Adding Sashing -Layout - Playout

Yesterday's blocks have sashing added. A Lefthanded Quilter suggested that I cut up the large block in yesterday's post and make smaller blocks. So I did!.

 I decided to cut strips of white that are 3 1/2" wide to border the colored blocks from yesterday. The previous blocks have random widths of white sashing.  Then - in the floor to fiddle with a layout - or since it is just playing around, perhaps I should call it a "playout." Here is what it looked like.

Chances are very good that this will not be the final layout. some of the sashings will have to be trimmed to size. None of the blocks are a uniform size.  I think that just adds to the interest in this type of quilt. I also have the option of using some pieced fabric to "sash in" to extend a block size. If I put white on each end it will act as another block in the design.  When you play with random piecing like this the possibilities are endless,
As I was doing some of this, I wondered if perhaps I should do a demo explaining how to add the really narrow strips without fussy piecing. It is easier than it looks.
If you missed the post about yesterdays block making, it is here. 
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

A Little fun Sewing

I saw my blocks and pieces from when I took the class with the Gee's Bend quilters.  Suddenly I wanted to do a bit more of that.  I want to make a quilt from those blocks and add some of these to fill it out.

Same blocks but the colors didn't come out completely true on either photo. Also rotating them 180 degrees makes they look a  little different.  The three smaller blocks go together as do the larger two. I think when they are sashed in white and set into a scrappy quilt that they will all play nicely together.
Here are some of my blocks from the class that I will be putting in the same quilt.

The one on the bottom will not be a part of this though. At least not what I am thinking at this point in time.
If I haven't already used these for something else, they may go into the quilt also.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Quilting, weaving and living

I have gotten a few more rows quilted on the quilt for Quilt Angels.  I did a row that mimics dentil molding (think partial squares one after another in a line.)  The picture of it was unusable. So you just have my word for it.
I also did more circles on a string

While this is not a great picture at least you can see what I mean by the name.
Speaking of quilting and the Quilt Angels project- we have another sponsor! Kelly from I Have a Notion has kindly offered a gift certificate in the amount of $25 to one winner.  Thanks Kelly, sponsors are Angels too.
The tab at the top marked "Quilt Angels" will  give you more information and lead you to other posts on the project.


I also put a warp on my loom and did some more weaving.  I find it interesting that I now have a follower or two who are as interested in my weaving as in my quilting.
So here are some pictures of what I am doing right now on my loom.  This is the Kromski loom and it is folded in half and put in my recliner.  (sorry it looks so unprofessional.)

The white warp thread is an 8/4 cotton rug warp thread.  I really like the way it looks with the yarn woven through it.  The blue and cream at the bottom are "scrap header yarn" and will be removed later. They are there to help straighten the warp threads from the tie-on spot.
Here is a closeup of the fabric I am weaving.

I will probably add more colors to make me happy. Although I really am loving the look of it at this point.  This is just a red chenille yarn and a variegated yarn at this point.  I may add more colors, I have some chenille yarn in a green that may go well with this.  I had added some yellow, but the yarn didn't go well with the red chenille, so I "un-wove" it and added the variegated.  I love experimenting with different yarns and designs- in that way it is a lot like quilting: you can make it the way YOU want to do it.

I haven't gotten anything done quilt or loom wise today as I took my nephew for a medical test.  The good news is that he now knows what is causing his pain and it can be treated and cured.  He is a terrific young man and I love him dearly. He and his sister are as close to "my own" children as I will likely ever come. They are both a blessing to me.

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Woven Scarf completed

The scarf I started weaving Saturday is finished.  Every picture that I took shows it as green and white.  It is really forest green and a lighter green that is between mint and sage.  The label says "woodland heather."  I tried to do color correction in the photo editor but the results are still not correct.

When I put the scarf around my neck, the fringe hangs to my knees. I can wrap it around my neck twice easily.  Not including the fringe it is six feet long.  I am very happy with the results.  It is soft yet has a nice body to the fabric. I think that it looks very classy when I have it on.  It would look at home with a black or gray or tan classic overcoat (think London Fog.)  But it would also look very sporty with a black or brown bomber jacket.  Color me happy!

