Graphix Galaxy

Graphix Galaxy is my third Finally Finish quilt for 2025 and has unexpectedly bumped the posting of my second quilt finish which  is the birthday quilt for the Darling Granddaughter. Our plans to be at the GP House now was interrupted by the Master Quilt Holder (Hubby) continuing back problems and his needing to see the Orthopedic Surgeon for a possible Kyphoplasty procedure on his spine. The soonest he could be seen was on the Darling Granddaughter’s birthday which meant we needed to stay home for that and because he was in no condition to make the trip.  There is no way I could post her birthday quilt without a photo of her with it so hopefully there will be a joyful Post next month.

Graphix Galaxy was inspired by the Braque Quilt Pattern by Melinda Lin and I was made aware of this pattern by Kate from England. If you read my previous Posts, you will know that I have been inspired by Kate of The Last Homely House and I’m being a little cheeky here by saying not this Kate, but Smiles from Kate who inspired me to be a participant in the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers. When I saw Kate’s quilt on IG, I had to ask her if this was a pattern and she said this was the second quilt she made from the Braque pattern. My favorite quilt to make after strips and squares are ones with HSTs especially since they  can be neatly die cut. I really used my Art History Degree to good use by misreading the pattern name as Baroque which made be wonder why there were no curves in the quilt but then realized it was named after Georges Braque, a contemporary of Pablo Picasso, both of whom were pioneers in the Cubist Art Movement. A little embarrassment for me since my area of concentration was Modern Art and Architecture but in my defense my degree was earned over fifty years ago.

I knew my stash of Marcia Derse fabrics would be perfect for the Braque pattern and I’ve been wanting to use them especially since I’ve been buying her somewhat latest collections—Marble Run, Spotted  Graffiti, Random Thoughts, etc for the past years. I also added a Lonni Rossi black tone on tone print which I later decided to remove all the blocks using this print. There are four different HST blocks and I have to mention I really love making the large block on the upper left. 

My plan for making the blocks was to use the blacks, grays and lights for the large HST blocks and the bright colors for the small HSTs. I did not use the layout in the pattern because I thought my layout of just rows of HST blocks would be easier than sections of HST blocks but after multiple layouts I ended up with HST sections which made my angle-challenged mind spin or explode. My working title for this quilt was Kaboom since it seems some blasting is involved but I knew there had to be a better name which kept me up thinking what could it be. The flimsy was finished on March 15th and the plan was to maybe machine quilt it later after other flimsies and taxes were done.

It was decided the day before we were to leave for the GP House that the trip would not be made so I wanted to quilt my disappointment away by machine quilting Graphix Galaxy, even though there were other flimsies waiting, but this fit my mood. I did quadrant machine quilting which is what I call it by drawing an X across the top and then straight line machine quilt 1” apart using #2605 Steel Gray Aurifil thread. I think the diagonal quilting lines accentuate the prints and blocks. The backing was a distressed tone on tone gray print from the backing vault and the binding was a V&Co black and gray ombré stripe which I used the same print but in a different color for another Marcia Derse quilt.  Graphix Galaxy measures 64” square and the plan is to hang it in the second floor sewing studio.

Here’s some closeup pics of the wonderful prints in Graphix Galaxy. I knew I wanted this quilt to have a name referring to graphics and thought of names with comics but then remembered Demando calls them graphic novels and then thought of graphic artists having a paint ball fight. Before I chose the name Graphix Galaxy today,  I was going with Supernova which was what I wanted to call my Magical Stars quilt made last year for mmm quilts Luminous Layers QAL. Once I found out that a Supernova is not a super duper pretty star but an exploding star so I changed it to Magical Stars. I thought it was funny that I remembered the name Supernova and maybe came up with it because Sandra must have been ESPNing me since she later sent me an email alerting me of this year’s QAL and asked would I like to “preview”the pattern. Of course, so I sewed two test blocks before machine quilting Graphix Galaxy because I had some leftover quilt guilt from last year’s QAL. (I didn’t realize that I was supposed to test her pattern, just “preview” it until she announced it in an IG Post I’d made the blocks and I almost fainted in front of the Master Quilt Holder.) I understood the assignment this year and I tested the blocks with another fabric stash I’ve been collecting. I can tell you it’s another fun graphic print line and also a fun mmmake. Sandra will be announcing her new QAL on April 3rd which also happens to be her birthday.

