Oh no- 100% strip sets. But even with the strip sets I find my points are off about every 3rd seam. So unstitch , adjust and then try again until it's good enough. I found that I got about 10 cuts from each set so enough for extra diamonds. Don't know what to do with the extra diamonds...but that's a problem *later*
​​​​​​I think if you chart it out you could get the snowflakes. Sounds interesting!

Are you starching, Rff1010? That may help with those bias edges.

Ugh a mug! Seattle is in a heat wave. 100 outside the house, 87 inside with no AC and careful timing of opening/closing windows and fans.

I think this will be presentation to our group hostess this week. In the good news/bad news sort of things, we've all had shots but were still meeting outside because she was keeping the house to extreme standards. With Brian in his new residence, we will be able to come inside and she does have AC. Bittersweet.

I have been doing a lot of fabric looking and wanting but am holding firm (so far anyway!) on not buying -- except I do need and will use that back for Aunt Debbie's quilt. I've been pulling out some of my own blues (in addition to the UM fabrics) for the fan blades, need to pull some yellows next and cut them. Once cut, they go together fast. I'm using the same John Flynn template + Eleanor Burns rickrack technique I used in my Turkey Fan quilt -- so all have a yellow background, a paisley pie piece with white rickrack and then will have the fan blades... you just basically applique on the pie and fan pieces on top of the base square.

ice blossom. nice pattern.

hear you re heat wave. we have ac but threats of energy black outs

Your quilt is coming along nicely, iceb. I do have AC, but one of the cats complains if I close the front door so I find myself using it less this year.
I've finished two quilts - both from stash except the backings, but my computer isn't being cooperative in downsizing the pictures. I will play with it again.

Iceblossom: You have been on my mind since I heard about your heat wave on the news. Such goofy weather.

I finally got off my butt and went to my LQS for the first time since Covid struck. I was completely out of WOW, blue blenders, light colored blenders and wide backs. 16 yards of fabric later, I walked out with 3 wide backs, 2 of which were remnants, the WOW that I needed and a variety of remnants in the lights and blues that I needed. The only thing I bought that wasn’t on my list was a spool of Glide in a color I really liked. One of the wide backs has already been put to use and the others will be used up by the end of summer. All the blenders went into my stash to replace things I’ve used up this past year, so I’m ok with that as well.

Rob

Ice B; WOW! Records toppling. In Cal. there are cooling centers. What are people doing to avoid heat stress? What's happening to animals and vegetation?

Our DD in Florida has horses that stand under hose showers to cool off. It seemed funny, but now I'm more empathetic.

There are cooling centers and fortunately, the weather has broken! On the other side of that, I turned off the fan for a moment last night and was promptly eaten alive by mosquitos. Fan still good :) His work hasn't been so bad, home has been hotter. We've been going on some lovely drives for an hour of AC in the car and bring the dogs and there is usually a DQ or at least McDonalds drinks and chicken nuggets for the dogs. Good times!

Many restaurants closed completely, most of the pizza places for example.

My little black dog, the Queenie Chiweenie, didn't like it much but I filled up the kiddy pool and dunked her in it, she was in bad shape. First time she really didn't think much of it. Second time, well it was still icky with all that water but it did feel sort of good. Third time, she walked around a little. She isn't jumping in herself yet, but she got the connection. Might make a water dog out of her yet. I've had dogs for some 30 years now, of all shapes and sizes, breeds and mixes. The only one that liked water was a cocker spaniel! Lol, Dusty looked like creampuff but you could tell in him that yes, Cockers were hunting dogs at some point before they went show.

Leaves and such on the plants are burnt to a crisp! Early fall colors and leaf loss too, not to a huge extent but it confused the trees too. My dogwood is dropping blossoms weeks early. I watered the hydrangea every day, it survived but it will look better next year.

Night before last it was 92 degrees in the house... around 1:30 AM (the one close to midnight) there was a breeze going down the street but straight past the house, I was able to stand in the doorway with the screen door open (it's only half screen) and was able to use that to catch the air inside and cooled down the house to 88 in about half an hour. It made an amazing difference.

