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.