another donation quilt finished (almost)

After a quick start on this final donation quilt from the crate, I became distracted (oh look!  a dust mote!) by family photos and my on-going genealogy project.

But finally, I put my nose to the grindstone and finished the quilting today.  It doesn't have binding yet .. only because I don't think I have a good candidate for that.

This started out in 2011 as a mock-up for a Jane Austen quilt.  As such, I was more concerned about how to match up the diamonds across the sashing rather than making a "real" quilt.  So, I just kinda grabbed the fabric I had on hand that would do the job .. which was white sashing and muslin setting triangles.   Not exactly the most scintillating choices in the world.

But, the funny thing is .. the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.  :-)  So, I put some actual *thought* into finding border fabrics to bring it up to a useable size.  Then, it got put into the crate and waited.  And waited.  And waited.

Until now.  :-)   It's finally quilted .. oh, hooray! 

I didn't have enough batting in one piece to use, but I did have a bunch of smaller pieces.  So, I Frankensteined them together and it worked out rather well.

The backing is a lovely, soft, butter yellow flannel.  (I think this fabric contributed to some "issues".)

I loaded it on Lizzie and decided to stitch in the ditch around each and every diamond, as well as the perimeter of the white sashing.  I figured this would stabilize the entire top.  Then I'd stitch in the ditch around the inner border.  And as I advanced the quilt, I stitched down the outer raw edge to secure them, as I always do.

My thinking was that when I got to the end of the top and stitched the bottom edge, I could then release that rail and only have one layer to work with.  I could roll that one layer back and forth to get the rest of the quilting done.

I *KNOW* that I've read of others using this technique.  I'm almost sure that I've done it before.  But this time?  Problems. 

The upper half was no problem ... everything was tensioned nicely and the stitch in the ditch was progressing well.  However, once I got to the bottom half, I realized that the top was unduly "poofing up".  What the heck??  It took me some effort to quilt that without it looking ugly.

It wasn't until I had advanced the quilted part on the take-up rail that I saw there was a horrendous, ginormous horizontal tuck in the backing.  Oh. My. Gosh.  Just let me thunk my head on the wall. Repeatedly.  But other than that tuck, the quilting from the back looks pretty nice!

I have absolutely no frickin' idea how that tuck got there, much less the "poofiness" in the top.  The tuck *is* quilted down rather nicely  but ::sigh::  it's still there.  Yuck.  Dang .. and it seemed to be going quite well.  :-(

I quilted a feathered wreath with curved cross-hatching basketweave in the center.   I saw a picture of a very similar design somewhere/someplace.  Their version was nicer than mine.  :-)  I obviously need more practice on this curved cross-hatching *and* basketweave thing.

All the stitch in the ditch made the white sashing puff up very nicely .. I really do like the effect.

The striped border got widely spaced straight lines that disappear into the printed stripes.  I really hadn't a clue what to do on this fabric.  In retrospect, perhaps I should have continued the diagonal lines from the white sashing, but I wasn't sure how the diagonal quilting lines would look against the striped fabric. 
 

I put feathers in the setting triangles and feathers in the outer border.  Because the border fabric is a print, you can't see the feathers too well, but by this point, this was really the easiest thing I could think of doing to finish the quilt. 


Once I find some binding fabric, I'll get the label & the binding on and pop it into the washer/dryer.

Then all the donation quilts that I've been holding onto will be given to the Bay Area Crisis Nursery, which is a local one-up charitable organization that I like to support.  When they're gone, that will open a nice, big area in my sewing room.    Current status to the contrary, I really *do* like limiting the visual clutter.  (go ahead and chuckle .. y'all know what I mean!)

the ugly quilt

Well, I think the most positive thing I can say about this child-sized quilt is that it is finished.  Otherwise, I must admit that it must be the ugliest quilt I've ever done.

It wasn't intentional, though.  I'm not even sure when I made the blocks.  I think I was fooling around with strip sets and kaleidoscope/wedge rulers just to see what they were like.

Because you really can't do too much with an octagon shape until you square it up .. oh, wait, you COULD just butt them up against each other like you do with hexagons, but that would have created an ever uglier quilt, if that could possibly be imagined.   So, I squared up each block with a solid and used those same solids for sashing.

