I hope you have enjoyed working on the Ice Crystals wall hanging/table runner.  I've decided mine will have a place on the table in my family room.  I've done a number of extra blocks -- so maybe I will do a gift as well.

As a reminder, this free pattern will be available on my website until the end of the month.

In quilting Ice Crystals, I'll admit that I threw it on the longarm and used a snowflake pantograph.  However, I have thought a bit about how I would quilt this on my domestic machine.

I went back to an old favorite, snowflakes and loops.  This is a very forgiving pattern and a great one to practice your machine quilting.  The points of the snowflakes don't need to be the same size and it looks fine if they don't even stay on top of the line when traveling back.  Check out this video to see how to quilt this out.

Here are a few photos of a recent customer's quilt in which I incorporated this technique.  This stunning quilt was done by Judy Berry and will be on display as part of the Redwork Show at Four Season's Quilts during the month of February.  Check the show out to see this quilt in person.

Happy quilting.

Kari Schell
On Point Quilter

Today I am providing instructions for doing the Ice Crystals block.  With the instructions I've included a number of helpful hits/techniques to aid in the successful piecing of this block.  It is easier than you think to get all those pesky points to match up.

As a reminder this is the quilt we are working on:

Here is the block.  You will need three blocks for the quilt.

Their are a lot of tips along with photos included in the five pages of free instructions, so please make sure to download and save the instructions on your computer.   If you have additional questions, please ask and I will attempt to help.

The pattern will be available until the end of the month. 

Next week I will provide the setting instructions.

Downton Abbey is a new fabric collection from Andover Fabrics.  If you aren't into the winter blues -- this would be another fun option for your quilt.

I would love to see photos of any blocks you are working on.  I've altered my contact form to allow you to upload photos.  Or you can post to my Facebook page.

Happy Quilting

Kari Schell

On Point Quilter

As I write this our part of the country is in a deep freeze and other parts are threatened with the cold weather for later in the week.

Since it is winter, I thought I would use this opportunity to celebrate winter with a winter wall hanging.  I will be offering the pattern for the table-runner over the next few weeks.

Let me start by sharing a photo of the finished quilt.

The blocks for this quilts are 9" x 9".  The  table runner finishes at 15" x 33".

Yardage requirements and cutting charts for the project are in the linked file.  The file will be available for download through February 15th.

Instructions for piecing the blocks will be provided next week and instructions for the setting the following week.

Happy quilting.

Kari Schell

On Point Quilter

On New Year's Day, Bonnie Hunter posted the reveal for Celtic Solstice.  In starting to put some of my blocks together, I realized I had changed out a few colors.  I had done a color chart, but waited a week to do the "conversion to Bonnie's color chart).  In that process, I forgot what I was planning to do .  As a result, my blocks will look a bit different.

Layouts in EQ are shown below:

I'm on a retreat next weekend and hope to finish up then.  Everything is completely pieced but those pesky chevrons (where I messed up the coloration).

Would you be willing to help me out by picking your favorite of the block layouts? 

Kari Schell

On Point Quilter

It is the beginning of 2014.  Do you use this time to reflect on the past year and make goals for 2014?  Before I can set goals, I find it helpful to understand where I am currently at with my various quilt projects.  My various stints in Weight Watchers (along with my salaried job working with Six Sigma) have taught me that tracking is key to making progress on any goal.  When I track what I eat, I eat less.  Writing the information down or entering it into a computer program holds me accountable. 

My first inventory of works in process was taken in January 2011.  I also decided to categorize my "inventory" as follows:

• Kits (fabric selected or purchased but no work done)
• Fabric cut
• Blocks in process
• Blocks completed
• Top completed
• Quilted
• Binding in process

Much to my amazement I had 82 projects on the list.  The largest # were "tops completed" -- waiting to be quilted.  I figure that meant I started about four projects each year that I never finished or got back to.  Based on the inventory, I made some conscious decisions to finish, re-design and/or give away projects.  When I re-inventoried everything a year later I was down to 61 items.

While writing this post I decided I should do an inventory for this year.  I am currently at 51 projects (15 kits, 2 fabric cut, 9 blocks in process, 10 blocks completed, 15 tops completed, 3 quilted but not bound).
 

Based on this, I've decided that my New Year's resolutions will include:

• I will quilt at least 4 tops in my inventory (one by March 31, one by June 30, one by September 30 and one by November 30).  
• I will either give away, re-purpose or actually start the quilt for at least 5 of the kits currently in inventory. 

I think that is achievable – and still gives me opportunity to do new stuff. 
 
Do you have any quilting New Year’s resolutions? 

Happy quilting.

Kari Schell

On Point Quilter