This past weekend I mostly worked on the Blue Janus Quilt, which I called the Blue Quilt in a previous post. Those squares required a lot of chain piecing and I needed something to piece in between so that I wouldn’t have to cut threads each time I wanted to press as I moved farther along in the process.
I decided to start the Zig Zaggy quilt and use the pieces to help with my chain piecing.
Measuring
First, I looked at the Happy Zombie site again and confirmed the sizes. then I cut some samples. Happy Zombie used a special ruler and cut 5″ long wedges. Elizabeth Hartman from Oh Fransson! blog originally used templates and cut the wedges longer. I decided to use Happy Zombie’s method and trim later.
Zig Zaggy Sewn
I cut and sewed a few together, think I would do another colorwash look.
Blech!
I am not doing the colorwash. With just the purples it is too boring. the purples are all the same value and just don’t look like the colors are gradating. I am going to mix up the colors. I just didn’t get very far.
I decided to name this quilt the Blue Janus quilt, because Janus is the Greek God of doorways, gateways and transitions. This quilt is going to someone who is embarking on a huge transition. More on that later!
I started out with 6.5″ patches. Each one of those squares is 6.5″, which makes the block about 24′. I needed 16 of the 6.5′ patches across and down to make the desired sized quilt. Yet another monster!
Big Blocks of Big Patches
These are the first of several blocks this size.
Quilt Top Finished
I cannot spread the whole thing out in my workroom, so you get a little piece of the action. It took me about a day plus a couple of hours to sew the whole thing together. Since I want the edges to be straight I added a quilting border that will get cut off later.
Completed Top
You can see a little of the quilting border in this picture.
I am almost finished with the back. It is causing me a few headaches so I wasn’t able to finished before I had to be away from my sewing machine for a week. I plan to quilt this baby at my next longarm appointment at the end of the month so I need to get it done. I am sure I can since I have only a few more seams to get a back that is large enough.
Don’t get too excited, I haven’t started writing. I had a big burst of writing inspiration back in April, but the journal wasn’t ready. After working on it recently, it is more ready. It is funny. I worked on it diligently and thought I was done with all of the backgrounds. As I looked through it after everything was dry, I saw other spots and pages that needed work.
If you haven’t been to work of heart, you need to put it on your list for your next vacation. After going to see the Rosacrucian Museum, you need to spend some time at A Work of Heart. As I have said before, it is an awesomely creative environment.
Lightening a Page
Some of the pages were too dark. In my previous post about this journal, I showed the Credit Card plaid. While the page above is not the credit card plaid page, it was just as dark. Andrea had some spray on Gesso, which makde short work of lightening the page. It is a spray paint type of application, which I didn’t much like (had on my cute clothes), but I did like the end result. I think it will be much easier to write on this page with it lighter.
Adding Words
While I don’t have a complete plan for how I am going to work with this journal, I do know that I wanted page numbers. The Child usually gets a slice of pizza at a place which requires we take a number. I realized that the numbers would make interesting, if a little large, page numbers.
The point of the journal is to explore the word “Purpose.” To that end, I wanted to, first, explore the shape of the letters of the word. I stamped and pasted letters on to almost every page. The letters on the page above are favorites.
Chalk and Silhouette
One of the techniques Andrea showed us was the one above – creating a silhouette page out of pan pastel and a magazine photo. One of the other students did it and I borrowed her silhouette and added it to my journal.
The page number on this page is a little different. I got a pack of note cards at IKEA which depict address signs on one side. Each pack has a different group of numbers, but the back of each pack shows a tiny illustration of all of the notecards. I cut out each of the numbers and used it for the page numbers. There weren’t enough for every page, so there are a variety throughout the book.
There is another class in July. We’ll see if I can make it and actually finish my journal.
I have been wanting to the create the Library or reading area in my house forever and this prompt was the perfect opportunity. It took me awhile to get the chair the way I, mostly, wanted it. I have a similar chair that I never get to sit in anymore. I may add some color to the books.
Katy over at I’m a Ginger Monkey has posted her finished Spiderweb. I have been thinking harder about my Spiderweb and, especially, the massive number of random sized strips I have been saving for it.
Katy’s rendition of this pattern is very bright and cheerful. I like the pinks she has used for the background
Various podcasters have gotten together on a service called Big Tent and created a Quiltcast Supergroup. I don’t know the ins and outs of Big Tent, but it is basically a way for all the podcast listeners to get together and talk. I am assuming that this is like LISTSERVs back in the day or Yahoogroups used today. The nice thing about Big Tent is you can have one giant group with a bunch of subgroups and that is how they have organized it.
One of the podcasts I have started to follow is Stash Resolution. You can find it on iTunes. There is also a blog, of course. In the Big Tent Stash Resolution Group a week or so ago, some asked what people were afraid of. Someone said the Storm at Sea block. Another person said Mariner’s Compass. Someone else mentioned that she did not have much time to sew and wanted to guarantee success every time she had time. I thought this last comment was the most interesting. It made me think of whether I need success every time.
