Guilted

Hello again.

Lately, I've chosen to sew rather than to write about not sewing. It felt like I only had time for one or the other.

A charm pack project:

My newest project

Planning to send this to a friend who is having a baby girl in Feb.

A scrap project:

Scrap swap challenge for the MadMod QG.

Patchwork jean purse - for the inside pocket I reused a back pocket!

My grand finale:

I always think of the opening lines in Aladdin when I look at this quilt.

Quilting with Audrey

On Sunday evening I basted my stained quilt. First, I used up the 50 special quilters safety pins I bought a while back.

Not enough...

I got out my little box of variously sized regular safety pins. (Gift from my mom at some point during college; they used to be part of her sewing supply stash.)

Still not quite enough...

I pondered going over to Joann's. Not worth the drive - time or gas... I pondered going over to Target - closerd, but more effort to find exactly where safety pins are stocked. Then it dawned on me, I'd used several safety pins to jimmy up the black out lining for curtains at our old apartment. Since we've yet to put the curtains up again here, I stole the 24 safety pins from that "project."

Victory! It was just enough!

*Side note: I actually thought it was easier to work with the straight safety pins, so I'll be stocking up on those.

In the middle of basting

As you can see, I used a larger piece of batting than necessary. It was on hand. I really didn't want to spend more money just now. Besides, with smaller pieces of batting to use up, maybe I'll make some mini quilts or something. (Does anyone know whether it's advisable to use batting in coasters? This is Warm and White.)

There's about an inch and a half of batting beyond the quilt top on all sides.

I also cut it closer to the edge of the quilt top than is recommended I think. I'm cheap trying to be thrifty by keeping the left over bits as large as possible so the can be more readily used later.

On Tuesday evening, I began stitching in the ditch. I meant to post about my progress that night as well, but my computer was playing dead. It made an awful beeping noise when I turned it on, then had to go through a repair scan since Windows failed to start for some reason.

Long story short: it scared me, but seems to be back to normal now.

Simple

So, I've decided to go with simple.
(You're probably surprised, given that I've made this project so complicated up to this point.)

The back of my stained quilt will be all black. This will make my desired quilting pattern so much easier. I'm going to stitch in the ditch around each of the puzzle pieces, so to speak.

Previously, I mulled over making more blocks and piecing them into the back; however, for this option:
1. I would have wanted the back blocks to be mirror images of their counterparts on the front (as far as shapes, not exact fabrics).
2. I then would have tried to line them up exactly so as to have my quilting be stitch in the ditch around the puzzle pieces on both sides of the quilt (where applicable).


I am pretty pleased with this little detail though:

Mitered corners in the border!

How much Kona Black?

I'm such a perfectionist.

Despite numerous assurances from others that my quilt was coming along fine and I should just get on with it already, I spent several hours pondering over and adjusting it.

My new map:

I made several attempts to rearrange my original 20 blocks before I came upon this configuration. First, I moved just the blocks that seemed to be the culprits. That merely led to more troubles - I basically would have ended up putting a blank spot every other block.

Second, I tried gathering all the blocks with characters and laying them out first so I could disperse those blocks that all featured the horse, or camel, or people in jars, or... you get the idea. Well, this worked until I tried to fill in spaces left empty with the remaining blocks. Inevitably a brown pearl bracelet wound up next to another brown pearl bracelet.

I put everything back according to my 4x5 block map. I thought about just sewing things together that way and trying to just be happy with it.

THEN, it occured to me that I could just shift 1 row over. I tried it. Then I shifted 1 block back to it's original spot and shifted half the new column down. There. That spaced out characters and candles.

I had just enough pre-cut black sashing to complete my 5 new blocks. (Plus stitch 2 of them together - lower left corner.)

Now I just need to figure out how much more Kona Black I will need.

And also, decide whether to make still more blocks for a pieced back or just use a great swath of black. I discovered another small pile of matching scraps in a box I was unpacking in search of interfacing, so additional coordinating blocks are a possibility without hunting down more Peeps.

Opinions?

Finish?

Yay! I've sewn all my Stained blocks!

There's just a few little things bugging me now that I've laid them out...
1. the blocks that feature the 3 characters in jars/ baskets are next to each other (middle row, left)
2. there are 2 blocks with the candle print in a large vertical piece in the same row (4th from top)
3. also, 2 blocks that show the magic carpet and horse are next to each other (bottom right corner)
4. maybe it should be bigger? 5 more blocks would make it square...

And a larger question: what should I do for the back??? I could play it safe and just use black. I could try to make it more interesting by making some extra blocks like the front - maybe enough for 1 column? It would hide the need for a pieced back; however that option would also spark my perfectionist tendencies. I was thinking that it would be cool to have the patterns be mirror images of the front column, and then quilting in the sashing would line up on both sides! Is that a good idea? (I mean quilting in the sashing?) Another idea I have is to buy invisible thread and then quilt around each shape somehow...

Any thoughts?

In other news, I'm really excited for the Madison Modern Quilt Guild meeting this Wednesday night!

WIP Wednesday: Back in the saddle

Actually using my sewing desk

Over the weekend we got most of our furniture arranged. This place seems much more homely now, though a lot of stuff is still boxed up.

I pulled out my Stained quilt pieces Monday night - 6 blocks left to sash now. It felt so normal to sit and sew for a while - nice considering all the changes in my life at the moment.

