HeartStrings Quilt Project

Here’s one I just finished up from a HeartStrings project a couple years ago, the top was finished during the project but it waited a long time to be quilted. You can find a link to instructions to make one of your own in the previous post.

Two recent finishes show what a great combination blue and yellow are for our string quilts. The first one by Stephanie.

And the second one by Joanne.

Stephanie’s quilt uses our standard HeartStrings block with the addition of sashing and Joanne’s quilt is made from rectangle string blocks. You can find instructions for making one of your own by following this link.

We’re still working on quilts with black centers from our last project but you’ll also find us finishing up other HeartStrings quilts too.

Here’s a recent finish by Stephanie in AUS, using strings from Lyn

She’s looking for completed Quilts of Valor to be donated in Colorado and all the details are on her blog. She does have certain size requirements so read her post carefully. The quilts do NOT have to be Red/White/Blue.

If you participated in our project during Sept/Oct making blocks with black centers, it’s time to mail them in.

Please email me at mmcjohnson@gmail.com for the mailing address.

Here’s a look at a top from the project I received from Ann – Thanks to everyone who participated!

Our current special project uses our standard guidelines but substitutes black centers and pairs them up with brights or homespuns. At the Maine sew-in last week we had several quilts in progress for this project.

Rebecca’s top was tied by Mary

Brenda pieced and quilted her black and bright HeartStrings quilt. Don’t you love the sashing?

Ann finished a Homespun top, also sashed.

And Ann also has a black and brights top in progress with stars in the sashing.

I hope these quilts inspire you to participate. Details can be found at this post.

Last week several of us participated in a sew-in in Yarmouth Maine. This annual event is always fun and very productive.

You can view the complete photo album here.

We’ve started a new project (see the previous post) but our volunteers continue to finish up quilts from our standard RED and BLUE HeartStrings blocks as well as those from previous projects.

Stephanie just finished up this final quilt from the blocks made/received in AUS from our Happy Block Project

And I’m finishing up the quilting on a couple tops from our Lime Centered project.

As you can see the projects keep things fun and interesting for the group so won’t you join in with our current project that goes through October? Check the previous post for details.

We’re going to kick off a new project as the summer comes to an end and we head back to our sewing rooms.

For the months of September and October we’ll collect blocks with black center strips and bright strings. Following our basic guidelines, we’ll start with a foundation that is cut 10 inches and a center black string cut 2 inches and then add bright strings to finish the block. The center string does NOT have to be a solid but it should be either a tone on tone or solid rather than a multicolored print. Blocks will then be trimmed to 9.5 inches.

Stephanie got an early start and made this top

Here’s another top, this one from the July WI/MN sew-in that inspired us to choose this combination.

And because I still have lots of Homespuns AND I like to offer a second option, you can also send in blocks that use the center black string as described above but finish the blocks with homespun strings.

You can make as many or as few blocks as you’d like to send in, you can compete the top and we’ll find a volunteer to quilt and donate it, or you can make the entire quilt from start to finish and donate it locally.

Of course we always accept blocks made according to the guidelines with our BLUE or RED centers if neither of the above options work for you.

I hope EVERYONE will join in over the next couple months.

Need some ideas for shorter leftover strings? How about a Chinese Coin’s quilt. Here’s one recently finished by Ruthie.

You can find more inspiration and brief instructions for Coins quilts at the links below.

• CC ~ Coins Border
• CC ~ Easy version
• CC ~ Easy version #2
• CC ~ Uneven version