Artquiltmaker Blog – Page 94 – Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity

Various & Sundry 2020 #13

Admin

I updated the HRT page with a new tutorial and some new rulers.

NQR Products & Services

You need pandemic patches for your friends and family for when you don’t know what else to give them.

Fabric, Notions, Supplies, Books & Tools

If you are not familiar with all of Omnigrid’s specialty rulers, take a look at their page of options. Links are provided to their standard rulers and non-slip rulers as well.

A new group of fabric builds on the National Park line from last year. I don’t want to add to my fabric store, but I might not be able to resist the San Francisco panel. It would be great for a back.

I never realized that Hawthorne Threads had Michael Miller’s Cotton Couture. I just used a piece the other day and was marveling at what nice fabric it was. I almost bought some Peacock and Peony, but stopped myself. Berry and Azure are pretty nice, too. That 100 yards is in reach. Also, if I started putting fabrics in my cart, I might not be able to stop. They do have a color card, which I seriously might need.

I never bought anything from The Sewing Loft (the online one, not the Seattle brick & Mortar store), but I saw she had a free bat pattern, so I went to download it. I also saw that she has tons of blocks to make holiday themed items (I have table runners on the mind) and offers an All Access Pass to the blocks.

Zippers

I went on a little zipper expedition when one of the patterns I was working on needed a #4.5 zipper. I got a little angry, because 1) I didn’t know what that was; 2) I didn’t have a chart of zipper sizes and 3) I felt like everyone else must know what that meant, but me. I asked Mary and she sent me straight to the Noodlehead site, where Anna wrote a post about the Anatomy of a Zipper. There were some good things about the post including how to measure a zipper with examples of what the different sizes look like. Helpful, but not the chart based information for which I was looking. Thank the stars for the Internet. I did a quick search, then a couple of more refined searches and found some interesting information on zippers.

First, the Do It Better Yourself Club site has an explanation of the parts of a zipper. It also goes into tools for working with zippers and says a regular sewing machine foot will force the teeth away from needle.I have been blase about switching out the foot, but maybe I shouldn’t be. This information was not exactly what I was looking for, but helpful.

Second, Sailrite has a list of zipper sizes and their uses. It is limited to the sizes most commonly used on a sailboat.

Third, Fibre2Fashion has the best chart I saw, though if it had images, it would have been awesome.

Other info I found:

“Length – To determine the length of a zipper you measure from the top stop to the bottom stop. On a separating zipper, measure from the top (pull-side) stop to the end of the zipper tape (where the zipper would separate). ” Anna Graham of Noodle Head, Anatomy of a Zipper
The DIBY Club also has several images of zippers in action
“When you are shopping for zippers you may see a little # symbol with the zipper size next to it. This number is referring to the size of the zipper teeth, measuring from one outer edge of the teeth to the other.” DIBY Club, Understanding Zipper Types, Weights, Sizes and Parts

Projects, Classes, Patterns & Tutorials

Looking for a new project? Aunties Two has a great new website showcasing their bags. They have errors and corrections well organized on this new site. The authors have also created some videos to go along with their patterns.

I found a review and how-to on using the Split Recs ruler, which is on an independent site from Studio 180 Designs, in case you want another point of view.

I am now a huge fan of Clover & Violet. I saw her Flora Supply Case on IG the other day and LOVE it. I missed the Sew-a-Long, but the pattern is available and it looks like it would be a great gift. I also love her Washi Tape Pincushion. It is that great long shape and requires some handwork. If you need a bit of handwork to keep your mind off of things, this might be your project.

Barbara Brackman is starting a new BOM on October 15. This one will be flowers in applique’. Sherri D: are you paying attention? The link to Mary Delany’s work was really interesting as well.

A Spoon Full of Sugar has an adorable travel sewing case that is triangle shaped. This is a pattern for purchase in their Etsy shop.

Face Masks

Hawthorne Threads pointed to a video pattern by Made Everyday. It is a different version of the pleated mask.

Exhibits & Shows

Houston is back with a virtual incarnation.

Other Crafts

Road Home Quilting has expanded her Barn Block project into cross stitch charts. The charts are coded to DMC threads so they match the original #QuiltStyle colors, Spoonflower and Society6 Barn Blocks.

CocoKnits needle gauges and stitch markers are really fun and different.

Baseball Catch All Caddy: Finished!

I took my first video/Zoom class on Saturday and I learned a lot. I had to come late as I had a presentation at 10, but worked ahead, so was almost at the point of the rest of the class when I joined in.

After class, I decided to make another Catch All Caddy for my DH to put his stuff in. We both accumulate stuff on the dining room table. I made his first first, though I plan to make one for me, too, because I had baseball fabric out from my rummage through my backing fabrics a few weeks ago.

I did a couple of things different on this one. The pockets are made with tubes to so I left a little of the pocket fabric showing above the border fabric (dots). I thought that was an interesting idea and I wanted to try it.

I also used 40 weight thread for the top stitching. It goes through the machine with no problem and you can see it more than regular Aurifil. I don’t know if it is the right shape for DH to use, but we will see.

