Tess's String Quilt Guidelines

Here is the finished String Quilt top I promised, with Sophie taking a peek around the edge.  She can't believe I did such beautiful work from this chaos...

This quilt was made from strip sets that measured at least 12 inches wide, with a 2 inch (finished) strip of black on white fabric as the center strip. 

From these strips, you cut an 8 & 1/2 inch square, making sure that the black on white fabric is the exact center from one corner to its diagonal opposite.  I used 48 squares.  The left over triangle pieces from these strips then get trimmed into right triangles that measure 8 & 3/4 inches across the longest side.
The inner border of the quilt is 2 1/2 inch strips of the black on white. 
The corner squares are cut to 4 & 1/4 inches. 
It takes about 3 & 1/2 to 4 yards of black on white fabric. 
The overall measurement of the quilt is about 60 X 75 inches, so a large lap quilt.  Add another row and column of blocks and you have a large twin quilt.   
Unfortunately, I need to make about five more of these to get all Mom's scraps used up!
Happy Scrapping in the New Year!
Toodles!
Tess

Tess is cleaning out the mess...

Hi all,
Tess here...
Hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas!  We had lots of fun!  Now, time to set some goals for the New Year and get stitching!

I have been sneaking in some work on Mom's scrap bins.  She has about four that look something like this...

And this...
Can you believe it?
We can't keep those hanging around in the New Year, cluttering up our creative space! 

Looking at all that wasted fabric, I couldn't wait to get my paws on it!  So, in hopes of cleaning out some of Mom's hoard...I mean stash, I have been making strip sets.

I chose a variety of black on white fabrics for the very center of each set and then just started adding my strings!  I made sure they were wide enough for me to cut my squares with the black on white strip being the center diagonal. 
I saved the left overs and they will be used in the border. 
Stay tuned and I will post my pattern and pieced string top here in another day or two, certainly by New Year's Day, so stay tuned.
If you are inspired to start stripping with me, I would love to see your work!

Toodles!
Tess

Poodles

Tess, up close and personal

Sophie showing her bandaged leg after knee surgery.  Its going to be a long recovery...
Tess looking over her shoulder and sharing her bed.

Beginner quilt makes a lovely finish...

Finished this one today, just in time for human mom to get it hung up for her mid November class.  It is a pattern she developed to teach quilting to absolute beginners.  The binding was a good job for me today since my hind leg is sore.  Must have jumped off that extra tall bed wrong.  Guess I will try to use the steps Mom has provided that I usually avoid.  Getting too advanced in poodle years to be so reckless. 

Tess likes it too, though it is a bit more planned out than she likes.  She prefers the scrappy and wild quilts!

Oliver was totally disinterested because there was no food or napping on the quilt involved!  He chose to stay in his nice, comfy bed. 
Au revoir!
Sophie

Ruler & Mat Carrier

Bonsoir!
Just wanted to share what I have been up to recently.  Mom has been saying that she greatly needed a carrier for her quilting and cutting supplies.  Quilt retreat is just around the corner so I thought I would whip something up for her...

Here is one side, 
Mom just LOVES owls (second only to poodles of course)

Here is the other...

And the insides...

There is even room for a little bit of neatly folded fabric.  Mom was so thrilled!  She is very excited about her very first quilting retreat!
Au revoir!
Sophie

Casserole Cover

Hi, Hi, HI,
Oliver here,
Mom has been sayin' she needs a casserole cover for a swap at her Fall retreat.
That's right, she said CASSEROLE!  If I do a good job, maybe she will drop a bite of that casserole into my dish along with that dry stuff she calls food.  Well, it is pretty good stuff even if it is dry...
So, this is what I put together today...it is a McCall's pattern (#6338?)

It just needs some Velcro.  Couldn't find the stuff anywhere in that mess Mom calls a sewing room!
It was kinda "blah" until I added that red and white trim I found while looking for the Velcro. 
Oh!  Gotta go!  I hear the food bowl sound.  Maybe it will be something yummy!
Chow!

Mom's lovely baby clothes quilt is being featured over at Quilt Story.  Mom is doing a giveaway to celebrate!  Go to www.SimplifyandQuilt.blogspot.com to enter. 
But before you go, become a follower of us here at Poodles in the Stash, it is one of the ways to enter a chance in the giveaway!
Now, let's see what mischief we can get into while Mom is running errands today...
Bon Jour!  Toodles!  Later.
Sophie, Tess and Oliver

Bon Jour!  Sophie here,
Yesterday I couldn't resist joining in on the boys' sleepover.  Who knew that sleeping bags are almost as comfy as quilts?!  Unfortuantely, all the quilts around here are being stashed away upstairs, furniture all being moved our for something called "new tile install".  Whatever that is, it is making me very nervous!  There is mention of going to Grandma's house, for a week,   Quelle catastrophe !

There is an evil black monster at grandma's house, and they bring it with them here all the time, to remind us of it's existence.  It has large teeth!  Sharp claws!  A pointy whip at the end where it should have a fluffy tail!  It tackles us and takes our toys away!  It eats our food, runs around our yard, barking at our neighbors,  and I always have to jump up on tall furnishings to get away from it.  Thank goodness it is not as good at jumping as I am.  I think it is Mom's way of reminding us that we better be good or she will call the Sadie Monster.  What have I done to deserve a week with it?
Grandma tries to make the monster behave but when Grandma turns her back, its on us, tackling and growling and cracking its whip...

