Cheddar & Cinnamon Quilted

Over a month ago I got back the second of two quilts from the UFO Challenge 2017 that were sent out for long-arm quilting, but haven't yet shared the wonderful work a fellow guild member accomplished for me. 

I've been calling this Cheddar and Cinnamon (pattern from Thimbleberries called Nine Patch Criss Cross).  Isn't it funny how many quilts seem to be named after food?  I asked my quilter to try to emphasize the star points surrounding the nine patches.  

Someone's fluffy-kitty self covered a lot of my close up, but you get the idea!  I liked also how she quilted the centers of the square-in-square blocks to minimize the background fabric's print.

I requested feathers in the outer border.  Wool batting was used and will feel wonderful on cool nights while watching TV on the couch. 

Cornerstone details.  The binding is the cheddar print, and all ready to be stitched on, followed by a label.  I'll enjoy this quilt for fall decorating, too.  So happy to have this top quilted at last--the nine patches were swapped years ago (7!) hosted by my blog friend Julie.  She's a scrap quilt queen and always working on some charming hand applique as well.  I'll do the binding this weekend and call this quilt finished!

June UFO Challenge pick #7

Judy of Patchwork Times chose #7 for June's UFO project.  On my list, I'm choosing a UFO to send out to be quilted.  There are four quilt tops currently hanging in my closet that need to be quilted, two of which I will quilt myself.  The others are just too big for my small harped Husqvarna Lily.  The oldest--and largest--is an oversized version of Bonnie Hunter's Rick Rack Nines. 

Years ago I was in a Yahoo Group called Quiltbiddies and we did a lot of block swaps.  These 9 patches were made with 3.5" squares so the blocks are pretty big.  I loved Bonnie's zig zag setting and used her free setting triangle chart for the tan solid. I'm thinking a Baptist Fan would be nice for the traditional scrappy fabrics and colors.

I ended up having to make a few half blocks for the top and bottom of the quilt as some of the swap blocks were not usable or I didn't care for the colors.  This top is 92x105 and will cover our CalKing bed.  I purchased a 108" wide backing at Road to California, so will need to add leaders to the top and bottom, at a minimum, and find a quilter with a long arm large enough.  Speaking of Bonnie Hunter, who used to also be a member of Quiltbiddies long before I joined, she is coming to a local quilt guild this month and I snagged an open spot for her My Blue Heaven workshop.  There is a lot of cutting to do before then but I am really looking forward to it.  It was a "Biddie" who led me to Bonnie's Quiltville blog in 2009--before then I had never heard of quilting blogs.  It wasn't long until I started my own blog, and here I am all these years later.

The other quilt is also constructed of 9 patch swap blocks in reproduction fabrics; these are 6" finished.  There were so many swappers that we each received about 80 blocks.  This is the third project I made from my cache, which I'm calling Cheddar and Cinnamon, and it is 72" square.

The pattern is from a Thimbleberries book and is called Nine Patch Criss Cross.  I altered the square in square blocks using two colors to make stars appear around the nine patches.  I tried to emphasize the stars by placing red nine patches with the Cinnamon star points, and green nine patches with the Cheddar star points.  Squint a little...

Can you see them now?  I'm thinking this quilt will need some custom quilting to bring out the stars and minimize the background fabric.  A backing and even the binding has already been made.  Perhaps I will send them both out!

Scrappy CW Play

On Saturday I felt like piecing and poked around the messy sewing room for something to play with.  While looking for something else, I found a few orts left from previous projects.  Handily next to that bin was another full of civil war prints.  An idea was born. 

I do think nine patches are some of the friendliest blocks around.

 So I decided to make some more.  This Judy Rothermel print is one I've hoarded for a couple of years. (CW prints do not go well with my ironing board cover!)

The three new nine patches joined two other leftovers from Julie's 9 patch swap from a few years ago.  The plain blocks just happened to be exactly the right size--they are leftovers from the 50 bowties quilt I made for my brother a few years ago, a Thimbleberries print in that warm golden tan I like so much. 

I had just a couple of 2.5" strips of this second Thimbleberries print that I sliced in half for a narrow border to float the center.  Another hoarded Judy Rothermel print for the outer border completed the small quilt top.

You can hardly tell where I pieced the outer border strips, can you?  While looking for something else, I found one more piece of the plain block Thimbleberries print, which is exactly the right size for a backing.  It was sure nice to have some piecing fun playing with orts!