Uh Oh! - I need to resew a whole block....

Yesterday evening I found out another reason one can benefit from having a design wall... As I was checking out the direction of the sashings around the sampler-blocks for the top- right block, I saw that I had altered the direction of the sashings of the bottom right block... Oh No!!

  As the right and left wide sashings run from top to bottom, the ones around the sampler blocks should do so too... And for the sake of uniformity in the quilt... as the sashings for the top left block in the left panel of this Indigo blue quilt for my hubby run in that direction, so the sashings in other identical blocks should also....

this is the block on the top left of the quilt (left panel)

 It took me a while before I mustered the courage to start ripping up the seams... It helped to look at it on the design to figure out what would be the easiest way to tackle the job.

These pictures were taken yesterday evening... you can see a part of my sewing table!

And so I needed to cut two long sashing strips. So glad that I had enough fabric left over....

 I wasn't able to finish it yesterday evening, so I stitched the last sashings back in place this morning.

See the difference?....

My husband was sure that no one would have seen the mistake... That's really sweet of him, isn't it?! His idea would have saved me a lot of work. But I'm sure quilters will see it. And if they wouldn't, I would always know about it... so I just had to repair the block. And now I am grateful for the result. It was more work than I thought, because once you rip open so many seams, all those uggly little threads start to appear... So I roller-cut all the edges again, getting rid of all the loose threads. And a lot of pressing with my iron was part of the job too of course. But hey, we're used to that aren't we? LOL.

Oh well... one is never too old to learn! I hope I won't make this mistake ever again.

Top right block of the right panel
In order to finish the the top right block of this panel, I needed one more sampler block. So I appliqué'd 2 butterflies wednesday. They are part of the design of the fabric that I am using as the basis for this quilt. It's an indigo and cream fabric I bought at Ikea in Delft years and years ago. This is how the block turned out:

I hand-embroidered the butterflys' antennae.

As the 9 sampler-blocks are now joined together with the narrow sashings, I 'only' need to add the top-to-bottom oriented sashings and the 4 wider sashings around it. Yippee! that means that I will be able to join it to the other part of the right panel. That will bring me to the final part of joining the left - middle - and right panels which means that the quilttop is almost finished...

Back to sewing now...
Bye for now!
Else

It's so sweet... to have grandchildren!

Last year, when I purchased my great new computer-controlled sewing machine (the Janome Horizon 7700QCP) I wanted to learn how to sew on her before starting a large project. So I made this little wall quilt.

I found the pattern for Sam and baby Sue at www.freeApplique.com

and added some vintage band around the bonnet of baby Sue.

 The grass she sits on is a combination of embroidery stitches and I added some monogramming on top too:  ' Sweet'  surrounded by hearts and bows.

it was an experience in precise-stitching to do the applique stitches!

The finished block size is 9 1/4" square. (23,5 cm square). It symbolizes my 2 first Grandchildren: a boy and his baby sister. I love them to bits!
Meanwhile we have another grandson... he was born this year. Still need to make a new block I guess with 3 kids in it. Chuckle.

I did make a few things on my sewing machine for this grandson. But that will be the entry of another blog soon.
It's windy and rainy out there today. Not one of my best days either (pain). Will try to do some sewing now on the Indigo Blue quilt. I'll take pictures to keep you posted if I get around to sewing.

Have a great day!
Else

Introduction and Design Wall

later in the same day

Design Wall

Other quilters work with them, I saw on the internet. A Design Wall seemed to me a perfect item, but what could I use to make it? Then this week it dawned on me.... We have an extra tabletop that we put on top of my sewing table in our living room, next to our dining room table (which is oval shaped) to sandwich my quilts and to square them off.

When not in use, we keep the table-top that used to be our son's train table, in our cellar. Why not cover it with a large bed sheet + flannel and have it double as a Design Wall?... so I got it out of the cellar yesterday (a perilous action, so glad all went well...) and covered it as planned and Voilà: my new Design Wall!

 Just in case you wonder what this is... this is the new king-size quilt I am making for my husband. It's made out of shades of Indigo-blue fabrics. Still a long way to go, but I'm so glad with the progress made until now!


Introduction

Yes! I did it! I started my first blog ever...

 After having seen and enjoyed so many other blogs, it's time to start my own. I named my blog 'Sew Happy 2 Quilt' because I indeed love to quilt!
This love is young... I started quilting last year and am totally hooked. It started out as a therapy to rehabilitate myself after suffering from a major head injury but it has become a new love ever since. 
My first quilt is the 'Shades of Beige' quilt, a paper-pieced one.

This picture shows a section of the quilttop hung in front of an open door... you can see the light shining through. Almost looks like a stained glass window, doesn't it?

I used the pattern by Marcia at www.quilterscache.com  called 'Economy Quilt'.

 When I started out, I was only able to sew half a block once in the so many days... gradually I was stitching 1 block a day and then 2 blocks a day until I managed 8 blocks a day, a few times a week, months later. You can imagine my thrill when I finished the top... This quilt has become a symbol to me of the progress I was able to make.

Meanwhile I have finished 2 large quilts: the 'Shades of Beige' and this one: 'Beach View', made after a quilt I saw in the quilt shop in Bergen, in the Dutch province of Noord Holland (North Holland) called  De Dekenkist. I bought the fabric (Makower) there too and love the fresh colors. As I love the sea this was a pleasure to make!

I quilted this quilt with the thread-painting method.

 

+ 2 crib quilts as well as other sewings that I will share with you in other postings.

From now on I will regularly update this blog to share what I am working on...

Hope to meet you here!

Else