But, the worst thing about going to Grandma's house...her fabric stash is only about 1/10th the size of Mom's!

Patriotic Poodle

Hidy Ho, Tess here,
We all know that July is coming up fast, or should I say Hot and Heavy?  It is 103 + here this week with the heat consuming everything-hot enough to cook an egg on the patio and definitely to scorch little poodle feet, so what's a poodle to do?
I chose to stay inside with the refrigerated air and hit the red white and blue fabrics!
Threw together this free pieced banner to ring in the Fourth!
Now if I sneak upstairs and throw it on the quilt frame, quick while its empty, I could even have it quilted by then...

 The bright sun kinda takes some of the detail out but had to shoot quick before my padsies got burned!
Hope you all have a fun Fourth of July!
I don't like all the loud noise that much but I manage since it is only once a year...
Toodl-oo,
Tess

Blocks for quilt guild and a bad hair day...

Bon Jour!  Sophie, here.  Please excuse that I haven't been to the beauty parlor yet today.  Bath yesterday but mom hasn't taken the time to give me a good brushing just yet.  Isn't that terrible?  Well,  there are a lot of things mom isn't getting around to these days so I finally decided I better help her out a little.  These blocks have been waiting for half a year, yes that long, to be sewn together and returned to the quilt bank for the quilt guild.  Frankly, I was tired of looking at them piled up by the sewing machine and decided I would just take care of them myself!

Here they are, six lovely purple and yellow blocks.  Now, if I could only do my own hair...
Bonne journée,
Sophie

Poodle Art

http://robiniart.com/tag/perro-pintura/

Check out the poodle and other pooch art here!
Would make great quilts!

Three Lazy Poodles

Thinking of changing the name of the blog to 3 lazy poodles based on what has been going on around here lately.  Not a lot of quilting going on...

Poodle art...

Mom found these while out shopping yesterday at Marshal's.  She didn't buy them but I think she really should have!  Aren't they just the coolest thing ever?
Toodles,
Tess

Old Reliable...

Bon Jour,
Sophie here...
Thought I would give you a quick view of what's up on the poodle design wall today...

See, Mom has a special event coming up for which she needs a special gift.  She said she didn't have time to make quilts but then I pulled out the good old, reliable, Eleanor Burns book.  "Oh, yeah" she said, "if we worked hard we might could get that done but I still feel there is not enough time..."
"Time, shmime!"  I barked.  "This poodle can whip out a "Quilt in a Day" in a few days for sure!"
So, here it is on the wall.  The rail blocks are sewn together but the blocks need to be joined.   Now that it is up on the wall in a His and Hers design (these are going to be 2 lap quilts), it will go together quickly!

 
 This is the left one up close, though you still cannot see the lovely southwestern and batik designs in the fabrics...

And here is the right one. 
















So, while I am sewing away, Mom will still be shaking her head, saying "There's just not enough time."
Au revoir,
Sophie

UFO work

See this quilt?  It has been on the shelf, minus the border, for at least 2 years.  I gave up waiting on Mom and added the borders and quilted it myself- not too difficult now that Mom has a computerized module on her machine.  It takes some getting use too but even a poodle can do it.  Now this lovely oriental medley awaits a binding, which, unfortunately, I have to wait for Mom to buy- poodles aren't allowed in the fabric store you know. 
Hope you have the best time stitching this week!
Au revoir,
Sophie

poodle moments

Oliver, appreciating a good quilt after his mid-winter hair cut...

Tess, enjoying a good dog pile and contemplating her next project.

Oliver, Tess and Sophie, enjoying their time at the park but not happy that Mom has tied them up instead of walking them at the moment.

A mini quilt that Sophie has sent off...

Here is a lovely little bow-tie doll quilt that I, Sophie,  created for one of Mom's doll quilt swap partners. It is made using a Schnibbles pattern but then I added my own pieced border.  I am afraid Mom is so far behind that I had to jump in and help her.  This went to her January partner and I will have to finish up the similar one she started for her December partner or it will never get done.  Maybe, after my trip to the spa is complete, I will get the binding sewn on today, then possible stitch it down by paw while watching TV tonight. 

Meet the Poodles

This is the story of three poodles with a passion for quilting and unlimited access to Mom's fabric stash.

All 3 poodles are out at the spa today so pictures will have to be added at a later date...

Sophie is a "middle aged" poodle with an appreciation of following the rules, creating sophisticated pieces of traditional quilting art.  She believes she is the only poodle in the house that knows how to quilt and feels rather superior to her fuzzy siblings because of it. 


Tess is a happy-go-lucky, free spirit poodle with an exceptionally strong attachment to the quilting momma.  She has an eternal girlish figure, is a natural strawberry blond, and is a most faithful friend & companion. Tess doesn't have the time or the self constraint to stick to a quilt pattern.  All of her fabric creations are free spirited and spontaneous, just like her.  She only measures and squares up when she ABSOLUTELY HAS TO!  She tries to keep her projects a secret from Sophie, just because she wouldn't want Sophie to be upset and she can't be bothered trying to appease Sophie's temper. 


Oliver is an eternally happy little guy, especially if there is plenty of food and unlimited access to Mom's bed.  All of Oliver's quilting adventures involve FOOD!  If it's not food printed fabric, or a table runner, place mat, or table cloth, what is the point?  However, he does appreciate a good doggy blanket- quilt or not- since Mom won't allow him under her covers.