Fish Pond Quilt Rows Together

This is a big deal to get these rows sew together. I must have spend hours measuring and adding or cutting little bits together to make the three rows the same size. My little paper tags are now gone from these rows. They will fit together now.


I need to work on the sashing. I do not have enough strip sets to go between the rows and on the boarders. I want more Blue sets, so I made another set. Here is I am cutting it at a 45 degree angle.


I had to work on the bottom row. I am thinking I will not add a top row now. The quilt is big enough and I would have to make more blocks again. I had to do more measuring so this row will fit on the bottom. This part is driving me crazy.


I have started to interview the sashing. I am not that happy with the dullness of the sashing in this photo. I am going to try to brighten this up by inserting more colour. Bright green, orange, and the turquoise blue.

Thinking on a new project

I bought some new fabric and I have been looking at a lot of blogs when my internet is working. It works today. I have thought of making a spider web quilt for at least two years. My mom made one about 11 years ago and give it to a cousin of mine for a new start in his life. Her quilt was plaid with a red background. I quilted one for a customer two years ago and thought yes I must make one. My new fabric is starting to make me think this is it. I also follow a blog Fibermania Here. I love her colours in this quilt. I also found this quilt on a blog Here at The Root Connection. I must get the fish pond quilt done, so I can move on to this quilt. I want to start cutting. I have stacks of fabric ready to go.

Fish Pond Quilt Rows

I got thinking about getting some of these blocks into rows, Or I will never get this pieced together. I knew I wanted the three machine applique blocks to be a a different row from each other. I knew that if one was up one would be down and one in the middle height. I needed to rely on the design board to find the place for the blocks. Problem the blocks were not sticking to my design board (batting hanging on the wall).
I took a day off and rebuild my design board. I now have two 4 x 8 sheets of insulation covered with batting and then covered with white flannel. I thought then I could pin right in to my insulation. Guess what it is so sticky the flannel and batting that I did not need pins at the block stage yet. wow!


To get to this stage of rows, I measure each block height and width. I labeled the blocks and stated to sort the blocks by width. I had one block that was 25" wide the next size was 20". What to do? I decided I would do three rows up and down then one or two across (one on top one on bottom). I could use this wide block on the top or bottom row along with some of the shorter blocks.


I had to stop the row building and finish more blocks like this one. I love this blue. It helped give more bright colour back into this quilt.

Can you see how great the four patches and the old strip sets are helping me. Great for fillers and adding more variety.


I thought I would talk about the colours more. I started this quilt with three fish fabrics. The fabrics are mostly blue some green and the orange fish. I have a real fish pond outside with gold fish and kio. They are Orange. I do not like orange and I do not use much orange in my quilts, ever. I wanted this quilt to be mostly blue green and the highlights of orange. I found when I started, the quilt was way to dark. Rather then change my basic colour, I would have to use the brighter bits of my Blue and Green and make sure I used more orange. Some more orange was added with a flower print that was almost a brown orange (used in the four patch in the photo below). You may see I have a little bit of pink, I thought the flowers in the prints have some pink so I added just a little. More Variety. More is better. I have still made this a blue green quilt with the complementary to blue, orange.



I had some holes in my rows and needed more blocks. Or at least more finished blocks.


This was how I got this done. I ended up making one more big block and a shorter wide block.

My rows are not yet the same width and I will have to play with the sides and add or take away some filler fabric. The bottom row is weak and needs more work. Are You enjoying my puzzle?

I love comments. Thank You all for your encouragement. I have had trouble quilting on my work. The blog is helping. Looking at blogs have helped me find some new projects I want to make next. Have any of you had trouble quilting? How did you get out of the funk?

Every Day Journal - quilt ideas

I have not been able to work on my journal everyday and I missed posting last week. I have been quilting too much and had internet trouble. This page has some ideas for some log cabin quilt blocks. It is not really about one quilt but just some ideas. I have been trying to write out some of the quilt ideas on my journal pages.

Valentina's Day Cards 3 more

I got more cards done this week. I hope my family will enjoy them. This cards is for my husband. I got the key with a bundle of keys at Christmas time, but I think they fit Valentina's day better. I added the chain and used a brad to keep the chain in place. The flower was glimmer misted blue and then inked in brown to tone down the colour and create the vintage tones.
These next two cards are for my boys. I liked the sailor theme for both of them. My grandpa was a sailor and was captain his own fishing boat before coming to Alberta.
I have used distress ink on the edges of the images and the cards stock. I used Stickles glitter glue on the two cards for my boys. This last one has a chain and a heart on it to go with the anchor theme.
My stack of cards all together. I made my own envelopes but did not take photos of them. I also stamped and wrote love notes to each of them, but did not take photos (private).

The vintages images I have used have come out of this book. The book comes with a CD and I printed them from the CD. I could have played around the size of the image but I just asked to print to fit the 4x6 paper I was print to. Worked great for cards. I got the book last year at a used book store in Victoria BC. It was new but older and marked down.

Diana's Mystery Quilt

Diana started this mystery quilt over the Christmas break at Earthly Goods. I love the yellow and blue, so bright and cheery.


Hanging off the quilt machine.



You can see the quilting on the back side better. I did the flower on the blue block.
Tuesday's Quilting Bee

Fish Pond Quilt - Up dated again

I am getting the blocks larger. I keep flipping from this block and that. Then off to make more four patches.

I have more bright colours added in. I just will have to make sure that they move around. I like the row of log cabin around some of the prints.

I started to place two smaller blocks together. This way I will be able to make some kind of a row. I am started to worry about this part. I must have faith.


Again I flip from this to that. I go make more four patches. I am sure they will come in handy for making a block longer or wider to fit with the next block.


I think these block posts are keeping me working on this quilt. I have two other ideas for quilts I want to start. But I must keep my fish quilt fans going. I must finish the quilt top. I am worried I will hit the wall and stop. How to make rows? How to lay this out? This started as a Gloria Loughman class and she did give us notes for this part. I am experienced enough to get it done but sometimes when it gets tough, I quit, or put it way for a while. My mom was in the class and her quilt has been done for more than a year maybe two years ago. I should go find a photo of that to show you.

Fish Pond more blocks

I have been able to work on the fish pond quilt again. I have decided to do a bit of log cabin around some of my blocks, like this one. I wish the orange had shown up more. I am worried the blocks are a little darker and duller than I want.

Then I get thinking I need some filler type blocks and I build a set of four patches. I am going to add a few more brighter colours.

I get adding more colour and look at what the fish waste looks like. It is getting more colour. The Blue strip on the left is picked up and added to the scraps , not waste.


I am not happy with this block. To much of it is dull and dark. I ripped out.


Looks better with the strip of orange added in the center and the top.


Added the bright blue around like log cabin. This one is bright and I will have to bring in more of this blue or it will look out of place.


The long arm rail is used to display my fabric and strip sets.


The blocks so far. I have dug out the orange batik with flowers and the lily fabric to add in. Just starting these blocks. I have a long way to go. Some how I have to make rows so I can sew it all together.

Valentina's Day Cards

I got started on my Valentina's Day Cards. I have done these for my mom and dad.

My Quilt for a show

I have finished the quilting on a quilt I want to send to a show. I will not be able to show you the front of the quilt. Sorry.


This is the back of the quilt. I have a blue hand dyed flannel on the back. You can see the machine quilting I have done.


I will let you see the rest of the quilt in a few months.


I hope you have enjoyed my Quilting Bee Tuesday. My bee group always would meet on Tue but to many are away for the winter so we are not meeting now. Maybe again in Spring.