Buckeye Beauty, A Small Finish

The red Buckeye Beauty quilt is finished, finally.  (I made the first blocks in spring, 2016.)  It's nothing to shout about but I hope it will keep some child warm and cozy on a winter day.

The arrangement of fabrics in this quilt requires a good sense of light, medium, and dark fabrics, all well-placed to maintain a connecting flow.  I think if I had been more attentive to how the individual blocks would work with all the others, the result would have been more successful.  Some of the blocks have a drastic contrast, others a subtle contrast, and some almost none.  But, it is what it is and I'll pay more attention the next time.

The batting in this quilt is strips of Mountain Mist 80 cotton/20 poly, leftover from a previous quilt, stitched together by machine to create a whole bat.  The backing is Judie Rothermel's Vining Flowers (0889) in her Journey to America collection.  The colors in real life is somewhat muted compared to those at right.  For the binding I used fabric from a shirt in a slightly darker shade than the border and back.

The blocks finish at 6" and I added a 5" border all around.
Before quilting it measured 45 3/4" x 51 3/4".
After washing and drying it measures 43" x 48 3/4".

I quilted with DMC Perle Cotton size 12 and used almost a whole, small spool.  I loved quilting with this (as compared to the larger size perle cotton).  I don't necessarily like big stitches on a quilt (I think they somehow cheapen a quilt or make it look mass produced) but I might be tempted to use them again on a quilt I want to finish quickly.  (Click the photo to enlarge for detail.)

It was a windy day today.  (Autumn is coming!)

It's been wonderful that we've been able to have the windows open all week instead of needing the air conditioning.  I love how the breeze blows into and through the house.

I'm linking this post to
> Finished (OR Not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday at Kathleen McMusing
> Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

Thank you for visiting, reading, and leaving a comment (if you do).  I wish you a great weekend!

--Nancy.

Buckeye Beauty Quilting Finished for One Monthly Goal

My One Monthly Goal for July was to hand quilt two more rows of this little Buckeye Beauty.  I quilted the remaining three and a half rows for a finish.  Next is to cut around the edges, choose binding (maybe those reds in a previous post--or not), and get it stitched down, both front and back, then was and dry for a complete finish.

This quilt will never win any prizes--it's a homey and homely utility quilt--but I hope it will find its way to some baby or toddler who needs the warmth it will provide. 

I'm continuing my search for backing fabrics for several different quilts, including Time Flies (looking for print with red/tan/black and hopefully related to time in some way) and Everyday Patchwork (seeking dark/teal green, possibly printed with other colors).  I love it when I can have the next quilt ready before I finish the current one. 

To keep with our 43-year tradition, we went to the state fair yesterday, the first since 2019 due to Covid.  We are so tired and sore!  We are having an enforced rest.  It would take an emergency and a surge of adrenaline for me to move faster than a turtle's pace today.  In general the fair was a disappointment but we did enjoy the natural resources with its prairie meadow flowers.  (Click on any of the photos below to enlarge and see detail.  The photos will open in a new window.)

I thought these delicate white flowers--whose name I do not know--were beautiful.  I think they are only about 1/4" wide.

It drizzled while we were there and I captured a photo with droplets of rain clinging to the leaves.  I love it!  I also like this plant's little seed pods.

This is Rattlesnake Master. I think its prickly globes are delightful.

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal July Finishes at Elm Street Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.  Please visit the link-up to see what goals others set and met in July.

I'm also linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts and
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
Thank you for hosting, Alycia and Wendy.

--Nancy.

June's One Monthly Goal Finish and July's Goal-Two More Rows

My goal for June was to hand quilt two more rows of Baptist Fans across the width of this quilt.  I'm pleased to say I accomplished three and a half rows.  I think the quilt will need another four rows to finish.

It's hard to see the big stitch quilting but if you enlarge this photo, below, I think you can see some of it.

The fans are 4" high but by the middle of each row they are wider than that. Just four concentric arcs repeated across the quilt.  I'm still working on consistent stitch length for these bigger stitches.  Maybe I'll manage it by the last row of fans--or the very last fan.  ;-)

I'm eager to finish this but don't want to finish before I have the next quilt ready so I can't quilt too fast because I'm still searching for backing fabric for several different quilts, one of which will be the next quilt....  Even so, I'm setting my One Monthly Goal for July as two more rows of Baptist Fans.

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal June Finishes at Elm Street Quilts.  I'm also linking this to One Monthly Goal July Link-up.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.

Thanks for visiting.

--Nancy.

Slow Sunday Stitching Buckeye Beauty & One Monthly Goal

Edited to add One Monthly Goal.  Original post just below.
My One Monthly Goal for June is to quilt two rows across on this quilt which will add eight inches of quilting. 

