Opinions and Thoughts Please!
We are plugging away at our UFOs for completion of a PHD by the end of the year. Our design wall has been hogged for quite some time by our Grandma’s Kitchen blocks (and that ABC wall hanging). The remaining 12″ blocks anyway, because the 10″ ones found themselves together in a table runner. Soooooo, we are short one block because we stopped participating in the QAL. ~sigh~ I don’t even remember why. As you can see in this photo, we have the 15 blocks laid out in a 4 x 4 design. That would make a square quilt . . . which I despise. So – here’s where you come in! Should we a) change the layout to 3 x 5; b) choose a block to complete this layout and if so, which block; c) some other fabulous suggestion of your choosing. It would be easy to make it a rectangle by just adding wider borders crosswise and narrower ones lengthwise. Thoughts please!!
UFO #6 – Grandma’s Kitchen
Our other dilemma involves sweet baby Dominic. What?! How can he pose a questionable action for us?! Just in case you have missed all pictures of him, let me be forced to share the most recent of Mr. Sweetie so you can see who caused the dilemma.
![DJ1.18.18](https://i0.wp.com/homesewnbyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DJ1.18.18.jpg?resize=316%2C421)
Happy Saturday he says!
During the fabulous sale last weekend that I was dragged to by our friend Carol, some flannel fabric hopped into my cart. I don’t like sewing with flannel, but oh my! They had some REALLY CUTE stuff, including these two that I couldn’t possibly pass up.
Dominic’s Next Quilt
![Paws for DJ](https://i0.wp.com/homesewnbyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Paws-for-DJ.jpg?resize=347%2C462)
Flannel prints for DJ
Since poor little Dominic can’t have a puppy – how can mom say NO to that adorable smile?? – I feel we need to compensate for that. The black fabric, with the sweet little hearts in the paw prints coupled with red hearts scattered throughout just screamed his name to me. And the black and white fabric coordinated with the black fabric so it just followed along by jumping into the cart. I have to say I am proud of myself for walking away from the arrow and feather flannels that were wanting to come home with me, too. It was difficult but I was strong.
Your opinions wanted please! What should we make from this? We have 2 yards of each fabric, which should be plenty for our sweet boy. We have something in our stash for the background, I’m sure . . . or I could go buy something, if necessary. I’m flexible that way, always willing to take the hit to go to the store to finish a project! What pattern would you use?
That’s all for today! I preempted the usual tutorial this week for this post, and it was a cute quilt too. You’ll just have to come back next Saturday to see it. ~smile~ Dominic, Sue and I all wish you a very happy Saturday!
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Yes, lots of quilting. The last 3 weeks of the year we were all caught up so I got to finish a couple of my own projects WOW! We also quilted 85 charity quilts last year. That’s a record for us.
Hi girls! sorry I haven’t been keeping up with you the last week or so. I’ve been pretty busy. For your QAL quilt I would suggest repeating a couple of the blocks in a different color way and adding them to get the size you want.
Hi Ellen,
I was wondering what happened to you! Being busy is a good thing . . . most of the time. HAHA! I hope that means lots of quilting for you two. ~smile~ Roseanne
Roseanne, These are all great questions. For the flannel…when I think of flannel Quilts I always think of a rag quilt. I searched the internet and that seems to be the consensus there as well. I know This doesn’t address your question, but flannel makes a cozy backing for a quilt. Regarding your other question, I would make it a three by five quilt and put the odd one on the back or make a pillow from it. If you want a block to fill in the empty spot instead I would make sure it does not use HS triangles. The majority of the blocks you have already do and I think there is a need for something with squares and rectangles. As far as borders, something I’m not a big fan of, I think it would look odd if you made borders that weren’t consistent in width. Hope this helps. 🙂 Next time ask easier questions. LOL! 🙂
Hi Cindy,
Wow – you make fabulous points. Hmm, I didn’t notice that about the HSTs. Squares and rectangles . . . I think Shannon suggested rectangles as well. I have been vacillating between 3×5 or 4×4. 3×5 wins most of the time because it’s not square, no additional block is needed, and it would be complete quicker. Well, more food for thought for me I guess. Flannel – good point about the backing. D would get two quilts then . . . that sounds like a win/win too. I appreciate your input so much! ~smile~ Roseanne
Roseanne, I look forward to seeing how you solve your questions. You are very welcome. I took your questions seriously, for once 🙃, and thought I would ponder what I would do before answering. I’m sure what ever direction you choose the outcome will be a good one. ❤️💃
And it shows that you really thought about your answer! {{Hugs}} That’s a good friend! ~smile~ Roseanne
Awe! ♥️💃
Not sure I can add anything new to the above suggestions which would all be lovely!! I too can’t bring myself to make a square quilt. If I had made this QAL, I’d use a pic of my grandma on fabric and put her name and the title of the quilt, etc. on the extra block. That would really personalize it meaning it would be yours or someone in the family. The flannel prints are fun. I’d tend to find some more prints and add to them. Maybe a puppy flannel print.
