CindyA

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D-2 Mouse In A Mirror This guy was a little trickier than I thought it would be! But a fun, little block.

Gus, thanks for your thoughtful comments regarding quilting DJ. I'm kind of leaning towards it deserves to be hand quilted. On the other hand, I don't want it to be an unfinished project for years to come. I recently had an applique quilt machine quilted by a long-armer and it is absolutely beautiful!! She did an amazing job. I have a Tennessee Waltz top that I'm going to hand quilt with silk batting and am anxious to see how it looks. Maybe that will be an option for DJ. Silk batting is so much easier on my hands and at the rate I go, I don't have to buy batting that often (important, since silk batt is so expensive.)

QuiltnNan

cindy, i love the fabric in that block... it gives the block depth and motion. nicely done.

dakotamaid

I am working on B5, and almost done. BUT, it only measures 4.5 unfinished and her ruler says it should be 5inches unfinished. Advise please!!

CindyA

Dakotamaid, for a lot of the ones that I've come up short on I've just added another border on all four sides. For B5, however, since the last for steps are outer borders (and of the background color) maybe you could reverse sew (take out) those four seams and add larger borders, then trim down to correct size. Good luck!

Thank you, Nancy (my fabric on D2).

Starting to sleet a little here, hope I get snowed in for a day and can spend it quilting.

dakotamaid

That is what I ended up doing. Another question (may have been covered earlier.) When I print out the patterns from the DJ CD, do I keep "Brenda"s Block or the 4.5 size? If that is so than I need to adjust my seam allowance to less than a quarter. Right?

Cre8tvlwyr

I have the software on my other computer that I cant get online anymore, hence, I haven't printed out anything either because the printer is wireless.... ohhhhh... too long to explain! I think Brenda's size is 5" unfinished 4.5" finished. I would not change the standard on the program except when you make the triangles which have to be changed to 5" x 8" - this is the "finished size" for the triangles. Note that the unfinished size of the triangles is over 5 1/2" at the base.

I hope this answers the question?? My suggestion is to print one out and make sure that the finished size of the blocks [without the seam allowance] is 4.5"
Gus

dakotamaid

I am using the standard (Brenda's) and it came out to 4.5 unfinished. I took another look at my seams and they aren't really a scant quarter so am adding to the outside edge on this one (B5) and being really careful on the next and see what happens.

Also, after struggling half the day on the diamonds on this B5 I gave up and fused and am going to applique by machine. I tried reverse applique just for practice and didn't do that any better. I'll continue to practice and see how it goes!!

Part of my struggle with those tiny applique might be the loss of feeling in the tips of my right hand due to carpal tunnel. Maybe.

CindyA

More catching up. I was able to get more done this week than I thought I would.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]397281[/ATTACH]D-9 Uncle Richard. I just barely had enough of this blue to finish the block. I've never come that close to running out of a fabric on any DJ block. A little scary. LOL

[ATTACH=CONFIG]397282[/ATTACH]RS-11 I put the two long sides on one step too late, and in the wrong color (should be background color.) But I actually like the way it looks so I'm leaving it.

Cre8tvlwyr

Cindy - I absolutely love the triangle! First I thought - wow, thought I had made that number a long time ago but didnt recognize it ....like yours better
As for Uncle Richard... yep I've come two threads of fabric short a few times and just fudged it!! I have used a single charm square in about 3-4 of my blocks. Then you really need to be careful!

I'm hoping to 'catch up' to my wacky schedule I made up for all of us before life got going....
So first let me post my latest finished block I12 [week of Feb 3 on schedule]
I laid down a needle and thread on that block because I wanted to share with you something I frequently do when fine points come together in a block. I make a 'bar tack' at the corner. This is 2-4 small straight stitches pulling the corners together.... a little shorter than what you would do at the top of a buttonhole. It gets rid of imperfections and makes the point look crisper.
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I started to make triangle BR9 - scheduled for the week starting tomorrow. I am paper-piecing and appliqueing. Thatquilt.com states that you have to reverse or make a mirror image to complete this block. However - you don't really have to unless the order in which the two print pieces overlap to make the "v" is important to you. Unless I miss something else [please let me know.] The other caution I do want to pass along is that you leave enough of the print fabric to extend beyond your seamline - continue those curves! When you applique the background on top of the print, you will end up with a beautiful fine point once the sashing is attached. Now - I just made a picture of the coloring paper foundation pattern I will be sewing on. I'm doing the paper piecing this morning and finishing the hand sewing tonight. [along with the corners of H2-wk of Nov 25 and J1 -week of March 10]
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CindyA

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E-3 Paddle Wheel