Moving

I believe this may be my last blog post. I bought a new iPad and I am unhappy to learn that my blog posting app "Blogsy" is gone. Who knew apps come and go, but Blogsy is gone and after online research I do not have the ability to get the app from my old iPad to the new one.

The good news is that I am going to just move to Instagram. Find me at @underquiltedcovers. I think I am going to like mini blog posts and I am finding many of my favorite bloggers on Instagram.

I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging. It all started when I found the Civil War Bride Quilt. There was a group of quilter's who would post their progress on a blog started by Liz McMahon in Australia.

Most of the participants had their own blogs and so 7 1/2 years ago I jumped in also. Here is my first post:

I have made a LOT of new friends, from all over the world. I have learned so much about quilting and applique from reading other blogs. I have found so many new projects from blogs and blogger's block of the months and exchanges.

The Civil War Bride was a great quilt and a great beginning into the quilting blog world.

Technology and social media move ahead at lightning speed, but I am sure we quilter's will continue to find ways to share our passion.

Happy Stitching Always!

Cheri

 

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August

It is county fair time in my home state of Nebraska. I have not entered quilts in my local county fair in the past but I thought it would be fun to put Roseville Album with it's pink pig and polka dot cow in the fair.

It won Best of Show!!!

I was so surprised and now am very honored as it will go on to the Nebraska State Fair at the end of this month to represent my home county.

Panama Pyramids also brought home a blue ribbon in the scrap quilt category.

I decided to add a little red pencil border to the leaf quilt that I showed in last month's blog. I think it just frames it better and then I had just enough background fabric to add a final three inch border. This is a raffle quilt for a local quilt guild fund raiser.

In a blast from the past I was asked to quilt a top from one of my sister's coworkers. She found it in a box from her great grandmother. This sweet little bow tie was all hand pieced and made from double knit fabric. Double knit fabric was so popular in the 1970s, I had a closet full of "pantsuits" made from double knit.

I ironed and ironed and IRONED this quilt top and I could not get the seams to lie flat. I finally just went with it and quilted the background squares of each block and just let the bow ties puff up. It gave it kind of an interesting tactile feel.

My evenings continue to be spent on Celebrating Mary Brown applique blocks. I think I average a block a week.

There are a lot of near twin blocks in Mary Brown.

Happy stitching,

Cheri

 

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July

A few more Celebrating Mary Brown blocks are finished this month.

This block had some small corner appliques that were a good opportunity to try some broderie perse.

The center is cutaway applique. These blocks are very relaxing to me, I could do a whole quilt of just this.

I got a little carried away with fussy cutting in this block.

Probably less is more, but I did't really realize I had put in so much until the block was finished.

This little leaf quilt is for a charity auction this fall for my local quilt guild. I had 60 donation leaf blocks and a couple yards of leftover background fabric to assemble into a quilt top.

There is enough fabric for a 2 1/2 inch border but I am not sure if it needs it. It measures 72 x 81 like this so that is a nice size already.

Happy Summer all,

Cheri

Flower garden on a recent walk...

 

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June

After sewing piles and piles of Panama Pyramids,

And adding a black print background pyramid to each of my pieced pyramids,

And lying them all out and starting to sew the rows together,

And machine quilting and quilting and quilting,

It is FINISHED! Panama Pyramids Sew Along 2016-2017

 

I spent most of the last month working on Panama Pyramids but I also finished a couple more Celebrating Mary Brown blocks.

The four corner sections of the quilt are complete and sewn together.

I decided that bottom right blue striped vase was a little light and plain so I added a little tweak.

Next block featured birds, (and a dog who I suppose is barking at them-that is what my dog does). I love picking out special fabrics for bird wings.

One of the best Applique tips I ever received was to prep berries with the same thread they will be appliquéd to the block. It makes for a "hairy" block but a quick stitch once you start appliqueing them down.

I must admit the next block gave me pause. I stared at this pattern for days trying to decide how to do it.

I finally decided to do a sort of applique-curved paper peicing thing. I copied the pattern on heavy weight freezer paper and cut out each section and ironed it to the back of the fabrics (luckily the pattern was reversible).

I glued under the seam allowances of the convex curves and left the concave curved seam allowance extended. Sue Daly (Patchwork for Busy Fingers) describes this technique much better than I do on a YouTube video for making a paper pieced apple core shape quilt. I appliquéd those prepped convex curves over top of the concave piece.

Section by section and lots of pressing it came together.

Because that last block worked so well with an English Paper Pieced technique I just kept right at it with the Seven Sisters block. EPP the stars

Then applique them onto the background.

And finally a simple back basting applique block, this one seemed quick after all that paper piecing.

Happy Stitching all,

Cheri

 

 

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