Wednesday, August 20, 2025

20 years of blogging

My first post included this photograph and explaination:
Klein meisje is Dutch for little girl--what my beloved grandfather called his 12 granddaughters because, I fear, it was easier than trying to remember our names.
I continue to take pleasure in sharing my quilting life.
Thank you for being with me!
Lynn

Monday, August 18, 2025

chickens, "Henny and her friends" top completed

Henny and her friends
Chickens
62 by 58 inches
Top completed 2025

My sisters and I are naming the chickens for my mom's childhood friends.

I finished this top in June and just realized I hadn't posted about it.
Read HERE about how I constructed the block.
I used Kona Rich Red for the constant and will also bind with it.
I adapted and revised the chickens from a block shown in the Special Spring 2013 edition of Quiltmania Hen Party designed by Kim Gaddy of Buttons and Bees. I cannot find an active link to the designer. Quiltmania is defunct, old copies of the issue are available online.

My block finishes 12 by 14 inches. I added a sprocket sashing of 1 1/2 inch cut squares.
This quilt will go to my sister Beth.
The back is made from chicken feed sacks of my mother. The photo shows the back in progress--there is another print added. I will photograph the back when it returns from the quilter.

Block revisions and set are mine--use at your pleasure.

Sunday, August 17, 2025

tulips! Using pattern by Bess Casey Wilke of Side Lake Stitch: top completed

Tulips
top completed 2025
83 by 65 inches

After the sunflowers, I had to make tulips.
Bess Casey Wilke of Side Lake Stitch has a great tulip pattern Flower Block HERE
I modified piecing a bit by using a goose for the center tip of the tulip and by using the Doug Leko tool for the leaves. And I widened the frame a bit to 2 inches cut.
LOVE THIS!!
Get her delightful pattern and read about her natural dye work!

I used Kona Snow for the constant and made each block with a different red print.

Backing is Farm Family Red by Marshall Dry Goods Co.

LOVE this beaters fabric of Robert Kaufman

Wednesday, August 06, 2025

scottie dogs, binding! quilt completed


Scottie Dogs

top completed 2024
Quilt completed 2025
68 by 62 inches

Quilted by Sue Divarco

48 blocks set 6 across and 8 down
Block finishes 5 by 6 inches
I used Kona Snow for the white
Go HERE to read about the quilt and links to directions.

My design, use at your pleasure.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Petal Patch in Red and White, pattern by Meghan Buchanan , top completed

Flowers
89 by 65 inches
top completed 2025

I had been sketching out flower designs for my Red & White series when I came upon Then Came June's Meghan Buchanan's delightful Petal Patch pattern available to purchase as a pdf HERE
It moved to the top of my list and my sketches can wait.
Check out all her variations of the pattern on her blog.

Her pattern has great directions and graphics.
I adapted to my construction preferences and eliminated a few seams, mainly by using Doug Leko's mini simple folded corners ruler available HERE. I love this ruler and the larger size too.
I also prefer to press seams to the side rather than open and in making my sample block found this worked.
For the centers instead of piecing, I used 6 different red on white prints. 
I used a different single red print fabric for each flower and its leaves giving it more a silhouette feel. 
Kona Snow for the background. I buy it by the bolt and tear off lengths as I use it.

With CAREFUL cutting, I could get a block out of a fat quarter by cutting along the 18" side:
-Two strips the width of the leaf block in her directions (the longer number) then cutting the two squares for the outside triangles of the center of the flower from the remaining of those strips
-Two strips the length in her directions (the longer number) of the petals
-One strip the width of the stem in her directions
Cut the small squares for the four little squares used in the petals from the leftovers after cutting all the other pieces.

(The block uses nearly the entire fat-quarter. One fat-quarter was a bit short and I had to cut into the selvage for the stem. Fortunately the selvedge words ended up in the seam allowance or I would have had to find a replacement.)

A few other changes:
-I over-cut the length the the stem pieces and backgrounds, sewed them, then trimmed to her stated size.
-I also eliminated the outer framing pices of the block and instead used sashing cut 2 1/2 inches.
-I also put a narrow border to give some space to the flowers.

Use my adaptations at your pleasure--buy her pattern!!

I am thinking of making another with a variety of colors using just the flower part of the pattern.

Love Meghan's designs. Check out her Then Came June website and blog.


Backing is Winter at the Farm by Dianna Swartz for Benartex #13456


Tuesday, July 01, 2025

red and white jack and jill variation, top completed

Jack and Jill 
Top completed 2025
94 by 80 inches

I think I've made four Jack and Jills now.
I've used different combinations of rectangles and/or squares. Each has been quilted by Sue DiVarco with a pantograph of tumbling children, which I will use again for this one.
The 2 1/2 inch cut red squares bin was pretty full when I started and is not so any longer. Good thing more red and white quilts are in progress so the scraps will accumulate!

The directions are for making as shown but are easily adapted for changing the size of the quilt. I wanted to go big, but may make another with my multi-color scraps a bit smaller down the road.

Cutting (note, my numbers might be off a bit)
White: 230 rectangles cut 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches; 10 squares cut 2 1/2 inches
Red: 1410 squares cut 2 1/2 inches

Unit Piecing (note again, my numbers might be off a bit)
The basic unit is made from one white rectangle 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches and six red 2 1/2 inch squares. Do not press yet.
MAKE 200 Basic Units with six red squares  and one white rectangle each.


The top is constructed in six panels of eight rows*
*NOTE that I left off Row 8 of the bottom panel as I did not want a lone white square floating on the left bottom corner. My numbers reflect this change.

Use 188 units to make 47 rows of 4 units.
Each row has 4 of the basic units, with the white rectangle on the left. Then adapted as described below to have the stair-step effect.
(Remaining 12 units will be used in next step.)

Panel construction
Row 1: Add one more basic unit with the row starting with a rectangle
Row 2: Add one square at the beginning and a rectangle and five squares on the end
Row 3: Add two squares at the beginning and a rectangle and four squarres on the end
Row 4: Add three square at the beginning and a rectangle and three squares on the end
Row 5: Add four squares at the beginning and a rectangle and two squares on the end
Row 6: Add five squares at the beginning and a rectangle and one square on the end
Row 7: Add one more basic unit with the row ending with a rectangle
Row 8: Add a WHITE square and six red squares at the beginning of the row and a WHITE square at the end

Left side of a panel, Rows 1-8

Right side of the panel, Rows 1-8

Row pressing
Press odd rows to the west and even rows to the east

Make 6 panels.

Panel pressing
Press panels south

Sew panels together and press joining seams south.
Everything nests!
Backing is this great 
Riley Blake 
Nautical pattern C8550 for Caskata
The ships are about 4 inches tall and 7 inches long

My design, use at your pleasure.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

no kings


No Kings
top pieced June 14, 2025
About 23 1/2 by 24 1/2 inches