Yes, I finished my Tuffet in class on Thursday. I can now call myself a Tuffeteer. It is awesome and I love it. There were squeals of delight in the class as people finished. Mostly I am not a squeal in delight kind of person, but these Tuffets inspire squeals of delight.
Everyone really liked the way mine came out except the Young Man, but he has little no sense of cheerfulness in fabric.
I intended to make this a super long post telling you all about finishing the tuffet, but I will save that for another post. This post will just be about sharing the delight!
Yay! I finished my Box Full of Letters quilt last week. This was a fast sew. I started it sometime in March, I think. The first mention of it here is at the end of March. I am pretty sure I saw Torie’s version, or her start, back in January at the Twilter meetup. That is a 5 month process, which must be some kind of record for me. I don’t even feel like I rushed through making the quilt.
I have to give Colleen credit, because she quilted two gift quilts in record time. She has cleared out her backlog and can get to quilts within a month now. For how long, I don’t know, but for now.
I think part of the speed was that there were limited choices in the quilt:
limited color palette
one block
limited number of blocks.
Those kind of limitations can be frustrating, but, in this case, I gained speed and was able to use the limitations to create a creative layout.
Anyway, you have been here during the whole journey and you have seen my process. I didn’t expect to like this quilt as much as I do and I think I like it because of the layout. I didn’t think it would be that interesting of a quilt. It wouldn’t have been if I had laid out in a straight set, but the diagonal layout really makes it interesting. IMO, anyway.
Looking at this quilt makes me feel like I want to play with this pattern more. I can see making these blocks from scraps and in different sizes depending on the size squares I have around. The pattern is so easy, you barely need a pattern and making these blocks is like eating chips. One just isn’t enough.
This is large lap quilt. It will go to a doctor who has been working with the Young Man every week or two for the past 10 years. She told me she feels like her kid is heading off to college and I have to say that I can’t blame her. I did not put a sleeve on it. Handwork is a challenge right now and stitching through the damn batiks (when will I learn NOT to put batiks on the back???) to get the binding stitched down was difficult. My PT got mad at me.
Oddly, this quilt had a lot of help. Lots of thanks go into this quilt:
Torie for the inspiration, encouragement and charm pack
BAMQG for the layout inspiration. I think it was probably Ruth who laid out the Opportunity quilt on the diagonal
Missouri Star Quilt Company for the pattern and that method of making HSTs (though I suspect someone else thought of it first and MSQC just spread the love)
Once again it was time for a new journal cover. Sadly, I finished the journal with the Orange Crush Journal cover. So, over the weekend I sat down and made a quick new cover.
Quick means one piece of fabric and little piecing.
I chose to use the Martha Negley fabric I used for one of the Grand Parlor dresses. I had a bit leftover and it is such pretty fabric that I thought I wouldn’t mind carrying it around for a couple of months. I also thought that it would be a good break between pieced journal covers. I loved Loved LOVED the Orange Crush journal cover so much that I am not yet sure another journal can live up to the wonderfulness.
Using the tutorial I posted some time ago, this journal cover didn’t take long at all. The most time consuming part was piecing the inside. I used an old Pat Sloan fabric that was just a wee bit too small so I added a piece, which still didn’t make it large enough, so I added another. And so on for a frustrating half hour.
Fine Spring Day Journal cover – open
Eventually I succeeded and the journal cover came out fine.
You may be wondering what happened to the pink journal cover I started? Yeah, me, too. 😉 I knew it was close to done so I looked everywhere for it. No joy. It will turn up and there will always be a need for a new journal cover.
Normally, I don’t like to post until the quilt is completely done, but the binding on is good enough for me this time. I never thought I would finish the binding on this monster, but I finally did. I am only half way through the sleeve, but that will be finished soon.
I am pleased with how it looks. I don’t find the grey background to be too depressing and the back is very fun. Both Kelly and Gerre asked me about the barcode fabric. It is from Timeless Treasures and I bought it awhile ago I found some on Etsy a few weeks ago when Kelly asked.