WIP Wednesday: Boxes / Squares

Packing

Break time

WIP Wednesday the Fourth

Ongoing:
Stained

Finally, a black bobbin.

A little wonky, but should work out.

New:

I've received the DS fabrics I ordered! I'm leaning toward a kaleidoscope type pattern with a white background, but I'm not completely sure yet. I have a few more prints from FMF on the way - an early birthday present from my husband! (My birthday is Apr 27th.)

FMF

Hope Valley

Finishes:
I got the purple haze top done! I'm counting it as a semi-finish.

No Progress:

Oh my stars
Purse for me
Granny squares
Farmer's wife

Would like to start:
Sew out loud
Single girl (with rainbow charms - received, but not yet sorted)
Foundation paper piecing for the terrified

Stats:
New Projects - 2
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 8

T minus 4

I can count on one hand (or one foot) the number of days I have left at my current job.

I am SO excited!

(Did that even need to be said?) Anyway, after this Friday, I'll have about a week to pack and clean our apartment. I don't really think it will take that long so I'll probably get some sewing in too.

Besides, it would be easier to pack (less chance of missing pieces later) if I assemble my Stained quilt top. I questioned my fabric choices a little when I laid it out the other night.

Excuse the table legs...

The towers looked a little strange to me, especially when next to another fabric with a pale background... but, I pressed on. (Pun intended.) It'll be fine once everything has an outline.

Fail

My sewing plans last Saturday Sunday:
1. Go to Joann's and use 25% off your total purchase coupon to get additional bobbins and black Kona sufficient to finish my Stained quilt.
2. Load black thread and begin piecing Stained quilt.
3. Take pictures for show and tell.

What actually happened:
1a. Went to Joann's and picked out 2 more Denyse Schmidt fabrics (on sale) and Kona (not on sale). Decided to just go with the black on hand until it's gone and use 40% off coupon later for Kona. Found bobbins on the shelf that did not match the kind Audrey uses... Debated putting DS fabrics back and going home empty handed.

1b. Stood in line at cutting counter. Continued debabting whether it was worth the wait. Wandered over to check out prequilted fabric that someone else was buying to make a bag (no appealing designs). Noticed mock up of McCall's dress and made mental note to possibly go back for the pattern. (If we are not moving, there will be a wedding to go to in April.) Glared at everyone for being so slow.

1c. Inched through line at checkout. Continued to glare at everyone for being so slow. Texted college friend for distraction. Called parents, got voicemail. Noticed that Hersheys is now making aerated chocolate and that 1.44oz Air Delight cost the same as the regular 1.55 oz bar. Thought of my host family in Russia - the child of the house loved aerated chocolate (I got him some for his birthday).

1d. Detoured to library on the way home. Picked up adorable children's book featuring porcupines: A Balloon for Isabel.

2. Arrived home, still aggravated by poor layout at Joann's store and sloth-like employees. Agreed to start dinner whilst darling husband went to retrieve wine.

3. Worked on Purple Haze quilt instead of Stained. Took pictures, but did not upload. (Another reason this post is called, "Fail.")

WIP Wednesday the Second

Ongoing:
Last night I wanted to start sewing the sashing for the blocks of my Stained quilt; I have strips cut from the remnant of Kona black I happened to have (I'll probably have to buy more to finish between the blocks).

23 strips WOF

I pulled out my sewing machine, plugged it in and opened the little attachment case where my bobbins are stored. I only have 4... and they all have bits of other colors left on them at the moment. It seems wasteful to just unravel one, so that's another thing I need to buy.

red, dark blue, light blue and white

Since the first quarter of Rhonda's Finish Along is almost over, I pulled out the pieces for my purple haze quilt and trimmed them all. I started with 5" charm squares cut from yardage, but when I sewed them back together I had some trouble keeping accurate 1/4" seams, especially considering that flannel is prone to more stretching than the typical quilter's cotton.

I think chances are slim that I will finish this quilt by the end of the month as I had set out for myself in Jan, but at least I've made a bit of progress! And I've got one finish in for this quarter anyway.

New:
None!

Finishes:
None.

No Progress:
Purse for me

Stats:
New Projects - 0
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 3 (or 7 if you count the things I have fabric piled for and/ or a few squares cut and/or the pattern cut)

Spliced

Well, even with my color coded layout guide for the Stained QAL, cutting has not gone quite as smoothly or quickly as I envisioned.

See my problem/ solution?

I'm not sure where/ how I went wrong when coloring, but when I went to cut this I found that 4 pieces were supposed to be 11" with the direction of the print! From a 1/4 yd cut off the bolt, this just isn't possible... So... I pieced just enough to make it work. I did my best to match the pattern and when all is sewn and quilted, I doubt the extra seams will be very noticable. (Don't tell me if I'm wrong, ok?)

My First WIP Wednesday

New:

A purse for me

Ongoing:

Stained QAL - layout

Stained QAL - cutting progress

Oh My Stars - background cut and ready to sew

Oh My Stars - foreground marked and ready to sew

Finishes:
None.

No Progress:
Purple haze quilt

Stats:
New Projects - 1
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 3 (or 7 if you count the things I have fabric piled for and/ or a few squares cut and/or the pattern cut)