tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56834987095000921492024-02-02T12:44:32.326-08:00Sundrop DesignsSundrop Designs Blog: the musings of a quilter and pattern designerSandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-12959701950068541082023-09-25T17:24:00.000-07:002023-09-25T17:24:24.328-07:00Bad News, Not-so-bad News and Good News<p> The bad news is that my faithful win7 laptop suddenly died several months ago. Nothing was salvageable. 😢 And due to complications created by the covid pandemic, I lost my website. It's gone forever. ðŸ˜</p><p>The not-so-bad news is that I now have a new win10 laptop that I don't like but I'm trying to learn to use it. I found an old usb stick with many of my old patterns, but only through 2016. Better than nothing, anyway. Once I get an external cd drive and figure out how to load my old software programs, I should be able to open my old files and get going again.</p><p>And the good news: I now have real, modern-day internet service! Yay! No more snail-speed dial-up service. No more hotspot service limited to a few gigabytes a month. I now have fast-speed internet service 24/7! So I'm basically starting over again, but this time I can do things faster. 😊</p>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-11244709435122770642019-12-21T15:01:00.000-08:002019-12-21T15:01:03.536-08:00New Sundrop Critter for December<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuQ8PagR8anHhYG-T0_myDBcmAKi066SX1Qxm7frBbn7jz09vtH1ZnNKI8VG3PNcuhTdAQNT1atN6wgLMQ0Bo1aOOSI8SqlDBw7Cpth1SAbQgH5YBfnirZbRAXWXCxuSiRO9CS618qDI/s1600/caribouwinter225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuQ8PagR8anHhYG-T0_myDBcmAKi066SX1Qxm7frBbn7jz09vtH1ZnNKI8VG3PNcuhTdAQNT1atN6wgLMQ0Bo1aOOSI8SqlDBw7Cpth1SAbQgH5YBfnirZbRAXWXCxuSiRO9CS618qDI/s1600/caribouwinter225.jpg" /></a></div>
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Merry Christmas! There's a brand new Sundrop Critter pattern available on my website: <a href="http://www.sundropdesigns.net/">www.sundropdesigns.net</a>. Carolyn and Chris, the Sundrop Caribou, are free until January 20, 2020.<br />
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My original plan was to design a more traditional Christmas reindeer, but while researching them I happened upon photos of white baby reindeer and immediately fell head over heels in love! I did more research and learned that species of reindeer/caribou that live in the extreme north often turn completely white for the winter. Carolyn and Chris (the little one) were inspired by the Peary Caribou who reside in northern Canada and are the smallest species of North American caribou. <br />
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As the weather warms and the snow melts, Peary caribou shed their thick white coats and grow a shorter coat that is brownish-gray on their upper parts but still a creamy white on their underparts. My pattern includes pieces to portray both winter and summer colors.<br />
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Have fun making Carolyn and Chris!<br />
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SandySandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-60110734935472697432019-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:002019-11-17T19:20:09.030-08:00New Applique Pattern: Chloe at Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbYZlJYnrGcCNyjMEGnpyfM2v3q8T7l4uElKraBX3w6mxf9I5Jot70DySP4qw50FkC8Xrq1qtK6uARFzE0_Dnyi0RDFONuPuiaLAKca3Ze1rShIePHn7Mgp0Z4o3BWBvq9Xs0IOyOtBk/s1600/chloexmas225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbYZlJYnrGcCNyjMEGnpyfM2v3q8T7l4uElKraBX3w6mxf9I5Jot70DySP4qw50FkC8Xrq1qtK6uARFzE0_Dnyi0RDFONuPuiaLAKca3Ze1rShIePHn7Mgp0Z4o3BWBvq9Xs0IOyOtBk/s1600/chloexmas225.jpg" /></a></div>
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Meet Chloe, one of my black and white tuxedo cats. Here she is after being caught in the act of taking off with a Christmas ornament. Tuxedo cats (IMHO) seem to possess the remarkable ability to portray several oxymoron-like facial expressions all at the same time. When caught in the act of something they know you don't approve of, they somehow manage to look innocent/guilty, meek/rebellious, penitent/defiant all at once. I've tried to portray that in this applique pattern, which is <a href="http://www.sundropdesigns.net/" target="_blank">free on my website</a> until Dec. 15, 2019.<br />
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Although tuxedo cats are perhaps best known for their black and white coats, they come in white with gray, silver, orange or tortoiseshell, too. So don't hesitate to work up Chloe in the colors of your choice. You can even go a little crazy and use colors not seen in nature, likke the blue and red illustrations below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-u_zi6LHgklmQbGG7wejajmJIJWbbbvgEFciCBno-ujZbm_f5vdOixG6PvYHaJEVdtv24uZbJTooHGyU_bH1ZgBPKLia_UIiOxzO3zMEKX1b89KItwQWNroogsoyEmRdbSc_HVo26tPw/s1600/chloered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-u_zi6LHgklmQbGG7wejajmJIJWbbbvgEFciCBno-ujZbm_f5vdOixG6PvYHaJEVdtv24uZbJTooHGyU_bH1ZgBPKLia_UIiOxzO3zMEKX1b89KItwQWNroogsoyEmRdbSc_HVo26tPw/s1600/chloered.jpg" /></a></div>
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You might remember Chloe from Sunny's Fifth Christmas, one of my patterns that came out about 10 years ago. There was something about Chloe's white muzzle that seemed to make her look like she was always up to something. And in fact, she was the most mischievous of my cats.<br />
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<br />Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-74832630105413527512019-10-19T17:57:00.000-07:002019-10-19T17:57:27.970-07:00New Critter Redux: Cirrus the Turkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56naQv9ueWCyyamtsmWr1hIRhV0HPjsN8xyInXXfY8arYYyj4OPM5Cq80WIEmyJoQWjlS4Q_CnWyUoH8Jny31mgRRD-X25V_Nyw99_dkkkW1FzQ8hacDt2S0Yr6ImDBphwZgjZGY4gqQ/s1600/turkeyreduxB225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56naQv9ueWCyyamtsmWr1hIRhV0HPjsN8xyInXXfY8arYYyj4OPM5Cq80WIEmyJoQWjlS4Q_CnWyUoH8Jny31mgRRD-X25V_Nyw99_dkkkW1FzQ8hacDt2S0Yr6ImDBphwZgjZGY4gqQ/s1600/turkeyreduxB225.jpg" /></a></div>
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I just uploaded a new pattern for Cirrus the Sundrop Turkey to my website: <a href="http://sundropdesigns.net/">http://sundropdesigns.net/</a> . Cirrus will be free through Thanksgiving Day.<br />
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Cirrus is one of the original Sundrop Critters that I created in 2001-2002. Here's what he originally looked like:<br />
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In 2005, I redesigned him to look like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKUlWoAVhFqBC_D7JpudQhLbmDzVclWse5RWi4MV8zFKvp4SukzTwZ3s71i3RwZ5E4N-TmMnW3vjlTeVgg7mYhPG-122-eKGUDxqydjNaa3MndohgKT0ClfX0c84rx0fbzjYou6ty2WA/s1600/turkeynew225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKUlWoAVhFqBC_D7JpudQhLbmDzVclWse5RWi4MV8zFKvp4SukzTwZ3s71i3RwZ5E4N-TmMnW3vjlTeVgg7mYhPG-122-eKGUDxqydjNaa3MndohgKT0ClfX0c84rx0fbzjYou6ty2WA/s1600/turkeynew225.jpg" /></a></div>
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While I'm quite happy with this 2005 version, I really wanted a pattern for a fairly simple turkey in profile. You can blame Missouri Star Quilt Company's Thankful Wall Hanging (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI8HFbhlcCk&t=1316s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI8HFbhlcCk&t=1316s</a>) for that! I love that wall hanging and hope to make one someday. But, instead of making three 6" Dresden turkeys, I want to make three 6" Sundrop turkeys that all look different. So now I have three different Sundrop turkeys to use under the 10" Dresden turkey that Jenny Doan shows in the video.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-51578900577094493022019-09-16T13:02:00.002-07:002019-09-16T13:02:45.644-07:00Sundrop Critter Redux: Splash the Beaver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR-ou7rGLQd6JJlEpPzsYUSgEfMvAvzznn743AAzyHY9ac-eHXyAH8GqiFukfNdZ-WTn2DT0EyxHXGUub8oyNCcE_06Cn5KCQfeTLwzHdxOatLW2Fd5GPiWJzlErIctzptF7T027Swec/s1600/beaverredux225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR-ou7rGLQd6JJlEpPzsYUSgEfMvAvzznn743AAzyHY9ac-eHXyAH8GqiFukfNdZ-WTn2DT0EyxHXGUub8oyNCcE_06Cn5KCQfeTLwzHdxOatLW2Fd5GPiWJzlErIctzptF7T027Swec/s1600/beaverredux225.jpg" /></a></div>
