Five to Ten

From left to right, row by row, these blocks represent HOPE, CONFESSION, the CROSS, BIRDS OF THE AIR, STAR, and LOVE.

There are to be fifteen blocks in the sampler once completed. These are block numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (not shown in order). Blocks 1 through 4 were in my October post. 

Since I have not used a theme fabric for this project, I've found myself mired in indecision at the point of fabric choices as each block's instructions come up. I was actually considering doing a hodgepodge piecing from which to cut the red portion of the heart, but finally found some red fabric that looked more red than orange.

Counting My Chickens

Over on the Quilting Board I found a very fun tutorial for cute little "funky chicken" pin cushions. The poster used selvage for some of her creations, and had a truly funky topknot, comb...or whatever that thing on top is called. I just used some trimmings from some red batik that I had on hand. This was fun to make, and the tutorial is very easy to follow: selvage/funky chicken pin cushion tutorial link. 

Here's the one I made:

"Gertrude"?

She's stuffed with rice, a bay leaf and hot pepper flakes to dissuade bugs, and BBs for a bit of heft in her setter. Not sure, but I think she looks like a "Gertrude".

Sample of Sampler in Progress

Wow! That bottom right one is looking pretty wonky. Hmm. ANYway... these are the first four of fifteen blocks that will make up my first "sampler quilt". I had decided I would not go fabric shopping for this one, being determined to delve into my stash and use it exclusively. No need to be a spendthrift, right?  I've already gone shopping a little bitty bit since having made that determination. So much for my resolve. 

The pattern for this quilt is named "Roman Road", but the blocks are not paired with Romans scripture exclusively on the pattern sheet provided, so I may call mine a "Scripture Quilt", instead. Also, the pattern has a church building as the central block, but I may redesign that block as a Bible with a cross and dove. Not sure, yet. Still in the planning stages and since that block is number 15, I have some time.

Swans in Lemonade

Remember the story of the ugly duckling, or the saying about what to do when life gives you a lemon? Well the "Ugly Quilt Challenge" of the summer of '13 was a lot like that, as it turned out.

The night group of quilters decided to have an independent challenge over the summer break. The rules were:

1. Each participant must bring one yard of their ugliest fabric from their existing stash, cut into fat quarters to be placed in four "grab bags".
2. They must blindly draw four fat quarters of the garnered ugly fabrics. They are not allowed to draw their own, nor to draw a duplicate fabric.
3. Using the four fabrics drawn, five fabrics from their own stash as well as one neutral color (black, beige, white) can be used in combination with the "ugly four". [Maximum fabrics - 10].
4. A quilt top must be completed by the end of summer break, or before the scheduled "Big Reveal".
5. Size restrictions: no larger than 54" x 54".

Honored to be welcomed in to their big reveal on their reconvening the other evening, I snapped pictures of the lovely ladies' lovely creations. Two of the pictures show the four "ugly" fabrics one lady drew, and the five fabrics she used to combine with them from her own stash. The rest are sheer "Swans in Lemonade".

Enjoy the pageant with me:

Yes, indeed!  If anyone could make a silk purse from a sow's ear, it would be these gals!

This "or" That

One of the above blocks was foundation-pieced onto paper, the other patch pieced.Can you tell the difference?

              In the Volume 1 Summer 2013 issue of Quiltmaker Classics (magazine) on page 39 a quilt named "This and That" is featured. Liking the on point centered square for use with some fabric I had on hand, I thought I would give that pieced block a try. The magazine included both a foundation piecing pattern and the dimensions for patch piecing. I up-sized the dimensions so that I could use some fussy-cut Winnie the Pooh fabric for the center square to best effect. Having paper pieced two of the blocks, I decided to try patch piecing one.  Well, above you can see the two blocks side by side. Can you tell a difference?
     The sewing of the foundation pieced block, using paper as the foundation, made obtaining accurate placement much easier, even though it did use more fabric. Also, I can tell that when I begin to join the blocks, by leaving the paper in place for the join, I will know just where to place the 1/4 inch seam. So, yes, I do like paper-piecing, EXCEPT for the fact that I use up more fabric than would otherwise be needed. 

