Tag: Doing Good

NSGW Pillows…Again

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
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
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
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
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
2014 NSGW Pillows Complete

You can see photos from the event on Flickr or read more about the event on another blog.

Native Sons Pillows

How I Receive the Embroideries
How I Receive the Embroideries

Yes, I am doing pillows again.

DH is firmly ensconced in his position on the Executive Board of the Native Sons of the Golden West, so I was off the hook last year in terms of making pillows. The last time I made them was in 2012. They are extremely popular and I got a lot of questions last year about whether I had made any. It is kind empowering having control of an item that people really want. It is also shocking that others don’t make pillows for this event. People really like them.

DH’s Grand Presidential year is approaching and he needs a Marshall. The Marshall is an Executive Board position in which the guy makes sure he has the names of all the “dignitaries” correct, knows whether the dignitaries have a wife, girlfriend or daughter along as companion and that the AV equipment works at any given function. He passes all the relevant information to the Grand President. This position votes in Board votes and has a say in discussions as well. As I understand it, of course. DH asked his brother, which means there will be a Hospitality Suite this year with all the trappings of a political campaign: portable bar, raffles and lots of hand shaking.

NSGW Pillow Embroidery
NSGW Pillow Embroidery

I was, apparently, first on his list for the raffle requests. His mom and a neighbor always make gift baskets. He asked me at least a month and a half ago to make pillows and he wanted four. No problem, right? Pillows don’t take that long to make, but I always seem to have problems making them. They are also very popular and bring in a lot of money for Cleft Palate. I also like having my work ‘out there’ for the Muggles (as Frances says) to see. The more people we have admiring handmade work, the better.

I immediately emailed my SIL with examples from previous years and she agreed to do the embroideries. She couldn’t do them until May 6 as she was heading off to graduation for our niece in Michigan. No problem.

NSGW Pillow Embroidery
NSGW Pillow Embroidery

We don’t, yet, have a .blf file (I think???) of the logo of the Native Sons, so SIL uses various embroidery motifs to come up with suitable designs for the embroidered panels. The software that works for her machine is so much more sophisticated than the embroidery module on my 9000. I never did get the software for it, but I am glad I didn’t spend the money as embroidery software has gotten so much easier to use, more workable with a computer and, generally, so much more sophisticated.

The bear, the California flag and the outline of the state work well and are popular. Even though we don’t have the official logo, once we add the name, people seem to like these designs.

NSGW Pillow Embroidery
NSGW Pillow Embroidery

While I can take very little credit for the designs, SIL and I worked together on some designs when I was in DC in 2011. The pictures I emailed her were from that trip, I believe, though they could have been from the 2012 pillows. The designs are similar.

I got SIL’s work on the 7th or 8th of May. The first thing was to cut the embroidered panels apart into squares.

Then piece the panels to the right size, then put the back on.

Done.

NSGW Pillow Embroidery
NSGW Pillow Embroidery

Go to the conference and have people fling money at the raffle box.

HA! Hopefully I will have no problems.

 

Color Group Donation Quilt

Color Group Donation Quilt
Color Group Donation Quilt

You might remember that I finished the piecing of this quilt last fall. I handed it off to Chris for quilting and then she gave it back to me last month, or, perhaps, in February for the binding.

I finished the binding and gave to the Charity Girls at the last meeting for the charity project.

I have done a lot of art quilts, but this is the first quilt that I think looks like a modern quilt. I am not saying that it is modern; I am just saying that it looks more modern than other quilts I have made. I think it was a good use of the blocks and really made them shine.

Orange & Grey Donation Quilt

Orange & Grey donation quilt
Orange & Grey donation quilt

Last summer I finished the piecing for the Orange & Grey donation top. At the BAMQG meeting last week, I saw the finished top.

I was so pleased! the quilting looks great and someone was very clever and pulled excess fabric from the back and did a very nice machine binding with a decorative stitch. It looks great!

It is one of the larger quilts so the Charity Girls will donate it to a shelter, I think.

I feel great when I contribute to this charity project.