So in sad news, we did not present the quilt, we were two group members short, but also Brian had a heart attack over the weekend. Janice is visiting him but he is unresponsive. At group we were waiting for the call to see if there was enough time for hospice to be involved, or if he would stay in the home he is in which does include end of life care. She was a nurse, she is prepared, but some things you just can't prepare enough... it was good to have supportive quilt ladies by her side.

Today it is back to work on the star blocks to alternate with the fan blocks for Aunt Debbie Bleeds Blue. I forgot my pins yesterday but I started matching up the sides to the centers.

Hi, you’all….Been traveling but I have been busting through my stash. In January, I joined Pat Sloan’s sew-along called “Home is”… I think I used every bit of my Tilda Fabrics scraps and FQ’s that I’m not using for Harriet’s Journey. It’s really a soft color quilt and outside my norm but I really like it. I made several changes to Pat’s blocks but the layout is her pattern…. Now, I just need to find some backing…

We are in the Northwest and experiencing record breaking highs, too. We hit 107 today so I work outside in the early hours and sew the rest of the day. These highs will last for the next 10 days…Lordy…

Another fabulous quilt, Teen. Love your fabrics. Pat Sloan is a favorite of mine.

Thank you, Blue Bell!!

Ice, the fussy cut turkeys made me smile on this fine Thursday morning. Michigan had heat and serious drought some time then we had 10 days of serious rain and humidity. Today, glorious summer. Weather is as weather is..... it will change. But I feel for those who have to suffer from the extremes.

Lovely project Teen!

Glad to give you a smile WMU, the turkey quilt is one I've made for myself for my quilt of the month project. Is hard to see in the pictures but the background fabric has little bird footprints. I'm pretty sure it was from a line of shorebird fabrics, but in this case they are turkey tracks! The fan blades are each unique, many came from my most recent visit to my friend in Arizona.

I think it is fun how the same traditional blocks used in different ways can make such different projects. This Aunt Debbie Bleeds Blue will look very very different than my silly birds. Still haven't cut the fan blades but the star blocks have made progress.

Brian remains rather peacefully unresponsive and we are waiting. The plane quilt is completely finished now but I am unlikely to get further photos. That's ok, our timing while not perfect is at least timely.

Thank you, Iceblossom!

Teen -- I wanted to say that I really like both your avatar quilt and that last one you made. I had planned to be working on something similar the Whatchamacallit sampler right about now but I got diverted by Debbie's instead... I like samplers but don't consider it one of my strong suits and need to follow a pattern. You have such a nice hand with your fabric selections.
https://crystalmanningart.com/blogs/...macallit-quilt

I did successfully buy the backing for Aunt Debbie without anything else hitching a ride but I admit to looking and considering many options. I do rather like taking this project out of the household budget instead of my usual tightly clench-fisted self budget/Fabric Moratorium self. This was the selection, it was hubby's favorite and I explained the cost difference from the various options...
https://www.equilter.com/product/255...-quilt-backing

Teen: Very pretty top! Bummer to the high temps.

Iceblossom: Will you give the plane quilt to your quilt friend eventually? My church quilting friends were making a quilt for my husband but he died before he knew about it. They decided to give it to me anyway and I use it in the winter. It is treasured.

Today I decided to try an outdoor picture of Hey June designed by Gudrun from GEDesigns. She offered the pattern free for 24 hours and then we did a sew along on Saturday. She demonstrated the steps at different times of the day. She also suggested to try and get an outside picture. I remembered that I still had some small nails in the frame around the garage door that used to be used for Christmas lights. With my oldest son’s help, I got a picture. What a difference from indoor to outdoor pictures. This weekend, my son and I will add a few more nails to the door frame. The idea of the pants/shirt hangars came from a few people on this thread.

59” by 80” . Will be finished and donated by my church group.

Oh the quilt will definitely go to Janice, it was always planned for her and was a group project helping us with our grief as well. She made many for Brian. On the next Tuesday we meet, it will be time and we will be there.

