Year-end reckoning....

I keep a file on my computer with pictures of quilts that I'm actively working on -  ones that are cut up, in progress, a b.o.m.,or kitted from my stash.  I counted these yesterday - I have twelve picturesof these, three should be finished tops probably by the end of February.

So I then started to count what I got done this year - besides a scary amount of experimental blocks, half finished and hidden quilts, and miscellaneous false starts - I've got nine finished quilts (two or three are wallhangings or smaller); and three finished tops ready to be quilted.  So I guess that *if* I don't add anymore to my current list (ha ha) then really my pile of want-to-do's this year isn't too bad.

I did go backing crazy yesterday, and pieced a backing for the egg money quilts (kind of ugly as it turned out); and two more backings from stash for the buckeye beauty and the border creek mystery.  As soon as New Year's is over, I'll get to quilting the buckeye beauty (third from the left); then wait for a batting sale for the other two.  I'm in no hurry to quilt these - and a couple of quilt tops I'm soon finishing are meant for gifts to be given in late spring so they'll get priority.

This past year my health has definitely affected my quilting activities.  Things I could do fairly well in times past were a real struggle this year.  Hand applique goes very slowly - and I have a constant argument with myself about why do I feel the need to pursue this when machine applique can be just as pretty?  I've got back into hand stitching redwork - something I used to do, as well as cross stitch, in my 20s.  And I've signed on to a Dear Jane b.o.m. so I can pursue hand piecing.  All of this because I need more time on the couch, but at the same time these activities go slowly.  My ability to quilt has been affected due to loss of strength to manipulate the quilt and sew a straight line (!) but I'm in the midst of solving this by upgrading my Designer 1 sewing/embroidery machine to accept a 6" spring hoop, and hope to get much of my quilting done by embroidery machine designs.

I'm going into my 10th year of quilting as my full time outlet for busy-ness, productivty, and creativity.  That's a lot of time playing with a craft/hobby/art!    That's why I'm looking at new challenges - such as hand piecing the Dear Jane and perhaps attempting the very-scary-difficult-to-me Moonglow quilt by Jinny Beyer (youngest son saw this quilt and couldn't stop talking about it - so he'll get it as a graduation gift in a couple of years) or a paper pieced quilt top. 

So on to 2010 - Happy New Year and my wish to all is for a happy, healthy and creative year ahead.

The quilt that won't behave - update

If you can see in the picture the simple squares on point I quilted in the border - well, that's it for border quilting.  I'm pretty sure I'm breaking the rules here, the rule being that the amount of quilting in the border should be similar to that in the centre - and these squares are pretty light on quilting - but for several days I've been thinking about how to add to these, after sewing one border length a week ago.  I like it like this, so its staying like this.  I like the simplicity, and I don't think this quilt deserves any more work!  I also didn't do any quilting lines in the little two patch scrappy inner border.

The good news is that the quilt was square when I trimmed off the excess batting and backing.  Now that's a sign of a successful quilt - if despite all that goes wrong or might cause grief, if the quilt turns out square - its not bad at all.  On goes the binding, into the wash, folded and tied with selvedge fabric, and it will be put away for when I see my sister next.

The quilt that won't behave

I have been making a quilt for my sister.  I think I now hate this quilt....not because I don't like the top's design, in fact I think its quite nice.  But I hate it for a bunch of reasons - if this quilt was not supposed to be done for Carolyn, I would put it in quilt detention - those dark sealed tupperwares underneath my table, down in the basement, stashed around the house.  There it would stay, until it learned to shape up.

The quilt centre started out as some orphan blocks from another quilt.  Then many hours went into playing on EQ to figure out setting blocks and borders.   When I had it sewn with the first pieced border, I decided that this would a great quilt for Carolyn - but she wanted it bigger.  So more time spent figuring out a second border with the fabric I had - at this point the intent was to give it to her at Thanksgiving along with my other sister's quilt.  I do enjoy this process of designing a quilt and I enjoy seeing the finished result.

