Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 30

Block 30 - Nearly Insane Quilt

What I am enjoying most about the Nearly Insane Quilt, is that there is no time to get bored with repeating the same block, as each one presents a fresh challenge.  When planning this block I was going to change the direction of the HSTs, but once I remembered that the block would be on point, I changed my mind back.  I really like the use of stripes on this one.

I am really pleased that I loaded all my fabrics on to the Electric Quilt software, as it allows me to indulge in choosing the fabrics for each patchwork block.  The software has really worked well with this project because of this,  and I get to use it at least once a week.  Before, my experience of it was limited to designing a quilt, and then spending the next year making it!

PS: I have just done a really SILLY thing. I measured the finished size of the block.  It has turned out 6" x 6 3/16"  - that is a problem for another day!

NUMBER OF PIECES: 34
DIFFICULTY: 4/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle,3/4" (19mm) x 3/4" (19mm) x 1 1/16" (27mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Rectangle 1/2" (12.5mm) x 6" (152mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Roc-Lon Unbleached Muslin
Kona Cotton (Solid Red) by Robert Kaufman
Red with White Dots, Makower
Weekend Rail Stripe Red by Swirly Girl Designs, for Michael Miller # 45533
Red pattern with white dot (unidentified)

Joining up with Connie at Freemotion by the River

Nearly Insane Quilt - March 2013

Nearly Insane Quilt, Progress March 2013

Since February 2013 when I started on the Nearly Insane Quilt journey, I have been drip feeding you progress on my work, so as an Easter treat I thought I would share with you an update of the overall progress.
All the tacking stitches and paper templates are still in place, which makes the overall look at the moment a bit strange, but I know when I finally sew all the components together, it will transform the work I have done so far.  I am always tempted in the back of my mind to sew a few together, or remove the papers, but ultimately I see it as the incentive for completing the first stage of making the blocks.  It is also fun playing with the bits and pieces, like I have done here, to get a taste of what the overall quilt will look like in the future. 
You will know from my Random Draws, that this is not the final layout of the blocks, the actual layout can be seen in a very small format on my sidebar.
The completion statistics so far:

10 Blocks

3 Side blocks

7 Cornerstones

25 Sashes

 

Thanks to everyone who takes time to stop and comment.
Joining up with Patchwork TImes.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 61



Block 61 - Nearly Insane Quilt, March 2013

Happy Easter!

 Another lovely quilt block from the Salinda Rupp, Nearly Insane Quilt.  Part of the fun on this journey has been searching the internet to see how others have approached each block - it is amazing how differently they all turn out.  I like this block, mainly because I have used the Solid Red for the centres.  I think it is just a perfect red, and has a real intensity, especially when placed next to other reds.  It is the remainder of the solid red fabric I have used in my red and white pinwheel quilt.

For difficulty I have given  quilt block a 5/10.  I believe this block is known as a Snowball Block, which is made up from an octagonal shape, rather than hexagons.  Despite being a long time English Paper piecer, I have never really got myself involved in hexies, and actually I found them a bit fiddly.  I was always having to change direction, and when wrapping the fabric around the paper template, one seam always ended up much smaller than the other, by the time I had gone around the octagon.  Also, it was only once I started to piece the block together that I noticed the sides of the octagon were not the same length, and this meant a bit more concentration when  putting it together.  The biggest headache was deciding whether to stitch in red or off-white thread - in the end there is a mix. So it gets 5/10.

On the original pattern there are more pieces, as the centre squares are made up of four triangles, but I have chosen to keep it as a solid square.

As well as this block, I have also been preparing some of the cornerstones and sashing for the quilt.

I hope you like my seasonal photo of Block 61 of the Nearly Insane quilt. (I thought the green grass would tie in with my green tacking stiches nicely...).

NUMBER OF PIECES: 41
DIFFICULTY: 5/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square, 1" (25mm) x 1 11/16" (17mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Rectangle 1" (25mm) x 1 11/16" (17mm) x 1 11/16" (17mm)TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:  Kona Cotton (Solid Red) by Robert Kaufman
"Polka Party Petite" (Buttercream) "Lakehouse Dayz" Collection by Holly Holderman, Lakehouse Drygoods (LH05037)
"Quilter's Memory" Stof Quilter's Basics #4517-118

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 4

With Block 1, Block 11 , Block 12 and Block 92 complete it is now time for Draw 4.  These are the numbers that have been drawn

4 - 30 - 61 - 95

Nothing to ominous here, so with the holiday weekend ahead of us, I hope to be making some good progress, as I have seemed to struggle to find time to do much this week.  I will keep you updated.