Here’s hoping that someday I will finally make a Supernova quilt. I’m still sad that I will miss celebrating the darling Granddaughter’s birthday but it’s important that the Master Quilt Holder gets better. You will see that I only had indoor pics because I couldn’t ask MQH. Besides, it’s also very windy and cold today so maybe outdoor pics would have not been possible. And yes, I will be working on the taxes now.

First Finally Finish for 2025-Kaffe Fassett Tumbling Block Quilt

For a month with only 28 days, February seem to last forever with all of the busyness, i.e., the usual visits to the GP House, two wellness doctor visits, chiropractor appointments, an unexpected oral surgery involving a tooth extraction, a visit to immediate care for hubby’s sore back, a return to the fitness center, etc., I did manage to find time for my first Finally Finished Quilt which to me is epic. It’s been a month since my last Post, which you may not have seen which I will explain later, and I only had a flimsy finish for January. Although I have been having thoughts whether to continue blogging, I thought I should write a Post about this quilt since I like to use my Blog as a way of keeping track of my Finally Finishes.

I started the KF Tumbling Block Quilt in late November after seeing the one being made by Kate, The Late Homely House with Liberty Fabrics. I’ve become fond of Tumbling Blocks after making some from leftover EPPs from  my Smitten Quilt during our road trip to Yosemite last September. I thought I would make mine with my stash of KF fabrics which I have been collecting for over twenty years and it would look really nice if my diamond pieces were big to show off some of the large scale prints. I die cut my own diamond paper pieces with the sides measuring 4-1/4” which made 9-1/2” (approx.) Tumbling Blocks. A total of 50 full Tumbling Blocks, 8 half blocks along with half diamonds for the top and bottom borders were handpieced together with a dark gray polyester thread. The flimsy was finished by the end of January. 

My plan was to hand quilt the KF Tumbling Block quilt even though I wasn’t looking forward to hand quilting around each diamond. After basting with big stitches, I realized that I could hand quilt with just straight lines, 1” apart which would be much easier. I used several different needles, darners, embroidery, tapestry and found the Sashiko needles the best for me and didn’t use a thimble until half of the hand quilting was done. I used Aurifil, 12 wt., Marakesh thread, purchased from The Last Homely House shop and three small spools were enough. I love how this variegated thread blended in with all of the colors. The backing was the Geranium print designed by Phillip Jacobs and has been sitting in the backing vault for at least eight year. I purchased yardage of the  red Square Dance print for the side borders and binding.  (BTW, none of the purchases mentioned are affiliate)

The KF Tumbling Block Quilt measures 58"x70”. I’m calling this an epic finish considering all the die-cutting of the paper pieces, cutting the fabrics and  basting the diamonds, hand piecing, hand basting hand quilting and hand sewing the binding, all done in three months and a day. There were lots of  TV and YouTube watching with the quilt spread out on my counter height, 4’x5’ kitchen table which helped the hand quilting—I am amazed that it took only three weeks. I like to mention that removing the hand basting was a pain and took me 3-4 hours to remove. I am experiencing hand quilting withdrawal pains after this epic finish and have now found another project to handquilt.

I did take a break several times from the KF Tumbling Block Quilt to finish a flimsy, Daydream Dicey Log Cabin which I started right after the Tumbling Block Flimsy was finished. I’ll write more about this quilt after it is finished which will be soon since it will be for the darling Granddaughter in celebration of her eighth birthday later this month.

While at the GP House, I work on the Terry Rowland 3” blocks and so far have sewn 650 of the 1000 blocks needed. I really only need 900 but I like to make extra. These blocks were fun to sew and I can’t wait to assemble them for a 90” square quilt.

There’s a new animal sharing my headspace with the squirrels; a Wooly Mammoth. (Thank you Pixar’ Ice Age for this graphic)  One of my 2025 goals is to work on wool projects since I have a fairly nice stash thanks in part to one of my Peeps, Linda. I found time during this month to reorganize the bedroom formerly belonging to Demando and now known as the Fiber Studio since it is where all my wool, yarn, roving, non quilting fabric, etc. is located. I’m thinking of starting to do some rug hooking and now have all the necessary supplies to start.

