Lorelei Quilt: Free Pattern Coming

Lorelei Quilt

Many evenings we sit in front of the tv to wind down before bed, and often there is nothing worth watching. I prefer to have my laptop open, and fiddle around with EQ8. I bought the 10" Accuquilt system a few years ago, and haven't felt I've been able to use it as much as I'd liked. So my goal here was to create some patterns using shapes available in the core group of dies, and that's where I started. I went on to design this block using 3 of the dies, and those shapes can also be easily cut with my favorite Creative Grids ruler, the 6" Flying Geese and 45/90 Degree Triangle Ruler. This ruler should be in everyone's repertoire. Therefore, the Accuquilt system will lend a hand in cutting several shapes, but it is not essential.

Farmer's Wife 1930's: April, No.6

Farmer's Wife 1930's: April, No.6

This block was a bit of a trial. I'm still getting back into the swing of working small, and realizing I need to be consistent. I'm used to piecing with the mind set of "work a little big, and cut down or trim when done." These blocks do not work that way. They are precise, and will teach you to be that way if you want them to come out right. I'll show you how that works.

Farmer's Wife 1930s: Anne, No. 5

*Anne, No. 5

1930's Farmer's Wife

No drama, no whining, but I start to fall into those traps when I pull out old projects. Don't you? Do I really want to invest the time to finish a project I've started, stopped, and reshelved so many times? Will I  find value in it? 

How do you approach some of your long term WIP's or UFO's these days? 

60 Degree Shapes

Cut from 2.5" Strips

A 60 Degree Play Day

Today was a catch up with laundry and ironing. But when the stack of shirts was done, I switched over to some scraps I keep at the house. I've wanted to play with some shapes to make stars based on 60 degrees angles. Though I've made a 60 degree triangle quilt, I've never pieced with diamonds, and was curious how hard it could be. 

The Lone Star is based on 60 degree diamonds as well as many other vintage quilts I've been itching to make. See, I do have a carrot dangling out in front of me! As soon as those PUPs are done, I have big plans. Well, at least one good one.

Be Mine Valentine! Pet Project Show #6

Happy Valentine's Day!

Remember all the Valentine parties 

when we were kids?

Lots of sweets and paper,

and decorated boxes.

My grandmother was a saver,

and saved these wonderful 

Valentine's of my father.

Most are from the late 1930's

into the early 1940's,

but I suspect a few are mixed in 

from around 1910 which

were Grandma's own.

My Valentine's Gift for You

Copyright Pink Doxies-Artistry by Donna Young

Paper Pieced Heart Pattern

How do you give a Valentine to all your Dear Friends-- 

when you've never met most of them, 

and many live on the other side of the world?

Hmmm?

Did You See My New Button? The Process Pledge

Third star done, and fabric for the fourth ready. I'm going to turn the two into a bag. 

Here's the fabric chosen for the other two. The top one 'pops' on the blue.

Paper Piecing Continuation--Door #1, Door #2, or the Llama?

Choice A

Choice B

My two part dilemma: The puzzle of paper piecing is getting easier, I think, but color choices, because I'm really trying to stick by the color wheel with this project, are not so obvious. I have been trying to repeat four shooting stars with a split complementary color scheme here. 

FIrst Adventures in Paper Piecing--One Shooting Star

I started out yesterday like a Good Little Quilter sticking to my project at hand. Then out of the blue, I had the feeling I had been eating the same food every meal for a week. I needed some variety. 

I had been itching to try some paper piecing, and Lucy and I had spent the early morning reading about color combinations in "Quilt Colour Workshop". It sounded like a good recipe to play hooky.