A Finish: Red Charity Quilt

I finished this quilt up today.  It took around 4ish hours to change the top into a quilt.

The group gave me fleece to use for batting and backing, so it was pretty easy to finish up.  I put the right sides together, then sewed around the outside leaving a space for me to turn the quilt right side out.

At first I was going to keep the right angle corners, but then I decided to curve them out.

I used a saucer to determine the curve, first marked with a pencil, sewed, then cut.

After turning it right side out again I pressed with my fingers to get all the edges oriented so the seam was at the side, rather than with the backing or front showing on the other side.  I put extra pins where the opening was to help keep that in place.

I did a variation of an orange peel design.  This is how I started in the center.

Then it was just a matter of going out one square and finishing the design and stitching around the outside of the piece.

I didn't intend to have the center be off to the side, but I kept going hoping it would look okay in the end.  There was one spot where I deviated from the plan and put an extra loop.  The last two lines I could feel something wasn't right with the thread or tension but when I looked it was okay.  It was only after I pulled it completely off that I saw the two spots with the thread build up.

Added April 18 2019:  Took about 30 minutes to remove the thread buildup, hide the threads and resew the quilting. Looks a lot better now!

It was quick to finish, but I think I prefer working with a binding, then it is easier to go off onto the batting when quilting.  But I'm not sure.  So looking at my notes from the first post on this I guess it took around 8 hours of hands on time with this quilt.  Is that what it would have taken you?

Added April 18, 2019 30 minutes to correct the thread build up issue on the back.

First post on this project here:
https://quiltquest.blogspot.com/2019/03/wip-red-charity-quilt-top-done.html

I used the Singer that Audrey got me from Freecycle and a walking foot for the quilting.

If I do this pattern again I will put two rows around the outside so the points are not lost...

WIP: Red Charity Quilt - top done!

Took between three and four hours to sew this top up.  I did the sewing in two sessions....

Squares are six inches, I started with two blocks each with 36 squares.  I used the same fabric in the diagonal of the blocks, and arranged the blocks so the same fabric would not line up along any of the six inch seams. (I will bind using the same fabric as the diagonals.)

Then I cut each block along the diagonal, and then sewed on the edge of the diagonal cuts about 1/8 of an inch (to help avoid stretching).

Then I placed the resulting four pieces so the triangles were on the outside of a square. 

And I sewed the pieces together!  Magically I was able to nest all the seams. Only the final connecting seam had to be repressed so it was all in the same direction and flat.

The top is now 46 inches square.  A great size for a charity quilt.  It should be easy for me to quilt and bind.  Now I need to decide how to do the quilting!

But first I need to get back to the gifts for the upcoming baby shower!

I think this link will be a good place to start dreaming:

https://youtu.be/0EqnoFQpL4E

I see she is giving some workshops in CA soon - maybe a road trip is in order?

https://www.quintessentialquilting.com/schedule.html

WIPs in Progress: String Log Cabins, Red Charity, and Baby Gifts and Just Get It Done Winner!

Well, I have been busy.  But nothing is complete, yet...

I made more of the strings that will surround the UANDUQAL wonky log cabin with strings quilt.  Was all set to finalize the placement of the blocks, and then received an invitation to a baby shower of a friend's daughter second baby.  I wasn't able to attend the first shower a few years ago when I came down with the shingles (diagnosed when I went to the doctor to receive the shingles shot!).  I never finished that quilt and instead gave her a little gift meant to be a place saver until I finished the quilt.  I reread my notes and see that I used the wrong colors in the blocks I was putting together (but having trouble cutting the final square correctly so the seams would line up).

Here are the blocks I have completed for the wonky log cabin with strings. The log cabins  are placed on top of each  other since my design wall wouldn't hold them all.  Project UANDUQAL.

Here is the link to the post about the original baby quilt.  Notice in the words I say she requested (black, grey and if I had to use another color maybe some purple).   I'm not sure how I converted that to black white, and navy blue.  https://quiltquest.blogspot.com/2017/03/wip-baby-quilt-based-on-allpeoplequilts.html  But since I couldn't get the seams to line up I will save these strips and partially completed blocks for another project, another time.  The Wonky Log Cabin with Strings would almost be the correct colors, but the green and the blue knock it off in the running for the now three year old...

I want to have a quilt for both children for the baby shower on March 23rd.

I'm now thinking of finishing the purple, and black Cultural Fusion Windmill for the first child.
https://quiltquest.blogspot.com/2016/03/omg-march-2016-quilting-cultural-fusion.html
To finish it I just need to square it up and apply the binding.  Would be nice to make a pillow cover too.  I was going to send this to my Swedish friend, but since she doesn't know that was my plan I can make another one for her...  I see in my blog notes I saw a problem with the way I did the quilting as the outer lines will be covered by the binding.  Oh dear.

Then for the new baby (a girl) I may either combine my Liberated Floating Yellow Triangle Quilt:
https://quiltquest.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-variety-of-liberated-floating-yellow.html  This would be pretty easy to put together, but I'm unsure if the mom would like all the yellow and white...  Easy but since I'd have to continue inventing the directions it would be time consuming...

Perhaps better yet, use my newly won fabric from Karen at Just Get It Done Quilts (Blog) that I forgot to write about) and make either a square on point quilt or the Moda So Simple pattern.

The beautiful fabric that I won in a random drawing from Karen Brown is amazing!  30 fat quarters!  In her note she said she hoped I would use it in my next project...

I only need 12 fat quarters for the So Simple pattern though so I'm unsure which to use....  I didn't ask The new mother this time what colors she would like as there is a baby registry where I can see what colors she is liking now...  The fabric Karen sent me match all the colors I think!

Not able to come to any decisions on anything,  I have distracted myself with starting a square on point charity quilt...  Testing this will let me know whether it would be a good pattern to make for the baby girl.

Here are the directions I am doing for this quilt.

Cut squares (my long ruler is 6 x 24 so I cut 6 inch squares).  In doing some rough math since I wanted the quilt to finish at around 42 inches square with out any additional border fabric, I needed 72 squares.

I decided to arrange my squares so when finished there would be an outer border of all the same fabric.  So I needed 12 squares of one fabric, and then 60 squares of a combination of fabric.

Originally I was going to divide my fabrics into darks and lights, but then I added some middle shades and ones that were different as they had large designs.  I just added them in but by by coding them as light or dark the six inch seams never joined with the same fabric.  Once the two squares are together then I will cut each on the diagonal and sew together to get my top.

To work on where the squares would end up I put the pieces of fabric on my bed top:

I decided to try not to stress about it and just be happy if it ended up that two of the same fabric would not have a long seam next to another...

Here is what I have after my first sewing session...

So I have been busy, but nothing is completed.

Do make sure to check out Just Get it Done Quilts!