Knot my problem

Ever get these little knots when appliqueing? I do. A lot.

I remember a quilt teacher (can't remember which one) told us how to easily fix these types of knots by putting the needle at the base of the knot and pulling up until the knot pops out. The pictures explain it better.

It's been a great tip for me over the years, and it occurred to me I should share it.

If anyone has tips for the other kinds of knots I seem to get in my applique, I'd love to hear them.

Note to self: Make this into a baby quilt

I was looking through my baby-suitable scraps to see what I could use for a quilt when I found a magazine and the note I left myself. Sometimes I can't figure out why I have dog-eared a page: My past self found inspiration in something that completely puzzles my present self.

American Patchwork & Quilting, Quilt Sampler, Spring Summer 2011.

Fortunately, I left myself a note and after taking another look, I had to agree with myself. Yes, Laura Boehnke's Color Option would make a good baby quilt. Too large though so I redrafted to a smaller size.

The center came together quickly, but I didn't like the border fabric I thought I would use.

Nothing else in my stash really worked for me. The bright lime actually seemed to dull the quilt. What I liked, I didn't have enough of so it was off to the quilt shop.

She still had more of the blue I'd used in the very center, and I found a magenta fabric to match that in the print for a quarter-inch flange.

Top is done, and measures about 40 x 48 inches. I found a nice blue and lime green leaf print in the sale rack for the backing so now it is on to the quilting.

A decade in the making

Flag quilt, 56 x 77

I first blogged about this quilt four years ago when it was a six-year-old UFO! My flag quilt was quilted by Maggi Honeyman in a Baptist fan pattern on her longarm. I don't remember how the original was quilted, but this old quilting pattern seemed appropriate, like wind blowing the flags around.

Yes, those cornerstones are half-inch squares.

The binding was completed some time ago, but I kept forgetting to get a picture. After the binding is on, I consider the quilt done, but lately I've been feeling a bit guilty about not putting labels on my quilts. It's taken 10 years to get this far, what's a little more time to add the label? Does anyone have a good method for making labels?

Baby, baby, baby

Yikes! Have I not posted since January? Here's why: baby quilts. Three of them. And my sister asked me yesterday to make one for her friend who is due in June. I'm already brainstorming patterns.

Avery's quilt, 36 x 36 inches.

In the debate on whether to prewash or not, let me just say that if you prewash, it is not enough to do it you must also check the water and wash again if it bleeds. Or throw in some color catchers with the load. One of the reds, long in my stash, bled when I washed the finished quilt. I must not have been paying attention the day I washed it. Eight or nine washings later and a half box of color catchers, and the quilt was presentable again. Quilted in the ditch between blocks and between the squares of the blocks.

Detail of Avery's quilt.

***

Pearl's quilt, 30.5 x 30.5 inches.

This quilt was made with two charm packs. Both from Sweetwater. Lucy's Crab Shack and Noteworthy. I didn't prewash these, so I was expecting shrinkage, but because it's the same manufacturer and designer, I thought the pieces would likely shrink at the same rate, and they did. And they didn't run.

Detail of Pearl's quilt.

Quilted in the ditch on the diagonal. I love these fabrics. Charm packs are a great way to fondle every print without too much of a hit to the pocketbook. I bought yardage of two favorites (hard to choose) for the back and binding. Didn't prewash either so they would shrink similarly to the front. Leftovers have been washed and added back to the stash. I hope I'm not the only person who keeps my washed and unwashed fabrics separate.

Back of Pearl's quilt.

***

Cora's quilt, 36.5 x 46 inches.

This was made to complement the nursery bedding. Gray and yellow, although a color combo I like, was not my first choice for a baby quilt. Took me awhile to come up with a design. Applique too. It's a wonder I finished it before she graduated college given the state of my other applique projects.

Detail of Cora's quilt.

Back of Cora's quilt. Yes, that's more Noteworthy fabric.

Hanging it up

I washed a wall hanging recently and thought I'd share my method for hanging my little quilts.

Attach a picture hook to a thin piece of wood a little narrower than the quilt.

Slip the board into the sleeve on the back of your quilt with the hangar part facing out.

The nail in the wall will catch the picture hanger through the sleeve fabric. 

I have little boards cut to the size of different wall hangings so I can easily change the quilts around the house.   for the hanging sleeve I always use the instructions in "The Quilter's Pocket Reference". Very easy. Even easier if I'd think to add the sleeve at the same time I was putting on binding.

This wall hanging is from 1999. I used the wrong batting so it's a little too puffy, but otherwise I still like it. A classic pattern helps, doesn't it? I made a larger tumbler version too. Both were completed after taking a Cindy Blackberg class. She used to do a Super Bowl class each year at one of the quilt shops near where I lived in Florida. Great way to spend that Sunday.

I quilted it with perle cotton. That was all the rage at the time. Big stitch quilting, I think they called it. Seems like it's popular again. 

My first finish of 2013

If you count a top as a finish that is, and I do.

Baby Dash, 36 x 36.

Helps that it is small! 

A year in review

I was thinking I hadn't really done much this year, but looking back at my blog posts I see that I have finished a few rather large quilts and some tops. I also have a few more things in progress. They aren't UFO's yet!

For the record, here are the 2012 finishes.
Completed quilts:

Pointless Lone Star, 86 x 86,
pattern by Sarah Fielke

Transformer Stars, 76 x 81,
original design by me

70 x 84 inches.

Texas A&M zigzag quilt, 56 x 76.

Triangle Love, 69 x 84,
modified Chopsticks pattern

Scrappy Churn Dash, 61 x 61,
modified Bonnie Hunter mystery

Tops added to the pile waiting for quilting:

Humble Quilts QAL, 19.5 x 26 inches.

Pandora, 63 x 63.

Monkey Wrench, 69 x 75.

Some non-quilting finishes:

Potholders using this tutorial.

Reversible apron using this tutorial.

And another reversible apron using the same tutorial.

And now I can look forward to the new year. Hope you are having a happy one so far.