   Oh! Which was which? Below are the same blocks positioned the same way, only flipped. Did you guess correctly?
 

 

Monkeying A Round

Quiltmakers 100 Blocks magazines inspire and instruct. I had not really been very much inclined toward paper piecing due to the amount both of paper and fabric that seemed to become waste,  but a design called EZ Mariner's Compass in Volume 4 on page 39 brought me on board. I needed a center block from which to build a small quilt design, and this seemed to fit the bill. 

Clockwise from top left, tracing paper for fussy cut and the paper foundation; magazine page with inspirational block beside mine in progress; "light box" for tracing from a regular printed sheet; back side of the paper pieced and joined sections.

I decided to fussy cut two monkeys to flank each of the four quarter center triangles. Tracing paper, slightly wider than needed cuts, and sunlight plus glass window (improvised light box) helped with  placement. The "light box" served again when I decided to transfer a computer printout word circle for a feed-dog-dropped, free motion take on the center medallion.

Now I have the center block from which to build. This unfinished block measures 12.5 inches. Running along the outer edges will be 6 inch (finished) blocks. The finished quilt will probably be about 36 inches square. Still monkeying with the design.

My medallion clipping went a bit beyond what would render a smooth edge, so I may have to cover up with some machine decorative edging. But this is the unfinished feature block for my "Ten Little Monkeys" quilt still in progress. Oh! You may notice that there are only 9 monkeys on this, but you must remember that one little monkey may well be at the doctor's office with a broken head!

The monkey fabric was the inspiration for the theme of the quilt, which will be from the "Ten Little Monkeys" countdown story rhyme that goes:
Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed.
One fell off and broke his head.
Mama called the doctor,
The doctor said, 
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" 
.... etc. etc. until at the very end the doctor's warning is twice repeated, quite solemnly on the final time.

Epilogue: Click HERE to see what became of the monk, the monk, the monk the monk.

~~Danger!! Curves Ahead!~~

From the May June 2013 issue of Quilt-it  Today  magazine page 34,  I decided to take the intermediate challenge of piecing Whirling Pinwheels.Using scrap fabric, and improvised plastic templates of the provided pattern, I pinned and persevered , pressing on (with imperfection) through the perilous curves before me. In the end, I concur the project to be for the "intermediate " skill level. 

However, the tips for working with curves, when followed, do work. Finding the center point of the curved pieces being joined, and lightly creasing before matching up and pinning those centers, and either end; then pinning the center of those resulting sections and on down until the curve is somewhat tamed for stitching, is helpful. Lifting the presser foot, with the needle in the down position, to readjust the fabric before continuing to stitch gets you to "the end of the drive" with no bumps left behind.

This is my scrappy block. The magazine version used a lovely combination of reds/blacks/and whites. The unfinished block is 8.5 inches square.

For Bubbling a Bama Babe

Using  a Gerber brand pre-folded diaper, I added a strip of white fleece down the center back (where the baby's face will lay during the "bubbling" process). A friend told me that this makes it more comfy for the baby. I sincerely hope it will. 

Though the fleece strip was actually the final phase of this project, I wanted a bit of a drum roll and build up to the fun side's reveal. 

Ratta-tat-tat....

Ta dah!

 Inspired by the "Run, Forrest! Run!" scenes in "Forrest Gump", the movie, especially the football sequence, this phrase kept running through my mind, "Burp, Joseph! Burp!!!" Though, as it turns out that's not exactly what I embroidered...punctuation-wise. Ah, well. Wasn't about to pick those stitches out once they were in there, even though my seam ripper and I are much better acquainted than my embroidery machine and I are.

Next I appliqued the Bama seal from a swath of the team's fabric. As a final touch...again on the "fun" side: a double border of the team's "A" was sewn.

Not EXACTLY quilting, but there are layers involved. So, I guess that's one for the team.

And in the spirit of lagniappe, a little extra something for "Papa John"...

 

A Little Chic for their Little "Cheeks"

Love, love, love small projects! This one, a changing pad, should come together quickly, and we won't explore the whys and wherefores of this having taken me several months. Let's just say it fell out of the rotation before deadlines became pressing. 

