Spectacle Square-tangle

I had a busy April with the usual visits to the GP House and the Chiropractor but this month I also had appointments with the eye doctor, foot doctor, dentist, bone density scan and bloodwork as well as seasonal allergies/cold kicking in big time,  but most importantly was celebrating my Golden Wedding Anniversary which lasted at least a week it seems. The only quilting I did was finishing MMMMagical Stars Flimsy (Luminous Layers QAL), playing with fabrics (both old and new stash) and finishing my April project for the Country Threads Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge which will be my Spectacle Square-tangle Quilt. 

I have to confess that this project is one that I listed in March which I really wanted to do but other projects needed to be finished. The one project listed for April was my Happy Bubbles Quilt which I finished in January so I took a little liberty or que’ sera sera this month with choosing what I wanted to finish for the UFO Challenge of finishing one per month. I had a layer cake of Spectacle designed by Christian Robinson for Cotton+Steel purchased in 2018. I was planning on making the Chain Reaction pattern designed by Purple Pineapple Studio but I didn’t want to do connecting corners since I’m still recovering from the Happpy Bubbles Quilt which had so many connecting corners.

To sew the easy way out or should I call it sewopted, I thought a simple quilt with just 5” squares with the layer cake squares cut in half would be just right for this cute fabric collection. I used Alexa Abegg’s Heirloom fabric line for the red squares and cut additional rectangles from the backing fabric, which will be shown later in this Post, and yardage. This was an easy pattern which took some planning with the layout since there were so many directional prints in this fabric line. I had to first separate the rectangles into two groups for my rows, light and dark, and then making sure the red squares were sewn on the right side. I’ve seen this pattern on Pinterest and did some searching so I could give credit for this pattern and it is the Easy Bricks pattern designed by Amy Smart, Diary of a Quilter. It’s really a great pattern for layer cakes and I already have another one ready to be sewn together.

Here’s the backing fabric which is a cheater cloth of hexagons with the Spectacle prints which was purchased several years ago. I needed to add the back and white print (designed by Michelle Amore) on the sides which went well together and could make this a reversible quilt.

I was not planning on making Spectacle Square-tangle so long, since this is supposedly my year of sewing small, but I really didn’t want any leftovers, sew I say. It measures approximately 60”x90” and looks like a quilt made for an IKEA bed. I did a combination of vertical straight lines with one wavy line on the center of each rectangle/square row using CT Essential Threads in Natural. I was planning on using the red print for the binding but thought the black and white stripe would accent the prints better.

Today was a lovely day to take a photo of Spectacle Square-tangle hanging from the branches of the cherry tree in the back yard but it wasn’t  hanging right so the Master Quilt Holder had to hold a branch up this time. I need to figure out when his Anniversary of being my Master Quilt Holder is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not fifty years. I’m thinking being married is way easier than holding up my quilts since sometimes it’s a teeny, weeny bit stressful. (Insert an emoji winking with a halo here).

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation/NTT

Luminous Layers QAL

I was late, almost two weeks late for a very important Date!

On April 3rd, Sandra, mmmquilts announced the Luminous Layer QAL and as usual I am participating. BUT, I dropped the ball big time this year due to some mmmissunderstanding on my part. I have pattern tested several of Sandra's patterns as well as been given a heads-up on QALs in the past (something to do with being a QAL Rebel or not QALing well with others). Sandra sent me the Luminous Layer pattern in late February asking me, as well as two others, if we would pattern test. I assumed the other two were being asked to pattern test and I was just being given a heads up which I spent time choosing fabrics, prepared my usual QAL graphics for my Celebrating a Famous Canadian’s Birthday post and planned to follow the Luminous Layer QAL schedule for once. I also was busy working on some other projects like  Villa Rosa Fast and More Fun Blog Hop, March Country Threads UFO Challenge and most importantly the taxes, needed to be finished so I wouldn’t have been able to start Luminous Layers. Imagine my surprise when I read in Sandra’s post that I had pattern tested Luminous Layer and will be have a flimsy to show. I had NADA and was feeling really bad that I wasn’t prepared as I usually have been with Sandra’s QAL.

Last week after coming home from the GP House and recovering a few days from a Cold, I finally started working on my Luminous Layers flimsy. I thought I was happy with my first fabric selection made in February but decided I didn’t like how I was going to make the large star points so that changed the color way. My plan was to use Carrie Bloomston fabrics so I finalized my fabric selection from three of her collections: Found, Color Theory and Colorwash. I was hoping when I purchased Found back in January that I would be able to use it for this year’s QAL. I’ve always said that it takes me forever when I have to choose only ten fabrics and I spent days going back and forth with at least five different groupings/colorways in shades of black, blues, purples and pinks which I found too calm and finally decided on the above grouping since it had a little more punch. I should mentioned that I ended up changing one of the teal fabrics after this pic was taken.

True to my usual QAL Rebel behavior, I was planning on using larger patches like 16”x32” flying geese instead of the smaller HST but after I saw Joyfully Tracie’s version of Luminous Layers on IG with the smaller HST blocks I decided I would do the same. After all, I did have all the dies needed so I was able to die-cut all of the patches, with the exception of the 16-1/2” square on the upper left, using both my Accuquilt and Sizzix systems. I will admit that sometimes being a QAL Rebel is not the way to sew. 

