dog days are a barking

dog days of summer are here

just to hot to breathe.  just to hot to sleep.  just to hot to walk dog.  not to hot to sew.

fun block and actually is 12 1/2" if you a make sq.  not quite 8 in and trim down.

3 squares stack on top of each other and cut pt to pt.  4 triangles  7 5/8  (i did 8 ")
stitch lt to dark.  stitch med to light

4 rectangles 2 1/4 x 7 (remember rectangles don't need increase in measurement)

tools

Went with photo club to dog agility.  Oh how much fun.  I love watching the dogs jump and run through tunnels.  Learned how to use my camera today.  ISO, Aperture, manual.  oh my!!!!  All the stuff you forget when you get lazy and let the tools do the work for you.  Teacher even had me use a tripod.

fun block to do.  So if it's 12 1/2"  each segment (1/2 sq triangle) has to be 4 1/2 in.  So Again:  I cut each sq. 5" and then trimmed to the perfect size.  What a great secret.

a conundrum

having an art exhibit coming up in Sept.  Small pieces.  Can't decide?  mini quilts, animal quilts?  embroidery, etc. etc.  should it be monochromatic?  a theme?  whimsical.  Have to make up my mind this week!!   8 pieces.  Yikes.

a fun block to do.  4"   middle.  2 x 4" retangles and the rest are 1/2 square triangles.

a block a day. Ha!

This little sucker took me three days to get it right.  Stars are not for the weak or feeble.  But, as I work through these I am discovering improved skills 10 fold. Slow. Stiletto.  No tapering (your dead if you let your hands release)  Pressing not ironing.  But its done.  Spent a lot of time w/ seam ripper

Finally finished.  So when these 12 beauties are done:  I think I will wait a few months for the skills to sink in and try again.

life just happens

Looking for inspiration for quilting blocks and have found lots and lots of people have quilt blocks in all sizes and colors.  Geez!!  I guess everyone wants to attract traffic to their websites.  Me...I just like quilting and being inspired. 

 There has to be an easier way to do this w/ the center on point.  ended up w/ lots of biases.   dark center 4 3/4 in.  corner sq 3 1/2 i and then two 5 1/8 squares cut to make 4 triangles.  UGH!  light 3 7/8 cut to make 4 triangles. 2 5 1/8 sq cut to make 4 triangles.  The photo doesn't do it justice. It is a beautiful block:  took me all day.

This block was hard to construct.  All the angles. First try I flipped the brown.  Then I did not have enough left over at the points for a clear 1/4 inch seam.  I just gave in and moved on.  Blues:  5 4 1/2 in squares (don't need to cut larger).  2- 4 7/8  sq. (i made a little larger than 5 inches.  Yellow 4 7/8 sq (not mean I sewed 5 in sq).  brown 2 -  4 7/8 sq (5in)

Actually and easy star to do.  Looks complicated.  So if its a 12 in block:  The corners need to be 4 in.  Cut strips 2 /12 in.  That means you need a 4 in middle.  But you can't cut a 4 in sq.  One of those math phenomenoms: Directions say 4 7/8.  Me I cut them a little larger than 5 inches.  I have room to wiggle to trim to a perfect 4 1/2

The 411.

How many of you remember 411 or 101.  Like Eng 101, Sci 101.  And then we had 1-411.  Then 1-800-411 and then the Phone Co. started charging for 411. (we stopped dialing 411)  For you young people 411 was telephone information phone numbers.  In songs you still occasionally hear:  I got the 411.  Eng. 101 was how college classes were listed Eng 101, Eng. 102  now you have 99, 888 and even 64132 section.  So here is the 411 one my first 12 1/2 " star block.  Stars ain't for beginners.

The size is 12 1/2.  I cut the squares an extra quarter which is not necessary.  Only the triangles have to be increased in size. Unless you go slow and can make a perfect 1/4" (not me)  The sq are 3 1/2 and rectangle of flying geese is 3 1/2 x 6 1/2.  However the 3 1/2 in  geese become 3 and 7/8.  I made them 4.  Then I had wiggle room to cut the goose straight.  the points actually match and was easy to sq up

Star Blocks 101

My first star block.  Points match.  Dark and Light.  Looks good but is an 1 1/2" short. 

Light:  Cut 8 squares  3 7/8.                                 
Dark:  Cut 8 squares   3 7/8.                                   Make 1/2 square triangles.

Well folks:  I guess I ain't perfect.  I cut my lights and darks 4" and used a very scant quarter inch.

I ended up w/ a perfect 12 1/2 inch block.   Triangles need to be cut larger than directions say.  And then squared-up.

day is

the day is dark , warm and rainy.  We have another pond in our backyard.  Baby is loving her swimming pool.  Me:  lazy.

                                                 amazing same block,  different colors.  Have to fix that top corner

Rats!!!!

