I have some small gifts for a friend. As a little palate cleanser, I made some tiny little gift bags to hold the gifts. These were quick to make and I used up some scraps.
Aren’t they adorable?
Tiny Little Gift Bags
Yellow Improv In Progress
I decided I needed to get this one finished. All the projects left on my design walls when I put them away were a lot less interesting when I saw them again. I didn’t want to toss them, but I did want them finished.
I started it last year sometime. The first time I talked about it was July, which was right before we dismantled my workroom. I was concerned at that time that I wouldn’t have enough scraps to make a decent sized baby quilt. It’s still a concern as I am piecing tiny scraps together and expect to have no yellow scraps left.
I spent time over the weekend making good progress.
Finished: Duck Bone Apron
I finished another Flapper apron over the weekend. I call this the Duck Bones apron because one side has rubber duckies and the other bones. This will be for the YM’s partner. She is on a pathology course and really liked it when I included the bones fabric in a bag I made for her for Christmas.
The bone fabric is a favorite of various recipients. I have an alert on a shop site so whenever it comes in I buy 3 yards and decide what to make. I have enough left to make more pillowcases, which is probably a good idea for my SIL. Who uses only two pillowcases?
26 Projects 2022 #2
I finally am in the black with fabric usage. I am barely in the black, but in the black is in the black. Yay!!
Finished 2022 Quilt Projects
- Gelato – finished January 2022
- Scrap Dash – finished January 2022
Finished 2022 Small and Non-Quilt Projects
This category covers bags, toys, aprons and knitting as well as other non-quilt projects.
- A Place for Everything v.2 Bag – finished 1/24/2022
- Blue Journal #1 – finished January 22, 2022
- Blue Journal Cover #2 – finished January 22, 2022
- Cactus Flower Flapper Apron – finished February 2022
- Christmas gift bags – finished January 23, 2022
- Christmas gift bags (grey dot) – finished February 2022
- Christmas gift bags (masked)
- Duck Bones Apron – finished February 2022
- 6 months of La Passacaglia
- La Passacaglia Rosettes Month 7
- Scissor Cozy for Gerre – finished January 2022
- Scissor Cozy for Maria – finished January 2022
Doing Good
- Ends. n.12 – finished February 2022
- Ends n.13 – finished February 2022
- HST Sawtooth Star – finished February 2022
- Yellow Improv Donation Top/Back – finished February 2022
In Process or To Make
The ‘In Process’ is used to denote projects on which I am actively working or are on the design wall waiting for me to stitch. I am continuing to try not to put away projects. I find putting a project away ensures I never work on them, because I just lose steam.
Quilts
- The circle quilt is on the design wall waiting for what comes next
Small Projects to Make or in Process
Most of my progress involves thinking or just cutting.
- One Hour Basket for my stuff that tends to accumulate on the dining room table. I may switch to one of the Minikins projects or a Catch All Caddy for this purpose.
- One Hour Basket for DH’s stuff that tends to accumulate on the dining room table. I may switch the pattern to one of the Minikins projects for this purpose.
- Retreat Organizer – another project from the Crafty Gemini Organizer Club, also on my list, but not yet started. Recently, I saw one of these made up and I am not so nervous about it
- Superbloom tote using Hindsight fabric – not started
- Ultimate Project Organizer – another project from the Crafty Gemini Organizer Club, also on my list, but not yet started
- Westchester shirt – this is a Crafty Gemini pattern. I bought the fabric at PIQF in 2018. I have the pattern pieces cut out and ready to sew. I was held up by the supply list which wanted a Jersey needle. SIL #2 and Mary C said that a regular knit needle was fine. We may start a garment sewing group in the guild. I could use the support.
Handwork
I decided that some of my projects are in a different class because they are hand piecing or embroidery or beading. They take longer. Thus I created a new category and have moved some projects here.
- English Paper Piecing Project– half hexies – I worked on this a little at the guild meeting as it is easier to transport than La Pass.
- La Passacaglia – I am up to date on this project and waiting for Month 7 to arrive.
Ready for Quilting
- Nothing at the moment
In the Quilting Process
- BAMQG Improv Round Robin – I am probably going to rip out the quilting and send this quilt to Colleen to quilt. I like the look of Big Stitch, but am not working on it and don’t really enjoy working on it.