I wasn’t looking forward to sewing Luminous Layers with all of the patches, both large and small, since accuracy sometimes eludes me but I am way happy with the flimsy finish. I think die cutting the patches helped, and the sewing just clicked. I just love this pattern of multiple stars and the fabrics giving the illusion of the center stars mmmagicically merging to create one large star. I thought this would  be considered a Super Nova, but no, there is an explosion with no stars remaining so I naming this quilt MMMagical Stars.

Here’s a close up of the center Star blocks which measures 32” square and could stand alone as a smaller wallhanging. The inner star block with the multiple stars measures 16-1/2” square and this is where I used flying geese blocks and square in the square blocks instead of HST. Otherwise, I pretty much behaved myself. I’m pretty sure when Sandra asks me to pattern test, it’s not to proof her instructions since there are other more trusted testers than me, but it’s to see how I might interpret her pattern in other fabric/colors. I tend to choose prints which will offset my lackluster machine quilting but will have some negative spaces this time with MMMagical Stars.

I wrote in my Rainbow Neighborhood QAL post year that I was looking forward to this years QAL and that I was sure it was going to be “mmmagically” fun and I was right. I am really proud of how this 16-1/2” star turned out and just so very happy the small patches sewed together so well, mmmagical I say. I actually know how I will be machine quilting MMMagical Stars and the binding has already been chosen. It’s nice that I will have two months to finally finish it to celebrate the Famous Canadian’s Birthday.

BTW, just a reminder that the Luminous Layer pattern is free this year and instructions will be given out weekly along with options on such as making flying geese blocks and using dies. BUT, if you can’t wait like a QAL Rebel, this pattern can be in purchased from Sandra’s Etsy Shop. Be sure to check out her post to see all the wonderful prizes to be given this year, unfortunately, her very beautiful cat Bella is not one of them.

March Merry Makes

March was a way too busy month for me since it involved participating earlier this month in Villa Rosa Designs Fast and More Fun Blog Hop. This in a way was timely since the quilt I made ended up being a birthday quilt for the darling Granddaughter who just celebrated her 7th birthday. But i did have two other projects needed to be done this month which were the March project for Country Threads Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge and the secret project which I mentioned Demando had requested.

As a participant in the Villa Rosa Blog Hop, I was given five pattern cards and one of them was the Clover Table Runner designed by Tricia Lynn Maloney/Orphan Quilt Designs which I had to make since it is such a clever design even though I did make a slight modification by not adding the side borders.

It just so happened that one  of the five projects which I could choose for the March UFO Challenge was to make something with my Green scraps leftover from previous projects which was perfect for the Clover Table Runner. Coincidentally, I needed to make another table runner for Demando,  so this crossed another item off my To Do List.

These greens made my heart sing. I just love all of the different shades which was perfect for the pattern. I machine quilted with wavy vertical lines with a CT Essential Thread in variegated greens. The green stripe binding and backing was found in my stash as well as the scrap piece of batting. After I made this runner and looking at the runners made by the other participants, Wendy/Pieceful Thoughts, Nancy/Grace and Peace Quilting and Tracie/Joyfully Tracie, I realized I made my runner wrong; there were supposed to be a double row of the squares and not a single row. I don’t think Demando needs to know this, right?

Since I still had a day left in the month, I decided to make another Clover Table Runner and this time add the double row of squares but making it bigger and again not adding the side borders. I used a charm pack and yardage of Circa 1934 by Cosmo Cricket which has been in my stash forever. I machine quilted in straight and cross hatch lines using a CT Essential Thread in Caramel. The pieced backing was made with a scrap of 1934 yardage and a Debbie Mumm Classic print and the black and gold check print for the binding was happily found in my stash. I am just loving making runners which could be used for a table, a chair, hung from a wall or on a door and can be made in a day. It’s especially nice when you can find all the fabric and batting needed in your stash. 

Last, but not least, is the secret Demando project which is a birthday quilt for his girlfriend who absolutely loves purple. I made this quilt using a version of the Rambling Rows pattern and my stash of purple fabrics spanning over twenty years. I used prints from my Lonni Rossi and Kathy Davis stash and newer prints recently purchased within the past few years. It was fun mixing all of the shades of purple. I did have to purchase the backing and was glad to have found the purple pin dot print for the binding in my stash. I machine quilted using a CT Essential Thread in Violet with all wavy lines. I usually combine straight lines with the wavy lines and I am loving just the wavy lines. I agreed to make this quilt even though this is for his girlfriend whom I like. I figured, since Demando’s Godmother, a dear friend of over 45 years, also loves purple and has asked me to make her a purple quilt, if I need to retrieve this quilt from the girlfriend, I’ll just send the Godmother to her house. Just kidding, I have plenty of leftovers to make her own purple quilt.

One last photo of the lovely Purple Quilt which I have not named but maybe I should call it Demando’s Delight. I need to take some time off before our next trip to the GP House. I have taxes to do and closets to clean but I am rebel ready for Sandra/mmmquilts Eighth Annual Luminous Layers QAL which starts on April 3rd.

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation/NTT