Doing Good – Page 47 – Artquiltmaker Blog

More of Doing Good

I have been, as they say, feeling the love for making donation quilts. I have talked about how good it makes me feel to make the various donation quilts I have made such as the pink and green one shown here.

I recently had the opportunity to actually finish one of the donation tops someone else (or multiple someone elses) made for the group by hand stitching down a binding. It felt like such a small thing to do, but then I had the opportunity to give one of these quilts to a child in need. I asked, the guild leadership agreed and the quilt is in transit to provide comfort to a girl who doesn’t know what her body is doing. I felt so good knowing one of those quilts is being sent to someone I know.

I am a sap, I know, but sometimes I need to be reminded why doing good is important.

The binding I stitched down is for a quilt made from the checkerboard blocks the guild did in the first quarter of this year.

I don’t know if I made any of these blocks, but I recognize some of the fabrics. Perhaps they used fabrics I donated? I don’t know.

I have to say that there is something to be said for using blocks of many colors. My versions with the sashing and monochromatic color scheme have a very different look. Mine are bigger also, because of the sashing and borders. I don’t think I have seen one of my tops completed by someone else yet. I am scared and eager to have some of them go out into the world.

The binding uses leftovers, which was interesting. I tried to line up the colors in the quilt with the binding colors. It worked ok, but did not match exactly all over the quilt. That is ok.

Whoever did the quilting did a great job. The hearts are subtle and I hope they convey love.

UGH! I am making myself sick now. This post is DONE!

Pink & Green Donation Quilt

If you are wondering WTF? then you are with me, because I keep looking at this quilt thinking “what was I thinking?”

This is NOT a horrible quilt. I am not embarrassed to give it to charity. It is not ugly. The workmanship is excellent. Not trying to be arrogant, but I do my best to make well made quilts. One of my biggest pet peeves, in case I didn’t mention it before, is bad workmanship. I could write a whole dissertation on THAT subject, but will spare you at the moment.

I have to admit, though, that it is not my best design work. The problem was I couldn’t figure out completely what was going on. I knew:

I should have been more selective about the shades and tones of the pinks and greens I picked.
I should have picked a 3rd color for the sashing and a 4th color for the cornerstones.
I knew something was wrong so I just put borders on with fabric that was large enough. I stopped worrying about the top being a great design. I actually like the batik border fabric a lot better after I cut it up.

Other than that, I was stumped. Then I listened to Sandy’s podcast on space with her guesthost: ME and think I figured out the problem.

An aside: I listen to all of the podcasts that Sandy and I record. I am cringing less and less. I want to hear what you hear. This episode on Space was a mind bender, even for me and I had been living and breathing the content for months.

Listening to the episode clarified the concept and I was able to figure out the problem with this quilt. In the episode I said that definition of space is “the area the design occupies”(for purposes of the design series) of space. I used the example of a 4’x3′ piece of fabric as space for a quilt. On that background or Picture plane or Space, the maker places his/her objects.

In the case of the donation quilt, the space, which is supposed to surround the objects (shapes in a piece), is confusing. If I had chosen all the same pink fabric, it would be clear that the pink was the background/space in the quilt. Same with the green. I didn’t do either. I just put a bunch of pink and green squares together and sewed for broke.

The donation quilts, such as the pink or the blue or the yellow, where I used the black on white background work a lot better, because it is clear to the viewer what fabric constitutes the space. Even though the black on white fabrics are different prints, it is still clear that those fabrics are the background/space.

I am ok with the quilt, especially now that I think I know the problem. The quilt will still keep a little missy warm. Live and learn.

Froggy Cat Bed

When Amanda had the new kits out at the BAMQG meeting earlier this month, I wanted to take them all. There were about 6, but I restrained myself and just took one. These cat beds are really easy to make and as an added bonus, I get to dump my schnibbles into the center as filling when I am done.

I had to do a bit of unsewing on this cat bed, as I put the wrong tail on the outside when sewing. You have to put the end you want to hide on the outside when sewing the middle strip to the ovals so that when you turn the cat bed right side out, the hemmed end will be on the outside. I started to unsew the entire thing and then realized I only had to unsew the ends. I did the unsewing then re-sewed and have another great cat bed for Amanda and the Homeless Cat Network.

One of the things I like about this project is that I can put my schnibbles in it.I save, as I have said, the bits that are really too small to save. I used to throw them out, but putting them inside cat beds is better. I had the ends of a quilt (that get cut off after machine quilting) that I also cut up and put inside this one.

The second photo shows more of the frog fabric used for the side. I hope the cat likes it.

Pink & Green Donation Quilt

I know you must all be bored of seeing these checkerboard blocks put together one after another with little variation. I have to say that I am getting a tiny bit bored, but the color work is still interesting enough for me to keep making these pieces.

This quilt is taking me longer to get done. I am not sure why, aside from reasons I have discussed, and the usual busyness, but it seems to be taking forever. I am not working on a piecing project at the moment, so can’t move this quilt along using the leaders and enders technique, so that must be the problem.

