Chicken Blocks for March

March is my month to propose and collect blocks for a Charity Quilt.  In preparation for my month I had two happy accidents.  First I saw this quilt by Emily Dennis at Quilting Love (this is her photo):

Then while at my local quilt shop right before New Years I found this awesome fabric:

So, obviously I needed to make a chicken quilt!

Emily’s blog post is here, and she links to the original pattern and tutorial for the Chicken Block: Chicken Quilt Block Tutorial by Sew Inspired.  I agree with Emily’s comment in her post that the instructions for attaching the comb is not entirely clear, so I’ll add some instructions of my own here.

Chicken Block Charity Quilt:

Please follow the Sew Inspired tutorial to create a 7″x8″ block (6.5″x7.5″ finished).

Body Fabric – black, grey or yellow – either solids or prints.  I like the look of the quilt that Emily created so the example above is a good one to use.  Note when you piece the chicken the 5.5″x6.5″ body piece should be placed with the 5.5″ side as the width and the 6.5″ piece as the height (see the diagram below).

Background – white solid or white on white print

Beak – Orange solid or print

Comb – Red solid or print

I drew this diagram to help with the assembly.  I got confused about which way the body was oriented and did it the wrong way the first time.  Go ahead and do all the triangle ‘snowballs’ on the edges before you do the comb (through step 4 on her tutorial).

Comb Tutorial:

1.  Cut two 2″x2.5″ squares as instructed in the tutorial.
2. Draw a comb shape on the wrong side of one rectangle.  Orient the rectangle so that the 2.5″ side is the width and 2″ is the height.

3.  Put the squares right sides together and sew on your comb line:

4.  Cut down the excess around the sewn line and clip the seam allowance where you have tight curves.  Here I’m trying to show that I clipped it in the ‘valleys’ between the comb bumps:

5.  Turn the comb right side out and press:

6.  Place the comb on the top background strip (2″x5.5″) that already has the chicken body triangle attached.  You can see below I drew a 1/4″ line on the right side of the background piece to help keep the comb away from the seam allowance.  I should have done the same across the top!

7.  Top stitch the comb down by stitching around the edge of the comb:

8.  Sew the 2″ square background piece on the right side.  You can see here I did better with keeping the comb away from the top seam allowance on my second comb:

9.  Join the rest of the pieces and admire your cute chicken!  With my pin cushions I’m really gathering a flock.

I hope you enjoy making your chickens, and I can’t wait to see them all!  If you choose to participate, please send me your blocks by April 15, 2019.  Bee Inspired members have my address, but if you just want to join in and send me blocks leave a comment and I’ll get you my address.

Happy chickens!

Ann from Brown Paws Quilting

 

 

 

 

 

July Tutorial – 10-inch Toadstools

Yep, July already! Well here anyway. This month we’re making a toadstool quilt for my great-niece Tilly, a term that makes me sound like I’m 150 😊. Velda and Emily have made me these blocks for Stash Bee already, where it was popular with my hive mates and a couple of you expressed that you would have liked it to be our bee block too so I’m here to please! I’ve changed my original plan and I’m now going to be making a larger quilt. Hope you enjoy it!

The block has been tweaked – up scaled, turned into a square, simplified slightly, and the tiny HST units have been removed (you’re welcome) – from this block by I am LunaSol. It turns out that it now looks very similar to this block by Patty Sloniger. When I couldn’t find the pattern in her shop I checked with her and she has given her consent to me using it so long as I acknowledge that she came up with it first. I’m more than happy with that!

FOR FABRIC CHOICES I would prefer a red and white print for the toadstool tops if you have it or black and white if you don’t, low volume prints on white or off white for the background, a mid to dark grey print, blender or solid for the stem and a pale grey print, blender or solid for the gills. Since Tilly is coming up to her third birthday feel free to add prints with some novelty value.

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

From the red print

Cut one rectangle 5 ½” x 10 ½”

Cut two 1 ½” squares

From the pale grey

Cut one 1 ½” x 10 ½” rectangle

From the darker grey

Cut one rectangle 4 ½” x 3”

From the low volume

Cut two rectangles 4 ½” x 4 ¼”

Cut two 3 ½” squares

SEWING IT TOGETHER

Mark the diagonals on the two low volume squares and the two red print squares

Line the low volume squares up in the corner of the red print rectangle so the line cuts across the corner, and the same for the red print squares on the pale grey print rectangle. Stitch along the marked line. Trim and press.

Stitch the two low volume rectangles to either side of the darker grey rectangle.

Stitch the three sections together to form a toadstool.

And we’re done!

POSTING TIPS

Please also add an airmail sticker or write it on the envelope to avoid the two month delivery time.

I know you guys will do a stunning job and I can’t wait to see them!

I Spy Block Tutorial {Teenage Version}

March is my month to be queen for Bee Inspired.  I have chosen an easy peasy block using just two fabrics.  This rectangle block is used by permission from a fellow Greenville MQG member, Didi at DidiQuilts.com.

I’m calling it a Teenage I Spy block.