Would you believe after the Fiber Studio was reorganized, Linda gave me more wool, two bags full. I spent Saturday die-cutting and rotary cutting 1/4”, 1/2” and 1” strips for quillies and rug hooking. Thankfully I have some projects planned and one of them is to make a quillies Christmas tree. I need more since I hope to put a dent in the Wool stash.

I mentioned earlier in this Post that some of you may have not seen my January Post because at the time I changed my Blog from public to private with a custom reader list. I was trying to decide if I wanted to continue blogging and I am always wary of the high volume of overseas bot and crawler traffic on my blog. Unfortunately, the custom reader list I created did not work and only a few were able to read my last Post. I finally came up with a solution which I thought of last year and now remembered because I was procrastinating writing this Post. I have now changed my Blog back to Public again but the Posts may be fewer and farther between. I decided that I can keep track of my Projects and Finishes under the 2025 Quilts and Projects tab and will write a Post only for certain finishes. I have to confess that there was less Blog pressure when I switched to private. Hopefully, with fewer Posts, there will be less bot and crawler activity.

I almost made it through February without having purchased any new fabric. The darling Granddaughter’s father had given me a $20 gift certificate for the local quilt shop and I needed to pay an additional $10 for the four yards of fabric purchased. I mentioned to my Son that next time he gives me a certificate that he needs to add an additional zero at the end.

I hope you're having an enjoyable Sunday.

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation/NTT

A Nada Tada January

With just a few hours left in January, I’m finally writing a Post. This is the first January since I started blogging in 2016 that I do not have a Finally Finished, Nada, no Tada, but I was busy. The three projects in the above collage were all inspired by Kate/The Last Homely House which I will provide some details.

I was thinking that Jinny Janome, my sewing machine, would not be turned on in January but today, the last day, I decided that I would finally sew the side borders to my Kaffe Fassett Tumbling Blocks so that I could have at least a flimsy finish. I started the EPP quilt in late November after seeing the Tumbling Block quilt Kate was making with Liberty fabrics but mine was going to be made with Kaffe Fassett and larger EPP blocks. I’m pretty proud that I finished this flimsy in less than three months. I also sewed the backing today and plan on basting it this weekend so I can start hand quilting which I am pretty sure it is going to take longer than three months since it measures 58”x72”. 

It took me awhile to finally wrap my head around making the Terry Rowland 3” scrap blocks but once I started, they are addicting to sew. Normally 3” blocks are just too small but I am finding these to be rather sweet. The first batch of blocks I made were first rotary cut which definitely is not my favorite thing to do and my second batch of strips were die-cut, much faster. I sewed these blocks when I’m at the GP House and have sewn 250 of the 650 blocks needed to make a 75” square quilt.

When I was looking through my 2025 The Last Homely House Calendar in December, the photo for November caught my eye which had a mat for a teapot. Even though Kate is offering a tutorial, I couldn’t wait until November, so I went through a rabbit hole trying to find out what these mats were called and found my answers on YouTube and Pinterest. These are called standing wool mats or quillies and was just a project I needed to fulfill one of my 2025 goals to use up some of my wool stash. Last week, the Peeps and I spent a lovely day making these with 1/2” or 1” strips cut. I have to mention that most of my wool stash was gifted to me from my Peeps. The quillies are also addicting to make and I am so glad I’m finally using my wool; I’ve been checking out rug hooking on YouTube and Pinterest.

I am pretty proud that during January, I did not purchase any new fabric and hope to continue doing this, especially this is one of my 2025 goals. Also, I decided to limit my social media presence by only viewing FB and IG posts and also making my Blog private. I have a core group of twenty-five readers and have created a custom group so they can continue to read my Posts. By doing this, I am finding that I have less pressure and feeling more freer to sew whatever and not focus too much on finishes this year.

The Bitsy End to 2024

I thought after my last Post two weeks ago, I would only have one finish to write about but I managed to sewqueeze out a Quilt repair, EPP over fifty Tumbling Blocks and two flimsies before heading back to the GP House to spend the last week of December with the darling Granddaughter. I’ll be somewhat brief, hopefully, to explain these pics.