More from the Cat Bed Department

April Cat Beds
April Cat Beds

I whipped these up in order to get them done in time for the meeting, which was yesterday. I love the combinations that Amanda comes up with! I am wishing I had some quilting fabric in that yellow and black. Isn’t it great? It reminds me of Jane Sassaman’s work. I can see cutting out the leaves and things an rearranging them, then satin stitching them down. What do you think?

Donation Kaleidoscopes

TFQ's Kaleidoscope #1
TFQ’s Kaleidoscope #1

I did nothing to get these quilt tops to the stage they are at now. I am only transporting them and using them for content for this blog. 😉 Also, I always enjoy tooting the horn of other talented artists.

TFQ had to clear off her guest bed so I could sleep in it last week. She keeps her quilts flat on that bed. When she went through them, she decided that she would donate some quilts and tops that had served their purpose for her artistic development. I have several she gave me to donate, but will spread the wealth over  a couple of blog posts. Hopefully, you will be inspired to create some donation quilts of your own.

The kaleidoscope pattern is an old pattern. In Jinny Beyer’s, The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, there are 9 references to that name and many of them are not the Kaleidoscope as I have always known it. Of course, block pattern names develop, have colloquial an regional differences, so references like the above as well as Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and the accompanying BlockBase are invaluable references.

TFQ's Kaleidoscope #2
TFQ’s Kaleidoscope #2

The closest patterns listed to the one shown in the photo (above) are on pages 292 and 293, categorized in the 8 pointed star category. There is also a continuous pattern called Kaleidoscope (413-7), which except for the squares that join the actual Kaleidoscopes, is the pattern TFQ made.

There is a lot of opportunity for color work in this pattern. In the two examples, you can see the differences in the way TFQ used background and also blended the colors somewhat. Example #1 looks like an actual Kaleidoscope (the thing you put to your eye and twirl). The arrangement and selection of colors looks like broken glass that has been shaken up.

You might be wondering why TFQ pieced the background like she did in Example #2. I don’t presume to kn ow for sure, but if I had to guess I would say that there are two possibilities. The first is texture. The color of the inner blocks really draws our attention. They also have texture and I think that the bringing the texture out into the background provides continuity. Second, the piecing in white is one of those rewards you get for looking more closely at a quilt.

As I said, these are tops so someone else will need to finish them. It will be interesting to see how they end up. Thanks, TFQ!

Pastel Scrapitude

Pastel Scrapitude Blocks
Pastel Scrapitude Blocks

Recently Daisy asked for some of us Twilters to donate some pastel/springy Scrapitude blocks. It was intended for one of our Twilter/podcast pals who is going through a tough time.

As you know, my fabric selection tends to brighter fabrics so I had to dig deep to find springy pastel fabrics. I succeeded and came up with these two blocks, which I think are quite pretty.

Pastel Scrapitude Finished
Pastel Scrapitude Finished

Daisy finished the whole quilt around March 5 and sent it off to the recipient on March 6. There are a couple of really dark blocks. Daisy did a good job clustering  them in the center of the quilt.

I see one of my blocks (center top with the yellow with orange dots) and another in the middle towards the bottom.

Daisy really did the lion’s share of the work. I was pleased to be asked to be a part of the project. It was such a nice thing for Daisy to organize.

Daisy had put tracking on the package and reported back to us as she watched the package cross the country. There was a lot of excitement when the package went “out for delivery.” We all on pins and needles as the status changed to ‘delivered.’ Finally squealing could be heard across the country as the recipient posted to Twitter thanking everyone. It was unexpected and perfectly timed.

The recipient LOVED it. She was very surprised and slept under the quilt that very night.

Cat Beds

Owl Cat Bed
Owl Cat Bed

I was able to procure a couple of cat bed kits at the BAMQG meeting on Saturday. I had no time to sew on Saturday, but pinned the gusset to one side of one cat bed before I ran off to do my political wifery duties on Saturday evening. Then Sunday, I put the two kits together and made a third.

I am not sure why I sewed three cat beds when I had a lot of time to sew over the weekend. There was a lot of chaos in my workroom and I think the cat beds were something on which I could focus.

