Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Welcome, Visitors!
Awhile ago, Ann Holte, and I exchanged some emails about the possibility of her linking my blog to her page.
I see that she has done that. I was updating with the progress from this long holiday weekend, and saw that I had 12 hits today. I wondered if it had been me checking the look/format of the page -- then I checked sources. You all came from Ann's page. And, wondrously -- 33 of you visited yesterday! [Oh no! You had a STALE blog!]
No matter when you came, or how, or why ... I welcome you. You give me more incentive to continue progress (along w/ my resolution to sew some each week -- I'd love to say to sew every day, but with working 70-74 hours between my two 'real' jobs, my available sewing during waking hours are limited mainly to Sundays. :) [Now, if I could just manage to "sleep-quilt" I'd be golden!! :) ])
For those of you who visit me because of ... well ... ME... here's a link to the link on Ann's blog:
I see that she has done that. I was updating with the progress from this long holiday weekend, and saw that I had 12 hits today. I wondered if it had been me checking the look/format of the page -- then I checked sources. You all came from Ann's page. And, wondrously -- 33 of you visited yesterday! [Oh no! You had a STALE blog!]
No matter when you came, or how, or why ... I welcome you. You give me more incentive to continue progress (along w/ my resolution to sew some each week -- I'd love to say to sew every day, but with working 70-74 hours between my two 'real' jobs, my available sewing during waking hours are limited mainly to Sundays. :) [Now, if I could just manage to "sleep-quilt" I'd be golden!! :) ])
For those of you who visit me because of ... well ... ME... here's a link to the link on Ann's blog:
Happy New Year - 2012
It is hard to believe that another year has passed. I spent the day in a hotel room in Sayre, PA sewing on my Lancaster Diamond quilt -- with just quick breaks for a continental breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, and a jaunt out to Subway for lunch. Holed up with me, and working on her own quilt was my BFF, Amy.
I completed 9 more blocks before calling it a day. (Amy had sewn together an entire quilt top in the time it took me to put together 8 of the blocks).
The block that I think I struggled the most with was the 'cactus/bird' block (G6). I have great admiration for those who can applique a circle, and have it come out looking like a circle and not some "gon" ( in my case, I think it was a dodecagon, but who is counting?! ;) )
I am happy to be making progress again on this quilt. I think that getting over the hump with block G5 (the Seminole piecing block that plagued me) allowed me to move on.
And, isn't that what a new year is about? Moving on.
I completed 9 more blocks before calling it a day. (Amy had sewn together an entire quilt top in the time it took me to put together 8 of the blocks).
The block that I think I struggled the most with was the 'cactus/bird' block (G6). I have great admiration for those who can applique a circle, and have it come out looking like a circle and not some "gon" ( in my case, I think it was a dodecagon, but who is counting?! ;) )
I am happy to be making progress again on this quilt. I think that getting over the hump with block G5 (the Seminole piecing block that plagued me) allowed me to move on.
And, isn't that what a new year is about? Moving on.
Lancaster Diamond Progress Chart
Below is a link to view my Lancaster Diamond progress chart -- I warned you that I had been keeping a document to help me keep track of my progress! :)
Left to complete:
To date, I have pieced 1617 pieces of 2969 pieces for the large diamond blocks.
I did eventually use the Spoonflower fabric that I mentioned in my previous post. It wasn't an exact match, but it blends into the 'feel' of the rest of the quilt, so sucked it up and dealt with it. [My jpg was off just a little, so you can see some 'bleed' on the Spoonflower fabric -- EXACTLY like the jpg showed. Spoonflower does a wonderful job.]
The first block that I finished was block G5. I hit it with some Mary Ellen's Best Press and a hot iron, evaluated it one more time, and decided that it was 'close enough.' I finished adding the stripes to the side of the Seminole piecing and called it a block.
Completed:
- 78 full diamond blocks
- 0 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
- 0 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
- 48 corner stone diamonds
- 0 sashing parallelograms
Left to complete:
- 59 full diamond blocks
- 20 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
- 12 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
- 124 corner stone diamonds
- 308 sashing parallelograms
To date, I have pieced 1617 pieces of 2969 pieces for the large diamond blocks.
I did eventually use the Spoonflower fabric that I mentioned in my previous post. It wasn't an exact match, but it blends into the 'feel' of the rest of the quilt, so sucked it up and dealt with it. [My jpg was off just a little, so you can see some 'bleed' on the Spoonflower fabric -- EXACTLY like the jpg showed. Spoonflower does a wonderful job.]
