Jeans Quilt in Progress

Hey!  Its starting to look like a quilt!  Some of these squares were left over, so I took inventory, then spent the morning cutting, the afternoon joining sub-units, and finally putting the beginnings of a quilt together. 

Janome Horizon users, the dual feed system is ideal for working with heavy denim.  I'm even considering diagonal quilting rather than tying.  Might even try it with a double needle. 

Placemats Plus Napkin Rings

Got six placemats quilted today.  Hope to get them bound tomorrow.  Below the mats are some border remnants.  Am looking for a simple pattern for napkin rings.

Star Chain Border

I tore my sewing space apart to get ready for last weekend's retreat.  When I got home, I left my things packed up, while I rearranged the sewing room.  As a result, I went 6 days without quilting!  Tonight I finally got to quilt the border.  All that's left to do is trim, bind and label this quilt.  And of course, to reflect on lessons learned along the way. :)

Star Chain Update

Had hoped to get this quilt quilted on retreat, but didn't get that far.  The interior is quilted in hearts, and the interior border is stitched in the ditch.  I drew out several different outer borders, using invisible ink.  One thing I learned is that piecing works well at retreats.  Most people don't do their quilting there because you cannot set up a table to your left to support the weight of the quilt.  Even with a smaller quilt, this was problematic.  Now that I'm back home, I should be able to finish it soon.  :)

In the Home Stretch!

Three down, one to go.  Looks like I'll be basting it soon.  :)

Star Chain with Inner Border

Here's the block I reworked, using a tone-on-tone remnant from my stash.  It ties together the other blues in the quilt - and the hearts are a nice feminine touch.

I'm quite happy with this inner border - my sole (quilt-related) accomplishment today.  I'm at a good place to start the week.  It should be fun to start sewing the strips together to make the border.  That's something I can do a little at a time during the work week.  

Gotta think about how to label this quilt.  I wonder if I pasted a photo of it into Word, how would it look?  May have to experiment a bit! 

Star Chain Interior Complete

All the blocks are complete and joined!  Hooray!

Contemplating an inner border.  Reason number one: this little quilt is busy, with a capital B!  A soft pink inner border would give the eye a place to rest.  Reason number two: After lining up all the squares and points, I don't want to go through the same process all the way around the quilt.  With an inner border, minor deviations won't be noticable. 

I think I just talked myself into it!  :)

Star Chain & Corner Stones

This has been fun to put together, even if the stars were a little tricky.  The blue star on the left may need modification...and two of the green stars are a bit wimpy.  Not enough contrast between the stars and the background.  Hmmmm...what Judy Martin do?   

She says "Scrap quilts are the best way I know to grow in your art and your use of color.  If you allow yourself to employ some randomness, even controlled randomness (where you have veto power) in your scrap placement, you will stretch yourself.  You may find a whole new direction for your fabric combinations."

Hmmmm..maybe I should raid my stash?  I think I gotta think on that!  :)

Star Chain, With Stars

The star blocks aren't coming together easily as the chain blocks.  There has to be some trick for working with triangles I've yet to discover.  One that would keep the fabric from stretching and distorting when sewing.  I've cheated in the past by cutting pieces larger than necessary.  Then trimming them down.  But this was to be an "easy" jelly roll project, so I cut my pieces accordingly. 

My LQS offers a class called "No Fear Triangles,"  I think I'm gonna take that class!  :)

Star Chain on Design Wall

All these squares are starting to look like something!  Now to get started on the star blocks.  My only star block is out on loan, pending approval by Emma - the matriarch of this fine family. 
 

Emma is so fired up about her future great-grandbaby, she crocheted a beautiful hat, bootie and sweater set.  In fact, she made two sweaters.  Same pattern, in two sizes.  She's now crocheting a baby blanket.  What a dynamo! :)

Star Chain Sample Blocks

I put together two sample blocks for my next project.  I love the colors and fabrics, but the blocks are unsatisfactory for a couple reasons: 

1.  The Janome 1/4" foot is defective and will soon be replaced.  This is (at least in part) why my blocks are coming up short.  I tore my hair out over my last (queen sized) project.  Would have been nice to know sooner!  And I need that new foot NOW.

2.  What is a Side A Triangle, or a Side B Triangle?  The cutting instructions in this book might as well be in Greek.  Buying the book is not enough, Ms. Einmo wants me to ALSO buy her Simpli-EZ Jelly Roll Ruler.  I checked the local quilt shops and fabric stores.  No one carries it - besides, I'm opposed to it on principle.

I had hoped to get one full day of sewing in this weekend. Between the 1/4" foot thats not really 1/4" and Ms. Einmo's proprietory instructions, it just ain't gonna happen. 

I guess I'll be forced to goof off!  :)

STILL Stippling...

...but I'm in the home stretch!  I love the texture the stippling creates - just how I envisioned it.  Soon I can stitch the borders. Also want to make a nice label (something I tend to forget).  Anybody know where I can get the special fabric to run through my laser printer? 

I didn't complete the quilt in time for the 2010 Love, Lauren (online) event, (http://www.lovelauren.org/Love,_Lauren_org3.html) , but that's OK.  I'll have it ready for the 2011 get together.  By doing it next year, bidders can actually see and feel the quilt, and fluff the pillows. That should foster some friendly competition, and raise more funds for JBRF.  :)

A New Direction

This quilt was looking far too somber. I'm making it for an event called the Love, Lauren Celebration.  A celebration calls for vibrant, lively hues.  Lauren's favorite colors were red and purple, so that's where I started. Now comes the fun part.  Today I auditioned a lighter double four-patch.  I think I like it.  Here's the next batch of rose buds.  There'll be 8 pink ones - polka dots are about as bright and cheery as you can get.  I can't wait to sprinkle them in. 

