Strings, strings, glorious strings

Today we start a journey through some (no doubt) fabulous string quilt projects. My personal favourite string quilt shape is the diamond string. It is almost as simple as the regular or standard string quilt but has one little wrinkle. 

This is my wee diamond strings quilt. It is all quilted, labelled, washed and ready for donation. At approximately 30" x 40" it is relatively small but would be great for tucking around baby for a walk in the stroller.

To get started on this you need a foundation. I prefer some really thin cotton. Old sheets work well for this or some prefer muslin. I have not yet been converted to telephone book pages although I have tried them. 

For the diamond string your base shape is a rectangle. Mine for this project were 7" x 10". I have made doll sized ones using 5" x 7" (and downsized the centre string). Any size will do as long as it is  definitely a rectangle to start with.

The trick: Half of the starter strings must reach up to the right and half of them must reach up to the left. 

On these two backings you can see the drawn centre line for the string placement. One goes towards the top right and one goes towards the top left.

I just use the lines on my cutting mat to line things up. If I had used the rectangles in the diagram above with my white centre strings the pencil line would show through and you don't want that! My centre strings are 2" x 14" for this size. That gives overlap at each end. You can make your centre string a different width but it since it highlights the pattern so make it something a good size. Also note that the centre string should contrast with  the strings you are going to use.

Then you start stitching strings in place right sides together, using a 1/4" seam. I press after each added string. That stops me from sitting for hours in the same position and it makes the my work neater. Some people finger press.

When you have covered all of your foundation your block is ready to trim. The one on the left is what it looks like from the right side the one on the right is what it looks like from the wrong side. 

Once trimmed this is what the blocks look like. I try to make certain my centre string is centred when I am doing the trimming for each block.

Next step artfully arrange your blocks and stitch them together. At this stage I will often use a 3/8" or even a 1/2" seam and press it open because there is a lot of bulk if you press to one side.

To quilt these I follow the centre string. One a good day I would go on each side of the string and on the vertical and horizontal block lines. I hope this thumbnail sketch of how I do diamond string quilts answers most of your questions and that you will give them a try. Piecefully, Joanne

Please stop by the other bloggers who are on this fun Blog Hop to see what they have to offer. We all have strings lets get using them. 

Monday, March 25th

Just Let Me Quilt

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Bumbleberry Stitches

QuiltFabrication

Seams to be Sew

DesertSky Quilting

Happy Cottage Quilter

quiltsbyjoanne

selina quilts

Homespun Hannah's Blog

Karrin's Crazy World


Tuesday, March 26th

MooseStash Quilting

keepsake moments

Just Sew Quilter

Vroomans Quilts

That Fabric Feeling

Quilted Delights

Life in Scrapatch

Patchouli Moon Studio

ShirleyC


Wednesday, March 27th

Stitchin at Home

Alycia Quilts

Websterquilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Melva Loves Scraps

Words & Stitches

Den syende himmel

Patchwork Breeze

Domestic Felicity

The Quilted Snail


Thursday, March 28th

Cynthia's Creating Ark

The Joyful Quilter

Color Creating and Quilting

PamelaQuilts

Beaquilter

Two Maker Chicks

Days Filled With Joy

Quilting & Learning - What a Combo!

Creatin' in the Sticks

Playing with some black and white strings

I really love the impact you can get with Black and White. I have also noted that if I am somewhat organized with my scraps I can make headway in getting them used up. So this one was on the design floor yesterday to check for "sames" beside each other. I think we are good to go and the blocks are now bagged up and ready for my mini retreat after Easter. I have also discovered over the years that sewing at a retreat for me needs to be somewhat free of decision making. I get too distracted by all the goings on around me. So I have this one and a couple of others all organized to the point of sewing the blocks and then the rows.
Piecefully, Joanne

Linking up with Cynthia at Oh Scrap! (here)

Playing with strings

I have been playing with some black with white and white with black strings in between other tasks. I 24 of these blocks done and the second 24 are well on their way. I do however wonder how the bag full I started with is still essentially full.I have really been doing a lot of quilt pattern testing and that requires for the most part nothing be said or shown until the pattern is released. So the cone of silence will remain in place.
Last year at the end of the year I looked back at my favourite book for the year. I did look over my "books read" for 2016 and find that I do not have a favourite. I enjoyed many of them and some were Book Club reads that I managed to finish. I have signed up for Harper Collins 50 Book Pledge again this year. I find it a fantastic way to keep track of books read and authors enjoyed. This is my 4th or 5th year and you can look back over the previous year's book shelves if you need to find something.
The first sewing task this morning is some mending. Not glamorous but necessary. Then back to my testing. Linking up with Cynthia for Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework (here) Piecefully, Joanne