Hi Karen,
Oh, that picture of my grandma would be SO perfect. If I had one, or if I had even known her . . . but I could use a picture of my mom. I thought of her while making this quilt anyway. And an extra print, with puppies on it would make it complete. Yes! You shared two fabulous ideas, and I thank you for that very much. I’ve missed you – you’ve been quiet lately. ~smile~ Roseanne
For Mr. Sweetie’s quilt…what about a disappearing 4 patch? Looks so complicated but it really easy. I would add a block for the missing one, and then sash it with the horizontal sashing being wider than the vertical to give you extra length as well as having the border being wider on the top/bottom than the sides.
Howdy,
Aww, yes – Mr. Sweetie! I have been meaning to make a disappearing 4 patch . . . WOWEE – great suggestion. And it would be finished fairly quickly so he can start enjoying it. Adding one simple-ish block would be the easiest way to get this off the design wall for sure . . . yes – now to decide from all the fabulous suggestions. ~smile~ Roseanne
I would make some half blocks (rectangles) and slip them in, one in each row to make it longer.
Hi Shannon,
Oh, I love this idea!! Yes, I can picture that in my head . . . geez – great opinions and thoughts shared! I am so thrilled. ~smile~ Roseanne
Definitely put in another block, which one I’m not sure, or put in your own as has been suggested. I think I’d sash them too as Pat Sloan has done on her extra one. As for the quilt for Dominic – will be so cute, whatever you choose.
Hi Kathryn,
I hope you have had a little relief from the summer heat! Sashing is required, for sure . . . maybe. HAHA! So many great ideas to dwell on. ~smile~ Roseanne
Use that empty space to embroider a block with your name, the quilt’s name, and the date you completed it! If it is for a specific person, put that name on it, too. (I only found your blog today, so I don’t know if it is for that VERY handsome young man Dominic!) I only wish the 58 year old quilt I am sleeping under right now had that information on it! It was made for me by a great aunt as my high school graduation gift, in the colors I chose for my college dorm bedding. As I go through cancer treatment, I love being comforted by my family by wrapping myself in the love they showed me. After college, I put it away for decades. I guess I didn’t know I would need it so much now. It is in pristine condition, and one day it will go to my only granddaughter.
Hello,
Welcome, and I sure do wish you well with your cancer treatment. It is an awful disease and one that I wish we could find a cure for once and for all. We were just saying that we haven’t labeled any of the quilts we have made . . . and should probably start. I am thrilled that you are still using your quilt from your great-aunt!! How cool is that, and you really can feel the love that was stitched into it. Run your hand over her sewing and stitching. Nothing better than that great quilty goodness. Dominic. That boy is just keeping us young, I have to say. If you return again, you will see more photos of that sweetheart. I just cannot help myself – he is just too precious not to share and he is a BIG part of my life thankfully. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
I like Vicki’s idea. I’d make another block, an easy one and not necessarily another of one already made. Just a simple one, like a churn dash or something. For the flannel, how about doing an easy rag quilt?
Hi Wendy,
Yes, if another block is added it will surely be a simple one. HAHA! Those flannels – they are only speaking to me that they had to come home with me, not as to how they should be used! ~smile~ Roseanne
Would you consider leaving two blocks out and putting them on the back? I think this quilt would look great with some open white space around the blocks. You could do a checker board style quilt by alternating the blocks with a solid square from background fabric. Those squares wouldn’t even have to all be the same fabric. You could do 3 blocks at the top, two in the next row, 3,2,3. It would look funny to add 2 again to the bottom. Now that still leaves your quilt square so I would do a float border with the sides floating in less background on both sides and the top and bottom floating in more. Here is an example of one of my square quilts with that type of border. Scroll down to see if full out. The very last instruction tells the widths I cut for my borders.
http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.com/2015/05/shimmer-braid-qal-tutorial-5.html
Hi Deana,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response and link to your suggestion. I love the checkerboard idea . . . and could easily put two blocks on the back or use in something else. So many great suggestions today! You rock. ~smile~ Roseanne
How about setting them on point 3 x 4 and incorporating the extra blocks in the back. Use the heart block for your label…. Just a quick thought.
Hi Pat,
On point, huh?!! I never ever would have thought of that. Yes. Hmm. As Bond would say, we’ll just see about that. ~smile~ Roseanne
I too hate square quilts unless they are on the wall. So I would make another block, then if you have leftover fabrics I would do a small border of the light solid, then how about a row of HST border, then another light solid border. All of that to the top and bottom only.
Hi Vicki!
Great ideas . . . I even have some HSTs already made and some leftover fabric. Hmm. ~smile~ Roseanne