Last Round Up

Raggedy Trilogy ... a Belated Post

 

Ever so long ago I posted about what was to be referred to as the Raggedy Trilogy. Somehow way led unto way and I never posted the completed quilt made for our first granddaughter's first birthday. This was it when it was newly completed and ultimately gifted. That has been very nearly seven years ago now. It was, however, completed on time and is somewhere in her home. It all began when I had completed my first  Dresden Plate and wondered what to do with it.  If I could remember more of the construction decisions as they came about, I would gladly relate them here, but come on. Seriously? No way to call up those details this long later. Suffice it to say, every quilt has its own adventures in decision-making and end-arounds. I'm sure this one was no different.

         See also:

The May 6, 2017 post .... Post Script or Postage Stamp? <- Click here to see post.

The Jan. 17, 2017 post... Digital Design.. Free Style  <- Click here to see post.

and see the Raggedy Ann Pillow, completed back then, posted before this post.

Raggedy Pillow project...from 2016

Once I got started on the Raggedy Trilogy, it seemed that ideas kept coming to mind for use of the fabric leftover from the quilt.  I decided to do a pillow of Raggedy Ann and had worked out the front in increments which were stacked in order using Heat.N.Bond lite to attach for applique. I found some eyelet lace in my mother's stash from the 1950's when she had made my sister and I costumes to celebrate our city's Sesquicentennial...a happy and sentimental addition. Why not?

 I found the perfect buttons for Ann's eyes in Mother's button jar, too. Having gone this far, I decided this project was just the right size for me to try my hand at prairie points. (I like to start small with first attempts.) Once that was done, it seemed the pillow might be turned over from time to time, so since it was easy to imagine the back side of Ann, nothing to do but forge ahead...or behind, in this case.

The Prairie Points had worked out fine for the front, but the back asked pretty please for peppermint-like yoyos. So, okay. That's what it got for asking so sweetly.

Could I do all this again? I kind of think not. That's the way of inspired works, it seems.

 

Folded One Piece Ornaments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq934F4_KKY&t=1154s

Sometimes the Fabric Does All the Work

Sometimes the fabric makes the quilt, or at least the design.  That was the case with this donated fabric. Donation fabric always makes donation quilt. Since it would likely be faced with multiple washings, the machine stitched binding was, hopefully the smart choice. It was actually nice to use one of the "special" stitches for that task. I think I used a deep & wide blanket stitch for binding finish work with a contrasting pink thread. Yes, I do love it when a plan presents itself and actually works!

When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best...But Don't.

Years ago I was the "go to" person at my office in New Orleans when someone was having a last minute birthday celebration, but no one had remembered to buy a card. A brief, personalized poem would quickly be drafted and with a bit of office-supplied card stock, and signatures all 'round, we were set. It happened so often that the office quit buying cards and started giving me a little heads up about upcoming celebrations. Eventually, I would letter a small line at the bottom back of my cards that read along these lines: "Ace* - when you care enough to send the very best...but don't."

  This year I ran across this nifty tutorial for making scrappy Christmas tree ornaments and decided they were just the thing for my card list.  [The tutorial is preceded by an ad.] Of course, I did not find the tutorial until well into November. So, though finding scraps is no problem here (there's an abundance of those), time  proved to be less easily garnered. 

So, here are the three cards I managed to put together. They are fun to do. Embellishments can take whatever turn suits your fancy. For me, though, these may be only for a chosen few. That other card manufacturer...the one with all the stores and movies and such...they're safe: no big threat from this production line.

* "Ace" is my "cyber name".

Little Triangle Thread-Catcher and More

These are not reversible. There is a time of decision for which will be the turn-down tab and which the bag's base. Pattern is cut the same for each, so there's time to decide which will be which just before you begin sewing up those fold to stop-mark seams.

These small "thread catchers" are supposed to keep me company sitting by my machine ready to receive any little thread snippets that I normally toss on the floor...if I bother snipping them at all. I'm going to have to change my messy ways, if this is going to be used as intended. Good thing I've already thought of alternate uses for these in the mean time. Don't you think they would be great little Dove chocolates holders for gifting? Or maybe a nightstand earring holder for when you are away from home for a night or two? Or...hair clip or elastic band holders...or desktop paper clip boxes? Seriously! It's just cute, even if not being used for anything. 