Finished size 8 x 12, (unfinished 8 1/2″ x 12 1/2″)

My local traditional guild is making charity quilts for girls of all ages up to teenage who are living at a home for children.  The plan is to give each girl a quilt which they can then take with them when they are old enough to leave.  I want to make a larger lap quilt for a teenager.

Fabrics – Block Center   

For the block center anything goes.  Feel free to use novelty prints,  low volume prints, or anything that inspires you.

Fabrics – Framing Fabric

For the frames or borders please use solids in the following colors:

Pink, Purple, Blue, Aqua, and Gray – Feel free to use lights, mediums and darks in any shades or tones.

My only prerequisite is that I would like for the fabrics to be prewashed.  Prewashing is easy if you follow my tutorial for prewashing a small amount of fabric.

Cutting the Fabric

From the novelty fabric used for the center of the block, cut:

(1) rectangle 4 1/2″ x 8 1/2″

From the framing fabric, cut:

(4) rectangles 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ 

Piecing

Sew (1) framing rectangle to each of the long sides of the central rectangle.  Press seams towards the framing fabric.

Tip:  When sewing the framing rectangles onto the central rectangle, sew with the framing rectangles on the bottom.  That way, if the central rectangle was cut on the lengthwise grain, the framing rectangles will has less opportunity to stretch as you are piecing.

Sew the remaining (2) rectangles to the top and bottom of the block and press the seams, again, toward the framing fabric.  And, tada, you are done!  Here are some I Spy blocks I have made.

Feel free to make a many as you like, because I will need 42 blocks which will make a lap quilt in a 6 x 7 block layout measuring 56″ x 72″.  I’m looking forward to seeing what you make.

 

I’m the Queen of March!

Not sure how I feel about that. March here is often cold, windy, rainy, muddy, and sometimes there are even tornadoes.

As the Queen of March, I suppose I should feel bad that the weather for my month isn’t that great. Somehow though I don’t seem to care because besides a variety of weather, March includes the Spring Equinox, the Oscars, Palm Sunday and most of Easter weekend, and among other things Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, If Pets Had Thumbs Day, Popcorn Lover’s Day, Ear Muffs Day, National Proofreaders Day, Open an Umbrella Indoors Day, Girl Scouts Day, Something on a Stick Day, International Day of Happiness and World Water Day.

Isn’t that a great month to be Queen? Well, that’s not all!

Here in the U.S. quilting is celebrated on National Quilting Day, which is March 17th. Not to be outdone, Worldwide Quilting Day is also March 17th, and of course so is St. Patrick’s Day! I’m Irish, so this year I’ll be streaming my Irish music, indulging in corn beef, drinking green beer, and of course quilting my heart out on March 17th! <grin>

All in all, I’m glad to be the Queen of March!

Here in Bee Inspired, being Queen means I get to choose a block for my bee mates to make for me. Last year, my bee mates made me an Irish Eyes block (my design).

After making a few more blocks, I sewed them together  with a plan of adding borders like this.

Recently though, I got the notion to do something else in the borders. Something more Irish. Something like this.

So. Back to being Queen. It seems fitting (especially since it’s March) that I ask my bee mates to help me finish the quilt we started together by making me Shamrock blocks for my border. The blocks finish at 4″ (4-1/2″ unfinished) so I’m hopeful that some of you will make more than one block. Of course that’s optional, but it sure would be appreciated as I need to make 34 of them!

To make 1 block, you’ll need:

• (3) green 2-1/2″ squares
• (1) green 3/4″ x 4″ rectangle
• (1) white 2-3/4″ square, cut once diagonally
• (9) white 1-1/4″ squares

Start by drawing a diagonal line on the back of all those white 1-1/4″ squares. Place one square, right sides together (RST), in the corner of one green 2-1/2″ square. Sew on the line, press it back towards the corner, then trim the seam allowance to 1/4″.

Repeat this on two other corners as shown.

Next, center one white 2-3/4″ triangle on the green 3/4″ x 4″ rectangle, RST. Sew and press. I pressed towards the triangle.

Lay the other white triangle on top as shown, RST. Be sure to center the triangle as shown. Sew and press again, then trim the unit to 2-1/2″.

Sew the block together in rows then sew the rows together.

Here’s how I pressed the back. You can press it however you think best. I trimmed the block to 4-1/2″.

You can use any green for the shamrock, but please use the same green throughout the block. I’d like to use white on white fabric for the background. Here’s my sample block.

And here’s the quilt top as it looks right now, so you can see the variety of greens and whites used in it.

Thanks everyone for letting me be Queen! I can’t wait to see your blocks.

 

Planted Pines ~ November Bee Block

I live among pine trees, planted Loblolly pines, with my husband on his family’s century farm so for my block I decided to design a pine tree block, Planted Pines.  It was a gorgeous fall day, just look how blue the sky was in this unedited photo.

These pines have just been thinned (for the 2nd time) and will be clear-cut in another 10 years or more.  Then, the process of planting and cutting will start all over again making forestry a natural renewable resource.