• The Fish Quilt, upper left, was made and gifted twenty-five years ago to the Master Quilt Holder for his 47th birthday. After the last washing earlier this year, I noticed the binding was coming apart in several places and planned to do a quick mending. But, upon further examination, I  saw the crossed-hatch machine quilting across the framed nine patches  were coming apart so this was going to take more time. Fortunately, unlike Demando the Son, Hubby is patient and didn’t mind that his quilt sat on a chair in the dining room all these months. It helped he has three other quilts to use when he’s reclining in his chair. After finally being tired of seeing it in the dining room, I decided to mend it by removing all the cross-hatch quilting and requilting the middle and hand sewing the binding. I should mention that this was one of the first quilts I machine quilted and it didn’t hold up to all of the washings. I read sometime ago that machine quilting should last 250 washing which definitely did not happen and at the least only lasted ten washings. Coincidentally, I finished it the day before Hubby’s birthday and jokingly referred to it as a Silver Anniversary re-gifting of his birthday quilt. Another interesting side note is that the quilt pattern is the same one used for The Granddaughter Quilt #1 which was made the same year, 1999, and was finally finished earlier this year. Kind of serendipitous, right?
• I really dropped the ball when it came to making new Halloween, Fall and Christmas quilts this year. I only managed to make the Kitty Christmas Table Runner, upper right, and only did so because I thought it was needed for the GP House because I misplaced the one we had. As luck would have it, I found it and the Kitty Christmas Table Runner is now a wall hanging. The pattern is a modified version of Villa Rosa’s Clover pattern  and I used Urban Chiks Kitty Christmas fabrics.
• As mentioned in earlier Posts, I’ve become a big fan of Kate at The Last Homely House YouTube videos and once again I was inspired by her EPP project of making Tumbling blocks with Liberty Fabrics. I am not yet a fan of Liberty fabrics but thought it would look nice with Kaffe Fassett fabrics but the blocks needed to be larger, like 9” blocks. I’ll write more about my epic EPP project once I get to the next stage of sewing the 58 blocks together to make a 52”x 70” flimsy. I’ve already sewn two rows together and the first seam had me asking why did I ever wanted to make this but the sewing got easier after the first few blocks were sewn together.
• Two flimsies (last two pics) were made to close out the year: one using Zen Chic’s Frisky fabric line and the other one with a fat quarter bundle of Kaffe Fassett fabrics received on Christmas Eve. I have a new favorite pattern which is Fat Quarter Shop Fat Eighth Flip pattern which is what I used for the Frisky fabrics and a variation I’m calling Fat Quarter Flip for the Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I’ll provide more details once these flimsies are machine quilted which I hope will be in January after my sewing desk is cleaned and reorganized.

It wouldn’t be an End of Year Post without providing some stats, right?

• Forty-four quilts were finished: 26 were lap size and larger, 18 were smaller, baby quilts, table runners, wall hangings, etc.
• Thirteen were backed with Plush also referred to as Patchwork Throws, Baby Boomer Blankies or Baby Blankies.
• Fourteen were UFOs; two were over 20 years old and two were 19 years old.
• Seven Flimsies

I compiled my own Top Nine Quilts pic based on Post views and you can find links to these quilts by clicking on the 2024 Quilts and Project tab on my Blog. I had a pretty productive year considering we spent over a hundred days at the GP House where I don’t have the conveniences of my home sewing studio. But, I’m not complaining since it’s nice to take a break and I rather spend time with the darling Granddaughter who is growing up too fast.

My plans for 2025 are to enjoy my Kaffe Fassett fabrics, more EPP and FPP projects and spending time with my wool and felt stash. I really don’t want to purchase any new fabrics as my 2024/25 Project List includes some lovely fabric bundles which have been sitting on the shelf for too long. My aim is to add new scraps to the already existing heap but then  I want a break from making scrap quilts. And Wonders of Wonders, I figured out the annual puzzle of adding the new 2025 tab to my Blog without any problems.

Wishing you a most blessed and Happy New Year filled with Love, Good Health and Peace.