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Splash the Beaver just had a gentle make-over and the pattern is free on my website (<a href="http://sundropdesigns.net/" target="_blank">sundropdesigns.net</a>) until October 15. I have to admit that I didn't do more than tweak a few things. Even if you were great at solving the Find the Differences puzzles in Highlights magazine, you might not find the four little changes that I made to Splash.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmY1HASUrCknW5kuOrRboETrldiovTs5G94kJ0DnVQdjtJ9ygSnljtAzQX1IP-pObe-Hr68_Semo5ScgZx9OqXfX3nxWhIWeOC9YwWd244X5rDVScIsY-hD5e0KT14E2L8FLZflcleuc/s1600/beaver200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmY1HASUrCknW5kuOrRboETrldiovTs5G94kJ0DnVQdjtJ9ygSnljtAzQX1IP-pObe-Hr68_Semo5ScgZx9OqXfX3nxWhIWeOC9YwWd244X5rDVScIsY-hD5e0KT14E2L8FLZflcleuc/s1600/beaver200.jpg" /></a></div>
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Perhaps the most obvious change is that I made his (or her) teeth bigger. A beaver's teeth continually grow, so it's only proper that after 17 years that Splash should have bigger teeth! I also made the nose a bit bigger, moved the nose and eyes a little higher up on the face, and moved the tail a smidgen closer to the body so there's no longer a tiny gap between the two. And there are two changes that you can't really see from the pictures: I shortened the pattern piece for the foreleg that's in the background (i.e., Splash's right foreleg), and I made the pattern lines thicker and easier to see. I hope you have fun incorporating Splash into a special project.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-59049031822305468112019-05-15T18:14:00.001-07:002019-05-17T16:37:17.526-07:00Ideas for the Misty the Mouse BlockThe sunny weather here has been replaced by more typical rainy weather, so I used my scanner to take photos of my work in progress for my Misty the Mouse project. This project is too large for my scanner, but the Electric Quilt images will help fill in the whole story. Here's the EQ version:<br />
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And here's what I have done so far:<br />
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The mouse and Churn Dash blocks are 6" square each (finished size). They are framed by a 1" finished (1.5" cut) yellow border. The 4-patch borders are made of 2.5" cut squares, then the entire top is framed by a 2" finished (2.5" cut) yellow border with a blue binding. You can find instructions for the Churn Dash block here: <a href="https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/churn-dash-quilt-block.html">https://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/churn-dash-quilt-block.html</a><br />
The finished project will measure aprox. 32.5" x 20.5". It will make a cute wall hanging, but mine will go on a small console table where I keep my landline phone.<br />
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If you need a larger wall hanging or baby quilt, cut a stack of 2.5" squares, sew a bunch of 4-patch blocks and add rows of 4-patch blocks to the bottom until you get the length you want. Then add 2" and/or 4" outer borders to get the size of quilt you want. On the virtual quilt below, I added 5 more rows of 4-patch blocks, then a 2" yellow border and a 4" green border.<br />
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Or, if you need a nursery rhyme themed baby quilt, make 3 applique blocks for a Three Blind Mice inspired baby quilt that might look something like the virtual quilt below, which has three 6" mouse blocks and four plain 6" blocks with 4-patch blocks made from 3.5" cut squares. I added a 3" strip of background fabric above the mice before adding a 1" blue border and a 3" neutral border.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnasSHPg69C7D29wu4TM6Lj3_7MBUb2fLrD_9z1S6MHNMvR2F5j88u3dQGN2c33Utq9fHB6xxsGzGpSvGOGm84I7HvKI7Fgs3ATfOmlY-D33mT_UjcYpV6eR0HkerVg1jKMQamSg7C78/s1600/mousebabyqlt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="505" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnasSHPg69C7D29wu4TM6Lj3_7MBUb2fLrD_9z1S6MHNMvR2F5j88u3dQGN2c33Utq9fHB6xxsGzGpSvGOGm84I7HvKI7Fgs3ATfOmlY-D33mT_UjcYpV6eR0HkerVg1jKMQamSg7C78/s320/mousebabyqlt2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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Mice are cute and I have a lot of fun playing with mice, as long as they're <u>not real</u>! If mice of any kind give you the creeps, substitute another critter block in these pattern ideas.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-63837686947251536162019-05-11T13:46:00.000-07:002019-05-11T14:09:03.287-07:00Sundrop Critter Redux for May The month of April sure went by in a flash, mostly because my schedule changed and I had very little time for anything quilt related. I'm back on my old schedule this month, thank goodness. Even with all the extra activities with gardening and sorting through my mother's things, I can still eek out a little quilting time with this schedule.<br />
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May's Sundrop Critter redux is Spritz the Chick. You'll find the free pdf pattern on my website through June 7: <a href="http://sundropdesigns.net/">sundropdesigns.net</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKvhDKo-EmatzyD80goDOi6WunV451CelQBsKhkk6DmCs_Dqe3D8WIx-Iw1ER5wiy3opEHTjGhv0I6_lBdIM0JtJqwrADwPPA0o6T7JBQ4FyhSxObslu224LOE_H19nnR9_PUd2QHJfI/s1600/chickredux225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKvhDKo-EmatzyD80goDOi6WunV451CelQBsKhkk6DmCs_Dqe3D8WIx-Iw1ER5wiy3opEHTjGhv0I6_lBdIM0JtJqwrADwPPA0o6T7JBQ4FyhSxObslu224LOE_H19nnR9_PUd2QHJfI/s1600/chickredux225.jpg" /></a></div>
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The new Spritz hasn't changed much from the original version. I enlarged his eyes, beak and feet a little to make them easier to work with, and I changed his posture a bit to make him more animated. The new Spritz looks like he's busy looking for something good to eat!<br />
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I decided to try the new Spritz on a simple mug rug. I fused the chick onto a large scrap of farm scene fabric and did a simple zigzag around the edges. Note; I flipped the pattern so that Spritz would be facing the chickens on the fabric. The eyes are tiny black buttons (for doll clothes, I think) that I happened to find at my local Wal-mart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5DiIcIHjuKmlQC1vWnm0PCCUB2JK-vzni8-sNPxEhXL0ldAJVU21LOTqZlbb0UgoqNFNtb7DxE4TJnja35JhD9yY-LOpAk-kK5S_gbiqSwZjZQNCNhu1Ar4ZT_vm2Wh113GWi7V17F8/s1600/chickmugrug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="434" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5DiIcIHjuKmlQC1vWnm0PCCUB2JK-vzni8-sNPxEhXL0ldAJVU21LOTqZlbb0UgoqNFNtb7DxE4TJnja35JhD9yY-LOpAk-kK5S_gbiqSwZjZQNCNhu1Ar4ZT_vm2Wh113GWi7V17F8/s320/chickmugrug.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After sandwiching the little quilt and doing some simple cross-hatch quilting with a zigzag stitch, I realized that I had unnecessarily made this project more complicated than intended. Now I have to actually bind it! I hope to get to my sewing shed tomorrow to add a single-fold binding, probably in yellow. Next time I make a mug rug, I hope I remember in time to use the pillowcase method of finishing it -- it's so much faster.<br />