I know I picked the rust and brown fabrics simply because I had enough of them in the stash and they didn't look *terrible* with the string blocks.  Is that an awful way to pick fabrics or what? But, again, it wasn't intentional. 

Generally speaking, I like to use the test blocks and the 'fooling around' blocks that I make.  These blocks were of a good enough size that I could actually make a reasonable sized quilt with them.  I know I would have had horrible pangs of guilt had I just thrown them out, although on second thought, maybe I should have cut them down to make veterinarian cage liners ... the animals certainly wouldn't have minded.

But, I didn't make cage liners, so a child-sized quilt it is.  It'll keep some child warm and that counts for something, right?  Can you tell I'm desperately trying to find a silver lining?

I did a lot of free motion quilting on this one.  I probably should have done a pantograph, but pantograph work with my Lizzie is awkward due to the physical place I needed to put her.  So, I tend to avoid pantographs.

In retrospect, I think I just made this entire quilt with the wrong approach.  I'm not terribly pleased with it, although I *am* pleased that the top is quilted, labeled and bound.  It'll be out of my house pretty soon, which clears up some space.

This just shows you that my quilts don't always come out eye-pleasing and I do make errors in judgement .... although not usually all in the same quilt!  :-)

Google Reader ... :-(

You've read elsewhere that as of July 2013, Google Reader is going away.  Apparently it's not pulling its weight, as other Google applications do.  ::sigh::

It works.  It works well.  It does what I want it to do.  Perhaps it's because of people like me who only need a desktop computer Reader?   (I don't have a smartphone, so I obviously don't need a mobile app for that).

But, even if Reader doesn't make any money for Google, why not just let it *stay* as-is?  Don't do any more updates.  Assign one programmer to handle the situations that break Reader, otherwise, just leave it be!   It can happily sit in the background of Google and let people use it.  Let it be a deprecated product.  As long as it still works, users will be happy.

Heck,  I'm such a stick-in-the-mud that my email program has been deprecated for *years*.  I started, years and years and years ago, with Eudora.  I like Eudora. It does everything that I want it to do for a email program.  I'm used to the way it looks and works.  Qualcomm got rid of it years ago and Corel doesn't support it any longer.  But ya know what?  I don't care.  *IT STILL WORKS*.  And so, I continue to use Eudora as my emailer.

 But, except for death and taxes, all things change.  If Google is going to yank Reader, I'll need to find a replacement.  I've looked at the suggestions for an alternative.   There have been many blogs with such suggestions .... just Google for them.

Many of the replacements that I've seen focus on mobile apps.  That doesn't interest me.  What I want is something that gives me the look-and-feel of Reader so that I don't have to jump through a whole bunch of new hoops to figure out how to read my blogs.  And I definitely don't need a touch-screen appearance ... gah!  that would drive me nuts!

Enter "The Old Reader".   The following description is from a Life Hacker blog entry by Alan Henry:

The Old Reader may be in beta, but it was built to be a suitable replacement for Google Reader. And not just Google Reader as we know it now, the old Google Reader, that still had plenty of tools for sharing and organization. You can log in via Google or Facebook, and import your feeds from Google Reader or any other service via OPML. If the interface looks familiar, it should: it looks a lot like Google Reader, complete with folders down the left side, your list of stories in the main pane (click any to read), and one-click subscription to new feeds. You get many of the same keyboard shortcuts, and even get the same ability to follow other Old Reader users and share interesting stories with them—the way you used to be able to with Google Reader. The Old Reader is fast, free, and super simple to use. There are no mobile apps yet, but the web site works well on mobile devices, and the developers behind it note they're working on it. There are, however, Chrome and Safari extensions for it.

Hear that???   It has the same look-and-feel as Reader!   Oh, be still, my beating heart!   Truthfully, I never knew there was a Google Reader appearance before the one I'm currently using.  Or maybe the Google Reader I'm using *IS* the old format.  Who cares?  All I know is that The Old Reader is familiar enough for me to feel immediately comfortable.

Apparently 18,776 other people feel the same way because that's how many are in front of me in the import queue.  I have no idea how many users there are, currently.   The Old Reader people said that their user base increased 7 times at once, so understandably, they are having "just a bit" of an import log jam.  They are very good about keeping users apprised of the situation, so we won't think that our import file has become lost in cyberspace.