We first started talking that it was time to start back in December/January, and we got a bit behind. Janice is usually our leader and does such a great job dealing with us that you don't even know that you've been dealt with for two or three days. :) Trust me, it was not the same without her. It's like the cards that say "This card is a group effort -- everything with this group is an effort"

The planes were chosen because they have significance and meaning to her. We deliberately chose blue skies and no rain (clouds ok) or night -- but the night border was selected over several others. The sashing grades from dark to light as a meaning. And there are other things she will see and know -- pieces of fabric from her/her other projects and other little messages from us. Things like we cut the binding on the straight of grain and 2.25 inches because that's how she does it (instead of my bias and extra wide at 3" cut) or the choice of the serpentine stitch. Little quilt messages from quilters that know you too well.

My usual role in the group is the layout/top assembly and I did that for this project. Had to step up and do the quilting to or it would not have gotten done, I'm glad it is.

A very graphic looking quilt. For those who make QOV quilts, it's a great size and I can see it in R/W/B.

Teen, that is amazingly beautiful in the Tilda fabrics.

retiredteacher, what a cool quilt!

Very pretty, Teen. I like sampler quilts, but have never made one. I have 11 blocks my SIL completed and fabric for a 12th. I may have to get on it. My brother likes it when I finish one of hers. It's soft colors, too.

Thanks for the compliments.

Iceblossom: Thank you for your response. I chuckled at your second paragraph about ‘not knowing you had been dealt with.’ I like that you added things that have significance for her. My church group people also have certain jobs they like to do.

oksewglad: Yes, it would look good in r/w/b. I went out of town earlier than I planned 2 weeks ago and was gone for 6 days and realized when I got back that I needed to make this an easy quilt and use 3 constant colors rather than make it super scrappy since the QAL was only a few days later. 🤷‍♀️

Brian did pass this weekend. The Tuesday ladies will come together tomorrow.

Especially with the plane quilt, I am reminded of "High Flight"
https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/poem/high-flight/
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth...

Back in the days of TV station sign offs, one of the Anchorage stations closed their daily broadcast with a reading/video of this poem. Things my grandson will not know except as history -- television sign offs and the sound of a phone modem/the correct inflection of "You've Got Mail".

I am not doing as well as last year, I am starting to believe that COVID had a lot to do with it. I purchased a beautiful piece of orange/rust blender just because I had to have it. Now it is still sitting in its bag on the floor in my studio until I can get things put away. This is always a good reason not to buy fabrics. I suppose it will be used very soon as I have a "plan" for it. I haven't done this in a long time.

The Tuesday Quilters convened and presented the top to Janice, our hostess. She was touched and everyone was pleased at how it had turned out, some hadn't seen it in person except for their own blocks, or saw the other blocks but not the layout in person. Although she plans to keep hostess duties, she did remind us that she could go other places too now. (Were we being handled??)

I've been working on Aunt Debbie Bleeds Blue and was reporting progress in the Virtual Weekend thread. I have 60 more dark blue fan blades to cut -- need to select 5 more fabrics for the Darks. Yellow are done, light blue are done, half the dark blue are done. I fussy cut the Michigan fabrics, the rest are most definitely not fussy cut! The back I bought should come today or tomorrow and I will see how well the blues go together. Even if not ideally perfect, blue works with blue.

Still working through my pre-cuts…..This week, I’m tackling a layer cake…I have 5 more layer cakes to go.. geesh…

Iceblossom: My sympathy on the loss of Brian. Bless your hostess for wanting to continue for now yet looking at options without him. You are making good progress on Debbie’s quilt.

Teen: Good for you on tackling your layer cakes.

I probably am unusual in the fact that I haven’t ever owned a layer cake or charm pack. 🙂. I’m trying to concentrate on finishing WIPs this week so I can get started on one of my UFOs.

Iceblossom, I’m so sorry about Brian.

Teen- I am always amazed at the projects you come up with for using precuts. In particular, I remember a series that you do from a fat quarter bundle. Makes me want to run right out and buy some LOL!

Rob

I have a pile of them just looking at me. What patterns or blocks are you making with them? Would love some new ideas so I can reduce the height of that beautiful pile of ten-inch squares. I have done the "double cut" from MSQ and it works well. But always ready to try something new too.

Rob and WMUTeach….there are so many books on patterns for precuts. I am currently working on a Layer Cake from Fig Tree called All Hallows’ Eve….orange, black and grays…wanted to make some kind of Halloween//Pumpkin or sampler quilt with it but it just sat there. Then, I stumbled on a pattern called Hocus Pocus by The Pattern Basket…she used this collection to make it so, of course, that was it. My pumpkins are almost done..