When it came time to quilt it - well, lets just say the quilt fought back every step of the way.  I have done so much sewing and so much ripping on this quilt.  I don't remember the last time I had a quilt that created ripples, pleats, and wobbles as much as this one.  I discovered poorly pieced pinwheel blocks hiding in the quilt (who made those? lol).

And now I have no love for it - I just want it gone - I have so many other tops I want to have fun with - including a winter/holiday wallhanging that I made that I wish I could be quilting.  But this sister just won't understand if I don't hurry up and give her this quilt - no substitutions allowed at this point!  (Because she knows that older sister already got hers, and she has seen it).

I think this darn quilt is part of the reason my get up and sew has gone - I haven't done any handwork - embrodery or applique - in the past few weeks, and in the past week I haven't even turned on a machine.  I think today is the day I have to conquer this quilt once and for all.

A Wedding!

My oldest son, Fraser, was married this past weekend to Kaitlyn.   Fraser is the first of our kids to be married, and what an experience to be mother-of-the-groom!  We didn't have much opportunity to take pictures, and I'm sure more will come my way - but isn't this one sweet?  Their first dance.

It's wonderful to have Kaitlyn join our family - she is happy, mischevious and kind, and as a couple Fraser and Kaitlyn have always just complemented each other, like pieces of a puzzle put whole :)

Mini quilt done

I forgot how satsifying it is to work on a mini - about three days work, for me, or maybe one day for a more industrious person, and you've got a lovely little wallhanging.  The second picture shows it hanging from a shelf that came with our house when we bought it many years ago.  Two of these shelves, with the hanging rod, were in the kitchen and we didn't know quite what to do with them at the time, only that they needed to be gone from the wall they were on.  We installed the shelves on two opposite short walls in the living room and used them as bookshelves, and took away the hanging rod.  Years go by.....and now its a perfect place to hang the minis.

After I hung the quilt, I realized that I forgot some quilting lines on the bottom right side...can you see where I missed?

I enjoy using the laptop computer that I've had for about a year now, but the ability to see colours properly does make me mad from time to time.  The first border triangles are a lovely turqoise that picks up the little balck dots on the background print; the last border  is a little lighter colour of the same turqoise.

A Lori Smith mini quilt

I'm still in recovery and I so much need to sew!  I've been in the sewing room the last couple of days, and everything I pick up just seems too overwhelming.  So I've decided to do a little mini quilt from Lori Smith, called Josephine's Pride, in one of her fit-to-frame collections.  I used to sew a lot of mini quilts and wallhangings, then somehow got caught up in lots of lap and bed sized quilts.  I'm going to see if I can get this done this weekend.

Here's my cutting table after prepping the flying geese blocks that make up the sawtooth stars.  I'm using repro scraps leftover from another quilt.

When I'm sewing small pieces, especially ones cut on the bias, I find I can get more accuracy and control by using my regular sewing foot, and moving the needle over to an accurate quarter inch.  I have this spot written down!  If you can do this on your machine, give it a try.

Now that my little flying geese are done, and I managed to get matching fabrics on each point, there's a little spring in my step already!

Egg Money Quilt

I found my bits and pieces of Eleanor Burns' Egg Money quilts and realized there wasn't much sewing left to put the top together.  The red background made it hard to get a good picture!

some hand-sewing done this week

The October little stitchies block done -

And, the second block of Pushin Up Spring (available from Connie at Apple Blossom Quilts)

The flu sure seems to be good for one thing - lots of couch time for applique and stitching! 

A Baltimore Album?

I'm recovering from a flu, which came on the heels of a cold, which came after a throat infection - yep, I've been sick the whole month of October.  Ugghh.  It looks like it could be a looong winter.  I'm in major recovery mode - I have to get rid of these germs, and gain my strength back, for my son's wedding in just about a month.

So I've been on the couch, doing bits of handwork.  And browsing quilty sites on the web.  There's a new book, called a Baltimore Album, by Marsha Radtke.  This is the kind of quilt that I have always dreamed of doing - lots of fancy complicated applique.

