Various & Sundry 2023 #9

Admin

I updated the page showing the Color Strip & Chunk Donation quilts. I was shocked to realize I have made 11 of these tops so far.

I have updated the Policies and Procedure page.

Projects, Classes, Patterns & Tutorials

Mary C shared an  IG reel with me that is very interesting. I like the shape of the pouch shown, but also the ease of making it.

Happy Sew Lucky pincushion
Happy Sew Lucky pincushion

This is a pretty cool and useful pincushion plus from Happy Sew Lucky. Her shop also includes a number of quilt blocks with positive messaging. It would make a great gift. Note the flap for WonderClips** She also has some free tutorials.

Sew Hungry Hippie has a video for installing turn locks. I haven’t had a chance to watch it, but her stuff is good. Sew Sweetness has a purse hardware video, which includes a little information about turn locks. The Oriole Bag from Sew Sweetness is free and has a turn lock, so part of the video will tell you how to install it.

Julie shared the Butterscotch Bag pattern with me.

I am not interested in making a Hallowe’en quilt, but I might make a Hallowe’en table runner out of this eyeball pattern from Happy Sew Lucky.

Tools, Fabric, Notions & Supplies

Friend Julie has a good review of the Marcia Baraldi Quilting Grips. They are like gloves, but allow you tie knots as you quilt.

Zippers from Wawak
Zippers from Wawak

I needed some more double slide zippers the other day and went on to Wawak and was pleased to see what great prices they had. I bought several 30″ double slide zippers for $1.89 each. In the 30″, they had quite a few colors. They didn’t have as many colors for the 36″ and up – just basics like black and white, which is a shame. 30″ works very well for a number of the Minikins projects. For projects that require a longer zipper in a color, I can always go to the Sew Sweetness or ByAnnie site.

They are not ByAnnie brand, which are really great products, but they are YKK, which is another good brand.

You can find them by searching for double-slide zipper, but they are listed as “YKK #4.5 30″ Nylon Coil Long Pull Two-Way Head-To-Head Bag Zipper”. This tells me that they have a good taxonomy behind their search engine. That’s your librarian reference for the day.  😉

ByAnnie and Sew Sweetness have zipper tape by the yard for projects that need a zipper longer than 40″. I haven’t used much of the zipper tape, but it should be just as easy to use as cutting a 30″ zipper to 26″, for example. I have some and I should try it.

Still, take a look at Wawak for your zipper needs.

Media, Books and Articles

If you are interested in Bay Area quiltmakers, check out the Quiltfolk issue n.27 featuring a variety of quiltmakers. Many of them I have mentioned here.

I have a library card at the Los Angeles Public Library. I usually glance through the newsletter. The other day I saw that they now have Craftsy on Libby. I imagine that other libraries will follow suit. If you go to LA, get an LAPL library card!

Events, Exhibits and Shows

Joy-Lily has a scrap quilting class at the San Francisco Public Library

Other Artists

Nicki M made a quilt from various bits and pieces our charity team put together. Many of the 16 Patches are blocks that I made! I am so pleased when someone uses my work to make something for kinds in need.

 

 

 

**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

26 Projects 2023 #8

WOW! Another month has sped by. I never get as much done as I want, but I am trying to appreciate how much I do get done.

Finished 2023 Quilt Projects

Finished (for me!) Donation Quilts

I don’t quilt much and I enjoy the collaborative effort of making a top and allowing someone else to quilt it. Thus, the quilts below are mostly tops, but I will include a finished quilt once someone else finishes it for the group.

Finished Bags and Small Projects

This category covers bags, toys, aprons and knitting as well as other non-quilt projects.

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 (machine work)

    • Metro Twist – making blocks and laying them out

Quilts (Handwork)

I decided that some of my quilts 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.

  • La Passacaglia – The rosettes are all assembled. I am ripping out the papers and deciding what to do with the border.

Ready for Quilting

In the Quilting Process

    • Nothing at the moment

In the Finishing Process

    • Nothing at the moment

Small Projects

Most of my progress involves thinking or just cutting. I don’t have a bag in process at the moment.