I wrote that I thought it would be hard to guarantee success every time. I think one has more success when one is more confident in their own technical skills and can assess quickly when the project is going well or not.
It occurred to me that I use some strategies to maximize my sewing time and also to have more success. Here is what I wrote to the group:
1. take notes from the time the project is an idea until it is finished. This helps me get it organized, keep track of where I am and remember what I did after I finish the project, which is helpful if I want to do it or something like it again. Everything flat (e.g. paper, some fabric) gets organized in folders.
2. Take lots of photos and put them in computer files by the project name and printed out in the folder.
3. Remind myself there is always more fabric. This is so that if something is going badly, I don’t feel like I have just used the last piece of good fabric.
4. I focus on quiltmaking. The only other crafts I do is knitting and some paper crafts. I only knit when I cannot quilt and I do not keep a stash. I do the paper crafts at a local shop and try to keep the stash to a minimum.
5. I plan well for days when I am free, so that I am ready to go. I also do little bits, if I can, during the week. Cutting straps and interfacing, making patterns, cutting templates are all things that can be done in a little bit of time.
6. I warm up as I start. I use easy blocks (like 4 patch) that I piece from scraps to get me in the groove.
7. When I cannot be at my sewing machine, I read, listen and think about quiltmaking.
8. I have to play and realize that I will make mistakes and things will come out badly. It is just the way it is. I was a lot more successful when I acknowledged that and worked with it. Mistakes can be repurposed.
9. I make the same project over and over again, especially for smaller projects(tote bags, pencil rolls and journal covers are the biggies). Doing things over and over helps you get to know the pattern, your machine, your skills. This is much easier with sewn accessories like bags as opposed to quilts. You can make the same block over and over.
10. Always use good fabric, because you might not ever make the project again.
11. If one way of doing something doesn’t work, try a different way. I suggest making pillows to try different ways of machine applique’.
12. Take classes and learn.
13. Try it again next year.
I am not sure if these are my ‘rules’ for quiltmaking, but it is a pretty good list to think about.
A simple and easy-to-use UML editor, suitable for students and casual users. [Open Source, GPL]
shrinking violet
Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.
The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.
Fabricworm Custom Quilt Bundle, Rainbow, Half Yard Set, 10 Total
Fabricworm Custom Quilt Bundle, Rainbow, Half Yard Set, 10 Total
Each Half Yard Measures 18″ x 44″
You Will receive a Half Yard of Each:
Anna Maria Horner Filigree Plum
Amy Butler Momento Burgandy
Denyse Schmidt Four Square New Day
Michael Miller Ta Dot Teal
Heather Bailey Pop Daisy Green
Anna Maria Horner Filigree Meadow
Robert Kaufman Pure Organic Solid Maize
Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Crosshatch Yellow
Monaluna Mingle Dot Tangerine
Momo Freebird Eggs Melon
Monaluna Circa 50 Woodland Chain Strawberry (Organic)
Alice Kennedy Apple Swirl Red
100% Cotton
Fabric is sold by the ½ Yard. For example, if you would like to purchase 1 Yard, you would enter 2 in the Qty. box at Checkout. Yardage is cut in one continuous piece.
I would love to see them in real life. I am glad they gave the names of the fabrics so I can look them up. I can’t think of what I would use them for. They would be gorgeous together.
Mary over at Mary’s Art Musings is willing to draw your pet and send you a photo. if you go to her site (linked below), you can see her call for action and a sample of her gorgeous work. Send a photo of your pet!
If you have a picture of your dog or cat I am collecting them to draw and put in my book. Send them to me via the comment section of this blog and I will send you a photo of the final drawing. And your furry friend’s drawing will go into a museum with art house co-op.
I didn’t buy the Frosted Stars kit that I talked about recently. I already have a lot of projects going, I have several projects to start, there were some things I didn’t like about it, it was lots of money, etc. You know all the reasoning.
Still I couldn’t get the thing out of my mind, so I went to look at it again today. In addition to p.s. i quilt shop‘s offerings, the Fat Quarter Shop has the pattern as well. I decided to do my due diligence.
Basic Grey Fruitcake
Above is an image of all the Fruitcake prints from the Fat quarter shop. I looked there. I also went to the Moda site to look at the all of the fabrics from the Basic Grey Fruitcake collection. Fruitcake is the fabric collection Charlie Scott uses for the Frosted Stars quilt. It turns out, sadly, that I don’t really like most of the fabrics included in the Fruitcake collection. I still liked the pattern, however, and thought perhaps that I would make it anyway.
I looked around to see if the pattern was available. Charlie Scott, the designer, has a website and has a link to the pattern on the Moda Bake Shop site. YAY! This revelation expanded my options. I could make the quilt with other fabrics. I was thinking aqua/turquoise and red with a little green thrown in.