Not to worry, Google Reader is good until July.  By that time, The Old Reader will have worked out the queue length; I'm happy to wait.  If I find new blogs between now and then, I can individually add them, just like I currently do with Reader.  When my import file is processed, those individually added blogs  will not be clobbered.

So, I think I've found my replacement.  As much as I really, really, really dislike changing computer components, this one is looking pretty good.

It was National Quilting Day

.. which was yesterday, of course, but I never quite got around to writing a blog entry about it on time.  Story of my life, ya know?

However, I was busy!  Quilting, no less!  When I was excavating my sewing room recently, I came across a long-buried crate that contained 5 quilt tops that were tagged to be given to a local charity that I like to support, the Bay Area Crisis Nursery.

These tops have been ... ::ahem::  "aging" for quite some time.  I decided that it was time I got them quilted.   This would not only allow the Crisis Nursery to have more quilts to give to their charges, but it would free up a crate in my sewing room!  

The top that I actually DID quilt on National Quilting Day was (.. of course ...) finished rather late at night so that there was absolutely NO decent lighting to take a picture.  Y'all will need to wait until tomorrow (or later) to see that particular quilt.

I have 3 of the tops to share with you right now.  One nice thing about all these child's quilts is that, being so small, they do quilt up VERY fast.  It's certainly instant gratification for me!  :-)

Back in January 2012, I participated in a quilt along, called Oh My Stars! 

I made many more star blocks than I needed for the project quilt, so that I was able to create a bonus baby quilt. 

Because I just wanted to get these tops quilted and not spend a whole lot of time devoted to intricate quilting, I actually used a pantograph for this quilt. 

I usually don't do pantographs very often.  The physical constraints of the layout where I have my Lizzie make for a very cramped area.  It's awkward to work in, so I tend not to want to do pantographs so much. 











 This quilt, and the one after, were created from some very unusual yardage.  Back in 2010, I found fabric that had rows of quilt blocks printed from selvage to selvage, rather like a pre-printed row robin.  It was called "Borders and More".  The intent was that you would cut the rows apart and use them as instant borders for centers that you piece yourself.  It was an intriguing idea, so I bought some yardage (I don't remember how much). 

But as time went by, I realized that I was just never going to use the fabric as it was intended.  Instead, I simply used it as-is. 

For the first quilt, I cut off a chunk of the yardage and quilted it, using the edges of the printed blocks as pseudo-seams.  What you see in the picture to the right is exactly what the yardage looked like, right off the bolt, except that .. trust me ... the quilt in the picture at right really IS quilted!

I did "stitch in the ditch" in all the pseudo-seams.  It really wasn't as difficult as you might think ... there weren't any real seams to be concerned with.  I used black thread, which disappeared into the black background, so if my stitch in the ditch was exactly gnat's eyelash perfect, it really wasn't noticeable.

However, this does mean that you can't really SEE any of the quilting at all from the front!   For this quilt, and the next one, I just wanted to get it quilted and wasn't terribly concerned about fancy stitching.  The printed rows were nifty enough; I felt that overt quilting would be a distraction.


 


 

The second quilt made from this yardage had a different treatment: because the leftover yardage wasn't large enough to be a quilt on its own; I needed to stretch it with a very wide border. 

I found enough of the purple fabric in my stash for the border.  Although there is no purple in the print yardage itself, I think the border works surprisingly well.  :-)

As with the first border print quilt, I also did a stitch in the ditch along all the pseudo seams.  I quilted an embellished meander in the purple fabric; a double loop-de-loop.

All of these quilts are small .. about 45" x 60" or so.  They are intended for the younger kids that the Crisis Nursery cares for.

I haven't made webpages for these quilts yet, so I can't *quite* count them as 'done'.  And because there are no webpages, there aren't any up-close, detailed pictures nor any of the typical gory details that I usually provide.  All of *those* items will be on the webpages!  You'll just need to wait.  :-)

The main reason for posting the pictures now was to prove that I am still alive and kicking!

Lovely Year of Finishes: March project

Looking at my List of 17 Tops to be Quilted, I have pulled out one of the big ones, the God's Eye top.