That will get me to about the middle of the quilt, at which point I'll have to decide whether to continue as I began or turn it 180 degrees and begin at the other end.  I know Baptist Fans quilted from opposite sides was common during the era of quilting bees and it sort of makes sense for this quilt but I am concerned about a shift in the layers even though they've been pin-basted.  On the other hand, fans in only one direction seem to suggest a top and bottom to a quilt.  In the whole scheme of things, it's really no big deal.

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal June Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  This is the link-up that motivates and helps me stay on track with quilting that I could let linger longer than necessary.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.

Original post for Slow Sunday Stitching.
This quilt doesn't really have a name, but the arrangement of colors in the block and the arrangement of blocks in the quilt make it a Buckeye Beauty.  I've also seen the block called Jacob's Ladder.

I'm using DMC size 12 perle cotton to quilt small Baptist Fans, each with four arcs an inch apart.  I usually don't mark fans when I quilt them but this time I'm using pins to mark the arcs.  It seems to work well.  It only takes a minute or two to arrange them and there are no marks to fade.  Quilting would go faster if I spent more time on it.

It has a confusion of reds, from bright to cherry to rose to burgundy, plus corals, pinks, some creamy tones, and an occasional white/off white, and one or two tans. 

I hope you have a good, restful, refreshing Sabbath.

I'm linking this post to Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts.  Visit her post to see what other stitchers are creating.  Thank you for hosting, Kathy.

--Nancy.

P.S. The purpose of the dual post and links is so I wouldn't be posting the same quilt twice in a row.  It's good enough for one post but not two in a row. Haha.

April One Monthly Goal Accomplished

My One Monthly Goal for April was to find backing fabric for one of three quilts and then layer and pin-baste the quilt.  I actually finished pin-basting on the 19th and began quilting the next day.

There's always pressure when I don't yet have the fabric for a goal and have only three weeks to find it; wash and dry it; align/match the pattern in the fabric and sew the seam; then layer and baste.  I was happy to have found a red fabric that I thought would work for at least one of the quilts.  When it arrived, it was clear to me that the Buckeye Beauty, above, was the best choice for using the backing fabric that arrived.

This is the backing I found, in the photo below at the top.  It's a Judie Rothermel print, Vining Flowers, from her Journey to America Collection.

The colors in the photo are not completely accurate but close.  Because the top had so many red-range fabrics (including pinks, corals, etc), plus some creams, and some very dark red/almost burgundy fabrics, I thought this backing fabric was as good as I'd find. 

I'd been thinking about using big stitch but haven't been pleased with my experiences using size 8 perle cotton.  There was a lot of shrinkage--much more than with quilting thread--and the shrinkage was uneven.  When I stopped at one of the local craft/sewing stores two weeks ago I found two spools of  DMC perle cotton, size 12, in ecru for 10 cents each.  I couldn't pass it up and am using it for this quilt.  I hope it behaves better than the size 8 did! 

This quilt measures ~46" x ~52".  I'm quilting small Baptist Fans, just 4 arcs per fan so I don't have to move the hoop mid-fan.  I hope the quilting goes quickly. 

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal April Finish Linkup at Elm Streets Quilts where you can see the goals others have chosen for the month.  Many thanks to Patty, who hosts this link-up every month.  It motivates and helps me stay on track for quilty projects I would put off or do more slowly.

--Nancy.

A Risky Goal for April

More often than not my One Monthly Goals are conservative--the minimum I know I can accomplish in a month.  But when I get started on a goal I'll keep going and usually go beyond my original intention for the month.  I also often choose some aspect of quilting that I would let linger, resulting in a longer-than-necessary process.  And when I set a goal, it's one I know positively that I can accomplish (barring any illness or calamity) because I have everything ready to work on it.

This month my One Monthly Goal is to layer and baste a quilt in preparation for quilting it.  That's an easy goal except the only thing I have ready to meet the goal is a top and the batting--no backing.  And I'm not sure which top!  I'm crazy to put this much pressure on myself because it means making creative decisions with materials I don't have at hand.  Below are the options.

Time Flies.

Possible backing options are a print fabric with red/black/grey/tan--if I can find one; the leftover plaids sewn together--if there are enough; solid red; solid grey or black; a print with clock-related images.  I don't have enough reds to make a scrappy back.  I think it would fun to see a print on the other side.

Linda Brannock's Flowers.

This still needs a border and I have the fabric--it's in the washer now--and then I'll have to cut and sew it onto the quilt. But what backing fabric for this one? I thought a folk-style print would be great, but where to find one, especially in colors and a pattern that would work with this quilt?  Other options include a putty-colored fabric with or without a print; a red print fabric.  Or...?  Maybe a neutral....  This quilt is so busy that maybe a calm fabric would be great for the back.

