Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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Finish the Old, Start Something New?

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I took my own advice and rummaged around a bit in the old stash cupboards this past weekend.  Oh my, look what was hiding away in a plastic project box labeled "Pretty Maids".  At first I had no clue what "Pretty Maids" meant.  I have glanced at this box a hundred times over the past few years, and really never properly considered what was in it.

I have a habit of pulling fabrics together for quilts I think I might like to make in the future, putting them away together in a box, and promptly forgetting all about them.  Now that is a bad habit I would like to break.

So here were all these positively gorgeous blues and browns, just wasting away in the dark.  I think the majority of the fabrics may have been designed by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Bros.  Aren't they sublime?

What the heck is "Pretty Maids"?  That was the name of the pattern for which I was considering using these fabrics.  But I changed my mind after taking everything out of the box and inspecting it.

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I am going to use this old Miss Rosie pattern called "Message in a Bottle".  The scrappy lights will go back into the stash for another day, but those yummy blues and browns will all get to play.  The fabrics are all older pieces from my stash, but there are a large number of a collection called Nottingham Village that was designed by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Bros.

My line of thinking is that I finished something old, so now I get to start something new.  (Bye Bye Jellystone, Hello New Project).  This is a concept I hope to put into effect this whole year.  I cut out the fabric while Eva played at my feet, emptying out all the pantry shelves and kitchen drawers.

My fabric is all cut out, and I am drawing lines on some of the lighter squares, to make half square triangles.

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I did make one modification to the pattern instructions.  One of the block units is "Square in a Square".  This is a block that has ALWAYS given me fits.  There is a tool that my friend Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts (and host of the Blogger Girls BOM) invented that makes this problematic block easy peasy summer breezy.

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The tool is "Fit to be Square".  You  make the block unit larger than you need it to be, and then use the ruler to trim it down to the perfect size.  Similar concept to her "Fit to be Geese" ruler.  See how those digaonal lines are lining up exactly with my center square?  I trim the top, turn the block and trim each of the four sides accordingly.

My thought is that I would vastly prefer to spend a few more minutes trimming down an over sized block than to wrestle with a mishapen one, trying to make it line up and fit with the other blocks in the quilt top.

The modification I made to the pattern was to cut the block units according to the chart that came with the ruler.  For a finished 6 inch block, you cut the center square 4 3/4" and cut two squares 4 1/2" (cut once diagonally) to form the four triangle sides.

As are all Monique's tools, this one is a winner, and I highly recommend it.  Monique did give me this ruler, but I'd have bought it anyway!!

42 responses to “Finish the Old, Start Something New?”

  7. What a lovely array of yummy fabrics you unearthed and that pattern is wonderful! Yes, indeed! This will be another glorious quilt a la Nicole! The great thing about scrap quilts is there is no chance you’ll ever run out of fabric!
    I also create sweetly beribboned bundles of fabrics that I think look good together. Some have patterns or paper noting book names and page numbers tucked under their ribbons, but others have no pattern yet.
    Hugs!

  8. What a lovely array of yummy fabrics you unearthed and that pattern is wonderful! Yes, indeed! This will be another glorious quilt a la Nicole! The great thing about scrap quilts is there is no chance you’ll ever run out of fabric!
    I also create sweetly beribboned bundles of fabrics that I think look good together. Some have patterns or paper noting book names and page numbers tucked under their ribbons, but others have no pattern yet.
    Hugs!

  9. 🙂 Pretty Maids is also a pattern by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co. It also would have been gorgeous in your fabrics!

  10. 🙂 Pretty Maids is also a pattern by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co. It also would have been gorgeous in your fabrics!

  11. Oh my you are quick with the cutting and with a toddler under foot too. The pattern is lovely as are your fabric choices. Great find in your own cupboard!

  12. Oh my you are quick with the cutting and with a toddler under foot too. The pattern is lovely as are your fabric choices. Great find in your own cupboard!

  13. I’ve made the Message in a Bottle quilt and it’s one of my favorites and I can guarantee that it will beautiful in your fabric choices. Have fun!

  14. I’ve made the Message in a Bottle quilt and it’s one of my favorites and I can guarantee that it will beautiful in your fabric choices. Have fun!