This was an attempt at scrap management back in 2008, when I pieced it.  I assume that I went through more than one messload of scraps because not only are there (48) 10" God's Eye blocks but there is a bargello-type border. 

I wasn't paying too much attention to the overall size when I made the top because it finishes with really weird dimensions: at 80"x100", it's either an overly long double or a slightly too-narrow queen.  It'll take a queen size batt, though.

So, the goal for March is to get this thing quilted, labeled, bound, laundered and the webpage created.

I'm anticipating the wonderful feeling of being able to cross another entry off the List.  :-)

"Podcats" ... a throw pillow

Helene Knott is a prolific designer of applique quilts.  One such set of blocks is her "Garden Patch Cats".  They are of cats depicted as various vegetables and are simply terminally adorable. As the "Garden Patch Cats" is probably going to be about 35 patterns, you can pick and choose which ones you want to put in your own quilt.

I don't NEED another quilt project right now.  At the current time, I'm working on my List of 17 Tops that need to be quilted, so I am NOT NOT NOT piecing any new tops!

But I still need something to do in the evenings when I am watching TV.   So when I saw Podcats, I knew it was something that I could do that wouldn't result in another quilt.  I could make it as a throw pillow instead!

Rather than use predictable, normal colors for the cats' faces, I opted to make them in red, purple and blue.  No, don't be aghast .. there's a reason for this!

You see, when our girls were little, I "color coded" them.  Just about everything I bought them was in shades of those colors so that even before they could read, they *knew* which items belonged to them simply due to the color.

So when I saw Podcats ... those three cute little cat faces ... I immediately saw them in those colors.  :-)

This was a very fast project for me.  Even faster than I had anticipated.  I started it on February 12th, after I returned from my Quilting Retreat.  I got the applique done in three days, took a break, then finished it up yesterday (February 23rd).

I'm surprised but pleased that this project is done ... but now I need another project for the evenings!

That picture is just a teaser! For all the gory details, links and more pictures, please visit my web page for the Podcats throw pillow.

Outdoor Rotisseire Chicken: it's what's for dinner!

Mr. Pirate is a man of many curiosities and abilities.  Of late, he has been enamored of outdoor cooking fires.  He built us a keyhole fire pit, around which we have had many enjoyable campfires, right in our own backyard.

Tonight, he skewered a chicken (no! not one of *ours*!) and cooked it over a battery powered rotisserie.  He's doing this not only for the novelty aspect but also for when we go camping this summer, doing a rotisserie dinner will be on our menu.

This is the chicken when it first started out ... looking kinda pale and inedible.

But look at it an hour later!  Nicely browned and well on its way to be eaten.

Here's what we were entertained by whilst sitting by the fire, enjoying each other's company and the ambiance.

And, dang, if this isn't us!  A toast!  Skol!

Hawaiian applique Forever Project: top finished!

Honestly, "they" just don't make Forever Projects™ like they used to.  :-)

This pattern is "You Are In Our Hearts" from Pacific Rim Quilting Company.  My notes tell me that I started this 42" square applique project on 1/9/2013.

While I was at my annual quilting retreat in Phoenix, AZ this past weekend (2/10/13), I was able to finish it due to working on it at the airport, on the flight and at the retreat.

That's just about ONE MONTH.  Wowsers!  :-)

I just love it.  Love it.  LOVE IT.  :-)

The only drawback is that it *is* 42" square.  This is a great size for a wall-hanging  ... and in fact, this is what the pattern is designed to be ... but I don't particularly want another wall-hanging.  I have lots of wall-hangings.  I love them all.  I like looking at them all.  I don't want to take ANY of them down to look at a new one ... and I don't have any more wall space.

42" square is also a great size for a toddler quilt but there isn't any toddler in the world that is going to get THIS applique quilt!  Not even a future grandchild, who isn't even on the horizon at this point.  (note to daughters: NOT that I'm even suggesting this possibility, so stop being anxious about it. :-)  )

Yeah, I know ... these really are serious problems to deal with, huh?  :-)

So ... I was thinking of the possibility of adding on a top & bottom border.  I have enough of the base fabric to do so.  I have more of the batik fabric to so a linear Hawaiian applique border.  But, I am woefully uneducated as to what an appropriate Hawaiian applique linear border should look like. 

