Mother Makes a String Quilt

 

I haven’t done much with my projects that were on my design wall since last week. But look at what Mother has done. She has started making a crib size string quilt from some red and blue strips that I had left over from a string quilt.

 

I can tell she is enjoying it so much. She just keeps humming & whistling at the same time, something that she does when she’s happy. A lot of my sister’s and I have inherited the same whistle/hum when we sew. It makes for a pleasant atmosphere.

Some blocks for Jeanne

I made four half log cabin with various sizes of strings and strips.

I found this type of piecing is more effective if i make several at a time.

You can see I used the same fabrics in each block.

Thanks Jeanne, for offering to collect them and make them into quilts.

Summer Flowers

 

Hi friends!

 

I'm Jeanne from a small resort town in the southern California mountains, and I'm delighted to be stringing along here with you.  I've coordinated with Brenda about her recent half log cabin challenge, and I'm ready to go!!!

 

  I'm the Comfort Quilts chairperson for my guild, and one of the organizations we support is Doves, a domestic violence shelter for moms and kids who need a safe place to stay.  For this challenge, I'll be collecting 12 1/2" half log cabin blocks that start with a nice bright yellow patch in the corner. I'd especially like to get blocks that use happy bright summer flower colors.  Twelve blocks will make a child's quilt, or twenty four blocks will be used for a mom's quilt.  Please consider helping by sending a block or two -- leave a comment below and I'll email you my mailing address.

 

Thanks, Brenda, for giving me this opportunity to collect blocks that will make special quilts for families in crisis who need a hug!  

 

*************** 

Half log cabin string block

I visited my friend M yesterday and she showed me her collection of string quilts. She's made lots of these--at least five. Who want to make some of these blocks like this with me?

Let's  make 12.5 inch blocks with a yellow/orange/gold brick in one corner. Use wide and skinny strips log cabin style (but only along two sides) until it is big enought, square it off, and mail it to Jeanne. Leave a message below and I'll send you her address.

Post your results here. Leave a comment here if you want to play along.

Better late than never

When this blog started last year, I was overcome with envy that I didn't have the opportunity to jump in and start a string quilt immediately and sew along with the rest of you.  Living in NM, my sewing activities are confined to my visits to San Diego, for reasons that are too complicated to explain. 



When I'm in San Diego, I sew and quilt like a woman possessed.  Receiving my copy of Victoria's 15 Minutes of Play book last month set me in motion on this quilt.  I thought playing for 15 minutes a day was a great way to start my long-awaited string quilt.  Two weeks and countless hours of sleep lost later, I finished the blocks (I am nothing less that obsessive about my projects, I fear).  I wasn't happy with the size, and pondered the pros and cons of a border on such a busy top. 

Then, to the rescue, came Victoria's finished Christmas quilt from all the donated blocks.  I loved her border, and took off on mine from there.  The resulting top is 76" x 86".  The backing is all pieced from scraps also, but I was too lazy to hang it to show you.  I'm so tickled to finally be able to share it with all of you!

Keep those strings coming

We have had an unusually long run of gray days in my part of southern Ontario. We finally had about an hour and a half of bright sun yesterday so I got this picture taken. It is a black centre string quilt with every bit of bright stuff I could find. I hope you have all read the previous post and will join us for a variety of strings in the new year. Piecefully, Joanne

How about a monthly string-along for 2013?

I've been missing in action from this blog, which I started a year ago

to encourage quiltmakers to play with their strings.

I'd like to propose a modest string-along here for the first half of 2013.

Many of you have made diagonal string blocks, like the ones above

Some of you shared them with me

to make a donation quilt we names Anything Goes

which was raffled off for a children's charity.

Let's try another group effort with a string BOM.

String flying geese, made from 6 inch string blocks.

I'm looking for five string-ers

to take a month each, from now until summer.

Post a string block you haven't tried before.

It doesn't have to be original to you, but please quote the source

if you found it somewhere on the blogosphere.

Other bloggers lurking here can try it with you

and post their results here.

If you would like to make a charity quilt with your block,

you're welcome to invite others to send you blocks.

I know string-alongers are a generous bunch.

So comment below if you want to play along

or post a block here to have others play.

I'll start with the January block of string geese, inspired by Bonnie over at Quiltville.

I'll post the instructions later this week.

Happy stringing!

Spiral

Does this count as a string quilt???  It WAS constructed of random width strips sewn round and round.

Obviously it's a work in progress, but if I show it here I might feel like I should keep going.  I have been really bogged down this fall sewing things I needed to sew rather than things I wanted to sew.  That's going to change now!

This is my third spiral.  I was inspired by the quilts of Kristin Miller, a Canadian quilter.  She doesn't have a blog that I know of, but if you are interested, her website is www.kristinmillerquilts.com.

 

Stars and stripes

I haven't posted on this blog for a very long time, keep forgetting to share my string-y stuff! 

I found a bunch of string blocks in a zip lock bag that wanted to be used for something.  I remember making these blocks when I didn't want to do a specific project but I wanted to sew; then I put them in my "parts department," to be used as when inspiration hit.

I wanted to make a full-size quilt but I didn't have quite enough, so I thought - stars and stripes! I made wonky stars and alternated them with the strings.

I like to add variety by alternating background colors!

My layout looked great, here's the finished quilt:

I had it long-arm quilted by a guild member, Bernerdett - she did a wonderful job!

Stars and Stripes is 82x73 and doesn't have a border; I bound it in a medium-dark blue.

You can see more of the creative process on my blog, just search for "string blocks" to pull up the posts!

Linda

Smaller scale diamond strings

This is likely my last finish for the year in the strings department. I have one more string quilt sewn together but not yet quilted. This particular quilt is a pink centred green string quilt. Over all size is 27" by 38" so a baby size. The individual foundations that the strings were sewn on were 5" by 7".
Thanks for setting this blog up it has been a great way to look at what people around the world are doing with their strings. Joanne