::Nine-Boxed Quilt::

Some quilts take time to finish.  Mostly because those other quilt ideas get in the way.  Sometimes even those quilts take awhile too.  I’m pretty sure I have a box of those “ideas.”

When I looked at the November date on this photo and the rainy blustery day I was thankful that it looked like this today.

Nine-Boxed’s original story and making details are here, but as I said it sat for awhile and on a quilting exhibition to Sandie’s for another quilt I thought why not just quilt it too.  She happen to have this design board already loaded so we went with it.

I’ll admit this quilt has grown on me a bit.  I wasn’t so sure I liked it at first and am now kinda wishing as I look at the photo that maybe I could have at the very least thrown it in the dryer for a bit to decrease it, poor thing has been rolled up in the closet for a month or longer.

In person it is really the Carolina Chambray that makes all those bits shine.  The blocks consist of a simple nine-patch made improvisationally.  Links to a few tutorials on the technique are also available on the original post about this quilt.

My twist was adding in a block when creating the nine-patch block that was entirely made of strip-piecing.  I’ve got a whole tote that contains scraps that are strips and they were calling me.  There are some goodies in there.

I also added a block of background fabric into the nine-patch construction here and there.  I always like that “floating” look.

Backing I bought ages ago on sale when Drygoods first opened and for the binding I revisited that scrap strip tote for scraps of binding left over from other quilts.

It has no home yet.

I’m off to market tomorrow and then teaching workshops with Jacquie on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Come join us if you can!

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::Shattered Again::

Pulling sample fabrics for my Shattered Quilt Starter Workshop tonight.  Wanna join us?  There are spots!

(Photo by Rendy Tucker)

I loved playing with the recreation of this quilt in Carolina Chambray and Osnaburg.  The texture is fabulous with the velveteen on the back.

But now it’s time to try something new.

I wanna stick with the textured fabric, so I’m going with the Essex Linen, but I have some ideas with all this Echino that I’ve collected over the years.

I won’t have time for this idea anytime soon, but it might jettison to the top of the list a little faster now that I have a fabric stack.

Maybe I will see you tonight.

Tomorrow I’ve got a quilt top to show you!

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::Book Signing and Trunk Show::

Please join me this Saturday, April 28th from 11-2pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard for a book signing and trunk show.  I’ll be demonstrating the ‘stitch and flip triangle’ technique around noon and 1pm.

The Quilting Loft will be offering a little ‘special something’ to each person that buys the book.  Preorder via the Quilting Loft and receive 20% off the book.

Hope to see you there, but if you can’t come Saturday, the reception for my quilt exhibit opening at Island Quilter on Vashon Island is next Friday, May 4th from 6-9pm.

Hope to see your smiling faces at one or the other!

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p.s. some giveaways of the book are available at the end of this post.

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::Unknown Direction::

I left my seam ripper idle and forged ahead with the quilting on Unknown Direction.

Sewing down binding was my Superbowl activity.

(And by the way, a BIG shout-out  of “thanks” to those of you that shared where the path takes you when you make a boo-boo.  I love how we all have our creative process.)

Funny how a run through the washer and dryer eliminates all my mistakes distractions.

And look, we actually had a few random sunny days last week.  Yes, those are shadows!

Sunshine in these parts at this time of year is better than rose colored glasses.

I used the left over bits from the front to create a panel that would bring my backing to size.

That’s pretty much it for the Alexander Henry Entertaining Elephants fabric.  It has made its way into two quilt backs now and the rest likely will become parts of future blocks.

I’ve added a twin size for Roan (with the intended quilting design) in this same colorway to my list of quilts to make.  I really liked the light gray thread for the quilting.  It blended really well.

Unknown Direction was a start to finish quilt, meaning I never tucked it away or put it aside.  Generally when I finish a full project I move onto something that has been waiting on the sidelines.

Opposing Triangles needed binding.  Tomorrow I’ve got a date with this quilt and the 5th season of Big Love.

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::Grandma Goobin’s Christmas Gift::

We call my husband’s grandma Goobin, the details are fuzzy as to why.

But every year I make her a zip pouch for her ciggies.  I save a few sample blocks for this purpose.  This block is a cast-off from a quilt somewhat in production mode.

The story this year is a little sad and a whole lot funny.

You see, I always include a strap to attach the pouch to her walker, like this one last year.

Well, with old age we forget things and apparently Grandma Goobin has forgotten she smokes!  So I guess not all is downhill when it comes to losing our memory after all.

So this year I didn’t add a strap.  She can leave this in her room, no need to venture outside for a puff.

This pouch from last year is still my favorite ever, though for the smell it likely should be burned.

Wishing my Bernina had this triple stitch, possibly the only redeeming characteristic of the Pfaff that I practically lost my own mind using.

So, that’s one checked off the list.

How are you getting on with gifts?  My list is short this year for lack of time.

 

 

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::Half Square Triangle Class::

It’s that time again!

Two spots left!

::Half Square Triangle Class:: $65 Thursday October 13th 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

This versatile quilt block lends itself to endless design layouts. Come learn how to match seams and create perfect points. We’ll play with a layout that suites your style and you’ll walk away with ideas for a multitude of quilts.

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::A Little Rain, A Little Shine::

The day started with rain and ended with a little sun.

It seems fitting this summer in Seattle to be appliqueing a raindrop here and there.

My Sheets of Rain whole cloth quilt has a few now and has become my companion as I sit on the sidelines at various kid summer lessons.