I am linking this post with LAFF


And I can't resist posting the sunset from yesterday.  It started as a rainy dreary day..but it surely did end gloriously.

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Switching Gears - Patchwork On the Loom

Today I am using a smaller loom. It is a Schacht Cricket 15" rigid heddle loom.  I decided a smaller loom was far more practical for smaller projects. It is also easier to travel with.  Last night I put the warp on the loom. I was planning to do a lovely pattern called (you are going to love this) Log Cabin.  What I didn't do was read the directions again.  Mr. "I'm sure I remember" put the entire warp on the loom the way he thought it should go.  Sigh! Clearly I have read too many weaving patterns and the wrong one stuck.
So instead of a log cabin pattern, I have a plaid that looks like patchwork.

It has light, medium and dark squares.  The medium squares are a combination fo the light and dark threads.  The human eye conveniently mixes the colors for a nice medium shade. The photo doesn't quite match the colors (at least on my monitor it doesn't.) The light is a soft pale green and the dark is a forest green.  I warped it with alternating sets of 4 dark then 4 light.  I am weaving the weft (threads from side to side) with the same 4 dark/4 light pattern. This creates the plaid/patchwork.   The yarn for this is a very soft acrylic. I think this scarf will be nice for a man or a woman.
Have you ever owned a handwoven scarf? What would you consider a reasonable price for one if I put it on Etsy?

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

More quilting

I am still working on the strip quilt.  But I thought I would show you some of the simple free motion quilting designs I am using.  I am not worrying about this, I am just diving in and having fun.  Each row is a different design from the one next to it.

On one narrow strip I did a very simple zig-zag line. It is super easy but it fills the space on the narrow strips just perfectly.  (By the way, this is shot from the back as is the next one.)

I call this a square or angled meander.  It is okay to cross lines and make complete rectangles.  I did in some places but not in this particular section.

And (from the front) I also did some circles on a string in the burgundy strip.

There is a "water" meander on the blue but there is also a wavy line printed on the fabric that makes it very difficult to see in the picture.

As I mentioned before this quilt is for the Quilt Angel's project.  You can also click the tab at the top to get there.

Also don't forget the amazing Craftsy sale that continues through Saturday September 21st.  Classes and products are up to 75% off!  Some of the classes are as low as $9.99.   Of course there are some free classes too if you aren't ready to purchase a class. 

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.  

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Under the Needle

I put my strip quilt under the needle to start quilting it. It will be one of my contributions to the Quilt Angel project this year.

I did part of a strip (the one that is really under the needle there) with simple U shapes.  I was going to do something more elaborate.  In fact, I did that row and part of another before I checked to see how it was looking on the back! I did a row of what I call circles on a wavy line. And I did an angular meandering that crosses itself and makes rectangles.  Then I looked at the back -  YIKES!  It was awful.  Something was messing with my tension. I had to rip out a full row of circles. and abotu a third of a row of the angular design.  It is one thing to rip out something that doesn't cross itself.  But when you have sewn a circle and went over about a fourth of it again, that is hard to rip out.  I was totally disgusted. I ripped a lot longer than I had sewn. And I had to be really careful not to rip the fabric of the quilt.
What did the back look like?  Well it is called "eyelashing"  and it looks like this.

This is my "practice piece" that I use to set tension. On the curved areas they really look like eyelashes. I have no idea how I fixed it, but it is fixed. Hopefully I can really work on this quilt tomorrow night.


Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Angels Among Us

The 2013 Quilt Angels project is underway.   I decided to add a page with some information and links to past posts.  The tab is there at the top right next to the Home tab.