If you needed a larger based catch-all, I think you could size them up a few inches. My sister-in-law suggested making them to match placemats and somehow put napkins in them, but they have a closed bottom, so I'm not sure how that would work. Still, it could be revamped for that, I suppose. 

Definitely the hardest thing about making it is figuring out what buttons to use on the flaps.

Click on the link below to see where I found the pattern and the "how-to" of assembling it:

Here! Right here! Click. Click. Click!

Choosing Fabrics and Pattern Do Si Do

Donation fabrics plus a solid cotton sheeting gathered. The butterflies along with the preponderance of dark fabrics inspired the name, "Midnight in the Garden",  for my version of a quilt pattern found in the April 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine using a different color palette .

The fabric was selected at a local quarterly gathering of volunteer quilters connected with Project Linus. A church in town offers the use of its fellowship hall for the organization to have two sewing days. Half of the room is set up with bins and bins of color-sorted donation fabric in sizes ranging from less than an eighth of a yard to several yards. Some of the fabric is old and musty; some is fresh and sturdy. Sometimes pieced blocks are among the donations. Most all of the fabric is 100% cotton. Making selections is only a very small portion of the time spent there, as most time is spent piecing or sewing on binding or labels for the donation quilts in progress, or being finished.

Because the colors or prints appealed to me,the fabric pictured above was gathered, not necessarily to be used in a single project, or even together, for that matter. No pattern had yet been chosen. That is backwards to how I do fabric selection for the quilts I keep, but the "store" of donation fabrics is only open quarterly, so decisions must be made in a more nebulous fashion. For my "Midnight in the Garden" quilt, I added a few strips of solid aqua sheeting to complete the palette.

On the left is my completed project. Top right shows the Stars & Bars pattern as featured in the magazine. Bottom right is a whimsical take on my "Midnight in the Garden" title.. ;o)

Since I liked the butterfly prints and wanted to feature them, I searched for a pattern that would have at least a five or six inch uninterrupted square. I settled on this "Stars and Bars" quilt pattern from the April 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. The colors and prints in the magazine's featured quilt did not particularly appeal to me, but I thought the size of the blocks was perfect. That square in the middle of each star block was where my butterflies would eventually take flight.

First I assigned letters to the fabric and determined if I had enough of each for the pattern requirement. This took more time than I had anticipated. That done, however, it was on to cutting and piecing, which went pretty smoothly! Here I have to plug larger pieces and big blocks. Quilt tops do not have to take forever to piece.

This was my largest quilt project to date, so I will have other posts about various aspects of its production. This post was meant to show both the inspiration and the end product. 

Quilt Design Transfer by Four Methods

Top left using construction paper tracing; top right tissue paper tracing; bottom left (butterfly design) trace to freezer paper stick and stitch around; bottom right ... tulle trace and transfer with chalk marker. And the verdict is....

Difficult to decide. Each has its own favorable points and each its less favorable. Let's consider them one at a time.

Construction Paper:  

On the plus side, it was easily traced to using a sunny window as back lighting. Also, of course, it was easy to see. I pinned it to the project and sewed directly on the drawn line. My sewing was not smooth, but that was likely my own timing issue. Removing the paper was not too difficult, but there was some trapped paper that had to be coaxed out. I imagine this was the worst transfer method in regard to wear on my machine and the needle. 

Tissue Paper:

Tracing the design was super easy. Placement of the traced design onto the quilt top, also easy. Following the traced line and removing the paper from the project was not too difficult. My issue with this one was with how flimsy the paper was, and therefore having to take care not to tear it in the  sewing or placing of it.

Freezer Paper:

This one did require a back light to confidently trace the design, which then had to be trimmed on the resulting line. Placing the shiny side directly onto the quilt top, the design is pressed with a dry hot iron and ready to sew around...not through. I liked how well the paper stayed in place for the sewing, and removal of it was easy. Also, it can be used more than once, though eventually the sticking power will deteriorate. I do think that sewing around the edges made the design a tad more general than if the design had been traced directly to the fabric. 

