Vquint's Weblog

vquint — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:00:29 +0000

FAMILY! We need family at Thanksgiving. My Dad almost died last month of a brain aneurysm but is now doing well at home. We have many blessings this year. Life always throws you those curve balls but it is what you do with them.
This blue heart block is one of the ones based on an antique pattern with inking done with a Pigma pen in the center. We learn by our mistakes. It makes much more sense to do your inking first and then appliqué! But of course we are usually in too much of a hurry or change our minds. This inking was done after the appliqué was finished. Fortunately for me, this time it worked out well. This heart has added beading.

Blessings to you at this Thanksgiving time!

Making Do – Old Quilts

vquint — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:12:31 +0000

This is one of two quilts I have from my maternal great-grandmother. It is set on the diagonal instead of straight block sets. To me, this gives added interest and movement just because most quilts are set with straight blocks. Diagonal ones take a little more time to work out.

The top photo, right side shows the top binding edge has been turned over and attached with a very straight, steady running stitch. The “making do” comes in because of the batting which it turns out is a blanket.

New & Old

vquint — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:24:52 +0000

The last post on hand basting a block for placement purposes ??? – oh my, sometimes newer ideas are better! We don’t need to hand baste with thread. We can press or use a quick pencil or chalk marker. Much quicker and more time for stitching!

Here is a photo of two of my older quilts. More to come on them. They were made by my maternal great-grandmother, Martha Elizabeth Twidwell Yount who was the mother of Flara Nellie Mae Yount Allen who showed me how to make a quilt. It is time to share what I have been given.

Have a blessed day.

Vicki

Baltimore Album Blocks – Basting

vquint — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:29:27 +0000

Last evening, I was trying to just do simple diagonal basting across a few blocks of fabric for Baltimore Album type blocks. The foundation fabric is tone on tone white and difficult to see. I had ironed the folded lines but it was still difficult to run a simple basting line until… I pushed off the cutting mat, turned the fabric and realized if I laid the fabric across, I could stitch across a straight line with the mat helping me underneath. The mat edge was just enough to feel the straight edge and load the needle up straight along.

Maybe everyone already knew this and does this. I imagine one could also machine baste lines but the problem would still be that they are straight on. Straight lines are a good thing.

Angel in Applique

vquint — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:02:50 +0000

This one is being done in a Cherrywood hand dyed fabric - so easy to needle turn

The angel figure is shown with freezer paper on top. I like to use freezer paper for the drawn design, iron it onto the fabric and then cut it out. So easy. You can leave the freezer paper on top which helps some people turn the edges under.

This angel gets used in my quilt labels often.

I need a project in hand all the time. Now I am working ahead on quilt labels!

Red Stripes & Flea Market Finds for my Fabric

vquint — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:55:00 +0000

Holds tons of fabric

On the large eagle block shown first – somehow I had to get the red striped fabric worked in. My first idea was to use it as the under fabric in the reverse appliqued feather borders. However, as quilter friend Shirley noted, that would not work – - striped, lined fabric pattern with curved edges. She is right, it would not be a good marriage!

Most of my fabric is kept in large handwoven baskets where it is usually buried from sight. A few smaller wire baskets help with fat quarters and smaller fabric pieces. Last weekend, at the Elkhorn Flea Market, I found 3 enamelware pieces that I thought would work for helping me get more organized. The larger cake tray is going to hold all the items on my quilt America Friends so I can find them when needed! The loaf type pan can handle fat quarters and half yards so they can be seen easily. Into the large round pan I will keep some smaller pieces. Since becoming an appliquer, I have noticed smaller snibbles are still viable.

The EFO (Executive Fire Officer) Quilt

vquint — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:10:03 +0000

All the eagles were from the same fabric with the fires done differently

: Executive Fire Officer Quilt for Michael Quint

This is my husband Mike’s quilt – it was his turn for one. He completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program back in May 2009. It took four years. During one of those six months when he was completing one of his four required EFO papers, he was working more than full time as an Assistant Fire Chief, taking an EMT-B class and handling two on-line classes through the University of Maryland in order to get a second bachelor’s degree. WHEWWW!! He is my hero.

My goal had been to complete one large eagle block per year. The hand quilting took another year.

The triangle border is made with some charm packs so all the fabrics are differnet. The triangles become smaller toward the middle of the borders. There are Cherrywood hand dyed fabrics in this quilt. The scrambled egg looking things flanking his name and EFO designation are patterned after a ceiling motif at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The golf ball dimpled fabric was used in some of the eagle background.

This quilt will be in the 2011-2012 In the American Tradition traveling quilt exhibit beginning in Houston this fall. This is the third one of my quilts chosen for this honor.

Traditional Quilts

vquint — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:58:16 +0000

My quilt “American Eagle” will be exhibited in the traveling traditional quilt exhibit In the American Tradition beginning with the Houston Show. This quilt started out with the border quilting design first and then the quilt top was made to use that feather quilting pattern from an Elly Sienkewicz book. The navy background is a Cherrywood fabric.

Baby Quilts

vquint — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:08:50 +0000

Cherrywood Fabrics

Here are better photos of the Cherrywood hand dyed fabrics in the baby quilts I made for daughter #2 who is due in December

Baby Quilt

vquint — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:06:20 +0000

We learned that we are going to have our first grandson in December of this year. We are excited. Now, we will learn what the big thrill is of having grandchildren.

At the Wisconsin Quilt Expo I had to go by one of my favorite fabric sellers, Cherrywood Hand Dyeds. Then, yesterday, Sunday, I completed two matching quilt tops. I will machine quilt them with just a flannel backing. This is what my grandmother did for my two girls. The quilts were their favorites.