The Last Two Patchwork Throws

It may be hard to see but there are two patchwork throws in this photo which were finished during the months of November through early December and is safe to say that these will be my final big finishes for 2024.

It’s been three years to the date that I posted about my Kaliedoscope Krosswalk quilt and the making of it was quite an experience. The quilt pattern is Tinkering designed by My Quilt Infatuation and was a fun pattern to use lots of different fabrics in which I most certainly did. I am lovingly referring the Kaleidoscope Krosswalk as the Mother Quilt for spawning the three projects made after the completion and not for any of the problems I experienced.

Along with my large stash of Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Fabrics and die-cutter, I did cut way more patches and strips that was actually needed and kept them together along with leftover blocks in a nice sized box. For the past several years, it was on my project lists to make something with these leftovers. In addition to these leftovers and die-cutting a few more 6” HSTs, I was able to make three Patchwork Throws which you will see below:

The Broken Dish Patchwork Throw was finished in July and were made from 6” HSTs, both leftovers and additional die-cuts.

I was planning on making a different block using the leftover 1-1/2” strips but glad I chose to make the simpler Broken Dish block instead. 

The Bitty Quilt was finished in early November and used the 1-1/2” strips cut for Kaliedoscope Krosswalk—I definitely die-cut more than I needed.

I was inspired by Bonnie Hunter’s Bitcoin pattern and started working on sewing the strip sets back in July. Instead of sewing a single row of rail fence blocks, I made a variety of block sizes with either six patches, nine patches, 12 patches, etc and used the same Bitcoin layout of varying block lengths. The Bitty quilt is the smallest of the three and measures 56” x 72”. Although I would have liked for it to be longer, I ran out of strips and didn’t want to die-cut anymore.

The last and final Patchwork Throw finished last week is the Krosswalk Karma Patchwork Throw and so named because there were exactly enough leftover Kaleidoscope Krosswalk blocks and large Broken Dish blocks plus leftover 3” HST to make enough 6” Broken Dish blocks to make it.

I will admit that I do not like this Patchwork Throw as much as the other two but thankful all of the leftovers were used up except for one 6” Broken Dish block.

All three Patchwork Throws were backed with the same dark gray double plush, which feels wonderful, and the same binding from Cotton+Steel Netorious print in Teal. As mentioned earlier, the Bitty measures 56” x 72” and both Broken Dish and Krosswalk Karma are the same size of 60” x 84”. The Broken Dish Patchwork Throw has been used since July and has went through a washing and drying very well.

Here’s a pic of the Mother Quilt and the three Spawns together. Is it hard to see the four together? Because of the cold and windy weather we’re experiencing now, the Master Quilt Holder is glad that indoor photos were taken and his assistance wasn’t needed. I’m glad I have three more Patchwork Throws perfect for the weather now. It’s funny and maybe ironic that my first Post for 2024 were the three patchwork throws I called The Three Bears and that my almost final Post for the year, I am once again closing with three more patchwork throws. They’re wonderful to make to keep or to give away. My last Post will be after the holiday so I’m wishing everyone a warm and wonderful Christmas. I know I’ll be warm.

Sweetwater Rambling Rows Xmas Quilt

 

It’s been over a month since my last Post and I have been absent from the studio with several visits to the GP House, attending Hubby’s final band gigs and, most importantly, prepping the house for the darling Granddaughter’s visit to our house in almost five years. And when she was here with her father (my youngest son) this meant there were several visits to family and friends, a Baby Christening which my son was the Godfather and a fun children theme park which she would have like to go there everyday thereafter. I, also, have been spending some time with some EPP projects and will be a topic for another Post.  Despite nursing a Cold along with Hubby, I finally spent some time in the studio this past weekend and have three finally finishes, one the Sweetwater Rambling Rows Xmas Quilt which I’ll share some details in this Post and the other two finishes will be another Post for later in the week.

