Friday, August 31, 2012

Small Quilts


If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.  
~Doug Larson


It's almost Labor Day weekend.  Three days to relax and enjoy.  We don't have a lot planned for the three days.  Perhaps we will go to a movie.  Yes, out to a theater to sit in the dark and watch a movie on a really, really big screen - lol!  We definitely won't be going out of town.  We try our best to stay off the freeways and highways on any long holiday weekend.  It's still supposed to be hot so we won't plan any outdoor activities.  Maybe we will play some Wi.  Hopefully I will get some stitching in.  What are your plans for the 3 day weekend?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Apples

Apples are one of my favorite fruits.  I especially like the varieties Pink Lady and Honeycrisp.  And you can never go wrong with an apple crisp - yummy!!  Here are a few facts on this wonderful fruit:
The crab-apple is the only apple native to North America
Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie
2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States
The science of apple growing is called pomology
The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea
Apples are a member of the rose family
The largest apple picked weighed three pounds
It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple
In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth
Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C
The apple is the official state fruit of Washington, New York, Rhode Island, and West Virginia
Apple trees don't bear their first fruit until they are four or five years old

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HELP!

I need your help/advice.  It seems as though 50% of the quilts I make end up with a wavy border.


I don't know what causes it and I don't know how to prevent it.  Does anybody have a sure fire way to prevent wavy borders?  Please let me know either below or through a separate email.  Do you know of a video or tutorial that I could watch or read?  All help and suggestions are welcome.

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BABY QUILT

I finished a Loving Hands quilt last week.  This will be my donation to the guild for September.


I created this quilt using the Squares Upon Squares pattern.  I like how it makes little hearts in each square.

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A LITTLE QUILT

I recently completed a little foundation paper pieced quilt that I will be entering in our fair next month.



I named this quilt "Bubbles".  It is made from the pattern, Tropical Fish Pond, by ABC Patterns.  It measures 12.5 inches square.   I am very happy with background fabric I selected but should have made a couple of the fish a bit brighter.  I'm still learning to work with batiks.  Who knew that there was a totally different way of looking at that kind of fabric.

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FINAL THOUGHT



23 comments:

Terry said...

I love your little fish quilt! It's so cute! :0)

Anonymous said...

We don't like to travel on holiday weekends either. We will be home doing the usual other than going to the show in town to see Hope Springs.
Good luck with your cute quilt entry.

Anonymous said...

love your bubbles quilt Linda,well done.xx

Belinda said...

Nothing fun planned for our holiday weekend, but I hope to get some sewing done.
LOVE the bubbles quilt!! I'd love to make that!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I stay home on those long holiday weekends, too. Lot's of stitching time, plus our shop is open, so someone has to be here. Love the little fishies - how cute. Wavie borders - I measure thru the middle and 6 to 12 inches from the ends - use the mean measurement of the three for the border cut. And larger quilts - I use the salvedge side to cut strips - then there is no piecing and you have no 'give' in the fabric.

Maria said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maria said...

I really like Pink Lady Apples. did you know they come from Western Australia. They are a cross between a Lady William and a Golden Delicious..
Both little quilt are lovely..
Good luck with the cheery foundation peiced fish quilt in the show.

Little Penpen said...

Love that Bubbles quilt!!

Barbara said...

Your Bubbles quilt is adorable. I think the colors you chose are perfect. I don't have a solution for the wavy borders, but I ignore mine. That takes care of the problem.

Apple Avenue Quilts said...

Your fish quilt is darling!
I have trouble with wavy borders when I use selvage to selvage cuts for the borders instead of straight of the grain cuts. To prevent this or at least cut back on the problem, if my borders are cut across the grain, I cut the border a little shorter than it should be. Maybe 1/8" on a very small quilt up to 1" or more on a bed size quilt. This takes care of the stretching problem. I haven't had a problem if my borders are cut on the straight of the grain. Also make sure your borders have as much quilting as the center of the quilt. That can cause wavy borders. I'm not an expert, these are just the things I do to try and prevent the waviness. Someone else may tell you that my methods are totally wrong, but they work for me.

Terri said...

I love apples too. I've been working on an apple core quilt for a while now... want to put the names of different kinds of apples that I have eaten around the outside border. So far my most favorite is Washington Beauty. Oh Yum!
Love your quilts too. Good luck with the fish. They are fun and interesting, and love your background.
Hugs

Janet said...

I recently read a post about wavy borders and how to fix them but I can't remember where. Essentially it was the process that Sharon from Vrooman's Quilts describes - measuring in three places, using the mean to cut your borders and adjusting - stretching the fabric - the quilt to fit the size of the borders.

Raewyn said...

I concur with Janet above - that's how I was told to do them and haven't had many issues with waves. Your fishes are just lovely and also the Loving Hands quilt - that's a really nice design isn't it? Enjoy your weekend!

My Sister Made Me Do It.... said...

I love the bubbles quilt and each of those fishies is just a little different from the next! I like your choice of colors...you know we are always more critical of our own work......I will be working on Monday....such is the life of the healthcare worker.....our employer is open 24/7/365........I love apples too! Love the Gala's and the Fuji's

heartsease54 said...

I found out the hard way about wavy borders. Every once in a while you can get away with just slapping a strip on then cutting off the extra (mostly with very small wall hangings). But I measure three places (center, bottom, top), take average of that & cut to size, easing if necessary. That should stop the waving.

Fiona said...

like many others I just love your bubbles quilt... lovely work...
Hugz

Lynda said...

Your Bubbles quilt is darling!

Anonymous said...

Here is a web page that I saved that shows how to correctly attach borders to prevent wavy (toward the bottom of the page)...
http://www.quiltsnkaboodle.com/preparing-your-top-for-quilting.htm

Thanks for your great blog!
Pat
Longarm quilter in Iowa

free indeed said...

THe measuring in three places and taking the average is a good start. Then, mark the center of the quilt and center of the border and pin in place. Mark the halfway point to the centers (on each side of the center) and do the same to the border and pin. Ease as you sew. I've gotten sloppy over the years and tend to forget this step, but it shows up especially in larger quilts. There are reasons to follow the steps every time! :P

Vesuviusmama said...

What lovely little fish! And for apples, I like Pink Ladys too. I actually made an apple crisp this Labor Day weekend. It is right up there as one of my favorite deserts.

Nancy said...

I love Gypsy Girl and of course, Basically Nancy!

cmargego said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
cmargego said...

I see these comments are from several years ago but I enjoyed reading them in 2021. For a new quilter these comments are gems. Thank you!

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