  • Ultimate Project Organizer – another project from the Crafty Gemini Organizer Club, also on my list, but not yet started. I did pull the fabric, supplies and reviewed some finished photos that others posted, so I am one step closer.
  • 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. I did pull the fabric, supplies and reviewed some finished photos that others posted, so I am one step closer.
  • Rose Petrillo bag – I found the pieces for this bag cut out, but not sewn.
  • Superbloom tote using Hindsight fabric – not started. I did pull the fabric, supplies and found a photo I plan to use as inspiration that others posted, so I am one step closer.

Still UFOs
I still have UFOs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled, it hasn’t been worked on in awhile or it is waiting its turn to be worked on. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.

I am annoyed that some of these are still WIPs. I just need to work on them!

  1. 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?
  2. 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.
  3. Serendipity Lady – I am still planning to take this piece to be framed. It might need a bit of quilting first.
  4. Fabric of the Year 2020
  5. Fabric of the Year 2021 – I may combine 2020 and 2021 into a COVID edition.
  6. Fabric of the Year 2022 – yes, I added this one to the list, but this is the last one I plan to do.

August 2023 Donation Blocks

More donation blocks for August.

Yes, you can see that I am starting to work on a new color strip quilt for the community project.

 

Fish Hackney Start

Fish Hackney cut out
Fish Hackney cut out

As usual, I had some leftovers of the fish fabric I used for the Trout pillowcases. It is really good fabric so I cut up the leftovers to make a Hackney for my Dad for Christmas.

The difference with this one is that I used the same fabric for the lining as for the exterior. I am not sure how that is going to work, but I’ll make a stab. This one will also have a mesh pocket.

Another Fabric Pull

Coneflowers & Chrysanthemum Fabric Pull
Coneflowers & Chrysanthemum Fabric Pull

I talked about this group of fabric a few years ago. I really can’t stop thinking about this group of fabrics. I like it a lot, but I know that it doesn’t have enough fabrics for most of the quilts I make. Either I have to find a simple, but interesting pattern or I need to add more fabrics.

What do you think?

Metro Twist Then and Now

The other day I talked about selecting a large print fabric to add to the Metro Twist. After that whole selection process, I pieced some blocks using one strip of fabric to see how they would look.

Here is the before and after:

The veggie print makes the quilt look darker. The quilt will be given to one of my nephews so I think the darker look works.

Scrappy Celebration Fabric Pull

Scrappy Celebration fabrics
Scrappy Celebration fabrics

I was going through my phone the other night and found this great picture of the group of fabrics I used for Scrappy Celebration. I am glad, because I forgot to take a picture before I started making blocks.

I thought I bought them in Mt. Vernon, but I don’t see them in the photo. Who knows?

Anyway, I am finally putting them to good use.

Adding to Metro Twist

As promised, I got back in the Metro Twist groove last weekend. I cut up some of the foreground fabrics I selected and made more blocks. I didn’t work my way completely through the stack I had cut, but I made a dent. The blocks are somewhat time consuming and I didn’t want to cut out a bunch of pieces all at once.

Metro Twist with Green Floral
Metro Twist with Green Floral

As I did so, I thought the of large print fabric I had selected. I thought the green would work very well with the overall color scheme. Also, I thought the scale of the print, when cut up, would add interest, but not be too girly looking.

I never cut up pieces when I cut the other foregrounds out. There was something not quite right about it, though generally the look was good.

Metro Twist with floral burst print
Metro Twist with floral burst print

On Sunday, I decided that I really needed to add a fabric with the large scale. At the same time, I decided that I would confirm that this was the print for the job. I have quite a few large print fabrics, so I dragged a few out, though I looked through a lot more.

I thought the dark green in the second photo might be better. I thought the dark green would pick up the other dark greens in the tone-on-tone foreground fabrics.. This one was my front runner for awhile.

I tried some other darks, then gave up. I wasn’t able to find anything better than the one above.

Metro Twist with Coleus and Roses
Metro Twist with Coleus and Roses

For kicks, I tried some fabrics with more pinks. I didn’t want girly, but there are already a few pinks and they don’t make the quilt abhorrent to men, I don’t think.

I like this fabric a lot and I liked the lavender background. I thought it added something to the quilt. However, I didn’t like the red for this quilt. The red works well in the fabric, but with all of the burgundies and red-purples, I want to keep that clear red out of the quilt for now.