I finished the Sweetwater Xmas Quilt back in early November. It was on my project list to finally make a Rambling Rows Quilt with several of Sweetwater fabrics lines I have acquired during the past years which  included On Dasher, The Cookie Exchange, Main Streeet, Hometown and Countdown to Christmas. Sweetwater fabrics hold a special place in my quilting memory since I made my Hometown Christmas Jelly Roll Charm Chase Quilt for Moda back in 2017. To be honest, since designing this pattern for jelly roll or 2.5” strips, I much rather use my Staggered Strips and Squares pattern or the Rambling Rows Pattern designed by Mary Etherington, Country Threads. The difference between these two patterns is that the strips sets are either made with two or four different fabrics. They both have the randomness look of a Jelly Roll Race quilt but eliminates having to cut a strip set of thirty-two rows apart and you can plan the layout of your fabric strips. I modified the Rambling Rows pattern to include 8” four-patch and rail blocks.

For the backing, I used a teal plush which I had in my stash. Normally when I use a plush fabric, there is no batting in the middle and I call it a Throw/Patchwork Blankie. This time because the plush was thin like a jersey knit fabric, I did include batting and this quilt has a nice weight. I machine quilted using a white polyester thread with both straight and wavey lines. The binding was one of the black Sweetwater prints used in the quilt. Sweetwater Rambling Rows Xmas Quilt measures 56” x 80”.

Here’s a pic of the Sweetwater Rambling Rows Xmas Quilt with the Hometown Jelly Roll Charm Chase Quilt. Even though they were made seven years apart, they do look similar, don’t they? The Ramblng Rows quilt will be gracing the darling Granddaughter’s bed at the GP House, just in time for Christmas. Because of our Colds, our GP visit has been delay which means I might be able to finish a Christmas UFO.

Kaffe Fassett Blue Plate Special Quilt

I’ve committed what I considered to be a Kaffe Fassett Faux Pas last month with my Kaffe Fassett Blue Moon Post. I shared my joy about finally finishing this quilt, an “Oh Wow” in which the top was made almost twenty years ago. A week later, this wonderful joy and sense of accomplishment was deflated like air being let out of a balloon and accentuated with the loudest “No” when I discovered the Blue Plate flimsy while rummaging through some other flimsies. I am embarrassed for having forgotten I made this before the Blue Moon quilt and should have realized that the Blue Plate flimsy existed especially since the Blue Moon quilt was referred to as #2 in my quilt log and that I had seven yards left of the backing fabric. I even wondered why I bought so much of the blue stripe backing. 

Any hoot, I claim confusion as these two quilts look an awful lot alike with the same stripe border and color way. The Blue Plate Special was finished four months before Blue Moon. Blue Moon was made from the BPS leftovers for a wedding quilt which was subsequently rejected later. Somehow, in my quilt memory bank, these two flimsies morphed into one flimsy.

I’ve renamed this quilt as Blue Plate Special (BPS) from Blue Moon #1 to avoid more confusion and this was what I had planned to name it originally. BPS measures 64”x82” and Blue Moon measures 48” x 62”. The circles on this quilt only uses one fabric which is the Floral Dance print. If you think I remembered this detail, I didn’t. I found the name after combing through almost twenty Kaffe Fassett books which are located in my studio downstairs and I did enjoyed looking through them and now considering moving some of them upstairs to my bedroom. One of my past luxuries, which I haven’t done much since retirement, was reading quilt books while lounging in a warm bed and Winter is coming, so my timing is impeccable. Wait until I tell the Master Quilt Holder. At first, I wasn’t looking forward to machine quilting BPS due to its size and thinking I had to mark it but realized it would be simple by just doing diagonal wavy lines on the circles and straight line grid quilting along the 8” blocks. I used a Star variegated thread on the top with the same Teal thread on the bottom I used for the Blue Moon quilt. I happened to have another package of the Pellon Bamboo batting which I also used for Blue Moon and BPS is just as soft and snuggly.

Another embarrassing aspect to this Post, is in my Blue Moon Post, I had a photo of it with the Red Moon Quilt and mentioned these two were fraternal twins and that I seem to make two of the same quilts when I like a pattern or fabric. If anything Red Moon is a cousin and these two quilts were separated at birth. I really still can’t believe I forgot I made two quilts with the same fabrics almost twenty years ago. And with that in mind, this is why this is a short Post to admit my Kaffe Fassett Faux Pas. If only all faux pas were just as pretty.