Marty's Fiber Musings: October 2011

Two of a Kind:

Some of my sewing buddies poke fun at me because I like to make two: as in two pillow cases. But, you see, often times, two is/are required.....case in point: I made one regular size pillow case to stuff a Christmas quilt in for the four year old niece.....but since I've also made her little baby doll a quilt, I decided that a mini-pillow case was required to stuff the doll quilt into! Makes since to me! snicker

Today's the HuMan's Birthday:

and here is his birthday card ~ Yes....he's old enough to remember who Elaine is and remembers her doing her TV happy dance! Well, today I'm doing my happy dance, 'cause he is now as old as I am! What an original idea for an original card for his birthday~

I'm still smiling

Red Stripe Ticking: Potholders

I needed some potholders: Four just finished and ready to lift the pot of stew off the fire!

Just wait 'til I get you home:

Finley and Jamison

It's been reported that the baby boy is home and doing well. Big sister hasn't yet learned that she's going to get less attention for the next few years! But as of this picture taking, she's still loving the little tyke. Welcome home Jamison Paul, aka The Little Boy.....

Just Concentrate....on whatever you do:

and a good time was had by all

Now head over to The Blogger Quilt Festival

....a semi-annual event hosted by Amy's Creative Side.

Here's my entry in her happy event - one of my all-time favorites because I used up so many little left over pieces from other quilting projects. And to top that, all the asterisk blocks were set in white.....just the right fabric to lighten my mood!

Punctuate with an Asterisk

whatever floats your pinwheels:

Between the front and the back of this little 20" x 26" doll quilt....now valued at approximately $65, if I factor in my modest hourly labor rate.....I spent the entire afternoon deliberating about how to use the fabric Mary had given me. She just handed me a little handful of fabric with the remark...."I thought these would make a cute baby quilt....." and I took them from her hands and put them in mine! Truly, it can be said that just because an offer is made, it doesn't have to be accepted. But anyway, back to my deliberations.....what I finally did was discard all but three of the fabrics, made pinwheels, floated them in white.

Well, almost discarded all - I cut and re-stitched two more pieces from Mary's hand offs then reclaimed one more piece for the binding. Not sure it was worth the entire afternoon....but, whatever floats your pinwheels: I always say!

Paid Hannah a visit yesterday!

and came away with this:

Birdhouse fabric and yellow/black stripe fabric for a crib size quilt for Jamison....he's the little baby boy!

Yellow dot for back of quilt and binding in the blue birdhouse fabric ~ Shop with Hannah's Quilts and the butterflies are free.....

Life is my oyster: a collage

And today is my pearl ~

Start here:

and continue on!

I promise: life is good

My Turning Twenty: Just Got Better!

In my quest to find even more possibilities for using half-square triangles ~ I found Tricia Cribbs Turning Twenty updated version - it all just got better! The original turning twenty block is still there; however, once that block is made, then you draw the diagonal line through the center, sew 1/4" on either side of the line, cut on the line! Yep.....it's now a half-square triangle block. I chose to do this one in dark and light fabric for diagonal contrast. And I could find no better way to use these big prints:

It's not quilted yet, but! look at the statement it makes draped on my patio table!

There's a madness to my method! of making yardage for a quilt back. I measure the quilt top, add a few inches, then multiply the width by the length. For instance, this quilt top is 70" x 84". I decided to make the backing 75" x 90"....good round numbers. Multiply w x l = 6,750 sq inches! Now, the madness comes into play. I don't have a single fabric that even begins to qualify as large enough so I must - therefore - make yardage. I gather all the fabric left from the quilt top...add more coordinating fabric from my stash, measure and multiply - until I get 6,750 sq inches....and then some.

Draft a paper road map....then sew up. I now have approximately 6 yards of fabric all used up and this baby is ready to go to one of my favorite long-arm quilters!

Hope your days are as fun-filled as mine:

Great dance routine by some (not so old) old timers.....

Faces of Friends:

One half-square triangle is never enough!

He loves me...he loves me not.....aka warm and cool....a completed half-square triangle quilt top

that measures 48" x 64"

it took 192- 4 1/2" blocks

Yes you can!

the warm and cool mosaic block sampler....a couple of the cools need to be a little more dominant to help make the pattern pop

Start with a hot fabric and a cool fabric 5" square....drew a line down the diagonal center....stitch on either side of the line.....cut on the drawn line....press.....trim to 4 1/2" square....this will make two of many to add to a quilt!

started with the sketch

Millennium Quilts: Oh, the beauty of

Quilt chapter members made a public display: of their millennium quilts! They all were given the same number of 2 1/2" squares out of many pieces of fabric....and just look at the quilt designs....all original to each quilter. And not one of the 2000 blocks were wasted. If they didn't fit the front, they certainly did the back..... Oh, they were jolly good fellows!

Lenita's Beauty

And Lil.....

Another view - Lil!

I'm a little close with the camera.....Tilatha has used many, many blocks to put the year 2000 in her quilt.

Tilatha's millennium quilt back.....as gorgeous as the front!

Ethel's....sorry for the blur Ethel!

The back of Ethel's quilt.....

.....and another thing!

I like Wednesday mornings and nice people and busy days

people who say 'please' and

cats in the house that make me sneeze!

original thoughts by Marty Mason

"and you know what you know"

“You're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

So... get on your way!”

~ Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go

Pickled Pink: Bread and Butter Pickles

Bread and Butter pickles are my favorite..... recipes are everywhere....here's just one

Quilted....flange and binding completed!

Oh boy! It's finished. I had very little fabric with which to bind this table topper quilt and didn't want the butterfly fabric to touch the same fabric in the quilt.....so, I found a contrasting fabric and made the little 1/4" flange.....I think it made it better! Go back one post to see the rest of the table topper: It's 28" square and ready for "my half-square addiction" demonstration ~

quilting update.....at last

A doll quilt: red and cream half square triangles put to the test. Ready for my next demo.....

A half-square triangle quilt sampler for an upcoming demonstration....ready to be quilted:

'Migration' quilt top is finished....but it's hanging upside down for the photo! My geese are really migrating west, then south! Isn't that the usual route to find a warm climate?