Hokule'a finished at last

I finished quilting and binding Hokule'a in time to hand deliver it to my sister-in-law in Northern Virginia.  This photo was taken indoors, in natural light from the skylights, so it looks a little faded.  This quilt is made primarily from shirts and dresses of mine and Tom's from our time living in Hawaii.

I quilted it with an over all irregular loop pattern to symbolize the tosses and turns life can take you on.  The center mariner's compass star symbolizes the guiding star, Hokule'a in Hawaiian navigation.  The outer log cabins are the symbol for home, with the red center standing for home and hearth.  The friendship stars are for all the wonderful friends and guides who help you along the way.  As I was making this quilt, I was mindful of not creating any closed off areas, leaving paths through each border.  It was a joy to make this quilt, and I am pleased that Willa likes it.

The back is a piece of Hawaiian shirt weight bark cloth that I bought in Hawaii, intending to make Tom a cover for his yoga mat.  The red is from a piece of fabric given to me by a friend.

Later today, I will post about our trip to Annapolis and the Eastern Shore in search of more fabric and good seafood.

Until then, joyful quilting everyone.

Hokule'a's top may be finished and a winner

And the winner is

#12

Snoodles at Lily Pad Quilting.  Congratulations and thank you to everyone who played along.

 

Hokule'a is now a 46" square.  I think it wants to stay this size and be a wall hanging.  It is fun to see all our old shirts and my favorite muumuu in this piece.  The red centers in the log cabin blocks do not stand out this much in real life.  Interesting how they pop in the photo.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about the asymmetry of the center, but I am very happy with it.  I have really enjoyed the process of making this.  This quilt has done most of the design work along the way.  I will leave it up for a couple of days and see if it really is done.    I think I already know how I will quilt it, and I have backing and binding fabric. 

Tomorrow, I will work on more bags.  I just need to get some dark zippers.  I also want to start on the doll I am going to make for Bella.  That should be an interesting challenge.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

Friendship stars and card tricks

As part of the October challenge over at Modern 8 Create, I had to create a card trick block.  This is the first time I have been really successful with this block.  I actually made two of them, cut apart the second one and created this.

If you want to see more interesting things people are doing with this block, head on over to Modern 8 Create.
I also spent some time working on Hokule'a.  I built a stack of friendship stars out of old shirts, a muumuu, and some bright gold batik. This is where she is now,

I have decided to keep the star in the lower right corner as I build the quilt.  I am actually listening to what the quilt wants on this one.  I have quite a bit of Hawaiian fabric left to use from yardage I bought when I lived there as from clothes we no longer wear.  I have another quilt in progress using some of this fabric.  I will show it later when I get more done.
The last thing I did today was make my September quilt for AAQI.  I am calling it Calm.  Be sure and check out the other mini art quilts for sale over at the AAQI site.

We are having company for the next three days, then I am back with Bella on Tuesday, so I may not be posting much for the next week or so.  I will do what I can.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

I have created nine fish now, and have three to go.  My design wall has a decidedly fishy flavor right now.  I had no idea these fish would take me so long to make.  I just couldn't make them plain, I guess.  I still want to sew some water around most of them, and some of them still need eyes.  My goal is to have them all done and ready to mail by Tuesday.

 Joyful quilting, everyone.



New fabric and more Farmer's Wife blocks

I got a very nice package in the mail today.  I ordered these beauties from the Fat Quarter Shop.  I had my daughter-in-law select colors she wanted in a quilt, and I am very excited with what she chose.  I am going to use the same pattern I used for the H2H quilt.  I can't wait to get started.

I have been doing two of the Farmer's Wife blocks at a time.  Here are #1 - #6.  They are not in numerical order here.  I have to make more with the light fabric.  I was inspired for the colors by the leaf fabric in reds, blue, and golds.  This was a thrift store shirt, and I am going to be frugal with it so it lasts for the whole quilt.  I used the same fabric for the first border around Hokule'a

I added the dark blue to the border to give the center breathing room.  I am happy with the way it is coming along.  I think the next thing is stars.  I think this section will be in the lower right part of the quilt with the next borders only on two sides.  Then, I will put one other border around the entire thing.  As with everything I make, I reserve the right to change my mind along the way.

