OK So now I'm blushing...

A visitor to my blog put the following comment /question on the post for my Santa's Blizzard Blues quilt that I made last winter:

Vicky E said...
"I love this quilt. I know how to make the block but can't make anything without pattern and have never put anything on point. Would you share or sell the layout and color directions.Vicky"

Well Vicky, I'm sincerely flattered by your request; however, I have to say that it happened completely by accident. I'm happy to share the general path I followed to end up where I did, though.

The main part (using the split 9-patch blocks) contains --I think-- about 3 or 4 sets of charm squares from Moda's "Snow Village" line from last fall. If you wanted to reproduce the color scheme from my quilt, you'd need 40-5" squares of various blues, 40-5" squares of whites/creams and 10-5" squares of blacks/dark grays. To use your own color set, you'd substitute accordingly, using a range of mediums for the blues, very lights for the creams and darks where I have blacks. Then you make 10 big 9 patch blocks with the blues in the corners, creams on the sides, and blacks in the center, and cut them each into 4 smaller blocks according to Helen's disappearing 9-patch tutorial.

Here's where I started "riffing" on Helen's instructions... I tried putting them in a straight set, but it just didn't seem to look right to me, so I thought I'd try turning them on point and I decided it looked more how I wanted it to look (easy when you have no idea where you're headed before you start out!). I tried to sort of arrange the blues to where the darker values were toward the middle and they got lighter as they went out.

I used the guide from About.com to figure out how to size/cut the setting and corner triangles. They have all the formulas to calculate the sizes needed and all you have to do is follow their step-by-step math to make it all very simple. For my quilt, since the split 9-patch blocks end up being 6 1/2" blocks (finished-- I know, odd size), you will need to cut the following:

Side setting triangles: cut 3 parent squares 10 1/2" and cut each into 4 pieces --across both diagonals-- to make a total of 12 setting triangles
Corner triangles: cut 2 parent squares 10 1/8" and cut each once diagonally to make a total of 4 corner triangles

Then I simply added a narrow inner border (2 1/2" cut, 2" finished) of one of the cream fabrics and a wider border (5" cut, 4 1/2" finished) that matched the setting and corner triangles. This made a 58" x 58" lap quilt.

Hope this helps-- it's my first attempt at writing anything like this so I hope it's not "clear as mud." I'd love to see your quilt! I may do another one like this--thinking it would be really pretty with deep red for the dark, various pinks for the mediums and cream or white for the light... kind of a Valentine's quilt... hmmm...

Why I Quilt

Every quilt I make is intended to be used and loved. When my sweeties cuddled up under this one (the first I've actually KEPT), I couldn't help but snap a shot.
And then there's always other uses for quilts. She says she's a "mon-ter... wooooo."

A Big Step

Today's post is all about my quilt-making. So far, I've been "small-potatoes"-- making little projects and a couple of cute little baby quilts for friends. I've made some larger quilt tops, like for Quilts of Valor, but those are quilted by someone else. Well... as of last night, it's official, I've signed on to be a "real" quilter.

Our local guild will be having a show in January. I had already planned to show one of my quilts, "Winds of the Seasons," since it was specifically made for the guild challenge (using pre-printed blocks/panels), but I wasn't going to enter it to be judged... After asking some quilty friends and soliciting advice from our guild president, I am not only having that little wall-hanging judged, but I'm also entering my latest creation, now entitled "Santa's Blizzard Blues." You can see both unquilted tops on my quilt page. Now I just need to actually quilt both of them! I'll be hand quilting the smaller of the two and (gulp!) machine quilting my big, lap-sized quilt. Now I have no illusions of winning ANYTHING, but maybe I'll at least be able to get some constructive criticism and a little "direction" from some people who really know their stuff.

Wish me luck!

Oh and I forgot to mention! I also won the drawing for this month's block of the month! Each month the guild ladies who want to participate make blocks from a pattern and bring them to the meeting. The block for last night was a cute simple pumpkin on neutral background... I made one (I usually participate) and actually won the 15 blocks--enough for an entire quilt...woohoo! Now I can put them together at my leisure and have an Autumn/Halloween quilt. There's a picture of the blocks that I received over on my quilt page.

Quilts of Valor

A while back I mentioned that a quilting friend of mine and I were planning to make a quilt for the Quilts of Valor program. For those who don't recall, this organization is made of volunteers who make and donate quilts to be given to wounded American soldiers. Well, we finally got ours 100% finished (almost anyway... we still need to put a label on it...). Then we can get a final destination to send it to so it can be given to a soldier. This has been a wonderful experience, and I'd love to do more of them -- I only wish I had more time to devote to this worthy cause (I hardly get any sewing time at all with homeschooling and caring for my two rambunctious kiddos, and much of that time is spent making clothes). The best part was having someone else do the actual quilting... Anyway, please visit my quilting page to see our quilt and then maybe try making one yourself! (and while you're here, check out my darling daughter in her new dress over on the family page)

All Wrapped Up!

Woo Hoo! I just finished my last Christmas quilting/sewing project! This one was a flannel lap quilt for Jack's grandmother (I put a picture of it on my quilt page, since there's not much chance she'll be on my blog). That makes 3 quilts (all small ones), 4 potholders, 1 pillow, 3 fleece blankets, 4 fleece scarves... and a partridge in a pear tree...LOL Now I can get cracking on Elijah's pirate quilt (loads of detailed handwork to be done yet before final assembly & quilting) and then there's the 50 squares I have to make for my block swap.

You know only a couple of years ago, I'd have laughed 'til I cried if you had tried to tell me I'd like sewing one day. My poor mom, bless her, tried to teach me to sew... did not go well. I just didn't have the patience for it back then, and she tried to get me to sew clothing, which I still can't do by the way. Quilting, on the other hand, has given me the creative outlet that I have been searching for (without even really knowing it) and I don't care what anyone says, IT'S WAY EASIER THAN MAKING CLOTHES! I tend to be really high-strung when it comes to crafts--and yes, MOM I can see your head nodding--and quilting actually relaxes me like I thought nothing ever would. Who knew that I would so quickly grow to love something from which I had run screaming for most of my life??

Care Package

Today we sent our first package to the soldier we signed up to "sponsor." He is in the Army and currently serving in Iraq. One of the items he requested was a blanket-- here's what I whipped up quickly (I'll probably make him a quilt later, but wanted to get this first package shipped off ASAP). It folds up into a pocket sewn on one end (shown in second picture). I thought the stars and navy blue field were handsome and appropriate (hope he likes it too)


Here's a shot of everything we sent in the package. It ended up being a pretty good-sized box of stuff!

Let me take this chance to encourage my readers to support our troops in any way you can, whether it be sending care packages or letters directly to them overseas, participating in programs such as Quilts of Valor, which provides quilts to wounded soldiers in hospitals stateside, or simply remembering our fighting men and women in your prayers. When it comes down to it, it just doesn't matter how you feel politically or whatever about the war itself--we should be willing to support our fellow citizens who are risking life & limb in the service of our country. **exiting soapbox now**