In the tree farming business, the tallest and straightest pines trees are most desirable bringing the most money at saw mill.  That’s why I designed my Planted Pines quilt block to be tall and lean just like the pine trees.

Planted Pines Blocks

Planted Pines blocks finish at exactly 6″ in width and approximately 18″ in height (give or take).  Unfinished size is 6 1/2″ x 18 1/2″.  The blocks are constructed from flying geese units, a tree trunk section and the ground, or more commonly referred to around here as red hills in the upstate of South Carolina.

Here are a few examples of planted pines blocks.  As you can see, they can be constructed from two, three or four flying geese units or half triangles if you wish.  How large or small and the degree of the angle for the ground is up to you.  You are welcome to add a bit of background to increase the length of your Planted Pines block.

Planted Pines are constructed from a variety of more earthy greens in solids, tone-on-tones and prints with very little colors other than neutrals.  There are exceptions, a tree would be beautiful in this Kaffe Fassett print which includes a little purple.

For the tree trunks, any browns from solids to tone-on-tones will work fine.  And for the backgrounds please use creams, light tans, light gray, white or low volume.  Here are some examples.

Fabric for the ground or red clay has been mailed to everyone.  It’s burnt orange from In The Beginning Fabrics.  I included 2 patches should you be industrious, but one will be appreciated.

I’ve made two blocks so far…

Now you have the idea, let’s start piecing Planted Pines.

Flying Geese Units 

We will start with the Flying Geese units.  These measurements are for the sew and flip method for 1 flying geese unit, but you are welcome to use the 4 at a time method.

You will need:

• (2) Background squares 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
• (1) Green rectangle 6 1/2″ x 3 1/2″

Draw a line diagonally from corner to corner,  I used a hera marker.  I also marked a line 1/2″ away from the first line.  I plan to make bonus half square triangles (HSTs).

Stitch on one or both lines.

Trim the seam allowance to 1/4″ or cut between the two sewn lines.  TIP:  If you press and set the seam(s) before you trim,  you will have less distortion when pressing the bias seams.  Since I am making the bonus HSTs, I flipped the unit over and pressed the seam toward the dark.

Repeat with the other background square on the opposite side.

And now you have one flying geese unit.  Repeat to make a total of 2, 3 or 4 flying geese.  Sew the geese together with a scant 1/4″ seam.  Press the seams toward the top of the tree.

Update 11/1/17 – For making flying geese using the 4 at a time no waste method: Cut (1) green square 7 1/4″ and (4) background squares 3 7/8″.  Generations Quilt Patterns has a nice tutorial.

Tree Trunk

Let’s move on to the tree trunk.  The measurements here will result in a tree trunk that finishes at 1″ wide.  But feel free to adjust your cutting to make a skinnier or fatter tree.  You will need:

• (1) Background rectangle 6″ wide x approximately 8″ long (can vary depending on the number of flying geese units your plan to incorporate in to your block)
• (1) Brown rectangle 1 1/2″ x approximately 8″ long 

Cut the background rectangle in half lengthwise resulting in two smaller rectangles measuring 3″ x 8″ approx.

Sew the trunk between the two background rectangles.  Press the seams toward the trunk (dark).  The important measurement here is the width of the unit which should be exactly 6 1/2″ wide.  Trim or square up the sides and the top of the tree trunk unit if necessary.

The Ground or Red Hills

I live right at the edge of the mountains so the landscape around here is anything but level.  Feel free to make your ground as steep as you like.  I will show you how to maintain the straight of grain while piecing the trunk and ground together.  You will need:

• (1) Ground rectangle 7″ x 4″ (approximately)
• (1) Tree Trunk unit

Lay the tree trunk unit on your cutting mat and decide the angle of your ground.  You can audition the slope with your ruler.

Leave your ruler in place and make the cut.

Lay the ground rectangle on your cutting mat like so.  Place the tree trunk unit over the ground fabric centering it from side to side and keeping the sides parallel to to the lines on your cutting mat.

Place your ruler along the bottom edge of the tree trunk unit and cut on the angle.

The tree trunk and ground should look like this. The ground should be wider than the tree trunk unit.

Flip the tree trunk unit down toward the ground and align the raw edges.  The ground fabric should extend beyond the tree trunk on both sides.

Stitch with a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.  Press the seam toward the ground fabric.

Trim the ground to 6 1/2″ wide.  A 6 1/2″ rule makes trimming a breeze.

See how center of the center of the ruler goes right down the center of the tree trunk?

It should look like so after trimming up, 6 1/2″ wide by aprox. 10″ tall.

Join the flying geese and tree trunk/ground to complete the block.  The block should be 6 1/2″ wide.  The length should be approximately 18 1/2″, but if it is shorter or longer, it’s fine and you’ll see why in a bit.  Congratulations, you’ve completed a Planted Pines block.

More about the Trees and Ground

This is a beautiful sunset behind the pines.

The trees were thinned this summer and here is a glimpse of the operation.

The trees are sorted into chip-n-saw for making waferboard used in new construction and into pulp wood for making paper.  I would like to think its going to make the cardboard bolts for holding fabric but there’s no way to know.

