Monday, April 27, 2020
REMIX, APPLIQUE, AND DRESDENS
I must admit that going into the 7th week of being confined to the home front has begun to have me less and less in the sewing studio. Is too much of a good thing, not good? I have had to get a bit creative to get me interested in spending much time there.
I finally pulled out some fabric purchased in New Zealand on a trip there in February 2018, and added some light prints from my stash. I purchased a pattern, Sequoia Sampler Remix by Alex Anderson. Nice little 6" blocks. It is a bit of fun mixing and matching to add a block or two each day.
The piece is small, only 36 by 42 inches, and in the end will include some appliqué work.
Speaking of appliqué, with all this time on my hands I have finally decided to seriously work on perfecting my turned under edge appliqué prep. It has always been a struggle for me and since I have so much time on my hands it seemed a good time to master it at last.
I am using Floriani Stitch N Wash Fusible Water Soluble Tearaway and turning the edges over with glue sticks and using an old 2008 book by Barb Adams & Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs call When the Cold Wind Blows. Don't hold me to ever getting a quilt done, I'll start with baby steps like maybe one block done.
On the bright side I finished a long overdue UFO runner this week.
I quilted the Dresdens with a circular pattern and the background with straight stitching.
With the spring weather I spotted some pretty purple flowers in the herb planters. They turned out to be the chives going to seed. Never the less they are pretty.
As some of you might recall my daughter's duck hatched 13 little ducklings last week. Well it appears that motherhood seemed a bit hectic this week and she resorted to sending her brood over to the neighbors for a bit of a rest. She got tired of watching them, so sent them next door to Colonel Sanders to watch for a bit. They were just small enough to pop through the fence and he is a very good baby sitter.
Monday, April 20, 2020
CHRISTMAS FINISHES
With lots of time on our hands these days I found that I am doing a really good job in catching up with UFO's long overdue for finishing.
Monday, April 13, 2020
MASKS FOR THE GUYS
Like so many of us that are able to sew I have been making face masks for my daughter. She works in a rehab facility and they ran out of face masks. The first week I made 10 for her. Six of them were florals, which she picked up the first day. She mentioned several of her male workers wished they had some manly ones, the the last four were made from some Star Wars fabric I had stashed away.
She sent me this picture of them with their new masks. I have continued to make a few more. Here in California we have been instructed to now wear masks if we must go out and to limit it to only absolute necessary trips. So I made a few more for my daughter and ourselves.
When I made the ones for my daughter she requested a pocket to put a filter in.
Elastic is no longer available so I ended up using large thick hair bands. They work really well. These additional four were made are as much neutral gender fabric I could find in my stash.
Ginger our Yorkshire Terrior our only pet unlike my daughter with multiples has felt a bit left out of the blog thing lately. She thinks she is quite the hunter and showed off for a photo of her latest stuffed toy kill. Our house is littered with her stuffed toys which she races around the house with showing us what a good varmit hunter she is.
My daughter said her husband was complaining about their TV reception the other day. She didn't think about it much but one afternoon while out side she discovered the possible reason for the issue. Time to clip the wings on those peacocks before he rings their necks.
My daughter said her husband was complaining about their TV reception the other day. She didn't think about it much but one afternoon while out side she discovered the possible reason for the issue. Time to clip the wings on those peacocks before he rings their necks.
Monday, April 6, 2020
CURB APPLEAL AND A TILDA FINISH
I must say that being stuck in the house has improved the situation with my UFO's over the last couple of weeks. If one can't get out and about to guild meetings, charity quilt sew ins, and only out to the grocery store when the cupboards are bare you can get a good deal done in the sewing room.
My Curb Appeal quilt top is well on its way. I have two more row to go. It has been sitting around with just the blocks complete for a couple months now.
I finished the top of my Tilda quilt this past week as well. This has not been a fun quilt to put the rows together. With all those seams pressed this way and that getting everything to line up properly has been a chore. For at least a couple months I only had two more rows to fuss with. I would pick them up then stash them out of site. Given all the time stuck in the house with nothing but time on my hands I finally decided I should tackle it. It is a relief to have it done.