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Someday, I hope to make a matching table runner. Here's the Electric Quilt version of it (just visualize farm scene fabric as the border):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdxLVWY6619O551t_zPo21TRdUZI8jUW0jiRvQ3pT9j2bUHEgvnvI4k6YrMMQDKz3B3cckVEH6aowIbbpGcCA6v90CI5nQnAY26qvC0vqlb_7KaGAi6L20-nBEGdY048P2DTcKA8VccA/s1600/chickrunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="417" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdxLVWY6619O551t_zPo21TRdUZI8jUW0jiRvQ3pT9j2bUHEgvnvI4k6YrMMQDKz3B3cckVEH6aowIbbpGcCA6v90CI5nQnAY26qvC0vqlb_7KaGAi6L20-nBEGdY048P2DTcKA8VccA/s320/chickrunner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wanted to use the traditional Hens and Chicks block, but I didn't want to adapt a 5x5 grid to a 6" block, so I sort of created a fusion of Hens and Chicks with the Shoo Fly block. It looks a lot like Hens and Chicks but it's adapted to a 3x3 grid (commonly called a 9-patch grid). Of course, another work-around idea would be to reduce Spritz to fit a 5" block and make traditional 5" size Hens and Chicks blocks. </div>
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If short on time, here's a simpler table runner idea using the Shoo Fly block and only 2 applique blocks:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1u55suNnNo-oxpv4RjhVGtRGYHEFE8qvaSr9w3Ig5ohl2IBH3xhCekCYH89ZPUMbkaB1UojRynK4RIKwkn-p3HcU095KsGrboC39XaZUt2_FvMYahtt7vIAIzhQ7OAoahUF0CL8HOMHc/s1600/chickrunner2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="590" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1u55suNnNo-oxpv4RjhVGtRGYHEFE8qvaSr9w3Ig5ohl2IBH3xhCekCYH89ZPUMbkaB1UojRynK4RIKwkn-p3HcU095KsGrboC39XaZUt2_FvMYahtt7vIAIzhQ7OAoahUF0CL8HOMHc/s320/chickrunner2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have fun with Spritz! He'll be replaced by a new free block around June 7. (I say "around" because I never know exactly when I'll get to my computer to upload things.)</div>
Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-67908216230059733752019-03-25T19:54:00.000-07:002019-03-25T19:54:12.807-07:00New Digital Pattern to TryI'm testing a new shopping cart for selling digital patterns. Remember Lucy and Ethel, the Sundrop Lop-eared Bunnies? You can now get a digital version of this pattern for $1.00 -- that's half the cost of the printed pattern.<br />
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<div class="payhip-embed-page" data-key="KAxw">
...</div>
<script src="https://payhip.com/embed-page.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
Give it a try! And let me know how it goes.<br />
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SandySandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-65563635759347756762019-03-22T16:09:00.000-07:002019-03-22T16:09:36.314-07:00It's Been a Long Time, but I'm Back at WorkBlogger says I haven't posted since May -- almost a year! Eeks! A lot has happened between now and then. Trials and tribulations with hip bursitis and two deaths in the family, including my mother's in December. Just as I was preparing to get back to work, nature dumped two feet of snow in my area. Snow is rare here and we're not prepared to handle two feet of it. I was essentially de-mobilized for three weeks waiting for it to melt enough so that I could get to my little office. <br />
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When I finally got to my office and laptop last week, I discovered that the shopping cart is not working on my website. When it rains, it pours! The shopping cart company I've been using for nearly 20 years is not responding to my inquiries, so I'm now looking at alternatives. I hope to have something up and running next week, even if it's only a temporary solution offering my most popular patterns.<br />
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I'm also planning to get the Sundrop Critters feature going again, including a Sundrop Critters Redux that gives a fresh look to some of my favorite critters from the past. Misty the Mouse is the first one scheduled. She is so cute in her new looks -- perfect for the nursery and for anyone who happens to like mice!<br />
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So stay tuned because I'm getting the proverbial ball rolling again!<br />
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SandySandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-91044827345863822792017-05-03T17:01:00.000-07:002017-05-03T17:01:52.494-07:00New Sundrop Critter: Vicuna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW9wBPADZWH7DOsu2QirDePEY_TdycS8NK1jIfdmJr4jaHPAANLQWknYcZHDvdm5GvhnB3VHJ7xCL0vJcCDqKv9rrOAD9uXJaVilw_HMWffNCTo8g6P6RlJZsQHlijbMSSmSyuqxXEfU/s1600/vicuna225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW9wBPADZWH7DOsu2QirDePEY_TdycS8NK1jIfdmJr4jaHPAANLQWknYcZHDvdm5GvhnB3VHJ7xCL0vJcCDqKv9rrOAD9uXJaVilw_HMWffNCTo8g6P6RlJZsQHlijbMSSmSyuqxXEfU/s1600/vicuna225.jpg" /></a></div>
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The newest critter to the Sundrop zoo is Val the Vicuna (also spelled vicugna). (The "n" in vicuna is the Spanish letter en-yay but I can't find a symbol for it on Blogger.) Vicunas are the smallest member of the camelid family, weighing about 150 pounds when full grown. They are native to South America where they live wild in the higher alpine regions of the Andes Mountains. Their coats come in a variety of shades of brown, with white bellies and inner legs, and a white "bib" of hair that is longer than that on most of the body. Some have legs that are all light in color, especially the lower half of the leg. And most have white muzzles and white throats. Some have other white markings on the face or on their sides. I chose to simplify this pattern and focused on the most important attributes. (Maybe someday I'll design a more realistic version.) They also have long, dark eyelashes - the kind we girls envy!<br />
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Vicuna fleece makes some of the finest and warmest yarn in the world and is therefore very high-priced, making the vicuna susceptible to poaching. In the 1970's, their numbers were so low that the vicuna was listed as an endangered species. Efforts through local people and several organizations worldwide curbed the poaching enough that the vicuna population has grown and is no longer considered endangered. Organized round-ups are conducted every few years to shear the fleece. It is then sold, with most of the profits going back to the local communities.<br />
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This pattern is free through May 31, 2017 on my website: <a href="http://sundropdesigns.net/" target="_blank">sundropdesigns.net</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PZ-BVW13tqs_dHgo0oh8tDZDlqBsew6PjwzhykGvQg3ATvf_-1hG2M_q1Rb_t3CzbC0aqYqBB4AYyRYl0KfBwugX9GmYaFvCSblYPL-fwoYIbvpuf5-CmydIcV9PeWOBnp9DaIM3Op4/s1600/vicunaB225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PZ-BVW13tqs_dHgo0oh8tDZDlqBsew6PjwzhykGvQg3ATvf_-1hG2M_q1Rb_t3CzbC0aqYqBB4AYyRYl0KfBwugX9GmYaFvCSblYPL-fwoYIbvpuf5-CmydIcV9PeWOBnp9DaIM3Op4/s1600/vicunaB225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coloring B - perhaps a little more true to nature</td></tr>
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<br />Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-47287543052277480582017-04-23T17:31:00.001-07:002017-04-23T17:31:44.905-07:00Viruses! Yuck!Several nasty viruses were going around my area this winter. I thought I had managed to escape them all, but one of the nastier ones got me near the end of March. People who had suffered through it before me said that it lasted three weeks and had a horrible way of rebounding if you tried to do too much too soon. They were right.<br />
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I'm over the worst of it now, but the rebounding effect seems to be quite strong so I'm taking my time getting back to work, doing just a little each day. I have most of April's blocks done, it's just a matter of finishing up the details and doing all the computer work that comes after. So don't give up on me! They are coming, with May's blocks hot on their trail!<br />
