Category Archives: table toppers

Stack’N Whack

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Today’s MSN conversation between LindaJ and I started off innocent enough–as all our conversations seem to do.  No one could be labelled the instigator, and no one was leading someone else astray.  BTW, that is our story and we are sticking to it!  🙂   Back to the conversation….Linda was telling me about her guild meeting today–some show and tell, but most of it relating to the program.  I asked what today’s program was about and Linda replied, Stack’N Whack.  Apparently, Linda’s guild is going to be doing a class on making Stack’N Whack fans at their next sew in later in February.  Then Linda mentioned that she won’t be doing the class.  She said she already has a hexagon Stack’N Whack project that is an old UFO.

Earlier in the afternoon,  I was chatting with my mother over Skype.  I noticed that she had the hexagon Stack’N Whack table topper that I made her years ago on her table.  Seeing that table topper got me thinking about my old hexagon Stack’N Whack UFO.  Ironic that Linda was now talking about a hexagon Stack’N Whack UFO!  (Sometimes we think so much alike it is almost scary!  LOL)

Then of course the challenge started to unfold–Linda challenged me to finish my hexagon Stack’N Whack UFO next month too.  Our conversation went something like this:

Linda:  Do you know where your project is?

Me:  Oh yes.  Safe and sound in a box.

Linda:  I have a pretty good idea where mire is too although it has moved over the years.

Me:  What size is your project going to be?

Linda:  Oh my—who remembers?

Me:  LOL

Linda:  Like the book.

Me:  OK, that does it – we both need to move these projects on.

Linda:  Yes we do.

Me: I didn’t remember I had one, you aren’t sure about the details about yours.

Linda: Seriously we do.

And so it always starts–from a small spark in a conversation.  Before we know it, we have plans for the next project.  We keep each other motivated and on track to completion.  We are also responsible for creating a few new UFO’s along the way.  But given that UFO’s are a part of this creative process, this should not be a surprise.  We both have way more ideas about what quilts we want to make than we have time to finish them.

We both agreed that we would document something about our UFO hexi’s so here is the detail about mine.

table topper stack n whack_2

Stack’N Whack table topper belonging to my Mother.

This first picture is a photo of the hexagon Stack’N Whack table topper that I made for my Mother and gifted to her years ago.  (circa 2003)  I had enough fabric at the time to make myself a matching table topper, but I only finished the one topper for my mother.

Class Sample from Stack'N Whack class on November 2, 2002

Class Sample from Stack’N Whack class on November 2, 2002

More class samples.

More class samples.

On November 2, 2002, I took a class from Betty F. (a member of the same quilt guild as me).  Betty brought along some great class samples and I remember falling in love with the hexagon shaped blocks made into a hexagon table topper.  I stored that idea away for later.

My Stack'N Whack quilt from the November 2, 2002 class sponsored by our Guild.

My Stack’N Whack quilt from the November 2, 2002 class sponsored by our Guild.

This was the project that I started in that class and later finished and gifted (along with the rest of my family members) to a cousin’s daughter’s wedding in early 2003.

My Stack'N Whack fabric before cutting.

My Stack’N Whack fabric before cutting.

After finishing the lap size hexagon Stack’N Whack project, I pondered the possibility of kaleidoscope designs in almost every fabric I saw.  After Christmas in 2002, the Christmas fabrics went on sale and I picked up this yardage.  The colours were not what I thought traditional Christmas colours were and I knew if you cut the fabric up, you would not be able to recognize most of the Christmas elements of the fabric.  Once this fabric is cut into pieces it reminds me more of the Mexican inspired pottery I have seen in the southern U.S. states, rather than Christmas.

UFO - Stack'N Whack blocks

UFO – Stack’N Whack blocks

My UFO box contained these 9 completed blocks and a stack of triangles cut for another 8 blocks.  I also had some purple fabric in there.  I must have considered a purple background for these blocks at one point, although, a black background won out in the project I completed for my mother.

So, it would appear that this hexagon Stack’N Whack table topper will be the next project in the queue.  Since this particular project only needs 7 blocks, I am not sure what will happen with the leftover blocks.  I also have quite a bit of that yardage left.  So, I may have more than one project left here to make.  We will have to see where this ends up taking me.

