I wrote about making the blocks for this quilt last month. They were the 80 blocks I took to our guild meeting last weekend to show how easy it is to remove the papers. I prefer using paper instead of fabric foundations. Some ladies even joked that I was tricking them like Tom Sawyer but I’ll never tell! 😉
Stephanie, an Australian member of our Heartstrings online group, came up with this layout so I’m calling it “Rainbow over Australia” to give her full credit for such a great idea. She’s not just a gifted quilter but an extremely prolific one as well. Quite a feat considering she quilts everything on her domestic machine.
I finished stitching down the binding last night then worked a bit on a new patriotic Brick Street quilt, my favorite 3 Yard Quilt pattern by Fabric Cafe.
I’m behind on frankenbatting, which will be the very next item on my to-do list. I need to use up the small amount of thread left on my longarm bobbins while I’m at it.
My list of inspiration quilts is still untouched so I need to focus on rotating between string quilts, simple Villa Rosa or Fabric Cafe type, and my bucket list. I also want to keep cutting a few scraps at a time to prevent them from overflowing the basket. I need more hours in my day, and more days in my week!
The next quilt will be one from my bucket list. I think I’ll chose the one that looks to be the closest to the finish line.
My doctor’s appointment went well yesterday. Good thing because I need to live a long time to finish all the quilts I want to make. 🙂
In December, I wrote about the online Heartstrings group’s informal annual string block challenge. Today marks the beginning of a new quarter and I’m eager to see how I’m doing. This calculator shows that 90 days have passed, including the start and end dates, so I don’t need to check my calendar to count the actual number of days. I was recovering from a short stint in the hospital after Christmas and didn’t do any sewing in January. So I wondered, did I still manage to make at least 90 blocks??? 🙂
I don’t count my blocks until the quilt is completely finished. Here are the ones completed since the year began. If I remember to do this every quarter, it’ll be easier to total them up at the end of the year.
When I looked back, I realized I never posted a photo of the one I finished on March 13th.
I used 12 string blocks for the sashing. I began with 10″ x 12.5″ rectangle string blocks, then cut each one into 4 units measuring 2.5″ x 12.5″.
Here are the other three. For the Kaffe Fasset and patriotic string quilts I used the easy method of making two half square triangles at a time. For that reason, I’m only counting half as many blocks as you see in those two quilts.
So, let’s count:
12 – patriotic sashing (finished March 13)
24 – Kaffe Fasset 48 HST’s (finished March 6)
60 – patriotic 120 HST’s (finished February 27)
20 – puppy quilt (finished February 21)
116 blocks total
Yay! The patriotic half square triangle blocks only measure 6″ finished instead of 9″ but, I’m giving myself a break on that. I think the pieced blocks in the sashing quilt and the needle turn appliqued puppy make up for it. 🙂
Today I’m stitching the binding down on an 80 block string quilt so I’ll be ahead of my goal. I’m ready to get to my other goals for this year, these bucket list quilts! I think I’ll choose the easiest one first, or maybe one I’ve already made a little progress on. I could always number them and pull one from the hat… hmmm. How to choose?
I’m not sure this is exactly what they meant when the guild asked if I’d do a string quilt trunk show… but, I’m ready! 😉
I’ve numbered the quilts and re-folded them. I want to undo them so they’re in halves, making it easier for volunteers to show the quilts.
The numbers let members note which photos they want, so I can email or text them. I plan to speak for half an hour, so I need to discourage picture-taking to keep things moving smoothly.
I tested loading my cart so I’d be able to move them from my car to the building in two trips and ensured there was space in the car for the cart, covering it to keep the quilts clean.
I also practiced the main points I want to mention, clocking myself each time to make sure I can stay on schedule. The packets to pass around each table include sample blocks, wood picks for paper removal, and Walmart bags for trash. Living in hot, humid South Florida, I prefer paper foundations that are removed rather than adding an extra layer with a muslin or old sheets that stay in the quilt and add extra weight.
My goal is to show how easy it is to remove the paper while I talk and display the quilts, just as I do while watching TV to show how achievable it is.
The toughest part has been narrowing down the quilts to 25. Now that I’ve made that decision, I’m excited to share my love of string quilts with my friends.
Wish me luck!
