SuperNova Quilt ... an easy Stack and Whack

This is a stack and whack ... it's easy, fun and goes fast.  I got the cutting, piecing and top together in 8 hrs and 15 minutes.  I think it's a good days showing.  There's a little tut following on how I put it together.  I named it SuperNova.

It's going to be an Etsy quilt, but when I took it into the living room
to see how it looked on a couch ... I had a Miss Piggy moment, because ...

... it looks FABULOUS along with the painting!

So, here we go, here's how I put it together ...

Step 1:  Pick your fabrics

Select good contrast, and 6 different fabrics per stack.
Batiks are a good choice as they don't bias stretch too much.

Step 2:  Cut 10 1/2 inch squares

I chose 10 1/2 because you can get 4 squares
cut without much waste from 42/44 inch yardage

Step 3:  Make your 'template' and stack the fabric

I used EQ7, but it would be easy
to draw your own. This template has 6 pieces,
so there are 6 different fabrics in the stack.
Number the pieces in the template.

Step 4:  Start Cutting

Cut away the corner piece first.

Step 5:  Keep Cutting

Work around until all pieces are cut.
No need to worry about precision ...
all 6 layers are cut the same
so they will sew together just fine.

Step 6:  Number the Sections

Step 7:  Restack the Deck

Move the top piece of Sec 1 to the bottom,
and 2 pieces from Sec 2 to the bottom,
and 3 pieces from Sec 3 to the bottom,
etc etc etc for Sections 4, 5 and 6

The stack should be perfectly sorted,
with each block having
6 different fabrics.

Step 8:  Get Your Sew On

I started by sewing all of Section 2 and 3 together,
and worked my way around each section until all the pieces were together, EXCEPT the corner ... it goes on last.

I did pay attention to getting that little ear extending on the OUTSIDE join of the block so the outside edge was fairly even.

Step 9:  Iron seams open

I didn't iron as I sewed ... I waited to all 5 pieces
were sewn together.  The corner edge
will be fairly uneven, and that's OK.

Step 10:  Trim

I trimmed the whole block to 9 1/4 inches and
evened up the corner edge.  I set the 60 degree
line on the top edge and that seemed to be a good
angel for that corner cut.

Step 11:  Sew on the Corner

Again, pay attention that there are little
overlapped ears
as you align the corner piece on.

Step 12:  Trim the block

The blocks should be 9 1/4 inches trimmed.

Step 13:  Sew the blocks together
The top measured roughly 53 x 71

And I like that there was nothing to match up.
The template is cut so there's no matchy matchy.
  Liberating.

This painting was one of my better thrift shop finds.

And it has absolutely no provenance ... I know nothing of the artist, or the painting.  Except that I really like it, and it is done with artist crayons.

Lacking a name, I call it ....

We Had a Lovely Time at the Regatta Except for the Pack of Wild Dogs

Another Quilt Ensemble in Pinks and Browns

Pink and brown quilts.  I love pink and brown quilts ... this is the 4th one I've made.  Although this quilt was intended to be for me, I decided to finish it up and offer it for sale.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/120945289/valentine-pink-brown-and-white-full

The pinks range from mauve pinks to peachy pinks so the quilt will
blend into just about whatever pink is in the room.

There is a suite of accessory pillows.

Which is truthfully my way of not having many scraps left after a project.

There are two standard pillow shams, accessory pillow, and a neckroll pillow.
I like the neckrolls to cover the tops of the sleeping pillows.

Detail on the sham ... they look like the O's in X's & O's

The back of the shams ... button closures and a mauve pink toile.

One of my QFF's (quilting friend forever) makes fun of my affection
for figural toiles.  I can't help it, I just love them.

Another view of the neckroll ... it has drawstring closures at the ends.

The back of the accent pillow is also with the figural toile.

The back of the quilt is a scrappy patchwork of bits of pink and brown fabrics.  It is my homage to all quilters who of necessity made do with what they had.

I like it's scrappy country quilt look.

A close up of some of the fabrics ...

... and on the couch in the living room, just for another perspective.

A Girly Girl Baby Quilt ... Roses and Pink and Lavender and Green

A girly girl baby or toddler quilt ... with pink, green lavender and little pink rosebuds and big pink blooming roses.  Another quilt for sale on Etsy.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/120740802/handmade-baby-girl-toddler-crib-quilt

The block pattern in this quilt is square in a square. Every once in a while depending on how you look at the quilt, you see a star.

Some close up views of the fabrics ... there are 7 in all,
including the backing fabric.

The fabric in the centers with the pink roses has a sateen finish and
it has just the softest whisper of yellow as the background color.

The little floral in the center is a companion fabric to the fabric
with big pink roses ... it also has a sateen finish

The little pink rosebud fabric was one of my great grandmother's fabrics
and probably dates to the mid 60's ... it's so sweet.

I have long had a soft spot for roses ... I have lots of fabrics with roses.

.... would look nice hanging on the back of a chair
or over the rail of a crib.

Remodeling a 1906 Kitchen ... and The Window of my Dreams

I knew what I wanted ... a window sill.  And French style panes.  And a window that opened out, all the way out.  But no one made it.  So I had to make it myself.

This is my kitchen window, and it is the window of my dreams.

It has lots of wide open time all summer.

And I love the window stay closures.  They're antique from England.

This is the window I replaced.  No sill for little vases of Lily of the Valley.
No panes. No big wide open.

And a note to anyone getting new cabinets that happens to be a ClutterBug,
just say no to the little shelves on the side of the cabinet.

