Thrifty Thursday and UFO Friday

I delivered this quilt and pillow set to my friend/client today and I can hardly wait to get a picture of it in its forever home.

I kept the scraps from the cutting table with my friend’s permission and have a plan in mind .

I discovered a quilt pattern in my book “Scrap Quilt Sensation” by Katharine Guerrero . https://tinyurl.com/y4mkqyla

The pattern is called Strictly Triangles. I’ve had this book since February 2011 . I was drawn by the vibrant colours. It’s time to actually use my triangle scraps and get this started!

I pulled out my Accuquilt GO cutter and my two sizes of half square triangles . I cut down these scraps into useable triangles to add to the ones I’m collecting in my cupboard for this project. It will be a “Leaders and Enders” quilt which means that while I’m working on a main project, instead of cutting threads at the end of sewing, you insert two pieces that you want to sew together for another project and “sew off” onto them . 

This brilliant idea is from Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville and it explains how she gets so many quilts done with her busy schedule. So I will be also building half square triangle units to be assembled later. Get it? Pure genius right!?

I love scrappy quilts and don’t tend to throw away fabric odds and ends if it is something that I can use in another quilt. My scrap bins are full so the ONLY new project I’m allowing myself as I deal with the last decade’s UFOs is scrap quilts from these bins. This quilt should keep me going for awhile!

I’m also going to pull out my next UFO for personal stitching time (not to be confused with quilting for customers time  ) This is my own pattern and this will be the fourth colour version I’ve made. The first was traditional Amish black with four other colours, the second one was greens and purple, the third one was black and gold and this one is pinks and greys.

The pattern is available for purchase in my shop https://dayspringquiltcompany.com/product/amish-block-party-pattern/.

Thanks for stopping by! I’m off to load a customer quilt and today I will also hopefully spend some time cutting down some more scraps from the cutting table for my Strictly Triangles Quilt. What are you working on today?

Mavis

APQS DEMO MACHINE SALE!!

 

Have you had your eye on an APQS quilting machine? Act now, our Demo Sale starts today, October 12, 2020! Take advantage of deeply discounted prices on those longarm quilting machines used as display models this summer. Our demo machines are backed by our unbeatable lifetime warranty. Inventory is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

 

Demo Millie - $4,300 discount Package includes: Discount: $1,700 cash off Free Quilt Glide - $1,250 value Free Automatic Quilt Advance - $1,350 value Deluxe Table with options of: 10 ft., 12 ft. or 14 ft. Lifetime warranty Click to learn more about optional accessories listed above. Total Value: $22,300; Sale Price $18,000

 

 

Demo Freddie - $4,400 discount Package includes: Discount: $1,800 cash off Free Quilt Glide - $1,250 value Free Automatic Quilt Advance - $1,350 value Deluxe Table with options of: 10 ft., 12 ft. or 14 ft. Lifetime warranty Click to learn more about optional accessories listed above. Total Value: $21,200; Sale Price $16,800

 

 

Demo Lucey - SOLD OUT Discount - $1,400 cash off Standard Table with options of: 10 ft. or 12 ft. Lifetime warranty Total Value: $13,400; Sale Price $12,000   Demo Lenni - $2,000 discount Discount - $2,000 cash off Standard Table with options of: 10 ft. or 12 ft. Lifetime warranty Total Value: $11,300; Sale Price $9,300   Demo QuiltPath Discount - $750 cash off 1-year warranty Total Machine Value: $10,500; Sale Price is $9,750   Demo George Discount: $600 cash off Portable table Lifetime warranty Total Value: $7,200/ Sale Price is $6,600

 

 

Don't forget the amazing extras that come with APQS machines: Bobbin Winder FREE Beginner' class ($200 value) Several sample spools of thread A starter pantograph A package of needles Extra bobbins Only $1,000 for optional Bliss Track System Upgrade - Available on all Deluxe and Standard frames.

Polka Dot Party Quilt Pattern history

Here’s a bit of a journey to share on the development of this latest pattern. A few years ago (like more than 10!) we had a quilting group in our then church that made quilts for all the new babies in the congregation . There were years when we had a bumper crop and could hardly keep up. But we did find some time to do some other quilts for other causes as well. One year we sent a bunch of quilts to some volunteers in Romania for their living quarters . They volunteered in an orphanage.

We had wanted to send baby quilts for the orphanage but were told that they don’t cover the babies with blankets . While this was a hard thing to comprehend by our North American standards, we understood and chose to bless their ministry another way.

We also had two ladies at that Church who were the kitchen volunteers and faithfully served us delicious food for ALL the monthly church luncheons and special events . Our quilting group wanted to recognize their faithful service and bless them, so two of us in the group made them these quilts. Mine was called Corn and Beans in Provence . The title seemed appropriate for a cook. This was all the way back in 2008!

Corn and Beans in Provence

It was so named because of the Provencal fabrics. Look familiar? This was the basis of my design for Polka Dot Party. I created the original pattern but never published it. I was asked by one of my local quilt guilds to provide a mystery quilt for them. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I decided that this was a good, simple and quick choice.

I then started play in EQ8 to get the pattern drafted. I wrote the mystery in three steps and the finale was published this past Monday. The ladies in the guild and in another facebook group are busy finishing their quilts. Here’s mine:

I also volunteered to contribute a free quilt pattern to APQS for their October blog post so it all seemed to fall into place.

This pattern is FREE in my store (link on the main page) and will be published by APQS later this month.

We are using the hashtags #polkadotpartymysteryquilt and #polkadotpartyquilt (for those not doing it as a mystery). I am looking forward to seeing all the different quilts.

Thanks for following this rabbit trail (ahem … journey) with me. If you’re a pattern designer, what is your inspiration? Do you get dreams about quilts and draft them from what you envisioned? Do you spot something in nature and use that as a launchpad for your own interpretation? Do you see a bundle of fat quarters and know exactly what you want to do with them? For me this time, I really, really wanted to play with polka dots and remembered my Corn and Beans quilt and married the two together.

Until next time,

Mavis