I am pleased with the way it is coming out in general, though I do see some specific problems. Nota Bene: I really don’t want sympathy. I am learning by doing and reporting on what I find.

I don’t know why I chose this color combination. It is fun and kind of a trip down memory lane to the late 80s (??) and the Preppie Handbook. I almost never use green, so I needed to use some up. The back will be green as well. I also was kind of feeling like I would scream if I had to sew another black on white square to something else. Good time to take a break.

SIL pointed out that these blocks no longer look like a checkerboard. She is right. I paid special attention to only using the lighter pinks in this piece. I didn’t like the darker batik pinks mixed with the lighter pinks in the Pink Donation quilt. The values of the pinks and greens are mostly the same. That muddies the design. In some cases, I put in some darker greens and they stand out. If I were to make a pink and green quilt like this again, I would use the lighter pinks and darker greens. I might even use the same green for the ‘background’ squares.

Pink & Green Donation Quilt blocks with sashing

I am now putting the blocks together. I sashed them all on Sunday, so it shouldn’t take me long to do the rest. I just didn’t feel like it.

One thing I did differently was cut the sashing down to 1.5″ finished (2″ cut). That means I had to cut .5″ off all of the sashing strips and cornerstones. The leavings will be stuffing for cat beds.

I think the slight change in with enhances the overall design. Small detail.

Perhaps when I make the perfect donation quilt, I will then move on to another pattern!

Labor Day Sew-in Day 2

To find out how to participate in the Labor Day Sew-in, read the previous post.

I don’t feel like I got as much done on Day 2 as I did on Day 1, but I am still pretty pleased with the amount of work I got done.

I worked on the donation blocks and think I have 9 more to go before I can start chunking.

I feel like I should have gotten all of these done, but I made a couple of journal covers, which required more than straight mindless sewing. Still 4 is good, right? Immerhin, right?

Next up: Journal covers. Did I say somewhere that I started a new journal this past week and needed a journal cover? If not, I started a new journal this past week and need a journal cover. I didn’t believe my own directions, so that meant that I made one and it was just a tad too small. I was able to cut the covers of an old journal and use it, but I still needed a cover for my new journal. I followed my own directions this time and came up with one I could use. It is a tad too large, but works.

I am not sure why I like using journal covers, but I do. I like seeing cheerful fabric. I liked the softness and a journal cover gives the impression of more privacy. Real privacy? I don’t know, but the impression is ok with me. My journal doesn’t often leave my sight.

I adjusted the sizes slightly and might try another cover tomorrow (LDSI3). I always need covers for new journals, so making another one would mean I get a bit ahead. I would like to go back and cover all of my journals, but I just don’t see that happening right now. Someday, perhaps.

A-B-C Challenge Blocks - more sashing — A-B-C Challenge Blocks – more sashing

I also worked on the A-B-C Challenge Blocks. I used the last bit of the half yard that TFQ returned from the Super Secret project. I was able to sash a lot of blocks with that half yard. I am fortunate I was able to find more of the grey, so I started pressing and cutting into that.

I expected to get more done, but am happy with how much I got done.

More tomorrow.

Cat Bed #1

This is the cat bed that I made from the kit I got at the last BAMQG meeting. I didn’t think that I would enjoy it, but it went very quickly and in no time I had the thing done.

I had some schnibbles so I put as many as I could inside to stuff it. Amanda will have to stuff the rest of it with all the schnibbles she has collected.

The polar fleece only caused me a bit of pain and suffering, but not much. I am quite pleased with how it came out.

I have to admit that I enjoyed making this. I find satisfaction in making the donation quilts and also in making this cat bed. If you want to make one, Amanda has kindly allowed me to post the revised, simpler Cat Bed Pattern .

More Yellow Donation Blocks

As mentioned last week, I am working on the yellow donation quilt and it is going well. I made several more blocks while I was off over the Fourth of July holiday.

I was spurred on by seeing the finished blue donation quilt. Jennifer finished it on her longarm machine and did the binding as well. It looks so great to see it done.

It made me think that this Yellow quilt is an even better exercise for me, because the yellows are really different than what I have done with yellow before.

The brown-y yellows are a challenge, but I like the prints, so I am working with them.

I still have a few more blocks to make, but already have cut some pieces for sashing in hopes that I will get this top done before the next BAMQG meeting.

Yellow Donation Blocks

I am back on the donation block bandwagon, though I don’t think I ever really got off. 😉 I am using all of the Art Gallery scraps, but I had to add some additional scraps otherwise there would not have been enough different fabrics. At least, in my mind, there would not have been enough different fabrics.

I started working with the yellows using a different method than I used with the pinks. I sewed squares together and then started stacking them up. I am not sure I like this method, because it is confusing and may yet switch. I was trying to vary, not only the yellows, but also the backgrounds. It made the process a bit more challenging and I thought the variation in method would work better. The blocks definitely go together quickly when the pairs are already sewn together.

I was able to make 3 more blocks yesterday, in between making the backs.

