The Last Quilt of 2017: Splash of Color Quilt is Finally Finished

Doesn't this quilt make you think of warm, sunny weather and forget that it's windy and sub-zero temperatures outside.  No, it doesn't, hubby will vouch for that.  I know it's the season for taking indoor photos now but I just had to take some outside photos.  It would have been nice, though, if outside was warm and perfect like Australia or New Zealand, maybe.

All it took to make this quilt to turn out this way it did was the Splash of Color QAL and a flash of faux pas.  There is no pattern for this quilt but maybe a pattern for getting into another situation called "Whoops".  I think I may be a member of the Chaos School of Quilting  after finally finishing this quilt.  At least it's ready to be part of the parade of quilts in January.  My mind is somewhat clear now to relay how my colorful quilt came to be made.

Myra from Busy Hands Quilts hosted a QAL back in October for quilts to be made with black and white fabrics with a splash of color.  Those who joined in this fun QAL had the choice of deciding which pattern they wanted to use and the only requirement to be eligible to win prizes was that the finished quilt top needed to be at least 40" square.

When I joined the QAL, I commented I was looking forward to doing a relaxing project which as I found out several times this year that sometimes quilts don't turn out the way I say it will.  This quilt was more of a challenge; I think I may have somewhat mentioned this already. I was all for making a quilt since I have a huge stash of black and white fabrics and thought I would use my Crayola solid fabrics for the splash of color.  One of the quilt patterns I considered was doing a hexagon pattern but instead decided to make a tessellating pinwheel pattern using my Sizzix die which I have never used.  Before I started die-cutting, I changed my fabric choice for the color prints and switched to Crazy Mom's Good Neighbor fabrics since I thought it would make the quilt brighter with the black and white prints.

I spent an evening watching TV and die-cutting the pieces-enough to make over 200 4.5" blocks. Then, I realized, after going to bed, I made a huge faux pas which I could have avoided had I remember prior to starting the die cutting.  Unlike the half-square triangle which is an equally divided square cut at a 45 degree angle (I'm taking my hubby's word on this since I've never taken a Geometry class), any other half triangle, like the half rectangle, has a definite right and left side, meaning the point at the bottom faces either right or left.  There may be a mathematical  term for this but I don't know what it is.  If you want all of your half rectangles to point the same direction and you use a die cutter like I do, the fabric must all face up or face down depending upon what side you want to point to, you cannot fan fold the fabric over the die because you will get both right and left side blocks.

Righty Quilt on the left and Lefty Quilt on the right

I learned this several years ago when I die cut half rectangles for what I thought was going to be one Cotton + Steel quilt which I ended making two quilts; one quilt with with right pointing half rectangles and the other quilt with the left pointing half rectangles. (When I look back at this, I could have made a diamond quilt but it's not what I wanted to make with my half rectangles). I should have remember this when I was die cutting the tessellating pinwheels but didn't realize what I did until after all the blocks were die cut.  A big whoops and faux pas has now happened.

Again, I was stuck with two different blocks, one tessellating right and one tessellating left, which meant making two quilts again and they would each be 40" square.  I really didn't like the pinwheels and decided, even though it involved taking apart the blocks I already sewn together and repressing the seams several times and playing with layouts, I decided to make elongated hexagon blocks with the patches.

Once again, this would involve making two separate quilts because there are two different types of blocks, one with the black patch on the top left and the other with the black patch on the top right.  Sewing them in one quilt didn't look right to me because I made another faux pas by using the same low volume print for the color patches.  As you can see the light patches do not alternate when the two types of blocks are next to each other.  I really wished that I would have used different prints for the color patches but didn't have enough white low volume prints in my stash.  Looking back at this now, I could have opted for making separate black and white blocks and color prints blocks but my thinking then would have meant die cutting more color print blocks but chose not to because I was at the point of just wanting to get this quilt done.

I came up with a layout which could use the two different type blocks together in horizontal row by sewing two rows of the same type blocks together and then separating the double rows with a 2-1/2" sashing made with two different black prints so the same low volume print next to each other wouldn't be so noticeable.  This quilt top measured 56" x 70" and I thought my top was done until I happened to noticed after sewing the rows together that I really liked the way the quilt top look when the blocks were vertical.

So, I decided that I could have it both ways if I removed the bottom two rows with sashing from the top which would make the new measurements to be 56" x 54", close enough to be a square.  I like the idea of seeing lava lights or lozenges when I look at this quilt.