I saw something similar to this online and another version or two in a magazine. Enough to inspire my version, which uses different dimensions and a easily color-customized friendship braid center panel design, as well as a soft washable vinyl for the flip side. My daughter came up with the idea of a frog closure. [Thank you, Laura!] The materials I used for mine (beyond the basics of thread and machine) were:

• "Baby Dry" washable vinyl  (at least 22 inches) I found mine at Hancock Fabrics and the bolt was quite wide (maybe 60 inches or more). You may choose to bind the pad with this. If so, you won't need but 1.5 inch wide strips for your binding. For the pad itself, you'll need 21" x 30" rectangle.
• Fleece or batting for the between layer.
• Fabric pieced slightly over-sized to attach to vinyl, after quilting to batting layer of choice.
• A machine needle designed for use with artificial leather; I used SCHMETZ Microtex (Sharp) 80/12. (Change to this needle when sewing on or over the vinyl.)
• "Frog" closure (could use button with loop, or velcro).

1. Cut the vinyl to be 30" x 21". Mark 25" up on either side, and using the mid-point of the top, draw to that for the angle to cut for the "pointy" end. You will be sewing a folding guide line five inches in on either side AFTER you have attached and trimmed the pieced top to the vinyl. (This is the business side of the diaper pad; baby's playground, as it were.)

2. Okay. This is not so much
a tutorial, as a picture progression of how to fold it. But basically to get it to this point you quilt a top that will be 2 or 3 inches larger than your vinyl base. Matching their centers you line it up,wrong sides together, and join the edges using a zigzag stitch, trimming away the excess. Sew the folding guideline five inches in from either side, through all thicknesses. Try out your folding guides to get a nice crease going.

Then add a binding, either cloth or vinyl. I attached a 1.5" binding strip on the vinyl side, using a scant 1/4" seam, then pulled it around to the front to machine top stitch on the edge of the fold.

3. This is the "pretty" side. Yes? It is also the side that will be picking up any random germs from mall changing tables, etc. Which is why you really want to be sure to get WASHABLE materials!

4. As you fold, and fold, and fold, you should be able to get a clutch-like configuration. Ready for momma to strut through any eatery with stylish confidence. Okay, okay. Wet, wriggling, fussy baby accompanying...;o)

Photo collage added July 2014

5. Step FINAL in the assembly is to add a closure. I like the "frog" closure pictured above. Found mine at Hobby Lobby for $2.99, but was able to catch the 50% off day and grabbed up two for the price of one. (Yea!) You could opt for a button & loop, or figure out a velcro approach to the fastening finish. God has blessed my life with some young moms who have been cheerful recipients (or will soon be, as the case may be) of their custom color versions of the "Chic Cheeks" - since 2013.

Everybody Needs a Laughing Place

Sometimes just showing up is enough to keep us in stitches!

Turned from my task at hand one day and this scene met my eyes. I'm telling you  now, we stop at nothing to avoid too many "signature errors."

All of this is to say, I'll be glad when the quilting gang reconvenes later this summer, and the "Laughing Place" is open for business again!

End of semester apron gifted to our "Sewing Mama" Sandy by Leah.

     
 Meanwhile I am slowly plodding ahead solo on completing a project to be posted, soon, soon.

Trash & Treasure

'Round here folks take their football allegiance pretty seriously. So, when a friend whose loyalty was to that "other" team asked a quilting acquaintance of mine, who shall remain anonymous for obvious reasons, to quilt something using her team's colors and symbols... Well, it was truly an act of friendship for her to have pieced together the lovely quilt above (photographed before completion). When I asked if I could photograph the quilt for my blog, she consented...provided she was in no way associated with THAT team. Yep. Feelings can run deep as regards the big rivals.

She honored her friend's request, however. and in a few weeks' time delivered the completed quilt. Her friend was delighted and as an afterthought, as the quilter was about to leave, she said, 

"Hey, I have some old quilt tops in those bags in the garage. I was going to throw them out, but you might want to take a look. I know I'll never do anything with them."  

 I love that she was rewarded this way, for she truly thought she was working on "trash" her friend considered "treasure", and ultimately was given "treasure" her friend considered "trash"! 

Rainbow Sampler of Practiced Stitches

Project Run(..a...)way!

