Done…and done!

Well, it's done -- and I mean really done.  I had thought I would add some borders out of the neutral sashing fabric but when I auditioned them, they didn't do a thing for it.  They only made it bigger and didn't seem to frame it like I saw it in my head.  So, surprisingly, this lap quilt is finished and ready to be quilted.

Because I chose to go with sashing that finishes at 1/2", I actually lost about 7" across the width of the quilt (compared to sashing that finishes the same size as the blocks -- 3/4").  Don't ask me how I could even think that a 3/4" sashing looked clunky -- but I did.  I made two sample blocks and left them on my design wall for about a week.  Every time I looked at the one with 3/4" sashing, I didn't like it as well as the one with smaller strips controlling the little 4-patches.  Seriously.  It makes no sense to me, either.

I originally thought I would count the pieces in this top and then I thought again.  There are 960 4-patches that finish at 1.5" plus all kinds of sashing strips.  I'm probably better off not knowing.  It finished about 60' x 64' so it will be a good lap quilt with lots of fabrics to look at if I get bored.

The "underbelly" is a bit of a hot mess.  Most of the seams are pressed open -- or at least started that way.  Talk about "the good, the bad, and the ugly!"

As I mentioned in previous posts -- I really like it.  But not enough to do it again!

I hope you are working on something that is unique and challenging!

Jan

Extreme swaps!

If you've ever done a swap, you know you are at the mercy of your fellow swappers.  I have done 9 patches, nickels, charms, and these little 4 patches.  In every situation, I have been excited with some of the blocks or fabric as well as amazed that someone thought it was acceptable to include some others in the swap. I have to admit, I am still not over getting a charm square of pool balls that was thinner than toilet paper!

You may remember from previous posts that we had to do 800 4-patches that finish at 1.5".  Tiny little things.  But, when you are dealing with such small pieces, a variation of 1/8" is noticeable. Without showing examples and calling anyone out (including me), let's just say there is a LOT of variation in these.  Anytime you make 800 of anything, it's natural to lose your motivation, your mojo, and your accuracy.  Hence, the sashings help control the little stinkers who are less than accurate.

But -- I love them and this will be different from any quilt I have ever made.  And a few of the swappers are friends and our mutual history together is reflected in some of those little 4 patches.  As an aside, their little patches were just fine.  :-)

On the other side of swapping are these lovely little HSTs.  These were all done with friends and they are great!  We used Edyta Sitar's HST papers with a guideline of batiks in shades of autumn.  What a great way to do a swap.

We all used her papers and the accuracy is great.  Each of us stitched our papers, cut them, and divided them up.  That way, the recipient has to take off the papers, press them, and cut the bunny ears off.  I'm not sure what they will end up in but it's so fun to see them and I am loving that they are all the same size!

So -- two swaps.  Love them both but one requires a lot of finessing and one is ready to go once I get time and decide what to do.  Every swap is a roll of the dice and I think accepting the fact that some items are going to be less than perfect is worth the gamble!

I hope you're finding ways to create!

Jan

A week of extremes

I'm so so happy to say that this quilt top is done.  All these beautiful "reproductions" from Caryl Bryer Fallert's hand dyes are together in one quilt top (no culling out of warms or browns, as I had planned).  I adore it.  The colors together make me very very happy -- as does getting it off the design wall, off the floor, off my cutting table, off my sewing table..... It had taken over my little sewing room.  Now it is neatly folded and waiting for quilting inspiration (and time).  I had failed to mention in my original post that this is a free pattern from Marcus Fabrics using their Ombre strips (pattern is called Ombre Hand Dyes by Nancy Rink).  I think we sometimes forget about all the great FREE patterns that fabric manufacturers have available to us through their websites.  Anyway -- it's done and the floor is now visible in my sewing room.

And -- to keep that feeling of "accomplishment" going -- I have continued to plug along with my little bitty 4 patches that were part of a swap from earlier this year.  Briefly, we were to make 800 of these little darlings and package them in groups of 100 (I think) where they would be assembled and redistributed -- with each of us getting 1 of our bags back and 4p from 7 other quilters. Not!  Long story but I got at least two of my bags back and maybe more (one quilter decided she'd keep all hers!).  Plus I had made 100+ more for my quilt.

I absolutely have NO idea how many 4p I have -- but I know that the 7 finished blocks I've made have over 100 in them and I've just started.  The blocks (each with 16 4p) finish at 8" so this may or may not be a twin size quilt -- I literally don't know.  I'll keep sewing in steps until the squares are used up and then decide whether I need to make a few more (using 1.25" strips) or chuck the extras.

My milestone for the week is getting the first step done.  Every little square now has sashing on one side -- setting it up for the next step(s) with half being sewn together and half getting a 2.5" "topper" strip.  Since this is a leader/ender project, I just grab and sew as I finish a row and need something in my machine to be ready to sew the next piece on the quilt I'm "really" working on.