In the midst of all this I emailed my mom with the various links and she said not to buy the kit, but just to get the pattern and use my own fabrics or other fabrics. Sometimes it is nice to have someone agree with me.
Kate Spain 12 Days... Collection
Somehow, I ran across the Kate Spain Christmas fabrics. They are bright and cheerful and a definite possibility. I printed out the PDF so I could look at the individual fabrics. I am not fond of the motifs on a couple of them and I couldn’t use the panels, which are part of the collection. I don’t know if they come with the Jelly Rolls and Layer cakes.
Lumiere De Noel Collection
I saw this Lumiere de Noel group as I was perusing the Fat Quarter Shop site. I thought that perhaps it might be a nice choice for the Frosted Stars pattern. It has a little bit of a grey tinge in this picture, but looks much brighter in the example quilt on the site. Take a look at the individual fabrics and let me know what you think.
WOW! July already! Can you believe it?21 days until Lil Sissy‘s birthday and 26 days until DH’s. July and August are huge birthday months for our family. I had better get busy!
Parts of this drawing didn’t come out the way I intended, but that is the way of the world.I’ll do better next time, right?
Take a look at the original prompt and add your own response.
This is the first part of a quilt I am making as a gift. I will tell you for whom it is intended once it is delivered.
I have been cutting blue 6.5″ squares, in a delusatory way, for the past year. I was sure I would get it done. Suddenly, it was April and I didn’t have nearly enough squares. I really wanted the quilt done by the beginning of June and was, thus, in a pickle. My deadline isn’t going to happen.
TFQ helped with my dilemna by cutting about 100 squares for me. That really, REALLY helped. I cut the rest and began sewing. I hope to have this top and back done in time to quilt it at my longarm appointment on July 30.
You all know that I cut a patch from each piece of fabric I buy in a given year. You also know that I do this in order to decide if I like the fabric so I can buy more before it goes out of style. These are my Fabric of the Year (FOTY) patches and this year I am cutting diamonds. In addition to my FOTY patches, there are other patches I cut from other pieces of fabric. Lately I have been cutting from both new and old, but it depends on the project.
First, in the upper left hand corner are the 6.5″ blue squares. Some blue green snuck in as well. These are for a quilt I am making for someone who reads this blog, so I can’t tell you any more until I get it done.
Next, upper right, are the 4×4″ squares. These are for TFQ, because she cheerfully cuts many, many patches of almost any size and shape I ask. I am cutting these from any fabric that I get out of my fabric closet and all new ones.
Third, lower left corner, are the Tumblers for Julie. Her quilt is king-sized, so until I see her put the thing together and get it quilted, I keep cutting. Mostly these are from new fabrics, but I hauled out a bunch of blues lately, so this stack happens to be blue.
Fourth, in the lower middle, are Eye Spy hexagons for my SIL’s Eye Spy project. I buy very few conversationals, so I don’t cut many of them yet. I don’t know if she has started cutting from her own stash yet. These are fun to fussy cut. The exercise makes me look at my fabrics differently.
Last are the blue rectangles (2.5″x4.5″). I am in deep love with that rectangle shape I used for FOTY 2008. I look at the quilt every day at work and adore it, so I decided I wanted to make another out of blues. It takes a lot of cutting, so it will be here for awhile. After starting to sew the Blue Quilt together I am thinking that a blue rectangle quilt might not have been such a great idea.
Not pictured are the food fabric squares, 6.5″, I am cutting for my mom. She is making a replacement quilt for her step grandson, whose quilt was burned up in a fire. I will probably help her with it. We are seriously considering the Corner Store pattern from Pretty Little Mini Quilts, which is like M Dugan’s version on Flickr. I may try this quilt out myself, too. Back to my mom, though. I hope we do get to work on it together. I think it would be fun.
I also cut 2×2″ squares and make four patches as warm-ups.
Multitasking
I often press and cut fabric while I am on the phone. I am not much of a phone person, so there are only a few people to whom I speak on the phone for extended periods of time. On a recent conversation with TFQ, I was amazed to see how much I cut. I am not a fast presser or cutter, so I was pleased.
I hope this preparation doesn’t seem terribly schizophrenic. Sometimes it does feel that way, but I am so glad when I have enough of one patch and can just start sewing. I don’t like to do all my cutting at once and this is a good way for me to do it incrementally.
Sandy talked about scraps and what she cuts for scrap quilts on a recent podcast, so I don’t feel quite as crazy. It was interesting to hear what she said about the pieces she cut.
Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.
The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.
The US celebration, the 4th of July, is coming this weekend. I thought I would take the opportunity to post this word.
Definition: 1: to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites 2 a: to honor (as a holiday) especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business b: to mark (as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine 3: to hold up or play up for public notice <her poetry celebrates the glory of nature>intransitive verb1: to observe a holiday, perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival 2: to observe a notable occasion with festivities
