Jubilee Finished

Jubilee is finished and on the bed!  The springy colors are so welcome.  We've had a dismal winter in NJ and are just starting to get some warmer weather.

Almost 400 inches of binding; that's a lot of hand sewing to finish.  Karen Thompson did the long arm quilting for me, using a large, meandering feather pattern.  It is perfect for the soft colors in this quilt.

 

This is another of my Fig Tree Harvest projects, using my extensive stash of fabric from Fig Tree & Co.  The fabric I used in Jubilee is from several collections, including Mill House Inn, Buttercup, and Butterscotch & Rose.  The white background is Kona Snow. 

 

The pattern is called Jubilee and is from The Pattern Basket.  I don't usually give my quilts the same name as the pattern but I like the name Jubilee for this quilt.  The pattern came out in 2012, the year of Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee (60 years on the throne).  Part of the block looks like a little crown.

I think I've decided on my next project, but more about that later.

Pineapple Blocks

Do you remember when I made Rendezvous, my pineapple quilt?

 

I used a specailty ruler to make my pineapple blocks.  It wasn't terrible but it wasn't easy and I had a bit of trouble getting the blocks matched up when I assembled the top.

An alternative means of construction is to use paper foundations.  I recently discovered a source on Etsy for large paper foundations.  Gigi's Thimble sells printed foundations that are just over 13" square.  (You can see Amber's version of the quilt here.)  Buying the foundations already printed means you don't have to do all the calculations for the block yourself nor are you limited to an 8" or smaller block.  Of course, the over-size paper doesn't come cheap.  I wanted to tell you about this because I get a lot questions asking if I know of a source for paper foundations for the pineapple block.

Does anyone know another source for pineapple block foundations?   

Curved Log Cabin

I got a GREAT dose of quilting in over the weekend.  I finished my curved log cabin quilt top - it's a flimsy now.  Can you see the curves?

 

 

The curves are formed by varying the width of the strips; those on the light side are half the width of the dark strips.

 

 

The quilt will finish at about 72" square (sometimes they shrink a little after quilting).  I decided to forgo a border.  I have a couple of different prints reserved for the binding (will decide which to use later) and am creatively piecing the backing.  Remember those logs I cut the wrong size?  Well, they are coming in handy for the back.  I had a large piece of Fig Tree fabric I wanted to use for the back but it was just a little too short to work on its own.  So I'm extending it with a pieced inset.  It's a bit more work but thrifty and I am liking the look. 

 

Next up:  binding the monster size quilt.

 



Vitamin Q Deficiency

I'm experiencing a serious lack of vitamin Q lately.  In fact, I haven't had any vitamin Q at all since I made binding a week ago.  "How could I go a whole week without any quilting activity?" I ask myself.  Well it's like this:

1. I'm in the midst of a decorating refresh here on Main Street, with my dining room as the current focus.  Photos will be posted when the new furniture and curtains arrive. 
2. I'm caught up in the activities of Frank Underwood.  So engrossing, I can't sew while I watch it.
3. I'm reading The Accident by Chris Pavone.  Riveting, every bit as good as The Expats.

So to make up for this deficiency, I'm planning a major infusion of vitamin Q this weekend.  I should have something to show for it next week.  How about you?

Binding

I have a big binding job to do and that means I have a quilt that's about to be finished.  Yeah!

It seems like binding is one of those tasks that quilters either love or hate.  I enjoy it; I find the hand sewing part relaxing, but there is also the satisfaction of having reached the finish line on a project, because the binding is the last step in making a quilt. 

This binding is going on one of my Fig Tree projects.  The fabric is a tiny check in pale pink and ivory.  I like checks, small plaids, and stripes for binding but often use other prints too.

I usually cut my binding on the bias, in strips 2.25 inches wide.  I go a little narrower on smaller quilts, like wall hangings.  I sew the binding to the front of the quilt on my sewing machine, then turn it to the back and hand sew in place.  I recently found that using a walking foot is a big help; it makes the application a little smoother, especially on a big quilt.  This was a tip I picked up on another blog.  There are a lot of tutorials for making and attaching binding on blogs and on YouTube so take a look around if you've been struggling with this step. 

Blocks Finished

I managed to finish the log cabin blocks over the course of the past week.  These are good blocks for making in small spurts of time, ideal for evenings after work. 

 

 

The next step is sewing the blocks together into the top.  But that will have to wait a week.  Miss Main Street is home for spring break so I've lost the design bed.  So far, she's spent most of her time at home sleeping, making up for too little sleep at college I guess. 

 

A survey of the contents of  the Fig Tree Harvest basket indicates I will need to be very creative, or very scrappy, for the next project.  While I still seem to have quite a lot of Fig Tree Quilts fabric, it is now a mixture of this and that, with a lot of smaller pieces.  Though I do have quite a bit of light blue, as well as a pale minty color.   I'm sure I will find some inspiration somewhere on the internet!

 



Log Cabin Quilt Block Settings

This weekend turned out to be perfect for sewing.  On Saturday morning, Mr. Main Street cleaned the filter on the furnace in the basement.  After cleaning, the furnace refused to come back on.  Our call to the repair guy has not yet been returned.  It is now 48 degrees on the first floor of our house.  Fortunately, the second floor is served by a second furnace, located in the attic.  So I spent most of my weekend on the second floor, where the sewing room is located. 

I made 10 more blocks then tried the blocks out in other log cabin settings.  My original setting of concentric rings is called Barn Raising (I think).

 

I tried diagonal lines.  I think this setting is called Streaks of Lightening.

 

 

I don't know the name of this setting.  I've seen it before with regular log cabin blocks and courthouse steps blocks.  I don't care for it so much with the curved log cabin blocks.

 

I think I'll stick with the barn raising setting.  I sure hope the furnace repair guy comes early on Monday!