Buckeye Beauty.

This is a small quilt.  The blocks finish at 6" and I think the border is 5", for a quilt that's about 46" x 52".  A red back?  Dark red?  A red print back?  Again, I don't have enough reds to make a scrappy back for it.

Anyway, layering and basting one of these quilts is my One Monthly Goal for April. 

(Do you come away from this post thinking that I like red?  I do!)

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal April Linkup at Elm Street Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.

--Nancy.

2017 In Review

My consolation in having so few completely finished quilts this year is that quilting was not the only interest and emphasis for me.  Maybe I'll make more quilts this year, or maybe not....  So, this is a review of my 2017 applique and quilting efforts.

Completely Finished Quilts  (only four)
 
A Blue Plaid Linen Shirt was the backing for this little patriotic quilt.

The green/blue Buckeye Beauty was The Ugliest Quilt of the year.  But it's done!

My favorite quilt of 2017 was this really scrappy one, made of leftovers from another quilt.

A dozen blocks (also leftovers over from another, larger quilt) became one small quilt - large enough to cover legs, small enough to wrap a baby or toddler.

Interim Finishes (as in, finished blocks, finished tops, etc.)

I devoted time to choosing fabrics, pattern pieces, and appliqueing these Cheri Payne Baskets of Plenty sew-along blocks which are currently awaiting a decision on layout, sashing, and borders.  (Poor, late-night phone photo.  Don't bother to enlarge.)

My Gwenny-inspired Medallion quilt top received its final border with appliqued vines and stars.  It has yet to be layered and quilted.

This very red/pink Buckeye Beauty is finished to the top stage.  This is a sister to the ugliest quilt, above.  I like this one much better.

Most Viewed Posts in reverse order, least viewed to most viewed
> A Finish, Compared to...
> Baskets of Plenty #7:  Cheeky Bird
> Baskets of Plenty Block 2, Choosing for Block 3
> The Ugliest Quilt
> First Basket of Plenty, Finished

Posts with Most Comments in reverse order, least comments to most comments
> Albino Crow, Strong West Wind tied with When Does a Project Become a UFO?
> Back to Scrap Squares
> Wrestling
> The Ugliest Quilt
> A Scrappy Finish

Truly, this was a little year on the quilting front.  Three of the complete finishes had been in progress for a while and only one was new, so I was pleased to have finished three UFOs.  In 2018 I hope to quilt several tops that have been waiting and start and finish several quilts at least to the flimsy stage.

I'm linking this post to Cheryl's Best of 2017 Linky Party at Meadow Mist Designs.  Click through to see other quilters' best of in 2017.  Thanks for hosting, Cheryl.

I wish you all the best to you in 2018!

--Nancy.

What a Week! But at Least There's a Finish

My daughters and grands left on Sunday evening after a four-day visit.  (Just for a chuckle this is my 4-year-old grandson wearing his sense of humor and a pair of pantihose pulled up to his shoulders.  He's a character.)

On Monday I was sick and my one-and-a-half-year-old computer didn't work.  I was able to sign in but then the screen turned black.  A friend suggested a solution which, after waiting anywhere from two to six hours, seems to work.  I turn the computer on in the morning and by late afternoon maybe, just maybe, I'm able to use it.  I think I'll try leaving it on tonight.

If you are like me, when one part of your life is out of kilter it's hard to focus on anything else.  I use the computer for music in the background, to do research and answer questions, to manage photos, type my journal, email, index for FamilySearch, etc.  I stitched some scrappy blocks for another quilt but I had trouble focusing on other things because the computer wasn't working.  The computer problem would have been slightly less distracting except that I had some church responsibilities to fulfill.  Thank goodness I bought a little tablet at the same time I bought the computer two summers ago.  It's not easy to use and it doesn't have my word processing program on it but it was better than nothing. 

And now for my finish.  This afternoon I chose a border for this Buckeye Beauty quilt and tonight I cut and sewed it.  This is a very red/rouge quilt.  I like these colors together quite a lot.  I think I'll use this color range for another quilt using a different block pattern.

This is an indoor, nighttime, flash photo which makes the border look more pink than it looks in real life.  I chose this fabric when I saw the afternoon sun stream in the window today.  It looked so welcoming and beautiful. 