 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Cornerstones and Sashing

Cornerstone Sample, Nearly Insane Quilt

Now that I have started gathering a good set of blocks for the Nearly Insane Quilt, I have been putting my mind to the other elements in the quilt.  This past week the cornerstones and sashing have been the focus of my attention.  The original quilt has solid squares of colour at the point where four blocks meet on point, but with such little blocks, I felt it deserved something more delicate.

Crossed Canoes Block, Nearly Insane Quilt

Using my Electric Quilt 5 software, I searched for a block that would link the corners of the neighbouring blocks and came across this Crossed Canoe Block, which I have slightly adapted by making a completed square in the middle, rather than four triangles.  The cornerstones for the sashing, are just 2" square, and I will need to make 85 in total, plus a further 28 half blocks for the edge. I do like these little blocks, and imagine a quilt made of these, alternated with plain blocks?  As you can see I have only made one, so perhaps ask me about this idea once I have completed the other 84!

Nearly Insane Quilt Sashing 2" x 6", Unbleached Calico

For the sashing I have kept it simple, by just using the unbleached calico for the 2" by 6" strips.  I think there are about 196 of these to do, so I intend to do a few as I go along, rather than a load at the end.  So with the cornerstones, sashing, half blocks and full blocks, this is the layout of how the quilt will be set. 

Cornerstones, Sashing, Blocks Setting, Nearly Insane Quilt

Joining Up with Design Wall Monday! 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 11

Block 11 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Another block has been completed towards the Nearly Insane Quilt. This is basically a log cabin block, and perhaps easier to do if using foundation piecing, but I thought I would give it a go using English Paper Piecing. I know that there are some very similar blocks to come. On this occasion, I think, yes, it would be easier foundation pieced, as I had to squeeze the block together to make sure it finished up at 6 inches.  Also, the red spotty fabric on the very edge is only 1/4 inch wide, so with the two 1/4 inch seams it is already 3 layers thick.  Hopefully I will have forgotton this by the time I decide to quilt it!  In the centre I have used up some strips from some Moda Candy Bars, the Bliss Collection by Bonnie and Camille, using up some more of my red / cream odds and ends.  When I started this quilt, I was thinking I wanted it to look controlled and use just a fixed set of fabrics, but the more blocks I do the more fabrics I want to include, mixing in a wider range of reds. Scrappy is this weeks theme.


Sparky the Cat helping with fabric choices

When I was cutting out Block 11, I had the company of Sparky in the sewing room.  He was happy just to sit and watch. Being older and wiser than Suzi, Sparky knows to keep his tail close to himself when the Rotary Cutter is out.  By managing to fit in a picture of one of the cats, I think we deserve a link with Feline Friday.

Another set of blocks done for Draw 3, time to reach for my Lucky Dip Bowl for Draw 4!  You can see my progress on the right sidebar.

NUMBER OF PIECES: 24
DIFFICULTY: 3/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Rectangle 1/4" (6mm) x 5 1/2" (139mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square 1" (25mm) X 1" (25mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Roc-Lon Unbleached Muslin
Designer Beads (Red) Freespirit for Westminster Fibers
Check The Bias Apple Red #5495-11 Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater for Moda
Red Dot on Cream - unidentified
Hearts on Red (567-R5) Makower
Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 12

Block 12 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Introducing Block 12. I like this one.  I will confess that I have slightly altered this block, by reducing the number of pieces in the edge strips, to make the pattern the same on each side. Like Block 92, it was the symmetry issue.   If anyone is following this Nearly Insane Quilt journey for an 'exact' representation, they need to be aware that I like to make my own mark - and I am finding that the urge is growing! 

Initially, I was struggling with the fabric choice with Block 12 until I made the pattern alterations, and then decided to mix it up a bit by using the different red and white charm squares for the centre of the block - the ones which I pulled out from my fabric stash in my original fabric selection.


Red and White Charm Squares - Nearly Insane Quilt

They are only 1 1/2" squares, and I wasn't sure how I was going to incorporate them when I started the project, but I think Block 12 in the Nearly Insane Quilt is perfect place for them.  They were a neat fit over the bits of paper for the English Paper Piecing, and add a scrappy look to the block.  Against the French General fabric, I think they look really cute. 

