Finish Reveal for SAHRR 2025

I had fun with the SAHRR.

The final finish is at the end of this post.

I hand stitched the binding, something I rarely do.

Total machine binding is my go-to finish.

But I was concerned that the thread would not match, 

so I hand stitched using clips, size 10 straw needle and the cranberry thread.

Above I checked that batting and backing before pin basting the layers.

During construction I tried out different block configurations. 

Half square triangles make so many different patterns.

Which ones to use?

A quarter square log cabin block.

The label for documentation.

The back is an 18 inch width of fabric from the Cats of Paris collection. 

Ta-Da! The finished wall hanging.

So pleased with it.

Kaleidoscope blocks, stars, hour glass, Johnny in the Corner,

Crown, more hour glasses, quarter log cabin, sliced block, and pinwheel.

Thank you Gail and your team for helping us create our own quilts.

Happy Sewing!

 

SAHRR Round # 6

SAHRR Round #6 is in progress over here.

I decided to do Kaleidoscope blocks instead of Kite blocks.

Here is the first one.

It is paper pieced.

I found the free pattern on Quilterscache.com.

I'm linking up with the group.

Look for the finish soon.

Happy Sewing!

Janice

 

Tell Me a Story "Raining Cats and Dogs" team 7

This January I joined the Tell Me a Story block swap again.

My group had 9 people. We each made blocks to swap and received 2 blocks from each team member.

I made two extra blocks so I had 20 blocks total.

Below is the final layout.

Each block tells a story.

Here are the stories by row (A, B, C...)

and column (1, 2, 3, 4)

A-1 Happy felines partied the night away, not troubled by the rain outside. 

Each kitty was given a pretty striped umbrella as a party favor.

A-2 Kitty sat in the hard chair because she couldn't decide which pillow was coziest for her nap.

A-3 Fancy Cat is playing with a butterfly before the party. Which crown will she wear?

A-4 In Hawaii some cats play the ukelele.

B-1 The rain poured softly as Willow watched the butterfly dance through the droplets.

B-2 The black cat family is having fun at the beach. Look out for big waves!

B-3 Scottie enjoyed soaring in the sky carried by balloons. The clouds looked like tasty bones.

B-4 Leah loves watching the fishies in the bowl and dreaming of how they would taste...

C-1 Kitty loves to explore and run in the garden. When she was caught in the rain she hid in the flowers.

C-2 In Hawaii some cats dance to ukelele music. 

C-3 Kittie is an outdoor cat who loves chasing squirrels. 

When he escapes the house, his owners post his picture on telephone poles.

C-4 Sammie was tired and hungry. The flowers made him think of yummy canned tuna.

D-1 Charlie turned away for a second and when he turned back a bird was eating his food!

Time to teach that bird a lesson...

D-2 As rain drizzles against the glass, the cat tugs the needle through the fabric, 

sewing tiny flowers with each stitch. Admiring the work, the cat knows 

even the gloomiest days can be brightened with a  little artistry.

D-3 A cloudy sky promised long awaited rain but the next morning kitty saw it had 

not even sprinkled and his carefully planted catnip had not sprouted.

D-4 The big orange cat is chilling at home in the city.

E-1 The little puppy liked playing at the park with his friends 

until the gray sky let him know it was about to rain.

E-2 Sarah's dog was praised every time he did something good. 

Sarah loved when he curled up beside her while she did her homework.

E-3 Bully and his friends played in the dark, hiding in the thick bushes.

E-4 Duke pretended the muddy paw prints all over the carpet were NOT his.

The modern kitties backing fabric was bought at Keaton Quilts in NYC.

The birds and butterflies fabric was some of the last fabric I bought for mom.

She wanted to make a table topper quilt.

The quilt has facings instead of binding and a hanging sleeve.

It was fun to get blocks from sewists in Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,

Oregon, Idaho, and California. 

Special thanks to Amy for hosting and setting up the groups.

Happy sewing!

 

SAHRR Round #5

My SAHRR wall hanging is taking shape.

Round #5 is a quarter log cabin block.

Instead of the hearth center I fussy cut a famous Parisian street name.

I made the strips 2.5 inches for a 6.5 inch unfinished block.

The wall hanging will only be 18 inches wide but it can be as long as I want.

I have 8 half-square triangles to play with and one more round to construct.

Linking up with SAHRR 2025.

Happy Sewing!

 

Charity flimsy finish

I read about a quick block over on Quilting Gail's blog.

I took some 5 inch squares and made my version of her block.

I only had 5 squares of each fabric. 

There were some gray on gray squares, too.

I used the gray cut at 1" X  5" between the sliced 5 inch squares.

For the 'plus sign' I cut different gray print squares

 in half and added a 2.5" pink square in the middle.

That only made 5 blocks.

So I dug around in my tub of white scraps for alternative blocks

and made this giant 9 patch.

There was enough white to add a border.

Then I found a soft yellow print with buzzing bees for the outer border.

I have a backing fabric and binding cut, so it's ready to be quilted and bound.

My Color Theory blocks are coming along.

I bought a 3 in 1 Color Tool to add to my collection of reference books.

Compare the two photos above.

I changed the 3 squares in the right bottom.

I think it works better.

Mr. M hung this shelf in my sewing room.

He remembers making the shelf with Uncle Harold's help many years ago.

The messy looking pile on the antique pedal sewing machine

is actually organized chaos.

I put all the parts of a project in these bags so I can see them.

I forget about projects that are put away neatly in tubs.

That's all for today.

Happy Sewing! 

 

This & That

I made another tunic top.

The one on the far right.

It has long sleeves with cuffs and a contrasting collar.

There will be at least one more tunic since I have another lovely piece of Liberty lawn.

I made this little catch-all from 10 inch squares.

Very easy and quick to make.

I am posting the following photos of clothes I made when the kids were small.

Today I donated them to the spring sale at church.

I enjoyed making all these and hope some others will enjoy wearing them.

Mom made some of these.

Some early attempts at smocking.

Mom made the purple coat below.

I bought this sweater in Switzerland for Emily.

These Barbies were donated to the sale, too.

All of the Barbie clothes were so tattered and worn.

I didn't want to send nekkid dolls, so I made some dresses from sock tops.

Working on my Color Theory blocks.

Will share them later.

Happy Sewing!

 

SAHRR #4

Round #4 Slice a square and add a strip.

I cut a 6.5 inch square and sliced a bit off one side.

Then I added two strips.

Sort of fulfilled the prompt. Maybe?

Playing around with possible layouts.

I found a place for the hourglass blocks.

The half square triangles will show up in the finished quilt.

Still playing.

Only two rounds to go.

Linking up with the party.

Happy Sewing!