I'm pretty confident that I have the skills to do this - but here's my problem with all large applique quilts, especially one that requires so much work.  What would I do with it when its done?!  I keep thinking that I would not want to put it into use, as a bed cover, because it wouldn't hold up.  And its too big for a wall - especially the walls in my house!  Could I launder it as easily as I wash all my other quilts - I do believe that quilts should be able to washed, handled daily, and loved, despite whatever work and effort went into them - that's a quilt's purpose!

Or can I just look at this type of quilt as the purpose is to give me the challenge of completing something like this, and learning new skills along the way.  But still, I wouldn't want it to sit in a cupboard when its done.  What do you think?

What I didn't do this weeknd - Little Stitchies block of the month

My computer crashed early on Saturday morning - I was minding my own business, browsing the web or something (I was so shocked at what happened next, that I don't really remember what I was doing).  The computer turned itself off, restarted, then said "can't start because of missing boot....blah blah blah.  Panic.  Restarted and restarted and restarted.  Finally pushed F11 for system recovery - bam!  - disk drive is reformatted and chaos ensues.  End of the story, I finally got my email back; got my internet settings back; and some other stuff - should be happy at that, right?  But due to my own stupidity, I forgot to tell the back up program that I moved all my sewing and quilting files to the desktop - they weren't backed up!!  Everything related to my studio, since Aug/08, is gone gone gone.  All the b.o.m.s, all the free patterns, all the emails, notes, etc. gone.   The best thing that happened all weekend, is that when I *did* get my email up and running, the first email to grab my attention was simply titled "Smile" - from a good friend - who know nothing about the computer crash -  is she psychic?

Well, as they say, don't cry over spilled milk.  Or spilled bytes, ha ha.

Here's some pics of a wonderful new block of the month program that recently started at Sew Sisters quilt shop.  Its called Little Stitchies, designed by Bare Roots stitchery,.  Was I ever surprised to receive my "start up kit" and first month's block.  Look at the storage case!  And all the goodies - scissors, floss cards, floss, needles - was in that storage case as the start up kit.  And then the b.o.m. itself - a little encouraging note, a seasonal poem, terrific fabrics, and a clear pattern. 

This is what I have done so far, there will be three fabric "frames" to complete the block, the middle one stitched with a vine, leaves, and I think pumpkins.  When I trace any stitchery. I use the basic red transfer pencil by Dritz - just make sure to mirror image the block, either my scanning/photcopying, or tracing it first with a black marker from the back side of the pattern.  Then trace the design with the red transfer pencil to trace the design on to a clean piece of paper, and iron set it on to the block fabric. The red transfer pencil washes out easily, just a little cold water rinse in the sink once your block is done, let it dry, and press.

Magic Vine applique block preparation

Over the years I have experimented with and learned many different methods of applique -  it sure has come in handy to know a variety of techniques.  For this project I use needleturn, prepared edge with starch, and bias strips with fusbile.


 For the flower , I make quick and temporary templates for needleturn. I trace individual pattern pieces on to one layer of freezer paper, cut out on the lines, and iron it to the *front* of the fabric.  Then just trace with a pencil or anything - you can make the line as thick or permanent as you like, because the line will disappear as you are folding it under the piece while appliqueing.  I almost always remove the freezer paper before sewing, but some prefer to leave it on as guide for the stitching line (instead of, or as well as, the traced line).


All of the stem leaves are the same, so I made a permanent template with two layers of freezer paper - sometimes I use template plastic, or laminate paper for the same job.  Then just trace around it onto the right side of the fabric.

The overlap leaf has to be inserted into the flower, but not completely stitched down until the blocks are joined into their vine.  So for the overlap leaf, I have used turned edge with starch - I made a template of two layers of freezer paper, that will last for a lot of leaves, iron it to the *back* of the fabric, and after applying starch (I use Best Press), fold the raw edges over the leaf with a hot iron.  I leave the top point kind of jutting out, as I'll tuck it in later when stitching down the leaf. 