Do you ever get just a little sick of a project you started? I know my tendency to do that, which is part of why I choose smaller projects. Even a twin size quilt seems like SUCH a commitment! 

Earlier this year, (or was it late last year?) in my bid to learn free motion quilting and try out a "3 cuts for 3 quilts" technique [see link to Practice on Three Nines], I started what I initially considered three projects at once. After all, there would be three separate quilts at the end of it. I had not, however, considered the possibility of fabric fatigue, that sick-of-looking-at-it feeling that can arise when looking at the same prints week in and week out.

Maybe next time I embark on this "3 for 3" journey, I'll find two other quilters who will pick out their own "3 for 3"'s and we could exchange cut fabric sets, so that the three quilts would be quite unique from each other. That might be fun. Meanwhile, here are my three completed "Practice, practice, practice."quilts:

"Piping Hot", or is that "Red Hot Piping"?

Another adventure in techniques on this miniature of the "Focused on the Lover of  Red" quilt. Seems the small projects are the ones most easily side-lined, for me. Maybe because I think I will be able to knock them out in "no time". This one's delay, though, was because the piped binding seemed daunting. It really was not hard at all when I followed the tutorial found here; frequent breaks to view and review were needed. Remembering what I've seen all the way from the computer to the machine can be a bit of a challenge some days. (!)  Everything, including having the corners meet, worked just like when doing a regular binding.

Sewing binding to back of quilt.

Resorted to gluing and ironing the fold-over before stitching in place.

The quilt measures 15 & 7/8's x 14 & 1/2 inches.

 So,  is that hot, or what?

"The Fifty Minute Block"

Well, ACTUALLY, first came the ten minute block.

(Ten Minute Block)

Then came the trial, beginning with four ten minute blocks. Forty minutes?

THEN came the answer with the fifth block added, for the new "Fifty Minute Block"!

This was an experiment inspired by the ten minute block. I wondered if four ten minute blocks could be used with another same sized block to make a ten minute block (fifty minute block) without obscuring the tilted centers of the smaller blocks. It does work one block out, like this.

Dogs-gone Zigzagging

This is my first foray into FMZ (Free Motion Zigzagging). I transferred a pattern of the Japanese character for "love" 愛　to onionskin paper to stabilize the piece. The stabilizing paper has not yet been torn away from the portions inside the stitching; I thought it might show up better in the picture with the paper still there. 

        

          As with normal FMQ (Free Motion Quilting), the feed dogs are lowered/disengaged and a darning foot or free motion foot is used. The stitch width, however, is what makes this differ. Check with your foot on how wide you may safely set the width. When stitching, moving the zigzag up and down gives the widest stitches, and side to side makes a narrow line. If you move the fabric slowly, you can obtain a satin stitch. Faster movement makes for "sketchier" strokes of the thread.With practice this could be used like a chisel tipped marking pen.
          This technique could be used for quick freehand appliqué. Our local instructor, Sandy, shared a link with us that gives a short tutorial video on this, illustrating both the technique and applications of it.

The "wrong side" has the reverse of the character, but I like how the quilting looks like pen and ink; reminds me of the Japanese manga (graphic drawings).

  The back of the block turned out to be my favorite, but since the letter is not the same in reverse, I'll need to do another some day using a solid background. I think the white fabric with black quilting gives it a real pen and ink feel. Look closely and you'll see my tension was not set correctly, as there were so very many "eyelashes" on the curves. Still, it gives it that cartoon look.

Finished and waiting for a frame.

Got the perfect blendship

Braid laid first against one of it's fabrics, next with borders of colors either from braid or from background print.

Here is a "Friendship Braid" cut from 2.5 inch strips with 45 degree angle cut. The long side of each piece measured six inches. This braid needs at least three colors to show well. I was able to get eight opposing pieces from each WOF  (width of fabric) strip. 

The "how to" can be Google'd. I used more than one tutorial to get this going. It is not as difficult as it looks, but it took me a few runs to understand the right pointing and left pointing pieces and how they fit. Once that was mastered, it went together very quickly.