Tomorrow is another quilty day.

Joyful quilting, everyone.



A couple of small new things

I have been a bit under the weather the past couple of days and it has really affected my quilting.  Most things I sewed together got taken apart again because they were done wrong.  My brain was not working as well as it needs to for quilting.  So, today, I was determined to get something done to post and to get me started in the right direction again.  This is my guild's BOM in process.  I love the colors and hope to win the blocks this month.  I have more of this green fabric.  It is a Robert Kaufman manufactured in Japan.  It has a very interesting texture.  I wish I had bought more when I was in California.  I will finish up two of these blocks tomorrow and start on the presentation blocks.  They are also Christmas colors.  They are for a member who loves Aunt Gracie fabrics, and I have a vintage piece of Christmas fabric I think I will use for her blocks.

One of the other things I did over the past couple of days is to deconstruct several of the thrift shop shirts and dresses in my stash.  When I saw this one, I thought it would be great as a first border around Hokule'a.  These are just on the design wall and not attached yet.  I am thinking of putting some pieces of the dark background fabric in random places around the border to let the center breath instead of walling it off.  I was inspired to use this bright fabric by wonderful advice from members of the Rebels group of quilters.  Fabulous quilters who share ideas and advice.  I think the next border will be stars of some kind.  I do love star blocks.

Finally, I have decided to start practicing my free motion quilting so I can move beyond the stippling stage.  I do like the look of stippling because I want the focus to be on the fabric and the patterns of color and design, but there are times I wish I was a better free motion quilter.  From the look of my first small practice piece, I have a long way to go. But hey, it's a start. I am going to work my way through Leah Day's FMQ tutorials, trying to get at least one small piece done each day.  (When I say small, I mean 3" squares)
Other than that, not much else to report.  Have a joy filled evening.

The seam ripper is my friend

I couldn't resist posting this photo of our lilac tree/bush.  I grew up loving lilacs.  My grandmother wore Avon's lilac water all the time, and it is a smell that takes me back to her warm cozy home every time.   This year, our lilac has more blossoms on it than it has had since we moved here.  It smells so wonderful as you walk through the gate to the back yard.  I will probably cut some to bring in the house in the next couple of days.  I am so excited we have this tree and that it is in full bloom this year.
In more quilty news, I spent the bulk of the day yesterday working on Hokule'a.  I finished piecing the circle of geese and am very happy with the results.  When I laid them over the star compass, I decided I really did not like the job I did with the double button hole stitch on the star compass.  I didn't like the color of thread I selected, either.  So, what is a quilter to do?  I got out my trusty Bernina seam ripper and started carefully taking out stitches.  Have you ever spent time taking out double button hole stitches?  Believe me when I tell you it is not much fun.  It took the better part of the afternoon and evening.  I had to quit when my eyes gave out on me.  I finished this morning.  Then, I went to the store and picked up more King Tut in a color better suited for the project, and started over again.

My first mistakes were twofold.  I did not use a fusible, and I did not use a backing.  Beginner's mistakes, I know.  I don't know what I was thinking.  This time, I used both, and I am much happier with the outcome.  Here you can see the geese all pinned down and ready to sew.  I am going to hand stitch them down because I don't want the stitching to show.  I am pretty proud of this piece so far.  I designed it and made it myself, from drawing the pattern, to making the foundation pieces.  Imaging my surprise today when I picked up a copy of the new Quilter's Newsletter to find something very similar on the disc that came with the magazine.  Now, people are going to think I copied it, but I did not.  I hope this does not become a problem when I enter it into our guild show in August.  Any suggestions?
One other project I worked on today was putting together little kits to teach curved flying geese to my guild next week.  I decided to do a rainbow of flying geese with them.  This is what each participant will get.

