Pattern Testing

I was asked to be a pattern tester for Rachel at Kohatu Patterns last week.  She is releasing a new pattern on May 10th in time for Mother's Day!

Since Rachel gives 2 different sizes for her Daisy pattern, I decided to make a Daisy in both sizes.  (Rachel also tells you how to make other sizes, too).

I picked a 'Sunset' background for the 12"x18" block.

I decided to do a blue sky background for the smaller block (7"x10").  Sorry, it was raining when I took the photo, so the blue looks a bit washed out.

I used the blue in the Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt (almost done with that) and the white and yellows are from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks that I've been making (April's colors).

Of course I sewed both Daisy blocks on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank.  I do all of my paper piecing on hand crank sewing machines, since the needle stops exactly where I want it to, and they make such tiny stitches, so the paper tears off easily.  I started both Daisy blocks while I was teaching a paper piecing class to a few of my little quilt guild's members at our sew-in last Thursday (they worked on spool of thread and sewing machine blocks).  Those blocks are way down towards the bottom of the page at this link.

stitching on one of the Daisy blocks

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

Go check out Rachel's website and all of her patterns.  These Daisy blocks were fun to make.  

March till now sewing

 Not nearly enough sewing has been going on since I posted in March.  Here is a quick catch-up.

I've had reproduction (Chinese) hand cranks to use on my sewing machines for many years. I found an original hand crank at a quilt store that was going out of business, several years ago, but the handle doesn't lock in place, so I haven't used it. I've been wanting an original hand crank, but hadn't come across another one.  Well, I ordered 2 of them from Helen Howes in England.  Helen is a parts supplier for vintage sewing machines, and also an art quilter.  She is very knowledgeable about vintage sewing machines.  The hand cranks arrived the end of March.

2 hand cranks in great condition

I installed one on my main hand crank.

1927 Singer 15 with an original hand crank

up close of the hand crank

Boy, I didn't know that there would be such a difference between a reproduction hand crank and an original hand crank.  The original hand crank is very quiet, turns easier, and doesn't have any 'loose' feel.  Now to figure out what machine will get the 2nd hand crank.

In April, I taught paper piecing to my little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin'.  I taught it on Zoom.  I clamped my phone so that it would be over my work surface, and tested the whole demonstration for my husband (I wanted to make sure that everyone could see what I was doing).  I could watch what I was doing on my laptop.  

testing my demo

bad lighting

better lighting

When you demo something, you need to make several samples.  I finally finished sewing all the different parts I used, together to make 6 butterfly blocks. 

my 6 finished blocks

I love to participate in block exchanges with my hand cranks and treadles.  Treadle On has several different exchanges each year.  Our Spring Basic exchange was 4 patch blocks.  We always try to have 2 'simple' exchanges each year, so that people who are learning how to use their treadles and hand cranks can participate.  I made 4 sets of 8 blocks each.  I like to use sewing themed fabrics for many of my block exchanges.

Spring Basic exchange blocks

I finished my March Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks (dark green).  I skipped the April blocks (light/bright blue) and started the May blocks (red).  I'll get back to the April blocks sometime this summer.  My dark green blocks look almost black in this photo.  They really are green.

March RSC dark green blocks

I finally finished all the blocks for the Harry Potter Castle quilts for my new grandson.  I've been so distracted lately that I kept making lots of mistakes and had to redo some blocks.  

One block was very frustrating.  The pattern says it makes a 10.5" x10.5" block.  Nope, it makes a 20.5" x 10.5" block.

WAY too big for this quilt

both blocks

I need the wand and quill to fit in a 4.5 x 10.5 window in the Castle.  These blocks will probably be put on the back of the quilts.  (yes, I make 2 matching paper pieced quilts for each grandchild, one for now, and one that I can put in my guild's quilt show, and save for later).

I finished the Hogwarts Crest blocks.

Hogwarts Crest

both blocks

Howler blocks.

Howler

both blocks

Hufflepuff  and Slytherin blocks.

Hufflepuff

both blocks

Slytherin

both blocks

I thought I'd finished the Gryffindor blocks, but they were missing something.

Oops!  Missing something on these blocks

Gryffindor blocks (correct)

both blocks

With the Ravenclaw Crest, I cut one of the corners on one of the blocks wrong.  Another stupid mistake because I was distracted.  You can't add a 1/4" seam allowance back, so I had to rip that block apart (very hard to do when the machine stitches at about 25 stitches to the inch) and re-make 2 parts of that block.  

Ravenclaw

both blocks

Since the wand and quill blocks were way too large to use, I had to make more blocks.  I chose the Elder Wand and Umbridge's quill.