The stems are made with a 1/4" clover bias maker (cut your bais strips 5/8" wide).  After forming these stems, I apply strips of fusible web, either from the pre-made 1/4" roll of steam a seam or from scraps of fusible web left over from other projects.

For the layout on the block, I lay the background fabric over the block drawing, and sketch a light penicl line where the stem is to go.  Fuse that in to place.  Then, I again lay the background fabric over the block drawing and place the remaining pieces, or I just place them where I think they should be.  I use little drops of glue (I prefer Appli-Glue, for its user-friendly applicator) to hold the pieces in place.

Magic Vine (and new camera)

My husband came home last evening with a new camera for me!  Isn't he wonderful - but it may  have been self-preservation as well, I have been talking non-stop about the whereabouts of the camera, and how much I have become dependent on it.

Betweens left a comment about the Magic Vine blocks.  I'll post some pictures today of the methods I used for this pattern; and my new magic vine blocks (have you noticed that the fabric for Pushin' Up Spring are the same as those in the first magic vine flowers - I "re-assigned" that fabric).

Still no way to share pictures

Its become obvious to me, well, I guess it was obvious anyway, that without a digital camera to post pictures, it's awfully hard to document quiltmaking progress!

I rummaged through our electronics drawers - a drawer that some of you might have - full of manuals,  installation disks, usb cords, dead and no longer used bits of hardware and software.  I found our  first digital camera, bought about 10 years ago.  We thought it was the greatest!  But now it seems huge, and it is twice (at least) the weight of newer models, its has 1.3 megapixels!!!  Woooowwww!!  And that cost us hundreds of dollars at the time.  Well I took a  picture of some work in progress, all the while trying to remember why we stored it - there was something wrong with it, but I don't remember what.  Now years have gone by, and the 32 mb flash card that stores the picture does not fit into my laptop, nor does it go into a portable card reader that I have.  I managed to dig out the USB cord for it, to plug it into the laptop, but after numerous attempts - it refused to connect to the laptop - despite a round of camera on-off, unplugging and plugging in - the cord fell apart - the piece that connects to the camera is now in my hand, with bare wires sticking out of the actual cord. 

A new camera is a definite must! 

No pictures

I'd be happiIly sharing pictures of some more work I've done recenty, excpet that my camera has gone missing -  I always have the cord attached to it, the one that connects it to the computer, and that makes it easier for me to find.  Yesterday I found the cord, where the camera usually sits, but no camera!  My family members swear innocence.  My dogs, I'm not so sure.  Me, well, yep it could have been me.  But I can't understand why part of it would be left behind - a game of Clue with my camera.

More Applique and Stash Scavenging

Let me see if I can re-trace the steps some of my fabric bundles have travelled in the past few weeks. I often put my fabric into sets - if its obvious they go together to make something - those sets then get shuffled about and experimented with.

Some thimbleberries fat quarters came into the studio, for some certain reason - can't remember what now!  They were tried out for a Lori Smith applique, a sixteen-baskets applique, and finally the magic vine applique...maybe some piecing projects in between.  Finally they happily landed on the Pushin Up Spring design.

For the Magic Vine, the thimbleberries set was replaced by some assorted fabrics - I had posted a picture of these a few days ago.  Tried out those fabrics, but blah - didn't like the white background, couldn't find a cream or any other colour background in my stash.

Then I spied my pile of batiks and hand dyes - not a huge pile - but enough certainly to do something with.  Out went the assorted fabrics, in went the batiks, on black.  Well, this was okay - but I felt that the simplicity of the magic vine designs, needed some kind of busy print or something.  And niggling in the back of my mind was a very nice assortment of white on black, that would go nicely with those hand dyes and blacks....

next thing you know, I've got out my Bountiful Baskets pattern from the Rabbit Factory - and voila!

And, digging through my baggies of fabric set scraps, I found enough of mostly a line called  Summer's Baskets of Flowers to make the Magic Vine.