I have an idea in my mind that I want to complete another donation top by the meeting on Saturday. The rational side of me knows that is madness, but the driven crazy person knows she can do it and doesn’t care.

I was able to add a couple of more fabrics as I worked on the yellow back yesterday. As I mentioned, I thought there was too much brown. In general, though, I think the blocks are coming together nicely.

We’ll see what the rest of the week brings for my sewing and see if we can get a quilt top finished. I have a lot of other stuff to do.

Signed, Sealed & Delivered

I went downstairs this morning to get some water before I started my day. I hadn’t see the mail from the day before and it was sitting on the dining room table. I glanced through it and noticed two handwritten enveloped addressed to me. I recognized the addresses as being from the recipients of the Stars for San Bruno quilts. My heart fluttered a bit.

I didn’t get a response to my emails and notes, so I didn’t want to say anything to you when I sent the quilts off last Friday (return receipt requested) in case they were not well received.

Crazy talk, I know. Sometimes I can’t help myself.

I was kind of afraid of what I would find when I read the notes, so I went and got ready for work and started my breakfast before I read them.

I really never know how people will respond.

Will they hate the look of the quilt?

Will they feel resentful because they feel obligated to me?

I rarely ever send anyone anything with the expectation of getting something back. The reviews I do for Lark Books I do as a service to YOU. When I send letters to my friends, I send them with a sense of joy in my heart that they will receive a handwritten letter they can enjoy.

There was no reason for me to be afraid. Their notes were grateful and heartfelt. They made me cry.

DH’s cousin writes:

“Words can’t express the feelings that T and I felt. Tears of happiness to know that so many wonderful people put their hearts and hands into such a beautiful quilt….

The quilt has lifted our spirits ~ we have a long healing process but this will help with the warm feeling and thoughts that were sent our way….we have another few months until all is done. Thanks again with much love T & R.”

I am so pleased. I am pleased that the quilts were accepted with the spirit in which they were sent. I was pleased to get such heartfelt thank you notes. Those notes made all the difference.

Note to those who participated: I will scan the notes and send them off to you separately.

Art Gallery Scraps

I received a bunch of scraps from Pat Bravo at Art Gallery Fabrics. She offers them periodically and ‘scraps’ is a total misnomer.

The most bright and cheerful fabric was a scrap, but everything else was half yards or slightly smaller. Compared to what I consider unusable, these ‘scraps’ were a trip to the fabric store.

All the fabrics I got were in the yellow family. Some of them were gold. Some more on the brown side. There were two fabrics with words on them, which I liked, but refrained from looking up on Quiltshops.com.

My intent was to make an entire quilt with the foreground from this package of fabrics. I am not sure that is possible. The quilt might be a bit too boring. I have a few yellow fabric squares that I have been cutting, so I’ll see about adding those in.

I washed the fabric, as is my habit and got to work.

I took the opportunity to cut a few pieces for myself, but really, I cut them into 8″ squares to cut on the Accuquilt, which I did.

I think it is so interesting that Pat and her crew color coordinate the scraps. This is a fabric combination that I would never put together myself, but it is one, which is somewhat appealing and I am looking forward to the challenge of trying to make it work. I need to finish the Pink Donation top before I can start this one and I need to cut some background fabrics.

AGF Package - Love the stamps — AGF Package – Love the stamps

More Donation Blocks

I am working steadily on the pink donation blocks. I have all 16 finished, though I just had 12 finished when I started writing this post.

I have the Corner Store on the portable design wall, so as soon as I finished the last donation block, I started to cut sashing. I haven’t cut all the sashing, but started to sew sashing onto donation blocks anyway in between sewing Corner Store blocks together.

I can’t see the blocks all together yet, because, as implied, both design walls are covered (could I, possibly, do fewer projects at once?) with other projects (A-B-C Challenge, Swoon, FOTY 2012, Corner Store).

I have about 6 blocks sashed and need to cut a bit more sashing.

In between sewing, I also cut some ~8″ pieces to make additional pink 2.5″ squares for a future donation quilt. I used the ~8″ pieces to cut 2.5″ squares using the Accuquilt. I have a big stack waiting for me to sort.

The blocks are all a bit different, but I used many of the same fabrics, as I did in the Blue Donation quilt.

I intended to make the top and back and give it in to the Charity girls at the BAMQG, but since my sewing machine seems so happy, I wonder if I could practice some free motion machine quilting on this piece? The last time I did free motion quilting, it was such a disaster that I might have developed a phobia. I have to see if I can do it…physically, too.

And there are more pink quilts to make as Mrs. K sent me more pink fabric. Just what I needed. 😉

I am going to use the large piece on the left as backing. It is a very soft lawn, I think, and a bit thin, but I think it will be fine. Most of the fabrics Mrs. K sent were shards and strips. I washed them all and am preparing to cut them up into squares. A couple of the pieces, in addition to the lawn, are larger – FQ sized or so. Perhaps they will go on the back as well. We will see.

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