The next decision to be made was how to back and quilt it and it took me several days to come up with a plan.  I finally decided to back it with an Ikea print which has the right colors but I was hesitant to use because it was decorator weight. After I prewashed it and some of the sizing/stiffness was removed, I was happy with the way it felt. It really was perfect for the quilt which is going to be another playmat for the very quilt-spoiled granddaughter.  It's going to reside in the Grandparent's pad at her house and it's going to look quite nice on the black and white tile floor.

I was really indecisive about whether I wanted to quilt it with straight lines or curvy lines and I'm glad I chose to once again do curvy lines with pale yellow thread.  It sort of helped that my Primitiva quilt with the curvy lines was laying on my dining room table during the Fall holidays and each time I pass it I would admire the quilting which sealed my decision. (you can see the Primitiva Quilt here.  I normally quilt with an 80/12 Quilting Needle but used a Microtex Sharp needle for this quilt because of the decorator weight backing and the quilting turned out so nice.  The black binding was sewn down by machine with black thread which was another challenge when you decide to do this at one o'clock in the morning but it turned out really nice.  I've been reading my Christa Watson's books, Machine Quilting with Style and Piece and Quilt with Precuts and she uses Sharp needles for machine quilting which I may now have to stock up on these needles. The Sharp needles gave the binding a nice topstitch look.  BTW, Christa is starting Squiggles QAL, (you can read about it here) and I'll be participating. I really love her style of machine quilting and she has inspired me to try out some of her techniques in 2018.

This is my final quilt finish for 2017 and you can say I ended it with a splash. To avoid making the same mistakes with my half-rectangle dies again, I plan on marking them, but not with just a color dot because knowing me I'll forget what the dot is for.  And yay for me for using up some of the black and white stash but sad that my stash of Good Neighbor fabrics is getting low and there's no more to be bought.

And before I close out this post, I like to give a big shout-out and Thank You to my hubby, the man behind my quilts who is always willing to be the Master Quilt Holder, no matter how cold it is outside and Baby, it was cold outside. Mwah!

Hope everyone is staying warm if cold weather is visiting you and enjoying the holiday week.  It's been a busy week of posting for me ( you can read my Best of 2017 post (here) and my Quilty Confessions (here) and I have just one left to write; my year-end and New Year post which has been brewing in my head now for the past few weeks.  It'll be nice to finally download it from my brain; it's getting crowded up there.

Linking up with: Crazy Mom's Finish It Up Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday, and Busy Hands Quilts, Finish or Not Friday

something rosemade: Quilty Confessions--UFO Additions

I'm back again with another post already since I've joined another linky party. Tish of Tish's Adventures In Wonderland is hosting a linky party for those of us who wish to make a quilty confessions as to the number of UFO projects which are lurking around our sewing spaces.   I find it very admirable that Tish created an Excel spreadsheet listing all of her UFOs. I used to keep a spreadsheet of all of my quilting activities but stopped doing this around five years ago.  I'm good with what are my quilty secrets are and I commented to Tish when she posted about this that I was going to plead the Fifth, sort of. I've been quilting for over twenty years now and there are some projects which were started in the 20th Century and are still languishing with possibly no chance of seeing the light of completion.  Sometimes I feel a thorn in my quilty side and I'll just finally finish one of these projects and this year I've completed several of them.  I decided that 2018 is going to be my year of making it easy because my modus operandi for quilting is not to let it make me crazy but to give me joy.  I will offer, though, a few quilting confessions:

• the log cabin quilt for my sister-in-law which I started after I became quilter, at the most, there are ten blocks done and I need ten more to make a decent lap quilt.  Think navy and maroon calico bought from Joann's in the late 1990's  and you'll understand why I'm not in a hurry to finish it but am still attached enough that I don't want to donate it.  I believe one day calico is going to make a big comeback or will be considered vintage and I'll have a stash to be envied. I did make her another quilt in Thimbleberries fabrics over ten years ago to make up for this UFO.
• the Block of the Month from Hell with the various sized blocks and techniques started over ten years ago and I only have a few blocks remaining before the tops can be completed.  I thinking of maybe making two quilts instead with the completed blocks; one with the pieced blocks and the other one with the appliquéd blocks.  Considering that appliqué is my least favorite technique, you can guess the other quilt top will be finished first if I ever feel the thorn.
• the two Blooming Nine Patch Baby Quilt tops, one blue and the other yellow, which were made for the arrival of my two grandnieces who were born months of each other and will now be graduating from High School next year.  Once again to ease the UFO guilt, I did make each of them a bed quilt several years ago. I'm saving the tops for these grandnieces' future bundle of joy. 

