Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
I am going great guns on clearing out that black-grey-brown scrap drawer. This is the second quilt I have started using scraps to make blocks.
I want to get it done quickly, but vacation is over and work takes time, so I’ll work on it as I can.
I realized I needed one more 2-in-1 Case for the officer gifts so I decided to make a Tula version.
This is a really singular print and I wouldn’t normally choose it for a gift, but it kept calling to me for this project. I really hope one of the officers is a Tula fan!
I carefully fussy cut the image of the woman so that it would show up on the front.
I also made the inside first so that any seam allowance problems, as mentioned when I made the last case, could be dealt with by cutting the exterior a different size.
This version is really coming together quite quickly. I am surprised at how easy it is compared to how difficult the directions seem.
This time I am also using one of the sew-in magnetic snaps. I used the edge of the square-ish zipper foot to sew around the magnet part and it worked pretty well. I can sort of see the stitching on the outside, which I am not thrilled about, but am leaving and hoping for the best.
I was able to finish this quilt on the 29th. I was happy to get it finished before the New Year.
I probably should have put another border on it, but I was just too lazy. I think it is big enough without one. It just doesn’t look quite finished.
This is quite a few donation blocks (188 at last count)! I am pretty pleased with how many blocks I made this year. I know you saw many of these yesterday. Scroll down to revisit the ones I made earlier this year.
I realize that most of these are black or light grey. This is a result of working through my black, grey and brown scrap bin.
Unfortunately, I was being odd when I first started naming these blocks and so they are all called Dark Grey…. I will probably end up making, at least, two quilts out of the blocks you see. I think I will make a light grey and a black quilt, but it depends on how much light grey I have. The drawer was full when I started and I still have quite a few scraps, though most of the straight strips have been used.
I was able to make so many because I used a strip piecing method and just zoomed them through the machine. I also didn’t have to worry about matching any seams since I trimmed them to the right size once I had a large enough piece.
I spent some time yesterday, before I started cooking and wrapping, cutting sashing strips and cornerstones. I thought about putting colors in the cornerstones, but ultimately decided that I would stick with black. My goal, after all, is to clear out that scrap bin.
I wanted to get all the pieces cut so I would be able to sew if I had a few minutes in between the crazy. I tried all day yesterday to press a gift and that hasn’t gotten done, so I doubt I’ll find the time. Still, I am making progress.
Even though I finished enough blocks to make the Black Color Strip donation top, I continued to make blocks. After all, I had more strips. I don’t have quite enough for two donation tops, but I am getting there.
I am nearing the end of my stash of black strips, but I still have a few blocks coming together. As I finish these new blocks, I have replaced a few of the original blocks you saw in the previous post. I thought I would show you a comparison and see what you thought.
I have added the dates so you can see the difference. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I have been busy making these blocks. I should have been doing other things, but I wasn’t. I just sewed after work, then sat with my DH.
As you can see, I have enough to make a quilt. I am going to start sewing the sashing on soon.
I am thinking of using pink cornerstones and a thin pink border. I like the black and pink color combination. The problem is that this would be a great boy quilt and pink would ruin that. Red might be a good alternative. I’ll have to see.
I still have more strips and am still working on making the grey blocks. My black/grey/brown scrap draw isn’t empty, but it is much emptier. That is a huge bonus as I can actually close it now.
I rearranged the blocks I have made and put them up on the design wall. I like this arrangement much better, but am wondering if I should add another row on top and another column on the side?
I have more scraps, so I think I will just keep making blocks for awhile and see. I can always make a second quilt where this size block has more chunks than strips. Or I can add more blocks to this quilt. We’ll see.
I finished enough blocks since I last posted on Saturday to look at this top as a rectangle.
One thing I noticed when I was looking at the last donation top I made was that the blue top was a weird shape and I had to adjust it with a border. In this case, the number and arrangement of blocks I have made are the same as that blue strip top. I don’t want to end up with a weirdly shaped quilt, so I need to figure out if I have enough strips to make 5 more blocks of if I should put the top row on the side and save one block for another rainbow version?
First, I already know that black is not a color. Black “results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.” (Wikipedia) I chose a Wikipedia link, because I am lazy.
Next, I have made 27 of these blocks and my scrap drawer is still pretty full. Granted, the scrap drawer in which I keep the black also has brown (very little) and brown related fabrics, like taupe, as well as grey. I’ll have to make an improv version in black to use up more of my scraps.
Third, I was on the fence about making a black donation top. I thought it would be depressing. I am not finding this collection of blocks depressing. It isn’t primary color cheerful, but I think there is plenty of white, which is good. Someone will like it, right?
I thought 27 blocks would be the right amount, but I need at least 30 to make a rectangular quilt. I may add another column, as well. I still have strips sets in progress, so I know I can make at least 3 more blocks, then we’ll see. If I only have chunks and odd shaped scraps left, I’ll have to leave it at 6×5 and start the black improv version.
My last strip donation quilt was blue, so this is a change.
Finally, yes, you are going to see these blocks in the end of the month donation block post, but I bet you’ll forget by then.
I am already starting to accumulate a small group of gifts. They aren’t really Christmas gifts, but are sort of, too.
Over the weekend, we held the BAM Holiday Party. As is usual for the December Sew Day, we combined the meeting and the Sew Day together. Whoever thought up this concept was smart. We only have one meeting in December, because it is very probable that people will be busy on the third Saturday and won’t come to the meeting.
That means that we do all of our end of year stuff on Sew Day. That includes a swap. SIL#2 organized a pincushion swap, which was surprisingly popular. I have enough pincushions, but decided that I would support SIL#2 and make one. I made the one I usually make, the Clippy Pincushion, as shown yesterday.
The one I selected was from Friend Julie. She didn’t wrap hers and I saw it and thought it was cool and useful. I also saw the pattern for this pincushion somewhere and thought about making one. Now I don’t have to!
I decided to participate in the BAM swap, which was a pincushion swap. I was a little overwhelmed with life, so I just sewed my old standby pincushion, the Clippy Pincushion. The pattern is from Love of Patchwork and Quilting, issue 39. The pattern is also available digitally in the Apple and Google Play stores. I used this pattern to make the Clippy Pockets in the UCAB, which I find to be very useful. It isn’t rocket science, so I am sure you can make something similar without the pattern.
I did supersize this one a little bit. I wanted to make it slightly larger to accommodate the cool selvedges from which I made the back.
At first I machine sewed the stuffing hole closed, but then I unstitched and hand sewed it closed. I think it looks better hand stitched.
SIL #2 chose my pincushion.
I am sure you can imagine that I was super careful when sewing this project back together. After all the ripping I had to do, I hope I learned my lesson.
It didn’t take me very long to sew the top together, but it would have taken me less time if I had paid better attention the first time.
It is now off with Laura the quilter.
This quilt was returned to the guild’s community quilts project at last month’s meeting by Lee Ann. She named it ‘Leftovers’ after I told her the story of the three food quilts and how I make the Ends quilts.
I am really pleased that a number of my quilt tops have been finished recently.