So, some successfull stash scavenging, lots of handwork to look forward to, no buying new fabric - yet - and one fabric set left over!  Pretty good work for a week when I've been recovering from a nasty throat infection and cold.

Pushin' up Spring

It's October - already! - and I'm working on an applique mystery quilt called Pushin' Up Spring.  This should bring bright thoughts throughout the winter.  This free applique quilt is designed by Connie Sue at Apple Blossom Quilts.  Sign up for the newsletter - quick! - and on the 15 th of each month, she'll send out a new installment.  I'm looking forward to seeing her other signs of Spring.  This is a large block with very easy applique - great especially for beginners.

Magic Vine

For a long time, I considered making a version of the Magic Vine quilt. I waffled between the blocks offered, free, from Gayle at Sentimental Stitches; and the book of patterns by Eleanor Burns. Finally I purchased the book, and I'm glad I did. She has re-printed all the original newspaper articles that were used to make this quilt, which makes greaet reading; the book also offers great ideas for embellishing with hand embroidery, machine stitches, crystals, and ribbon. There are many quilt layouts in various colour schemes to give lots of ideas on how to make your own Magic Vine.

Here are three blocks I've made - I did them as needleturn, with starch turned edge on the leaf that sticks out of the top, mean to be sewn down as the blocks are joined as vine - quick and easy to sew, and the embellishing is a little bit extra to think about.

I think this looks pretty good - almost a keeper! But, I'm not sure those really are the colours I want to use; and I've now decided to set each block on point instead of in a vine, in a strippy setting. I'm going to shrink them to 6" from 7" and do a 25 block layout, so I should end up with a nice size wall hanging. Well, that's the plan for now.

I went digging through my stash yesterday, and found this odd piece of focus fabric, and then dug up a whole new selection of colours that could make a bright spring version of magic vine -

I think I'll try a few blocks with these colours, and see how it looks.

Note to self - add more busy and/or large print focus fabrics to my stash! It really is a pretty easy way to pick colours, an idea that I rarely make use of.

What's your end of day or morning clutter?

In response to my friend Peggi's great question - what's on you're cutting table? (her blog is at http://pwl-cyberhome.blogspot.com/ - I've slightly revised it to show what is also surrounding my cutting table! I won't show the ironing board, or my sewing table (that would be just too much information :) - but here's what my cutting table and work area looked like this morning -



Here, I have a new "fit to frame" applique pattern by Lori smith. This one has a little dog under a tree, a great cute chicken, and few other motifs that just made me *have * to get it. The fabric baggie is a possibility for this little project. Also, is one of the new spools of thread that I just received from Tristan B.C. They sell a terrific selection of European cotton threads, including Aurifil. And, the kitchen scissors somehow got on to my cutting table.

Hmmm....here I have some green fabrics that are now leaves on a vine, for Garden at Dusk, my version of Cindy Lammon's quilt in her book Gathered from the Garden. The cover of the new Lori Smith pattern is tossed on top of that book. The plastic storage box is for my sewing feet - that bo does not belong there.... Then, because I have age-onset a.d.d., I had to pull out a file of patterns pulled from Australian Patchwork & Quilting, looking for something that had just jumped into my head for yet another idea on a blue and white quilt.

Cottage Crossing Quilted

Here's a little corner of finished quilt - I'm not up to getting a whole picture - I’m quite happy with how this quilt turned out – and I didn’t un-stitch too much, either! There are free motion curves in each courner of the geese crossing block, and free motion vines/leaves in the houses. Just straight stitching on the sashing, and on the borders. Now here is the problem - for the first time *ever* my lovely quilt has ripply edges, and the solid blue looks almost like its been feather quilted, but it hasn't - its gone all ripply. It hasn't yet been washed, so hopefully it will sort itself out; and, this is a gift for my sister, and I sure don't like something weird like this happening to a gift quilt - and why this one?! I can't think of one thing I did any differently than anyother of my quilts.

Here's a pic of the whole quilt top, before it was quilted -


I have actually got some other projects started that are actual keepers! I'm going to try to get back to posting every day or two, as I almost always have something, or some idea, to share.

