First I made some more luggage tags. These are easy to do and because they use a bit of plastic to hold a card they don't look handmade (except for the strange job on the buttonhole stitch. That was definitely amateur.) I've sent these off to Leiya's friend for her birthday.
Then I decided that I really had been slacking on Prayer and Square Quilts. I still have two pinkish flimsys in a drawer but I really ought to have a stack of these ready for tying. The trouble is that I'm a little tired of making the Around the World pattern though it is very fast. So I thought I'd try my hand at something else quick and easy. Looking around the website I thought the Heartstrings quilt would be good but actually since I'm working alone, it took quite a while to make 24 heartstring blocks. Probably my strings are too narrow or something. And I don't think my choice of center fabric was very good. Much too busy. The result may be too showy for a Prayer and Square quilt (though cheery that's for sure). Question. What is the easiest and fastest quilt you've ever made? I mean I know I could just cut a couple fabrics into big 10" blocks and sew them together, but I want something that takes a bit more effort. I'm going to go back to the Prayer and Square website and look around but if you have any suggestions I would love to know.
It's a dilemma. For a prayer quilt, something that can be quickly made up is important. But it needs to be beautiful and comforting too. And considering the cost, it might be nice if I could just make it up from left over fabric that might not get used elsewhere. Trying to balance these three criteria is the challenge...
And lastly... What do you think I'm making with this block? I've gone wonky with this and I'm working on another identical block... 
23 comments:
Love the luggage tags and heartstrings quilt - VERY cheery! And let's see, stop look and listen? Could that be where you're going with the "stop"?
The fastest quilt I've made was the disappearing 9-patch. Love them to pieces *G*. The results can vary so much with different fabrics that they don't even look like the same quilt. Another one I really like is a stack-the-deck quilt, I had the book from the library but can't remember the author. If you'd like, email me and I can send you the pictures. Makes for a very pretty quilt, and there's not ANY matching up of seams, which is so good for me. Email is allieteach4him at yahoo. com [take out spaces and replace the 'at' with the symbol.]
Hi Taniwa,
I wanted to give you a site to get on that has patterns for luggage tags and passport carrier.
www.studiokatdesigns.com
I hope that you can enjoy some of the free patterns that they have. I am a friend of Pam (mamasparks)
She introduced me to blogs and I am having a great time visiting the blogs. I live with a gentlemen who was born in Japan. His mom was Japanese. He came to USA when he was 1 year old. Thanks for a wonderful blog. Anne
Disappearing Nine Patch is great, pretty, quick, and interesting. And you can't go wrong with Yellow Brick Road.
I make tons of charity quilts. My fav is the Yellow Brick Road. It uses up all my scraps, the smallest piece being 3 x 3. I mix all fabrics together.
You could try a "quilt as you go" project.
I've made two of these (the latest is posted on my blog). I use basting spray to join the back of the quilt and the batting. Then I build the front of the quilt. I start at the center and work out from there. It's very easy and quite quick.
Love your STOP and the hand. STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE, maybe???
Thanks for sharing your latest projects.
Hugs
Is it stop domestic violence? When I was at Paducah last year there was a Japanese display and it was all about that. They even had a specific colored ribbon to represent it. They were surprised that I didn't know what the color stood for as apparently everyone in Japan knew it! So they asked me to write (in English) an explanation of the ribbon, since no one knew just by looking at it what it was. Luckily I had my Japanese friend, Yuki, with me and she was able to translate for me and for them!! So my first display at Paducah was my hand written sign!!
Wow, I love your hand! Are you making a quilt to hang on the door of a room you don't want Tetsu to go in? LOL.
I like the quilt I saw a friend make that had a triangle on opposite corners of a square. When put together they become stars. (Guess I will have to find a picture to post.)
Maybe the stop quilt is a message for the kitties.LOL
I was going to suggest the disappearing nine patch block too. Here's a link to a tutorial for it http://quiltsatcs.blogspot.com/2007/04/disappearing-9-patch-tutorial.html
You've been busy with wonderful projects. The luggage tags look great, as does the quilt. It is busy but it is a nice busy. The stop looks terrific, don't know what it is for but it looks wonderful. As for a quick quilt, a rail fence would work - you can sew long strips before cutting.
