Experiments with Pineapples and log cabins

HI all!! I paper pieced! Pat, are you watching this...I did this pineapple block. This is very representational of my stash, which is dwindling! That is a good thing! When I can't make up my mind what to do, I cut out quilts...and I have cut a log cabin, a pineapple quilt, and the one below too, a log cabin variation. A secret? I have about 20 quilts all cut out...ready to piece. Shhhh, don't tell a soul! Aren't you supposed to just have one going at a time? Hmmmm...



Another log cabin/pineapple variation. 1.5 inch strips of red and neutrals, and the black pieces are 2.5 inches. They are supposed to be 2.64 inch black squares according to my math, but I can't cut those, so I changed it to 2.5, and they are working out just fine.
This is finish, an old, old UFO, for Finn's UFO challenge. This is finish number 3. It has been hanging around for a lot of years, and I just gave up on making it the huge quilt, and just made a pillow. Hand quilted...and the sawtooth border hand appliqued. Great fun!!
Here is the middle...many years ago, I made this. Not perfect, but I like it!!


I will have little time to sew in the next weeks...but will try to keep up with the mystery quilt and do a little here and there. I am proud to say that the packages are wrapped!! Yippee!! This is pretty early for me....


Everyone, best wishes for a wonderful week!!


Julie

What in the world? Great fun!

Hi everyone! I am off today...blessedly! I had a great weekend at work, just wonderful patients and families...and I am tired. I have cut a bunch of 1.5 inch strips, and have in mind two quilts: a log cabin (see above), and a pineapple quilt. (Thanks Subee for that wonderful idea!!) I am trying to use all my fabric stash up...and have made wonderful progress this year. I do not know the name of the block above...just a log cabin variation. The pieces are all 1 inch finished. I plan to make enough for a full sized quilt...8 inch blocks....hmmm, how many is that??
What in the world are we making with these? I am caught up....ready for the next step in Bonnie from Quiltville's mystery. Do you have any idea what we are making????



Hope each one of you have a wonderful day! I am sending out the Christmas cards and wrapping today....




Julie

Roll, roll cotton boll!

First of all, thank you all so very much for your comments from yesterday's post. I so appreciate your opinions!! I have decided to cut down the applique pieces as suggested by many of you...please stay tuned, I will be enjoying working on this! Also, thank you for your understanding of my patient situation...I just tried so hard to please them, but they were not to be pleased...and I guess that is OK...my heart is much lighter now that I got it out! I agree...they need prayer, thank you for that comment!


Tada!! I am almost finished with part 3 of the Bonnie Hunter Mystery from Quiltville! How DID I do it, you may ask? Serendipity!! This step calls for 60 neutral string pieced blocks...remember this spring?? I made a ton of neutral, string pieced blocks!! Cool, huh?? And they are the right size!! I am immediately stopping the embellishment of these with lace and stuff...and using them in the mystery! Is that not so cool? I do have a few to still make, though...but I think I am the first in the world to have so many done. I am just so tickled!!



Off to work for me....


Everyone, have a great day!

Julie

May I ask your opinion?

Hi all! I have been playing around in the nine patch blocks we exchanged...and I just love the Honeybee block. I think this block will showcase the nine patches. I think I made the applique too overwhelming in this version...please tell what you think? I have made templates for smaller applique pieces... I have the rest of the blocks cut for 12 of the nine patches, making them finish at 12 inches.



********************Nurse's notes*****************



I recently had a tough day at my nursing work. I had a family that insisted on writing down every move I made, and every thing I said was recorded on this ladies I-phone. It got really old, really fast...they were just very hard to deal with, to say the least. They all were so rude to me! There is just so much I can take...why be mean to me when you don't even know me?? The patient, however...was a real doll!! I really think that 99% of people really try their best at all times...please, give me a chance, dear lady!! (Sorry dear blog diary...I just had to get this out, it has been just eating at me all day!)



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Have a great day!

Julie

How a dog quilt is made...

Hi all!! Above...sigh...is a project, a UFO about ten years old. It is circles, hand cut by me, then machine stitched onto backgrounds. Think raggedy quilt! The edges are raw, so when it is washed, it will fray just so nicely. I can't imagine where I got these fabrics...I must have used most of them up, because they are not in my general stash anymore. I finished the last 20 blocks today...ZOOMM!! It was great fun to sew circles onto the backgrounds... (wonder why I used 3 different backgrounds? ) Probably did not have enough of one fabric, that is the usual story. To make things more a mystery...I made three different sizes of blocks! why??
Then after a good press with a shot of steam...cut them into fourths. Then let the playing begin! I made bulls eyes...and wiggly lines...and just had a general good time messing with the blocks. I have a ton of blocks! At least two big quilts worth...wonder what I was thinking, cutting out all those circles...with scissors!
Wiggles....Too much open space for me...hmmmmmm
Anyway, I had only 20 of the littlest blocks, so Rosie asked me to make her a doggy quilt. And I did...machine quilting it myself! I am such a terrible machine quilter, but this is better than some I have done.
Washed and puckered up! This little quilt ended up in Rosie the poodle's bed for her to snuggle with.
A finish! A mug mat...I have been admiring all yours all over blog land, so made one out of scraps from cutting step two of Bonnie's mystery. And machine quilted it too!! amazing.... I did finish step two of the mystery quilt from Quiltville...how are you doing??
Finish number two! This will be going in the mail soon...an angel to watch over a dear friend! This one is hand quilted and hand appliqued.
And finish number 3! A big hot pad, made of strings..little ones, trimmings really, sprayed with starch, pressed down and quilted over...makes the best hot pad!




Have a great day, all!!!

Julie

Happy Thanksgiving! the day after...

Sawtooth borders have appearing on the Friendship Plaids quilt...no corner is alike due to lack of planning (serendipity?). I would have liked them to match...but hey, original is good too. Big stitch quilting for this one!! It is just lap sized...dear husband mentioned he would like it bed sized, but I already had the borders on at that point. Every fabric is a plaid in this quilt, except the background. I would like more plaid backgrounds, but I can never find any...
The apple pie...with enough apples for two! Really, all these will cook down and it will be just right. This was made at 3 AM...an insomnia pie! Yum!!! Does this insomnia thing end when perimenopause ends?? Just curious, you ladies who have been down this path. The kids are coming today, to celebrate...I can't wait to see them and the grand-dogs!!


I hope everyone has a fun and relaxing, wonderful day!

Julie

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi all!! I just wanted to wish each of you a most wonderful Thanksgiving! I am cooking mostly on Friday...I have done a bit today, to get ready. As I am a nurse, health care goes on 24/7...so I work tomorrow. That is just fine! We will be thankful for my job...and celebrate Friday. Above is a gift for a friend, hand appliqued and hand quilted. I just need to finish the binding, and I can call it a UFO finish!
And, I have been making a few pincushions out of a few nine patches. I put a button in the middle...old, old buttons from my mother's button tin. I like them!
One of the pies I make today...the crust kind of looks yucky...but tastes just fine!


I pray each of you has such a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Mine will be spent in CVICU...I hope I have a great connection with some patients tomorrow, who will also be spending the holiday in the hospital.


Julie