed for borders and featured parts. 

#6.  I have no idea.  Buy a book,  or check out Pinterest for information.

  And I will call it a day on this!   Happy stitching. 

Lattice blocks and link

   I have 2 bins of fabrics to sort thru still, but not yet!    There are about 30 more blocks already cut and ready to sew.
   I wanted to make sure I liked the batik blocks mixed in with the floral fabrics.   I began filling the design wall.
 Yes, I like the combos.   And I have something to gaze upon instead of a blank wall.



Once I have a few more blocks sewn and up on the wall, then I will worry about shifting things and the layout.  I'm not sure if I will let things fall where they may, or lump colors or values.  Time will tell, I guess.

  I had a couple of emails about the pattern.  The original pattern I tore out of McCall's Quilting in 2007, called Trading Patches.
   Anyway, I did some hunting on line and finally found an archive link....here. 
  It is not the original article but a resized throw.  The details are the same.

I started  with a 5'' square, slice on the diagonal and add a 1 1/2'' strip to those diagonal cuts.  Block is squared up to 5''.
I mix up the matching when paining the lattice strip to the square of fabric.  Meaning some dark squares get medium to dark strips added, and others get light ones.  The same for the lighter squares.

  I also ran across another variation while searching.  But I did not save the link.....the 5'' squares were cut on the diagonal as this pattern.   But, different halves of the square were sewn to either side of the lattice strip.  A little busier variation but the same technique.

  A new subdivision is going in nearby.  The old golf course was sold and the developers are blasting....blasting with dynamite thru granite.  I don't know why they want  or need to dig so deep, but our nerves are on edge with the vibrations and shaking.  Yesterday, we thought it was an earthquake.   Hate the growth and such out here.  We thought we moved far enough out of town.  Guess not.
  I'll be found in the sewing room avoiding the heat and noise.....happy stitching.

Right now?

  First the saga of that "snake in the grass" scrappy trips top that needed to be ripped apart.  Finally un-sewn, gently starched and pressed, and re-sewn correctly.....including the outer stay-stitching.   I find I am no longer in love with it, and not really wanting to finish it.  At least  not right now.  At some point in time for someone.....just not  right now.

   I toyed with the idea of Bonnie's new leader and ender block project, the Shoo Fly block.  I think I would enjoy it larger rather than the 4 or 6 inch version.    Since I am not in the mood to figure it out or do the math, I am passing for right now. 
    Are you sensing a theme in my mood....right now?   Maybe it is the heat and humidity, or it could be the summer doldrums that has me unsettled and unfocused.  When I get this way, I tend to return to a favorite pattern that I did enjoy.
   Looking into the stash closet, I saw a couple of partial packages of pre-cut charms squares in the batik basket.   I never buy those pre-cuts, so I am pretty sure, they were won several years back.  Then the floral fabric shelves are overflowing and need to be organized.  That means pulling things out and refolding or stacking.  So if I am going to handle things once, I am going to make it count for something.

  This is a scrappy quilt made by in 2014, and given away.  I always liked the movement  and variety in the pattern.  So with lots of 5'' squares to use up,  a plan came to mind.    Cutting squares and strips from lots of  floral fabrics, finding some extra batiks for narrow strips, I have been busy in between the ripping.







   I am only about half way thru the re-organizing  right now.  I have a few blocks to show for it.  And that is enough for right now to get me working on a project that I can enjoy.

   Happy stitching.

Need to rip

I thought I was going to finally get this top together, so I just kept sewing.  Instead, when I quickly pinned it up on the wall without even straightening it................

What????????????    Where did that zig-zag come from?   I added the last column upside down and the design gets lost and that wiggly mess appeared.  LOL, I need to laugh at myself.  So I will be doing some ripping to get this mess figured out.  

  Lesson to learn.....when you are tired, quit sewing.  Instead of rushing, take a break.  Look twice before you sew.  

  We have had some visitors and such, so my routine has been a bit off.   Things will fall back in place by month's end.  Maybe by then I will have this thing fixed or done!  

  LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color sent me an email and photo of her finished small project using the Chandelier blocks she made.  Click here for that post.  

Perfect colors  for the holiday week, it turned out so great.  

Have a safe and fun July 4th.....lots of heat here, so I will be inside intead of outdoors this week.  Happy stitching.