Long Time Gone - Gone, for now

So my original goal was to work on my Long Time Gone project a little bit at a time.  Maybe a block a week, a section a month, something along those lines.  But once I got started I figured out that this wasn't really the type of project I could easily work on every now and then.  A lot of the blocks need strips and squares that are not efficient to just cut for one block at a time.  So once I got started and was on a roll I figured I would break this project down into 3 projects.  The projects  consist of two piecing projects and one assembly project.  The first piecing project is done.  Here are all  the blocks for Sections 1 - 4.

Section 1

 Sections 1 and 2

Sections 1, 2 and  3

and Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4

I enjoyed piecing every block, a couple of blocks were first timers for me, like the Trip Around the World block and the Crosses of UK blocks.  I changed up the Jacobs Ladder blocks but other than that it's pretty much just like the pattern.

I've now packed everything up into a couple of projects boxes and plan to finish piecing Sections 5 and 6 this summer.  Then I'll assemble it all this fall, easily making my Year of Thelma deadline.

And speaking of The Year of Thelma, are you still planning to join my Miss Rosie Quilt Co sew along?  I happened to notice that I am getting very close to Lifetime Quilt Number 200, and thought my Due South sew along quilt would be a perfect 200th quilt, so I'm going to finish a couple projects before I start my Due South, but don't let that stop you from starting, and be sure to send me your progress updates.

So next up is this project, which has been on my To Do List for over a year.  A perfect project for spring I think.

The pattern Dash is by Heather Jones and available here.

I'm thinking these nice prints by V and Co for Moda would look great in that pattern and fit my need to work with spring colors.  Since spring visited us shortly in February but has now disappeared I guess I need to get my spring fix inside instead of outside.

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Long Time Gone Start

I was initially suffering from a case of analysis paralysis on my Long Time Gone project.  Once I decided to go with my Cotton + Steel fabric I thought how best to proceed would get easier, it did not.

I just kept trying to figure out what was the best way to start.

So I finally jumped in and started with these 3 inch Churn Dash blocks from Section 2.

I enjoyed piecing them and all I needed to do was pick 9 different pieces of fabric from my Cotton and Steel stash. That I could manage.

Then I moved on to these Flying Gees blocks, which only required 3 different pieces of fabric.

This block is also for Section 2.

This is a very scrappy project, and initially I thought I could cut extra strips and squares from the fabric that I was using as I went along, but I've now figured out that I need a lot of strips and squares for the checkerboard blocks, the courthouse steps blocks, pineapple blocks, log cabin blocks and the over 150 required half square triangle units.

So I picked out my 60 favorite fat quarters and just started cutting strips and squares.  It's been slow going, but they're all cut up now, so hopefully things will start to move along at a quicker pace.

As I was picking out my favorite fat quarters I ran across this dot print, which was a panel with 6 different dot prints, and thought it would make a great Bow Tie Block, for Section 3, because I think bowties should be polkadot.  The dots matching up, just a happy coincidence.

So my plan is to piece all the blocks for Sections 1 and 2, then move on to a new project, but I've already jumped ahead to Setcion 3.  Maybe I'll just designate next week Long Time Gone week then put it up until April.  Stay tuned for updates.

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Cotton and Steel 1 - First Finish for 2015

I've finished my Cotton and Steel project.  I've named it Cotton and Steel 1 because I think it's the first of many projects I'll make using that fabric.

When I made the blocks I didn't really have a plan on how I would set the blocks, but I figured something would come to me once I got to that stage.

So the first thing I did was add another row of white fabric to each block.  I liked the look but didn't think it looked finished, so I added this,

an outer borer of half square triangle units.  Now I think it looks done.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 148

I sort of threw the pattern together and have named it Cotton and Steel 1

The fabric is by Cotton and Steel

It finished at 63" x 63"

It has approximately 1,525 pieces.

A few of you mentioned my half square triangle units.  I use the Easy Angle ruler to make my units and have for years.  I make mine bigger then square them up.


So I think I'm off to a good start.  It's been a busy month, but it feels good to have my first project of the year pieced. I hope you're off to a good start in your sewing room.

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And then there were 9

The blocks are done! I enjoyed mixing and matching the fabric for each block.  Picking the centers was probably the hardest part.

I plan to add some sashing and a border of some sorts, but so far I'm very happy with how this project is coming together.  I think it's an interesting quilt.   I've made prettier quilts, but given how unusual this fabric is, especially for me, I'm pleasantly surprised how much I like it.

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First Project of the Year

So after blogging about all the quilt patterns waiting for my attention in 2015, my first quilt of the year doesn't even have a pattern.  How did that happen?

Well I've been anxious to make a quilt using the Cotton and Steel fabric that was released last year.  As you may remember, it takes me awhile to warm up to fabric, usually it takes so long that it's no longer available by the time I decide I do in fact like it.  That was definitely the case with the Cotton and Steel fabric.  The colors were a little different for me, the scales of the prints were varied and even a little on the large side, some of the pieces had gold metallic prints and worst of all, there were animal prints!  I'm not one who enjoys hacking up animal prints, one eye here and one ear over there, peeking out at me in a quilt, it gives me the creeps.  And honestly, my least favorite of all animal prints is horses, I have no idea why, I love horses, the real ones, running across a field or down the stretch in the Kentucky Derby, horses across my quilts, nope, that just didn't suit, or so I thought.

So once I decided I did like the Cotton and Steel fabric, and had some delivered to my house, I knew I needed a pattern that would showcase the prints, individually.  I knew they would look OK mixed together, all scrappy, and I may still do that with some of my leftovers, but for this first Cotton and Steel quilt I wanted to be able to see the prints, horses, and eyes, and all.

I saw this quilt block in an antique quilt.  I sized the block to fit my preferences and the fabrics.  The center block finishes at 6 inches, each row finishes at 1 1/2 inches, giving me a block that finishes at 18 inches.  I plan to make 9 of them.  Amazingly I'm enjoying the horses and the eyes and even the metallic prints.

So 9 blocks, using 4 different fabrics for each block, will enable me to use 36 different prints from the Cotton and Steel line.  That's not even half the prints, but it's a good start.  Just like I think this project is a good start to my year.

I hope you're getting off to a good start in your sewing room too,

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