- The Tarts come to Tea – no recent progress
In the Finishing Process
- Nothing at the moment
Still WIPs
I still have WIPs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled. A nicer way of saying UFO is a WIP. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.
- Handbag Sampler – this is still the forgotten project. It should be on the UFO list. The blocks were teaching samples when I taught a sampler class some time before I started writing the quilt class sampler tutorials. I found one block recently, but otherwise I don’t actually know exactly where the blocks are hiding. I crawled up in the far reaches of my fabric closet to see if I could find them and they weren’t where I thought. I am sort of mystified as to where they could be. I haven’t even found a picture of all the blocks. WTH?
- Lobster – I think I might make this into a tablerunner for the buffet. I think that will be a good and fun use of the piece even if the colors aren’t quite right for the dining room.
- Pies and Points from 2016 Victoria Findlay Wolfe class. The last time I worked on it was when Julie and I had a playdate in April 2018. I brought this piece with me so I could cut more elements (Julie has a Sizzix). I lost my excitement about this piece shortly thereafter, but I am ready to work on it as soon as I get my design walls back up.
- Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. No progress.
- Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. After a brief burst of inspiration, I am stalled on this again. As one of my oldest (I am pretty sure) UFOs, I put it on my blog and out into the Twitterverse and Diane suggested that I not consider this as a self portrait. I think that strategy is a great idea. I am now trying to think of a new persona for her.
- Serendipity Lady – I am still planning to take this piece to be framed. It might need a bit of quilting first.
- Who Am I? – This piece is still languishing. Perhaps having a larger design wall will help me regain momentum. The amount of satin stitching I was facing was a problem until I thought of BIAS TAPE. I am going to make the words with bias tape, perhaps different widths, then I won’t have to satin stitch everything. Red Scribbles and Friend Julie helped me come up with this solution. Now I just have to do it!
Various & Sundry 2022 #3
Other Artists
Sandy over at Quilting for the Rest of Us is back. She is blogging again and, apparently, podcasting, too. I got out of the habit of listening to podcasts when my last iPod died, so haven’t checked. I hope that means that the design series episodes we did back in the day will be available again. I also haven’t checked, but will put that on my list.
Check out Friend Julie’s February Cornucopia post. Lots of great links! I love the one about the newly discovered mosaic. At first, I thought the floor was a kind of medallion. If it is the inset (sort of) triangles make a really interesting design. Julie said it inspired her to possibly make a quilt. Me, too. It also reminds me of a book
Tools, Books, Fabrics, Notions & Supplies
This video on why irons leak was posted to my guild forum. People commented on how useful it was.
I may have shared this shop, Modern Quilt Company, with you before, but it is worth sharing again.
I got a link to the new Keepsake Quilting website. I remember getting the catalog and poring over it with a friend, buying fabrics by writing their numbers and descriptions on an order form and sending it in. Their stock seems to be much reduced, however I was interested to see A LOT of different rulers. Many of them I had never seen before. If you are in the market for longarming or quilting rulers, take a look. I was also interested to see Century solids. They are described as “Andover Fabrics’ Century Solids collection is 100 hues of 100% premium fine-combed cotton with a lovely hand and drape.” I am very tempted by the swatch card, but since I won’t be buying any solids for the time being, I am resisting.
I know I haven’t been on my Tula kick recently, but I am back on that horse today. Tula talks about covering a backpack she made with vinyl to protect parts of it. Genius! Why didn’t I think of that? She also mentions the new ByAnnie vinyl product, which is great, because you can actually see the edge to cut it!
Check out Marsha McCloskey’s Sale Table, if you want some books at great prices or years worth of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazines.
For Aussie friends, I found an interfacing comparison chart, so you can buy interfacing in country for bag making. Less wait time, fewer supply chain issues. Will we still have to worry about supply chain?
Projects, Classes, Patterns & Tutorials
You all know I love Sew Sweetness patterns. I was scrolling through the FB group the other day and saw that someone had made the Hyacinth bag. I didn’t recognize the name and couldn’t bring the design to mind, so I looked it up when I was next at my computer. This is an overlooked gem! It is an older pattern, but a great, larger crossbody bag. As Sara says on her site, it would be perfect for attending an event like a quilt show.