The first block that I finished was block G5. I hit it with some Mary Ellen's Best Press and a hot iron, evaluated it one more time, and decided that it was 'close enough.' I finished adding the stripes to the side of the Seminole piecing and called it a block.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Updated Stats
Completed:
- 69 full diamond blocks
- 0 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
- 0 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
- 48 corner stone diamonds
- 0 sashing parallelograms
Left to complete:
- 68 full diamond blocks
- 20 short half-diamond blocks (top/bottom)
- 12 long half-diamond blocks (left/right)
- 124 corner stone diamonds
- 308 sashing parallelograms
To date, I have pieced 1436 pieces of the large diamond blocks. For my eXcel chart, I have counted 2969 pieces in the large diamonds, so I'm not quite half-way there, even though I am about mid-way done with the piecing of the full diamond blocks. One of the upcoming blocks (J11 in Collection 8) has over 100 pieces in it. I can't hardly wait -- can you say 'strip piecing'?
I skipped block F4 while waiting for a self-designed plaid that I
made/ordered through Spoonflower to arrive. I have long been lamenting
the lack of a good large plaid in the reproduction various reproduction
lines. I have even toyed with the idea of piecing a plaid for the
center of the block -- now, can you imagine how much that will skew my
piece numbers? However, I did find a reasonable plaid in the "Crossroads To Texas" line Designed by Betsy Chutchian (author of a quilting book by the same name), that if my Spoonflower design does not work, I may try before jumping off into the deep end and piecing the plaid.
When I stopped sewing Thursday night, I was struggling with block G5. I pieced and re-pieced the Seminole diamond(s) at least three times and it just was not going to lie flat. Previous Seminole blocks had gone together like a charm, but not this one. Sometimes you just have to set it aside, and let the fabric 'marinate.' (Better that the fabric marinate than for you to sit and 'stew', right?) Hopefully, when I pick the diamond up again, I'll be in a better frame of mind, and the fabric will be prepared to behave -- or be scrapped!
Want some other statistics?
There are 13 large diamond blocks with 13 pieces in them.
There are 12 large diamond blocks with 15 pieces in them.
There are 11 large diamond blocks with 11 pieces in them.
My current statistical average for pieces (1436 / 69 ) is 20.81 pieces per diamond.
There are 4 large diamond blocks with 20 pieces in them.
There are 6 large diamond blocks with 21 pieces in them.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
I spent the majority of Thanksgiving with my sewing machine humming. The television was on, playing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a few shows from TiVo, and various holiday specials.
I have been itching to work on the Lancaster Diamond Quilt for quite some time -- ever since I got Set 6. This week I purchased sets 7 through 12. That was enough to spur me into action.
This is a sampling of some of my fabrics.
This is my view for most of the day. Well, I had moved the tub of fabrics off the table and stashed it to my far-left. I used the tv-tray directly in front of me as my cutting/assembling table. I had a Clover Mini Iron off to my immediate left, and my sewing machine slightly off to the right. [This set up works well for a left-handed person.]
This is a quick photo of my book of the patterns. Everything is organized.
This is a sample of one of the pages. I mark each block with colors, so that I have an easier time looking from photo, to my Flickr account to see pictures of the actual quilt, and the cover page of each set of Ann's designs so that I can keep the blocks as true as I want to (yes, I have changed some things).
I also over-mark each block with the position -- as defined by Ann. This helps me later when I am laying out the blocks. As I complete each block, I pin the paper pattern to the back of each diamond -- those that I didn't paper-piece, that is.
So, now that I'm organized, off we go!
I have been itching to work on the Lancaster Diamond Quilt for quite some time -- ever since I got Set 6. This week I purchased sets 7 through 12. That was enough to spur me into action.
This is a sampling of some of my fabrics.
This is my view for most of the day. Well, I had moved the tub of fabrics off the table and stashed it to my far-left. I used the tv-tray directly in front of me as my cutting/assembling table. I had a Clover Mini Iron off to my immediate left, and my sewing machine slightly off to the right. [This set up works well for a left-handed person.]
This is a quick photo of my book of the patterns. Everything is organized.
This is a sample of one of the pages. I mark each block with colors, so that I have an easier time looking from photo, to my Flickr account to see pictures of the actual quilt, and the cover page of each set of Ann's designs so that I can keep the blocks as true as I want to (yes, I have changed some things).
I also over-mark each block with the position -- as defined by Ann. This helps me later when I am laying out the blocks. As I complete each block, I pin the paper pattern to the back of each diamond -- those that I didn't paper-piece, that is.
So, now that I'm organized, off we go!
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