Metro Twist with dark Chrysanthemum
Metro Twist with dark Chrysanthemum

Finally, I tried one of the lush Chrysanthemum prints. This was better than the dark green and I liked the way the print pulled out the other pink foreground fabrics. I also liked the mustard-y color (see lower right of the Philip Jacobs print).  The problem, again, was the red.

By now, I was kind of desperate. I thought I would go with my original choice or the Floral Burst, but I wasn’t 100% on board with those. I took another look through my large print fabrics and came up with the perfect, if unorthodox, choice.

Mixed Veg, part of the Veggies Collection by Martha Negley
Mixed Veg, part of the Veggies Collection by Martha Negley

I don’t even know why I have this fabric. I loved some of the other colorways of this print and probably just snapped it up because of the imagery.  It has been in my palette for awhile. There are certain colors, which are perfect for this quilt. The burgundy and fuschia are obvious. The greens and that little bit of blue used as a shadow are also good.

I am pleased with this choice, if a little unorthodox.

 

White Strip Donation Quilt Finished

White Strip Donation Quilt: finished
White Strip Donation Quilt: finished

Leann brought the White Strip Donation Quilt to the meeting last weekend. It has been a long while in coming, but she quilted it and was finishing the binding. I am so pleased to see it done.

I finished the top in 2019, so it has been languishing for awhile. Fortunately, fabric doesn’t go bad. There is something about this one that I really like. Soon, I will have enough scraps to make another.

More Metro Twist

Metro Twist - July 2023
Metro Twist – July 2023

I decided that I would try to make the Metro Twist larger.I have a possible recipient for this quilt and I want it to, at least be lap sized.

I have plenty of foreground fabrics, even though most are fat quarters. I needed to find more of the background fabric. It is always a challenge with solids. Since I buy limited solid brands, I thought it was doable.

Normally, I write the brand and color in Sharpie on the selvedge, but the grey I used for Metro Twist didn’t have it. Either I cut it off and tossed it or never wrote it down.

I also didn’t have a picture of the grey with other purchases. Usually, I photograph my purchases so I have some hope of finding fabric and supplies again.

Austin Sewing Pure Elements Ash + mesh
Austin Sewing Pure Elements Ash + mesh

I looked at my color cards and thought the background might be from Pure Elements. I bought some Pure Elements Ash first, but when it arrived, I could see that it wasn’t quite right. I can use it for something else, but disappointing nonetheless.

Back to the color cards. This time I pulled them all out, but immediately put back the Kona color card. I very rarely buy Kona and I knew this wasn’t it. I have the American Made Brands color card. Bingo! I bought some of one of their Gray. I am pretty sure that is the right fabric. I suppose I’ll see when it arrives.

I haven’t worked on the Metro Twist for a few weeks as I tried to catch up on Scrappy Celebration and The Pantone Project. I was able to make some progress this past weekend with the background pieces I have already cut. I have a bit of the background left and want to save it until the reinforcements arrive in case I need it and can’t find the right solid.

Finished: Enlarged I Spy

Blazing Star I Spy
Blazing Star I Spy

I finally finished the Enlarged I Spy (AKA Blazing Star I Spy). It is too big for the Blazing Star templates, but I can always use it for a different set of templates or for something else. It won’t go to waste.

Blazing Star I Spy - back
Blazing Star I Spy – back

I am pleased with how I matched the coneflowers on the top around the zipper. The process, in general, however, wasn’t as smooth as I would have guessed. I suppose I was distracted a bit. From what, I don’t know.

Blazing Star I Spy -zipper end detail
Blazing Star I Spy -zipper end detail

One thing I am determined to remember to do is to cut off the ends of the zippers and use zipper tabs. I really don’t know how I missed that bit of metal with my sewing machine needle. Sheer good luck.

You can also see, in this picture, that I used glitter vinyl. I love it!

Pantone from Julie

August Pantone blocks from Julie
August Pantone blocks from Julie

Friend Julie has been diligently handing me groups of blocks whenever I see her.

Here is the latest batch. While it may look paltry compared to my bonanza, keep in mind that she has been keeping up and I haven’t. She gives me a few at a time whereas I procrastinate by making bags. I tried to work on a block or two during my lunch hours and after work. That works pretty well when I have the colors already matched to the postcards.