I will be with my granddaughter the next couple of days, so see you on Thursday.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

More flying geese and a commission

I had a most interesting day in the studio today.  I decided to start working on the circle of flying geese for Hokule'a.  I pressed the deconstructed shirt parts in prep for cutting.  I then cut them in pieces the right size for piecing.  I got a slow start after ripping out the same seam twice.  Can't say I am a fan of ripping out those tiny stitches, but I finally got it right.  After cutting, sewing, cutting, and pressing over and over again, I got half the circle done.  It may have to go on the back burner for a week or so.  I got my first quilt commission, and it is due next Saturday.

Yes, I accepted a commission to make a baby quilt by next Saturday morning.  I am pretty excited about doing this.  My client came over this afternoon and we looked at some of the patterns I have designed that I can get done in that amount of time.  It sounds like a long time, but I will actually only have three days in the studio to work on it.  We selected a design with stars and hearts for a little baby girl that is due in June.  The mother-to-be wants yellow and pink and white.  We went to the fabric store and picked up these beauties.  The pink with yellow dots is the flannel backing.  I put them all in the wash this afternoon, then got them pressed. Tomorrow morning, I am going to get the fabric cut, but then we have a wedding to shoot all afternoon, so I don't think I will get much sewn together.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Miki

Quilting Green

"What?  Has the old girl lost her mind, then?  Why in the world is she showing us her ironing pile?"
 I can hear you all now.  This, I will have you know, is a future quilt or two, green style.  I have been trolling through our 100% cotton Hawaiian shirt and dress collection.  So far, these have made the pile.  I spent some time today cutting them into usable parts.  This was not really easy to do, because I really liked these shirts, and one dress.  I don't wear them any more, however, so I will be able to love the fabrics in a new format.  I am going to use three of them to build the circle of flying geese for Hokule'a.  The rest are going in the bin with the Hawaiian fabric I collected while living there.  I have also put out the word to family members that they should send any 100% cotton clothes they no longer want.  I will build my stash however I can.
I had a very busy Monday, and didn't get into the studio except to cut up a few shirts.  I managed to pick up two jobs for extra money.  I am doing a bit of freelance resume writing, and I am now a real estate marketing assistant.  I have done both jobs before, and I enjoy them, so I am happy for this opportunity to earn fabric money.  My husband and I also celebrated that he signed up two new distributors for our Send Out Cards business.  All in all, a good day.
I also picked up a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 3.  I haven't opened it yet, but I am looking forward to spending quality time looking at all the wonderful blocks.
I will be watching Bella for the next two days, so I will talk to you all again on Thursday.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

H2H top finished

I try not to show the same quilt very many times here, but I got this top finished today and wanted to share it.  I am really pleased with the overall look.  Rhonda sent some fantastic fabrics.  These are colors I would not have selected on my own, so it was really fun to expand my horizons.  I used up just about every last piece she sent me.  I was able to use a large piece I had been saving for the back, the small inner border, and the short bars on the squares block.  The only thing I had to buy was the black and white for the star background and the outer 4" border.  Here is a close-up of a corner so you can see the fabric better.

The quilt is 60" x 60".  It is now hanging on the quilt rack with its backing waiting for me to have a quilting day.

Amongst the other things I did today was to design a foundation piece for a circle of flying geese to go around Hokule'a.  As soon as I decide on colors for the geese and background, I will get that started.  I finished stitching the compass to the background using a double blanket stitch (number 79 on my Bernina 350).  I used variegated King Tut in blues, golds and greens.  I am not sure I am thrilled with it yet, but I am hoping I come around.  I would hate to rip that all out.  It is raw edge stitched, so if I feel so compelled, I could rip it out.  Maybe the ring of geese will make a difference. 
Today, I finished two quilt tops, made a foundation piece pattern, made a star block with made fabric and took photos to write a tutorial for another blog, and generally had a great time in the studio.  The rain is back in our neck of the woods.  One day of sun was nice, but I am ready for at least three in a row any time now.  I hope all is going well with all of you.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