The trees are cut to length for hauling.  Look at the size of that blade.

There is always the chance of loosing trees from high winds or ice build up.  This tree was blown over in a recent storm.

I’m not exaggerating  about the color of the red clay in the soil.  This is a photo of the root ball from the fallen tree.  That’s why I picked out this solid from In the Beginning Fabrics.  The color is burnt orange and I found it at my local quilt shop.

Planted Pines Quilt Layout

This is the layout I have planned for the Planted Pines quilt blocks.   The blocks will be sewn into vertical rows with spacing added as needed to complete each row.  That’s the reason why the length of the blocks is not as critical.

I plan to make a lap quilt.  I mailed each of my Bee Inspired bee mates 2 pieces of ground fabric, but if you only have time for one block, that’s just fine.  I look forward to building my tree farm from your blocks.  Please share your block(s) on social media #PlantedPinesQuilt and tag me @QuiltedBlooms.

Yippee, It’s My Turn at Hive Queen!

This month is my turn at hive queen, which means I get to choose a block for the other Bee Inspired bee members to make for me. I had a tough time choosing, but in the end I designed a block I’m calling Irish Eyes.

I’m Irish you see, and the truth is I’ve always wanted to make an Irish Chain quilt but I could never decide if I liked single Irish Chain or Triple Irish Chain quilts better.

Lately, I’ve been wanting to make something that looks like an Irish Chain but with a modern twist. I’ve been trying to design my take on a modern Irish Chain block for some time now, and becoming Hive Queen this month was the push I needed to finally decide on something.

The block finishes at 12” and uses the No Waste Method Flying Geese method. Here’s what you’ll need to make one block:

White
(4) 4-1/2” squares
(8) 2-7/8” squares
(2) 1-1/2” x 4-1/2” rectangles
(2) 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” rectangles

Dark Green
(1) 2-1/2” square

Medium Green
(1) 5-1/4” square

Light Green
(1) 5-1/4” square

Use (1) 5-1/4” Medium Green square and (4) 2-7/8” squares to make (4) Flying Geese using the No Waste Method. If you need help with that, click here to view my tutorial.

Repeat, using (1) 5-1/4” Light Green square and (4) 2-7/8” squares to make (4) more Flying Geese. Sew (1) 1 Medium Green and (1) Light Green Flying Geese together. Repeat with remaining Flying Geese.

If you don’t want to use the No Waste Method, the flying geese finish at 2″ x 4″ so you can easily substitute stitch and flip for example, by using one 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ green rectangle and two 2-1/2″ white squares for each flying geese unit.

To make the Center, sew (1) 1-1/2” x 2-1/2” rectangles to either side of (1) Dark Green 2-1/2” square.

Sew (1) 1-1/2” x 4-1/2” rectangles to the top and bottom of the unit.

Layout the Center, (4) Flying Geese units, and (4) White 4-1/2” squares as shown. Sew the block together in rows, then sew the rows together. Trim to 12-1/2”.

Here’s what I might make with my blocks. I just love this, and all the quilting possibilities it presents. But mostly I’m psyched by the idea that I’ll have a quilt that reminds me of my Bee Inspired bee mates!

Now what I’m hoping for here is a scrappy look. So in the instructions above, the light/medium/and dark greens are relative, and not literal. If you look at my sample block you’ll see that my lightest green isn’t really all that light, but it is lighter than the other two. I really would like bright greens, fully saturated like the ones shown here. The greens you use can be darker, but please don’t use a green that’s light or pale. Pale just isn’t me. <grin> Also, I’m looking for the greens to radiate out from the center, from relative dark to light.

The background should be a white tone-on-tone or low volume like the one shown here.

I hope you all like making this block! Thanks for the push I needed to finally design it! <grin> If you notice from my quilt layout, I could use some scraps of green from the blocks you make. So if you could, I would love a 5-1/4″ square of one of the greens you use, or a finished flying geese unit if you’re so inclined. Can’t wait to see what everyone creates!

Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day 8 in Paris and Assembling the Poodle

We started the day early as our museum pass was about to expire and we still had more things to see. Here’s a few of the highlights of the day.

I thought street performers were found only in New York. This one amazed me since I thought he was a sculpture.

We visited Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame Cathedral, and a modern art museum. I’m not sure where I found my energy to keep going day after day.

About 1/5 of the stained glass windows were covered with scaffolding on the inside of the building; they were being cleaned and restored, if needed. Even so, the place was magnificent. There are 1,113 stained glass windows with each one depicting a different story from the Bible. Next time I go, I’m taking a pair of binoculars to see them closer.

We stopped for some crepes at a cute little Creperie right outside the modern art museum.

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In the modern art museum, we saw art works by Matisse, Picasso, and others. Here’s just a sampling. Click on each pic for more info. There were some really nice pieces as well as some that were, well, interesting.

Portrait de Greta Prozor by Henri Matisse

Le guitariste by Picasso

 

La Toilette (Femme au miroir) by Spiegel

La liseuse by Picasso

And some that were really off the wall.