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SandySandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-4314548366390660382017-03-18T18:01:00.000-07:002017-03-18T18:28:34.900-07:00New Sundrop Critter: UmbrellabirdI'm a few days late getting the new Sundrop critter up on my website. Besides the usual internet issues, my mom has been in the hospital for a week so I'm a tad behind on things. Anyways, Ula and Ulysses, the Sundrop Umbrellabirds, are now ready to greet you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSDIUamaEnzpIs5FCC-4BP3R8vYSiIb3aZ5OS9OhKsiZofON8E4wFK7GnpexAeJOVulK-mJCUOxc0qGePdkHG2aXC4LxBbN08sCylL2k24Z9s2PYZIalgY-D7yKYwTTnbJ5fE2LG8xdc/s1600/umbrellabird225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSDIUamaEnzpIs5FCC-4BP3R8vYSiIb3aZ5OS9OhKsiZofON8E4wFK7GnpexAeJOVulK-mJCUOxc0qGePdkHG2aXC4LxBbN08sCylL2k24Z9s2PYZIalgY-D7yKYwTTnbJ5fE2LG8xdc/s1600/umbrellabird225.jpg" /></a></div>
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There are three species of umbrellabirds and they all live in the rain forests of Central and South America. They have a crest on top of their heads that resembles an umbrella. If I lived in a rain forest, I'd want a handy umbrella atop my head, too! Two of the three species are totally black, so I chose the third species, the Bare-Necked Umbrellabird, as my model because this species has a bright red wattle. The Long-Wattled and Amazonian species have black wattles. Like the name implies, the Long-Wattled Umbrellabird has a very long wattle, almost as long as its body.<br />
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One interesting fact about the bare-necked umbrellabird is that it migrates vertically. During the warmer months, it lives in high, mountainous elevations. During the colder months, it moves down to lower elevations.<br />
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I may be guilty of exaggerating the crest just a tiny bit to make it look more umbrella-like.<br />
The <a href="http://www.sundropdesigns.net/" target="_blank">pattern is free</a> on my web site until April 15.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-30634888024905642802017-03-04T18:09:00.001-08:002017-03-04T18:09:10.450-08:003-Dimensional Flying GeeseThere's one more method of making flying geese that's fast, fun and super easy, but it does create more bulk and could therefore be a royal pain to hand-quilt. This method is often referred to as the one-seam method because it only requires one sewn seam to make. It's fun because the "goose" makes little pockets if not stitched down by quilting. I think children especially would have fun with a quilt made from these flying geese.<br />
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The Missouri Star Quilt Co. has a video showing how to make these units using a fabric layer cake (10-inch squares) collection:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Cblb8J6i0" target="_blank">Jenny Doan's One-Seam Flying Geese</a><br />
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In this video by The Quilt Show, Ricky Tims gives more detailed instructions for making smaller flying geese units:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Mu0C_QL8Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Mu0C_QL8Y" target="_blank">Ricky Tims' One-Seam Flying Geese</a><br />
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If videos are difficult to access, here's a web site that gives step-by-step photos and the basic math formula for making these in any size:<br />
<a href="https://piecemakers4life.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/how-to-construct-flying-geese-one-seam-dimensional-method/" target="_blank">Dimensional Flying Geese</a><br />
This site also provides a handy pdf version:<br />
<a href="https://piecemealquilts.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/one-seam-flying-geese-tutorial.pdf" target="_blank">pdf for Dimensional Flying Geese</a><br />
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I tried this method using 5" charms and found that two charms make two flying geese with an unfinished size of 2.5" x 4.5". As noted in the videos, one edge tends to come out a little wonky but it's easily trimmed. I usually press my seams to one side, but for this method pressing the seam open (for the two "sky" squares) seemed to make more sense.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTz4gsSX5GHdBeRS2rRFM5yUzSp7pjzMphzjWhATk-4vTC2RJUb6pMRpkApH5iLZ112Jemd_EPCCaY6jzoGIDa-Ar0QPkW2SCETiC5yXyz81BcGgGsf4wFEmlB2x1JdUvn9mADI2g3Fo/s1600/3dflygeeseunit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTz4gsSX5GHdBeRS2rRFM5yUzSp7pjzMphzjWhATk-4vTC2RJUb6pMRpkApH5iLZ112Jemd_EPCCaY6jzoGIDa-Ar0QPkW2SCETiC5yXyz81BcGgGsf4wFEmlB2x1JdUvn9mADI2g3Fo/s320/3dflygeeseunit.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my test results for one-seam flying geese</td></tr>
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I'm excited to play with this method some more as soon as I get the instructions finished for the first block of the For the Birds BOM. It's taking longer than expected because I've forgotten my way around the software program I use. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-89368268058418664902017-03-02T13:00:00.000-08:002017-03-02T13:05:55.341-08:00For the Birds BOM: Flying Geese UnitsAll of the blocks in this BOM use flying geese units. My block instructions show the method of making these one at a time, as this is generally the best method when using scraps. But there are several other methods for making multiple units. If you decide to use just two or three fabrics in your For the Birds project, you might like one of these methods better.<br />
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1. For a handy 1-page pdf that shows three methods for making flying geese units and has the math formulas for making them any side you want, try this link:<br />
<a href="http://www.patchpieces.com/files/flyinggeese.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.patchpieces.com/files/flyinggeese.pdf</a><br />
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2. QuiltersCache also has instructions and formulas for three methods. There isn't a pdf but the web page prints nicely (on my printer, anyway) as two pages without excessive unnecessary web site stuff. There's also a link on the page for printable paper piecing patterns in four sizes of flying geese.<br />
<a href="http://www.quilterscache.com/H/Howtomakegeese.html" target="_blank">http://www.quilterscache.com/H/Howtomakegeese.html</a><br />
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3. This site shows detailed, step-by-step instructions for making four flying geese units at a time:<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjRpOGA367SAhXixFQKHRxSDu8QFghfMAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.generations-quilt-patterns.com%2Fno-waste-flying-geese-quilt-blocks.html&usg=AFQjCNGYbqt_r96z3C_twzWZd2Y56BkIpw&sig2=EK5k07aPLjTBH6_vudAiJg" target="_blank">no-waste method to make 4 flying geese</a><br />
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4. Mary Hickey has an ingenious way of making multiple flying geese units using Seminole piecing techniques. Great for making borders, sashing or blocks that require lots of flying geese.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRdlJ_GqfH8" target="_blank">Mary Hickey's YouTube video</a></div>
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5. Here's another video that shows how to make 20 flying geese units using strip-piecing methods. Another great method when you need lots and lots of flying geese.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRdlJ_GqfH8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRdlJ_GqfH8</a></div>