They will make you crazy.

Bye Bye old window.

My personal motto is
"I don't know I can't do it until I try"
When I looked at this gaping hole, I had a moment of doubt.

But eh, I just went and got the sawz-all and made the gaping hole bigger.

This is how the window looked for a good part of that summer.
The hole was cut before I found what was going to go in it.

The original 1906 window came nearly down to the floor.  A wood cook stove
was where the gas stove is now, and a sink was on the left.  The cook stove
chimney was removed long ago, but a patch in the bead board ceiling remains where the chimney was.

Mine is the 2nd remodel of this kitchen ... the oak cabinets were
put in two owners ago as well as the window I replaced.
I was so happy to be visited by her one day.
She said the original sink was still in place when they moved in and it was set so low she had to sit on a stool to do the dishes.

The first mistress of this house was a very petite French woman, Sophie Bergeron.  Perhaps the sink was set at a custom height for her.

I finally found the window of my dreams at a salvage yard.
$25 if I remember right.

I didn't yet have anyway to keep it shut ... so a shoe lace, a wood spoon
and a screw worked just great for a few weeks.

I did take it on faith that during this big-hole-in-the-house process
that there would be no big rain storms.  Or people with bad intent. 

Of course the window of my dreams wasn't tall enough.
So I built in a transom light.

Almost done.  Transom in with the original window top casing board in place.

Getting this window done was part of getting new cabinets too.
The wall cabs are down, and the sink is temporarily back in use.

This is what started with whole remodel and the new window project ...
that GAP between the cabinets and the stove.

I wanted some counter top in that little eighteen inches next to the stove.

I call my kitchen the wide spot in the hall.  There isn't much room.

But what the kitchen lacks in space and counter tops is
made up for by a fabulous walk in pantry just off the kitchen.

My kitchen is lovely now.

That eighteen inches of counter top made all the difference in the world.

It may be a teeny tiny kitchen, but it's a well appointed teeny tiny kitchen.

There is a dishwasher to the left of the sink ... thought in such a small space it was worth the extra cost to hide it with a custom panel.

And I love the little pull out ... keeps flour and sugar handy ... and it's the only thing that would fit in that last bit of space.

The backsplash was the last detail to get done (by about a 1 year lapse).

It is two pieces of fancy trim molding from Home Depot ... an egg and dart piece sits on top of the carved piece of molding.

Both pieces were stained and then sealed with wipe-on polyurethane 

And for the quilting part of the window story, I made a little basket valance to keep the sun out of my eyes while doing dishes ... it's a south facing window.

The valance gets a little stained glass affect
when the sun comes through.
Very cheerful.

The before window ...

... with the magnificent Queen Elizabeth Rose that I planted in front of the window so I would always have roses in the window in the summer.

Queen Elizabeth will grow as tall
as you let her ... the rose is now all the way up to the soffits.

The window after ... I just love it!

... and roses in my window.

Baby Quilt ... with 30's Reproduction Fabrics

A new Etsy baby quilt.  This one is square, roughly 42" x 42" ... so a good size for a baby growing into a toddler. https://www.etsy.com/listing/120220452/handmade-large-patchwork-baby-quilt

A simple, soothing pattern ... 2 inch squares joined with bands of white.

The quilting is an overall meander with all the seams well secured so it will hold up to many washings.

The fabrics are 30's reproductions, sewn together in a random scrappy way.

There are puppy dogs, and kitty cats, and rabbits riding airplanes, jacks and balls and geese in bonnets.

The back of the quilt is larger pieces of the fabrics used on the front. I love patchwork backs on quilts ... they look so homey.

The binding is the same white fabrics as the white bands
that run through the quilt.

This quilt has a really nice 'hand'.

I haven't figured out how to convey the 'hand' of a quilt, how it feels.
A good 'hand' on a quilt makes you want to wrap yourself in it.
My favorite part of quilts is how they feel.

The only thing better than a snuggly quilt
is someone you love wrapped up in a snuggly quilt.

Folded up ... it would look cute
over the rails of a crib.

Wings to Fly ... A Happy Scrappy Baby Quilt

A new quilt listed on Etsy ... bright and cheerful with airplanes and parachutes (I voluntarily jumped out of a perfectly good airplane once, but that is a story for another day).  https://www.etsy.com/listing/119535559/traditional-toddler-baby-crib-quilt

A great quilt for any kid, but maybe especially great
for a kid who has a mom or dad serving in the Military.

I named it Wings to Fly because of the wonderful airplane fabric; but also,
the greatest gift that can be given a child is wings, so they can grow to fly.

"The moment you doubt whether you can fly,
you cease forever to be able to do it." -J.M. Barrie from Peter Pan

There are biplanes ...

... and prop planes

... and parachutes

I did the Free Motion quilting in a geometric meander,
with a few loops thrown in for good measure.

The other fabrics are a happy scrappy mix of fabrics with sailboats & sailors, daisies & bumble bees, the three little pigs, cowboy ropes and blue bandannas.

Lots for a little one to look at! 

The quilt back has bands of a bright geometric fabric alternating with a bubbly yellow dots fabric.

A side note ... the quilt is hanging in the paper bark maple tree (acer griseum) which is native to central China.  It is a nice garden tree that doesn't get too big and the continuous peeling of the bark is interesting.  And the squirrels like the the seed pods all summer long.

The binding is a zippy red and blue stripe which is finished by hand.  

Another view of the full quilt.

It's quite a happy quilt.