Linda’s post:  http://catsnqlts2.blogspot.ca/2013/01/guild-meetingstack-n-whack.html

 

Pansy Finishes

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This post is dedicated to Linda who listens to everything I say and remembers all of it–even all the little boring details! When we were chatting on line tonight, Linda asked if I had posted a picture of my pansy table runner yet. I replied that I hadn’t. I mentioned that I was behind on so many of my posts. Linda suggested I talk about the pansy series of projects that I finished, and the connection to pansies in my family. So Linda, here it goes! *VBG*

Back in May 2008, my aunt, my mother, and I took a girls’ only road trip to Oregon to visit a part of the country that we had a family connection to–somewhere my mother had visited previously with her father. See the post here:

http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2008/06/girls-road-trip-fabs-meet-for-first.html

and here:

http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2008/06/girls-road-trip-part-two.html

We did some fabric shopping at Joann’s in Roseburg, Oregon. I fell in love with a fabric collection by Debbie Mumm that featured pansies. Pansies are a flower that links the women in my family. Pansies were a favorite flower of my grandmother, my aunt, my mother, and myself. My grandmother painted pansy pictures for each of us and I always think first of my grandmother when I see pansies.

I recently finished four projects from the pansy fabrics.

The first piece was a table topper that was gifted to my aunt for Christmas this past year.
The second piece in the pansy series was a Disappearing Nine Patch that was gifted to my Mother this past Christmas.
The final two pieces in the series were a lap quilt and table runner for myself.

I am so finished with winter and I am so ready for spring. Rather than put the table runner away until the weather improves and spring actually arrives, I decided to put it out now. It may not be spring outside, but I can make it feel a little like spring inside.

The road trip I mentioned above was where I first met two of the FABs in person–Cher and Pam. So in honor of this meeting, the backing fabric for all of these pieces is purple. After all, purple IS the FAB colour!
These four pieces bring together a lot of symbolism–pansies for the women in my family and the two FAB sisters I met in Oregon that have become such an important part of my extended family, purple to celebrate all five of the FABs which includes those that live in WI and AL, and a wonderful memory of a girls only road trip.

Current Projects

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Although I have not been posting to my blog lately, I have been busy.

I finished a fall table topper for my mom. We purchased these fabrics at an Oregon Wal-Mart this summer. I have enough fabric to make myself one of these toppers as well. I have only finished one so far and that one is currently on the table in my mother’s kitchen. Maybe I will have mine done for next year. I have been busy quilting customer quilts and it seems that I don’t get an opportunity to work on quilting my own tops much. This fall, I have started inserting my own projects between customer quilts so that I can move my own projects forward. This plan seems to be working so far. This picture was taken Friday night and it is a top made from strings foundation pieced onto dryer sheets that I finished piecing August 1st.

I am also working on the binding on my Daffodil BQ2 quilt. I only have one corner of the quilt’s binding hand sewn to the back of the quilt so far. If I am looking for a handwork project this is the one I can pick up.


These are the fabrics that I recently purchased to start a new project. I fell in love with the floral fabric and coordinating stripe. The light green fabric in the middle will be used as background–a departure from the usual white or off white background that I usually gravitate to in a project.

These fabrics will be used to make a Terry Atkinson pattern, “Got Stripes?” from Terry’s new book, “Time Out Quilts”.

I work on the reward system to stay motivated as I work through some of my UFO’s. The reward for working on a UFO or other challenging project is to work on something new. Working on Got Stripes will be the reward for the next while.
Having several projects at various stages of the process also helps to keep things moving forward. If I feel like piecing or quilting, or doing handwork, I have something ready to go.

Two More Flimsies from Pansy Fabric

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I spent today piecing two new flimsies. Both tops are made from the pansy collection of fabrics I purchased in Oregon when I was there over a year ago. This fabric seems to go on forever as I continue to piece projects from it in an attempt to use it up.

This first flimsy is a table topper. I made this one from 2 1/2″ strips instead of the usual 3″ strips. This one finishes at about 27″ across. The purple fabric on the outer edge really looks blue in this picture. This next flimsy is a table runner from Terry Atkinson’s book, Let’s Do Lunch. This one finishes at 16 1/2″ x 66″ – nice and long. Terry calls this one Seven Layer Salad. Even after piecing these two tops, I still have more of this pansy collection left!

Cat Table Topper Update

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The cat table topper that I made for my aunt has reached its destination. Here is a picture of the table topper on my Aunt’s table. Have a look at the cute flower arrangement that she and my mom put together to go with the topper.
The cute cat tea pot was already in the possession of my aunt. My mom got the idea to put some flowers in it and use it as a centerpiece. Very cute!

As a thank you for making the toppers for her, my aunt gave me this addorable pewter pin. I have always admired the sewing/quilting themed pewtewr pins that some of my fellow guild members have. Now I have one of my own.


And because I have been talking about them, this is an updated picture of my Mom (left) and my Aunt (right). Looks like the weather is sunny at my Aunt’s house.