I brought this quilt to the last BAMQG meeting and someone was shocked that I had only finished 2013 not 2014. I have barely finished cutting for Fabric of the Year 2014 and have not yet begun to arrange the pieces. Fabric of the Year 2015 is now a glimmer in my sight as well. I seem to have two or three of these going at once. I wonder how I keep them all straight?
Anyway, the process is a bit arduous. Cutting the fabric patches takes me all year. I take the time to get a sense of what I bought and used during the year. Then I have to arrange the patches into the top I want, then I have to sew, make the back, binding & sleeve and get the piece quilted. This all takes time. So, yes, just now this is Fabric of the Year 2013 finished. Stay tuned for the others. 😉
There were a lot of firsts in this quilt. This was the first time I arranged the pieces from the center out starting with white/lights. This process was also the first time I heavily used my camera as a tool to arrange the patches. I took a lot of pictures, converted them to black and white and rearranged according to the value indicated in the black & white photo. If a patch stuck out, I moved it. Of course, I didn’t move purple patches into the green section. Some of the patches look odd if you look at the piece close, but standing back the placement works. The gradation is a big improvement.
Fabric of the Year 2013 (back)
The back is a couple of Philip Jacobs prints. I got some comments that they clashed, but I like the boldness. I also used the wrong fabric for the sleeve! I got two quilts back at the same time and used the edge of the Russian Rubix, that was cut off to square up the quilt, instead of the edge of the Fabric of the Year 2013. Oh well. At least people can see the sleeve.
I am pleased that this one is done. As of this quilt, I have no (yes, NONE) quilts at the quilter. Of course, the Tarts Come to Tea is still in the process, but that is a story for another day…
We are embroiled in college business/drama/selection. Of course, I have other stuff going on as well, but the college stuff seems to be dominating at the moment. This means that my quilt work is suffering and, particularly, my donation and charity projects.
I finally did spend some time a week or so ago finishing this Hawaiian quilt for BAMQG. You might remember that Gerre and I worked on it at a Sew Day recently.
I blather on about testing new techniques and practicing skills on donation quilts then I never do it. I tried something new on this quilt. I tested out applying a binding by machine on both sides. My first effort resulting in me ripping out 3-4′, but I persevered and the quilt is bound by machine.
I made sure that Gerre and Angela were both ok with me doing the machine binding. It requires some more experimentation on my part, but I am pleased with my first effort.
BAMQG Hawaiian Quilt by Gerre & Jaye
None of the fabrics were my choices, but I like the brightness against the black and especially think the back came out well.
As usual, I am really happy to help the guild. As usual, the Young Man worked hard as my quilt hanger.
Yes, shockingly I finished something. It seems like it took forever! I know it didn’t take forever, because we made the top on January 4.
I made the back, as I mentioned, then I sent it off to Gerre with a Frankenbatting and she quilted it. I got it back and put the binding on. It really went very quickly once I sat down and sewed the binding. <It went much better than the quilt in front of it with a batik back AND binding. What was I thinking?>
The back came out pretty well and wasn’t a misery to put together. I am still uncomfortable not putting a label on these donation quilts, but I hope that documenting the quilt here will help historians some day. If the quilt is just loved to death then that will be enough.
Pink T Quilt back
I was able to use up some pinks and make a fun quilt. I am already thinking about what color to cut next. I am not a big fan of green, but I have a lot of green. If I cut orange to go with it, it would be really different and might appeal to someone who walks to the beat of a different drummer.
The first thing I thought after I finished this quilt was to start counting the places in my life where I needed to make note. I stopped, because I got tired. Needless to say, the quilt is done, which means this one and the Disappearing Pinwheel can head off to nephew brothers at the same time and nobody will feel sad.
I showed it at CQFA, though the binding was only partially done. I finished, later that day, at the BAMQG Sew Day, but will probably wait to send it off so I can show it off at the BAMQG meeting. Kathleen will be there, which will make the display extra sweet, because her quilt is the one that inspired this quilt.