Jenny Doan does a version of this using a ruler from her company, [begin watching from the 1:00 minute mark for how to orient your cut pieces for sewing]but I used a binding tool that had a 45 degree angled edge. The main thing seems to be the cut at a 45 degree angle. 

I'll be using this one for a diaper pad, but it would make a lovely bag or table runner, if not wanting to commit to a full quilt. 

Quilting With Class

Josephine's reversible holiday table runner; Teresa's Asian quilt; Jan's (also) Asian quilt. Inspirational works one and all.

Learning new skills, collaborating on what might work in given situations, getting together and making some progress, benefiting from new ideas and encouragement all 'round.

The thrill of sharing the "Ta Dah!" moments!

That's just a glimpse of what quilting with our class is like. Why, one day I was there and heard someone humming away as they sewed. Wonder of wonders, it was me.

FMQ Practice Continues

On this large nine patch quilt (one of three made for FMQ practice) I used my ruler to mark out a six pointed star pattern in the large center patch and then free motion quilted a design in the center and used the stacked clam shell pattern for the outlying triangle areas. I like the effect. Can envision using this method to make angel wings.

Practice on Three Nines

Using a pattern called Super-Sized Nine Patch by Anita Grossman Solomon of New York, I made three crib size quilt tops from three yards of fabric. The pattern is posted on quiltmaker.com's website here. Thanks to my quilt mentor, Sandy, for bringing the pattern to my attention. It cuts like magic and makes up quickly providing the perfect medium for free motion quilting practice and three nice 34.5 x 40.5 inch crib quilts that even quilting novices can whip out in short order.

A Mug Shot

Under the mug is a 4 inch mug rug made using the same method as is described in my Feb. 5 post, "Seams Stacked to Me". For a 4 inch finished mug rug, I used 4.5 inch squares. Also, in this version I used pre-quilted fabric for the batting/full square piece.

This side affords the most stable seat for a mug. The raised corners help keep the mug well centered.

The reverse side is from a pre-quilted piece. I think heat resistant batting would be overkill for a mug rug. My coffee is not as hot as all those shops who feel the need to print "Caution" on each cup, after all.

Seams Stacked to Me

Six equal-sized squares plus batting are used in this quick project. Pictured here the unseen layer that is used to bind the batting on what ultimately is the hidden mid-section of the pad/mat.

Four of the squares are folded in half, and placed in a woven pattern with raw edges facing out against the edges of the two other squares. Those two squares have batting in between.

This is was to be my outer square, so in stacking it, the four folded squares are lined up (woven) atop it. Underneath it are batting and the "hidden" square...which could be plain muslin...no need to use anything fancy. It REALLY doesn't show unless the weave is pulled apart to reveal a peek.

If making for potholders, you will likely want to use a heat resistant batting. Also, before sewing the once around the square all-layer-encompassing seam, you may want to tuck a hoop between the batting and top layer for hanging the finished project. Everything evenly stacked and pinned, run a quarter inch seam around the lot, then turn the weave sections inside out for the finish.

Here you can see the "Yummy" in the tummy of my first run trial. If you do want to put a message inside your work, you will need to used stabilizer and work the message onto the "hidden" square BEFORE stacking. Otherwise your message will show up backwards on the front piece. 

This was my first run for this quick stack and seam project. I made the loop way too long. I think it was supposed to be half the length of the squares' edges. In other words, if I was making an 8.5 inch square, I should have made a 4.25 inch strip to form the loop. Next time, maybe I'll remember. I think the first run hotpad was done with 7" cuts and finished at 6.5".
    It's a great project for trying out various decorative stitches for the front of the hotpad. I do so much with scrappy work I was at first bothered by the amount of "unseen" fabric in this. After all, half of four of the squares are not seen due to being folded under, and the entire "hidden" square is just holding in batting. So, you end up with three squares' worth unseen. But these have their purpose, after all, and may even provide a good way to use some of the flawed-to-the-eye, but perfectly functional pieces of fabric nearly every stash can provide. Wait! This begins to sound like a sermon on I Corinthians 12. 
   ANYway, thanks to my crafty sister-in-law for showing me this project over the holidays. I never visit her that I don't learn something new. 

Update: Just ran across this video tutorial for all you visual learners like me.