So rather than list all of my UFOs (really it would be like opening Hades Box but maybe only scary for me)  I thought I would instead list twelve UFOs I plan to finish in 2018.  I have already assigned them a number and will pull a number at the beginning of each month to decide which UFO I will complete for that month but then I may change the rule and draw another number if there's another project I rather do.   There's no fun in doing a project if you're not in the right mood.  So with further gotta do, here are my twelve UFO projects for 2018:

# 1 Bible Quilt:  blocks completed, top to be assembled
#2  Strawberry Fields:  top completed, machine quilt
#3  Meadowbloom:  top completed, machine quilt
#4  Japanese Homespun 3-patch:  top completed, machine quilt 

#5  I Love London:  top completed, machine quilt 

#6  Dogma:  top completed, machine quilt 

#7  Tik Tok:  top completed, machine quilt 

#8  Cotton + Steel Stacked Squares:  blocks completed, top to be assembled

#9  Road 15 Table Topper:  top completed, machine quilt 

#10 Crazy Mom June QAL:  top completed, machine quilt 

#11 Scrap Vortex II:  top completed, machine quilt 

#12  Kaffe Fassett Zig Zag Patchwork Coverlet:  machine quilt

I will confess that these projects are ones which I have worked on during the past few years and none of them have been fermenting for too long.  I chose to work on the ones I know will bring me joy rather than relief when they are finished during my year of making it easy.  Ten out of the twelve projects will involve machine quilting and since I've been poring over Christa Watson's books this past week, I'm pretty excited to try something new with my machine quilting.

Another reason for only listing twelve UFO's is that I will be starting the New Year with participating in at least three QALs or Sew Alongs, (My Quilt Infatuation's Classic Meets Modern QAL, (you can read about it here), Christa Watson's Squiggles QAL, (you can read about it here) and Roseanne of Home Sewn By Us Regatta Sew Along, (you can read about it here) with another one coming up in the Spring which Sandra of MMM Quilts will be hosting a Shadow Quilt Along, (you can read about it here).  Then there are some quilts to be gifted:  a baby quilt to be done in January, a Minecraft Quilt for a grandnephew and a promised quilt for the grand cousin as well as several quilts for the granddaughter.   Also, there are the planned projects which can be turned into DREAMi if I decide to take a break from the "have-to-do" project and make something with some of the fabric stash which has been brewing like Tula Pink, Karen Lewis, Malka Dubrawskey, Marcia Derse, SUCH Design, Janet Clare, new Cotton + Steel, my Christmas gift of Alison Glass Chroma, etc.

Yes, I'm going to be busy in 2018 and wouldn't have it any other way.  I'm more productive when I have a list of projects to choose from but always allow myself for some deviation or what I call que sera, sera quilting which is very important for my year of making it easy.  I hope you consider joining Quilty Confession Linky Party because they say the more the merrier and there's no better way to quilt than to be happy.

Linking up with Tish, Adventures in Wonderland

something rosemade: Best of 2017

I'm happy to be joining the Best of 2017 Linky Party hosted by Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs and  sharing my best five which I have to admit was hard but they do reflect the highlights of my most wonderful year which I became:

• a first time Grandmother and introduced my precious Micah Rose and her baby quilt, (you can read about it here)
• a better blogger by participating in the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop, (you can read about it here)
• a Moda Bake Shop Chef with my Jelly Roll Charm Chase Quilt, (you can read about it here)

or :

• made the Flutterby Quilt and became my most popular post, (you can read about it here)
• shared my  Have Scraps, Will Travel which I think is my most funniest post, (you can read about it here) 

Sadly I could not include the other highlight of 2017 which was a quilt dream finally coming true with, moi, taking a workshop with the Quilt Man himself, Kaffe Fassett, in October but did not write a post about my wonderful experience; probably because I still haven't fully recovered from it.  Once I finally finish the workshop quilt in 2018 I'll be sure to write a post then.

Now, I'm ready to sit back with a cup of tea and cookies to spend some time reading all of the great posts other bloggers are sharing on Cheryl's Best of 2017 Linky Party, (you can read them here).