 

Yes, that’s a chair hanging on the wall. There was another one: a fold-up bag chair but I figured you all know what one looks like .

 

What I learned today…Mercredi April 23, 2014

1. French onion soup tastes much better in France than at home.
2. How to eat a real French crepe: First, eat some of the extra filling. Second, spread the remaining filling. Third, roll it up. Fourth, cut it in half to share with husband knowing he’s doing the same with his.
3. Six consecutive days of a Paris museum pass was a lot to do. We visited the Louvre twice, the d’Orsay, Rodin, modern art museum, Notre Dame, St. Chappel, Notre Dame Crypt Archeological museum, d’Orangie, Invalides, Army museum, Napoleon’s tomb, Arc of Triomph, and Palace at Versailles. I think we got our money’s worth. There were only 47 other museums listed on our pass that we didn’t get to. We tried our best.
4. Shoe shopping in Paris should be easy; every other store in the Chalet and Les Halies sections are shoes stores. Good to know if I need to buy more shoes.
5. The half-size dishwasher in our furnished apartment is just the right size.

Poodle Block Tips:

Now onto Part Huit (8) Some Assembly Required. This will complete the poodle block. (You will find links to Parts 1-7 at the very end of this post.)

Using Sally’s tutorial for her right facing poodle found here on The Objects of Design or my tips below, let’s begin arranging the pieces. Think of it as putting a puzzle together. Hint: Use a large flat tray, design board or cutting mat that you can move closer to your machine, unless you need lots of exercise.

I will begin assembling this pooch one row at a time. Let’s think of it as a row by row. A picture follows each row description. If you laid out the frame already, you’ve already got some pieces in place. I’ve enlarged the labels only in that specific row to further help you. Be prepared to be amazed and amused as your playful puppy begins to grow right before your eyes, kind of like they do in real life.

Row 1: Top left corner, top of head, top right corner

Row 2: Tail, Extra tail piece made in part 7, Above back, Ear, Eye, Nose

 

We’re using one of the unlabeled pieces from part 7.

 

Row 3: Behind rear under tail, Body, Chest

Row 4: Lower left middle, Under Belly, extra front leg piece made in part 7

Here’s the other unlabeled piece that was made in part 7.

 

Row 5: Bottom left corner, Foot poof, Bottom middle, Foot poof

Extras to add: Add the Right side under muzzle piece to the right side of the block and the two pieces labeled Foot to the bottom of each Foot poof

That should be all of your pieces. Now the fun begins; bringing life to this little fella by using needle and thread.

 

You might be scratching your head, hopefully with your hand and not your foot, and wondering where to begin. There’s a logical sequence that makes it come together quickly. Just follow the pictures below and the list of seams to sew in order and you’ll be well on your way to petting this playful pup. The red numbers on the pictures below correspond to the number of the seam that you will be sewing. I’ve listed it out here for you too. Start with number 1.

Hints to remember: Check the two pieces that you will be sewing to see if you’ll be sewing two flip triangles or seams on top of each other (it will get a bit bulky). If so, just flip one to the other direction. Doing so will also help you nest those seams tight. But it’s not the end of the world if it just doesn’t work out; don’t go ripping it all apart to make it lay down. Just say, “I did my best” and let it roll over you.

The First Seams (Sew right sides together 1/4″ scant seam allowance for all the seams, press to the side—I found that most pieces had a natural tendency to lay to one side or the other)

1. Top left corner onto Top of head
2. Top of head to Top right corner
3. Eye to Nose
4. Chest to Ear
5. Extra piece to Under belly
6. Foot to Foot Poof
7. Foot to Foot poof
8. Lower left middle to Behind rear under tail
9. Extra piece to Tail
10. Above back to Body

Now let’s see what we’ve got!

You can see there is progress as there are less labels. I keep at least one label on each section while sewing so I don’t get confused.

 

We are getting closer to done with each seam and this little guy will be ready to play.

Next seams to sew: The numbers correspond to the seams in the picture below.

1. Nose to Right under muzzle
2. Right foot poof section to Bottom middle
3. Bottom left corner to left foot poof section
4. Tail section to Behind rear under tail
5. Back/Body section to Ear section

Now let’s take a look at what we have.

 

 

Just a few more seams to sew.

1. Left foot section to the right foot section.
2. Under belly section to Above back/body section.

Now your pampered pooch should be looking something like this:

 

Just four more seams and he/she will be begging for treats.

Sew the last four seams:

1. Tail section to Body
2. Feet section to the body section.
3. Muzzle section (that would be his mouth/eye/nose section) to the body.
4. For goodness sake, sew on the top of his head so you can pet him!

Voilà! Meet Cherise, my newest, darling, little poodle. She’s not only playful and perky but she’s also a little bit on the wild side. I caught her hanging out with the boys: Marcel, Odie, and Tigg. I’ll have to sew her in the middle of the quilt so she doesn’t escape.

 

This is a 14″ unfinished block which will finish to 13.5.” Mine was right on probably due to my squaring up each of the pieces while prepping them and watching that scant 1/4″ seam.

