Thursday, March 23, 2023

Quilt News! Hand Quilting Hourglass with Sawtooth Borders Quilt, More Fourpatch in a Square Blocks, Spring Blossoms, New Batiks Washed and Pressed

Piecing more Four-Patch in a Square blocks.

Big stitch hand quilting with #8 perle cotton, Topaz.

Spring blossoms in our backyard.

Washed and pressed 10" batik squares with a hot iron to 'set' the color.

 

Hello quilt friends, Happy Spring!

This week I've been hand quilting my #1 Hourglass with Sawtooth Borders small quilt and will be finished soon to start hand quilting my #2 version of Hourglass with Sawtooth Borders small quilt. Why two? you might be thinking. Because I was on a roll and I wanted to use slightly different colors and it's fun working a series when you're inspired.

And more Four-patch in a Square blocks have been pieced, coral, turquoise and yellow are a match made in heaven. I was inspired to set my Four-Patch blocks in a square by watching Beth Shibley's tutorial on Four Ways to finish a Four-Patch Block.

Also got around to washing and pressing with a hot iron my stack of 10" square red batiks. I usually don't pre-wash any fabric but red batiks are known to lose color 'all over town.' Red is a good color to have on hand because it can be tucked in among other colors to add a sense of direction.

That's the quilt news from the valley, where spring rains and blossoms are showering us.

What spring projects have you started and Easter is almost here already! Do you believe it?

I'll be by to visit.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Quilt News! Four Patch in a Square Blocks, Tim Holtz Fabric, Sashiko Hand Stitching Project Finish, Spring is Coming, Can You Feel It?

This is what I'm after, Four Patch in a Square blocks, this one featuring Horticulture by Tim Holtz.

Flowers from the local market, imported but lovely.

Stacks of fabrics and Four Patch blocks....Tim Holtz fabric upper left stack.

My glass drying towel finish, using Sashiko and regular embroidery stitching.

 

Quilt News from the valley! 

Where we have rain off and on and temperatures are a few degrees warmer. And spring is coming, every morning the sun comes up a bit earlier. Day Light Savings switch soon...

Last week I had time for my 4" Four Square blocks. I found them after storing them away because no  inspiration was forthcoming as to what needed to be done with them. Then I came across Beth Shibley's You Tube tutorial on Four Ways to Finish Four Patch Blocks, the light came on, simple yet profound. One of her suggestions is to use a four patch in a square. Great idea and it will use up a lot of scraps and odds and ends.

For my Four Patch in a Square project I'm using some of my Tim Holtz fabric stash, Horticulture and From Camden, two of my favorites, from his Eclectic Elements/Foundations collection.

My glass drying towel with Sashiko and hand embroidery is finished and being used, practical is the word!

And that quilt friends is the news, a finish and a start.

Does spring inspire you to new projects?