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I haven't tried these super-duper methods yet, but I will when the weather warms up enough for me to work in my sewing shed. Right now, I'm still working in my tiny winter sewing station - one corner of my kitchen table.</div>
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Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-31713803318539822022017-03-01T19:42:00.000-08:002020-04-21T19:40:06.890-07:00For the Birds BOM: Layouts and Fabric Requirements<i>It's time to restart my For the Birds BOM! Here's what I posted in 2017 when I started it the first time:</i><br />
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It's time to start a new BOM! During the two years when nothing seemed to be going right with my health, I frequently found myself muttering, "This is for the birds!" After a while, my mind naturally started translating that common phrase into a quilt idea that I worked on now and then when I felt well enough to do something. The time has finally come to take it from paper to fabric!<br />
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Like my kitten and puppy BOMs, this one is a combination of piecing and applique. This time, however, the appliques are on separate blocks. If you absolutely, positively do not like applique, you can substitute a simple pieced block. But these appliques are simple silhouettes, so I hope you'll give them a try.<br />
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The patterns will include cutting measurements for 6" and 12" blocks for the pieced blocks, and the projects have different layout designs for each size. In the illustrations below, the rotary cutter represents pieced blocks and the fabric patches represent applique blocks. Both designs work well as 2 or 3 color quilts or as scrappy quilts with light and dark colors that contrast well. If making a 2-color quilt, choose a second dark for the medium.<br />
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<b>Wall Quilt with 6" and 4" Blocks</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1Y93XwNgSk_7vpFBBcaTP2HThaZBkZ_1E86r58S-JXi_7fs-TM4uAFFHZSGHipG3SS5okkxTG4zfYR-c4VNa88nRDvURTXBYYiiqFvRoobjCfa5uZFkYcRu8Mj3oHD26VFvm3BltJsM/s1600/birdbomwh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1Y93XwNgSk_7vpFBBcaTP2HThaZBkZ_1E86r58S-JXi_7fs-TM4uAFFHZSGHipG3SS5okkxTG4zfYR-c4VNa88nRDvURTXBYYiiqFvRoobjCfa5uZFkYcRu8Mj3oHD26VFvm3BltJsM/s320/birdbomwh.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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This small project uses 6" pieced blocks and 4" applique blocks. The top (without borders) measures 24" x 26". You will need:<br />
light: 1-1/8 yards<br />
medium: 3/8 yard<br />
dark: 3/4 yard<br />
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<b>Twin Bed Quilt with 12" Blocks </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nm0K0kShEle2-JlEj6F0bBGmLq_Qxm7aN23Y5hRGYP_YGVPyUm2e6F7cDiWTVCMuf7JhH1sdlcMf2tId1Av4p-4ekxUtAHAz0m8fua7g5ajewzctlx13QZoKrwM9yafibYl624Gs7Tw/s1600/birdbomtwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nm0K0kShEle2-JlEj6F0bBGmLq_Qxm7aN23Y5hRGYP_YGVPyUm2e6F7cDiWTVCMuf7JhH1sdlcMf2tId1Av4p-4ekxUtAHAz0m8fua7g5ajewzctlx13QZoKrwM9yafibYl624Gs7Tw/s320/birdbomtwin.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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This design uses 12" pieced blocks with the appliques on 12 of the 6" cornerstones. The top, without borders,measures 60" x 98". <br />
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For the 12" blocks you will need:<br />
light: 2-3/8 yards<br />
medium: 3/4 yard<br />
dark: 1-3/4 yard<br />
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For the sashing and cornerstones you will need:<br />
light: 2-1/2 yards<br />
dark: 1-1/2 yards<br />
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<b>Borders</b><br />
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I didn't include borders in the layouts above because there are so many ways to do them. Below is one possibility for the twin quilt. I colored the borders green and purple to make it easier to get separate fabric requirements in EQ -- I would use colors consistent with the sashing in the actual quilt.<br />
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This border is comprised of a 6" rail fence (three 2" strips) sandwiched between two 3" strips. To make a border like this without piecing the long strips, you will need:<br />
light: 9-1/2 yards<br />
dark: 2 yards<br />
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However, if you don't mind piecing WOF strips to make the borders, you will need much less:<br />
light: 3-1/2 yards<br />
dark: 1 yard<br />
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Throughout the year, I will post other border ideas that are more scrap-friendly and therefore more economical. You might like one of them better. Or you can always create your own layout and border ideas. Let the creative juices flow!Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-91202500292995912742017-02-13T18:30:00.001-08:002017-02-13T18:30:26.244-08:00Sundrop Critter BOM ReturnsMeet Ned, Nora and Nicky, the Narwhal family!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIE4Xk_MLQVnRIj2WP7YJaZO_cp9199BRcQtsFXj2Q3GbORi2QVvC3tUApu7urZ_LeDG26JHszbSeqWSZdzSNDAGRUqRcnaQuYjIwqhwkQdiVSktnR7emsYClqZ8xWaxB6b2dKyXaUJyg/s1600/narwhals225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIE4Xk_MLQVnRIj2WP7YJaZO_cp9199BRcQtsFXj2Q3GbORi2QVvC3tUApu7urZ_LeDG26JHszbSeqWSZdzSNDAGRUqRcnaQuYjIwqhwkQdiVSktnR7emsYClqZ8xWaxB6b2dKyXaUJyg/s1600/narwhals225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ned, Nora and Nicky Narwhal</td></tr>
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I'm picking things up on the critter blocks right where I left off when I became ill. Although the first few blocks came out in 2013 and one block in 2014, the complete set of 12 blocks will be called the 2017 set of Sundrop Critters. You can download a free pdf pattern for the narwhals on my website <a href="http://www.sundropdesigns.net/" target="_blank">www.sundropdesigns.net</a> until March 15. After March 15, the pattern will be available for purchase only.<br />
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Adult male narwhals have a large, overgrown left canine tooth that grows through the upper lip into a long tusk. This tusk has earned them the nickname "unicorn of the sea." About 15% of adult females also grow a tusk. Very rarely (like 1 in 500), an adult male will grow two tusks with the right one being shorter than the left. Unlike other animals that grow tusks, the narwhals tusks are spiral like a screw and have sensory receptors on the outside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJGomTJaaC4PD7HSh4yuNhYbU2ZZqAzCVWyZRemLV5hY9LNKP8AwTpf8YdQop2DWl9mSo6LuqkPFGlixMzH1nex-UJ9ts9cDnc6CwHcd0-3GvMDEFXSUesCKbCIuTkgGFLRbPipAPkGQ/s1600/narwhals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJGomTJaaC4PD7HSh4yuNhYbU2ZZqAzCVWyZRemLV5hY9LNKP8AwTpf8YdQop2DWl9mSo6LuqkPFGlixMzH1nex-UJ9ts9cDnc6CwHcd0-3GvMDEFXSUesCKbCIuTkgGFLRbPipAPkGQ/s1600/narwhals2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alternate layout. The same tusk pattern can be used for the female narwhal.</td></tr>
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Most of the articles I read described baby narwhals as being a dark blue-gray color, but they appear to be light colored in the one photo I found online. I guess we'll have to take our pick and claim poetic license if we get it wrong. 😺Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-66098017152847513772016-06-04T14:32:00.000-07:002016-06-04T14:32:42.056-07:00Quilting with PainFor the last 13 months, I've been dealing with pain in my dominant arm. I won't bore you with all the details, but about two weeks ago I was treated with three shots of botox and have been 95% pain-free for a week! I'ts time to get back to work as normal. But first, I'll share some of what I've learned this past year just in case someone else is dealing with a similar situation.<br />