This will be years in the making --

But, all in all, a good week.  One quilt top made with 2.5" strips and only 15 pieces in the entire block. And, one step completed in teeny tiny pieces of all kinds -- darks, lights, batiks, vintage, low quality, homespuns, Kaffe, hand-dyes, florals, novelties, you name it.  So much fun to come across someone else's fabrics -- and keep the line moving!

I hope you are having a productive week -- whether it's with little bitty pieces or larger, dramatic pieces,  or quilting, or cutting, or designing, or just dreaming of your next project!

Jan

800 for Starters

This will take forever....

And this is why....

A swap.  A swap of 800 4 patches that will finish at 1.5". Of course -- who wouldn't want to use up 1.25" strips, right? That means you can go right to your strings and not have to cut from your stash.

I'll spare you the details of construction for now. Suffice it to say that 1" sashing will take a while as will the creation of blocks of four 4-patches that will eventually become  a block of 16 patches.  The larger blocks are being assembled with no regard to color, direction, or duplication. They will finish at 8" and are the perfect leader-ender project since it's a matter of grabbing and sewing.  Pressing seams open is another story for another day!

I do have to say, I like the periodic cornerstones that finish at 1/2".  I'm always looking for ways to use a 1" square! Oh, and did I mention that I made too many of these little darlings and have about 100 extra that will need to be added to the top? The ones in the picture above are my "leftovers" and were already being used as leader-ender fun prior to the big shipment.

I hope you have had a week of productivity and color!

Jan

Miscellaney

In spite of the heat, I've managed to sew a bit everyday this week and get a few things done.

I'm happy to say I'm slowly making progress on my Kaffe jelly rolls.  Thus far, all the jelly rolls have been cut and sashed on two sides.  There were 30 separate fabrics in the roll and here is one sample of each.  I think the roll was entitled something about the "sea" and you can see it is primarily greens and blues.  But there are some fabrics in here I have never ever seen -- and they are breathtaking.  You know that you can cut one strip of a Kaffe floral into 2.5" squares and it can look like 4-5 different fabrics.  Such wonderful colors!!!!  Just what the doctor ordered.

I need to iron all the little blocks (open of course to minimize see through on the little green polka dot fabric).  They will become pairs who will become four patches that eventually will be end up in 16 patches.  My challenge will be not to over think this as I put fabrics together.  It would be easy to spend too much time deciding what to put together.  I think I'll try to live with the "rule" that no two pieces in the same pattern in the four patches -- and leave it at that.  We'll see if I can do that!

I also got the back pieced for the birthday quilt -- and the batting as well.  These are wool pieces that I had and I just love the "lightness" that comes with a wool batt.  Personally, I've never been satisfied with piecing battings on my machine.  I always end up with some bunching as one piece moves through the machine at a different rate than the other -- even with a walking foot.   

I've gotten into the habit of trimming my batting pieces up into strips when I trim my quilts after quilting.  The strips may be 4"-12" and they go in a tote.  Many of the six quilts I took to Chicago to quilt two months ago were "pieced" like the one above.  I bought one roll of 1.5"of "batting tape" but it's a tad pricey.  So, I bought some lightweight interfacing, cut it into 1.5" strips, and it's worked like a charm.  Both in the "piecing" and flatness and in the quilting.

The birthday quilt is quilted (on my domestic machine) using a great variegated Valdani thread.  Binding is also on -- with the corners sewn down.  If you've read my blog much, you know that I've developed an aversion to binding (irrespective of how hot it is right now and having a quilt on me is almost smothering!).  One of my head tricks is to sit down and do all four corners first -- then it's just about straight binding.  Faster and no worry about how the miter will work -- I've already done those when I was "fresh".  I adore this polka dot fabric with the solids.

The birthday quilt has a lot of fiddly piecing so I needed a lot of leaders and enders for my starting and stopping.  I'm in a swap with friends from Chicago that requires 800 four patches.  Strips are cut at 1.25" and the four patch will finish at 1.5".  I do love finding a use for 1.25" strips that are leftover from other projects (or even in my string bags).  I also love that it lets you cut some less than favorite fabrics into teeny tiny pieces which minimizes some of their offensiveness.  Either way -- I have between 400-450 done and the deadline is January.  I'm in good shape with this commitment!

And since this is about miscellany.  Here's a washed out picture of my African violet.  Isn't she lovely?  I have wanted one since we moved and picked this out around Mother's Day -- it had a few blooms which were near the end of their peak but the leaves were beautiful.  I haven't fertilized her -- she sits on a glass shelf in my kitchen and I am enjoying her colors for now!

I hope you're finding time to create!  Jan