One of the reasons I brought it to show at CQFA was because I thought I would send it off before the next meeting, which is in November. It turns out I won’t be able to attend that meeting anyway. They are good eggs and don’t mind if the quilt isn’t finished. Everyone liked the colors and I am thinking of making another one just because this one turned out so well visually. Realistically, though, I have done what I wanted with this design and don’t really need to make another one. The oranges are just so striking that I almost can’t help myself. I have a lot of other projects on my plate (in process) and in my dream list, none of which are a second version of this quilt.
After YEARS, this piece is finished. I am pretty pleased with it. I think it looks good and I did a good job on the quilting (click on the photo to see the quilting close up).
Please do look at the quilting, because it was a pain to do and I am pretty proud of it.
As you may already know, I started this piece in a class with David Walker, held in Capitola, in 2003. I can’t remember who sponsored the class. I want to say a shop, but I am not sure that is right.
The piece includes Machine quilting, fusible Applique’ with satin stitching, and reverse machine applique’. This is one of the few art quilts where I have not added beading or hand embroidery with Perl cotton. I just didn’t think the piece need it even though I had planned on doing both.
Finished: See – back
I was pretty proud of how you could see the quilting so well on the back, but after facing and labeling, there isn’t much to see.
I actually sewed the label on by hand, which I don’t like to do, but really had no other choice. The piece didn’tlend itself to including the label into the back.
This piece is based on a Chinese character, the character for our word “See”. I made it as a reminder to really look at things, not just glance at them, snap a picture and move on. It is an ongoing process for me to really look and see things.
This has more significance than just a finish, because it means I can cross it off my UFO list. When I do that, it will mean that I am one step closer to having only current projects, albeit a lot of them, but current projects only.
I actually finished this piece last week (or, maybe, the week before), but it is so huge and the weather has been so wet that I wasn’t able to take a photo until Maureen and Nancy held it up for me at the CQFA Meeting last weekend. Thanks, Pals!
It was also the first time I had seen it all completely finished. I wrestled it in my lap to bind it, but didn’t even get DH to hold it up, because we were really busy last week and I was afraid it would have defeated him as well.
I am so pleased with how this quilt turned out. Not only is the finished pieced lovely, but it brings back good memories, despite some complaining, about working on a project with TFQ. She still has to finish hers, but perhaps seeing mind finished will spur her along.
I really like the different sized blocks. They really create a lot of movement in the quilt.
The most I had to do was the binding after Colleen quilted it. The fabric I used for the binding is okay and it was a lot easier to needle than the fabric around the edge of FOTY 2012.
We had some trouble photographing it as the thing is a BEAST so you can see parts of two chairs in the photo. Sorry about that.
Finished: Scrapitude Back
Not comments on the back this time from the quilt holders. Oh well.
I thought of waiting until next week to post this, but I just couldn’t wait! Last night I finished the binding on the Disappearing Pinwheel. Hooray!
That means that another project is finished.
This is probably the fastest that I have completed a project of this size in a long time. I started it in January and here it is barely June and the entire quilt is done. A new era of completion? Perhaps. I have to acknowledge that Colleen is back on her gamenow and that helps.
This quilt is part of the Niecephews series and will go to one of the small nephews. I have to finish his brother’s quilt first and hold off sending off either quilt until I show them at my guilds.
As you read this, I have hopefully just returned from another Grand Parlor. With any luck, I did not say something stupid and embarrass DH. With a little more luck and some preparation, I looked nice and people spent a lot of money for Cleft Palate buying raffle tickets to win the pillows. I am writing it in advance so I don’t have to worry about posting wearing high heels and lipstick. 😉
These were on my radar. Really they were. My BIL asked me to make them in plenty of time and I agreed. I really had no mental problem making them. Not much of a problem anyway. I don’t like making pillows and I always seem to have some problem making them. I just didn’t start them.
