2018 Finishes - Prairie Primrose - #48

This one is so different from most of my quilts, but is one of my favorites and now has a home on my bed.  This quilt is called Prairie Primrose out of a book called Simple Traditions by Kim Diehl.  The monthly program was through Homestead Hearth for twelve months, starting in December 2006.  You can read more about it here, as I was blogging when I decided to pick up this project and start working on it again.

It is a king sized over large quilt measuring at 104" X 104".  Each appliquéd block measures 20" X 20", before adding on the sashing and corner stones.   The fabric is from Kansas Troubles Bound to the Prairie II line by Moda.

I was able to get the top completed up to the outside border and setting corners.  Actually, I had already appliquéd the setting corners, but the pattern called for a vining appliqué to be done on the wide plain border.  I kept putting it off, as it would be a horrendous time consumer.  Then, I had the bright idea of just finishing with no appliqué on the border.  The borders hang off of  the bed, and it looks perfect with out the appliqué.  I am delighted that I went ahead and finished this way, as it is done and looking lovely!

The below pictures are close ups of each block, each done in a different color, causing the quilt to flow and not look flat.

The overly bright sun doesn't really show the appliqué, but I did it with a blanket stitch on my domestic machine.

I chose to do a scrappy binding, as I had lots of green left over from not choosing to do the green vine appliqué on the border.

The backing is one that has some of the colors from the front of the quilt.  I wished I had gone ahead and used a more matching Kanas Troubles fabric, but the backing rarely gets seen, so I am still happy that it is all done.

Size: 104" x 104"

Fabric Lines Used:  Kansas Troubles Bound to the Prairie II

Colors: Green, Wine, gold, blue, red

Pattern:  Prairie Primrose (Simple Traditions)

Designer: Kim Diehl

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Nelson

Year Began: 2006

Year Completed: 2018

Primrose Prairie Update

Finally.  Yes, finally, I have finished all 244 pieces that will be used for the sashing for the blocks of this quilt.

I started sewing the pieces together a few months back and it has taken a lot longer than I ever thought it would to get done.  Now I have to sew 8 pieces for each set a total of 24 sets (to go around 12 blocks.  They are scrappy, looking like a weird accordion!

The blocks will require sets of sashing and corner posts.  Not sure if I shared the corner posts in the past, but here are what they look like:

I put together (sort of) one block, so I can get an idea of what the block will look like with he sashing and corner posts.  I had to take it outside to lay it out, because my sewing table was too full of projects to get a good picture.

I'm liking this more and more, the further along I get in completing the quilt.

Warmes...

Back in the Saddle Again

For the first time in so many weeks, I was back in the sewing room, working on a few things.  One of the first things I worked on was a custom order for a tablecloth for an oblong table in an Easter print.  It is for the same customer that I made 9 sets of holiday themed potholders a couple of months ago.  I was able to find the same Easter print that I used in making the potholders, to make this tablecloth.  It was a fairly simple make, starting with the size of the table, adding  4" hang all the way around, and an additional 1" for a hem all away around.  Then I took a serving plate, about 14" in diameter to round out the corners to fit the oblong part of the table.

Then it was back to the making of the pieced sashing for the Primrose Prairie UFO quilt.  Remember I have to make 214 of these pieces, and each piece has 7 pieces.  Making the sashing scrappy, there are 18 different dark prints, and 12 different light prints.  Somehow the math worked out to be, I needed to make 13 blocks of each print, using one duplicate light print with each 13 pieces set.  After I get them all done, I will either be short a few or have a few extra.  Either way, I have a lot of pieces to make to complete the sashing.  

The box of the cut out pieces show below, here shows that I had one 13 piece dark color set done, and I have 5 sets done.  Only 13 sets to go....I will be sounding like a broken record blogging about this until I get them done.  Sigh...

Warmest...

Surprise Treat

On occasion, when traveling with my husband to his trade shows, I am able to visit the local quilt shops. This weekend we traveled to Herminston, OR. This small town has two quilt shops, and I was lucky enough to visit both of them! The first shop I stopped at is called, Aunty Ida's, and she also sells Bernina sewing machines. I was fortunate enough to find some of Lecien's Durham rose collection fabric. Two pieces actually from the collection. Be still my heart!

Here is the first piece I found, and I purchased three yards.

This is the second piece, and I also purchased three yards.

This picture shows both pieces together, showing how wonderful they are side by side. Now I am in dreamland, thinking about what I am going to be doing with these pieces.

The next place I was able to enter is a shop called Material Girl. I mostly did a look about, but did come across Kim Diehl's newest book Simple Blessings.   If you remember, I have been working on one of Kim's projects, Prairie Primrose, from her other book, Simple Traditions.  You can read about the project's progress here.