Tulle Trace:

Using a Sharpie, I traced the design onto a piece of tulle. Once dry, I laid it onto the quilt top and drew over the design with a chalk pencil. The chalk goes through the tulle veil and marks the fabric with the design. Next, remove the tulle and sew the design. The tulle pattern can be used over and over again....as long as you can find it. This was by far the easiest method to sew, though not the easiest line to see; chalk lines are dusty and dim. 

And the winner is...

Tulle! 

I think the Freezer paper method comes in as a very respectable second.

The construction paper is probably too stiff to be a particularly good choice...especially if using for a design measuring more than six inches wide.

A Nod to Non-Transfer Free Motion Design

Finally, of course, free motion on a particularly confident day would beat all of the above for no fuss no muss design making. Cannot imagine having great consistency with all that freedom, though. 

Free Motion dragonfly...recognizable, not perfect; asymmetrical, but quickly done. Done! Best aspect!

And now... I'm done reviewing transfer methods!

Small Reversible Table Topping "Quiltlet"

Finishes at 24 inches square.

For this little project I started by sewing 2 inch wide  strips (four at a time) into strip sets and cutting them at 2 inches. Next the resulting four color strips were joined, four at a time, to form sixteen patches, measuring 6.5, unfinished.

a 16 patch

Using 3.5 inch squares as the base, I added 2 inch squares to opposing corners, or one corner, depending on my need in constructing the overall pattern, and sewed on the diagonal from point to point of the squares, trimming at .25 inch before turning back to reveal a “snow-balled” corner.

Ready for snowballing of corners.

Below you can see the layout of the pieces and how they would be joined. For each side of this double-sided “quiltlet”, I used:

• 24 single snow-balled squares (unfinished at 3.5)
• 20 double snow-balled squares (unfinished at 3.5)
• Four 16 patch squares (unfinished at 6.5)
• Four 3.5 inch unfinished squares 
• Binding ...  flanged on one side with rickrack on the other. 

Here you see how four double snowballed squares can form the X pattern with the base fabric. Also, on the edges, combining  two of the double snowballed squares against two single snowballed squares gives a floating look to the little colored corners; a happy surprise!

Cool Cut Up...Continuous Bias Binding

The nifty continuous bias binding technique is pretty simple until you get to the part of cutting out round after round after round of binding from that awkward crumpled sleeve. It always seems the danger of a miss-directed scissor point will ruin the whole integrity of the strip. One tutorial for the binding had a suggestion in the comment section from another quilter. She said she draped the sleeve over the end of her ironing board to make the cutting go more smoothly. That got me to thinking about something that would have still less friction and more freedom of movement for the task...a tension curtain rod! It worked! This is great. Maybe I'll make all my stash into bias binding! It is that easy. Yea!

Just In Time for the Fourth!

Top left: Baby's Pinafore. Top Right: Tot's aprons with divided front pocket Bottom left: Flip side of same aprons, also with divided pockets. Bottom right: patch fix for when this apron edge got caught in the embroidery machine. Oops!

Seems ages ago I decided to make an apron for each of my local grands. The green stripe fabric had just enough from my stash, for two tot-sized aprons. Once I constructed the front pocket I realized I might be able to make this simple design reverse-able. I was still working on my granddaughter's red/white/blue Raggedy Ann quilt trilogy, and decided the red stripe fabric from that would be great either for a Christmas or the 4th of July-themed apron. Further thought, however, ruled out Christmas as a once per year occasion, while patriotic holidays seem ever-appropriate. 

With that decided, the binding color was an easy pick. Meanwhile, I had other projects to complete, so I kept setting this one aside until.... Oh! My goodness! A whole 'nother local grand came on the scene! She's far from big enough for one of the original aprons, just yet. Too, I have no more of the green stripe fabric, but I did find a pattern for a little pinafore. The trio of chefs will be able to roast their hot dogs in style. Well, two of them, at least. The baby's job is to look cute and ... sparkle!  🎆 Happy 4th!
​

Tweet Street

The donation fabric with birdhouses all over it was the inspiration for the theme and name for this, my latest Project Linus quilt. I began by using the Buddy Quilt pattern from quilting class. Due to miscalculations on my part, I did not have quite enough of the theme fabric to make the side borders, and so improvised by making the applique bird blocks to extend them the needed length. Often end-arounds make for a better quilt, don't you think? 

