Carlene Foster's Gallery : Woman, Girl

One block wonder

Carlene Foster — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:03:26 GMT

This is a repeat of the same star block, just by using different corner pieces, they look totally different. Of course, it is me, so it is still scrappy. :) The small sashings bring your eyes out so that it looks like one star is framed in the middle of a bunch of x's. I just thought that was the appeal to this pattern...starting with one thing and ending up with something that appears much more complex than it is. Downfall to this pattern was that it called for 2 5/8 inch squares for the outer corners, and I was using scraps from 2 1/2 inch strips, so I lost most of my star points in the process. Even rounded off, I like them (although it obviously bugs me).

Strings!

Carlene Foster — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 15:26:09 GMT

I cannot bear to throw away those strings: the cuts left at the end of the fabric that are less than 2 inches wide down to 1/2 inch wide. I sew them to 7 inch mujslin backs and then trim to 6.5 inch squares. This quilt top is 84 x 84. That is a lot of strings!

Sampling sampler quilts completed

Carlene Foster — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:04:25 GMT

This is how I finished the blocks into a completed quilt top. You would think I shouls be finished with these fabrics by now, right? I found another 4 yards of the wild rose in the house after I had ordered 3 more yards (that brought the total to 15 yards purchased outside the original finishing set for the original wildflower rose BOM. And, I find myself with a bunch of the other fabrics left as well. Might be a lap quilt or more left in this batch....we are beyond bonus. Now we are into the "challenge phase" of how to use up this fabric.

Scrappy stars

Carlene Foster — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:56:42 GMT

Never give me a batch of scraps and think I'm never going to use them...I find ways of putting them to some sort of use! Just need borders to finish this one. The star blocks finish at 8 x 8. I just used neutral sashings and scrappy cornerstones to keep the background from swallowing the stars.

Snap bags

Carlene Foster — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:35:59 GMT

Did I mention I have a lot of scraps to work with? Snap bags....held shut by two pieces of 1 inch wide tape measures cut to length. You would be surprised how stout the closure is...Pull tabs on the sides are recommended. Handles are optional. You can make all 3 sizes from two coordinating fat quarters, one to serve as the inside lining, the other to be the outside. Fast, easy and a certain gift giving wow factor. When my scraps were a little too narrow, I used coordinating fabrics for an extra strip on each side. No one said extra piecing wasn't allowed! LOL

Let it Snow!

Carlene Foster — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 23:01:40 GMT

Coordinating batiks make for a quick quilt.

Catch the Rainbow!

Carlene Foster — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:52:32 GMT

What do you do when you find yourself with a rainbow of scraps? Make a rainbow quilt, of course! This was a controlled paper bag pieced quilt. Each block had no repeats of fabrics, but the order that the block went into the design depended on which order it got pulled from the paper bag. So, each block got sorted by color, then thrown into the bag and pulled out one piece at a time.

Strip Therapy Stars

Carlene Foster — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 04:02:20 GMT

one Jelly roll of choice, some accents, some backgroiund fabric....a quilt. :) Stri Therapy 6, "Seeing Stars"

Disappearing 9 patch with hearts

Carlene Foster — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:18:55 GMT

I did this from a pattern I got online. What a way to use up some of those fq's that you have no clue what to do with them! I loved it! Half a heart was 6 inches x 3.5 inches, so these were not small pieces. Just watch where you place the dark and light colors when you make your nine patches (before you slice and dice into individual blocks again.) Simple, fun, fast.

Marti Michel's Wild Rose BOM

Carlene Foster — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:45:38 GMT

This was the first BOM program I ever did. And, it was my first experience with Marti Michel's templates....which I have absolutely grown to love. I thought this fabric was soooooooooooo much a have to have because it still strikes me as being so feminine and beautiful. Two of my latest quilts were an effort to use up the additional fabric I had purchased from this line...when I like something, I tend to purchase in bulk, so it seems. I am proud to say my 3 large bags of fabric now fit into one bag. The color choices are waining, and soon there will only be a few scrapts to add to other quilts in the making. I still love this quilt, though.

Pinks and purples

Carlene Foster — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:31:34 GMT

Inspired by one block from a sampler quilt and leftovers from the Wildflower Rhapsody BOM that I completed. I'm liking this combination of fabrics almost better than the original quilt.

Sampler

Carlene Foster — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:23:04 GMT

Sometimes, for inspiration, I need to do a sampler quilt. Then, I can decide if there is a block I like better than the others...something to inspire the next project. This was one of those quilts. I had a lot of fabric left over from Marty Michel's Wild Rose fabric line. So, I just went to town making this quilt.

Timeless Treasures Tonga Batik

Carlene Foster — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:16:51 GMT

This was a BOM project that only lasted 9 months. When I brought home the fabric for the first block, my younger son said......hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I kind of like that. So, I took him to the quilt shop to see the finished product and he calimed the whole project as his. The finishing kit on ths quilt consists of 200 flying geese blocks. If any of you are familiar with Timeless Treasures, the method is to over-size the blocks and then trim them all to the correct size after they are sewn. What this meant was handling 200 flying geese 3 times each before they went into the quilt itself. I think the journey was worth the trip every time I see my son wrapped up in his "super hug" from Mom. :)