Elder Wand

both blocks

Umbridge's quill

both blocks

Not nearly enough progress for almost 2 months sewing.  I still have the other baby quilt (Fractured Diamonds) to quilt.  I did at least get it basted. 

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Weight update:

I've lost 32 pounds so far, since the end of January.  The weight loss is slowing down now.  The doctor warned me that it would slow down after the first month or two.  It didn't start slowing down until the beginning of the 4th month (May).  I still have a long way to go.

Peter Pan Baby Quilt

I finished the quilt tops (yes, two identical quilt tops).  Yipee! 

one of the quilt tops

see, there really are two quilt tops

I've been marathon sewing, trying to get these done, so that I can get them to the long arm quilter. 

I changed my mind on the backing fabric, so, I've already headed to my local quilt shop ( I love Sewing, Etc, in Yorkville, IL).  I'm pre-washing the backing fabric as I type this. 

I almost forgot to add the thimbles to this quilt.  Thimbles are 'kisses' in Peter Pan (if you don't remember, you'll just have to watch the movie again).  I didn't make the thimbles until Thursday, and finished appliqueing them on Friday morning.  I also finished the embroidery on the 2nd Peter Pan block on Friday. 

thimbles

I loved making the crocodile.  I got the pattern from Sew Fresh Quilts.  I used her method of making the flying geese, so, since I'd used a directional fabric for the crocodile's spikes, one crocodile had them going up/down, and the other crocodile has them going side to side.  That is the only difference between the quilts.

Crocodile Rock pattern from Sew Fresh Quilts

I fussy cut Tinkerbells, from some of my Tinkerbell stash (I had more Tinkerbell fabric than I thought I did, thank goodness).  Those Tinkerbell's are the cornerstones in the center of the quilt.

showing Tinkerbell cornerstones

more Tinkerbell cornerstones

Every stitch on this quilt, that isn't done by hand, has been stitched on a hand crank sewing machine.  I started the paper pieced blocks (Tiger Lily and Wendy) on 'Tinkerbell', my 1925 Singer 99 (3/4 size) hand crank, and finished the rest of the piecing on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank.

stitching the last seams on 1937 Singer 15 hand crank

I've been so busy trying to finish these quilt tops, that I haven't had time to show any of the great quilting packages I've received the past few weeks. 


First, I won a lovely fabric postcard from Beth, at I Have a Notion.

post card from Beth

Then Jeanette, over at Inch Worm fabrics, sent me this great batik fabric bundle, from her giveaway.

batiks from Jeanette

Next, Tricia from Quilt With a View, told me that I'd won 2 of her Rose Card patterns.

from Tricia

Lastly, I received my exchange blocks from my latest Treadle On block exchange.  Here are my 4 different sets of blocks (sorry, my design board was full of Peter Pan blocks, so, I don't have a picture of them spread out).

4 sets of blocks

Here are the blocks that I made for this exchange.  They all have to be made on a treadle or a hand crank.  I used the hand crank shown above.  All blocks are 'signed' before mailing.  These are some of my 'extra' blocks. 

blocks I made for the Treadle On exchange

All in all, it's been pretty nice around here lately.  Of course, I haven't made my project for my quilt guild exchange (due Monday night).  I'd better get started on that one pretty quick.  I'm going to use my modern Janome for that project.  I think it is feeling a bit neglected lately. 

Peter Pan

Well, I finally finished the last paper pieced block late last night.  I still need to add some embroidery to it, but, that is the easy part.

I would have been done sooner, but, I made another stupid mistake.  This pattern is 'colored' on the back, and the designers background is a light green (mine is a white on white).  Instead of double checking each piece, before I added it, I just added green fabric to 3 places on one of the pieces of Peter Pan.  Oops!  If I'd been paying attention, and checking like I should have been doing, I would have noticed that those 3 pieces were supposed to be background pieces.  Seam ripper to the rescue. 

pattern

my mistakes, with dark green where the white was supposed to go

Here is the block, corrected.

correct Peter Pan block

both blocks (sorry for the bad color picture)

Peter just needs his nose embroidered on now.  This block was designed by Michelle Thompson, and can be found here.

The next part is the crocodile, that will be across the bottom of the quilt.  I found a great pattern at Sew Fresh Quilts to use, called Crocodile Rock, at her Etsy shop.  Lorna has some great patterns.  Here is a picture of the pattern that I'm going to use.  I'm only going to make one crocodile.

Crocodile Rock pattern

I'm headed off, as soon as this posts, to find some fabric for the crocodile. 

Here are some of the other fabrics that will probably show up in this quilt.

treasure map and nautical fabrics

Tinkerbell fabrics

I need to get this quilt top finished, so that the long arm quilter can do her part.