Red Text Table Runner Quilted

I really don’t want these Journey2Nebula projects hanging around clogging up my UFO list. Since the next project started yesterday, I sat down on Sunday an did some simple quilting on the Red Text table runner. It will be for my buffet (if I didn’t mention that before) and I would like to get it done so I can use it for a little while before I need to set up the decor for Thanksgiving.

Red Text Table Runner - quilted — Red Text Table Runner – quilted

I quilted most of it while talking on the phone to the YM. I used the Rotary Even foot rather than my usual clear applique foot. I wasn’t happy with it for other uses, but thought it worked pretty well for quilting straight lines. I definitely didn’t have to worry about the layers shifting. I also liked it because it was quiet. Unlike the walking foot, this foot didn’t clang and make a ton of noise while I was sewing.

I don’t like quilting that much, but it was a good task to do to stay off my foot.

I also made the binding, but it was a little too big, so I need to adjust it then hand stitch the binding to the back of the table runner. I am excited to have it finished!

Catch All Caddy

BAM had its first Zoom workshop the other day and I took it despite some challenges. First, we had to do some prep work, which I did, but I think I went a little beyond, because I had a presentation and wouldn’t be able to join until late.

The Catch All Caddy was a bag that was given away at the 2013 retreat. I think it was one of the best bags given out when bags were still being made for retreats. Since then people who attended that retreat bring them to Sew Day and workshops, using them to organize tools and carrying their other stuff. Everyone else is envious, thus Lynette decided to teach the rest of us how to make the bag.

I felt good about my progress Friday night when I finished for the evening.

FOTY 2019 Presentation and Disruption

I went into a presentation yesterday with the fabric in the photo on my design wall. This was not my intention and I was, frankly, embarrassed that I didn’t have more on the wall when I went into the session.

Life sucks sometimes and this is what I had to work with. Life throws curveballs sometimes and we have roll with them.

Fortunately, I have been in CQFA long enough that people know I am not a slacker and we had a good discussion regardless. Also Maureen was great. She was very encouraging and not judgmental at all, so I didn’t feel as bad after talking to her as I did before.

My curveball was a torn ligament in my foot, which resulted in lovely new footwear. it also resulted in me spending a lot more time on the couch with my foot up. It could have been much worse, but I can’t help still feeling somewhat disgruntled.

Remembering September 11

September 11 comes around every year. This year feels different. Victim deaths of the pandemic have surpassed September 11 victims by leaps and bounds, though perhaps not in the numbers of the victims of the aftermath of 9/11. Still, that day is seared into my mind.

I was home alone that morning as DH was out of town and I was trying to get the YM to pre-school and get to my job. If anyone says ‘September 11’, I think about my mom calling me and sort of screeching at me to turn on the TV. My mom doesn’t really screech, so this is probably my imagination. I also remember how turning on the TV made the whole situation real. I was in my house getting ready to go to work, getting my almost 5YO YM ready for school, minding my own business and as soon as I turned on the TV, the world was different – meaner, more revenge oriented, less tolerant and more violent. Everything changed that morning even though I didn’t know it.

I couldn’t process those planes crashing into the World Trade Center. I couldn’t process the passengers taking over the flight that eventually crashed in the field in Pennsylvania or the flight that eventually affected the Pentagon. I can’t help but think of how quiet the skies were for days after. Now that I think about, it reminds me of how quiet everything was at the end of March 2020 when everyone was sheltering-in-place. I remember watching TV for hours with DH (once he returned) and seeing the same images over and over. I think of the years of violence that make up our lives today.

I ended up making two quilts as a reaction to OR to do something to mark-commemorate-remember (I don’t know the right word. Send a message?) the day and my feelings. The first was done very quickly and sent off to Houston to be displayed in a commemorative display at Quilt Festival and Market.

Fireball is a reaction to all the fire that was shown on TV. It is a woven quilt and messy looking. The strips are raw edge so the whole piece reflects the chaos of the day and the aftermath.

The second quilt is also an art quilt. It took me longer and was my wish/prayer for the future. It is called What Comes Next. Clearly my wishes were not acknowledged because the things I wanted to come out of that terrible day were the exact opposite of what actually came out of it.

This quilt has similarities to my Blood and Oil quilt and the more recent, Down the Drain quilt. Someday I’d like to use those paper doll motifs again.

Black Windmill Top & Back

I finished the top, back and binding for the Black Windmill over the weekend. This baby is ready to go to the longarmer. I need to decide if I will take this quilt and Red Scribbles or if I will wait and put together another quilt before I made the trip? I’d like this one back at the beginning of October so the sooner the better my chances are. On the other hand, making the trip seems like a really long adventure. It is totally my perception. The length of the trip (15 miles???) hasn’t changed.

In terms of the back, I used a big leafy Philip Jacobs print and some older prints I unearthed when I looked through my backing fabrics a few weeks ago. The back doesn’t exactly match the front, but I thought the front was a little dark and wanted the back to be lighter. Also, I wanted to use up fabric.

