Category Archives: flimsy

Dryer Sheet String Flimsy

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This was yesterday’s finish. The dryer sheet string top is now a completed flimsy. This is another big one – 92″ wide x 104″ long. I have used up every last little scrap of the blue batik star fabric on the sashing and outer border. I was originally going to put a 6″ outer border on this one, but the remaining fabric after cutting sashing only allowed for a 4″ border. I have lots of the red fabric left so this one will likely be bound in red once it is quilted.

We are in for another bright sunny day and you can see the sun already shining through the top of this quilt top as it hangs from the clothes line.

Table Topper Flimsies, 60 Degree Angels, and IIWII

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Last weekend was not that productive in the quilting area as I would have liked. However, I did manage to finish a lilac table topper for myself to the flimsy stage. This was a project that I started a year ago. I also finished one of these toppers for my Mom and my Aunt–only they got their table toppers over a year ago! http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2008/06/table-toppers.html

Hopefully, it won’t take me another year to get this one quilted for myself!


The colours don’t photograph as true as they are in real life. The purple in the lilacs is looking a little blue–you will have to take my word for it–those lilacs are really purple!

This next topper was a disappointment. My mom found this cute watermelon fabric while we were in Oregon last May. I found a pattern called, Wagon Wheels by Stitchin’ Friends of IA that I thought would be perfect for this fabric. http://www.newleafpatterns.com/Patterns/Pattern_Images/StitchinFr/stitchinfr.html

I can tell you with certainty that I will never be making this pattern again! I am fed up with 60 degree angles, templates, and trying to get things to match up where they are supposed to. Some patterns are better left on the designer’s studio floor and should never make it to the cute little plastic bag hanging on the hook in the quilt shop stage. Don’t get me wrong, some designers know how to design and publish great patterns. One designer in particular who you can trust is Terry Atkinson of Atkinson Designs. Terry tests her patterns before publication on “real quilters”. IMHO, this is a designer that not only knows what she is doing, but is interested in repeat sales of new designs and patterns to quilters who have previously purchased her products.

One of the FABs challenged us to include some things in our “bucket list” this year that we would like to try or conquer. I have not committed my bucket list to paper – partially because I may actually have to deliver on those items and partly because if I decide I don’t like something, I can just abandon it and deny that it ever was a bucket list item. However, that same FAB has known of my triangle phobia for some time and has encouraged me to try different piecing methods in order to conquer my fear of triangles. I am wondering if piecing all these 60 degree angles counts towards piecing triangles. Maybe I should quickly add this to my bucket list so I can just as quickly strike it off that list! LOL

I started the first triangle piece of this topper in the morning, got so frustrated with the piecing technique described in the pattern and quickly abandoned the project for the day. As I hate to waste anything, I headed back down to the studio in the evening and decided that IIWII (it is what it is) and I finished it. So, here it is with all its imperfections. I am sure once it is quilted I will be able to find a home for it. Lucky for me I have fabric leftover and I can make another topper in a “friendlier” pattern.

Come to think of it, I should add IIWII to my bucket list and then I can strike two things off the list!

Moving Unfinished Projects Forward

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Today I stopped at the LQS and picked up some of Mary Ellen’s Best Press. I have been reading the reviews and I decided to give it a try.

Today I washed a load of green fabrics and I knew some of those fabrics would likely end up quite wrinkled. I was very impressed with this product in removing those wrinkles effortlessly. The bottle says, “Mary Ellen makes ironing (almost) fun!” and I would have to agree with that statement. I think I am going to have to buy stock in this company!
I also finished one of my UFOs to the flimsy stage today. This top was started on June 28, 2008 on a FABs Saturday Sew-In. This top finished at 52″ x 59 1/2″ and will be perfect for a baby girl/toddler. The pattern is an original design by Cher, one of the FABs. We have been affectionately calling this quilt pattern, CGF or Cher’s Gym Floor. Bet you can’t guess where Cher got the inspiration for this design! LOL

Criss-Cross Apple-Sauce

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This little quilt was finished to the flimsy stage last weekend. The pattern is Criss-Cross Apple-Sauce from Blue Meadow Designs. http://bluemeadowdesigns.blogspot.com/

This is a table topper (32″ square) that was part of Myra’s Mystery Mondays for the last month. I added one extra border to the design as I thought the piece needed more pansies.

Myra has promised that the next Mystery Monday project will be made from a charm square pack. I have a few charm packs that I have picked up at quilt shows in the past and so I will be looking forward to see what Myra has in store for us.

Three Finished Flimsies

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This was a long weekend here in Canada. Here in BC it was BC Day today. 2008 marks 150 years since the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858. I had Friday off from work so for me it was a very long weekend–4 days total.

This weekend was very productive quilt wise.

This first quilt is the Warm Wishes quilt I have previously shown. Here it is at the completed flimsy stage. I am back to using my garage door design wall system. I forgot to measure this quilt before folding it and adding it to the “to be quilted” pile, but as you can see, it fills the garage door opening. Anyone need a quilt to fit a garage door? This is my Poppy 4 Patch Stacked Posies quilt finished to the flimsy stage. As I said in a previous post, the fabric left from making the blocks was way too busy for me to use as a border so I went with my favorite neutral; green. The width of the outer border is cut 6″–the width of my long ruler. Using the 6″ measurement makes for easy cutting of the border pieces. This quilt top measures 57 1/2″ x 66 1/2″.

And the third quilt that was finished to the flimsy stage this weekend is my Tiger Lily BQ2. As I stated before, I just couldn’t leave this one without borders. I had to piece the outer border in several places and I have just one tiny strip left. The border pieces were cut 4 1/4 inches wide–to maximize the use of what fabric I had left. My mother will be pleased to hear that I have a small piece of the lily fabric left. Although my mother does not quilt, she has her eye on that fabric! LOL This quilt top measures 65″ x 78 1/2″.


The wind was blowing a bit when I was trying to take a picture of this last quilt. Note the magnet in the lower left corner of the quilt holding the quilt from moving in the breeze. I love this “design wall”.