Enjoy and thanks so much for visiting.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year filled with wonderful Quilt Joy!

rose

All is Swell

The one project I needed for Christmas is finally finished and just in the St. Nick of time--a Christmas Patchwork Blankie for my sweet Granddaughter, Micah Rose, to celebrate her very first Christmas. As mentioned in a previous post, a patchwork blankie is just a simple quilt top with a backing of Minky or any other plush fabric with no batting in between.

The top was made with mostly a mix of David Walker and Anne Kelle Christmas fabrics and I just love the bright, happy prints and wanted to keep the patches big.  The blocks measure 8" (finished)  and are just two 4"x8" finished rectangles sewn together and are laid out in an offset pattern so there were not too many seams to match.

The bright red Minky is embossed with stars and I lightly quilted with meandering lines.  The Christmas Patchwork Blankie measures 48" x 64" which is way larger than my other blankies and I made it bigger so either Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and maybe Grandpa can cuddle with Micah.  I'll be spending Christmas with Micah and family and I am going to make sure this blankie is going to be put to good use.

The blankie took a little longer than expected only because I somehow got distracted with a DREAMi project which probably was due to my experiencing withdrawal symptoms from having finished my Smitten quilt which involved a lot of handwork and time.  I decide to spend some time sorting some of the scrap strips accumulated from die-cutting which involves deciding which strips should be used for weaving, twining, bead making, etc. I love being able to use these scrap strips because I can't bear discarding them and was really happy to find a use for the thin strips that are 1/4" to just under 1/2" wide which is the perfect size for making fabric twine.  I've been making fabric twine for several years now after finding a tutorial on Pinterest, (you can read about it here) and have made several balls of fabric twine which has been sitting around in my studio.  I keep my twining strips in an upcycled bag which was made from a goat feed bag by Mary Etherington and given to me several years ago.

I suppose I could have used my fabric twine balls for decoration by arranging them in a basket or jar but got an idea thanks to my hubby's gentle prodding to finally do something with the empty Oatmeal containers which I asked him to save and they've been accumulating in the garage. Hubby started putting the empty containers in my studio right next to the bag of twine which inspired me to finally make what I think is a pretty nice upcycle project.

Aren't these fun?  They just make me smile.  And they make my heart feel good to turn scraps and waste into something useful.  All I did was lightly coated the containers with fabric glue maybe, an inch at a time, and wrapped the fabric twine around the glued area.  I've only made two from the Quaker Oak containers and the other oatmeal container will be different since the lid closes on the outside and not the inside like the Quaker Oats containers which I also covered the lid with fabric twine to hide the label.  I'm not sure how the other containers are going to look since I can't add twine all the way up to the top since I have to leave room for the lid.   I'm calling these my Fabri-Can Cans and I definitely have the twine and the containers to make more.  I think these would look cute with  a chalkboard tag hanging on the outside.  It's a project I can do upstairs while watching TV since I still have some series I have to finish watching.   I have made fabric twine while traveling in the car but it is messy so it's best to have a plastic bag on your lap or on the table while you're twining.   It's too bad I didn't think of this sooner for the holiday seasons but there's always next year to give them to those who may appreciate a quirky gift.  As you can see, my Fabri-Can Can is holding my Christmas chocolates and would be perfect to hold treats for the pets.  I'm thinking I should send one to Mary Etherington since she wasn't too excited about making fabric twine.  I'm planning to give the other can to Micah which I think she might like to play with it; the texture of the twine feels really nice.  I think I can make another one in time for a White Elephant gift for the annual New Years Eve Bingo games with the Peeps.

Otherwise, before I call it a year, I have to quilt my Splash of Color Quilt (I think this mural which was outside of the restaurant I was having lunch at in downtown Chicago today was a nice reminder of the QAL) and make some blocks for the Covered in Love's December Block Drive.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed holiday season and enjoy your time with family and friends.  And hopefully there will be some gifts for you which will bring you some quilt joy.  I know I have some wonderful fabrics waiting for me underneath the tree.

Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth!

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation, Thursday Needle and Thread, Crazy Mom's Finish It Up Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday, and Busy Hands Quilts, Finish or Not Friday

Smitten the Quilt, It's Finally Finished!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

but Smitten the Quilt is delightful!

(I'm pretty sure my hubby wasn't humming this when he was holding the quilt up for me to take the photo but maybe was thinking it would have been nice if I had finished this last week when there wasn't any snow on the ground and the temperature was a tad bit warmer.)

Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall or just one month shy of one year is how long it took for me to make my Smitten Quilt.  It had all of the makings to be a project lasting for several years so this was an unexpected finally finish for me since the top was just done at the beginning of October, (you can read about it here). It could have hibernated for a few years as many of my previous tops have, but this must be my year for finishing up quilts, because who would have thunk that I could handquilt Smitten in a little over six weeks? Certainly not moi!

After finishing up some other projects and experiencing some trepidation since I've never handquilted a large quilt before, Smitten was basted and handquilting started by the end of October.  I was curious to know how Jen Kingwell basted her quilts for handquilting and was surprised to learn she uses a tagging gun or what I call a basting gun which I happened to have.  I purchased my June Tailor Basting Gun well over ten years ago and never used it because at that time they said in order to use it properly, you needed to purchase a separate plastic grid which lifts the quilt up off the table so the plastic tags could be inserted.  I didn't buy one so the basting gun just sat on my shelf.   Now, all you have to do is once the quilt top, batting and backing are laying nice and flat on the table, you just lift the quilt sandwich with your fingers and insert the tag.  I was hesitant at first since I didn't want to shoot my fingers with that very sharp needle but happily I can say it never happened.  Believe me, the whole world would have heard my scream if it did.  And it only took a half hour and three rows of tags and my quilt was basted.  I also remember another problem quilters had with using the basting gun was that the tags left a small hole once it was removed and I have to say it does, but thankfully they're on the back and not the on the front of the quilt.  Since my basting gun is old, there's a possibility that this won't happen with the newer guns and tags. What was really nice was that these tags held the layers together very nicely while I was handquilting and I removed them each time a block was handquilted.

The quilt was backed with a very nice, silky-feeling piece of 60" wide dark blue and white shirting stripe fabric I had in my stash and perfect for the 48"x60" quilt. The batting used was Fat Quarter Shop's 50/50 Bamboo Blend Happy Cloud Batting.  I am not a hand quilter so I can't say the handquilting "felt like butter" as I have read in some batting reviews but I will say I didn't experienced any difficulties and the quilt lays nice and flat.  

I handquilted with Cosmo and DMC embroidery floss and used both embroidery and sharp needles.  I did not use a thimble and the tip of my index finger on my right hand is a little sore.  While digging through my embroidery floss shelf, I found this sweet Longaberger basket to hold my supplies.  FYI, the cup on the lower left side is for garbage in case you're wondering.  I also did not use a hoop, I lap quilted it like Jen Kingwell does but instead of my lap, I laid the quilt on top of my nice, large kitchen table which is right near the TV.

Here's are some close-up photos of the quilts.  As mentioned before, I am not a handquilter which is pretty evident by some of the uneven utility stitching you can see.  It was rather cumbersome when I was handquilting the blocks in the center which may account for the large, uneven stitching.  I will say that I do like the feel and softness of handquilting. I thought it was ironic that right before this quilt was finished, I happened to see a blogpost on flat stitch sewing for paper piecing which is used when you don't want to see the whip stitching on your paper-pieced blocks.  I can say there is whip stitching galore on my quilt and I don't have a problem with seeing how the pieces were sewn together.  Before I started Smitten, I watched a Sue Daley tutorial on paper piecing and used a light silver 100% polyester thread when sewing the paper pieces and the blocks together as she recommends.  I wouldn't change anything about how I pieced Smitten except maybe I should have sewn the pieces together more tightly.

Here are some more photos of Smitten from afar and

on the floor which I am thankful that Sophie, the World's Worst Dog, did not come running into the room to jump on it while I was taking this photo.  I will admit my piecework and handquilting is far from being heirloom quality and the stitching is not as sturdy as I would have liked.  I had to resew several block seams, after the hand quilting was finished, with some mighty fine whip stitching which you can really see.  I mentioned in a previous post my Smitten Quilt will not be used for curling up with but will be hanging on the wall.  The only wall suitable upstairs is in the dining area of my kitchen and unless I hang a clear piece of vinyl over the quilt I don't think so. I can envision flying spaghetti sauce landing on it and I don't think this quilt would survive being machine washed or if it does, there's going to be even more mighty fine whip stitching to mend it.  I guess I should have realized that this quilt would be a little too narrow and a little big too long for my walls in the bedroom and family room and maybe should have made one less row of blocks--lesson learned for next time.  I'll be hanging it up in my sewing studio which might be the right place after all--it's a no judge zone.