I've been doing some Google/Image searches and I've sent an email (with a picture) to Nancy Lee Chong (the designer & co-founder of Pacific Rim Quilting Company) for advice.

For the time being, the top will be put in the WIP stack so I can cogitate on the solution.  It's also time to look at the List of 17 UFOs and decide who wins the "tag!  you're it" game. :-)

Grapes (and not 'of Wrath'!)

I've mentioned before that I have list of 17, count 'em *seventeen*, UFOs that I want to finish up before I start any new projects.  I've been making pretty good progress with a current count of 6 of those projects now completed.  It's sure a good feeling!  :-)

This needle-turn wall-hanging is one of the 6 that I've completed.  The pattern is from Nancy Lee Chong of Pacific Rim Quilting Company (this pattern is about half-way down the page).  You don't need to do needle-turn, Nancy offers other applique methods as well.

But back in June of 2012, I need a Forever Project™ and this was it.  Since it was a Forever Project,  I wasn't concerned about how long it would take me.  Even then, I was finished a month later.

Seriously, I love, *love*, LOVE Nancy's needle-turn method!  It just makes sense to me; it's uncomplicated, not messy and *no pins*!  :-)

Once the top was done, it got put away, as I wasn't in the mood for quilting.  But now that I am working from my List of 17 UFOs, this top popped to the top and now it's getting its 15 minutes of fame. :-)

Since this wall-hanging is for us, I wanted to do something different and not the same ol/same ol ... kinda like expanding my horizons.

So, I did a faux-trapunto on the grapes.  I've done this technique before and it turns out so nicely.

The new-to-me was quilting a design in the negative space.

What??  "That's not new!", you say.  And you'd be correct but .. it *is* new to me.

I usually quilt a background filler in the background space.  That's what background designs are for, right?

Thinking of an overt design was the new part.  I chose to "frame" the applique in a triple frame: narrow/wide/narrow.  On either side of the frame, I quilted Continuous Curves.

When I was marking the foundation grid prior to stitching the Continuous Curves, I discovered that I was less than accurate in my placement of the applique fabric on the background fabric.  ::sigh::  I ended up with less space at the top than at the bottom.  ::shrug::  I'll live with it.

This project is also my February finish for the Lovely Year of Finishes.

Those pictures are just teasers! For all the gory details, links and more pictures, please visit my web page for the Grapes wall-hanging.

Lovely Year of Finishes: February 2013

Melissa of Sew BitterSweet Designs  and Shana of  Fiber of All Sorts started an interesting concept to encourage us quilters to get some of our long-standing UFOs completed.  It occurred to me that this approach could be applicable to any crafter with a backlog of projects, but this one is specifically organized for quilters.

To participate, you pick one UFO for the month, blog about your intention to finish that UFO *that month*, link the blog post to the Year of Lovely Finishes linky party.  Then ... FINISH THE UFO.  You gotta do that. :-)

When you've finished it, blog about it, link the finished UFO blog to the linky party .. voila, you're done for that month.  As an incentive to finish, each month has gifts that were donated by the sponsors; they will be awarded on a random number basis.

Sadly, I missed out on January; I hadn't read about the program.  But here I am for February!

Therefore, my UFO to finish is .... Grapes.   Grapes is a needleturn applique wall-hanging designed by one of my favorite designers, Nancy Lee Chong of Pacific Rim Quilting Company.   Over the years, I had tried many different techniques for applique but it wasn't until I learned Nancy's technique that it finally "clicked" with me.  Now, I'm not intimidated at all by needleturn applique projects.  They make excellent Forever Projects ™ !  :-)

I started this project in January 2012.  I actually finished the needleturn part so the top is technically done.  But, being the complete lamer that I am, I let the top languish in the UFO pile since then.

Since this is my LYOF February project, I am now deciding on the quilting design to do.  Nancy quilted her's in echo quilting, but that doesn't float my boat.  Once the quilting has been decided on, it'll get loaded onto Lizzie and quilted.

woo hoo!!!   I'm on my way!  :-)

review: "Build Your Best Log Cabin" ebook by Fons & Porter

I, like many other quilting bloggers, received an email request from Eric Wolf, the Online Media Coordinator for Fons and Porter, to review their recent Log Cabin Book, given in a PDF format.  I was not as prompt as I should have been in reviewing their book, so I am rectifying that lack of good manners now.