I picked kits with the same pattern and gusset color. I don’t know why, but perhaps that was what my eye could take in. As a side note I have pajamas with the same pattern

Yes, I took one top from one of the kits and made a pattern then cut out a cat bed from my own fabric. the fabric is burgundy with teapots on it. I like the teapots, but the background is an unfortunate color. The gusset came out too long, but I cut it off and was able to finish a third cat bed for Amanda. I’ll have part of a gusset for the next cat bed.

Black/Grey Donation Blocks

9 Black & Grey Donation Blocks
9 Black & Grey Donation Blocks

I started out, after Grama died, cutting black and grey 2.5″ squares. I have one scrap drawer for black, grey and brown and, as you may recall, my scrap bin was overflowing. Earlier this week, I picked up the project again and found that I had 9 squares. I think I mentioned that I had lost a few of the squares. I found them in a pile.

I really wanted the background to mostly be the speckle grey I used for the T-Shirt quilt. I am not sure that is going to work as I don’t think I have enough to make many more blocks.

Due to the colors, my idea was to make it larger to appeal to a teen in need, but unless I have yardage left, I’ll have to find another grey. I do have some various greys from the edge of the T-Shirt quilt; I am just not quite sure that is the way I want to go.

Black & Grey Donation Blocks
Black & Grey Donation Blocks

I used this project as a leaders and enders project while working on the Scrapitude blocks. I thought I made an additional 6 blocks, but when I counted them up, I was disappointed to find only an additional 4. I am glad I have as many as I have, but it is still not enough to make into a teen quilt. I will need to rethink my design idea by looking through my greys and see what I think I can do.

Black/Grey Donation Quilt

2014: Black/Grey Donation Quilt
2014: Black/Grey Donation Quilt

I am back on the donation quilt bandwagon with the Black/Grey Donation Quilt. I was afraid this would be a little depressing, but I think it will be great for a teenager.

I used the patches as a leaders and enders as I was working on Scrapitude.

It isn’t turning out exactly the way I thought, but I like it. I have four other blocks around somewhere, but they are misplaced. They’ll turn up.

Green & Pink Cat Beds

I hopped back on the Doing Good bandwagon this past weekend and I feel great about that.

Green Speckle Cat Bed
Green Speckle Cat Bed

I had some Cat Bed kits from the last BAMQG meeting I attended and I decided that sewing them would be a great way to get back on the sewing bandwagon.

These cat beds were using the same fabric Amanda used in the last round of Cat Beds – regular quilting cotton. I thought they were a lot easier to sew, but wondered about durability? I will sew whatever she gives me. It was just a thought.

I only had two and really had to force myself to sew at all and I worked very slowly. It took me much longer to pin these than it has in the past and I think my mind just kept wandering off somewhere.

This color scheme reminds me of the green and pink donation quilt I made last year. It is a fun combination that I don’t think gets used as often as it should.

Green Speckle Cat Bed detail
Green Speckle Cat Bed detail

It was also fun to see that green speckle fabric again. I had some of that at one point, but thought it was long since out of print. I wonder if it has been reprinted?

Both of the cat beds used a fun French cat fabric for the gusset. Again, this a fabric that I wouldn’t normally use, but this is a perfect application for it and it was fun to look at while I worked. As an added bonus, I forgot how much I liked the word “parapluie”.

Green Swirl Cat Bed
Green Swirl Cat Bed

Amanda did a good job choosing the fabrics as the greens she chose go together very well.

The cats are engaged in a number of different activities, which I found amusing. I hope the cats will as well, though I suppose they won’t care.

Green Swirl Cat Bed detail
Green Swirl Cat Bed detail

I was able to stuff both with a small amount of scraps, but Amanda will be able to use up more of the scraps she has as I didn’t have anywhere near enough. I haven’t been sewing and that is the outcome.

I have to say that doing these wasn’t enough, so I cut up some grey and black squares and have started to work on another donation quilt. I know it sounds a little depressing for a donation quilt, but my grey/black scrap drawer is overflowing. There will be little sparks of color that I will scatter throughout the quilt as some of the prints are mostly black, or have a black background, then have a colorful motif on top. Perhaps I will make it large enough for a teenaged boy. All teenaged boys like black and grey, right?

I don’t have many more scraps that will make a whole quilt from 2.5″ squares, so I may need to go down to 2″ to clear out more. I’ll finish this one and then we’ll see.