If you have any batiks left, you could try a batik colorwash - pretty. Or any other fabric colorwash with big squares. Still simple squares to sew together, but there is a lot of sweating it in the color selection stage. Very pretty, too. Google 'exhuberant color' for a the quilting blog that features them (I think it comes up in the first 3 hits, so I never remember the address). There is even a 'colorwash' topic to choose on the sideboard. Very yummy things.
Izabela from Melbourne
Stop and smell the roses? Maybe?? Bonnie Hunter has some quick quilts on her Quiltville.com website... check out her "Streak of Sunshine" pattern in the sidebar, it's pretty and fast too.
I really like your string quilt and in particular that busy fabric you used as the center. I think it's marvelous. And the stop block is great - I love your hand.
I like the disappearing 9 patch too. It's fast and easy, but always adds to the fun by getting to design a different layout each time. I also like to make a few pieced blocks and toss them in with just plain squares.
I think the "Stop" might be for a sign to...stop and wash your hands!
It's a big promotion here to reduce colds and flu in the winter.
My favorite fast quilt is Rail Fence. I can whip up a top in just a few hours with that one.
Any kind of log cabin, courthouse steps or rail fence sews up very quickly, and has enough design to be interesting to look at.
I disagree that your Prayer and Square quilt is too bright. It's supposed to provide comfort to the recipient and the colors are cheerful and happy. Also, who says we need to be mournful when praying for someone that's troubled? Solemn, yes, serious, and respectful of the request we are making. None of that precludes the instrument of your healing prayers being a beautiful happy quilt. Or, at least, that's my two cents. And, BTW, I think I have some of your center fabric, and used it in a blue and white quilt. It's not too bright at all.
Maybe your wonky sign is for Choco - stop barking!
Will you hang that STOP block on your front door to warn people when Choko is in the house?
What about a simple three strip rail fence - you could use say three different fabrics or if you're using scraps just three different colours. If you stitch up the long strips first and then cut them across to the appropriate lengths it would make up very quickly
Chinese coins is a fast quilt for me to make. There are a few patterns out there...check out...www.maryquilts.com for free patterns.
Maybe STOP, LOOK and LISTEN before you cross the road?!
I like the string quilt too -- I think once you get started and if you make the blocks in sets they go pretty fast.
I also think the Happy Blocks we've been making go really, really fast. We've been using novelty fabrics but any focus fabric would work and you can use a couple fabrics for framing them or a bunch of different ones. I have instructions and photos on my site if you're interested.
Also, I agree a rail fence is fast ... and a two rail fence is even faster. I use scrappy fabrics in two colors.
http://maryquilts.com/new-two-rail-fence/
Lots of others too but those are the first two that come to mind.
Hi Tanya,
Rail tie and disappearing 9 patch are pretty fast- some friends just made a pattern called Bento Box that was fast also. I also have used a pattern by Ricky Timms called Harmonic Convergence. I take 4 large squares. It makes up pretty fast - you can see one of them on my picture icon and
there are more on some earlier blog posts. The original pattern is a wall hanging size but I just have extended the size. These large squares are sewn in pairs and cut in various strip widths and they are re sewn. There are good instructions in his book for the technique. They end up being a twin size quilt.
I also really like your heart strings quilt- it is bright and cheery and will be comforting and warm for someone. You will find some lovely patterns on both Mary and Bonnie's site that use up your scraps from your stash.
What a nice thing to do for someone.
Regards,
Anna
I think the string quilt is great! Very striking. As far as fast, the disappearing nine patch, hands down. My DD is making her first one this week...easy and fast results. And it looks like you worked harder!
I LIKE how your center string makes it look like picture frames when you put them together! And I vote for a disappearing 9 patch, they go so fast (I used 5" squares) and use up some of the unloved fabric you have and look so much better cut apart. I have one on my blog made out of some "unloved and underappreciated" fabric!
http://tinyurl.com/c64zc2
Post a Comment