I finished the vertical orange donation blocks into a quilt. I did it on a day when I was really annoyed and needed some straight piecing – no pockets or zippers – that could soothed my jangled nerves.
These blocks were made from the strips I cut off of the Orange You Glad backgrounds. Waste not want not.
Creamsicle back
I am pleased with the way this top turned out and also glad it is done.
I put the back together quickly so I could give Peggy a whole package. Nothing special. There certainly has been a lot of orange in my life lately.
I am back on the UCAB bandwagon! I worked on the pockets for the Brocade Peony UCAB over the weekend and made some good progress. This is part of my effort to clear off my to do list. I know I have gifts to make, so there is a push-me-pull-you going on in my brain. Fortunately, this ticks off both areas.
UCAB: Front Pocket
I started the work on the two large pockets at Tim’s on Saturday. We got together for the meeting and to sew and catch up. I started in carefully on the large pocket #1 and made good progress until I realized I had screwed up. I had the wrong piece noted in the pattern and sewed the extra pockets to the wrong piece of fabric. I didn’t have the extra fabric with me, so I stopped and worked on binding some other bags.
UCAB: Large Second Pocket -front
By the next day, I had figured out the problem and was ready to go. I thought I would abandon my efforts and start over. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the extra fabric I thought I had, so I unpicked everything and redid it. It worked out. It took time, but unpicking is rather meditative.
Despite this inauspicious start, I was able to complete the two large pockets and make the center section of the small front pocket. I also started making the sides of the small front packet, including the Clippy section. There is a lot of fiddly sewing and cutting, so I didn’t make much progress yet.
I spent one day over the weekend working on the Essential Totes. I had only cut them out and the two stacks of pieces had been languishing for a few days. First, I had to cut the exterior fabric. Yes, I finally got the Echinacea Glow fabric!
Cutting was no big deal and quickly accomplished. Then I started working my way through the pattern. It was very soothing to just work on a bag that was straightforward.
As I started to work I found that the pattern is really well written and easy to follow. It has images in the right places and enough explanation. I found the part on what to cut required that I get oriented to how it was written. I made a few annotations that will be helpful when I make this project again.
One thing I did differently was use foldover elastic** instead of binding to cover the edges of the vinyl. After so many ByAnnie patterns and all of their binding requirements, I had no interest in making more binding. One good thing about the ByAnnie patterns is that I now have a good system for making binding that isn’t as arduous as either of the techniques I have used in the past. Here I am talking about actual fabric and sewing technique not the math part. The math part is tried and true and I use that because it works every time.
The handles cover the edges of the vinyl pocket so the maker only has to cover the top and bottom of the vinyl.
I used the glitter webbing I bought from SewHungry Hippie. Total impulse buy, so I thought I would go with lots of glitter in these bags. The background of the exterior tones everything down a bit. The webbing is much stiffer than fabric handles, so I’ll have to make sure not to load them down too much. I sewed slowly and with a sharp needle and didn’t have any problem sewing through them.
I got interrupted before I could finish them and need to get back int he swing. Part of what I need to do is make more pockets. Somehow that step is holding me up.
**Obviously, you should shop at local fabric, knitting shops or quilt shops. However, if you can’t, please know that I use affiliate links. I 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 do not recommend items I don’t like. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Some time ago I wrote a post about the Flatback Stitch. I read it over the other day and I think everything is still true. My techniques have evolved since then, however.
Flatback Stitch again
One thing I do now is anchor the joins before I stitch the whole seam. This lines up the corners so patterns match and corners are smooth.
I still hold the pieces together with either Sew Tites** or WonderClips**. My favorite SewTites at the moment are Sew Tites HD**. They are stronger and easier to use with multiple layers. The magnets are strong so I have to be careful not to catch my fingers in between the two magnets. Otherwise they work really well.
Flatback Stitch again – back
Next, I take a few stitches where the corners of two different pieces line up. As I do this, I keep turning the piece over so I can make sure the corners are still in place. Then I go back and stitch the seams between the two pieces together.
This can be a bit challenging when sewing a giant rosette together! Still securing the joins helps keep long seams in place until the whole thing can be sewn together.
My seams are lining up really well using this method. I feel like my pieces are lined up more precisely.
**Obviously, you should shop at a local quilt shop. However, I use 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.
I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out and will be really glad to see it finished.
This piece seemed like it was on my design wall for years, but when I went back and looked, it wasn’t. I seemed to have started the layout in March 2022. In the grand scheme of things, it is only 5ish months ago. Why does it feel like this quilt took so long?