The Log Cabin layout was one of the very first quilts that I made (way back in 1978 or so).  Over the years, I have made others, in variations of the basic layout.  Log Cabin is a wonderful layout to make, for both the novice and experienced quilter.

The Fons & Porter "Build Your Best Log Cabin" ebook presents an interesting collection of Log Cabin history, antique and modern photographs, traditional patterns and patterns for modern variations and technique tips.

The basic patterns they provide are for the Traditional, Courthouse Steps and Chevron blocks.

Using the Traditional block, they provide six different layouts, most of which experienced quilters will be familiar with.   A strip cutting chart to create the Traditional block in five different sizes is provided. 

Then, for a contemporary twist on the Traditional block, a thoroughly delightful layout by Ricky Tims is provided.  Ricky Tims' quilt pattern combines a Bear Paw block with the Traditional Log Cabin block for a unique look.  Combining the Log Cabin block with a pieced block is sheer genius.  Of course, Ricky's marvelous quilting in the wide borders sets the whole quilt off.  I was pleased to see that a section of the book was devoted to the technique that Ricky used to do his quilting, which involves using specialty thread in the bobbin and quilting from the back.

A second contemporary layout using the Traditional Block by Shon McMain was provided that presents the illusion of woven strips.  It is a simply outstanding layout. 

Accompanying the layout are tips that make creating this quilt easier.

A pattern for a conventional quilt using the Courthouse Steps version of the Log Cabin block is given.  You can make the blocks in 5 different sizes.

A contemporary layout for the Courthouse Steps block is provided.  Although it really, really, really is the Courthouse Steps layout, this version is simply framed squares.  You might get a better handle on making these blocks if you think of them as framed squares rather than Courthouse Steps.

The last version of the Log Cabin block is the Chevron.  This is just a half Log Cabin, set on-point.  Or, you could think of it as the center window of the Log Cabin being shoved into a corner and the rest of the block built around it. 

The sample layout shown is a scrappy version, which is probably historically accurate.  I can see this version done in a monochromatic palette with the steps going from light to dark, which would result a modern twist.

The alternative version for the Chevron block is provided by master quilter, Marti Michell, in a doll quilt size.  Marti's layout gives the illusion of a chain link fence.

At the end of the book, detailed directions are given for binding.  One set of directions is how to include a strip of piping along with the binding for a shot of color.  I've seen this technique used in real quilts and think it provides a subtle detail that might not initially register but subliminally you think, "wow ... that's an interesting quilt!".  It's that small amount of color in the binding that does it.  It's a detail that is definitely worth remembering for your next quilt.

Unfortunately, I don't care for the directions that are presented in this book.  They have you sew an actual piping strip, which makes the binding area very bulky and stiff.  While I did *not* make a sample using their directions, I will assume that if you follow them, you will end up with a lovely piped binding.  But it will be bulky. 

Instead, I prefer to use the 'faux piping' technique, which yields the same visual result without the bulk.  There really isn't any reason to use actual *piping* alongside the binding when all you really want is the color spot.  There have been several blogs that give you excellent tutorials on sewing the 'faux piping' ... just Google for them.

The next section on binding is how to make that last seam .. the one that joins the two tails .. so it looks the same as all the other seams in the binding.  If you have joined your binding strips in a diagonal seam, then these directions will show you how to make that last seam a diagonal one also.  A diagonal seam distributes the bulk of the seam allowances over a distance so there is no ugly lump at that last seam.  This is the preferred method to joining the tails.

The theory is excellent; I use a diagonal seam for joining the tails myself.  BUT ... the technique presented here is unnecessarily convoluted and complicated.  A beginning quilter is going to be intimidated by all the picky little steps that need to be done; an experienced quilter is going to know there is a better, simpler method to achieve the same result.

I do not recommend the book's technique for joining the tails of the binding.

In conclusion, I can say that if you obtain this book for the patterns themselves, you won't be disappointed.   While the directions for creating the Log Cabin blocks do not lead you by the nose in the assembly process, anyone with a modicum of common sense will be able to follow the graphic presentation of what strip to sew where and when.