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1. Prioritize. Decide what you want to do or have to do, then temporarily block everything else out of mind. None of us move as quickly when we're in pain or recovering from an injury. We can't do all that we used to in a day. Driving myself crazy about everything I wasn't getting done was only slowing me down further.<br />
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2. Think small. Small projects weigh less and are easier to maneuver when muscles aren't cooperating. They also take less time to complete and therefore give us a sense of satisfaction more quickly -- something we all need when we're feeling down in the dumps.<br />
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3. Find work-arounds. One of my dad's favorite sayings was "There's more than one way to skin a cat." Less colorfully put, there's more than one way to do almost everything. On days when I couldn't use scissors to even snip threads between a chain of sewn patches, I cut the threads with a seam ripper. I wedged one end of my rotary cutting ruler under a desktop bookshelf to help hold it in place while I cut. If I'd had a couple of C-clamps handy, I would have used them.<br />
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4. Practice the fine art of "fudging." Even though I found a way to rotary cut fabric, my squares weren't exactly perfect. But fabric isn't stone. Fabric has some give and take. I found two methods of "fudging" that made those less-than-perfect squares work: easing and short-sheeting. If you've sewn sleeves into armholes or collars to neck holes, then you know about easing, the technique of making a slightly longer piece of fabric fit to a shorter piece of fabric. When sewing rows of patchwork together, I pinned at the seams then stretched the shorter patch as I sewed. I used short-sheeting when the points of half-square triangle units didn't quite fall in the right place. I matched the points where they should be, rather than the edges, giving one piece slightly less (or sometimes slightly more) than the standard 1/4" seam allowance. <br />
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5. Utilize pre-cuts. Dealing with fabric that's already cut in strips, squares or even fat quarters is a lot less strenuous and time-consuming than wrestling with yardage. My favorite online source of pre-cuts is Connecting Threads (connectingthreads.com) because they have a wonderful policy of not charging extra for cutting. They also have many of their basic fabrics (solids and blenders) available as pre-cuts, too, which makes it easy to design almost anything. Pre-cuts can sometimes be found on sale at other online fabric shops.<br />
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6. Invest in specialized tools. If your "disability" is more or less permanent, it might be time to consider purchasing tools that can do the things you can't, like ergonomic scissors, die cutting machines, etc. My one word of advice here is to test before buying expensive tools if at all possible. For one thing, these tools aren't all made alike. For example, I found that the handle on the Sizzix Hot Shot die cutter was easier for me to turn than the handle on the Accu-quilt Go! cutter. Secondly, no two quilters are alike. A product that works well for me may not work at all for you.<br />
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My last tip: never give up on doing something you really enjoy doing. Be persistent in finding ways to adapt.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-61478071105684203142015-09-30T21:19:00.000-07:002015-09-30T21:19:56.009-07:00Scrappy PersistanceIt's been more than 5 months now since my dominant arm started hurting for no apparent reason. One doctor thinks it's myofascial pain. Another doctor thinks I have a pinched nerve in my elbow and has referred me to a neurologist. It will be interesting to hear what the neurologist thinks.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at things as best as I can. Some days I function almost normally. Some days are so bad that I can't click the mouse button or push a cross stitch needle through a hole in 11-count Aida cloth. Most days are somewhere in between.<br />
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I finished handquilting The Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt with embroidery floss and a big stitch, and I mean a big stitch! Under normal circumstances, a quarter-inch stitch is easy and relaxing, but with my bum arm I had to lower my standards and call half-inch stitches good. Needless to say, this quilt has a very primitive art look about it.<br />
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I'm wary of cutting into any of my larger pieces of fabric, so I've been working with scraps. If I slip with the rotary cutter and ruin a scrap, it's no big deal. I've also been puttering around my sewing shed and finding orphan blocks and samples of various piecing techniques and mixing these finds with scraps to create small projects. I'm getting pretty good at putting zippers in cosmetic bags!<br />
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A few scraps leftover from the Pixie Garden quilt became a cute little bag. My niece loves TinkerBell, so I have one Christmas gift done.<br />
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Here are two more small bags of no particular size. I cut the fabric then look for a zipper to fit!<br />
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This odd-size bag was made from a sample of bargello piecing that was going to be a doll quilt until I cut it in half to make bags.<br />
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A few more scraps became a storage case for my collection of crochet hooks. The carrying strap was a hanging loop from a pair of pajama bottoms (who hangs pajamas?) and the cricket button came from my collection of whatever-am-I-going-to-do-with-these buttons. It's perfect for camouflaging the stitching for the hook-and-loop tape.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-88531187408921081582015-07-16T17:41:00.000-07:002015-07-16T17:43:31.443-07:00More on the Leftover Floral 9-Patch BlocksWhen I finished my ninth floral block, I began thinking about ways to set the blocks. My first thought was to set them the same way as the Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt, but the purples were overpowering and needed to be subdued somehow. Green sashing was my first thought, I tried dark green, light green, medium green. None of them seemed right. The purples still hogged the show.<br />
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The blocks sat for a week until one day I noticed the light pink fabric I had used in the ninth block sitting in my basket of fabrics to put back on the shelf. I auditioned that and was quite pleased, but it needed cornerstones. A little more digging produced a scrap of dusty rose fabric that helped bring out the pinks in the floral fabrics used in the original blocks. Adding both pinks helped draw the eye back to the 9-patch blocks instead of staying on the purples.<br />
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I thought I was done at this point, until I happened to spy some scraps of a Disney Tinkerbell print (I think one of the pixies is Tinkerbell). The colors went so well with the 9-patch units and the purples that I had to find a way to use them in this project. After a little fussy-cutting, I figured I had just enough rectangular pieces to make a top and a bottom border if I pieced the rectangles together with strips of floral fabric. Hiding under a stack of Christmas fabrics, I found a little pile of floral scraps, some from the original 9-patch blocks! (Why didn't I look there sooner?!)<br />