The two middle half yards on the right are Mary Ellen Hopkins prints from the Dark Ages. They are awesome prints that I had been saving for something special. My stepdad’s quilt seems like a good opportunity to use them.

One of them, however, has fish on it and the fish look super grumpy! I didn’t notice that before I sewed the back and I hope my stepdad doesn’t take issue with them. In a way the grumpiness is kind of funny.

A Few Donation Blocks

I spent a lot of time over the weekend on cleanup projects: making a binding, making a sleeve, tidying, etc. In the process, I decided that some Bonnie and Camille 2.5 inch squares I was saving were going to be donation blocks.I dumped a bunch of squares into the bin I use for donation 2.5 inch squares. The bin overflowed, so I started sewing.

I made a couple of donation blocks. THEN I realized that I could use those squares to make another Traffic Jam donation quilt, so I started in on making 4 patches instead of 16 patches. I thought about unsewing the two blocks I made, but decided that would be stupid and will just move forward with the unsewn 2.5 inch squares for now.

Of course, this means I am now working on two donation quilts at once, the Traffic Jam and the Blue Improv Donation top. Not sure how I will work that out, but need to go with what is of interest at the moment.

Plaid Block Party Finished

Plaid Block Party completed - front — Plaid Block Party completed – front

I finished the binding on the Plaid Block Party last week. As I said in my last completed quilt post, handwork is somewhat delayed in the world of COVID-19. I have FOTY 2018 and the sleeve for Flying Around to complete as well.

In the meantime, I am very pleased with this quilt. I really like that Block Party block. Aside from being super easy, I think it looks great as well. I’d like to make another quilt with this pattern and have an idea of who the recipient will be.

Plaid Block Party completed - back — Plaid Block Party completed – back

My DH acted as quilt holder and didn’t quite have the wingspan to get it straight. I may not be able to get a better photo before I have to send it off to my cousin-nephew.

My goal was to use up my plaids, which, with the Plaid donation top, I have done. Yay!

Journey 2 Nebula Start

I did decide to join the Journey 2 Nebula project / Sew-a-Long (?) / Quilt-a-Long(?). As mentioned previously, this is a skill-builder for learning to use the Jaybird Quilts rulers, Hex N More** & Super Sidekick** (or Sidekick**) to prepare for the Nebula Quilt-a-Long. I am not planning on making the Nebula quilt, but I thought the skill-builder was interesting. I also thought it was a good idea to have a series of small projects so people could get used to using specialty rulers

When I gathered the supplies, I also got our non-Jaybird rulers that I thought would work. I borrowed the rulers from a guild mate because I didn’t want to buy them without trying them. Usually I jump at the chance to buy specialty rulers, but I am saving money and I have several rulers that do the same thing as the various Jaybird rulers. I am not adverse to buying one or more of them in the future, but we will see.

I did have to buy all of the patterns, but Pink Door had a bundle with a slight discount, so it wasn’t horrible, though I probably don’t really need the patterns for the projects. I certainly won’t need them long term. I count it as supporting a woman-owned small business.

This skill-builder was, I think, more popular than expected. There is a lot of grumbling about not getting patterns in a timely manner, not getting rulers and having the various fabrics (people seem to want the same exact colors as the samples) sold out. My patterns arrived on Monday, the day before the start. And, of course, there is no shortage of fabric at my house, so I was ready to go.

The first day was Tuesday and despite my plans to get the top of the Black Windmill finished, I started this skill-builder project. The first skill is diamonds – Super Sidekick** or Sidekick**ruler – and the project is the Seaside table runner. I am no stranger to diamonds after making the Fabric of the Year 2010 quilt. I had my strips prepared, read the directions and started cutting using thee Super Sidekick**. Julie of Jaybird Quilts (not Friend Julie) made a video as well.

It wasn’t difficult to use the ruler. There are pictures in the pattern and I was able to quickly cut two sets of diamonds for the table runners I want to make. Amy didn’t have the Sidekick, so, as I said, I used the Super Sidekick**. It is a big ruler, approximately 15×8.5 inches. I think the Sidekick** ruler would have fit my hand better, but beggars can’t be choosers.

I wondered the whole time I was cutting diamonds how the Super Sidekick** compared to the Split Recs Ruler **? I think they can both cut HRTs, but I didn’t’ try that. I’ll have to do some more research later.

Cutting diamonds with Creative Grids ruler

Cutting diamonds with Super Sidekick ruler

Once I was comfortable with the Super Sidekick**, I got out my Creative Grids Turn-a-Round Diamond ruler. This ruler, which no longer seems to be available, cuts both 45 and 60 degree diamonds. I had to line it up differently, but was able to cut the same diamonds with it. I didn’t know I was cutting 60 degree diamonds until I started cutting with the CG ruler. The Jaybird Pattern doesn’t say anything about that.

My 2.5″ strips vs. the Super Sidekick** vs. Creative Grids Turn-a-Round Diamond ruler all measured 2.5″ differently. I am not worried about putting the table runner together, but I thought it was interesting.

I did start to sew, but I didn’t get very far. Stay tuned for more info.

**I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item 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.

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