Someone asked me why my signature says “Pat E.” when my last name starts with an “S”. The reason is two-fold: my middle name starts with “E”, and I was nicknamed “Patty” (Pat E) when I was young. My siblings and friends still call me that, but most people know me as “Pat”. 🙂
There is one thing I know to be true… and it’s this:
If you learn how to quilt and enjoy it, you’ll never be bored again. Ever.
Even when I’m driving or waiting for an appointment, I’m thinking about quilts. 🙂
I spent most of the day working on a quilt block. Yes, I said “a” quilt block. Almost the entire day and I have only one block to show for it. 🫣
I’ve had this string quilt by Bumbleberry Stitches on my mind for a while now. Actually, almost 7 years to the day. It’s from the 2019 String Blog Hop.
Today was the day to work on recreating the block. I’m using solids for the strings and pieced neutrals with black for the contrast.
After several attempts, I finally have a cutting template for the center section that works.
I also made a mess, actually three messes, because when you’re working with strings, one mess is never enough!
The block is done and trimmed to 9 1/2″.
Do you see the two red circles on the block below? It took me a couple of tries to make sure I left that 1/4″ seam allowance on both sides so the points won’t get chopped off when the blocks are sewn together. Normally, I don’t worry about perfectly matched points when I’m making string quilts. These types of quilts are often a little wonky and that’s half their charm.
This time, I decided to make an exception. I’ll find out when it’s finished if it was worth the extra effort.
I was pretty busy this week but I don’t have any finished quilts to show for it.
The quilt I finished today is the 7th guild quilt since Thursday. I’m glad to see our Community Outreach nearing the completion of the 400+ quilts that were in storage when the current chairwoman took over. To say I’m impressed she was able to handle such a big task is an understatement.
On Saturday, I have a quilt trunk show at my guild, so I’ve been laying my quilts on the guest room bed, one at a time, for the last two weeks. I lightly spray the top of each quilt with water and smooth out the wrinkles. Once it dries, I add the next quilt. They won’t lie completely flat but closer to it and, they’ll look better than if they had been folded for months without this extra step.
This week, I made the 80 string blocks I’ve wanted. Members of the Heartstrings Quilt Project regularly create rainbow string blocks. I loved this one by Stephanie from 2020. She’s an Australian member who shared her tips to help me recreate her layout. I enjoy seeing her quilts and wish I could see them in person. The work of all group members is so inspiring! I get excited to go to my sewing room every time a new photo is posted.
I’m starting to think our cat, Rocky, enjoys string blocks as much as I do! These were made with paper foundations that I still need to remove, and I’ll have to iron that top pink block better. 🫣
I’ve been organizing my sewing room and that’s the reason my small cutting mat is on this table. I did manage to whittle the pile on my cutting table from it’s original 2′ to only 1′ tall now. More work ahead but, it’s not insurmountable.
This small basket of scraps and the second one I’ve already started had me stumped all week. Today, I made a plan.
I’m cutting kid-friendly fabrics into 4 1/2″ and 6 1/2″ squares to create Mary’s Happy Blocks or perhaps her twisted version. I’ve made happy block quilts before and love how adorable and quick they are. I also have Sharon Craig’s book Twist ‘N Turn and have used its method for making cats and dogs on the beach blocks. I’m looking forward to trying it starting with smaller squares like Mary’s version.
I plan to cut the non-kid-friendly scraps into 2 1/2″ strips and add the narrower pieces to my strings. I don’t want to create more storage for scraps that I’m unable to sort by color. I know that if I do, they’ll just sit unused until I find them years later. I have enough fabric for adult quilts, so I don’t need to save small chunks.
The scraps are sorted by color, but I don’t use black scraps often enough for them to warrant a dedicated space to store them. Instead, I’ll use the small basket they were in for the strips I’ll be cutting.
The 2 1/2″ strip size creates fun, quick quilts to donate. Keeping them visible will help ensure they get used!
I’m using the black scraps I had been saving to make a scrappy binding for my next quilt that includes black in the design.
I may have shared this before but, this is how I sort my strings. Most of the drawers contain strings sorted by color, but a few are organized by type: batik, patriotic, kid-friendly, and adult.
My husband riveted sheet metal to the backs of both string carts to stabilize them. It stops them from being wobbly when I roll them to my sewing machine to start making blocks. We used an old street sign he found in a ditch. He dislikes waste and is always thinking of ways to make the discarded things he finds into something useful. I can’t count how many times he has brought home exactly what I need. ♥
Time to Quilt 
