A Churn Dash Quilt Top

A finished top!  Not perfect, but finished.  I love it!  It will be such a feminine quilt and reminds me to think of the girls and women who used churn dashes to make butter.  I wish I had batting and backing to layer and quilt it now.  Quilt tops always seem fragile until they become quilts and I hesitate to do much more than lay them on the floorThe top measures 69" x 90¼".  A little long, maybe, but it will shrink with quilting and washing/drying.

I made the side and bottom setting triangles larger to extend the width and length of the quilt.  Without the side triangles being wider the quilt's width would have been 61".  When Lizzy of Gone to the Beach reminded me how stretchy side triangles can be I took extra care, but you'll notice a little waffling in the photos above and below.  I may go back and redo some seams but I think those will quilt out.  What do you think and what is your experience?  Do they need improved? 

In a recent previous post I wrote about the challenge of cutting such large triangles--21" square, cut diagonally twice--for the sides and bottom.  I didn't have a cutting mat large enough to cut 21" fabric squares so explored cutting options.  I finally decided to cut strips of fabric 10½" wide as if I were using an Easy Angle ruler, then cut the strips into triangles.

I have a 6" x 24" ruler with a 45-degree angle marked on it, which I tried, but I didn't trust it for accuracy.  I also tried using the 45-degree line on the cutting mat but didn't trust that, either.  (I knew that having an accurate 90-degree angle at that corner was important for accuracy.)

I finally used my 12½" ruler to cut the triangles. I was careful to align the ruler exactly at the upper edge of the fabric where the 90-degree angle was.  (For you observant readers, the triangle below is for the top of the quilt and not for the sides or bottom.)

I was happy with this method for cutting triangles, though it took extra steps compared to having a larger cutting mat and ruler.

This quilt is the first I've ever made using the same background fabric for all the blocks, and it's the first quilt I've made using a white background.  I'm not a huge fan of white but I think it works for this quilt.

Finishing this top completes my One Monthly Goal for September so I'm linking to September One Monthly Goal Finish at Elm Street Quilts when she posts the goal finish link-up.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.

Also, I decided to make this top to sew-along with Chookyblue's Churn Dash Quilt-Along.  Thanks for the fun, Chookyblue.

I'm linking this post to
> Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
> Brag about Your Beauties:  a Pageant of Finishes
> Off the Wall Friday at Creations by Nina Marie
Thank you for hosting, ladies.

Autumn's here!  It pushed summer aside yesterday.  On Wednesday, the temperature went above 90^o with high humidity.  Yesterday it was in the 60s, and this morning it was in the 40s, both days with sunny skies.  I think we'll have an early autumn, as far as leaves turning colors, and I wonder if we'll have an early and hard winter.  For now, we're headed into my favorite season.  I hope things are good in your life.

Thanks for visiting, reading, and leaving a comment (if you do).
--Nancy.

Nudging a Seam a Tad Narrower to Preserve Points

I thought I had my quarter inch seams worked out--finally.  But when I sewed a few churn dash blocks together I noticed points missing here and there.  It wasn't such a big deal but it was on my mind as I was sewing more blocks together.

It occurred to me that the problem might not be my 1/4 seam but that sewing eight layers of fabric together (four on each side of the seam) might effect how flat the fabric lays when pressed.  The seams do press flat but with so many layers it seems like the points just slightly curve into the seam, giving the appearance of a missing point.  With so much fabric in one spot, you can only press the fabric apart so far, even if the seam is pressed flat.

I decided to try nudging the seam a tad narrower to see what would happen.  It's a little hard to see in the photo below but click to enlarge if you want to see detail.  I wasn't sure if sewing a little closer to the edge would distort the seam and the whole block or not.

Here's the seam pressed open, below.  The slightly narrower seam over the points doesn't seem to have affected the blocks and the points aren't missing.  Hooray!

This is something I'll try to remember to do when I have to sew points again, always checking to make sure the blocks come out okay.  (Are you cringing at this idea?  Have I missed a reason not to do this?)

Life Aside from Quilting
We spent a few days with my daughter and her family last Thursday and Friday.  I always come home sore and tired but it's so worth it to be in the company of her and her husband, and our delightful grands.  (I forgot to take photos, again.  Sight.)  We went down for a Grandparents Day event at the school, a sprawling "fair" on the school grounds.  I think the favorite part of the event for the grands is always the book fair but the lines were so long we missed most of the other activities.  The children didn't seem to mind.

Did you see the moon last Thursday or Friday night?!  It was huge, low, and golden as we drove home.  Gorgeous!

We've had two beautiful late summer/early fall days yesterday and today.  The high temperatures were in the low 70s with sun, a few clouds, and wonderful breezes.  It seems like we might have an early fall this year....

I finally cut setting triangles.  I think they'll work.  (I'll write a post about that later.)  I'll recheck sizes tomorrow and then pin and sew.  I have to get a move on this quilt so I can have it done by the end of the 3rd week in September since I'll be at the ocean the fourth week.  I'm so looking forward to that!

I hope all is well in your world.

--Nancy.

Ideas, Please?

Last week my daughter asked me if I could find a quilt at a thrift store for her husband to use at the Children's Garden where he's the horticulturist. I told her I'd look, but I haven't found one.  I haven't been quilting long enough to have a supply on hand to give away but I thought maybe I could make one.  (It doesn't help that he could use it now, but he'll use a quilt whenever he gets one.)  I rummaged around and found these blocks that I made 10 years ago.  The flowers were my first efforts in applique so I could join the Airedale Rescue Quilting Bee.  The others were leftovers from another quilt (which is still waiting to be quilted).

I don't really have time to make a quilt from scratch because of the High Five for Brenna that I'm determined to finish by the end of March, but I thought I might be able to work with one of the sets of blocks above and turn them into a small quilt.  But what to do with them and how?!  It has to be simple, of course.  Alternate plain and pieced or plain and appliqued blocks?  Set them in sashing?  What kind of sashing?  What colors would work for either of these sets of blocks?

The flower blocks will finish at 8 1/2", the churn dash blocks at 7 1/2".  The final quilt can be about baby size.  It's going on a wall so the children won't be bundling themselves up in it or putting it on the ground for a play picnic, but dirty hands will touch it so white/very light may not be the best option.

All ideas appreciated!

By the way, I'm making good progress on the High Five but I'm going to have to push myself to get it finished by the end of March, especially when there are two weeks I won't be able to work on it much (because my daughter will be home one week and I'll be working again the other).  Quilt, quilt, quilt...!

I'm linking this to W.i.P. Wednesday hosted on Freshly Pieced by Claire from Sewing Over Pins.  Thank you, Claire and Lee.

Thanks and take care,
Nancy.
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