I bought the Perfect 10 pattern book from FQS and will likely use up the other Layer Cakes using this book. Most of the patterns call for one layer cake or less..

WMUTeach..…I found this free pattern from Bear Creek Quilting company….It is Layer cake friendly though I used yardage cuz I wanted to use some yardage I had.. Pattern name is: Honeybell. Also, google free pattern: Zig Zag Zoom…that is the other quilt shown…

I didn't get a single fan blade or any other quilting/sewing done yesterday. Think I have pulled enough fabrics now and that although I said I was done fussy cutting, I think I can hide one dark blue Seahawk (pro team/not college) fan blade among the others!

I am so easily amused.

We are finally back to two working vehicles. The truck looks better than it has in a decade, but apparently after the frame work, the alignment had been paid for but not actually done so we have one more little stumble, appointment made.

I don’t think I will ever be able to buy fabric again! Year after year I participate in this moratorium using up what I have, finally seeing progress- room on my shelves- start thinking ( hey maybe next year I will be able to enjoy visiting shops again- pick up some new fabric….)

last night my husband’s best friend called him- suddenly he is saying here I will just hand the phone to Colleen….ok, Jess has never asked to talk to me before- must need something fixed….
his neighbor just lost his wife- he has Boxes and boxes of quilting fabric ( evidently she used to work at a shop downstate) there are a couple quilts that need finished- bindings; Neighbor just wants someone to take all this fabric and finish the quilts for him— Jesse told him he knew just the person- and called me. I said no problem finishing the quilts— how much fabric though - I don’t want to need a U-haul, I said jokingly __ Jess says- oh don’t worry- I have a brand new truck- I’ll get it all to you!

have no idea what and how much ( he just said boxes and boxes) but I’m already feeling overwhelmed and thinking- so much for making headway.
I am grateful and appreciate him thinking of me and telling this man about all the awards I’ve won- and, when it comes down to it I cannot afford to shop for fabric anyway, but I’m just picturing boxes and boxes cluttering my space , when I was finally getting it a little bit uncluttered.
im sure it’s all going to be fine.
between a kind of crazy work schedule, the stack of 14 quilt tops Ben made still waiting for me to quilt and the 5 or 6 of mine…
I know…just breathe it’s going to be ok, and kind of exciting to see ( new to me) fabrics.
guess I will be participating for a few more years.

I guess other people don't have these problems, ckcowl, but I know that I and most of my... more advanced... quilting friends have people running up to us and handing us bags or boxes or truckloads of fabrics and such things. Just when we think we finally got a handle on our own stuff, there's more more more!

Very kind of you to take this on and to finish things left undone.

And what fun! If nothing else you have hours of fabric playing ahead of you. I should go back into my sewing room and do some more clean up, it is a disaster after this last dive looking for fan blade fabrics. I did indeed get them all cut, all sewn into 2-fers, which have now been turned into quarters, and pinned into the final arcs. That, however, can wait until tomorrow :) both clean up and sewing.

When I first read this, I thought it would be a dream come true, but I appreciate how honest you are. It grants insight that makes me think that perhaps I should get into the habit of using what I have whenever possible before going out and getting more... Thank you. :-)

I said this would go fast once I got those fan blades cut! Cleaning isn't going so fast, but all the arcs are done and I am putting on the rickrack.

My rules for random for this project is there are no more than 10 pieces of any fabric. I used up the last bits of the fat quarters of the Michigan fabrics fussy cutting them -- yay me, no stash gain! Each fan has at least 1 Michigan Fabric, 2 yellow, 2 light blue and 2 dark (including the Michigans). I did find one block this morning as I'm working with them that does have 2 repeating fabrics, but they are both dark and separated from each other and good enough. The one Seahawk blade is being discrete but I can find it!

Is just 1/2" rickrack, so the 1/4" seam line is right in the middle. I use a small stitch anyway, but for those that stitch larger, this is a place to bring down that length, the curve just snaps into place with nothing at all but a press to hold it in place. You position the fan arc and just stitch right there at the fold and basically just applique it down to the backing block. Then position the pie piece and do the same. While on the subject of rickrack, Hobby Lobby seems to have the best price/color selection/easy availability,

I like using the full block as a foundation, I made a fan quilt the traditional way with the L shapes and while you can minimize the waste in cutting to some degree, I find the benefits of the foundation to outweigh the cost of fabric. Even though I miscalculated and had to buy more to make the triangles...