Finished: Rainbow Strip donation back
I dipped into my stash of dots for fabrics for the back. These are mostly dots I bought before I refined what I like in dots. I do like the prints, but probably wouldn’t use them in the foreground of a quilt and they are too large or too diffuse for the background. I think they make a really cheerful back.
I have more scraps, which is probably a super obvious staement. I have a lot of pink scraps, so that will probably be my next quilt in the series, after the orange vertical strip donation top.
My Grama has been on my mind lately. Today would have been her 98th birthday and I just wanted to celebrate her. She is one of the people I always saw doing needlework, so she influenced me greatly.
She mostly did crochet when I knew her. I have a small afghan in a chevron pattern that she made for me. It is super warm. She ran out of yarn. Being young, I didn’t understand about dye lots, so couldn’t understand why she didn’t just go get more yarn.
Grama’s Birthday 2013
After her second husband died in around 2004, I started spending a lot more time with her. I went down for a surprise party for her and someone snapped this photo. Her face conveys a lot about her personality.
Kelly Pena, a quiltmaker/sewist also working on La Pass and in the private La Pass FB group, creating a basic and an easy to understand tutorial for making center medallions. She has kindly allowed me to use her photos for this English Paper Piecing technique. This question has come up a few times in our La Pass group. I consulted with Kelly and said that I would write a blog post using her photos so there would be a permanent link to the information. I have added a little bit of additional explanation to Kelly’s already excellent tutorial.
Tula Pink’s Parisville Cameo
Our La Pass rosettes require certain sized fabric pieces that correspond to the paper we are using to create various rosettes. We fussy cut the fabrics and make cool designs. Sometimes people want to use a larger motif, such as Tula Pink’s Marie Antoinette from Parisville Deja Vu. This motif would be difficult to put together using the various shapes and pieces. Not impossible, but very difficult.
In order to use up, in this case, the entire cameo and not make ourselves completely crazy, we need more ‘paper space’.
Combine papers
1. Find all of the paper pieces you need (want to use) to make the center medallion. Tape the paper pieces together for the final shape. This can vary depending on the shapes making up the rosette and you can adjust the shape by adding or deleting papers until you are satisfied. You can create quite a large shape.
As far as I know, there is no size limit as the paper will be removed at some point anyway. My gut tells me that you may have some issues with the bias if the pieces are too large. As a result, and, as usual, be careful with the bias.
You can configure the papers into any shape that will work for the fabric you have. I tried this technique on one of the Month 4 rosettes and found it moderately successful. In looking at Kelly’s example above, I should have added the long, thin diamonds to my center in my attempt. I think it would have made the process easier. The concave edges around the center diamonds are difficult and the long, thin diamonds make the edge easier to deal with.
Lay combined papers on fabric
2. Lay the combined and taped papers on the fabric. Adjust the placement until you have the fabric motif you want centered on your papers.
Remember to take seam allowance into account.
You can use a light board or light box** here for more accuracy.
Cut around paper leaving seam allowance
3. Cut around the template allowing for seam allowance.
N.B.: In the image (left), Kelly is cutting freehand. If you are not confident, you can also use a small rotary cutting ruler**. If you use a ruler, you will need to keep moving it around the piece. In this case, a rotating cutting mat** might be helpful.
Cameo/Center Medallion basted
4. Baste as usual. Kelly and I are both using glue for La Pass. I am using thread basting for my Half Hexie Star project. Either method will work with this center medallion technique.
You may find it helpful for circular shapes to cut notches into the seam allowance when basting.
5. Stitch up your new larger piece. The paper shapes used will allow you to sew as if you were stitching all the shapes separately.
Thanks, again, to Kelly for allowing me to use her words and photos.
**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops, knitting shops or art stores. However, I use Amazon affiliate links. I may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on that item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I only link to items I like. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support the costs related to maintaining this blog.
Yes, I finished the top and back of Orange You Glad. I actually came back from my knitting class and made the back and binding.
I needed this off my design wall, so I just worked like a crazy woman on it.
There is nothing wrong with the quilt. My feelings all have to do with how many projects I have in progress. With this project on the machine, I couldn’t work on the Tarts. I found that project and its urgency fading from my mind the longer I didn’t work on it.
Orange You Glad back finished
The back uses a large and favorite print from Martha Negley. Since this is a quilt I will keep, I was happy to use it. I know it isn’t the same orange as the front, but I like it.