This border fabric was one I thought I probably wouldn't use when I wrote the last post about this quilt.  But thriftiness led me to reconsider it for several reasons.  It was a shirt before I cut it apart for the fabric.  I was leaning against cutting into yardage (or even half yards) for a border and I didn't want to take the time to cut and piece a scrappy border.  Aside from the yardage, this was one of the fabrics that had enough to go all the way around the quilt, or nearly so.  (And if it hadn't been quite enough, I would have used the arm or front or back of another similar shirt to make up the lack.)  And most of all, I wanted this quilt done and off the floor.

Do you ever push a quilt just to get it finished?  Make a quick decision that you hope will be the best one for the quilt without thinking too much about it?  If so, do you ever have second thoughts and wonder if you should have taken more time to decide, or wondered if you compromised the integrity of the quilt for the sake of speed?  I'm slow at making decisions and wouldn't hesitate to leave a quilt on the floor for a few months (if I didn't have to move it) before deciding on a layout or a border.  Sometimes it's a burden to be so indecisive.

What a week it's been.  I'm glad it's almost over, but at least there was a finish!

I'm linking this post to
> finish it up Friday at crazy mom quilts
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
> Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

--Nancy.

Auditioning a Border

My One Monthly Goal for February was to make enough more Buckeye Beauty blocks in the red range to make a quilt.  Done.  The blocks finish at 6" so this quilt, without borders, is 36" x 42".  I think it's a good size for a baby quilt.

I plan to add borders--about 6" wide--on all sides which will make it about 48" x 54".  I don't think I can do a busy border -- no stripes, no large prints, not a pieced border, and probably not a scrappy border -- because the quilt is already busy without adding a border that draws the eyes in another direction. 

I laid several red fabrics along the edge of the quilt today, just to see. 

My first impression is that with the fabrics above as a border the quilt is no longer "in the red range" but becomes a red quilt.  Definitely red.  The reds look stronger in person that they do in this photo.

Giving myself another option, I tried a red and white plaid fabric.  That fabric forms a U on the sides nearest the camera.  On the right far end is another red and white plaid with a little less white.

The quilt looks pale to me now and, to my eyes, leans slightly toward pink.

I know it's not really reasonable to choose a border when there's not enough fabric to go all the way around the quilt but I don't want to cut fabric just to audition a border.  So I'll choose the borders with sample pieces around the edges.

Since the quilt is so scrappy probably any of the fabrics would be just fine.

I'll have to put off cutting and sewing the border till next week.  My oldest aunt's funeral is this Thursday and my daughter and her three little ones are coming to stay for a few days and to go with us to the funeral.  I must put up scissors, pins, needles, rotary cutters, rulers, etc., and do some cleaning.

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal-February Goal Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Patty.

I'm also linking to
> Linky Tuesday February 28 at Freemotion by the River
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
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Reversible Blocks

These are my Buckeye Beauty in the red range.  I'm trying to decide whether to make more blocks and whether I think this layout works.  (Many of these blocks are not yet sewn together so they look askew.)  A challenge with this pattern is that any block can only be moved diagonally to keep the pattern in place. I can't move a block right or left and turn it 90 degrees because that throws the pattern off.

But, after the four-patches and triangles are sewn together to make squares they are completely reversible.  They can be sewn with lights in the middle or with darks in the middle. 















I notice how strong the colors look in the blocks with darks in the center.  There's something about having a strong concentration of color that seems especially noticeable when the reds are really dark.  But the darkest darks are pretty obvious when they're on the outside, too.

And then there are the light diagonals and the dark diagonals crossing each other.

These blocks are simple to make and this has been a fun challenge.  I'm probably pushing myself to make more blocks by the end of the month when I still have many of these blocks to sew and press.  But always the question is, what does the quilt need/want?

I'm linking this post to
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrapbag
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
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In the Red Range - February OMG

Have you ever heard anyone use the term "pale red?"  Me either.  Pale green?  Yes.  Pale blue?  Yes.  But pale red?  Never.  We call it pink.  Sometimes pink and red can look unsettling together.  So here I am setting myself the challenge to make a Buckeye Beauty in the red range -- pinks, corals, reds, burgundies, maroons -- with a value contrast in each block.  I'm hoping I can make the fabrics work together and play nicely together.

I have 67 more triangle/square sets to cut for a quilt 7 blocks by 9 blocks.  Of course, I may make it bigger or smaller, depending on how well the reds play together.

These are four of the eighteen are already sewn.  They're much duller than the reds above but I hope they'll settle well with the rest of the blocks.

So my One Monthly Goal for February is to finish cutting, pairing, and sewing 66 different fabrics to make 33 more blocks (unless I decide to make the quilt larger or smaller...).

Have you ever sewn pinks and reds together?  Did they play nicely?

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal - February Goal Setting Linkup at Elm Street Quilts.

I'm also linking to
> Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
> Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework
> Show Off Saturday at Sew Can She
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
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