When I started working on the back, I found I still had a nice rectangle of the theme fabric, and so used it as the center. I also had some extra cuts from the front construction, so I began a surround with that. The large cornerstone blocks were fabric inked in black and then colored with fabric crayons, and heat set. The nest block used the tulle over fragments of fabric to create a 3D effect for the nest, itself. Fun experiment, for me. I was in too big a rush to do it right, and did not trap the tulle in the seams as would have been most effective. So, I ended up securing the on-block edges with extra random top stitching. Traditionally these corner blocks would
have been on the outer border, but since this was the back of the quilt, I was unsure what the final trimming would catch, so opted for the inner border. 

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying watching a pair of robins in our yard with their little nestlings. Tweet Street ... local. 

P.S.: Post Script or Postage Stamp?

This (see bottom-most photo) is the doll quilt I made for my granddaughter #1. If you image-search for doll quilts on Pinterest, you may be able to spot my inspiration for the front of the quilt....though, the added store-bought "P.S." embroidery bits were my idea. Love that the P.S. can be both "Postage Stamp" and "Post Script". I used to write and mail lots of letters and hardly even one left my hand without a post script of some description. 

I found a printable pattern download by Cotton Confections for this 16 blade Dresden Plate online. It was perfect for my needs since I was already working with only four fabrics for the project.

What had begun as a notion to use the scraps from granddaughter #1's first birthday party's rag bunting decorations, became multiple forays to Hobby Lobby for still more of the same fabric prints for what became what I refer to as my Raggedy Trilogy. But that's another (two) stories/posts.

Free Motion practice was another mini bonus!

Onward with the mini doll quilt at hand! Having completed the front of the little project, I needed a backing, and decided to use sheeting and to try my hand at a Dresden Plate block. This was my first, and I found it so addicting that I made multiples for the backing of a larger (crib size) quilt... also for granddaughter #1. Actually, the crib quilt may become the girls' "birthday quilt" to be used on birthdays...because while I was working on these quilts, granddaughter #2 was born to the same household. 

Well, that's that. Except, of course...

P.S. May your mini, mini projects be as fun for you as this one was for me.

But Will it Fly?

Worked on a new (to me) technique of trapping fabric scraps beneath a veneer of sheer tulle for a corner block on one of my Project Linus donation quilts called "Tweet Street". My only (?) mistake, was in my impatience to “get ‘er done”. Had I taken a bit more time with it, the tulle would have been aligned to the edges of the block so that it would  be secured within the eventual quarter inch seam allowance, making for a smoother end presentation. As it was, though, I ended up securing the tulle's misplaced edges with random free motion stitches. The scraps trapped beneath the tulle in this block depict a bird’s nest surrounding the nestlings-to-be, which were drawn directly onto the block using a fabric pen and fabric crayons.  This worked well for my fledgling attempt. Yes. I think this will fly.

Here it is as the corner of the first round border of the quilt still in progress.

Digital Design ... Free Style

While I had the Fresh Paint program as a preload on my PC, there are likely other programs which can be found online that do some of the same things. In fact, if you have a PC, there is a program with a free version that does all of this and more. I believe it is called Sketchpad, and the version I liked was 4.1. That one does take a little exploring to figure out, but for me, that is true of any of them.  So, if you want to do some practicing without pen and ink, try digital doodling, and see what comes of it.

     Here we see the grand enjoying a self-rendered bedtime story, with the quilt and pillow which came of the design doodling pictured above. Looks like a happy ending, to me.

Chain Piecing

    Chain Piecing! 

If you already chain piece, you already know,
Piecing in chains is the way to go.
Just line up those pieces that need to be seamed,
Stitch them and watch them amass in a stream.

In no time at all, your units are flowing
   in colorful rope banners, worthy of showing. 
And even at that, the newly seamed stash
      can run through the line in another chain dash.
I'm telling you now, if you do not chain yet,
      try it. You'll like it. I nearly would bet! 

As pieces come flying all strung in a row, their colors parading ... Oh! What a show!