3/4 " Red Charm Squares, with French General Fabric, Moda

I have recently been quilting my red and white pinwheel quilt, and although I like the quilt a lot, looking at just the plain red and the plain white has been a touch boring. It has really made me realise that my heart is with scrappy quilts. In fact, as I laid out these squares, which are only 3/4" square, my mind did wander to the idea of doing a whole patchwork quilt in this layout, in a similar vein to my Single Irish Chain Charm Quilt, but with just 3/4" squares.  It would be a simple quilt, but wouldn't it be lovely, especially in the red and white colourway?

NUMBER OF PIECES: 36
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square, 3/4" (17mm) x 3/4" (17mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Rectangle 1 1/2" (37.5mm) x 1 1/4" (32.5mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS: 
Mix - White on Red Charm Squares
White dot on Cream (purchased from The Shuttle)
White Floral on Red (purchased from The Shuttle)
French General Favourites - Pearl  for Moda #13526 14

Joining up with Finish it Up Friday!

Red and White Pinwheel Quilt - March Update

Hand Quilting the Red and White Pinwheel Quilt

Over the weekend I did lots of hand quilting on my Red and White Pinwheel Quilt.  At the moment, I am just stitiching around the pinwheels, but I did manage to complete that stage, at least.  It is slow because I am having to stitch along the edge of the seams, but I do love the way that hand stitching slowly calms down a quilt top.  I have a motif prepared waiting for the centres, but no plans for the borders or the edges.  I tend to let it evolve as I go along, ( ... in answer to Leanne's contemplation about Quilting Decisions, at Quilt Wangarei from New Zealand).

TOP TIP: You will see a scrap from 'A Morris Tapestry' by Barbara Brackman which I used in the Mini Hexi Mug Rug that I made, which I am using as a contrasting marker, to spot where I have I have left my needle. Finding the white thread on the white background can be challenging!

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 92

As I mentioned before, Block 92 is meant to be one of the four corner blocks.  Now ... I looked at it for quite a while.  Basically, the block is not symmetrical when divided into four, so when it sits on the corner, any fabric combinations look uneven.  For me, this will NOT do - I don't think Sparky was sleeping easy either.

Sparky  the Cat with Block 92 (revised)

So, I have made an executive decision, usurping both Salinda Rupp and Liz Lois, the creators of the Nearly Insane Quilt, to make Block 92 a half edge block, and will use Block 87 as the corner block (... please remind me of this when it gets drawn).  I think Block 92 looks much nicer as a half block. 

Block 92 - Nearly Insane Quilt

There were two very tiny pieces in this block, and many of you have raised concern about the problems these little paper piecing bits may be causing me.  What I have found is that once I have secured the little piece to another, it soon becomes a bigger piece, so it is no longer a problem.  With such small sides this process takes a matter of seconds, and the problem is soon resolved.

NUMBER OF PIECES: 24
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1/2" (13mm) x 1/2" (13mm) x 3/4" (19mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Square 1 1/4" (32mm) x 1 1/4" (32mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Roc-Lon Unbleached Muslin
Quilter's Memory, Stof Quilter's Basics #4517-11
Hearts on Red (567-R5) Makower
Apple Line Red Swirl by Alice Kennedy for Timeless Treasures  #c5710

 

Happy International Quilt Day!

24 hours ago I didn't even know that there was an International Quilt Day, but thanks to the internet and all the quilting bloggers, word got out, even to the UK.
I have the weekend to myself this weekend, and planned to put some time into quilting my red and white pinwheel quilt (however much I would love to be making more Nearly Insane blocks!).  I thought I would plant myself in front of the television and sew - but what to watch?
Thanks to the shout out by Missy Shay, I learnt that The Quilt Show, hosted on the internet by Alex Anderson and Ricky Timms are broadcasting their shows for FREE over the International Quilt weekend celebrations.  After registering and entering my new log in, I have even managed to project the shows from my iPad on to the main television using our Apple TV - I am cookin' with gas!

So far I have seen Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, Sue Garman, and Gina Perkes, as well as making some stitching progress on the red and white pinwheel quilt.  Besides a break to watch the first race in the Formula 1 Motor Racing from Australia, I will be watching the back catalogue of the Quilt Show and stitching.
Happy International Quilt Day!