I like this process

I like playing with my quilt process so that it emphasizes spending the most time on my favorite aspects which are playing with color and hand quilting.

In this case, I fused  wonder under onto a small rectangle of cotton batting and arranged colored blocks of fabric on top of the batting and then fused  them together.  This left everything pretty well anchored to the batting with free edges where the blocks overlapped.   I like the free edges.  I then big stitch quilted the piece with Valdani perle cotton, size 8.   And now I am playing with fusing small strips on top.  They aren't fused yet, just pinned on.  I like this process. It is fun.

I left it un-square because it might become part of something else.

Fun with Flags

I have this continuing desire to big stitch quilt.  And I try quilting various things, looking for the perfect quilting experience.

Here I tried breaking the space up and then just quilting the spaces.  The piece looked like it belonged in "Fun with Flags" from the "Big Bang Theory".  And that ruined it for me.

But if I crop it severely, I rather like the cropped part.

And if you are not familiar with Fun with Flags, check it out here.

Almost done

I finished quilting Wanda's quilt but the edge isn't quite done yet.  I was going to just bind it but I like the small border.  And I like how the green border pulls the colors together.

Here it is before quilting.

Wanda's quilt

Quilting Wanda's quilt

I enjoy hand quilting more than any other aspect of quilting.   My friend Wanda had this quilt for sale on her shop site.

I decided I wanted to big stitch quilt it, getting me right to my favorite part.  I've only just started but I already like it a lot.

I like this one

Wanda pieced this and I quilted it.  I really like it.  I don't know what I will do next with it.  I pinned it to a door for the time being.  Thanks, Wanda!

Small quilting things

I haven't posted anything quilted in a month.   I have been doing a little quilting most days but only small things and most of them may never be finished.   I've been working on small pieces and just enjoying doing it.

Here are a few things from this last month.

Wanda made this little piece and I quilted it.

These two are still in progress.

Celebrate color!!

The center part is hand dyed silk that was already fused.  All I had to do for this was cut out the bits and iron them onto a bit of batting.  The border is a lovely Vicki Welsh hand dyed fabric.

It's not done, but I already like it.  When I don't have anything I need, this is what I like to do...

I cut out these little squares and bits and I put them together and they look like nothing.  So I move them around, add a few more colors, move them around some more until it almost feels like they lock in place and say THIS is where I belong.  I don't think I even do it.  The colors do it or maybe that genius/house elf entity that Elizabeth Gilbert wrote about guides me.  But it isn't me and it is so much fun....

Finished Quilt

I am very happy with it.  John says he thinks that Oregon's geology with all it's visibe layers is having an impact on me.  

It's all hand stitched and quilted.  I surely do like hand work....

Mardi Gras

I don't generally name the quilts I make.  But I've had this desire to make a quilt called Mardi Gras for at least a year.  I want it to be purple and green and orange and joyful and MAGIC.  I play with blocks and make blocks and maybe someday I'll make the Mardi Gras quilt.

Here is its current incarnation.  I like that the blocks don't line up and are differing sizes.  This isn't it but just a stop along the way.

Pieces in progress

These are the pieces I've been working on stuck on top of my wonky quilt.  It's a perfect place to look at things since it is across from where I sit and work.  

All the wonky patches except the left top one are covered by things I am working on.  None are finished.  They may or may not go together.  The skinny line pieces are all new.  The others have been around for a while but recently have been big stitch quilted.

Except for the center block the skinny line pieces were made by rotary cutting half inch strips and running them through my quarter inch binding maker.  Torn edge pieces are hard to put through the binder.  But I love torn edges.  It's very hard for me to cut a torn edge.

Yes, I am having fun.

I like the big stitch quilting with this background.  The colors and textures work for me.

This is probably my favorite.  The strips are torn skinny strips.  I like the fringey edges.  I also like the simple stitch down the center.  However, this method would not be good for heavy use objects.  Always a drawback....

My goal is to enhance the background.  Not sure I made that happen with this one...

Quilts in progress

I am doing a lot of handwork, which makes me happy.  I am still obsessed with big stitch quilting and skinny lines.  I have several skinny line pieces (not sure if they are blocks or pieces) in progress plus my green and red wavey piece.

