~~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: