April in my rearview...

What a month it has been!

It started off with a quilting retreat...which I believe I already told you about.  You can read about it here.  While I was there I finished these tops.

I came home from retreat and got busy working on quilting for other people.  I quilted 12 tops this month.

If you look closely you can see that one of them was even mine!

This block arrived in time to help me celebrate!

I celebrated my birthday, Easter, and had a wonderful date night with my husband. We went to see "Casablanca" on the big screen.  I  had no idea a movie could get better just by tossing it in a projector.

I had another quilt pattern published on Moda Bake Shop

and got to see my work in a national publication.

The quilt came home a few days later...and we rearranged the house to accommodate it.

The quilt in its new home.


A panoramic view of my remodeled studio pre design wall 

In the process I got a design wall!!  Hot dawg!!

AND I've already gotten to use it.

May promises to be just as full.  I hope you had a wonderful month!

S'more Rows.8 S'more Mountains

S'more Mountains

(row 8)

 



This row is made of 6, 10" x 10" finished blocks.  (If you measure your block from edge to edge it will measure 10 1/2" x 10 1/2". The extra 1/2" is for the seam allowances.)

I designed this block for a Moda Bakeshop quilt featured in August of 2013.   It is constructed by combining half square triangles and jelly roll strip units.

Fabric Requirements:

• Dark Mountains - 1/3 yard - I used Bella Chocolate (SKU#9900-41)
• Light Sky - 1/3 yard - I used Bella Neutral (SKU#9900-12)
• Striped Mountains - 8 jelly roll strips, or equivalent scraps (I used 16, 2 1/2" x 22" cuts from fat quarters) 

Cutting Directions:

• From Dark Mountains fabric
• Cut 1, 11 1/4"x width of fabric (wof) strip
• cut 2, 11 1/4"x 11 1/4" squares from wof strip 
• Set remnant, 11 1/4" x 19 ish" aside.
• From Light Sky fabric
• Cut 1, 11 1/4"x wof strip
• cut 2, 11 1/4"x 11 1/4" squares from wof strip 
• Set remnant, 11 1/4" x 19 ish" aside.
• From Striped Mountains fabric (if not using jelly rolls)
• Cut enough 2 1/2" strips to make 8, 2 1/2" x 42" pieces)

Break time!!

Well, no, I don't think you need a break yet.  I don't really need one either at this point....but I was expecting one.  You  might have been as well at this point in the game.

 

 

That is what a quilt of this row looks like.  Isn't it fun?!  Directions are all written out for you over on Moda's Bakeshop.

 

and back to the directions for this row...

 

 

Sewing Directions:

LARGE STRIPED TRIANGLES:

• From jelly roll
• Randomly sew 2 sets of 4 strips together along the long edge
• Iron seam allowances open
• To open seam allowances place the sewn strip on a hard surface (like a cutting table or desk)  Spread the larger pieces of fabric to the sides, right side down, then use your finger nail to nudge the seam allowances apart.  The  use STEAM to set the seams open.

• Each strip set should measure approximately 42" x 8 1/2"
• Using the lines on your ruler cut 45 degrees from the corner of the first strip set.

• Turn ruler over and make second cut on strip set at 45 degrees from the last edge cut.

• Continue in this manner across set for 4 large right triangles per set
• Because you will be working with biased edges the pieces will have a tendency to stretch.  Do the best that you can to keep things square, but don't worry too much about it.  These triangles are large enough to be squared up when you get to the final step of block construction. 
• Repeat process with remaining strip set for a total of 8 large right triangles.
• NOTE: As you only need 6, you will have two extras.

 

MOUNTAIN BLOCKS:

• Gather
• 2, dark 11 1/4"x 11 1/4" squares
• 2, light 11 1/4"x 11 1/4" squares
• 6, large, striped right triangles
• Make 3 half square triangles (HST)
• Draw a line diagonally across the wrong side of each light 11 1/4"x 11 1/4" square
• Align one light square atop one dark square with right sides together
• Sew 1/4" to each side of the drawn line
• Cut on line to make 2 HST
• Iron seam allowances open.
• Cut each HST in half diagonally, perpendicular to the seam to make 2 right triangles each (mirror images of each other)
• Repeat process with remaining squares, but do not cut the last HST in half for 6 bi-colored large triangles.
• Sew one striped triangle to one bi-colored triangle
• The striped triangles will be bigger than the bi-colored triangles.  I did this on purpose so that the cutting would be easier.  I found trimming after the weird blocks were made more accurate than trimming stretchy triangles.
• Align the triangles along the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle), with right sides together, pin!
• Sew along the hypotenuse to make one large square-ish shape. 
• Iron seam allowances towards the striped triangle.
• Trim to 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" square - be sure to keep the center of the square where the hypotenuse and the seam of the bi-colored triangle meet.
• Repeat with remaining triangles for 6 blocks.

Assemble row to look like picture.

RETREAT!!!

Can you hear the bugle calling?

It is singing "Run away, run away!" That is just what I did last weekend.

I went with a few of my friends from Frisco Quilt Guild.  Three nights and four days of nothing but quilting....and laughter....and food.  It was delightful.  

It wouldn't have been half as nice if it were not for the people at Sunset  Retreats.  Their center has been open for a little more than a year.  It is the perfect spot to get away for quilting.

Located in Sunset Texas, north and west of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, the spot is ideal for anyone who wants to get away and have room to spread out.

The work room had 2, 2'x 4' tables per guest...and since we had not reached capacity we had lots more room than that, and design walls for everyone.  It was amazing to be able to look up and see what everyone was working on.  It was helpful to have people stop by and give suggestions about what they saw in your work on the wall.  Just a few quilters had their projects "rescued" from wonky blocks by a random friend walking by and asking about it.

There was an on site quilt store too.  Plenty of notions if you forgot or ran out of something.

And a moderate selection of fabrics in case you needed a different border or new project to work on. The shop offers retreaters a 15% discount on all purchases during your stay.  I am afraid that a few of us went home with more projects than we came with.

We may have gone home a few pounds heavier as well. Delicious home cooked meals were served twice a day, with breakfast amply supplied by a fully stocked breakfast bar.

The best part?  I got projects done that had been sitting on my selves for years.

2012 Guild Mystery Quilt

2013 Guild Mystery Quilt

Selvedge Quilt started in 2011 at least...but I've been saving edges for years.

2014 Guild Mystery Quilt...the last thing I worked on.
I had to stop because I needed fabric for the border.

I've got backing and binding for several of them already....and ordered what I didn't have when I got home on Sunday.

Now...to get them to the quilter.

Welcome

I am away from my desk at the moment...but I want to welcome all who might be visiting from Moda Bake Shop. Welcome! Look around. Kick the tires. I'm glad you stopped by.

For my regular bloggy friends...yes, this means I am on the Bake Shop again. "All Good Gifts" debued today. Go check it out.

Thanks again Jeanne for your excellent piecing.

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