In the Tula Tuesday video mentioned above (about vinyl), Tula also mentions a video for adding rivets to a project. I found it on YouTube, which was linked from the Sallie Tomato website.
Natalie from Sew Hungry Hippie has a great kit for a zipper bag using one of her fun vinyls. The vinyl is called Deep Space soft vinyl. The pieces are already cut!! There is a video walk-through included. This is a great project if you haven’t used vinyl. I have had good experiences using Natalie’s vinyl.
I saw another Tula video where she talks about fussy cutting. As she says, there is one out there, but why not do it again? The video talks about three types of fussy cutting: highlighting a motif, kaleidoscope effect and stripes, which she says is its own method. I saw the details in this video before in a Fat Quarter Shop video.This is a shorter video (25 min vs an hour-ish?), but still useful. I’ll try and find the longer one when I have a minute. It probably won’t be this time around.
Sallie Tomato has a pattern for the Townsend bag, which is similar, if smaller to the Cavalcade bag by Sew Sweetness. This bottom zipper compartment design is popular lately. Making both would make a great set and using Tula’s vinyl trick would keep the bottom clean while traveling. I haven’t tried Sallie Tomato patterns, but I have purchased her hardware. Maybe I’ll get the Townsend pattern and make a set with the Cavalcade bag?
Articles and other Information
QuiltCon ended a week or so ago and the winners raise a lot of questions in the quilt community. Quilting Daily had an interesting editorial.
You can find a list of the winners on the QuiltCon site.
I perused the QuiltCon site briefly and was disappointed they did not link out to the vendor websites. Probably better as I might have bought more quilt supplies.
Jane Brody is retiring from the NYT at 80. I read her last article in which she referred to an article on the health benefits of knitting. You may need a subscription, check your library. Substitute quiltmaking for knitting. I am pretty sure similar findings would apply.
February Donation Blocks
I have other projects to use as leaders and enders, but I have been making a little progress on donation blocks. Some you have seen, but this is the total number for February. I am channeling my friend, Marty, somewhat. She loves brown and for some reason I am trying to use up the brown squares I have.
I gave a slew to Peggy at the guild meeting the other day. The ones I have made in February are small in number but mighty in potential good.
Finished: Cactus Flower Flapper Apron
I have made several of these over the past few years and still like the way they turn out. The last one I made was for my mom, I think.
I made two of these at a time. The second one is still in progress. No, it isn’t Christmas or a birthday, but I had them on my mind, so I decided to make them.
I have been adjusting the neck hole a little, but left it the original size this time. I don’t remember why I adjusted it originally. I think the fabric looks really nice in apron form.
Yes, I used some of my precious Philip Jacobs fabric, but why not? It isn’t like there is a shortage at my house.
This is the pattern you can use with a yard of fabric. The pattern is called Flapper Apron from the Decades of Style pattern company. I bought it in 2018 when I was out shopping with Amanda. The clever part of this pattern is that you cut the pattern out on the bias. The biggest attraction is that you only *need* one yard of fabric to make it. I usually make the apron reversible, which takes 2 yards. As mentioned before, I like to give myself a little breathing room with 1.25 yards on each side. Still, the pattern is designed for one yard of fabric.
The Effects of Basting Update
Remember I talked the other day about changing the way I basted EPP pieces with bunny ears? Well, I used some of those pieces and came up with some interesting results.
Some of the pieces don’t meet. Is this problematic? I don’t know yet, but it isn’t ideal.
I tried to stitch the edges of the pentagons together as tightly as I could to minimize the hole.
The back shows must the same. I did the pieces (shown in the photo on the right) first and hoped that when I added the second pentagon that they would end up together. No such luck.
We’ll have to see what the effect is later. For now, I think I will try to manage the bunny ears.
What’s on the Design Wall – Small
Yes, I am fortunate to have two design walls. I found, while they were folded up and not usable, that I couldn’t really make quilts. I managed one, which seems paltry compared to last year’s general output.
Again, I was surprised at what was on the small design wall. I knew about the yellow improv quilt, because I had been working on it a little since July, but I had completely forgotten all the other projects. They feel overwhelming and I will probably donate the blocks to Maria’s orphan block project or make donation quilts out of them. I am not in the mood to deal with extra blocks at the moment.
