Sampler quilt, red and white and Maltaville - Big Week

My sampler quilt - Pieces of the Past - it is all finished!  After the quilting and binding I washed the quilt in the washing machine, on gentle cycle, then blocked it.  I use to fret about making wobbly quilts, after I saw one of my earliest quilts hanging in a show.  I was so embarrassed about how wobbly it was.  Now I don't worry - since I found out about blocking.

While the quilt is still quite wet, I lay it on a sheet on the carpet.  Down on my hands and knees, I move about the quilt and pin it along the edge, with straight pins, into the carpet.  I pull it, and pat it, and smooth it until it is nice and smooth, and flat, and square and keep re-pinning.  Leave it there for a couple of days, with the ceiling fan on in the summer, or a blow heater in the winter.  Hey presto!  you take it up and there is your square flat quilt.  It always works, even on really bad quilts.

 

I took some close up shots of the quilting.  In the border I used a Baptist Fan template.  These lines are 1" apart.  I would like them to be closer, but I ran out of time.

In the sashing I did a little template - think it is called egg and dart.  Fitted in - that is all that matters.

I got a few of the red and white blocks done.  They are not quick to make and as I am using lots of different fabrics, it is not even worth trying to cut up heaps and just string piece them.  As I make them, I am finding easier ways to do it, including the quick method for Flyer Geese.. These blocks are suppose to be 8" finished, but they are coming out at 7 3/4" - every one of them.  Guess if they are all the same then it does not matter.

Finally with the quilting done on the other quilt, I have room to work on the Maltaville blocks from Quiltstation.

So far there have been 16 blocks released, and I have managed to do 12, which is not too bad.  I can catch up.  Must admit that it has been the easier ones I have done first.  The flower block in the centre, has a bird missing.  I was looking for a bird to Broderie Perse, but can't find one small enough.  So I had better just practice my applique skills.