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Soon as I began piecing the borders together, my quilt's name changed from Leftover 9-Patches to Pixie Garden. It's a quilt most any little girl would love, but I have to admit that I rather like it, too. Someday, I'll take a better photo, but this gives an idea of what the top looks like. The dark purple is the only fabric that wasn't a leftover or a scrap.<br />
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<br />Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-49902419059146999252015-07-14T14:23:00.000-07:002015-07-14T14:23:16.810-07:00The Year of LeftoversI've been dealing with some strange muscular issues that, while not completely derailing me, have slowed me down to sloth speed (that's about 6 feet per hour according to a tv show I watched). One day in April, I woke up unable to move my arms without weird cramping pains that were most pronounced when my elbows were bent. Doing something with a side-to-side motion, like moving a carton of eggs from the counter to the refrigerator, was practically impossible (without dropping the eggs!). No one really knows what's causing the pain, but through trial-and-error I've learned that keeping my elbows bent and using the computer mouse make it worse. So I'm keeping mouse use to a minimum and finding activities that make me straighten my arms every few minutes.<br />
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I've been hand-quilting the Crooked Man's Christmas quilt with 6 strands of embroidery floss, cutting the thread as long as I dare so that my arm has to straighten as far as possible each time I take a stitch. And I'm doing the same with a couple of unfinished plastic canvas and cross stitch projects. I don't recommend cutting yarn and thread that long as a rule, but in my case a bit of tangling and a few unwanted knots are worth the risk right now.<br />
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After finishing the Crooked Man's top, I found a short stack of eight 9-patch blocks made 5-plus years ago. In the same basket were some sashing strips leftover from another project from several years ago. The colors were right, so I sewed the sashing strips to two sides of the 9-patch blocks, thinking I'd find find a coordinating fabric scrap somewhere for the other two sides, then I'd sew the blocks together into a table runner.<br />
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Well, I found a coordinating fabric easily enough, and finished the blocks,<br />
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but I couldn't make myself sew them into a table runner. I have no use for a purple table runner, and I couldn't think of a friend or a relative who would want a purple table runner. But what else can you make with eight square blocks? The choices are rather limited.<br />
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So, I decided to rummage through my scraps and try to make a ninth block that was similar enough to blend with the other eight. This is what I came up with:<br />
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<br />Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-55617277461837392322015-05-12T00:50:00.001-07:002015-05-12T00:50:13.059-07:00All Wrapped Up in Quiltmaker's 100 BlocksSometimes my dial-up internet service works fairly well. Sometimes it doesn't. Lately, it hasn't.<br />
Sometimes my 60-year-old body works fairly well. Sometimes it doesn't. Lately, it hasn't.<br />
Between the two, I've been doing things in slow motion lately, really slow motion. But, on the bright side, any motion is better than no motion!<br />
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While I've been trudging along at snail speed, volume 11 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks came out. If you look on page 36, you'll see "All Wrapped Up," a block that I designed for using those large prints that are too beautiful to cut up into little squares and triangles. It's a little difficult to see the focal fabric in a small photo, but it features a calico cat and two kittens.<br />
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When I first designed the block, I happened to have Christmas fabrics in my EQ fabric palette and used a few to color the block. The result reminded me of a Christmas present tied with ribbon, so I named the block All Wrapped Up.<br />
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This is what the block might look like set without sashing in a small quilt:<br />
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Getting away from the Christmas colors, here's an example using a juvenile print as the focal fabric. (Eeks! The reduced size kind of makes it look like a kitchen print!)<br />
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As a runner, the block design loses the pinwheel and circular effects, but it's still quite a striking design for showing off a beautiful print or a beautiful quilting design.<br />
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Adding sashing makes the design look a bit like a complex plaid.<br />
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I think I like it best set without sashing. But then again, some fabrics might look best with the sashing. Which way is your favorite?Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-3439170780468790212015-04-24T00:29:00.000-07:002015-04-24T00:29:00.572-07:00The Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt: A Photo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CnQfl-KhoRRdFDLzTXeom4UFIUaVddJGIHO6WEkpIScly3fzmKuj9CuG99f5qMMGpq_F81ZuuHEVLZyt6_ds1MdFsYg3p7T5N1Sn3fMVtjG8GF33C2z-lq3b5HJCbPwBqhTgdew1Y3c/s1600/crookedxmas8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CnQfl-KhoRRdFDLzTXeom4UFIUaVddJGIHO6WEkpIScly3fzmKuj9CuG99f5qMMGpq_F81ZuuHEVLZyt6_ds1MdFsYg3p7T5N1Sn3fMVtjG8GF33C2z-lq3b5HJCbPwBqhTgdew1Y3c/s1600/crookedxmas8.jpg" height="291" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the nearly-completed top draped over a lawn chair! The colors really pop in the bright sunshine. I hadn't added the border yet when I took this photo. From a distance, it's difficult to tell that this project began with strips of not-so-square squares sewn together with a disappearing quarter-inch seam. So far, I'm pleased with my effort of turning quilty lemons into lemonade.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7dbV86LjOnSm06g7z3ikHGY49bGlPBTTwusYfTYnbUMYgHBK9ybv29WvRn56bWFEasu-g1m8enURYJguTCy6N51c40mBSMCyFNN_dXqo-KKEIBIdNKrUBDnDA0rWZE08uqpsqeXplxo/s1600/9patchcourthousebw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7dbV86LjOnSm06g7z3ikHGY49bGlPBTTwusYfTYnbUMYgHBK9ybv29WvRn56bWFEasu-g1m8enURYJguTCy6N51c40mBSMCyFNN_dXqo-KKEIBIdNKrUBDnDA0rWZE08uqpsqeXplxo/s1600/9patchcourthousebw.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a schematic of the block design those 9-patches developed into. Perhaps 9-Patch in the Courthouse would be an appropriate name for it.<br />
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My next step is to sandwich the top with batting and backing. Since this is the type of quilt that only gets used one or two months a year, I'm not going to put a lot of expense into this part. I have a fleece throw that I purchased on sale last December that's just about perfect for the back: red with large green and white dots. And I already have a small size poly batting on hand.<br />
