Springtime Mantel and Cushion Cover

Desert Sky Quilts has a great quilting blog which includes tutorials for some blocks she designed.  I liked her Indestructible Star and tried it using her instructions for a 12-1/2 inch unfinished block.  I added a border and ruffles to make a nice cushion cover.

(http://desertskyquilts.livejournal.com/)

I thought this would be a good pattern to use with scraps for a springtime mantel cover.  For this cover I reduced the blocks to 6-1/2 inches.

For the length I wanted, I made 5 blocks using scraps of a different coordinating color for each.

I added setting and corner triangles along with a border and a plain piece of fabric for the top of the mantel.

I didn’t want to use batting and placed the backing right sides together with the block portion and sewed around the edges, leaving an opening on the back edge.  The piece was turned and pressed, then I used a minimum amount of machine stitching to hold the back and front together and top stitched around the edge.

I like the cover very much – cheerful and spring-like.

This cover measures 19-1/2 x 43-1/2 inches.

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Christmas Log Cabin Topper

I wanted to make a sofa topper and footstool cover using Christmas colors, but not Christmas fabrics.  I decided to make log cabin blocks to use up scraps and got out my jars of 1-1/4-inch-wide scraps – shades of red, green and off-white plus some yellow scraps in 2 inch blocks to represent the candle light in the log cabins.

I made 6-inch finished blocks – 32 for the topper (finished size – 49 inches long x 28 inches wide) and 4 blocks for the footstool cover.

I scanned and printed a recent picture of myself for the label because I think it’s nice to have an idea of what the quiltmaker looked like when the piece was made.

And my oldest daughter made a cute Christmas pillow to complete the project.

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Vintage Hanky Heart Pillow

I love vintage handkerchiefs and pick them up whenever I find them at a reasonable price in antique malls.  Last fall, when we were visiting Amish Country (Holmes County, Ohio), I found a book devoted to projects using vintage hankies – Hooked on Hankies by Laurene Sinema and Janet Carruth - Suzanne McNeill Design Originals.

I decided to use a pattern for a small hanging pillow that has a pocket where a vintage handkerchief can be inserted and it doesn’t need to be cut or altered in any way.  I used one of my pretty old hankies and embellished the piece with two vintage buttons.

I made it as a birthday gift for my online friend, Darlene, and she posted a picture of it hanging on her country-blue front door.  Check out Darlene’s blog to see how her quilting, crocheting and sewing projects are coming along - here.

The book has projects for using vintage hankies such as a table runner, wall hangings, baby clothes, shower curtain, wreath, etc.    Nice for displaying old handkerchiefs you own or as a good excuse to go to an antique mall to find some.

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STAR SPIN QUILT BLOCK/PILLOW

When we visited Amish Country in Holmes County, Ohio, last fall, I noticed so many quilts and wall hangings with a spinning star design.  I had never seen this particular block before and was happy to find a pattern for it in one of the many quilt shops in the area.  They call the pattern #124 STAR SPIN QUILT OR WALLHANGING.  I finally had a chance to try out the block in a smaller size which I made into a pillow. This is by Oregon Treasures, 4790 North Road G, Vale OR 97918.  (I received word on 5/13/08 that their phone has been disconnected, so this address might not be valid.)   UPDATE:  I received an e-mail on 7/17/08 (thanks, Jeanne) that a free paper-pieced pattern is available on the Quilter’s Cache website under the name, “Spinning Color Wheels”.

UPDATE:  On 2/5/09 received word from Dan that this is the correct phone number:  541-473-3754.

I like to make backings out of my huge pile of scraps.

It’s an interesting block to make and not that difficult although it’s easy to get the various colors mixed up.  The quilts on display in Amish Country used a very large version of the block in the center of the quilt and then smaller blocks (such as I used on the pillow) to accentuate the center.  I may try a large quilt some day but for now, I’m glad to have another interesting block to add to my files.

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