I poured over it for hours last night working in my mind which patterns I would like to do. The two pictures below are the finalists in my decision making, only because I have so many scraps I want to get used up.

Warmest...

Primrose Prairie UFO BOM Update

In the pauses of custom orders (waiting on clients, ordering materials for projects, etc), I have had some time to work on my latest UFO BOM.  Remember the one that I started a few weeks back?  Primrose Prairie?  Yep, this really big one?

Well, I am now finished with the nine center appliquéd blocks and here is pictures of the last four I did this week:

If you want to see the posts about the other blocks completed, scroll down to the bottom of this blog, and there will be a list of labels.  Just click on the "Primrose Prairie" label and it will bring up all the posts related to this project.  

Remember, each block measures 20", so they are much larger than the standard 12' blocks most quilts I done in the past.  With that said, the nine appliquéd blocks will almost cover the top of a queen sized bed, and then add the sashing, corner posts, and the large appliquéd borders, it will be an oversized King size quilt.

The next step is to do the corner post appliqués and the pieced scrappy sashing that will be sewn between the large blocks.  So,  I got busy and cut them out.  All 1200 of them!!! And, then this afternoon, I appliquéd all the center posts, sixteen 5" blocks with a double circles.

So, now I will have to work on the pieced sashing.  A small project that will get the name of "forever scrappy piecing project".  There are over 1100 pieces that have to be sewn together in a randomness to make it look scrappy.  Yes a forever project!  Yikes!!

Warmest...

More Prairie Primrose

I spent the last two days, cutting out, doing the placement and stitching of the next two blocks in my UFO BOM Prairie Primrose.  The background of each block is different, as well as the flower design.  Each block will be completely different from each other.  So I have been doing the machine stitching around the pieces with different color thread.  

This is block two.

This is block three.

Close up of block three.

And a picture of the first three blocks.  I used a wheat color thread on the first block, a navy color on the second, and a brick red on the third one.

I thought any of you who do machine appliqué might like to know, I did not use any adhesive produce to hold down the appliqué pieces (like Heat n' Bond, Wonder Under, etc.).  I laid out the whole design with pins and stitch in place.  For years, I have read, been taught, and understood the only way to do machine appliqué is to use one of these type products.  Of course, the underlying reason to use these products, is to hold the design in place so it doesn't move, get distorted, or pucker.    But the draw back in using these products is they cause a stiffness in the overall block, and then as an end result, causing the quilt to be even stiffer and not draping well as all.  Originally, I was going to do the needle turn appliqué  hand technique, thus using freezer paper to cut out the design for the first block.  Since I didn't use one of the adhesive products, I went ahead, without too much thought, and started machine stitching down the pieces.  About half-way through the first block, I realized that the pieces were staying in place just fine without using the products, and the end result is a very soft and supple feeling block.  I am very happy with this result, and most likely not be suing any appliqué adhesive product in the future.  This will be a money saver, as these type products can be quite costly.

Warmest...

New BOM UFO - Prairie Primrose

Most quilters know who Kim Diehl is, and if you are new to quilting and discover her, you will surely like her and her style.  She combines simple piecing and appliqué to make gorgeous quilts.  

So, to move the story along,  Homestead Hearth was offering a BOM using the pattern Prairie Primrose in Kim's book, Simple Traditions.  I already had the book, so I signed up for the BOM.    

This is a big quilt, 106" X 106", and each block measures 21" square.  See how nice it looks on a bed?  When I saw this, I wanted this on one of my beds in the house.

Initially, I was all gung-ho in working on this BOM, mostly because I wanted to try my hand at "hand turn appliqué".  Big failure!  I am sure I would have gotten better with practice.  Ah, no.  Not.  So, I got busy, and since it wasn't a great success right away, I stuck it in a tub and never thought about it again.  Then, again, I was surfing through Pinterest, and came across several pins of Kim's work, and I remembered that I had all the fabric and pattern to do one of her quilts.  So, I went on a treasure hunt through my tubs of BOM's and projects, and found it all the individual month packets and the first block I worked on.   I knew I would not be doing the hand appliqué on this quilt, so I took out all the handwork I did on block one and redid it on the machine using one of the stitches (blanket stitch) to do all the pieces.  Here is the newly redone block 1.  So much better than the original.  It was so bad, I didn't even want to take a picture.  Pathetic!!!  But after doing this block on the machine, I am excited to work on the other blocks and do this quilt.

Just for information, the fabric used in this BOM is Moda, Kansas Troubles.  Two lines were used, called Bound to the Prairie 2, and Winter Rose.  Beautiful!

Warmest...