I'm rapidly outgrowing my design wall.  Pictured is 7 x 7 (minus one).  The finished quilt center will be 9 x 9.  Haven't got a clue as to how I'll quilt it.  I'd love to do FMQ, but the quilt will be queen size.  That's a lot of quilt to manuever!  Maybe I could do it in quadrants?  Good thing I have some time to mull it over.  :)

Picnic Quilt Decision Time

You're probably getting tired of seeing this quilt, but its decision time:  How to quilt? With what color thread? Red binding or black? I'm always perplexed (and sometimes dissapointed) when I quilt something that has so many colors in it.  Got any ideas?

Motivation

I was totally motivated to get this top assembled in time for Take Your Child to Work Day...until I learned they didn't need me after all.  That took the wind right out of my sails.  But I have a new deadline of May 18, for a Wellness Expo.  Different audience, same message - eat your fruits and veggies. 

This MAY also mean I'll get to complete this quilt on a new sewing machine.

A couple rows are missing because I'm taking them on a field trip.  I test drove a Baby Lock a few weeks ago, and the shop owner suggested I bring in a project and thoroughly test the machine. That's tomorrow's mission - I'll try doing a long seam, chain piecing and a simple applique.  Should be fun!  :)

Making Progress

Went visiting this weekend, so I didn't expect to do any quilting.  Then on Saturday, travel plans were delayed by 30 minutes - so I quickly pinned the Olympic Rings below.  Now its set to go for the Crafter's Luncheon at work.  

Tried to do a shop hop on Sunday, but our timing was off, and we missed an exit.....so no shop hop.  But I located three LQSs that I hope to visit soon. Got home early and put the extra time to use, piecing the Picnic Quilt above.  This puts me ahead of schedule on the picnic quilt - making my self-imposed (but unrealistic) deadline of April 22 (TYCTW Day) more feasible. A nice surprise! :)

Rose Bud Begins

After designing this quilt on EQ6 I had to try making the squares to see if they'd come out right.  The chain took 5 minutes.  The rose bud was more challenging.  Had a few false starts, but produced my first rose bud square in an hour or two.  It should be easier now that I have a block to refer to. 

I've started another project - for which I amassed far more fabric than I truly needed.  So this rosebud quilt will be an outlet for all those beautiful reds!  :) 

Outline or Stippling?

As usual, Wisconsin is ushering in Spring with SNOW.  I'm taking advantage of the nip in the air to work on my Winter's Song quilt.  Its decision time.  Outline the cardinals with my trusty, reliable walking foot?  Or live dangerously and do some FMQ stippling? or FMQ snowflakes?

To be honest, FMQ still scares me.  My heart pounds and I break out in a sweat, cuz if I mess up it'll be nearly impossible to rip out.  I have to remind myself its supposed to be FUN.   I did some very detailed hand applique on this quilt, so I'm leaning toward the simpler outline stitch. 

On a side note, I observed two male cardinals in chase this week.  Territory skirmishes have begun.  The male goldfinches are changing from olive drab fall/winter feathers to their bright yellow spring/summer plumage.  At the suet feeder I had a female flicker the other day.  Today the suet attracted a gray squirrel with a blond tail.  Despite all this activity, I've not yet spied a robin.  Perhaps I'll spot one tommorrow, being the first day of Spring!

Lesson Two - The Ah-Ha Moment

The instructor said half way through the lesson we would have an Ah-Ha moment.  But mine didn't come...until TODAY!  Getting all those points to line up was a trick. 

On the first block I ripped and re-stitched the yellow centers 5 or 6 times.  There's so much bulk, the pieces  shift no matter how many pins you use.  I finally hand stitched the center portion, THEN sewed it on the machine.  On the second square I got smart and BASTED the centers together, before sewing the entire seam.  Got it on the second try. 

Here's the completed border on my Olympic Rings mini-quilt. I did a LOT of hand stitching while I was laid up with back trouble. Thankfully, I'm back in action...and ready for a change of pace.

I'm feeling a bit guilty about my Winter's Song quilt.  It's sandwiched, but not quilted.  Every time I look at it it seems to say, "Hey, what about me?"

I rarely get the timing right.  I'll probably finish Winter's Song when Spring has sprung.  The Lazy Daisy topper will be done at about the right time, as spring flowers giving way to summer.  As for the Olympic Rings...if I get them done for the Summer Olympics two years from now, I'll be right on schedule.  :)

Lesson One

Here is the back side of my first-ever foundation piecing project.  When I opened the pattern, it was  intimidating.  But our class instructor walked us through the process.  My goal was to complete one block by the end of the class period.  During class I had to rip and re-do several times.  Fortunately I wasn't the only one.  But I completed all five sections of the square and put them together.  I was beaming with pride and joy!

When I got home I realized I'd made another mistake.  In the top center of the block, I put a  light colored petal where background was to be, and I completely skipped another piece.  Hence the big pink blob at the top!  Time to get out the seam ripper once again.

Lessons Learned (so far):

1.  Take your camera to class.
2.  Bring your seam ripper. 
3.  Put in a fresh needle before class and bring a spare.
4.  My Olympic Rings project is called English Paper Piecing.  This project is Foundation Paper Piecing. 
5.  My instructor showed me how to finish the edge of my previous hexagon project, without losing the points.  If it works, I'll make a tutorial.
6.  For Foundation piecing: The WRONG side of Piece 1 goes against the WRONG side of the paper.  Then sew on Piece 2, with fabric RIGHT sides together.  Sew on the paper line.
7.  Learn to count (I apparently need to work on this!)
8.  As always, have fun! :)