Posted on by agilejack

Getting Busy on a Sunday

Had a nice long night sleep last night followed by a leisurely breakfast. After that I dug in and did a little clean up of my sewing room, folding and putting away a bunch of fabrics that have been sitting around in piles for too long. And with that, the room was ready for us to get busy.

Around noon my friend, Linda, and I hit my sewing room and start working on her Australian Aboriginal quilt. We’re making her a version of this quilt that I gave to my brother and his wife a couple years ago.

Here’s a full view of the quilt.

It’s made from 9 inch squares sashed with 2 inch strips with cornerstones. It’s a pretty quick make and really lets the fabrics shine. It’s one of my favorite quilts that I’ve made.

Linda had cut her squares before she got here so we had a head start. She prepped and pressed the fabrics and I cut the sashing strips. Then Linda sat down at the sewing machine and started chain piecing the sashing strips onto the blocks.

It went really fast. And while she was sewing I was making the sashing pieces with the cornerstones attached that would go on the blocks next.

This old blog post explains how I make the sashing with cornerstones attached. It’s a really quick, efficient and easy way to do it.

We filled the roles we usually take, except Linda did more sewing than she usually does. But she did do almost all of the pressing.

I love having someone else to do the pressing! It really speeds up the process. Plus, I’m not a patient presser and am glad to pass that duty on to someone else.

I had told Linda that we should be able to get all those blocks done today, and we did! And they are all up on the design wall… taking a rest before we make the design final tomorrow and start putting the rows together.

The remaining sashing pieces we need for this quilt are sitting on the cutting table. We won’t add those to blocks on the bottom and right side until we decide this design is final.

Before dinner, while it was still light, we decided to get out and take my boys for a nice walk. When we got home we took my three recent quilt tops outside to get better photos of them.

Here’s last night’s finish with an obligatory Bender.

Rico was nowhere near this activity. He really hates any fabric flapping, like folding towels, making the bed, or shaking rugs. So when we stepped out with the quilt tops, he anticipated what was coming and hightailed in into the house to stay as far away as possible.

Bender, on the other hand, insists on being front and center in the photos.

This one looks so small up on the fence.

Last was this one.

Bender looks good in blue! And I like the way this top looks in natural light.

Tomorrow we’re going to head out to McMinnville, Oregon, to visit a lovely l little quilt store. Well, that is if they’re actually open tomorrow, since it’s a holiday. Then we’ll partake of our tradition of buying a big bag of potato chips to eat on a leisurely drive home on back roads.

It’s likely we’ll start sewing the Aboriginal quilt rows together some time tomorrow.

We’re thinking we might head to the coast on Tuesday. My dogs will be so happy to get a nice beach run.

49 Replies to “Getting Busy on a Sunday”

  1. You girls have so much fun, love all the quilts and sweet Bender makes a nice addition to the photos ! I am especially partial to the blue quilt ( my fav color). Trips to quilt shops and potatochips, sounds like a perfect day , not to mention the teamwork on the latest upcoming quilt !! 

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  3. Love all the quilts, each are beautiful in differnt ways.  Poor Rico, he’s so cute but I get it you never know what the flappin fabric is going to do, so unpredictible unlike sheep. Bender is a movie star pooch, he seems to love being in the limelight. They are both very sweet boys. Sounds like a fun time quilt shop, chips, and beach! Perfect.

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  4. ohh, beautiful quilt in the making! I do love the design, simple yet striking since it lets the fabric shine in big pieces 🥰. Sweet Bender is the handsomest 🌹!

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    1. it’s a very simple pattern and you’re right…let’s those beautiful prints be the star. I love it. The one Made for my brother and his wife is one of my favorite quilts.

      Anne

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  5. I think Bender makes a great quilt model! Good to see all these finishes in the light. You are making beautiful quilts; I love the aboriginal fabrics! Reminds me to get out my unfinished one and get it done.

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  6. We must be twins departed at birth. I, too, pre-sash blocks. And I’ll add cornerstones specifically to allow for pre-sashing!

    What great photos!

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  8. Your blue quilt is fascinating and gorgeous! I love how the fabrics play together and keeps me engaged. So cool!

    I started a quilt using aboriginal fabrics, a few years ago, designing as I go, that I need to get back to. I get inspiration from yours for sure!

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  9. Hi, wow, they are all beautiful and I think your Bender likes the woven aboriginal quilt the best, he’s smiling so perfectly. Your vacation plans sound like great fun, I can’t wait for next weekend, I will be sewing with my girlfriends at our local quilt shop all day. 

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  10. Love the fabric choice on the blue quilt. Just stumbled across you by chance scrolling through Pinterest. Am in Milwaukie. Do you give classes for some of your lovely quilts? Love your blog. Judith

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  11. I have a good friend who comes to sew with me when she visits Canada. I sew and she irons/presses. It’s a great system and everything goes so fast, plus we love the company and chatter! Enjoy your visit!

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  12. Hi Anne, you’re correct about Bender looking good in blue. He is such a sweetheart. I enjoy seeing your photos of him and Rico. I have to ask you if the woven looking quilt is done in the aboriginal fabric? I think it is but I’m not usually a fan of that fabric. But your woven quilt is definitely an exception. enjoy your vacation time. Happy to hear the weather is good for your time with your visitor. Have fun. Mary G

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  13. That’s so fun that you sew with a friend like that! Just stopping to do the pressing can take a lot of time. Bender is the star but the quilts are lovely too 🙂

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  20. Your quilts are beautiful. I have a new appreciation for aboriginal fabrics. Bender is so cute but he looks a little like a deer caught in headlights, maybe it’s just his big beautiful eyes.

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  22. I love each of your quilts for different reasons. But I keep going back to the middle one. I absolutely love the contrast with the black and white background. Stunning!! Thank you!

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  23. Anne, could you tell me the name of the sashing used on the blocks you used on the 20th? It is kind of brown, aboriginal-ish, and stunning with those flowers that are the center of the block. I want to say it’s kind of prunish. Thanks and hugs to the boyz. And one for your houseguest too!

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