 

What I Learned Today:

1. Writing this specific post was very difficult. I kept getting the pictures mixed up. Let me know if you have questions or if I’ve made a mistake.
2. When taking pictures of lots of pieces, make sure there is space between each piece so they can be seen as separate units and not a mess.
3. I learned how to use more features in the photo editor program, Paint. It was a real time-saver or I would have had to remake this block. Maybe, someday, I’ll show you the bloopers.
4. I’ve run out of days to post this month. I’m heading to the lake tomorrow and I won’t be back for a week.  To my American readers, have a Happy Fourth of July! To all of my other readers, have a Happy Day!
5. No more poodles arrived today. I’ll post when they show up.
6. Homemade macaroons taste wonderful. I will be sharing about that experience when some of those poodles arrive.

Question: If you were to give a French poodle a name, what would it be?

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more about my journey or follow me, please visit my blog, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats. Thank  you for visiting Bee Inspired.

Au Revoir

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Here are the previous poodle posts just in case you need to catch up to figure out what is going on this month at Bee Inspired. We’ve all gone on vacation—don’t we wish—to Paris. Well, maybe at least in our minds and imaginations.

Tu-Na Quilts: All Aboard. Fasten Your Seatbelts. We’re Taking Off for… You will find the pattern link for the poodle block in this post as well as why I chose this block.

Tu-Na Travels: Day One in Paris which includes Part un (1): Pattern and Fabric Selection.

Tu-Na Travels: Day Two in Paris and Poodle Block Cutting Tips which includes Part deux (2): Cutting and Anatomy Labeling.

Tu-Na Travels: Day Three in Paris and Prepping Those Furry Pieces which includes Part trois (3): Prepping the Furry Accent Pieces (Foot poofs, Tail, and Ear). 

Tu-Na Travels: Day Four in Paris and Prepping the Poodle Body Parts which includes Part quatre (4) Prepping the Poodle Body Parts.

Tu-Na Travels: Day Five in Paris and Prepping the Background Pieces which includes Part Cinq (5) Prepping the Background Pieces.

Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day Six in Paris and Building the Frame Around Our Pampered Pooch which includes Part Six (6) Building the Frame Around Our Pampered Pooch.

Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day Seven in Paris and Finishing the Leftovers which includes Part Sept (7) Prepping the Last of the Extra Pieces.

Linking to Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? and Finished or Not Friday.

Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day Seven in Paris and Finishing The Leftovers

Today we explored the Rodin Museum and saw beautiful sculptures and a few paintings by some great masters.

Young Woman in a Flowered Hat

The Kiss

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It was a lovely day for a walk outside in the Rodin Sculpture Garden where the gardens were in full bloom with flowers larger than I have ever seen.

Yes, there were sculptures in the garden.

Is this the pose you take when contemplating your next quilt project?

This sculpture is called The Thinker.

Or maybe it’s the pose you take when you just discover a mistake.

On our walk back from dinner we spied this itty bitty car. I’ve never seen one so small. Have you?

I am 5 feet 4 inches and tower over this car.

Some days we would stop at a pastry shop and pick up dessert. Here’s what we shared tonight.

 What I learned today…Mardi, April 22, 2014

1. The lilacs in full bloom in Paris smell better and look more brilliant than at home.
2. Chocolate ice cream tastes better in an outdoor café in the Rodin Sculpture Garden in Paris than at home.
3. I can start a conversation with anyone whether we speak the same language or not. This is not surprising to my husband. I sat down on a bench beside a French woman in the Rodin Museum. We talked with signs and expressions and a few words. She conveyed to me that her feet hurt and I acknowledged and I tried to express that the art work of Maplethorpe (special exhibit at the Rodin Museum that our husband’s were looking at) was not interesting to me but she liked it. We understood each other perfectly at least that is what I think. I also started a conversation with a woman from Britain and later her husband joined us and we visited for almost a half an hour. We will be leaving Paris soon and heading to London. This lady told us to plan to come back to England again and see more of the country side. She said, “Going only to London to get a flavor of England is like us going to New York to get a flavor of the United States.” I can see her point. It was interesting to talk with them and fun to listen to them talk. They probably thought the same.

Poodle Block Tips:

Now onto Part Sept (7) Prepping the Last of the Extra Pieces (You will find links to Parts 1-6 at the very end of this post.) We are nearing the finish line.

I like to refer to these pieces as the leftovers because by now you’ve used most of your pile of extra pieces so we need to something about those that are left over. In fact, after this part, all your extra pieces should be gone.

You will need the following pieces:

• Two 1.25″ x 2.75″ background rectangles
• One l.25″ x 2.75″ body rectangle
• One 1.25″ x 2″ body rectangle
• One 1.25″ body square
• One 1.25″ x 4.25″ body rectangle
• Eye
• Ear

So let’s lay them out and stitch them according to Sally’s tutorial for her Right Facing poodle tutorial on The Objects of Design or my picture below.