  17. What a wonderful find! Your fabrics will be stunning in Message in a Bottle! You must feel like you’ve hit the jackpot! I received a Fit to be Square ruler set for my birthday so I can start using it for the Blogger Girls BOM!

  18. What a wonderful find! Your fabrics will be stunning in Message in a Bottle! You must feel like you’ve hit the jackpot! I received a Fit to be Square ruler set for my birthday so I can start using it for the Blogger Girls BOM!

  19. I’m drooling! Blue and brown is gorgeous together!! Can’t wait to see the top done.

  20. I’m drooling! Blue and brown is gorgeous together!! Can’t wait to see the top done.

  23. I am looking forward to seeing this quilt. I love the blues and browns. I decided for the year too, to do one new, one old. So far, it is working out really well.

  24. I am looking forward to seeing this quilt. I love the blues and browns. I decided for the year too, to do one new, one old. So far, it is working out really well.

  25. Nice to discover such treasures in your stash. The blues and browns are gorgeous. Can’t wait to see your progress on this one. And thanks for the ruler demo — looks like I need one of those, since I’ve been avoiding that block.

  26. Nice to discover such treasures in your stash. The blues and browns are gorgeous. Can’t wait to see your progress on this one. And thanks for the ruler demo — looks like I need one of those, since I’ve been avoiding that block.

  29. Beautiful fabrics! I’m fast becoming a big Judie Rothermel fan. I must say, that you are the first blog I open each morning and I can’t wait! Always great pictures and funny quips. Thanks for starting off my day with a smile!

  30. Beautiful fabrics! I’m fast becoming a big Judie Rothermel fan. I must say, that you are the first blog I open each morning and I can’t wait! Always great pictures and funny quips. Thanks for starting off my day with a smile!

  31. I do love Judie Rothermel’s fabrics! She always hits the color notes I favor. Technically maybe this would not be considered starting a whole new project. After all, you didn’t go out and BUY anything new, it is all stash and pattern you had on hand, right ? LOL It is going to be beautiful.

  32. I do love Judie Rothermel’s fabrics! She always hits the color notes I favor. Technically maybe this would not be considered starting a whole new project. After all, you didn’t go out and BUY anything new, it is all stash and pattern you had on hand, right ? LOL It is going to be beautiful.

  35. Love those blues and browns!! I have a few of those prints, but not all the gorgeous ones you do. Can’t wait to see your first block 🙂

  36. Love those blues and browns!! I have a few of those prints, but not all the gorgeous ones you do. Can’t wait to see your first block 🙂

  37. Oh what a find you have on your hands! And I always appreciate the tips for the tools/rulers! I like to make things oversized, too, and trim down – otherwise I just can’t make things fit right and it takes the fun out of trying to get a pattern to work out no matter how slow I sew and how careful I am of my seam allowance. I love Carrie’s patterns – she does that a lot and the few I’ve had opportunity to make have come out and made me want to do more of hers!

  38. Oh what a find you have on your hands! And I always appreciate the tips for the tools/rulers! I like to make things oversized, too, and trim down – otherwise I just can’t make things fit right and it takes the fun out of trying to get a pattern to work out no matter how slow I sew and how careful I am of my seam allowance. I love Carrie’s patterns – she does that a lot and the few I’ve had opportunity to make have come out and made me want to do more of hers!

  41. I’ve been humming and hahhing about buying these fit to be rulers. They are it readily available in Australia and I worry about them snapping on their long journey here from the States. I also think I should be accurate enough to piece without having to trim down, but lets face it, 10 years and how many thousand flying geese and squares later, and it still only ever sort of fits! I collect fabrics for a project, put them in a bag with a pattern too. U fortunately, I can’t forget about them and feel guilty when I buy more coz its just so pretty and would be great for that pattern I’ve just seen!

  42. I’ve been humming and hahhing about buying these fit to be rulers. They are it readily available in Australia and I worry about them snapping on their long journey here from the States. I also think I should be accurate enough to piece without having to trim down, but lets face it, 10 years and how many thousand flying geese and squares later, and it still only ever sort of fits! I collect fabrics for a project, put them in a bag with a pattern too. U fortunately, I can’t forget about them and feel guilty when I buy more coz its just so pretty and would be great for that pattern I’ve just seen!