There was a bright spot this past week. I receive my monthly box mailing from Quilty Box. This is such a fun thing to get in the mail each month and now more than ever. Shopping in our area for other than groceries and truly necessary shopping is discouraged. Our governor probably doesn't consider the quilt store a necessity.
There was a bright spot this past week. I receive my monthly box mailing from Quilty Box. This is such a fun thing to get in the mail each month and now more than ever. Shopping in our area for other than groceries and truly necessary shopping is discouraged. Our governor probably doesn't consider the quilt store a necessity.
Along with the 16 fat eights they supplied a great pattern, thread, and a mini rotary cutter.
Plus these great templates and a book full of patterns and instructions for making something with that wonderful fabric. Now that certainly brightens the day.
Now I know that a number of you are fans of my daughter's chickens. These ladies have been very busy. My daughter is collecting a good dozen eggs and more every day. Lovely brown, pale green, and some almost pink. Husband and I along with all her coworkers and neighbors are glad recipients. She said as long as no one has started slamming the door in her face when she shows up with another carton of eggs all is well. Spring is in the air now so starting her garden is looking good. She can then add tomatoes and squash to the deliveries this summer.
Monday, March 30, 2020
QUILTING THE GEESE AND HALF STAR
I have mentioned a number of times that I simply cannot master free motion quilting. I took a class for a full week with out much success. I know that practice would improve that skill, but frankly I just get bored and move on to something fun. However, I have learned a number of ways to get around this issue.
Bernina offers a number of mini classes on their newsletters and I took note of one a while back. I do love the mini quilting idea and after looking through the class using your decorative stitches I made my self a notebook of stitches that I might use.
And I began quilting my geese and half star wall hanging. Once I had started I found it was coming along really nicely.
The geese side is nearly done with stitch #680 14.1 by 9.0 on my Bernina B750. I am pleased with the outcome.
Not sure what I plan to do on the half star side. I am thinking straight line quilting.
As so many of us are stuck in the house due to the Corona virus, we are still encouraged to take a walk out in the fresh air. These California poppies along the way made for a bright spot in the day.
Monday, March 23, 2020
CORONA VIRUS CABIN FEVER
Like so many here in the United States and other countries too I am hunkered down at home. After a week or two one gets a bit stir crazy and decides to take on a sewing task that has been put off for over a year. And, an insane one at that.
Last winter I decided my king size comforter and cover was way to heavy and large. This winter I used our guest double bed comforter and it worked really well. So I decided to tackle the task for taking that king size comforter and cover down a good 20 plus inches all the way around. Thank goodness the filling of the comforter is not feathers and was divided up with stitching about every 10 inches or so. I just started cutting and turning under edges.
However, the cover itself was a whole other task. It basically had to be taken apart and completely remade. I could have bought the cover in a smaller size, it was still available. However, the original cover cost a near fortune and the smaller size wasn't much cheaper. I figured the worse case was I could always scrap it and buy the replacement if things really got bad.
Things worked out very well, and I am just cutting down and pinning the last size seam.
And the finished product. It just covers the top of the bed with little hang over on sides or bottom.
Now I am back to working on something a bit more fun. One of the last rows of my SOS Charity Guy Quilts for my guild.
Just a few more rows to add and its done and on to something else.
We ran a gift out for my daughter's husband's birthday this week and walked around the property for a bit keeping our 6 feet distance as directed by our state governor. For those fans of my daughter's pets, meet Colonel Sanders having a nice dust bath in the afternoon sun.
And his lady friend. My daughter picked them up off the highway on the way home one afternoon before they became chicken patties in the roadway. They are a bit on forced separation from the rest of the chicken gang right now as the Colonel is the jeolous type and picks fights with the other rooster when he comes near her. Who can blame him she is quite the beauty at least he thinks so.