• Place the 1.25″ body square right sides together on the bottom of the 1.25″ x 2.75″ background piece. Flip that corner in the direction shown below. See Part (3) Prepping Those Furry Pieces if you need a refresher on how to do that.  Trim this piece to 1.25″ x 2.75″. This part will go up by the tail.
• Place the 1.25″ x 4.25″ body rectangle on the right side of the ear. Sew together using a 1/4″ seam and press towards the body rectangle. Trim to 3.5″ x 4.25″.
• Place the eye piece right sides together on the top of the 1.25″ x 2″ body rectangle and stitch a 1/4″ seam as shown below. Press towards the dark side. Trim to 1.25″ x 2.75″.
• Place the 1.25″ x 2.75″ background right sides together on the 1.25″ x 2.75″ body rectangle. Stitch 1/4″ seam down the long side. (The arrow in the picture indicates putting them right sides together.) Press towards the dark side. Trim to 2″ x 2.75″. This part becomes the front leg.

I finally found my Sewline pencil for marking lines. It was right where I store it, in the tool caddy. Now, why didn’t I look for it there before?

Now stand back and admire your hard work. All the pieces are prepped and we’ll be ready to assemble this sweet poodle block next time.

Coming soon: Part Huit (8) Some Assembly Required. This will complete the poodle block.

Announcement:  More Poodles Have Been Sighted Running Around My House!!

My knight in shining armor, ok. maybe not the knight below, but my husband

We saw much armor today as we also went to some military museums and saw where Napoleon was buried.

came in from the mail box a couple of days ago saying, “Woof, woof. Woof, woof” I knew that meant there must be poodle mail for me.

The boys have arrived from Canada with a sweet note from Velda, Granny Can Quilt.

Velda’s note says this one is Odie. He is a star in her heart. Look at that gorgeous star fabric.

She made him to commemorate her real poodle named Odie who only roamed around her house for two years but will remain in her heart forever.

Here’s Odie showing his ability to fit in with his human family by sitting all proper on the couch. This picture was taken by Granny Can Quilt and used with permission.

Here’s Tigg. He’s modeled after one of Velda’s poodles at home.

Tigg is a handsome fella (just look at that pose). He is the senior poodle in Velda’s house. This picture was taken by Granny Can Quilt and used with permission.

The guys came bearing gifts! Velda sent some 1.5″ strips for me to cut into squares for my postage stamp and a pink square for the cornerstone of this quilt.

Thanks, Velda!! These poodles are gorgeous and I will definitely make use of the strips. Your hard work is much appreciated!

What I Learned Today:

1. It’s nice to have technology that allows me to find quilting friends all over the world.
2. My husband caught me sneaking a taste of his favorite mint ice cream in the pic above. I had not seen that one before.

Question: Chocolate or Mint or____? I’ve always loved chocolate but strawberry is a favorite, too, when I splurge.

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more about my journey or follow me, please visit my blog, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats. Thank you for visiting Bee Inspired.

Au Revoir

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

Here are the previous poodle posts just in case you need to catch up to figure out what is going on this month at Bee Inspired. We’ve all gone on vacation—don’t we wish—to Paris. Well, maybe at least in our minds and imaginations.

Tu-Na Quilts: All Aboard. Fasten Your Seatbelts. We’re Taking Off for… You will find the pattern link for the poodle block in this post as well as why I chose this block.

Tu-Na Travels: Day One in Paris which includes Part un (1): Pattern and Fabric Selection

Tu-Na Travels: Day Two in Paris and Poodle Block Cutting Tips which includes Part deux (2): Cutting and Anatomy Labeling

Tu-Na Travels: Day Three in Paris and Prepping Those Furry Pieces which includes Part trois (3): Prepping the Furry Accent Pieces (Foot poofs, Tail, and Ear) 

Tu-Na Travels: Day Four in Paris and Prepping the Poodle Body Parts which includes Part quatre (4) Prepping the Poodle Body Parts.

Tu-Na Travels: Day Five in Paris and Prepping the Background Pieces which includes Part Cinq (5) Prepping the Background Pieces.

Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day Six in Paris and Building the Frame Around Our Pampered Pooch which includes Part Six (6) Building the Frame Around Our Pampered Pooch.

Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day Six in Paris and Building the Frame Around Our Pampered Pooch

Today we returned on foot to the Louvre to see many paintings by some very well-known masters:

Vermeer

 

Rembrandt

 

Renoir

 

We saw lots of other paintings including some with lots of hands

 

 

and some with really pretty faces.

We left the Louvre and began our walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Along the way we saw a very interesting concept which we think the cities where we live should use—at least we haven’t seen it yet.

Again, maybe it doesn’t take much to impress us, but we were very intrigued with this sidewalk vacuum. Do you have sidewalk vacuums where you live?

 

Finally, we reached the Arc.

One more trip past the Eiffel Tower made the end of a beautiful day.

 

What I learned today…Lundi, April 21, 2014

1. Crème Brulee and coffee in an outdoor café makes a delicious Parisian lunch.

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2. 4.80€ for a small cup of coffee without refills is a bit expensive, so is a bottle of water at 3.50€. No water is served unless you pay for it.
3. Paprika Pringles are very tasty. I sure hope I can start buying them at home.
4. There are 284 steps in the circular staircase leading up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Going down was much easier.
   