Netflix just released some stats saying over 140 million hours of content is viewed everyday and a list of the shows most binge watched and I'm surprised none of the shows I watched while making Smitten made the list. I've watched the complete seasons of Gilmore Girls, the sequel A Year in the Life, Blue Bloods (still loving Tom Selleck), some movies and documentaries, several seasons of Fixer Upper and started watching The Crown.  I wouldn't be surprised if I spent over 500 hours watching TV while working on Smitten.  This was one handpiecing project that I did at home and when I did take it on the road with me just the one time, I got into a little bit of trouble, (you can read about it here).

My friend Carol, who got me started on my Smitten Quilt, is still my friend and just has a few small blocks left to sew and then the side blocks before she can start assembling the top.  She's hoping to get it done in 2018 but that's when we're suppose to be starting Jen Kingwell's Glitter quilt.  I'm sure we can discuss it some more when I see her this weekend for her 50th Wedding Anniversary Luncheon and I'm good with waiting a year.  BTW, this is the second Kingwell project I completed this year, Flutterby being the first one and I've already finished Gypsy Wife several years ago. I'm thinking that I've been challenged enough for the next few years so I can justify doing some easy quilting for awhile, so strip piecing here I sew, but after the Secret Santa quilts are finished.

Cheryl Brickey of Mountain Mist Designs has announced the Best of 2017 Linky Party will be starting Tuesday, December 26th, (you can check out the details here).  Cheryl has hosted these linky parties in years past and I am looking forward to participating in my first "Best" party.

And just when I was about to publish my post, I received my Patreon reward from Quilting Jet Girl.  Yvonne just posted about her December Mini Mini Quilts yesterday (you can read about it here) and I was so surprised to receive it today.  To become a supporter, which I wholeheartedly encourage, please check out Yvonne's Patreon site (you can read about it here).  I am not going to have any problems finding a place in my studio to hang up my mini, mini quilt--it is beautiful beyond words.

Happy Holiday Sewing!

Linking up with: My Quilt Infatuation, Thursday Needle and Thread, Crazy Mom's Finish It Up Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday, and Busy Hands Quilts, Finish or Not Friday

The Checkerboard Express Block

This is my block for Moda Bakeshop's Countdown to Christmas which started on December 1st.  Everyday in December, up to Christmas Day, a new block created by Moda Chefs for the Countdown will be presented. Today is my day and I am happy to be sharing it with you.  Here is the link to the tutorial

Back in August, Moda put out the request for 6" blocks. Having participated in a few Block of the Months QALs and also completing a version of the Gypsy Wife quilt (in which I still have not recovered), I remember looking forward to making the blocks which were quick and easy. It provided a nice respite after making some of blocks which could be challenging or just made my head spin.  I was not going to create a block with 64 pieces and full of angles for the Countdown.  I was going to "make it easy", so I came up with a block which is a combination rail fence/four patch block and sews together very quickly.  It lives up to the "Express" in the block's name which by the way was given this part of the name by Oda May.

When I first submitted my block, I used four different fabrics.  After it was approved in November and I had the opportunity to see my block next to the other blocks, I thought maybe I shouldn't have made it easy.  After thinking about it for awhile and looking at the three fabrics Moda sent, I realized the block would look better if it was made with only two fabrics.  I had the option of using the fat quarters Moda sent or using my own stash provided it was Moda so I decided to do two color ways of this block, one in a red and green print and one in red and white.  I used different lines of Basic Grey Christmas fabrics.

I'm glad I came to peace/piece with this block.  I think the Checkerboard Express is a great block to accent or use as an alternating block with focus blocks.  Also, it's great for using up some of the scraps. I really enjoyed making the following projects to show how versatile the Checkerboard Express Block can be.

Table Topper (18" square)

This topper was so easy to make.  You need:

(1) 6-1/2" square for center
(4) Checkerboard Express blocks (be sure the center of the blocks goes toward the center square)
(4) 6-1/2" HST, use your favorite method; mine were die-cut

Assemble and sew as you would for a nine-patch.  Quilt as desired.  I've never sewn a binding for an odd angle quilt before and found this tutorial by Anka Treasures (you can see it here) to be a godsend. Thank you Pinterest! I didn't do too bad for the first time.  And silly me for thinking that the binding would be the same as square quilts.

