Bramble Blooms Pt. 2 done

I finished the border around the center of my Bramble Blooms SAL.  The prompt asked us to repeat something from the center.  There are obviously pink blooms from the corners of baskets liners (see previous post) but I was mostly trying to repeat the blue circle around the hollyhocks in the center by using circles in the border.  The lovely machine appliqued flowers are really a bonus.  

We were also asked to use quarter square triangles for the cornerstones.  The example blocks were just to angular for this piece.  So I chose to make hourglass blocks and put more appliqued circles in their center.  

I'm looking forward to the next prompt

 And I leave you with a peek of the peak of Mt. Olympus across the valley. 

 I am lucky to have such wonderful views.

Robin

Next Bramble Blooms prompt

Our next prompt was to take some idea from the middle section and use it to applique something on an  outside border.  Perhaps adding a coping border as well.

So I got everything out this morning and trimmed the center to 20" square.  

It was 20" X 22 1/8", an odd size.

A friend of mine bought these units (I think they are a basket liners to put warm rolls in) at a local linens shop for 50 cents each or something.  She had had them for a while and in a declutter moment handed them all to me (9 with pink borders and 6 blue with borders) and said you'll know what to do with these.  

That was about 10 years ago at least.  I was musing over what I could create for the next border.  I had a background fabric in mind and "POOF" the idea came to me to use these well aged machine appliques on my next border.

So I pre-shrunk the units.  They came out great and just needed a little ironing.

I cut out the appliques using circle templates.   I wanted to repeat the circle shape that is behind the hollyhock blossoms in the center.   I had to cut into the blue flower - sigh!

Then I auditioned them for placement.  I really like the way it looks.  I don't think I'll be able to use the blue applique at all  

I'm not sure yet how wide to make the border or whether to add cornerstones or not.  The prompt suggests we put quarter square units as cornerstones but I'm not sure the straight edges will go with all the curves.  

More decisions to be made.

 And evidently my DH thinks this is the right amount of whipping cream for his pie!!!!!

Robin

The things we do. . .

 I finished the "Build-a-quilt" top this morning.  I brought it upstairs, put it on the floor in the living room and started to put the 4-patches around it so I could get a good color placement before I started sewing.

It looked horrible!  It was so busy that it just looked like mud.

So, I auditioned some fabric for another border and added a few of the 4-patches to the corners and Voila!

It is 44" X 56".  My oldest daughter came this morning and I showed it to her.  She thought it was terrific.  Of course she would~ 

She ended up taking it home with her. She liked all the busy-ness.

 I was trying to use up the fabric "Blitzen" from the quilt I made her a couple of years ago.  I wasn't successful with using it all up though. . . 

This is what I still have left over.  That snowman piece measures 3 yds. so it might become a backing.

And I still have 253 4-patches leftover.  I will probably work on that next.  Good Grief!

I usually gather all the empty spools I've used during the year and take a picture.  It's for my own satisfaction, it makes me feel like I'm making  progress.  It's not as many as last year but it's a good showing.

I haven't joined the Declutter 2024 with Karen Brown but I've been watching her videos.  I have gone through my patterns and the lid fits on the box now.  I also went through the patterns I have on the computer and deleted about 1/3 of them.  It feels good to declutter.

I'm going to go through my two shelves of books next.

Robin

Winter all week

This is the forecast for this coming week.  It makes it look like we will be pounded with snow.  What it will be like for us will be snow sifting down gradually and melting in between times.  But, the mountains will get at least 40" by the end of the week.

Look how the snow sparkles in the moonlight.  These are not an enhanced photos.  And it's much more dazzling in person.

                             A sweet little crescent moon and Venus reflecting light off of the snow.

 I'm still working on the "build-a-quilt" from my previous 2 posts.  I've got 60 4-patches for another border.  I only need 102 more.  The fabric is getting used up. . . the whole point of this project.

Have a great frosty day.

Robin

If I didn't do so much unsewing . . .

 I would sure have a lot more done.

I can see why beginning sewers get so discouraged.  I have unpicked the pinwheel blocks so many times!

But, seasoned sewers know that there are going to be mistakes and they look bad and amateurish if you leave them in or they haunt you every time you see your quit.

So, we unpick them and try to make it right. 

But, I have to admit, after having sewed since I was 12 and quilted for 30 years. . .      I STILL CUT OFF POINTS AND IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!

Here is the center for the quilt I have been working on (previous post).  The light colored rectangles looked empty so I fussy cut snowman heads and added them.  I decided on just a plain first border.  I needed somewhere to rest my eyes because the Glitter blocks can be so busy.

You'll notice the borders aren't the same width.  I did that on purpose so I can surround it with 4.5" blocks.  

Then came the pinwheel border.  I really like how it turned out but I've been working on the pinwheels  a lot and as I said before. . . unpicking is necessary but it sure take a lot of time.  

Next came an easy border.  It repeats the snowmen and also the aqua color of the first border.

This looks so bad!  GASP!  The photograph doesn't show how bright the fabrics are.  It just looks like a jumble of blocks and actually it's quite cute.  I'm sure it doesn't help that the photos are taken inside on a snowy day.  (Did I say how grateful I am for any snow at this point?)

Now that it is done the quilt measures 36.5" X 48.5"  I realized that instead of making a whole bunch of 4.5" blocks (hourglass, 4-patch, or 16-patch with 1.5" squares) I could make 12" blocks and things might move along more quickly.  

Hmmmmmmmm!  I'll have to give that some more thought.

I bought a fat quarter stack of "Blitzen" in 2013 and even though I have already made one quilt, I still have a lot of fabric left over so my options are wide.  My goal is to use up all the fabric I have left.

My daughter and I put the Santa Fe quilt on the frames.  It is a donation quilt and so I am just going to tie it.  My grandson really liked it and I'll take that as good news because I was trying to make something more masculine.  It does have some butterfly scraps in it but I don't think there are any florals.

My husband is unwinding all the lights he wrapped around this tree.  He bought a sound system this year that continuously played about 8 songs and the lights kept time to the music.  It is snowing outside but it melts before it hits the ground.  All I can say is that at least we're getting some moisture and I'm grateful for that. 

One of my geraniums is blooming.  You can see some of the sifting snow outside the window.

Hope you're year is starting out bright.

Robin