Simple Charms

Time was tight this week, so I made a 3 hour project.  Part of the challenge of Project Quilting is making it fit your life, so I consider this one a success even though it's not the most exciting project I've ever made.  Maybe if I have added a fairy tree.....

I started with my stack of charm squares.  These were all cut by me a few years ago when I was teaching a class all about different options to use charm squares.  So I went through the stack and picked out the ones that fit a nice bright and happy theme.  I thought 36 was a good number.

Then I sewed them all together in a 6 x 6 layout.  No, I did not sew them like they are laid out above.  I just sewed them together randomly.  For some reason I didn't take a picture after they were sewn.  This blogging is new to me and I'm still working on taking more pictures.

I laid the finished piece on my cutting mat and cut it into 6 1/2"  strips horizontally and vertically.  I started at one edge and when the cut was going to end up almost right the seam near the middle, I cut the seam out and kept going.

I assembled the new blocks in a 3 x 5 layout to make a table runner.  I had one block left over.

 Since all this was really quick and easy, I thought I'd try making the binding out of charm squares, too.  I picked out 12 more charms and sewed them together. (It seems like one square in the middle was cut a little big, but I didn't worry about it because of how this piece would be used.) I should have pressed all these seams open.  I didn't so I re-pressed them all after they were cut.

I next cut diagonally into 2 1/2" strips.  Since I had that one block left over, I decided to cut it the same way.  I then joined all the strips end to end.  The ends were already cut on the diagonal, so they went together easily.  I didn't do any calculations to figure out how manycharms  I needed, but it came out pretty close.

Simple, fast, done.
Finished size 18" x 30"
Created by Diane Lapacek near Poynette, WI

Window of the Secret Flower

I was really pressed for time this week since we were on vacation and didn't arrive home until about 4 pm Friday.  I had been thinking about my favorite fabric, though and knew it needed to be one of the Spoonflower fabrics my daughter-in-law, Kim, had given me a couple of years ago.  She had taken pictures of my quilts and manipulated them, then had them printed on fabric.

I made a quick trip to my stash and pulled out my Spoonflower fabrics and decided on this one.

Kim made it from a picture of this quilt.

I cut it down and used just 1 quarter of the piece.  I thought a simple convergence technique would fit my time frame.

I wanted to move the flower down to the corner, so I cut the bottom off.

Better.  I was going to throw the cutoff part in my orphan block drawer, but decided on this instead.

I had my 3 lovely granddaughters overnight and they named it for me.  They are being really helpful right now by not talking to me until I get this up.  I tried to do it last night but couldn't seem to stay awake ...  

Finished size is 15" x 22".

I create in Poynette, WI.

  

The Heart of the Fae

I created The Heart of the Fae for the Project Quilting Season 6 Have a Heart Challenge.

I've been on a fairy tree kick ever since the PQforMe Retreat.  This is my 5th one and my last.  I promise.  At least for now.

I started with a piece of my hand dyed fabric and added a textural tree using various fibers. The heart ends of the branches were stitched free form with black and brown thread together in the same needle. 

Then I added backing and batting and quilted it all with a swirling heart design, added binding and prepared to add some beads.  

Luckily my granddaughter, Pip, was hanging out with me, so we got right to work.

We previewed the quilt when we were at this point and I thought it was done.  Pip informed me it was not.  So we added more beads.  I have to say, I think she was right.

And, of course a door for the fairies.  Why I didn't make this one heart shaped, I don't know.  But I didn't, so it's not.