Skinny Table Runner (6" x 24")

This runner was quick and easy to assemble once four Checkerboard Express Blocks are made.  It really looks sweet with my Dept. 56 Snow Village Christmas train which had to be brought out from storage.  We don't plan on decorating the house much this year; just the Christmas/Winter quilts, some table decorations and the small tree will be brought out.

Sewing Tip:  If more than one Checkerboard Express Board is made and will be used together, it is very important to decide which color of the top left rectangle will be so that all of the blocks will look the same. (see arrows). If the blocks are not consistent, the strips will not alternate correctly to create the checkerboard effect.  Leave it to me to discover what could be made wrong.  Also be sure the four patches in the center are orientated the same direction before sewing the blocks together.  (Yep, almost did that too).  And thinking way outside the box, these blocks would also make a nice pieced border or sashing.

Mug Rugs

I haven't made any mug rugs for quite awhile and I have to say that I really enjoyed making these four mug rugs with the Checkerboard Express blocks. The block pattern is simple and not too fancy to be used.  I know some mug rugs can be too pretty to use and when I am gifted with one I end up hanging it up rather than using it. Each block only uses (2) 4-1/2 x 10" pieces of fabrics and great for using up the scraps. Plus, I really liked being able to use up some of the endless mound of batting scraps.  I backed each mug rug with a 8" square of scrap fabric left over from my Hometown Christmas Jelly Roll Charm Chase Quilt and it was sweet to be able to use this fabric for another project.  These mug rugs measure 6-1/2" square and is a nice size for the mug and cookie.  I decided to sew a binding for each mug rug and found it didn't take too much time although I did hand stitch the bind down which I did while watching TV.  I am now binge watching past seasons of Fixer Upper.  I'm thinking these mug rugs with a fabric tray to hold them would make a sweet holiday or hostess gift so I plan on making more of these mug rugs.

In case you didn't know this, it's not easy taking a photo if a cookie is one of the props and there is a certain dog, Sophie, the World's Worst Dog is in the room with you.

Here's the header photo I did for Moda Bakeshop.  I thought I would add some interest to the Checkerboard Express Block by hanging it on the tree in front of my house along with one of my wooden Christmas train ornaments.  I realized that these ornaments are now residing at my son's house which is four hours away so I thought I could easily find one at Target. Much to my surprise, it seems that retro campers have now replaced trains and I was lucky to find this one at Michael's. (it's kind of ironic that the train ornaments I used to have are now living with Michael, my son.) I really liked the glass Narwhal ornament I saw and wished I could have worked it in, it was just that cute.

Now that my commitment to the Countdown has been completed, I am ready to resume working on the projects I've set aside.  But first I have to clean up the studio; mounds of batting scraps laying on the cutting table made one huge mess. 

I hope you visit Moda Bake Shop everyday to see the block for the day. They really are sweet and clever.  If you have any questions about any of my projects, please let me know.  I would love to hear from you.

Enjoy the Holiday Season!  Hope you find time to Sew, Sew, Sew.

Linking up with:Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish It Up Friday

Moda Bake Shop: Countdown to Christmas

Today is the first day of The Countdown To Christmas hosted by Moda Bake Shop.   Everyday in December, Moda Bake Shop Chefs and I will be sharing a new block until Christmas.  These blocks will all measure 6" finished and are all holiday inspired.  According to Oda May, "you can make a few for a table runner or make them all for a quilt!  You can use your favorite 6" block quilt layout to put them all together or stick with us through the month to see some layouts we have designed for all of the blocks. Each block is made with a mix of Red, Green and White fabrics.  This is a great opportunity to use your stash or pick up your favorite Christmas fat quarter bundle."

My block will be featured next week on Friday, December 8th.  This week I've been busy working on the posts and projects so I don't have anything I can share with you. I can say that, if you know me, my block will be simple and quick and you may want to make more than one because it can easily be made in under 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, my sewing studio has never looked so messy.  

Be sure to visit Moda Bake Shop everyday in December (here's the link) to see all of the wonderful Countdown to Christmas blocks.  Kristina Brinkerhoff of Center Street Quilts has kicked off the Countdown with the most adorably sweet Peppermint Twist Block.

Today I plan on bringing out the Christmas and Holiday decorations and quilts.  I just can't do it during the month of November.  The only Christmas shopping I've done so far is purchase my presents, thanks to Black Friday sales,  my hubby will be giving me, ho, ho, ho.  I better get busy because in the midst of the holidays, there are quilts I still want to finish by the end of the year. 

Wishing everyone a great and happy week during the most wonderful time of the year!