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| Disappearing Nine-patch |
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| Nine-patch Friendship Star |
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| Nine-patch Nine-patch |
Today I finished assembling the last quilt top intended for Japan, and found backing for two. The third back has to be pieced, and this is underway. I checked out my stock of batting, and I might even get by without buying more (for this project, that is!). The pattern for the Disappearing Nine-Patch came from this tutorial, and was great fun to play with. I made that top with donated fabric and left-overs (aka 'scraps') I had on hand, using 4 1/2" squares.
The other two tops began with 3 packages of 'charm' squares, 5" squares: two packages from Nancy Halvorsen's "Cider Mill Road" collection (Benartex Fabrics), which I bought at the Creative Stitches Show in Edmonton in 2009, and one of hand-dyes from my friend Annette's "Nature's Colours" line -- "Charm Collection #2".
The large blocks of fabric were pieces I had in my stash. I can't remember where I bought the blue one with the tree forms on it, but the very light-coloured 'crackle' print used in the 'Nine-patch Nine-patch' was a bolt end (0.9 metres!) bought at Rumpled Quilt Skins 'way back before I left Calgary -- and before the owner moved from her teeny tiny location to the beautiful building she has today.
The backs are also from stash -- one piece recently given my by a sweet sewing friend who was cleaning her studio, and the others again collected somewhere some time ago. I'm a great fan of 50%-off bins and bolt-end tables, and cruise them from time to time for pieces that could be used in just this way -- for backs. The rest of the time, if I'm buying fabric, it's fat quarters -- preferably on sale!
I haven't worked this large for a while, so I found it a challenge when I was assembling the tops to keep them even and lying co-operatively on my sewing table in order to keep my seams straight! I hope when they are sandwiched, they'll be easier to tame while I'm quilting. Most of the quilting will be 'in the ditch' but there'll be some 'echo' work and some free-motion quilting too, just to mix it up.
With all I have to do to get ready for the Lacombe Art Exhibit, I want to finish these and send them off to the collection point at Quilter's Newsletter by the end of next week. Still, they've been a fun break from the intensity of art work, and I expect to return to my plans for the Exhibit with a fresh eye and renewed energy as a result.
2 comments:
Nice, Margaret! I find it relaxing to go back to a more traditional quilt every once in a while. And, these are for such a good cause. Great that you are fitting them in. You are going to be really busy the next few weeks!
Judy
These are wonderful, Margaret! I am so impressed with all you are doing right now. I'm sure each of these quilts will bring comfort to someone who needs it.
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