So much indecision

This “hobby” of quilting just seems to feed my habit of not being able to make a decision.

In real life, if you make decision, and act upon it, its done. Rarely do you get to go back.

But in my quilting studio, boy do I go back! and forward! and left and right!

I have spent the last several days – as I often do – just shuffling patterns and fabric.

I made one block from the gypsy rose fabric and nutmeg flannel, for the Plain and Simple quilt.

This looked good, and you’d think I’d leave it alone. But….I’ve been thinking about the new applique pattern called Southern Gentleman that Sindy at FatCat Patterns has offered – pulling out some yardage for the Plain and Simple quilt, as well as some pieces that were meant for finishing some orphan blocks – and doesn’t that look pretty?

And what if I added some navy?

And now that looks so nice, maybe I need to find a different pattern – do I really want that combination to be used on Southern Gentleman? What else is lurking around the corner to tempt me?

Here are a few applique blocks I fiddled with this week – then I gave up on the idea of vegetables as really, what would I do with a fruit and veg themed quilt? Although it would be fun to do….

And, sometime this past week I decided I *really* did not like where I was going with some blocks I made for Eleanor Burns’ Egg Money quilts sampler – thirties on red. I’m not even showing a picture :) So I’ve decided to re-do these in a them I’ve wanted for a long time – solids on black. Some of the blocks are prepped and ready to sew.

Can I also admit that I’ve given up already on Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler in blue and white? It just wasn’t looking like a project I could stick with – only 8 blocks in so that’s a good time to stop before I get much further. So what else can I make with blue and white? And I ordered a dozen red and cream fat quarters that I fell in love with – something else to puzzle over.

Finally – and this is a good thing – I finished the top from Jane Patek’s girl gang quilt. Isn’t it wonderful? *this* will be Fraser and Kaitlyn’s wedding quilt….yes, I did order and have a pile of fabric for a more modern quilt that I was going to make them….but this top just calls to me as their wedding gift quilt.

Some sewing done this past week….

I did three blocks towards the Secret Garden quilt by Cindy Lammon, with hand applique leaves on the honeybee block.

 

I kept up with Pearl P. Pereira’s mystery block of the month – and here’s my version of the quilt to date.

 

I decided that the some of those large flower prints from the Portugal line were just too much for me – so I cut up the fabrics I did like to start a Sunshine and Shadow quilt, pattern from the book Radiant Sunshine and Shadow by Helen Frost.

I caught up on the bunnyhill tisket a tasket blocks – redwork version.   I was going to change the stars to maple leaves on the July block, but then thought that leaves will likely show up on a fall design.  So I added a moon, because I thought of the nighttime summer sky (maybe while camping...).  But my moon looks like its backwards.  I kept the sheep because he's cute.  I completely changed August - cupcakes don't mean much to me, and I thought of what August might mean when I was flipping through books for design ideas when I found a doodle by Betty Alderman - just the idea of August when you have the chance to have to daydream on a hot muggy day.

And…I did get a quilt sandwiched, although it nearly did me in, but its ready to go when I am.

 

 

 

I

Design and Planning frenzy

Over the past couple of weeks, since my last posting of August 2, I've been in a frenzy - or daze - or an obsession - about planning some new quilts. I've finished up the tops that I really wanted to get done...the leaf border on one of them will have to wait. I really needed to find some new fabric combinations, some new block designs, something interesting to keep me motivated. I haven't done much sewing at all during these two weeks, just a lot of book and magazine browsing, EQ designing, web shop browsing, and of course going through my stash over and over and over.

So these will be my latest works in progress, I think -

Sleep Tight in Poseyville, by Beth Ferrier, using fabrics from Moda Portugal line. The green leaves in each corner of the blocks are appliqued. I've got one block sewn, and is it ever a departure from my usual colours - pale yellow, white, and pink.


Secret Garden, by Cindy Lammon, using Moda Glace. I think I'll be making changes to some of the blocks - switching one for another. I've never made a primarily red and blue quilt - and these colours are softer than the usual repros I commonly use.