The quilts to be at least 45 by 60, but a little bigger would be better. Fabric should be gender neutral as the shelter houses both boys and girls and the ratio changes. As these are teens, bright colors will probably be best, but I will leave it to your discretion and wisdom. As for pattern, your choice, I don't mind if it is simple.  Please insure that these are sturdy as I am sure they will get lots of use and washing.  Binding by machine is fine -and faster!   We do ask that you put a label on the quilt. It doesn't have to have your name but your state is really important. I have seen the amazement in young eyes that someone from __whatever state__ cared enough to make and send a quilt.

We have sponsors for prizes this year.
 Our first sponsor for this year is none other than the talented Vicki Welsh.  The hand dyed fabrics from Vicki's shop are a delight to work with. I use them for fused art quilts, but they are also excellent for pieced quilts or any other fabric use.  Vicki is giving a Stash Pack of fabric from her Etsy store as a prize that will go to one of the people who send a quilt to the Quilt Angels project.

A sampling of the available stash packs

Our second sponsor is SewFunQuilts.  The winner will be able to choose the jelly roll of his/her choice from the shop.

A sampling of the available jelly rolls

And our famous anonymous sponsor from the past two years will be giving a gift certificate or two to an online store. More details on that later.  I also have another online shop who has contacted me about sponsoring. When I have all the details you will be hearing all about it

Meanwhile I have started a quilt for the project.  I am doing a simple Strip Quilt from the book "First Steps in Free Motion Quilting"  I think this will be a go-to quick quilt top for me.
I will probably be adding borders to the sides using the quilt-as-you-go method that I use so often.
Here is the current top.

This is nice and gender neutral.  I love the spaces that I will have for practicing free motion quilting on this top.

If you wish to join in the project email me at gene AT gmail dOt com or leave a comment. If I don't reply to your comment, it is most likely because you are a no-reply blogger.  (you can leave a comment without joining the project - just so you know. )


                                                        

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Looming, a sale and a reminder

Just thought I would show you a quick picture of the piece that I am working on.  It will be a somewhat narrow scarf.

I love the way this yarn is making such a pretty tweed effect.  The colors are soft and expressive.  Since the piece is narrow and the stick shuttles that came with the loom are  long; I decided to use a cardboard piece that I cut out as my shuttle. It is working surprisingly well.

There is a great sale at Craftsy this weekend.  Take advantage of the Craftsy sale to try one of their classes, starting at $9.99. The sale begins on Saturday, September 14th and runs through Saturday, September 21st. 

There are classes on so many different things. Cake Decorating, Jewelry,Paper Crafts, Home & Garden, Spinning, Weaving, Fine Art,Photography, Embroidery, Food & Cooking, Crocheting, Knitting, Quilting and Sewing.  Now isn't that a list!
Find a class you love and buy it at a bargain price.

I also wanted to remind you that the Quilt Angels project is going on for 2013.  We are still looking for both quilt donations and sponsors for prizes.  Our first sponsor for this year is none other than the talented Vicki Welsh.  The hand dyed fabrics from Vicki's shop are a delight to work with. I use them for fused art quilts, but they are also excellent for pieced quilts or any other fabric use.  Vicki is giving a Stash Pack of fabric from her Etsy store as a prize that will go to one of the people who send a quilt to the Quilt Angels project.

This is just a sampling of the choices the winner may choose. You can drool over all stash packs at Vicki's Etsy store. 
If you can donate a quilt to this great cause, just contact by by leaving a comment.  I answer all the comments unless you are a no-reply blogger. So if you are a "no reply blogger" then include your email in the comment.

Now go forth and create something amazing! Have a wonderful weekend.



Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Just a little

Just a little free motion quilting play on solid (not pieced) fabric.
I started doing the blocks in Leah Day's class, Free Motion Quilting a Sampler on solid fabrics.  I did a number of blocks, but not enough to make a quilt. So I decided that when I don't want to start a project and just want to feel the soothing rhythm of sewing, I can make more of these blocks.
This design is my version of McTavishing.  It is not as good as I wanted it.  But each time you quilt, you build your skills a little better.  Perhaps I tried to make my lines too curvy.  I was happy for the most part with my traveling back on a line.  There is some thread build up, which is part of this design in several places. When I was cropping the picture, I thought there was a thread that I neglected to bury and clip. No, it was the thread build up.