   Looking down from the top.

5. The Arc de Triomphe sits in the center of an intersection of 12 major streets coming together with a round-about (circle). Luckily for me, I wasn’t driving or I’d probably still be there (I am a timid driver).
   

   A view from on top of the Arc de Triomphe. Note the tree lined streets coming towards the Arc and the Eiffel Tower in the background.

6. Went back to the Gloria restaurant and verified that it is the best Italian food we’ve tasted.

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7. The app on my husband’s phone read 27,863 steps today or 10.99 miles. We both had dessert this evening. We earned it!

Poodle Block Tips:

Now onto Part Six (6) Building the Frame Around Our Pampered Pooch (You will find links to Parts 1-5 at the very end of this post.)

Handy Hint: I highly recommend laying out these frame parts on an extra cutting mat, corner of your sewing table, large cookie sheet or tray, piece of cardboard, pool table, large design board or whatever flat space you can find where you can let them stay while you finish the block or easily move them all contained without messing them up. Just in case you get distracted, you can easily come back and pick right up where you left off.

Use Sally’s Tutorial for the Right facing poodle found on her blog The Objects of Design or my picture below to lay the following pieces in the correct orientation. Moving clockwise, lay them in the following order: 

• Top left corner (refer to number 1 in pic below to help you find it)
• Top right corner (2)
• Right side under muzzle (3)
• Bottom middle (4)
• Bottom left corner (5)
• Lower left middle (6)
• Behind rear under tail (7)

The names on the labels were so small so I put numbers here to help you identify the piece.

 

You will also need the following Extra pieces:  three 1.25″ square body pieces, one 2″ body square, and one 1.25″ x 2″ body piece. Follow Sally’s tutorial or my picture below, lay the pieces right side together:

• Top right corner (piece 2 in picture below) needs a 1.25″ square body piece on the left bottom corner.
• Right side under muzzle (piece 3 in picture below) needs a 1.25″ square body piece on the top left corner.
• Lower left middle (piece 6 in picture below) needs the 1.25″ x 2″ body piece sewn to the right side (shortest side). Might as well go sew this one with right sides together 1/4″ seam, press to the dark.
• Behind rear under tail  (piece 7 in picture below) needs the 2 ” body square placed in the upper right corner AND a 1.25″ body square in the lower right corner.

I’ve drawn in the sewing lines. We won’t be using all the pieces for this part.

 

Now flip those corners (draw a diagonal line from corner to corner, stitch, trim to 1/4″, press). (Refer to Part 3 Prepping those Furry Accent Pieces if you need to see how that is done).

Did I make an extra bonus half-square triangle block using the 2″ piece on the Behind rear under tail piece? It’s not required for this block but it might be useful for a future project. I sure did! Did you?

This is not required for the Poodle. But you can make a bonue block for a future project. See Part 5 if you need an explanation of how to do it.

1.25″ might be useful for a future project.

To ensure the finished block will be close to the correct size, I like to square each piece now to the following sizes:

• Top right corner squares to 2.75″
• Right side under muzzle squares to 3.5″ x 9.5″
• Lower left middle squares to  3.5″ x 2″
• Behind rear under tail squares to 3.5″ x 5″

Now stand back and look at your hard work.

Coming soon as we near the finish line: Part Sept (7) Prepping the Last of the Extra Pieces

Finally, we break through the ribbon and finish with Part Huit (8) Some Assembly Required

What I Learned Today:

1. I still can’t find paprika Pringles around here (in North Dakota). I’ll have to check in Arizona this winter.
2. June is going fast.

Question: Have you run in a race? What does it feel as you near the finish line? No racing for me since I’ve been out of school but my 8 year old grandson ran in one in Duluth. I can’t wait to hear about it when we see him.

Au Revoir

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more about my journey or follow me, please visit my blog, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats. Thank you for visiting Bee Inspired.

Here are the previous poodle posts just in case you need to catch up to figure out what is going on this month at Bee Inspired. We’ve all gone on vacation—don’t we wish—to Paris. Well, maybe at least in our minds and imaginations.

Tu-Na Quilts: All Aboard. Fasten Your Seatbelts. We’re Taking Off for… You will find the pattern link for the poodle block in this post as well as why I chose this block.

Tu-Na Travels: Day One in Paris which includes Part un (1): Pattern and Fabric Selection

Tu-Na Travels: Day Two in Paris and Poodle Block Cutting Tips which includes Part deux (2): Cutting and Anatomy Labeling

Tu-Na Travels: Day Three in Paris and Prepping Those Furry Pieces which includes Part trois (3): Prepping the Furry Accent Pieces (Foot poofs, Tail, and Ear) 

Tu-Na Travels: Day Four in Paris and Prepping the Poodle Body Parts which includes Part quatre (4) Prepping the Poodle Body Parts.

Tu-Na Travels: Day Five in Paris and Prepping the Background Pieces which includes Part Cinq (5) Prepping the Background Pieces.