Needlework Tuesday - Around the Blocks

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

Last week I shared Joyce Gaessler's quilt show with you, so this week I have some catching up to do with regards to my show and tell.  Joyce has found some additional information about a few of the quilts, and we'll be undating that post.

On Wednesday, I posted a photo of a tea party quilt that I made a few years ago.  This was in response to Colleen at Happy Cottage Quilter posting a similar theme photo.   If you have made a tea party quilt, please leave a comment at that post and we can have a virtual tea party.

Over at The Quilting Gallery, the Aiming for Accuracy Quilt-Along is gathering steam. The pattern is designed and lessons are ready. The fabric requirements are posted and a photo of the quilt in available, soon to follow with a second version in white and 30's prints. I'm thinking of doing this in white and orange, but with a few changes/additions. A confident beginner should be able to complete this quilt.


A tease of a small project I am working on.  Should have it done by next week, so the suspense won't last all that long.  I really like these small projects as I do tend to complete them and a finished project is such a good feeling.

Speaking of finished small projects.  This one block was a test of a block pattern by Debby Kratovil and is called "The Gretchen Quilt".  It is a free pattern on Craftsy.  The instructions were very clear and it went together quickly.  i did make a few cutting mistakes, but that was totally my fault as I didn't pay attention while reading the cutting instructions.  When I make this block the next time, I will use fabrics with a greater contrast.  One of my goals this year is to learn to free hand machine quilt feathers.  This is my second attempt and it went very well. Joanne over at Threadhead has posted some tutorials on quilting feathers.  I found them a great help.

The background is the Greek Key motif.  This measures about 9 inches square.



One of my long term projects has been these Dutch Nine Patch blocks.  I completed ten this week for a total of 38.  Still need a bunch more.  It will be a wedding quilt for my nephew, but no rush there as he isn't seeing anyone at this time.  Pattern can be found at the Quilter's Cache.  The blocks are 9 inches finished.

I love these triangle blocks.  This is my year long project.  I am cutting pieces from the left overs from the quilts I am working on this year. For details on how to piece this block, visit my earlier post, I took photos at each step.  I find it helpful to pin the intersections so every thing lines up well.

I have five blocks pieced so far, but have cut the pieces for at least 6 more.  I am pondering the setting, whether to use single piece triangles or to piece them with just the corner units , leaving lots of space for quilting.

 

At Christmas, I offered to crochet an afghan for my sister.  I loaned her my pattern book and asked her to mark at least five patterns.  I'm not great at crochet so I didn't know which patterns I'd be able to follow.  This one looked like the most fun to work with.  Daughter and I went to the tent sale at the Bernat outlet in Listowel and I found this chunky weight yarn in salmon.  Perfect.  I am about half way along the first strip of popcorns and cables. These strips alternate with strips of blocks.  If you make this pattern , note that there is correction, in round 1 of Strip A, you start with a ch 3 to form a ring.  I tried it with the 8 as in the instructions, but it left a huge hole.  I quick email to the company, and they checked with the designer and they confirmed it should be 3.   The pattern is from Crochet! Magazines: Best-Ever Afghans  Fall 2011,  "Winter Morning" designed by Carol Alexander.