This book also assumes the quilter is not a rank beginner.  It does not give you the basic "this is a 1/4" seam allowance" sort of direction.  But once you've gone beyond being the "Beginning Quilter", anyone will be able to follow the directions given in this book.

I truly enjoyed seeing the contemporary versions presented by Ricky Tims, Shon McMain and Marti Michell.  It's always wonderful to see how others are able to think outside the box (or out of the Log Cabin, in this case!).

As part of this review from me, I am able to provide you, my Dear Reader, with a link for you to download a free PDF version for yourself here. 

  

current Forever Project: Hawaiian applique

I always have a Forever Project ™ going.  My Forever Projects are hand-work that I do when I am away from the sewing machine or quilting machine, such as on road trips, doctors appointment waiting rooms, Little League games, skating practice ... you get the idea.

It gives me something constructive to do with my hands and eventually results in a finished project.

The Forever Project that I *had* been working on (a hand-pieced, vertical diamond column top) was finished about 2 weeks ago.   Therefore, I needed to start a new Forever Project.

I chose Pacific Rim Quilting Company's "You are in our hearts", a Hawaiian applique wall-hanging (photo at left is from Pacific Rim Quilting Company's website).

I just absolutely LOVE Nancy Lee Chong's method of needle-turn applique.  I originally taught it to myself, using her "Peace" wall-hanging (scroll about half-way down that page).  It was the first time that a needle-turn applique method "clicked" with me.  The first time I made that wall-hanging, my oldest Dear Daughter expressed her liking for it, so I gave it to her.  But that left ME bereft, so I eventually made a second one for myself.

I also made "Grapes" (same page as "Peace" ... scroll about 2/3rds the way down the page), which is the project that is currently loaded on Lizzie for quilting.

I had the FANTASTIC opportunity to take a hands-on applique lesson from Nancy Lee Chong herself, when a slot opened up in a guild's workshop.  I am not a member of the guild, so I was very, very happy and grateful to have that opportunity. 

Nancy Lee Chong is simply a wonderful instructor.  Very patient, very thorough, with lots of samples to show the students and ever-willing to show each student how to properly use her technique.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE her technique because you don't have to use pins to hold down the applique!  The raw edges are hand-basted down.  You may think that this is a wasted effort but it is NOT.  Once you have those edges basted down, your portable needle-turn project will never EVER stick you.  :-)   I *highly* recommend her patterns and if you ever have an opportunity to take a workshop or lesson from her, do not think twice about it; sign yourself up immediately!

So ... back to my current Forever Project, "You are in our hearts".  This pattern had been sitting in my To Do file for quite some time.  From my stash, I found what looks like a hand-dyed batik for the applique and a mottled, neutral Fossil Fern for the base fabric.  It took me one afternoon to do the preparation for the project and it was then folded up and put into my Forever Project tote box.

The tote box has all the supplies necessary for the current Forever Project, whatever it is.  The basic supplies remain the same: small, sharp scissors; pin cushion, needles, thread.  Other supplies vary with the project.

I have been working on this project only for about 2 weeks.  Under normal circumstances, this sort of project would last me quite a while.  These days, I only work on it when I'm at my Dad's house for my weekly visit.  As a result, the progress is understandably slow.  This isn't a problem because, after all, this *IS* a "forever project"!  :-)

But, as events happened, I had a weekend of airplane travel and considerable downtime once I arrived at my destination.   During the waiting time at the airport, during the flight and at my hotel room, I was able to work a considerable amount on the project.  As a result, I don't think this specific Forever Project is going to take "forever".  :-)

Here is my progress so far ... the light pink outlines are the edges that have yet to be needleturned.  As you can see, it's not a whole lot of work to be done.    I have a quilting retreat that I'm going to in February ... this project is coming with me, as the retreat involves more airplane trips .. so I suspect that this project isn't going to take quite as long as other Forever Projects.  I might even need to find a NEW Forever Project once I return from the quilting retreat!  :-)

Support Your Local Quilt Store Day

Well, today is "Support Your Local Quilt Store Day".  I hadn't intended on making a run out there cuz Lord knows I have enough fabric stockpiled and I'm back to working on my List of 17 Unquilted tops.

