Cheddar Update

With all the different things that I have started lately, I have been using the cheddar blocks as my leader and enders so something is under my needle at all times.

So to let you know again, I need 600 for each quilt that I am making, and I am making two, so I need a total of 1200.

Here is the first bag of 600:

And here is the start of the next 600 (so fare I have 260)

So far I have not repeated any bow tie print.  I have gotten fabrics from a fellow blogger, my DIL (who is now quilting), and from a couple of quilters who own a quilt shop.  

On our quilt trip along the coast this last February, I asked at all fourteen shops if they had any scraps.  Some did, some didn't, but all in all, I got a bag full to use for my cheddars.

This week while I was back in Albuquerque, burying my Dad, I visited my Sister in law, and she asked if I was still working on my cheddars (apparently she reads my blog), and when I said yes, she pulled out a box of scraps she had leftover from when she sews and from when she once worked at Hancocks.

Not only is it full of wonderful scraps, I got a really nice box with "wren" birds all over it!

I just might make the whole 1200 without repeating a single print!  Getting very excited!!

Warmest...

Cheddar Bow Ties

I have become somewhat of a fan of Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.  If you remember, I followed and did her mystery quilt last winter called Grand Illusion (you can read all the posts here).

She has what is called "leaders and enders", which are scrap blocks that you have pre-cut out, that you sew at the beginning and end of other major projects you might be working.  The theory being, that you can get a main project done along with a secondary scrappy project.

About 4 years ago, she did a sort of quilt along doing a leader/ender project called cheddar bow ties.  You can get the pattern and read the blog post about it here.

I have lots of scraps.  Any quilter usually does.  I decided to do something with my scraps by doing this leader/ender thing with a cheddar print by Faye Burgos of Marcus Fabrics. I was able to pick up 5 yards of it when I was on the coastal trip in February.  True cheddar fabric is hard to find, at least in the shops I go to, as it is doesn't fall into the new modern colors and fabrics that are all the rage now.  Call me old fashioned, but I like the older prints and colors.

Here is my project box with pre-cut cheddar squares and my pre-cut scraps.

This was my first block, which by the way finishes at 3 1/2 inches.

And here are a few more:

Different layout of the blocks:

It will take a lot of blocks to make a quilt, but I like having something that I can do when I only have 5 or 10 minutes to sew.  I guess I will just keep making them until I at least have enough for a large throw (twin size or about 500).  Then I will see if I want to keep making more blocks, or move onto another scrappy project.

Warmest...

Center Block of Civil War Tribute BOM

If you have been following me for the last couple of months (maybe longer), you know that I have been working on some of my older BOM projects.  One of them has been Civil War Tribute.  The picture below is what the finished quilt is supposed to look like.  I am showing you this picture because, I have finished the center 36" square block and I thought you might like to see how it will look in the quilt.

Ta! Da!  The center is complete.

Now, a blogger friend from Yesteryear Embroideries, (she was the first person to leave a comment when I first started blogging. She does some fantastic work, check her blog out by clicking on her blog name ) asked me if I had picked out my my border fabrics yet.  Actually, since this was a BOM program, the border fabric came in month 12.   All the fabric for this BOM was designed by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Brothers Fabric, which consisted of a 50 piece collection.

So here is the collection that will be used for the borders.  The pattern laying next to the fabric shows a picture of one corner, and if you look closely at the whole quilt top picture above, you can see the sawtooth border and the two inner borders.

Here is the backing I am going to use on this quilt.  It is a five yard piece that I picked up on sale as it was a design by Judie Rothermel, just not from this collection. I think it will work just fine, but I am a couple of yards short, so I will take the scraps leftover from the blocks and make a pieced scrappy back.

All in all, I am glad this is almost done. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, especially a beginner quilter. The pattern was poorly written, and hard to follow, including several mistakes. Just saying, my personal opinion.

Warmest...

One More UFO BOM

Confession:  I get bored with working on just one project until it is done.  I think that's why I like Block of the Month clubs.

Hence, here is another BOM I dragged out when doing the re-org of my sewing room.  This BOM is from 2010 and I started it only getting month 1 and part of Month 2 done.  Then for some dumb important reason, it got put aside and it was temporarily lost. Not really, I know where everything and anything I have bought can be found.

This BOM is called a "Civil War Tribute", using fabrics designed by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics, and the pattern was designed by Homestead Hearth. (Note, this BOM is no longer available)  What makes this BOM different than other BOM's,  is each month consists of two blocks or four blocks, instead of just one block.   And, on top of that the blocks are bigger in size than the normal 9" or 12" blocks.  It will make a much larger quilt as a result of the bigger blocks, approximately 100" x 112".

Here is a pic of what the quilt will look like when it is completed.

Here is Month 2, and it consists of four 15" blocks.

This is Block 1, and it has two blocks, one is 18", and the other is 12".

I will be working on many older BOM's this year, as my budget is very limited, and I am really committed to completing what I have on hand.  This will take me well into the 2020's, for real!