Monday, March 16, 2020
MACHINE BINDING
Over the last few months I have been busy making table runners and placemats for my quilt guild's boutique booth at our quilt show coming up in January 2021. I made about 50 table runner late last year and now have been adding a few more to that. Sewing binding by hand just didn't seem reasonable, so originally I sewed them down by machine in the ditch. That takes a lot of ver precise sewing and it was a slow process. So just recently I decided on a faster way that still looks nice. And it seems to really work well.
The front of the runners have this nice straight line that looks nice.
The back of the binding also looks nice too.
And even the corners came out nicely.
And the trick is this little baby. I have a Bernina and this #10 foot labeled edge stitcher works great. I just run that middle blade down the ditch on the front of the runner and move my needle over two or three clicks. I pin my bindings down from the front and within just 5 minutes I and done. I do know that the feet are called several different names. There are feet called Overcast or Blindstitch that are very similar and can be used. My Janome didn't have one so I was able to find one on Madam Sew on the internet. They have every foot you could want and more and adapters that fit most machines.
Now I know that binding this way is not the thing for a nice quilt, but for runners and placemats that get washed a good deal it does work well.
For those fans of my daughters peacocks. This is a picture of her front porch and notice the peacocks that seem to think they are gargoyles. My other daughter arrived at the house and couldn't help but laugh at them and said they reminded her of gargoyles on ancient building in Europe, and snapped a photo of them.
The front of the runners have this nice straight line that looks nice.
Now I know that binding this way is not the thing for a nice quilt, but for runners and placemats that get washed a good deal it does work well.
Monday, March 9, 2020
GROWN UP BACK PACKS
My VBF Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts shared her Meadow Whispers Backpack a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a great idea for myself. I often prefer not to haul a handbag around and this seemed like a nice idea for me to use when out and about at quilt related events. I purchased the pattern from her Etsy shop and I was ready to go.
What really got me interested was I had this cork I purchased and seeing Brooke's with the cork bottom really made me think this would be a great adult backpack idea.
Brooke's pattern direction with color pictures are very easy to follow and in no time at all I had my backpack put together.
And here it is all done. It took me two short afternoons and one minor trip to the fabric store for the twill tape. It is lined with a zipper pocket inside as well. It only used three fat quarters for the outside and a small strip of cork. A half yard of fabric for the lining and the zipper pocket inside was plenty to finish them off. I think this would be a perfect children's backpack idea too.
Spring has arrived in our area. The almond trees are in full bloom. Nice to have winter weather almost over, although a little more rain would be nice.
Monday, March 2, 2020
OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW
I was searching for a piece of felt this past week for one of my folio projects and came came across this large hunk of odd fabric.
I bought it ages ago, at least 20 plus years or more. It isn't actually quilted, but has the impression of quilting. It is also quite heavy.
The back side is just this white thread. I had about two yards of the stuff and it is rather bulky so I decided it might be nice to make some bags out of it and get it out of the bin.
I cut out three pieces 19 wide by 44 inches long. Enough to make three bags and be rid of it. It seemed like they would be rather plain so I thought it might be nice to put something on the front of them. I ended up making a 12 inch star block. I turned under the four sides a half inch and it was a perfect idea to decorate the front of the bags.
I sewed the blocks on to the front of the bags. Bought some handle material and finished off the three.
And the finished product. I think these will do well at my quilt shows boutique in January. I did line them as well to give them a finished look.
I also finished up a third folio this past week as well. These have been such fun. I will say that this one was a bit of a chore with so many different compartments and pockets. Is was supposed to have a pin cushion in it, but I figured the felt pin area was fine for a this little travel tool kit.
The best part of this one is in folds up into this nice little handy take with you tool kit.
Sorry no peacocks this week, just Peaches my daughter's gentleman duck helping out with the gardening chores. Marvin his lady is in the fuzzy background. And yes, their names should be switched. My grandson's named them when they were little ducklings, and once grown up they discovered their names didn't match properly, but refused to switch them. They each knew their names and would come when you called them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)