I have a puddle full of raindrops made to add.

I’ve enjoyed picking the scraps from my favorite long gone fabrics for each raindrop.

You can see the process I use to applique them here.

Those appliques come in handy for covering up the free-motion-quilting mistakes.

I love the little bit of shine the yellow flannel adds.

Here’s what it looks like so far.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the rain shower grows.

Though I’m far from ever teaching free-motion quilting I see this as an addition to my whole cloth quilt class with applique potential follow up.

My students and I had a load of fun in my whole cloth quilt class last month.  I made this chevron style one right along with the students to show them the various steps.

The orange stitches sunk into the pink flannel nicely.  I can’t recall the maker of this flannel, but it is super buttery and thick.

The stripe and binding fabric are old Amy Butler’s that had lost their appeal for making their way into a pieced project, I’d just had them too long I guess, but worked perfectly in this quilt.

Now I have another to add to this one as my class examples or for that next special baby.

I’ve enjoyed making these so much that I created a Whole Cloth Quilt Group to showcase them.  I hope if you make one you’ll add it.

Now I have plans for one on my bed!

 

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::Bloggers’ Quilt Festival 2011::

Yeah, it’s that time of year again.  I enjoy looking through all the quilt inspiration that the Bloggers’ Quilt Festival offers.

My quilt idea all started with this fabric.

First, the idea became a pillow when the Hope Valley line came out.  I used Joelle Hoverson’s technique for her Little Bits quilt.  I designed it by stacking the blocks and liked the effect so much that I started a quilt.  It got pushed aside with the book quilts taking front stage.

My favorite quilts of the year are in the book, or not yet finished, but Split Decision is up there.

As I spread it out fresh from the dryer, I was in love.  It went straight to the shop for a class sample, but I’ll look forward to the day when I can lounge under it.

Especially because of its buttery flannel back.

I framed it out with the pink for binding.

I think the loops make it fun.

I’m hoping next year with the book likely being on the shelves to have a real reason to go to market.  

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::Sheets of Rain Quilt::

Ever since Crazy Mom Quilt’s Ticker Tape Quilt I’ve had a quilt idea in my head.  A quilt with “ticker taped’ raindrops.  So appropriate for Seattle.

However, over the year or so the quilt idea has evolved from a ‘quilt as you go’ quilt with appliqued raindrops to a free motion quilt with a continuous raindrop stitch AND raindrop appliques.

My plan is to not go through all three layers of the quilt when ladder stitching the raindrops down, so that the continuous raindrop stitching is all that shows through on the back.

The raindrop stitches are complete and the binding is stitched down, all that’s left are the appliqued raindrops.  I’m thinking mostly primary color here.

It’s like a thunder storm on the front (which rarely occur here in Seattle and I miss them) and a sunny day on the back.

So today I made the raindrops.  Sorted through the scrap bins, picking out the favorites.

My Mom taught me how to make appliqued shapes with templates so you don’t have raw edges (which just didn’t seem practical for a baby quilt needing to be washed often).

If you haven’t done this before, draw your shape on paper or wax paper and glue it or iron it (if you use wax paper) to cardboard.  Cut it as cleanly as you can.  Use a nail file to smooth edges if needed.

Cut around your raindrop or other curved shape giving yourself about a 1/4″ seam, or trace around the shape on the wrong side of your fabric and cut a 1/4″ away from the line.

Baste stitch around your shape about an 1/8″ from the cut edge, starting and ending your thread tails on the curved end AND on the same side of fabric.

Pull on the strings.  I didn’t do it, but if you place the basting closer to the template when ironing it will help create a smoother curve (so “they” say).

I starch both sides and iron as I’m pulling those strings.  I give the strings one wrap around a finger when I pull so it’s taunt.  If you’ve glued paper on to your template then you might want to face it down or it mucks all off with the starch.

Traditionally or by what I’ve been taught at least, you iron the top tip or a point down the middle first and than cross over the sides…make sense?

As you can see, I don’t do that.  I just do a straight cross over.  I occasionally clip some of the fabric out to reduce bulk.

Whatever, they look fine.

Pull out the template and give them a final press right side up, giving a tuck to anything that’s come out of wack when removing the template.

Aren’t they delicious?

Then clip the threads and pin that sucker down.

I actually have a use for those pins that will make you blind.

When free motioning I would try to correct a raindrop ‘gone bad’ by adding an echo, but if that didn’t go so well I looked for those spots to add a raindrop applique.

Uh oh, looks like this quilt might have a load of raindrops.  It’s kinda been one of those rainy years.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

P.S.  The sun shone today.

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out of print destash

upcoming classes

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::Cracked Ovals::

We’re mastering curves in the second half of my improvisational patchwork class this week.  I thought I’d grease the wheel since it’s been a bit since I’ve created anything with a curve.

My friend Meagan was having a birthday and it lent itself the opportunity to create for someone that might possibly appreciate a handmade gift.  Zip pouches are perfect for bits of patchwork and using up those scraps of favorite fabrics.

This could be for scissors and other sewing tools to travel to guild or a home to sew.  I added some hex papers and hardware to make a curvy clutch.

Inside I used the cracked oval I didn’t like so much.

I have a few more quilts on the list and some class samples to finish up and then it might be time to play with some cracked ovals.  I envision some cute kids quilts.

The sun is shining here!

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out of print destash going on!

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