Practicing this darn star block. (photos to follow).  A billion pieces.  bias and points.  Using my iron, my stiletto.  G O I N G slow (yuck).  Points match. (fixed two-  he he).  And low and behold the 2nd to last seam I put in backwards.  Yup!  upside down.  Not R I G H T. Inside Out.   Yuck!  Rats! Darn It.  Thank goodness I have a brand new shiny best friend (seam ripper). Rats Rats Rats Rats.

i've got to start shooting better photos.  my points match.  But !! directional fabric should not be put on point.

quilting is............

quilting is instant gratification : or : is it?   You purchase a large piece of fabric and cut it into 10 strips.  Then you sew these strips together to make 5 strips.  Yup.  Great now you take these 5 strips and cut them into 50 pieces.  What the hell.  It will take 3 days to sew those little suckers back together..........

 playing with color.  interesting how one appears to float

learning, growing

I guess when I figure out this block a day thing I will have to follow Bernina's advice and make a "foot book" so i can learn how to use these (expensive +) tools.  i.e. feet.
One of the major problems I'm coming across is 'tapering".   I sew straight and then the last 1/2 inch is never the correct width.  I have learned over the past 3 blocks not to release my left hand and guide the fabric through the foot.  I also have learned to stop watching that darn needle that mesmerizes me and watch the fabric guide.    And, yes I'm using my stiletto and iron more this past month then in 3 years.

check-out the points at the triangles!!!

if you don't want your photos .....

I brought up copyright in photo club tonite.  And, yes everyone is doing it.  The cheaters!!!!  And, it is very hard to trace where an original photograph came from.  The big boys hire these pros to trace:  all online, email, downloading and attempt at copying for about $500 / year.  Many pay for 3 companys  to do their  tracking.  Judges are now saying if you put it online: and they copy it:  it is your loss.  The moral is:  don't put online anything you don't want copied/used by someone else or make it less than: 640 x 480 dpi.  This is going to kill me : going back over all my images and making them under 640 x 480.

A fun block made from a modern quilt pattern

copyright will kill me

Can't believe after all these years I'm still hung-up on copyright.  I know everyone is doing it....For 30 years...especially the past 15 (public school librarian):  I jammed "copyright" down throats of staff and students.  Now........I see all these images online and on greeting cards  and I want to make quilts from them (knowing my art teacher once did art for greeting cards) I can't in my heart of hearts.  How can I take an image from the internet and create a quilt and hang it at "Houston International Quilt Festival" and not get caught...I see copyright infringement everywhere.  Why can''t I  cheat tooooo???
Ugh!

so why isn't this block copyright infringement?  Public Image? FairUse?

star blocks will kill me....

Many years ago, me and George went to this quilt shop in MO.  They had just finished a sampler star quilt.  Me not know how to sew....thought this would be a good idea since each block was on sale for $2 / pattern.  Blocks 0ne through 3 were missing.  I now have the internet and kind my block patterns for free.  Well last nite I tried my first Ohio Star Blocks 1.5 in short.  Went online today:  have you been to craftgemini.com yet.  The family bought a farm and are doing "sustainable farming".  She has posted tutorials online.  Even showed how to use ruler to square the little suckers.  My original directions were way off.  So now I will have to do sample blocks.  Hate buying kits : never enough fabric to do 2.

monochromatic.  I like these modern fabrics and blocks

it's just toooo hot

Not used to high humidity anymore.  Maggie under air conditioner.  Puppy on concrete.  George cleaned the "killing fields" (where cats drag their dead birds, bunnies and squirrels).  me I went swimming.  But, finished my block.
Have you ever visited craftsy.com?  no wonder i can't sew straight.  sloppy sloppy.  Iron my fabric today before cutting and used my stiletto.

block 5

went to local fabric craft shop today to get batting so I can finish some more old quilt tops.  Had a coupon and it was 20% off day.  I walked out w/ nothing.  zip, nada.  Well batting is no longer considered fabric.  couldn't use the coupon.  20% of $15 when:  I can wait 2 weeks and purchase it for 50%.  It sucks.  Gas is going up and now we can't use coupons freely anymore.

now I know this was straight.  It's got to be the camera.  Maybe I need to draw lines on my design board

lazy, summer

Summer is here.  Rain is gone.  Cool weather has disappeared.  Can't believe how dusty our house has become.  Have had the windows open the past 6 weeks.  Forgot the dust.  Now summer is roaring in.  68 at nite and 92 during the day.  House is all locked up and the air conditioning is on.  It will be months before the windows are open again.  Should I dust now or just blow it off (hehe)  until summer ends.  So w/ this blast of heat I've been too lazy to blog.  but, I have been working on my blocks.  Here are my first 9 1/2 ' blocks.  Been experimenting in color.

                                                         have to do these again.  think i could sew straight

                                                            much staighter

                                                           color makes a difference