The FWS 30"s Quiltalong Week 29 Block 57 Margaret & Block 58 Martha
 

Whoops! I almost forgot again.. It's that time again...Hmmmm I wonder who's going to be first this week..I know it's not me :D

Nor me, Honchey. I will enjoy everyone's 'eye' candy, and hope to get caught up in the next couple or three weeks... I am 'twirling' the four patches for the center of Midnight Path to join with the House that Jack Built before the 14rh of the month and finish the quilt top by then. Multi-tasking as fast as I can...washing is in the machine, ribs are in the oven and I am in the QR, sewing away. .

I am very thankful to be employed but it sure cuts into my sewing time. Will be spending Part of Sunday and all of Monday doing some catch up!

I need to catch up on all the first half of the book??

I will be finishing up a couple of projects to send off and then wind up on those, so I can spend more of my time on here.

I so love being retired! Work doesn't get in the way anymore (of course, that has cut down on FARTS but the trade off is worth it). Here are my blocks for this week. [ATTACH=CONFIG]544318[/ATTACH]

Nice blocks Jan, I just love your batiks . Buddy's mom, I have at least 10 blocks to catch up on, maybe more, and I started at the beginning. I got behind over the holidays but little by little I will get caught up.

You can finish the past blocks as you work on the current blocks...that is what I will do in several weeks.

JanRN, lovely blocks; very inspiring to go do mine, if I was not under a deadline for the top I am putting together. Speaking of such, I need to go sew. Sew onward.

JanRN those are pretty blocks. Nice contrast. Now I want to at least get those papers printed out, and choose my fabric. :)

Nice and I like the colors. Never thought of putting these two shades of green together. I like the variation of the colors. Both blocks are pretty. :)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]544542[/ATTACH]Me, too, Jan! And here are mine:

Katybob those are very pretty blocks. I like seeing the two different color schemes. Very nice. I kept popping in to see if there was anyone else yet posting pics. lol.. :)

Love them Katy. For some reason I always associated 30's prints with "cutesy"--definitely not my style. You gals have educated me and now I may have to try them in a future project. They're so cheerful and you combined the colors so well.

I didn't think I liked 30's prints either, Jan, then I got hooked on bitty blocks. Take a look -- http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...s-t259348.html

I went back to look, because I couldn't remember them and they are so cute.

Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, that's what your block reminds me of Jan..So cool & pretty...

Critics say red & pink don't go together but your block Katy shows they're wrong..Love the green & yellow combo..I have that fabric too..

Great blocks ladies, here's mine,

So pretty--love the addition of the red/white, looks like gingham.

Buddy'smom, those are such pretty blocks, and I too like the red/white that looks like gingham with little daisies. I like the pretty green/blue/yellow too. :)

Thanks ladies I think all blocks are awesome, nice to see all different fabric's and color's.

Honchey, the print in my Margaret is as red as the solid -- it just looks pink in the picture. But I like pink and red together, too! Buddy's Mom, that gingham is just perfect for that block. And you're doing a great job with your points and matching hour seams.

Thanks Katybob, some are not so easy, but doing my best, there are a few I need to replace with another as I can not do Y seams.

Of course you can do Y seams! I believe QNS has the best tips on how to do them and she'll probably be checking in soon. Or maybe it was Honchey. And sometimes, but not always, you can avoid them with paper piecing.

Oh I tried and even though there pp it just didn't work for me. I love QNS, but even that won't help me.

The Y seam is soooo easy to do. Just give your full attention to where the seams intersect at the corners....stop on that dot not one stitch more.....hold the needle down turn on next section and sew on....notch from the dot outward so you do not cut the seam and it will work out. I can take pictures if that would help...Honchey showed me with pictures, and it was a good illustrated example of it.

Eight more blocks and I have my quilt ready to put together....hopefully by Monday...Baked three pied this afternoon. Mincemeat and apple.

