Sunday, May 28, 2006

House and Firecracker

Do you get tired of seeing this quilt block by block? :)

I think I'm a slow quilter when it comes to making things without a pattern, and of course, when I decided to make a little dormer window for my kitten, and a second story to the house, it took longer.

If I'd drawn it in EQ5, and printed up the paper piecing pattern, it'd have been faster and flatter too. It would have been more difficult to get exactly the little bits in the windows, I'd have had to pre measure the little squares. I got stuck when the dormer roof was too tall and I didn't want to cut the point off, till I got the idea to rip those seams open, pin the tip back, sew the long seam, then re-pin the dormer back on top of the eaves. I've still got to add a strip along the bottom and left sides before I connect it to the firecracker.


This hasn't even been trimmed yet - it's got a slight bubble up in the center and I wanted to see if pressing it flat would take the bubble out. It did, mostly! My problem was in slightly stretching the bias when putting in the angled colors. I also had trouble getting the strips to match across from each other! Even a slight jig made the strips look bendy.

I've just laid the blocks on that fabric to take the picture - they're not attached and won't be attached there. :) I wanted to iron it before I cut a FQ of it to take to guild meetings for our FQ drawing. There's a lot left over. I don't like taking pix of blocks directly on my ironing pad - I'm embarassed it's got yellowed spots!

19 comments:

Tonya Ricucci said...

LOVE the house - it's fabulous. Very unusual and charming. I might just have to play with that idea of a dormer window.
Whee, firecracker is fun too. - this one has more spokes than any I've ever made.

Unknown said...

Love the house - it looks like the one in the children's nursery rhyme I remember from childhood - "There was a crooked man.....etc"
It's great! - hey who doesn't have yellow spots on their ironing board, it's a sign they're using it - and I certainly do, mind you not for clothes if I can help it, just for P&Q. I pay my teenager £5 per basket to do the clothes so she has money to put credit on her mobile phone - I reckon if we have to pay for all those texts and chat she might as well do something productive for it :o)

Anne

Lucy said...

What a great House !!!!!!

Joyce said...

Love the house! You are going to see a rash of dormer windows now.

Hanne said...

What a charming house :-) It is very nice to follow your quilt step by stepl !

Ann said...

Awww...I love the house! Reminds me of the house in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie! It's adorable. I like the firecracker, too! You're really putting a lot of thought and work into a quilt you decided to make just to use up what you called Ugly fabrics! Really quite a turn around and it's going to be one gorgeous quilt! If you still think the fabrics are ugly, you have my address! hehe

Passionate Quilter said...

Wow! I'm a little behind on reading posts and when I got to yours, I went back as far as I had read the last time. You have certainly been working! I love your patriotic quilt--the wonky house, the firecracker, your feathered star, the wonky letters. I think you have done a fabulous job, I can't wait to see the finished project!

dot said...

This is coming along nicely. I love the dormer. It is truely a wonky house. I love the spark for the firecracker. That is one colorful spark. You are doing a great job.

Cher said...

it is the bestest of wonky houses!
very creative and clever...good for you to stay patient and figure it out...and the fire cracker spark looks terrific too- it's fun to see each block up close-thanks

Judy said...

Love, love love the house!!!


Oh and having letters left over is NOT allowed Jane!

Patti said...

Please don't be so critical of yourself - I think every single one of us has yellow and brown spots on our ironing pads!

I'm not tiring at all of seeing this quilt block by block - each one is a new treat. I so love the little house with it's dormer! I's an absolutely perfect little house. How very creative you are. And the fireworks are perfect.

Hunter said...

It's so much fun to watch the progression of this quilt. It's so interesting and fun.

Darilyn

Granny said...

Love your house and I'm very much enjoying your progress! Everything looks perfect!!

Judy L.

Finn said...

What a great house Jane! I love the idea of the dormer..it's really cute and playful...I like that.
As for the ironing board cover, why do you think I spread a different length of fabric on mine to "stage" a picture????? Now do you feel any better? Hugs, Finn *VBS*

Nines said...

adorable house! If you'd made a paper peicing pattern for it, it would have lacked something. Imperfections and quirks are what give real houses their charm. Great job and I'm not tired of seeing the blocks as they come out.

Lily Mulholland said...

Jane that hosue is just FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Glad you went the long way round because now it's got so much character :)

LOL re ironing board. See I just crop my photos so you can't see the stains on my ironing board!!

Darcie said...

This is the most fun I've seen packed into one quilt in a long while, Jane!!! You've done a great job!!! I love that you've mixed traditional blocks with not-so traditional blocks!

Mary Johnson said...

I don't know - I kind of like seeing this quilt unveiled block by block. It's looking great and I love the house.

Laurie Ann said...

Great wonky house!!!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...