I finished the center of the Rainbow Strip donation top using the leaders and enders technique as I worked on the Project Bags.
I am pleased with how it looks, though it does need a border. I am thinking white, but that may not finish the quilt enough. It could be if there is a colored binding applied. I don’t have control over the binding unless I make one to go with the top and back. Hhhhmmm.
After finishing The Lobster project, I had to decide what to work on next. The Tarts have been on the side burner (not the back burner!) for a few weeks, so I spent a whole afternoon machine quilting parts of it. I finished a checkerboard and I quilted one whole large corner block. I felt so exhilarated. I really felt like I had crossed some kind of barrier to finishing. I feel like I am nearing the end.
Tarts – Tea Kettle quilted
Don’t get me wrong! I do NOT feel exhilarated by machine quilting itself. I feel exhilarated because I am making progress. I am nearing a point where I can put the binding on and call it done….finally.
I am really running up against my limitations as a machine quilter with this project. I want to do some free motion quilting, but I am not good enough. Any but the most gentle curves are too difficult and not satisfying using my pseudo walking foot method. I would need a lot of practice for the kind of FMQ I want and I am unwilling to do the work.
Tarts: Lime Green Round Teapot quilted
I crossed another barrier by quilting the lime green round tea pot.
Up until this point I had only quilted backgrounds, not wanting to ruin the teapots and tea kettles. I might be over that fear after quilting this one.
You can see some gentle curves in this quilting. That is about the extent of what I can do with the machine quilting method I am using.
And there is some bad news.
Tarts: burn
I burned the quilt. Well, really the quilt got burned. I don’t know exactly how, but I think the quilt was shoved up against the light I have behind my machine for too long. The burn is worse on the back, but does go through to the front. It might look ok in the grand scheme of things, but I’ll have to consider what to do.
Despite the burn, I like the style of this quilt and am thinking of recreating the quilt, “He Tried to Make it up to Her”. I have been thinking about all the different kinds of fusible I have. After contemplating the feelings around the Tarts, it occurred to me I could remake ‘He Tried’ and then have Colleen quilt it. something to think about.
The Lobster table runner did not take very long to finish. I struggled with the piecing of the Sawtooth Stars for some reason, but eventually got them together and was able to finish the top. As you can see, I added a border to contain the blue.
The Lobster back finished
I also made a back and a binding and will take this piece to Colleen to quilt.
I cross this off my to do list with a great amount of glee.
I made good progress over the weekend on the Rainbow Strip donation top.
I still have some seams to sew. I feel like this shouldn’t be taking as long as it is. I have to remember that I was stuck for several months and since I got going on the project again, it hasn’t been very long.
I know I already talked about basting La Pass Month 14, but I forgot to show the fabrics.
These are all pretty good except I am not using that green in the lower left hand corner. I decided I have enough green in the quilt and decided to pick something else.
I have had this project on my list for awhile. I show the original drawing in one post that also calls this piece part of a CQFA placemat challenge. I discussed working on it after I did some stitching. I showed it at a CQFA Art Walk. It seems that 2019 is the last time I worked on it.
The piece is small and I kept chiding myself for not just doing it. The muse, however, is a fickle mistress and she was not interested in this piece for a long time.
The Lobster with potential blocks
Finally, she allowed me a flash of inspiration and I ran with it. I have started piecing it into a table runner. I need more table runners for my buffet and I thought this would make a good one for summer. Also, I could admire my lobster more frequently.
I always like the Sawtooth Star block and thought it would work to make the table runner a little longer. I put some pinwheels inside the Sawtooth Star’s center just to make it a little more interesting.
I still feel strong emotions when September 11 rolls around. As I implied last year, what has changed?
Fireball, 2001
I made two quilts to commemorate the lives lost during the destruction of the Twin Towers. The first one was Fireball, which is what I could see as I sat and watched TV.
It is chaotic, reminds me of smoke and flames. This is a small quilt, maybe 12×12, and I was able to channel the pure emotion into this piece as I made it very quickly. I was doing woven art pieces at the time and this is one of them.
What Comes Next, 2001-2002
The quilt I really wanted to make took longer. I wanted to plead for something different than what we got. I wish something different than a 20+ year war could have come out of that. people just want to fight when they are attacked; they don’t want to talk.
This is a hard post for me to write. I force myself to do it every year, to get the message of What Comes Next out there, so, perhaps, people will think and do something different next time.