Using the design floor to arrange some bright strings

I do love making string quilts. This one has black centre strings and then every bright bit I could find. And there are enough bright bits to make at least one more just like it.
In a couple of weeks I am away for a few days sewing with my retired friends. I have missed the last two get togethers because I could not travel with my knee. So I am really looking forward to this get together. I arranged these strings and organized the rows so that this could be one of my sewing projects while I am there. Of course I think I already have enough projects packed to sew for a week and a half not four days.
September has been a busy month and it shows no signs of letting up. We had Quilt guild last week and it was great to see all my guild friends again. As usual show and tell was the highlight of the meeting. This year I have offered to do a different brick based pattern for a mini demo each month. I will show these on the blog later this fall. September went well and I am working on the October demo. I have a huge list to draw from and lots of bricks cut. I do scrappy and they expect nothing less. That and sometimes really small. So combining those two things is also expected. Piecefully, Joanne
Linking up with Cynthia at www.quiltingismorefunthanhousework.blogspot.ca

Working with some strings

I am giving a string quilt workshop at my guild in a couple of weeks. My samples are ready. In the morning we will make four basic styles of strings and in the afternoon I plan to give them some ideas about where to go for further inspiration. There are always more stings so hopefully this will be helpful to some for their scrap management. Piecefully, Joanne

A little string play

Our Community Outreach group, the Scrapbag Quilters were given a pile of "off-cuts" of Christmas fabric. I wasn't certain I could make them work but now that I look at the top assembled I think I succeeded. I cut the base fabric 10" and used a simple red for the centre string. The remainder of the block was sewn in the exact same manner for each block. The pattern develops when you put several blocks together. Because some of the pieces were just a little skimpy towards the edge I used a 1/2" seam through out when assembling. This is an example of putting my scraps to work.
We had the boys here all last week and not much serious sewing was accomplished. I need to get back at that soon. Piecefully, Joanne

The local snow hill keeps growing

When the town plows out our tiny street, they pile up the snow on a vacant lot. This is the snow pile before the last four days of blowing snow. It is even bigger now. Why would a quilting blogger talk about snow? Well all the snow outside has kept me inside sewing. I completed the testing of another quilt for The Quilt Pattern Magazine. It is called Grecian Stars and the pattern will be included in their July issue. Unfortunately I can't show you a picture at this time. As the snow was getting started earlier this week the Kincardine Sunset Quilters held a Mystery Quilt workshop. Denise did one last year and is doing one again this year. The room we have to work in at St. Anthony's Church in Kincardine is lovely and spacious with good lighting. I got to step 7 out of 13. Second day of work is scheduled for this coming Tuesday. (And the Weather Network says 10-15 cm of snow). I have two new blocks to test for Quiltmakers 100 blocks volume 9 and in between I am working on some string blocks. Piecefully, Joanne

Purple strings ready to donate

A friend quilted this for me as my shoulder tendonitis is making that task difficult. I added the label and the binding and washed the finished quilt. It is now ready to donate when needed. It was made with fabric another friend gave me and features dancing cows and frogs mixed in with pink and pastel green. The centre string colour was selected because of the purple challenge from the Heartstrings Yahoo group earlier this year. It was a lot of fun to make. Piecefully, Joanne

A little string quilt finished

This little string quilt is approximately 46" square. The centre string is a very light gray and the other strings are coral and a light steel blue. The quilt will go to our Scrap Bag group for donation. I have been sitting at my computer more than sewing for the last couple of days. Also getting my project ready for the next Scrap Bag meeting. I am making lots of bricks. So the scraps get pressed then cut into 2 1/2" strips and then sub cut into 4 1/2" bricks. We are going to be working with lots of browns, greens and golds on this project. Piecefully, Joanne

We haven't seen weather like this for a couple of years

A little ray of sunshine. It has been snowing since late Saturday. Hubby went to babysit the grandsons and I stayed home for an eye doctor appointment. He is stuck where he is and I am stuck where I am. three days of snow squalls. I am going to miss Scrapbag quilters tomorrow because I can't get out of the driveway. This quilt is all ready to donate. It is black centred strings with every bright scrap I could find. Piecefully, Joanne

A new string quilt

This little string quilt used up many little left overs I had hanging around. There are 36 square blocks each at 6 1/2". Each block was constructed in exactly the same manner with a medium blue centre then on one side a blue and pink striped fabric and on the other a green and pink striped fabric. Then a stripe of the pink and then in each corner a piece of green. When trimmed and assembled this is what you get. Joanne