And even chain pressing , before units you sever,
makes pressing easy and speedy as ever!

What's more, getting done with a project on task!
Your deadline is met; what more could you ask?

I would write an ode, but how silly a thing? So, instead: of chain piecing, I joyfully sing!

Special Delivery for a Special Delivery

Pulled these for a changing pad tote for my
sister's eldest's son's wife ( and her expected
daughter). Went girly paisley and polka dots
with s metallic highlighted floral and a deep
red tone on tone.
Chose a gold braided clasp for a little class.

Remembered to add the little "signature" label this time. Sewn into the binding at the bottom inside right. Since it is a loop, it can also serve as a hanging loop for air drying the pad.

To assist mom in retrieval of pad from church nursery, or other place where multiple diaper bags are briefly gathered, I  added her family name to the outside, but to be hidden when folded. 

I went with the last name since the colors of this were chosen for the mom, and this is her first child ( a girl) , but who knows if they will have more later on? My daughter's changing pad had served three kiddos in fairly short order. 

Finished, folded and ready for shipping.

This was the first (and, thus far, only) handmade item I've trusted to the postal service. Happily, though, it made the trip just fine, and was well received.

Bloomin' Baskets

The daughter of a dear friend had become bride elect of a fine fellow, and in looking over the couple's registries their love for color became evident. After selecting a brightly colored sauce dish from among their picks, I kept thinking how nice it would be to present them with a colorful little table topper, as well. When I came across Edyta Sitar's Bloomin' Baskets in the March/April 2013 edition of Quiltmaker magazine on page 38, I knew this was the one. The same pattern sans applique is on her website as a free download called "Candy Dish". And I just NOW found this tutorial on the whole project! Click here and watch Edyta go through the table topper project step by step.

Some things about this project were different from any I had done before. It was important that I read the instructions. For instance, backing and binding (and quilting, for that matter) were all done ahead of applying the applique. Also, this was my first time to do semi-raw edge applique. I say "semi" because I had affixed the pieces with Heat Bond Lite, so they were fairly stable, and may even make it through the wash once without having that frayed edges look.

This all went together surprisingly quickly, and relatively easily. One of the hardest things was choosing fabrics from my stash to use for the 2.5 inch squares that make up the baskets' bodies. Some pre-cut jelly rolls and a few charms cut to size came to the rescue.  

If you are interested in making this, but waver due to concerns of difficulty...I say go for it. Watch the run through by the designer herself and enjoy this colorful, fun, and domestic machine throat friendly project. 

Epilogue: It was well-received by the bride elect and her groom to be. 

Choo Choo Choosing by Auditioning Fabrics

There comes a time in just about all of my projects when "the best laid plans" get derailed by design, or otherwise go off track. Sometimes it is because my original vision for an aspect of the project just doesn't work. Sometimes it may be that the stash on hand doesn't quite stretch into enough yardage...occasionally by inches...to complete the job.This can be where an inch is as good as a mile. Anyway, when I am faced with those challenges, it's an excellent time to set up the stage for some old fashioned impromptu auditioning.

The first picture shows my originally planned engine base. Second photo auditioned, but seemed too dark. As soon as I saw the yellow, I knew we would soon be full speed ahead!

It has been a while since this project was on docket, so I actually don't remember how it was that I had to audition strips for the border, as well. I think it happened for one of the following reasons: 

• I did not want an all yellow border since the yellow was soooo bright.
• Maybe my yellow stash was depleted when it became the chosen fabric in the above featured audition. (?)
• Or...maybe ...and this is quite likely, I wanted more blue in the quilt. This was for my local grandson's 2nd birthday. Also, I really, really liked the blue (engine cab) fabric, and wanted to use what I had of it in this quilt.
  

 Yes, I see that I "say" I ran out of yellow, but I still think it may have been that third reason...wanting to use my (already strip cut) blue. 

Oh! A bonus  was using the same applique for his birthday tee! That dusky blue became the smoke puffs on the white tee. 

And these days the boy, now 3 years old, is using his quilt for cover. (He received it on his 2nd birthday, but wasn't into bed covers, yet, then.)

Do you find yourself auditioning fabrics "after the fact" of having chosen project colors, etc.?