Small simple piece

Torn strips of fabric applied to batting with misty fuse and hand quilted.

Another color pile

This is made mostly from scraps I was given.  I have so much fun with these.  I used more light colored fabrics but I think it needs a little more dark.

John using his new quilt

Project updates

The closet is coming along nicely.  The beadboard is up but no trim yet.

look how carefully he cut around the electrical box

Pippin on my tuffet

I made a small quilt from the tuffet leftovers.

My quilt is coming along

I haven't had a lot of time to work on it but it's coming along.   I like working on it and I like how it is looking.   I almost always get company when I work on it.

Working on my quilt

Yes, I am still working on it.  My friend Margot asked me some questions about how I am putting it together.  Here are some general directions.

Ozy helping

1. Figure out finished size.  I am planning on about 90-100 inches.
2. I am constructing this quilt in columns because I hate working with huge pieces.  Each column is half the width of the approximately 42 inch backing.  I cut the backing fabric in half widthwise by the length of the quilt (90 inches).
3. Lay the backing fabric strip wrong side up and use blue tape to tape it in place (enough to keep it from moving when you lay the batting on top).
4. Cut a batting strip (such as Warm and Natural) to match the size of the backing strip and lay it on top of the backing.
5. Cut your front fabrics into rectangles.  I am using a cut size of 13.5 inches by 7 inches wide.  I am using about 10 different fabrics.  Some strips a little wider.
6. Turn under (finger press) one long edge of the rectangles.
7. Lay the rectangles out on your batting, varying the colors and how the edges line overlap and pin them.  You will have about three-four strips per column.
8. Sew the strip  lengthwise, as in photo above.  The finished edge is on top.  This sewing both joins the strips and quilts at the same time.  Only sew strips that overlap.  The edge strips will be sewn down when the columns are joined.
9. Cut an accent fabric (I am using red) into 2.5 inch strips.
10. Cut strips to length to cover where the short side of rectangles meet each other.   Pin the strips on and then sew both the long sides (turn under the short sides but do not sew them).

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Projects on the 4th of July

John finished his table. I worked on my quilt section. I got the first section together and started to add the red strips.

putting on the finish

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granite scrap table top

                                           

My Quilt Part 2

My fabric came.  I found some backing fabric in my stash.  I washed all my fabrics and cut out some of the rectangles for the quilt.  I got my batting today.  I plan to construct the quilt in five lengthwise strips and then put the strips together.

I put down the backing with the batting on top and then laid out the first strip.  It looks like this... aren't the fabrics nice?  The orange one isn't quite what I expected but I think it still works

The strip is a little less than 20 inches wide and about 90 inches long.  One long edge of each rectangle is finished.  Not all rectangles are the same width.  I laid them out sort of like shingles with the long finished edge on top.  The short edges will be covered by red strips.

Next I plan to quilt straight lines paralel to the long strip.  I have not decided how I will keep the pieces in place while I do this.  I might baste them or pin them or even use blue tape.

Pippin loves to help.

Quilt fabric selection process for bed quilt

I posted about my new bed quilt idea a few days ago.  I spent a LOT of time on line finding fabrics that I want to use for the quilt.  Most are coming from Patsy Thompson.

I used the fabric sample photos in Picasa and Microsoft Photo Editor to make this mock up.  I am very happy with the colors.

The fabric design scale will not be the same because I plan to use fairly big pieces, probably bigger than the samples....I think it will still work.   The quilt design plan used pieces that are more regular in size but I kind of like it a bit wonky, as Melody Johnson says.

Let's hope the fabrics look like their photos... I've had pretty good luck with that on line, particularly with Patsy Thompson.

I am pretty jazzed about it.

Finished Quilt

My quilt is finished and on the bed.

This one is a truer representation of the colors but no cat...

Projects marching along...maybe a little slogging

It's been a while since I posted about my quilt or the sink cabinets.  Both projects are being worked on quite a bit but the work being done isn't very photogenic.  I guess it is a good thing the weather hasn't been so inviting as the tasks aren't that exciting.

John spent the last week or so sanding and priming and doing other little finish bits on the cabinets. Then today he started on the cutting boards.  He did the milling today (which is noisy).  The cutting boards are maple and he remarked that it was nice to be working in a different wood.  This is the first time he has made pullout cutting boards and that makes it more interesting, too.