Me again -- I was asked for some clarification on this rickrack technique. Again, I call it the Eleanor Burns method --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktzb2wMMwzc
Fan segment starts around minute 18.

Here's that same block as before, showing how when you flip it, the rickrack stays flat, it is the fabric that bends. On my vintage machine I had a foot to apply trims, don't think I have that same sort with my modern machine, so I pin the rickrack in place. I don't like sewing over pins so I pull them as I go over.

First you position the arc over the foundation block. I will have a guide for me to easily be consistent, any bobbles and wobles and the fan being slightly off just get trimmed even to the square. You stitch in the ditch of the rickrack and the fan blades, it is plenty secure. Then you put on the pie piece and so the same -- and voila! finished fan block.

It gives a super nice smooth curve easy and fast even. Maybe not every project suited to rickrack but once you've done it, it grows on you! I am also using a John Flynn template kit for the blades and pies.

Iceblossom- seeing your * rickrack* way to do these truly makes me want to revisit Dresden’s I love how those look! I know somewhere I have a shoebox size tote full of blades- that I just never did anything with ( I think they were in boxes of fabrics from the last good friend who brought me truck loads of boxes from a quilters basement after she passed. I loved the fabrics but didn’t want to deal with them. Yours are so inspiring. Just the push I needed. And timely- since soon new boxes will be coming my way.

I am sort of known for finding more work for others to do, Ck :) Just want to remind you that the Judy Niemeyer top I got earlier this year came from the same sort of help situation as you are in. Lucky for me, I was able to keep it but still a good thing for me to keep in mind... why I'm using and not buying fabric.

If you haven't, watch the video. Eleanor's fans are so pretty compared to my goofy turkeys and now college team color variations. But, I'm a goofy quilter...

So a couple things I forget to mention -- I really prefer the rickrack that comes on ribbon spools or yardage rather than the folded ones. Those bends at the folds are so hard to get out even if you iron them. The rickrack I'm using doesn't really have a good or a bad side, but if yours does, you want the good side down so that when you flip the seam, that is the side that shows. Basic quilt rule of "right sides together".

The blocks/templates I'm using are for a 10" finished block, I think I get 8? large arcs per spool (think only 6? from the folded), and then just a little bit short of enough. That's ok because you can make the little pie pieces from those. I chose to make the pies first. I find I have to leave a pretty good tail at the start, about 1-2 inches of rickrack at the start and that sometimes I need to start sewing with a bit of a tug on that back extra.

On my to-do list/donation projects mental list is one of my super dooper bright things, made up of about 6-8" drunkard path blocks and maybe lime green rickrack?? something that will contrast with the fabrics and that may even end up white again. Don't have my inspiration fabric yet, but this is easy enough to just whip up a few.... and then they are just squares when you put them together.

COVID has messed everyone up. Give yourself grace to feel your feelings with no apologies. Everyone experiences trauma differently and processes differently and heals at a different rate. You may be feeling nervous about going back in public - vaccination rates are still low in some parts of the country and while masks are coming off that doesn't mean it's magically safe now. Your feelings are yours and therefore they are valid. Just breathe....

Covid really knocked the wind from my sails... I can't believe my lack of productivity these last two years... but each day is a new day. I'm still pretty deep in the well of despair but i can see improvements. Its just been really rough on a lot of us in a lot of ways we didn't even see coming or could prepare for.

In minor troubles, I seem to be out of rickrack. Or at least I can't find any more spools, I know I bought at least 4 and have used 2 on the big arcs and 2 on the pie pieces. I forgot between the Turkey one and this one, but I think it is about 5 blocks total (large and small arcs) per spool. . Easy enough to get more, and cheap enough that even I don't squawk too much. That's part of the reason I go for this brand, can get more easily and at a reasonable price -- beware the cost of the yardage ones! The searching helped me not really clean so much as organize in a pre-cleaning :p Or, the piles are stacked neater and I know what is in them.