Foundation piecing tips

I finished piecing Hokule'a this afternoon.  Here it is on the background fabric.  It is 24" x 24".  Doesn't it look like it is out there in the Milky Way somewhere? I have decided on a fabric for the center, but haven't cut it yet. I really learned a lot about paper piecing with this one, so I would like to share some tips with you.  This is not a tutorial, just some things I thought I would pass on.
I really enjoy working with foundation piecing, but I find some of it a bit difficult.  I have found a few things that really help me make this very fun.  Finding foundation pieceing patterns is pretty easy.  Unfortunately, they don't all come in the sizes I want.  That was true for this piece.  I had some general ideas about how many sections I needed for each point, so I started sketching.  Once I drew out the sections, I remembered to add a 1/4 inch seam allowance all around the perimeter.  That is very important.
The hardest part for me is putting on the first two pieces.  I have no easy tips about how to do that.  Some people pin the first piece, some don't.  The most important thing is to remember to put that first piece, right side out, on the non-lined side of the foundation.  The second piece needs to be right side toward the first piece.  See my tips below for how I measure and cut the fabrics to fill the spaces. Beyond that, I have nothing magical to offer. 

The first thing I figured out was to pre-fold the foundation pattern along all the lines.  I was trying to fold and cut after I made each seam, but it was a pain.  This is an extra step, but I have come to learn that creating something using foundation piecing takes time and I don't mind this extra step.  I find that it has saved me time in the long run.

Another important thing to remember is to finger press or iron each piece into place as you go.  This prevents problems such as the wrong piece of fabric being cut or sewn into the wrong place.

This is the thing I discovered that has helped me the most in getting my pieces lined up correctly.  I am about to add piece #7 on this unit.  I have folded back the paper along the line for #7 and set my ruler 1/4" away.  Then I cut all the extra fabric away.  When you are getting ready to cut, make sure you are not cutting any of the fabric covering the areas they are supposed to be covering.






That leaves me a very lovely 1/4" guideline to place my next piece of fabric.

Turn the piece back over and line up the next piece, in this case #7, with the nice cut you just made.  Make sure the piece will cover the area it needs to cover.  This brings me to measuring the pieces.  I always cut my pieces 1" longer than the longest measurement for the shape, and 1" wider that the widest part of the shape. For the side pieces, be sure and add the seam allowance into the equation. So far, this has worked for me.

Another thing I had to learn the hard way was where to start and end my stitches.  I thought I needed to sew 5 or 6 stitches past the line, but that just made the paper really hard to remove.  Now I start and end my sewing 1 or 2 stitches before and after the line.  I have also played around with stitch length.  I have finally settled on #1 on my Bernina.


I hope these little tips make some sense to you.  Following these guidelines, I was able to put together this mariner's compass without ripping out more than two seams, and those happened at the beginning of the process.  I believe each seam ripped out is a learning experience.  It was certainly true in this case.
Thanks for stopping by.  I would love to hear from you about your experience or interesting in foundation piecing.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

A little cutting, a little sewing

I wanted to get the whole block put together today, but I only got half done.  I am having so much fun with this.  I have only had to use my seam ripper twice, so far.  That is a record for me on foundation piecing.  I think I am getting the hang of this.  One of the things going for me in this one is using batiks.  Both sides of the fabric are the right sides.  Maybe I will get the rest of this done tomorrow.  My big plan for now is to do a halo of flying geese about an inch outside the compass.  Hokule'a is coming along. 


I have read so much about EQ7, a way to design quilts on your computer.  I am impressed with what this program can do, but I remain a pencil and paper kind of designer.  I started out using graph paper and a ruler to make everything pretty.  Then I ran out of graph paper, and had an idea I just had to sketch out.  I used ordinary lined paper.  Then I started using any old piece of paper I could find.  I was taking care of Bella on Tuesday when I started thinking about what I wanted to do with the red, black, and white fabric.  This is the sketch I did on a stray piece of paper I found in my bag.  What do you do your designing on?

I did get all the fabric cut and ready to start sewing the blocks together.  Instead of buying more white fabric, I pulled what little I had from my stash.  I also purchased more black on white.  The more I work with these fabrics, the more I like the colors together.  My goal for this quilt is to show off the fabric and the colors together.