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Once sandwiched, I'll have to decide on how to hold the layers together. I don't like machine quilting with fleece backings, so I've already discarded that option. The two options I'm debating are 1) tie it with yarn, or 2) hand quilt it with embroidery floss using the big stitch method. Both seem appropriate for a quilt in the crooked man's crooked little house!Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-56561785402501178552015-04-23T00:12:00.000-07:002015-04-23T00:12:11.679-07:00The Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt: To Sash or Not to SashWhen it comes to sewing blocks together, we quilters seem to have only two options: we can sew the blocks together, side by side, or we can sew strips of fabric called sash or sashing between the blocks. Sometimes I wish there were more options, but every time I think I've found a new one it turns out to be a variation of sashed or not sashed.<br />
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For this project, I deliberated both options. My go-to method for most projects is to use sashing between the blocks unless assembling the blocks without sashing creates a new design effect, as when Snowball blocks and 9-Patch blocks are sewn together. In this case, sewing the blocks without sash would have created colorful 9-patches floating in a sea of white -- not the effect that I wanted. A red or green or even blue sash would have disrupted the white sea, but I was concerned that the constant size of the sashing strips would emphasize the irregular size of the white framing strips. I know I named this The Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt, but I really didn't want to emphasize the irregularities!<br />
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So, I decided to add another round of framing strips in the style of the Courthouse Steps block. To distract the eye from comparing the irregularities in the blocks, I framed four of the blocks with red fabric and five of the blocks with green fabric.<br />
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I couldn't fit much on my scanner, but this should give you a good idea of what the blocks look like. When I sewed the blocks together, I alternated the red and green. It was sunny yesterday and I took a photo of the nearly completed top, but forgot to save it to my flashdrive. Here's a virtual rendition of my quilt made in Electric Quilt.<br />
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Tomorrow, I'll try to get the photo on my flashdrive! (My desktop computer doesn't have my camera's software on it, so I have to download photos on my laptop in the trailer, save photos to a flashdrive and bring it over to the house where my desktop is. Someday I'll get everything organized in one location. Someday.)<br />
<br />Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-39137092971873467782015-04-16T23:51:00.000-07:002015-04-22T23:18:20.403-07:00The Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt: Salvaging Imperfect BlocksAfter squaring up my nine crooked 9-Patch blocks, I was amazed to find that three of the blocks actually measured 6.5 inches square! But the other six don't. So I'm using a technique called "framing" to make all nine blocks come out the same size.<br />
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Basically, framing is the process of sewing borders around blocks to make them all the same size. Framing is often used when quilters want to incorporate different size blocks -- like 3-inch, 4-inch and 6-inch blocks -- into the same project. It can also be used to make those oddly sized printed fabric "blocks" (common in children's prints and novelty prints) a uniform size. And I've heard of block swap participants using this technique to make swapped blocks all uniform in size. (Theoretically, a quarter inch is the same on every sewing machine, but different fabric weights and thread weights and cutting methods can make a difference in the final size of a block. But block swaps can still be fun. I've participated in several over the years.)<br />
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After looking over my stash of Christmas fabrics, I decided the prints were all too busy to work well to frame my 9-Patch blocks. I choose a basic white-on-white instead for this job. I want my uneven 6.5-inch blocks to come out as even 8.5-inch blocks, so I cut 2" strips of white fabric. This is wider than what I actually need, but it gives me some wiggle room when trimming the blocks to size.<br />
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The white fabric doesn't show up well on the white page background, but I hope you can see that I sewed strips on the left and right sides of the 9-patch blocks. After pressing these strips over, I sewed strips on the remaining two sides of the blocks.<br />
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My next step is to trim all nine blocks to the same size, then decide whether to sash or not to sash.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5683498709500092149.post-85771675208429848462015-04-13T02:32:00.001-07:002015-04-13T02:32:46.484-07:00At a Standstill but Moving Along AnywayIt's mid-April. My mom is settling into her new apartment, but half of her things are still here at the house. I can't move into the house until it's cleaned and some repairs are done, but I can't do those until Mom's things are dealt with. At the same time, I more or less have to be in the house because it's heated by a wood stove. In this cool, damp climate, if the house isn't heated it will deteriorate even faster. I tried working from my trailer and running over to the house every two hours to put wood in the stove, but that proved to be inefficient. Sooner or later (usually sooner), I'd get involved in something and totally forget about needing to feed the wood stove, then I'd have to spend an extra half an hour or more building another fire and getting the house warmed up again.<br />
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So, I sort of halfway moved into the house. I brought enough kitchen supplies over here to prepare meals. I got a phone hooked up so that I have internet access on my old desktop computer. And I set up my old manual sewing machine on the kitchen table so that I can work on small projects when I get a few minutes here and there. It's not ideal, but it'll have to do for now.<br />
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Last week, Mom gave me a small bag of fabric scraps she no longer wanted. Amidst the scraps of children's prints, I found 25 strips of 2.5" squares of Christmas fabrics. Mom must have been working on 9-patch blocks but gave up on the project. After examining them, I could see why. She must have cut the squares with scissors, as few (if any) were cut exactly square. And although her seam allowances often started at 1/4th inch, they dwindled down to 1/8th inch or less by the time she reached the other side. Mom sews for the fun of it. She has never been that concerned about accuracy and for this reason has more success working with larger squares, like 5" or larger, where she has more room for fudging.<br />
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There were two many strips for me to toss the lot in the trash with a clear conscience, so I decided to see if I could salvage the project. First, I resewed all the existing seams as best I could without ripping out the original seams (the squares weren't square anyway so why bother, was my thinking). After pressing, the strips looked like this on the back side:<br />
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And this on the front:<br />
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I cut a few 2.5" squares from my own scraps and sewed two more strips to make 27 total, then sewed them up into nine 9-patch blocks:<br />
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Most of the seams don't match up, but a few do! They actually came out looking better than I first thought possible. As I was working on these, the nursery rhyme about the crooked man with the crooked little smile kept coming to mind, so I'm calling this project The Crooked Man's Christmas Quilt. Tomorrow, I plan to rummage through my stash to find an appropriate sashing fabric.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14314140181712152197noreply@blogger.com0