 

Color Group Donation Top

Color Group Donation Top
Color Group Donation Top

As I mentioned in the last post about this project, Kathleen and I got together at the last Sew Day and worked out what we were going to do with these blocks.

I saw somewhere that Kathleen had finished sewing her donation top, so the project was nagging at me. I had the blocks and decided after working on the needle cases that I would put the top together, then I decided to put the back together. As I write this, I am about to think about a binding, but it might be too late and I might be too tired.

____________________________________________________

Vital statistics:

  • Kona Snow background
  • Moda purple (old) accent
  • donated blocks from Color Group
  • 52″x59″ top

Finished Donation Quilts

I missed the BAMQG November meeting. I wasn’t really up for it after my family emergency. I think I will miss the December meeting as well. Bleah, but we’ll see.

HOWEVER

Pink Donation Quilt
Pink Donation Quilt

I looked at the photos and two of the quilt tops I made were turned into quilts. I was thrilled to see them.

This is the pink one I finished in August 2012. If you click on the photo and make it bigger, you can see the circle quilting, which looks great.

Looking at the piece finished makes me re-evaluate the design again. I think I would take out the dark sashing pieces if I could have see it finished as I was piecing.

Impossible, of course, but a lesson for another day. still I hope that someone really enjoys it and I am so glad that a BAMQGer collaborated with me on this piece.

I haven’t made as many donation tops this year, but I can always try again next year.

Orange & Grey Donation quilt
Orange & Grey Donation quilt

Someone also finished the Orange and Grey donation quilt. Again the circle quilting is awesome. I am so pleased to see how well this quilt turned out. It is so great to see my tops turned into something I really love the collaboration!

Thanks to the BAMQGers who finished up these quilts.

Color Group Quilt

Back in April, we started the Color Group. Finally, we got enough blocks together to put a quilt together.

Color Group: Row Layout
Color Group: Row Layout

Kathleen and I were at the BAMQG Sew Day/Meeting, so we took all the blocks and laid them out and tried to figure out a way to put the quilt together.

The row layout was the best of the way to use all the blocks at once.

We didn’t think it was great, but it was almost the best of all of the layouts we tried.

Color Group: Offset Row Layout
Color Group: Offset Row Layout

One of the trial layouts was also a row quilt layout, but, in this version, we offset the blocks a little bit.

We were trying to make it a little more modern while making it look good.

It just looked messy to me. Kathleen didn’t like it either.

Color Group: On Point Layout
Color Group: On Point Layout

 

 

Color Group Final Layout
Color Group Final Layout

 

 

 

 

We also tried out an on point layout. I did like the extra whitespace, but the problem was that block patterns didn’t work with the on point layout.

So, we went full on modern. We split the blocks up and used 5 in a row for two quilts. Two blocks will be on the back of one of the quilts.

Color Group Final Layout 2
Color Group Final Layout 2

We will use a lot of the Kona White to make the quilts ~48×60. These will go to a women’s shelter, we think, which is why we are making them the size we decided on.

We might put one column of blocks closer to the edge and on the other quilt closer to the center.

I am in charge of one of the quilts and Kathleen is making the other. I haven’t started yet, but plan on doing so as soon as I remember how to sew. 😉

 

More Cat Beds

Autumn Cat Bed
Autumn Cat Bed

The BAMQG Meeting was yesterday. I turned in some cat beds to Amanda and was very happy I did. Amanda was having a bad week, so I was glad I made the effort.

These two cat beds were different, because they were both made of cotton rather than Polartec/Polarfleece. I like working with the Polartec/Polarfleece, but it is a little more difficult to work with than cotton. It was a relief to work with the cotton. I made the cotton cat beds pretty fast compared to the Polartec, but I still don’t mind working with the Polartec.

Cotton Cat Bed
Cotton Cat Bed

These were interesting fabrics with which to work. They are fabrics which remind me of fabrics that were very popular when I started making quilts.

I wasn’t the one who brought the most cat beds. Someone brought a whole shopping full of really cute cat beds. Someone had made about 30 and appliqued  (using blanket stitch) one adorable heart on each cat bed.

All of these cat beds made Amanda really happy. It was great to see her smiling again.