Posts Tagged "Black Friday"

A day or so ago I was asked about the directions of the border blocks on the Black Friday quilt . . had I turned the borders wrong.

This is exactly how the blocks were sewn for the border.  Notice the little black square for each border block is in the bottom left position in that block.

I could have turned all the blocks so they “framed” or “faced” the center of the quilt.  The way I do that is place the left side border blocks in the correct position.  Turn the bottom border blocks clockwise once, turn the left side borders clockwise twice and the top border blocks clockwise three times and this is what I would get.  I did swap out the corner blocks for plain blocks instead of pieced blocks for this version.

The same thing was done with the border blocks for Bears in the Farmhouse.  The half square triangles were all left facing the same direction instead of “framing” the center.

Play around with your border blocks!  You don’t have to do it any certain way . . just however you like them is fine!   You don’t have to do them the way the pattern says, nor do you have to do them the way you’ve always done them or even the way everything thinks they should go.  Have fun with the borders!

My plan for 2010 is to keep a current running total of everything I finish this year.  It will always be here and the easiest way to get to it is to go to the sidebar, click on 2010 Goals and Accomplishments and the list will be there.  I will keep details for each project as to size, thread used, batting, etc.  So, if you want to know a little more about each quilt, that’s where you can find it.  Also, with a running total, this will put to rest your fears that I am making a quilt each day!

Just finished the binding and label on this quilt:

Here’s the back side:

If you want the pattern for this quilt, I’ve posted it here.  For any of my free patterns, you can always look over on the right sidebar, go to Free Patterns and Projects and find them there.

On Lime Green Kitchen:

Cracker Pie – I know I’m always saying these recipes are simple but they really are.  This one doesn’t even have a crust!

Thank you so much for all the responses to my question.  Those were great!  I’ll go back and read those over and over again through the years.

When I start out making a quilt, I don’t usually have a clue where it’s going to end up.  When I did make a quilt for my dad, I showed him pictures of the designs and got his input on the colors.  Most of the time, I doodle in EQ and come up with a design, can’t wait to get started, work from the stash so it’s bright fabric, finish it, love it and then have to decide what to do with it.  Some go to orphanages, some go to veterans’ homes, some go to QOV’s, some go to friends and family, some go into the closet.

Here’s the backing from Black Friday:

Does that fit anyone’s decor . . except maybe mine?    Probably not but it is a nice quilt, don’t you think?  What would you do if I gave it to you?  Of course, I can’t give it to all of you but would this green backing shock you?  Would you stick it in the closet and never let it see the light of day?  Would you love it and cherish it forever, til death do you part?  Through sickness and health?

Look at these feathers.  Oh . . lime green and feathers.  Who could ask for more? Don’t answer that!

So, is it too bright to give to a friend?  To a family member?  I think a child in an orphanage would like it.  Probably not a veteran or a QOV but I still love it.

Speaking of loose change, there’s not much of that around here!  I had to order another cell phone today as mine seems to have disappeared yesterday and if you think I’m unhappy about that .. you’d be correct!

The real “Loose Change” I’m talking about is this:

When I made my Black Friday quilt, I didn’t count and didn’t really know how many fabrics I was going to use so I ended up with a bunch of 4-1/2″ and 2-1/2″ strips left over.  I cut them into 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangles and am making this coin quilt and calling it Loose Change.  Here’s the EQ drawing with the borders and all.

Quick and easy . . and there’s a great spot in there for making feathers!  That’s what a quilt top really is anyway — a place where I can make feathers!

That’s what I thought!  I think I even said so . . I’m staying home and sewing ALL day Friday.  I’m not going to leave the house .. not once.  Goofy me . . even thinking that might happen.

It could have been worse.  We didn’t go to the mall.  We didn’t go to  JoAnn’s Fabrics.  We didn’t go to Wal-Mart.  We didn’t go to Target.  What the heck did we do that caused me not to get to sew a stitch til after 5 p.m.?

Right off the bat, before I’d even fixed breakfast, the processor called to say Chad’s deer was ready.  I didn’t really mind running up the road about 20 miles to get the venison . . wouldn’t take long at all.  No, that wasn’t going to happen either.

Vince wants to make sausage so he wanted to go by the Amish store and see if they have a meat grinder. Went there first.  They had one but it wasn’t what we wanted.  Got a few things there.  Then Vince decided we should go to Butler to the Mennonite store there and see if they had a meat grinder.  Nope, sold the last one this week.  Have more on order.  By now, it was 11:00 and I hadn’t bothered fixing breakfast so I was hungry.  There’s a great little bakery there so we got sandwiches there.

The real adventure came about when Vince remembered that someone had told him that there was a place . . somewhere . . that sold sausage making supplies.  When you drive the back roads in our county and the surrounding counties . . there’s so much wide open spaces.  I thought we were lost forever.  But look how pretty it is out there!

It was a beautiful day and though I had planned to be sewing, I was so thankful not to be in crowded retail establishments, I didn’t care how long we stayed out.  We finally found someone to ask about this sausage making supply store and at first he wasn’t sure what we were talking about but as Vince kept telling him what we were looking for, he remembered a place.  We turned around and went in the direction in which this man had pointed us.

Lots of bumpy dirt roads but we finally arrived.  What a neat place it was!  All kinds of spices and lots of Louisiana/Cajun items.  Here’s their display of hot sauces.

We came away with lots of spices and flavoring packets for sausage.  Never did find a grinder but I can order one from Amazon for my Kitchen Aid.

And, look at this stately old tree!  I want to live in the country!!

I don’t even care if I have to live off a dirt road.  I do want cell phone service and there was none of that to be found in this area today but . . it surely was a beautiful area.

It was a good day for both of us.  Vince got to do a bit of shopping and I didn’t have to go to any crowded places.  Dare I say . . tomorrow I will sew?