And, Plain and Simple bed quilt from Kim Diehl, using Gypsy Rose charm squares and a "nutmeg" coloured flannel - its about time I had a flannel bed quilt for winter!


During all this dreaming and planning, I was hoping to come up with a couple of miniatures and or wall hangings. I have lots of scraps, put into zip loc baggies so they're kind of coordinate. Somehow I ended up with all large quilts...but I do hope to soon make a small one to freshen things up for late summer/fall. Oh, and of course get to some quilting of the tops I do have ready to go.

Scrap Quilt Surprise!

I’ve finished sewing together the top for Pick & Choose – it looks much different than the original, because of the sashing substitution.

But before the big picture - imagine my surprise when pressing the top, to discover…

Who *is* that man in my quilt?!!

He must have just jumped in at the last minute ‘cause its amazing his whole self is in that triangle!

Oops!

Yesterday I decided I would finish the centre of Pick and Choose.  Not too much to do – just finish putting together the four patches into blocks, then piece the sashing strips.

I got the blocks put together, counted them, and came up with 18, instead of 20.  Okay….there are two more somewhere that I had made up some time ago just to see how the block would look.  Now, where the heck did I put them?

The sashing strips are made up of umpteen 1 1/2” by 6” strips, pieced to form long strips that come to about 75”.   Two of these strips are sewn together lengthwise to end up with a 2” finished size sashing.   I sewed up 9 or 10 of these, then proceeded to cut up enough of these long strips to 12 1/2” to make the short sashing strips.  I grabbed my 12” ruler – cut, cut, cut – 24 pieces – sat down to sew them to my block – ack!  They’re short, or my block is too big!  Or….I just made the stupidest mistake ever, because 12” is not  12 1/2”!!!!!  Oh my – these pieces are not exactly replaceable scraps. 

By now I’m tired, and fed up, and mad as all get out.  I grab a basket of cut up neutrals that were meant for another background –  they were cut up to a size that might work, and they were neutrals – and started to sew those into the proper lengths.  By the time I realized that what I really had to do was make all the sashings neutral – that I couldn’t get away with short neutrals and long strips of scrappy – I had to put it down for the day.

But first – I had to find those darn two missing blocks.  Which were no where.  For a few moments, I seriously considered making the quilt with 3 x 4 block setting, instead of 4 x 5; but forced myself to find enough leftover pieces to make 2 more blocks.  I did have to stop for the day though, while my sewing room looked like something had exploded.

This morning I got right back to it, before I forgot what it was I planned to do; and before I chickened out.  I did get the new sashings sewn, the new blocks sewn, the centre of the top sewn.  Now just the final pieced border remains. 

More applique play

I made yet another partial applique block yesterday – this time a design from one of Kim Diehl’s book.  I’ve now decided that I definitely need to treat myself to some new fabric :)

I’m bored with my stash; unhappy with how the fabrics I want to use are looking in the projects I thought they’d be good for.  Time for some new stuff – some style familiar, not so different that I won’t be happy working with it – but different enough that I get a little lift.

I’m also looking for a “just right” pattern – not really flowers, vines, wreaths, samplers – I’m looking for some pattern that has a repetition of a single block.  Something I can slowly work away at, just to keep up my needleturn skills.

I keep thinking of the Applique Sampler I did from the Piece O Cake ladies – that quilt was all done in FigTree quilts moda fabric.  I love the look, but never went back to it.  Kind of got stuck in a rut of civil war repros, and tiny prints and tone on tones.  Tried some brights, but they weren’t my style.

So I’ll do some shopping, I’ve got yet another pattern in mind, Twining Blooms & Baskets by Elly Sienkiewicz and hopefully have some positive results soon!

Fiddling with applique

I spent the weekend playing with the idea of another applique project.  While I already have handwork on the go (redwork, wool applique, even hexagons), and I have a few machine applique projects happening, I very much miss needleturn applique. 

