My Small World Flimsy Finished!

This week I finished the flimsy (top) of My Small World quilt.

I made some changes to the hills in the far left bottom section.

The Dresden hill was the only one I did not change.

The hexagon hill was made from cheater fabric.

The rainbow hill was done by appliqué instead of sewing pieces on the curve.

The crown hill was also done by appliqué. 

I looked at all the small pieces that were to be sewn together and knew I was not precise enough

to do it correctly.

My alternate method was to first cut four semi circles from light green fabrics.

Largest below.

Second and third below.

Fourth semi circle is a cute plaid.

Next I cut out the pointy parts on double sided fusible.

It took some measuring to get them the correct size.

Below shows the fusible pieces on the fabric semi circles.

I changed my thread from off white to black.

I thought the contrast looked better on this hill.

Below is the reverse side of the hill.

I started with the largest row.

The second row was sewn on top of the largest row.

The third row was sewn on top of the second row.

Then the plaid was sewn on last.

I cut out the center to reduce the bulk for later quilting.

I tried to get a variety of small bits of fabric for the points.

The last part was to appliqué the block in place on the flimsy.

Another in progress photo.

Finished top featuring the first sections.

The last sections together at last.

The whole world with variations by Janice.

It hasn't been pressed so some seams are not flat.

The next step is making the quilt sandwich and hand quilting it.

I'm surprised I finally finished this top.

If I were doing it again (and I'm not), I would start on the sky to make it more continuous.

The pattern has some errors. I tried to find corrections but had trouble since the pattern came out first in a magazine and then as a booklet. I cannot recommend it to a beginner.

It was fun and I'm glad I did it.

What about you? Any finishes?

 

So Close to Finished

My Small World quilt is so close to finished.

Only two hills (the most complicated ones) left to make.

I took photos of my alternate process for making the overlapping half circles

on one of the buildings. 

I wanted to make these without fusing or hand sewing.

The photos are in reverse order.

Below is the finished block.

Below shows temporary stitching anchoring the half circles.

I used a machine blanket stitch as the finishing stitch.

Instead of fusing or hand sewing I lengthened the stitch and sewed 

on the fold line. Then I pulled one thread to gather the fabric.

I finger pressed the excess down, then pinned the shape in place.

Below is one half circle gathered and ready to place on the block.

I traced the shape on card stock and added a quarter inch on the straight side.

I drew around the shape on the back of the fabric, then cut out the shape, adding

a quarter inch on the curved side as I cut.

Now I have to work on those hills.

See you next week.

Sky sections done

This past week I started on the final two sky sections of My Small World.

Looking back it would have been better to do all the sky first to get a more consistent look.

Below are the finished sky sections.

I decided to use blocks of green as foundation pieces for the to-be-added hills.

Another change - I'm not doing the embroidered blocks.

Instead I fussy cut an Eiffel Tower from fabric and a New York City street map showing

the part of the Upper West Side where our daughter's family lives. 

Here is an in-progress photo of the final section.

Check the photo above.

I decided to swap the very top around so the dark blue is on the left side.

Trying out sky pieces.

The back of the hill section.

Look at all the seams!

Hope I'm not too late to join the Peacock Party.

See you next week end.

 

Holiday books and such

Some of the books I ordered for Christmas didn't come in time to be mailed in the Christmas box.

One book still hasn't arrive. When I checked the shipping, it was listed as waiting for pick up in Illinois 

Since November 29!

May never see it. Oh, well, there are other books.

Sent the books and calendar above to Ava.

The puppy book was Joey's. I remember reading it many times.

The other two books are easy readers and the calendar was added

because of a comment Ava made when we visited after Christmas.

She said she needed another calendar because she finished the Advent calendar.

I thought she might like to write on a calendar and baby bunnies are so cute.

I sent the boys these. Liam is into Bad Kitty. I ordered the newest Bad Kitty book for Christmas but

it wasn't published until late December. The Cat Klub is similar to Bad Kitty so I thought he might like it.

For David I bought the Scooby Doo - he likes scary stories. The missing mitten book is included because

both boys lost mittens in the snow. Anatole the mouse book is a favorite of mine and features a cat and a mouse. The very small Teeny Tiny Woman book is one David and I read together in the summer.

Here is Liam enjoying one of the new books.

Love my reading grandson.

And last of all - the stack of books I checked out before Christmas.

I finished the last one yesterday. Six books in four weeks.

Not bad.

I rediscovered some favorite authors in this stack.

What are you reading?

 

Small World section 3

This week I worked on section 3 of My Small World.

I'm late to this party. There have been many different groups who have made 

this quilt since it debuted in 2015.

The good thing in coming late - I have been able to find lots of photos online

of so many versions and interpretations of the pattern.

Below are the three sections I have completed.

Section 3 has been the most difficult for me so far.

The house on the bottom left has two Y seams and no directions for how to construct it

in the pattern book I bought. For some reason that block finished a half inch too short.

It could have been my error. Anyway, I decided to add a strip of the house fabric to the bottom.

Works for me.

Next week I think I will focus on the sky of the last two sections. 

I saw some great variations of sky sections online.

Look for updates next week end.

I'm linking with the Peacock Party.

I always enjoy seeing what others are sewing.

Have a great week!

 

Small World section 2

After a long break from working on My Small World, I finished section 2 this past week.

It is on the left but hasn't been ironed.

Just section 2 below.

Today I finished the sky for section 3.

The hardest part is choosing which fabrics to use.

The next three photos are small things I plan to do in the evenings while watching TV.

Cross Stitch started.

A scarf for one of the grandsons.

The yarn is super soft and leftover from Kenton's baby blanket.

I'm doing triple crochet and it goes fast.

One the list to hurry up and finish before the baby is grown.

Red, white, and blue knitted lovey.

Hope to be able to remember how to knit left-handed continental style.

That's it for me.

Have a good week.

 

Last Finishes of 2020

Today I had just enough time to finish two projects.

New grandson needed a Christmas stocking. 

His name is longer than the other grandkid's, so his stocking looks different.

Big sister Ava's stocking is red with a white cuff and green toe.

Kenton's has green trees on white background with red letters.

Each letter is from a different red Christmas fabric.

The toe is a purple ornament fabric.

Here is the little one asleep in his stroller.

We had our second visit with him last Sunday.

The other finish is a crocheted shrug.

I like the way it looks but it is a little small for me.

Maybe I will gift it to someone who doesn't crochet.

That's it for 2020. 

Happy New Year!