I put on the back by hand tying it.  I had already done the big stitch quilting through the front and batting so I just needed to attach the back.  It is completely sewn by hand.  The ties look good on the backing fabric.  First I tried some additional handquilting but I didn't like it as well as the ties.

I also trimmed the outer edges so they are wavy and I am hand sewing on the "binding".    I love the green batik on the edge.

This one has its skinny lines attached by hand.  I guess you'd call it appliqued.

This one is pinned but not sewn.  My goal is always to enhance the background, make it look dimensional.

Here you can see some of the hand sewing.  Sometimes I use a contrasting thread and I make it show.  I think they look like tiny cleats holding the fabric on.

I have three more pieces that I am big stitch quilting.  Today the sun is coming out after a long dreary wet time.  I am going outside.

Skinny lines

My skinny lines are really fun.  The narrow strips are made with my quarter inch bias maker, though they are not cut on the bias.  I hand sewed them to the background fabric with batting underneath.   The batik fabrics are especially nice to use with the bias maker.   I like how the fabrics look in such narrow bits.   I want to make more.  I really like how this looks.  The background purple is a Vicki Welsh fabric.  

My friend Wanda sent me this link on how to do skinny lines by piecing them.  I think that is beyond my skill level.  I don't think I would enjoy the process as much.  I really like playing with my skinny line pieces,  moving them around until I like how they look.  I couldn't do that if I were piecing.  But it was really fun to see how it is done.  Thanks, Wanda!

However, I am having doubts about big stitch quilting the background.   I would really enjoy doing it but I am not sure it would enhance the background.  I think the narrow strips DO enhance the background but I am not so sure about the big stitch quilting.

I think most quilters struggle to finish things.  I struggle to have enough hand work.  Hard to believe, huh?

Projects yesterday

John is making stools.  These are the legs.  He is having a pretty good time figuring it out.

A pile of stool parts.

Playing with my strips on a purple background.

 

The basket of reds waiting for a home.

Adding the reds

The quilting is mostly done.  I haven't done the two outside pieces.  I think I will wait until I finish the edge before I do that.  There are also a few center strips that are not quilted.  Not sure if they will or won't be quilted.   Not sure how I will finish the ends either.   I can't bring myself to cut off the tails.  I don't even know what it will be.

I am working on the reds now.... which reds and where to add them.  The fabrics are all hand dyed by Vicki Welsh.  I love her fabrics which you can buy on Etsy.

Update: better truer colors in this photo....

Just because it's fun

I tore quarter to three-eighth inch wide fabric strips and I'm hand sewing them on with perle cotton.  I love the torn edges and the colors.   I don't know where I'm going but I sure am having fun.

They look like spring to me.

Progress on my new piece

This is my favorite perle cotton for hand quilting.   It is Valdani perle cotton size 8.  The color is M80 'Distant Grass'.

I hand sewed the strips together with batting on the bottom.  Now I am hand quilting the strips.  I decided to do that before I add the red.

New piece started

I cut 2" wide strips and shaped them by hand and now I am sewing them together by hand.  I plan to add red and orange highlights to the piece.  And then I will hand quilt it with perle cotton.

Wonky pillow

I really enjoy the hand stitching.   I have another piece started and a few more ideas...

This is the piece when I showed it to you before...

New piece started

I've been futzing and futzing with this one.  I like a process that supports design changes even after construction is well under way.  I am happier if I can build things rather than plan them out.   On this one I couldn't resist starting the handwork even though the construction is not complete.  

My ugly duckling

I decided this piece was done for now so I tacked it on the wall.    I left some parts unquilted.  I may go back and do more.  It has a very sampler look to it.  It certainly did not turn into a swan.  But I shall persevere on this technique because I really like doing it.

I started the quilting with a shorter needle which made for smaller tighter stitches.  I switched to a a longer needle and my stitches got looser and freer.  The fabric tended to pucker more and I like that.  

This is the same photo. In the second one I adjusted the color in Picasa with the neutral color picker.