Yes, It is I that showed how to do the Y seams..I will try to find it or redo another for you

Y seams are evil!!!! Just kidding--I've done them; my first quilt was a Grandmother's Flower Garden with thousands of hexagons sewn together with y-seams. I feel I've done my share and now avoid them like asparagus (which I also don't like LOL). Try Anne's method--you may find you like doing them. She couldn't convince me LOL!!

Thanks ladies, I'll give it another try.

How's the project looking for tomorrow, QNS? Have you got the top together? Will there be a picture? :-)

QNS that is amazing that you will be putting your quilt together. We all will be so exited to see it. I am hoping to have a quilt block done soon. I would like to say by tonight, but I have learned the hard way to not say that anymore. lol...I have had to finish up a few other projects. :)

I have been up late tonight to work on my Margaret block. I hope to post a picture of it later today. I just have to sew the rows together now. I am so pleased how it turned out. Now that I am finished with my other obligations on the quilting board I can devote more time to this group. I so love sewing these together.

For the reverse part, when finished the rows of paper piecing I notice if I just turned the rows upside down then it came out correctly. Now I don't know if that applies to all the blocks or if it just worked for this one.

I also hope to work on my Martha block later today too. I want to get caught up with where we are right now before the next one begins and then I will really be more in the swing of it. lol...

I love them, I love them, I love them. :)

Here is a picture of my Margaret Block. I am working on the Martha Block still.

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I was happy with how it turned out, but how do all of you iron all the seams? ( which way do you iron them ) I know some may leave them on the paper, but I end up taking mine out for the joining. Right now that seems easier to me.

I thought about my fabrics, and that I did not have any solids in this one, but I still enjoyed all the little prints as long as some part of them gave a contrast.

Good job! Love the red, white and blue. I lveave my paper on...tearing off the quarter inch seal allowance so it lays down flat better. Bought a couple of good tweezers tp remove tje paper with them.:)

Nice block Susan! So glad you are doing these. I will have some to post tomorrow!

Love your colorful block JB.. It's busy but not uncomfortably so... dancing triangles :)

QuiltingNinaSue, thank you. I never thought of using tweezers to do that. I will have to try that out.

Pam P, thank you, and I look forward to seeing yours.

Honchey, yes I had to go back and look at the dancing triangles. lol.. They do look sort of like a dance going on. I am not usually one for busy either, but for some reason they struck me different, so I went with it. lol...

Very pretty block, Susan. Love all the prints.

I can tell you how I do my seams, may not work for anyone but works for me. If a block has sections that have to be sewn together to complete the block I sew the first to the second section, remove the paper just in the seam allowance and then press that seam open. I use drops of water (not a lot) on the seam to get a little steam to help set it open. Continue adding the sections, removing the paper in the seam allowances, press seam open. After the entire block is sewn together I remove the rest of the paper. I find pressing the main seams open helps the block to lay flat. Again, this is just my way of doing it.

Lots of people wait till all blocks are sewn together to remove all the paper at once. I tried that method one time on a wall hanging and it was tedious. I also felt I was stretching the top too much so I remove my papers after I complete each block. It's an individual choice. My blocks go up on a flannel wall so they're not handled a lot after completion so i don't notice any stretching or distortion due to the bias edges. I thought it stretched more when I left the papers in til the end.

JanRN thank you for your comments on how you handle all the pressing of the seams. They are very tedious. I started my Martha block last night, but had to stop when I was sleepy with those center blocks so tiny and I wanted to be aware of what I was doing. I have to go for an appointment today, and will have to finish it later this evening. I am anxious to see if I get it to turn out. I have the two sides done, and a little start in the middle. It's more of a challenge for me, but I am excited about it. :)

Well I finished my (Martha) block tonight, but don't think it will do any good to post a picture until they get that fixed on the board. lol... This block was a challenge for me, but I kept going.

I don't know if the board is straightened out yet or not, but I am going to try and post a pic of my 'Martha' block.

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