I can’t wait to see how the yellow improv bits I made without benefit of design wall fit into this piece.
Last Gift Bags?
I finished a few more gift bags from the fabric I received for Christmas from Friend Julie.
As I think I mentioned, we needed small bags, so I have been concentrating on those. They take a long time just because there are more of them. These have been in process for a week or more, but I finally finished them over the weekend. Yay!
What’s on the Design Wall?
I was surprised to see projects pinned to my design walls when we put them back up over the weekend.
I knew I had left projects on there, but the mists of time clouded over which ones they actually were.
I took all the bits and bobs off the large design wall (pictured) and pressed all the pieces, then put them back up. I really thought I was finished with that Pop Parade Ends quilt. I was shocked to see it still in process. The crazy part is, which I am sure I mentioned before, is how many quilts I made out of the Pop Parade (great name) fabric bundle. Most were FQs, but some were half yards.
Still, I made two donation quilts, one improv-ish and one out of the leftover HSTs from the X quilt. I also made the X Quilt from this Pop Parade line.
Granted, the last bits of leftover Pop Parade fabric is not much. I paired it with other ‘ends’. The two light pieces on the edges (only in the above photo, not the detail, right) aren’t sewn to the quilt yet. I have to see if I want them there. Part of that decision will be measuring.
It is a great feeling to see that I am almost done with a quilt and didn’t even realize it.
Design Wall Reinstallation
Finally, I finally got on DH’s schedule to get my design walls reinstalled. He had a three day weekend (I didn’t ), so he felt like he had the spare time.
He got a new white stick for one of the design walls so everything matches and looks nice. We put up both of the design walls and my refreshed inspiration board.
After a tough 1.5 weeks of family stuff, I wasn’t really up for the disruption, but it is hard to find a time that works, so I gritted my teeth and we got the work done.
In the photo, the room looks like a disaster. It really was. A lot of the furniture that needed to be moved was on wheels, so it was pushed out of the way easily and put back easily. I was surprised how easily, I got everything back into place so it wasn’t on my nerves.
We switched where the two design walls were. We installed the new one (large) where my sewing machine is now back in June of 2020, so it had to go on the other wall where my sewing machine used to be. I kind of like the new location. The light is better over there. I wonder if that will change my fabric choices? I’ll have to make sure not to keep projects on the design wall for too long.
I will say it was a shock to have stuff on the walls after months of bright white, empty walls. I didn’t like it at first. After letting the idea settle overnight I found the effect warmer and more cheerful. The room does look smaller.
2022 Cutting Chart
I finally figured out what I was cutting during 2022.
This guide details many fewer pieces than previous years. I have a lot of pieces I have cut and need to make into quilts, so I am scaling back.
3 1/2 x 12 1/2 – this piece is for the Half Hexie Star quilt
2 1/2 x 4 1/2 – blue gradation quilt
2 1/2 x 2 1/2 – FOTY 2022
2 1/2 x 2 1/2 -I cut 2 1/2″ squares to have them handy in case I need them. I can’t seem to give it up.
1 1/2 x 2 1/2 – pieces for another Scrap Dash. I am not sure I am cutting all the pieces I need to be ready.
1 1/2 x 1 1/2 – More for another Scrap Dash
I am not sure what happened to cutting charts for 2020 and 2021. Can we blame that on COVID? Based on my 2019 cutting chart, I may need to cut more for the pink gradation quilt. I also need backgrounds for the Spin Wheel quilt, which I’d like to get off my to do list this year.
La Pass M7 Rosette #1
I finished the first rosette for month 7 and am pleased with how it came out. The ombre fabric looks good. I’ll be interested to see how it looks in the entire piece.
Now I am frantically working on the second rosette.
The notice came that Month 8 will shortly be in the mail so I need to speed along.
Finished: HST Sawtooth Star Top & Back
I finished the HST Star quilt in time to give it to the community quilts team.
I am pretty pleased with the way it came. A sort of dull charm pack (why did I buy it??) turned into a cheerful quilt top.
The quilt isn’t very girly and I wanted it to be suitable for boys as well, so I chose an Italian restaurant print I have had for years. It is time to use it and this is a good use of it.