Which brings me to why I patronized my local quilt store: thread.  I just don't have a whole LOT of quilting thread in various weights.

The project that I'm going to be quilting next is called "Grapes", a needle-turn applique wall-hanging that I blogged about here.    I've been studying this wall-hanging and .. oh hooray! ... have come up with a quilting plan!  I'm glad this time it was fairly easy to decide what to do.

BUT ... I didn't have the proper colors nor the proper weight thread, hence my trip to the local quilt store.  My mission was successfully accomplished, I'm happy to say.

The thread I picked up is Superior's "Bottom Line" in light green (#614) and  deep purple (#631).  They are going to be used for the stitch in the ditch around the appliques and for stitching the background designs. 

For this wall-hanging, I don't want the quilting per se to stand out.  Since Bottom Line is so fine, it will work out wonderfully.   I didn't buy Superior's "So Fine" line because it doesn't have the shades that I need.

The one other thread that I'll be using for the wall-hanging is Fil-Tec's "Glide" thread.  I've used this on a couple of other quilts and am simply in love with it.  It's a trilobal polyester and literally slides through Lizzie .. no tension problems at all.   I'll be using this thread for some accent quilting lines. 

I'm working on my local quilt stores to start carrying it. :-)

So, that was my stimulation of the economy today.  Next up: marking the wall-hanging so that I have some quilting guidelines.  I can see, in my mind, so clearly how I want this wall-hanging to look like.  I have every hope and anticipation that my vision will become a reality.

I also have my fingers crossed. :-)

At the end of the list! The last two webpages!

I can hardly stand the excitement!  I can't believe that I've actually finished the backlog of webpages!  Although it's only been about 2 weeks, it seems as though it has been FOREVER that I've been working pages for my quilted things.

So, let's get to it ...

Last Autumn, I was commissioned to make two throw pillows to coordinate with a *hand-quilted* king-size quilt.  No, I did not quilt the quilt; I don't do hand-quilting.  (or at least, I do it under extreme duress).

I made the two, an 18" knife-edge throw pillow, whose layout duplicates the blocks in the quilt, although the quilting I did on the pillow is different from that of the quilt.

A second, 14" knife-edge pillow was made to compliment the bigger pillow and the quilt.

The focus of both pillows is the hand-embroidered center.

That picture is just a teaser! For all the gory details, links and more pictures, please visit my web page for the two throw pillows.

AND THEN ... drum roll, please!!!   ... the last item on the list!  The last backlogged webpage!   Wooo hooo!!!

This one is so simple, so easy that I'm glad I made them.  It reinforced to me that a very satisfying quilt does NOT need to be big nor fancy nor custom quilted.

It can be as simple a single piece of yardage.  For many reasons, this was one of the most satisfying quilts that I've made.  I call them "whole cloth" quilts .... not because they are reminiscent of the incredible quilting in the whole cloth quilts that we normally think of .. but because they both were made of one whole piece of yardage.

For two very special boys.

That picture is just a teaser! For all the gory details, links and more pictures, please visit my web page for the Whole Cloth quilt.

And now, with the publication of the last of the backlogged webpages, I can finally return to quilting!   I can continue working from the List of 17 Tops to be Quilted.   Yes, this is another backlog list.  ::sigh::  I honestly look forward to the time where I can piece a quilt, quilt a quilt and publish a page.  In that order.  For every quilt.

Hope springs eternal. :-)

the Scrap Assassin quilt

How about one last quilt for today?  I knew you'd be interested. :-)

This is another scrap management quilt, similar to a God's Eye block.  My notes say that it's called "Scrap Assassin" but research shows that it is NOT any of the quilt patterns currently going by that name.

The hallmark of this block is that the center diagonal strip is always the same width, although the color varies from block to block.  Capping each end of that center diagonal is a black triangle.  The secondary pattern that emerges, when you sew the blocks together, is all those black triangles form a black diamond amidst the riot of color.

Because this top is *so* busy, I used a pantograph for the quilting.  It was very difficult to photograph the stitching on the quilt, so what you see is what you get. :-)

That picture is just a teaser! For all the gory details, links and more pictures, please visit my web page for the Scrap Assassin quilt.