I keep thinking I’ll approach an applique pattern via needleturn, then reality sinks in and I’ll end up using a machine applique method. I am very slow at needleturn applique, what with periodic hand shakes, stiffness and cramping.  I also have this annoying self talk going on – you *can* make a needleturn masterpiece!; no, what’s the point?  I want my quilts to be used and loved and I already have made two pretty darn good needleturn wallhangings! 

I would just like a project that I can pick up and put down without any timetable in my head – whenever I get the itch to needleturn!

Here are my experiments from this weekend – all were easy to sew, all are okay fabrics, but none gave me the *eureka!* moment – because of the fabric, the pattern, or both.

The first three are from a basket pattern in Kay MacKenzie’s Baskets to Applique; the last one is a basket pattern from Piece O Cake, the flower arrangment is from Bountiful Baskets by The Rabbit Factory.

 

 

I’ll keep searching and playing with fabric and EQ – experimenting with applique is my biggest challenge, and although I have taken the easy road with a few block of the month appliques quilts, I am learning a lot from them regarding colour placement, background fabric choices, and design.  This will I’m sure help me to eventually make up my own version of a great needleturn quilt.

Hmmm…an ugly quilt in the making?

I’m making up a quilt from a pattern called “Pick and Choose” by Carrie Nelson (Miss Rosie Quilt Co.) published in American Patchwork & Quilting June 2009.

All I can say is thank goodness I precut *everything* for this quilt – or else I might just have given it up somewhere along the line.

There is a lot of sewing in these blocks. Each block is made of four units, each unit is made up of two four-patches and two hsts, – I’ve sewn all the units, and made about 9 of the 20 blocks (the pattern calls for a 5 x 5 setting, I’m making 4 x 5). Oops – I can see a placement mistake in one of the blocks :) Then there is a pieced sashing, and a pieced border. The fabrics are almost all 1800s repros and a variety of printed neutrals. Right now I think it looks a bit like the dog’s breakfast, but amazing things have been known to happen when quilt blocks turn into a quilt – so I’m hoping!

The wonderful “old” Singer sewing machines

Here’s a picture of a wonderful Singer sewing machine that I’ve brought out for use for a while…

I have a second hand Designer I that I bought for its embroidery ability, but now mostly use only for piecing and machine applique.  I enjoy using this machine because of all its bells and whistles which enable me to sew with less physical effort – auto presser foot lift; needle up down; even auto thread cutter – all this means that my hands stay on my fabric, and my foot stays on the pedal.

Today my D1 ended up with a broken bobbin winder – first it went clunk clunk when it started winding; after pushing it back into the non-winding postion, and then again into the winding postion, the bobbin winder post and something else went clunk down into the depths of the machine.  So it has to go the sewing machine doctor.

I do have a second machine – a wonderful Viking Sapphire that I bought almost two years ago – I use this for garment sewing; home dec; and most important, quilting!  I like to be able to set up my quilting, then walk away, and still do some piecing without having to disturb the quilting set up.

So my husband took a Singer 411G out of the cupboard for me.  We cleaned it up and oiled it.  Gee, I’ve forgotten just how much I love these older mechanical machines (they aren’t really old, because its younger than me! lol).  The clear view to the needle, the great straight stitch, the humm of the motor.  And, its just so much more interesting to look at than the current styles of plastic sewing machines.

The little metal gadget to the right of the needle in this picture is a seam guide – place it so the short edge is up against your fabric, the required distance from the needle – tighten with the screw and voila! a pefect seam allowance.

  The 411 is very similar to the Singer 401, except made in Germany instead of the States and if you have the right accessories, it can also do a chain stitch – handy for basting and decorative sewing.  The 401 was the first Singer machine made specifically for home use that did more than just a straight stitch.  As quilters, we’re all familiar with the Featherweight; the last straight stitch machines produced were a 201 and a 301, both full size.  There is a model called a 316 and its cousin, 319, that do zig zag and other fancy stitches, but this was made with more “industrial” type use in mind, and required special needles.