Another stickered pile....

I finished the quilting on my eight quilt sections (four center squares and four outside triangles) and now I am sewing them together.  I don't have the setup for quilting large pieces so I am using a  quilt as you go technique.  The method I am using allows you to quilt smaller sections and then assemble them.  I like that about it.  It does mean I have to deal with the raw edges on the back after sewing the pieces.  I chose to encase the raw edges in bias binding.  I sew one edge on by machine and the other edge by hand.  I like doing it that way because I enjoy handwork of that sort.  And I like making bias binding.

Making the binding

Sewing the binding

The finished encased seam

There are other quilt as you go methods.    Melody Johnson's QAYG method. has you quilt the center part and then add outside sections which are quilted after they are added.   She has a good explanation.

Taking my glasses off to see

I am quite near sighted... remember the big E?  Well, it is blurry without my glasses.  But sometimes I can see better without my glasses.  In the art making world, people squint to "see" what they are working on.  I just take off my glasses.  Then I fumble around looking for my glasses...

Yesterday as I was pressing my quilt blocks, I mused about a couple of my techniques, which date back to my clothing making days.

First I set the seam  like this (but I don't use any spray starch).  This technique actually makes it easier to open the seam.

After I set the seam, I finger press my seam, which means opening it to one side and running my fingernail along the seam.  Finally I use the iron to flatten it well.

Playing with color

I am playing with color in THREE fabric projects.  I love playing with color.

I am making a quilt from a kit; this Underground Blues kit includes some rudimentary directions and 31 fat quarter batik fabrics in blues and greens.   This is my first ever kit quilt.  I decided to go with the kit because the fabric was less expensive in the kit.  I also hoped it would give me some choices to play with that I might not choose myself.  If I want a full size quilt for the bed, I will have to augment the kit fabric.  But I may do a diamond set pattern with a border.  I don't like everything set in stone before I start making it;  I like making design decisions along the way.  Otherwise it's no fun.

For me, quilting is all about playing with color.  I don't enjoy fiddly complex piecing.  I keep my utilitarian quilts (for beds and throws) simple so I don't feel bad when they get damaged and I don't cringe when a cat has his way with my quilt.  This design fits the bill since the blocks are just strips.  It's fun to work with. I paired up the fabrics for the blocks and I've been making about four blocks a day.

Pippin always helps when I arrange them on the bed

fabrics paired to sew

My second project is making some cushion covers for a couple of chairs.  John got the chairs from a yard sale for a total of thirty dollars before I even knew him.  Twenty some years ago I made new cushions for both chairs and I am a little tired of the fabric.  The cats have also been a bit hard on the cushion fabric... there is something inviting about sharpening your claws on upholstery fabric.  So I am making simple covers for the chairs.  

I love how these two blue batiks look on the back of this chair.  I am still figuring out exactly how I will make this one.

For this chair, I used a bargello quilt I had kicking around.  It fits perfectly and I like it.

Then there is my ongoing dye experiment project.  Yesterday I tried a simple Shibori inspired technique.  I hand sewed a line of thread and pulled it up tight and applied some dye.

Thread pulled up tight

thread opened up

I added some more lines of stitching last night so I can add some more color today.

Comfy Spot

My cats have decided that this quilt makes a good comfy spot.  Since I wasn't sure what I would do with it, that works for me.

I really like these fabrics a lot., especially the dark red chicken design.  The outside fabric is by Valori Wells, whose mother owns the Stitchin Post in Sisters.

Rusty skills

Machine quilting is one of my skills that has atrophied with lack of use.  When I sat down to test my machine setup and my materials,  I found, to my horror and surprise, that I am going to have to practice to regain my machine quilting skill.  It always annoys me to find I've lost a skill that used to be as easy as breathing.

There isn't time to keep up with everything I've learned to do.  Especially when I want to keep learning new things.  I do hate losing things I used to know how to do.  Guess I'll go practice some more machine quilting.

New Quilt from old quilt

I made a new center for my old quilt.  Well, it didn't start out that way.  It wasn't my plan but it IS what I did.

My new quilt

The center portion is two layers of hand dyed fabric; the bottom layer is batiste
and the top layer is silk  organza.  I happen to put the organza on top of the batiste
and I liked how the colors worked together.  The outer portions are fabrics that I like
with the center piece.