Buzz Saw Quilt Part 2

As promised, here is another picture of the buzz saw quilt that includes the borders. I folded the quilt into quarters and took a picture of a corner so that you could see the borders better.

Also included is a blurry picture of the little tin that started me on this adventure. In my last post, I forgot the information about the pattern. The pattern was included inside the tin with the jelly roll. It is from Cozy Quilt Designs. It is called State of Grace featuring the Shangri la Collection by 3 Sisters. I have found that Cozy Quilt Designs has many patterns featuring jelly rolls.

There is also a story about the fabric that I forgot to tell you about. When I started this quilt, I pulled the jelly roll out of the tin. I looked at the pattern and realized that there was additional fabric that was needed: the background fabric, the accent fabric, and the border fabric. I thought that I had purchased some additional fabric from the same fabric line at the time that I bought the jelly roll -Shangri la Collection by 3 Sisters. I looked all over my sewing room and in my alternate space (the other bedroom). I found fabric that I had purchased for another jelly roll (that includes purple by the way), and I found some other fabric that I had been looking for earlier, but no Shangri la Collection. So, off to the quilt shop for a purchase. I found some accent fabric that almost matched the jelly roll fabrics, and I purchased some beige background fabric that went well with the jelly roll strips. I also found border fabric that was from the Shangri la line.

I was well into construction of the blocks when I spied a project bag sticking out from under my sewing table. I did not recognize the fabric that I saw in the corner of the bag, so I pulled it out. Guess what I found? Yes of course, the Shangri la Collection fabrics that I had bought earlier for the project! There was probably around 10 yards of fabric in that project bag. The blue floral and the red fabric that I used in the quilt borders are two of the fabrics from the lost bag. I decided not to use the fabric from my second purchase for the borders since the fabrics in the project bag matched the fabric line exactly. I did buy some Shangri la Collection fabric for backing during one of my field trips on a quilt retreat weekend. I was lucky and found 6.5 yards which is just enough for the backing. I will use one of the fabrics out of the project bag for the binding.

Now I have enough Shangri la fabric for at least one or possibly two more quilts. I will need to find other backing fabrics I think. No problem!

This is a picture of my purple buzz saw quilt top. I made this a few years ago. The pattern for this quilt was easier to sew than the other one. With this pattern, the blocks were started as large HSTs, then cut into strips, rearranged, and resewn. It was much faster, but as you can see no pinwheels in this one. There were less blocks to sew also making this quilt much faster to sew!

Now I am off to find another quilting adventure. What quilting adventure are you experiencing?

Happy Quilting

The Buzz Saw Quilt Top Is Finished

It is finally finished! I sewed the borders on just before midnight last night. Of course, I was so "buzzed" that I couldn't go to bed right away and I was up until after 2:00 a.m. before I was finally settled down enough to go to bed.

This quilt was bigger than I expected. I had the finished dimensions in the pattern, but the size of it is larger than I thought the dimensions indicated. I went outside to take the picture. The wind is blowing and hubby is trying to hold the quilt for the picture. I am sorry you cannot see all the quilt with all the blue floral borders. I wish I could hang it on the garage door or somewhere outside so you can see the colors better. It has been raining again today and everything outside is wet.

When I started this pattern I did not think it was going to be very difficult to sew. Really it wasn't. The problem was that there was so much of it! The pattern indicated 80 blocks which was about 60 more than I really wanted to do after I got started! But because it was for Debbi, I persevered.

I did take a break the other night and sewed up some little pinwheels from my little HST squares that I made from the cast off triangles from this quilt. I have a block made for the quilt I am making from my cast off pieces. When I get a few more blocks done, I will post a picture of them. It was difficult for me to stop making those pinwheels and go to bed that night. I wanted to keep on sewing all those little HSTs until I had them all sewn into pinwheels.

Next on my schedule are 12 friendship exchange blocks due next month. I am not sure what day, so I know I need to get busy cutting and sewing them ASAP.

Happy Quilting

I am getting there

This last week I have been working on a strip pieced quilt that I am making for Debbi, my co-worker (I mean ex co-worker). I have been working on this quilt for a few weeks off and on, mostly off! I have also been finishing exchange blocks, some pillowcases for sick friends, AND working on Debbi's quilt. I have also finished reading a couple of books.

I have all the strips for the blocks made, so now I am assembling the blocks. There are four strips in each block. When the blocks are sewn together, they make an alternate design of pinwheels in alternate corners. I showed her the jelly roll that I purchased in this darling little tin. I wanted to get it done for her before I retired, but since that did not happen, I am trying to get it finished by her birthday for this year. I have a few months to go. This time will also be spent getting her quilt machine quilted, then the binding attached.

The picture I have attached is of nine blocks, three rows of three blocks. You can see the design patterns. I see three definite ones, the buzz saw in colored fabrics, the alternate buzz saw in the background fabric, and the little red pinwheels.

When I saw the little tin a couple of years ago, I fell in love with it. It really did not matter what was inside, I loved the tin, so it came home with me (I actually paid for it). I put it on my sewing table behind the sewing machine so that I could see it whenever I sat down at the machine. I looked at it, and looked at it, then looked at it some more. I truly enjoy that little tin. Finally, I decided that I should make a quilt for Debbi from these strips since she likes the country colors. I went to the fabric store and tried to find some of the fabrics that where in the jelly roll. Ha-ha-ha!!! That fabric line had long ago been sold. I did manage to find one piece, so I bought it all. It will go for the backing. I found an accent fabric and a background fabric that went well with the other colors, so I bought those two fabrics as well.

There was a lot of cutting involved in this pattern. Even though I used a precut jelly roll, there still was a lot more cutting to do. I took my fabric to a friend's house one day to sew. I cut pieces for this quilt almost the whole time I was there. I did get a few triangles sewn on (with the cast off pieces also sewn into little HSTs). I was determined to get some sewing done that day since I brought my machine and set it up to sew.

I have about 15 blocks sewn as of this morning. There are 80 blocks required for the pattern, so I have many more to sew together. When the blocks are sewn, then I can sew the top together. I will be so happy to have this top completed. I like the design of the pattern, but did not realize when I purchased it how much cutting and sewing there would be in such a simple design. Whew!

I wish you all a super weekend and a wonderful week ahead. Happy Super Bowl watching! And.....

Happy Quilting