Do you have a "go to" that you like to do when you don't have a project?  For now this is my "go to."

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First Steps to Free Motion Quilting - A review

Free Motion quilting can be scary! Right?  I used to think it was impossible.  Then I did a little and just thought it was too hard.  Then I kept seeing things on the internet that  regular folks were doing and it looked amazing.  So, I felt that I had to learn how. I am still learning how.

Enter a friend, not just any friend, but a friend who surprised me by getting a book deal. I was honored when she asked me to read the book and review it.  This friend is Christina Cameli.  The book is "First Steps to Free Motion Quilting."  You can buy it on Amazon.com

When I first looked at the book I was surprised to see that there are several projects to make listed.  Wait a minute!  This is supposed to teach me to free motion quilt - why projects?  So I started at the beginning.  Then I discovered the reason for the projects.  Each one is quilted with free motion quilting, but you don't have to commit to making a bed quilt. If you mess up a pot holder it is not nearly as big a loss as messing up a quilt top. Are you with me here? Purely brilliant isn't it.

So I decided to make the potholders.  I confess that it is a bit different than how I have made pot holders in the past.  Confession number two: in the book project, she did binding on her pot holders.  I cheated and sewed mine right sides together on the machine and left a turning area. Then I used a ladder stitch to close the hole.  I also "cheated" on the quilting. Instead of doing all zigzags, I did several free motion patterns on my pot holders.

I did  zigzags on one side of each. Then on the other sides, I played. I have one (above left) that has diagonals filled with pebbles, leafy vine, and various other things.  Then on the other (below right)  I did a spiral.  When it started spiraling out of control (hey, I was tired!)  I made it a wiggly spiral. 

Now even my mistakes are okay on a pot holder and I learned a bit more about free motion quilting.  There are lots of great tips and ideas in the book. There are nice pages of quilting designs you can use - and you can combine designs to make your own!  I don't know if you can see it in the picture (lower left) but the zigzags reminded me of teeth.  So, every two rows, I added a wavy line to represent the gum line. (Yes I know I am a bit weird.)
The projects are so well done and inspiring that you will want to make several of them. I know that the Strip Sampler quilt is on my "I want to make that" list.  There are a couple of "why didn't I think of that" projects too.  But I won't spoil that surprise for you.
This book is available for Kindle too.  For those of us with limited space that is an added bonus. (and if you have the Kindle Fire or the Kindle app on your iPad, iPhone etc, you can see it in color too.

I am giving this book my approval  recommendation.  If you want to learn free motion but just can't think about trying it on a quilt - try one of the small projects and work your way up to a bigger quilt.


Linking this up with LAFF Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.

Saturday Plans - The Results

Yesterday I listed some things I wanted to finish.  I think I got most of it done!
Here are the five blocks I sewed for The Block Blowout (Quilts of Valor.) 

Then I finished my weaving piece.

It hasn't been washed yet.  So there are a few ends poking out. I don't clip those until it is washed.
I tried something different with the ends since I am planning to sew this into a project.

I don't know if you can see it, but I used the stitch that looks like a zigzag with a straight stitch on both sides of it. (What is that called anyway?) It seems to have finished it off nicely.
I don't know if you can see it here, but in the red yarn there is a sparkly thread.

Hmmmm, I can't see it on my monitor.  Also some of the black has tiny sequins on it.  I guess I was in a bling-bling mood. LOL.
Have a blessed day!

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Plans for the day

Since I have to stay in for most of the day due to commitments,  I can at least sew and weave.
Today I have picked out some fabrics in blue and yellow to make blocks for the "Big Block Blow Out" at Alycia Quilts.

One of the options is blue and yellow blocks so that is what I am making.
I also have a piece on the loom that you can see part of right now.

I have used some fun yarns in this.  A section that is rolled up there has sparkly threads in it.  I have a plan to sew with this.  We will see how it goes!

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Foolishly posted "hate speech" comments will be swiftly removed.