Eventually, the pillows really and truly entered my consciousness. I asked DH when we were leaving for Grand Parlor. I have been having a problem lately fitting where I am in space and time with the actual days of the week. I am not sure what that is about. I blame the months and a change in schedule. They seem really long lately. Anyway, I asked DH when we were leaving and he said May 18. I realized that I had a week (Yes, 1 week!!!) since we were talking on the Saturday before Mother’s Day.
So, I got started. I spent most of the day on Sunday (Mother’s Day) making pillows.
Fabrics for Pillows
First things first, I got DH to approve the fabrics. These aren’t what I would have chosen, but he knows the constituency, so I trusted his judgement.
He wanted a color scheme of blue and red and another of blue and yellow. I thought about making sets of two, though I don’t know if that is the way the pillows will be raffled.
Mrs. K. saved my bacon by sending me more of the Pointillist Palette blue. I know she didn’t even intend to send it for the pillows. It is an old fabric and one that got me hooked on quilt fabric and building a stash. She sent me some reserves recently, I think, as a subtle way of encouraging me to finish the series of Pointillist Palette quilts. 😉 [As an aside, I found some of the blocks for the next in the PP series of quilts which means I can get started on them again.]
She saved me, however, because I am mostly out of dark blue prints. I don’t buy or use them much and whatever I did have I used for the Stars for San Bruno quilts. I didn’t think I had any dark blue and then I saw the one on the top in the above photo. It is perfect and DH approved.
Tension Problem
I noticed that SIL had a tension problem on one of the embroidered panels. Tension issues happen, even in the best of circumstances. We all know that. I didn’t think that people would notice immediately, but I also didn’t want any awkward questions later.
I had recently used my fabric markers, so I pulled them out. No brown. A number of them had dried up and had to be thrown out. The brown must have been among them. I have another set, but I couldn’t find it, then I remembered the Staedler set I received for my birthday a few years ago.
I carefully colored over the parts of the N (see above in the poppy panel) and the A with the brown. If you look closely you will see that the brown of the thread and the brown of the marker do not match. It is a very slight difference and I don’t think the Muggles will notice.
Then I just started sewing. I forgot to use batting, so the blocks are a bit thin, but I think they will be ok. I’ll try to remember for next time.
Yellow & Blue NSGW Pillows
One issue turned out to be that I didn’t have the forms. My SIL bought the forms and originally I thought I would just give her the cases, she would stuff them and all would be well. I got nervous, though and worried that they wouldn’t fit. I needed to check the sizing to be sure they weren’t saggy or too small.
To alleviate my fear, she brought them over and, fortunately, the forms she bought worked with the pillow covers I made. I didn’t have to make any adjustments.
Red & Blue NSGW Pillows
I really had to sew a lot less than I thought. I did a good job cutting the embroideries apart so they were fairly close to the finished size of the pillow forms. I had way more fabric than I needed.
I finished the last bits, stuffed them and took them to Grand Parlor where I told the boys to charge a lot for the tickets. The proceeds of the raffle went to the Charitable Foundation. We had a separate sale of pins and bracelets for Prostate Cancer Awareness (BIL has it).
2014 NSGW Pillows Complete
You can see photos from the event on Flickr or read more about the event on another blog.
As I mentioned, I got two quilts back from Colleen at the same time. I just finished the sleeve on the second, which means the whole quilt is finished. Yes, I finished Fresh Fruit. 😉
I like this quilt and think it is very pretty. Do you see how there is continuity across the quilt with fabrics in different colorways? I think that the design could be used very effectively with other fabrics, even if they were not different colorways of the same line. Of course, I am thinking about Philip Jacobs fabrics and dots.
Fresh Fruit front
The sad part of this quilt is that I barely remember making it. I should have called this quilt Cinderella, as it is beautiful, but shoved to the side, in a way, like fairy tale step children. The design was from a pattern and I used same fabric as the pattern. I did the whole thing as leaders and enders, I didn’t quilt it. The most time I spent on it was on the back, the sleeve and the binding. It feels weird, but it is true.
I had help from inexperienced quilt holders in taking the photo. They were tired after the front, so the back isn’t straight.
