Learning Something New

It is always a good day when I learn something new. Yesterday I learned out to make a facing, made a facing and am thrilled! Maureen, a quiltmaker whose work I greatly admire, was making a facing at the CQFA Retreat. She pointed me to Jeri Riggs’ directions later.

A facing is a way of finishing a quilt so that the edging (binding) does not show on the front. You may not always to want a frame (binding) around your quilt. This is a design element that will work with some pieces. I think that this technique will work for a number of my Pamela Allen pieces.

I learn best when someone shows me how to do something, so reading the directions and trying to make the facing left me scratching my head in confusion. I finally called Maureen and she walked me through the process. She sprinkled in a few tips and tricks she has added to the web directions.

It isn’t difficult at all. It reminds me of making a tote bag the first time. Once you do it, you know it and can make the process your own.

This means that the House & Garden Quilt is done! YAY!

House & Garden, finished May 16, 2009
House & Garden, finished May 16, 2009

Well, it still needs a label and I need to decide about a sleeve.

Making Lemonade

When you have lemons, make lemonade.
As you know, the machine is gone and I can’t work on the Pineapples (Well, I suppose I could, but I want to be sure all of the problems are consistent by using the same machine). I have a Janome Jem, which I have only used a handful of times, so I have formulated a list of other things I can work on while giving the Jem a little workout. Here it is:

  • 6 baby blankets: three friends/colleagues are having babies-2 each
  • Binding for Sharon’s quilt.
  • Binding for Serendipity Puzzle.
  • Gift bags: I have lots of fabric for bags, and Christmas is coming.
  • Cut out fabric for test blocks. I am going to start looking at new machines soon and I want to have some piecing in my own fabrics, which I can use to test the machines.
  • Wash and press new fabric.
  • Replenish Pineapple strips.

I also have a lot of hand work, which I can now work on since the thimble came back from vacation:

  • Pamela’s self portrait from June 2006
  • Pamela’s garden from June 2006
  • Pamela’s house and garden from May 2007
  • Kissy Fish

So now I am going to get off my duff (computer) and start some of these projects.

One good thing about the machine being gone is that I could get a good picture of the Pineapple blocks.

One Last Pass at Binding Thoughts on Dots

After reading comments from Sherri and Laume last night, I decided that I needed to do my due diligence and try out green and purple/violet as bindings as well.

So I got up and applied some green to part of the quilt. The green is really good; I like it a lot. It works really well with the blues, pinks and the darker blue. This wasn’t the corner that I used for the other samples, so I removed the green and put it on the corner I was using for the sample.

I put the green on the ‘common’ corner and I think it looks just as good on this corner.

As a nod to Deirdre, I found a violet with some wavy stripes (with dots inside the stripes). I like the violet a lot, but I think the green is better. What do you think?

As an aside, in looking through my purple bins, I found that there were not really very many good violets in my bin. I don’t know if that is a product of my buying habits or the availability of violet. I’ll have to see as I see what fabric is available.

More Choices for Binding

So, I am at home instead of at the guild meeting, because I woke up with the beginnings of a cold. I have to be well. I have a lot of work and family obligations this week. Being in bed or coughing my lungs out are not on the agenda.

The bad side is that I don’t get to go and take friend, Julie‘s, class. She is teaching Freeform Fabric Collage. I am sure she will post photos on her blog, which I can’t wait to see.

The other bad thing is that going south was, probably, my only chance to see the sun today. While the rest of the universe are seeing over 100 degrees, we are fogged in. It is grey. I don’t know if it is cold, since I haven’t been outside yet, but I am sure it is not hot. However, it is not drippy like it was last night nor is the fog pea soup thick.

The other bad thing is that I don’t get to see my quiltmaking friends or all of their great works. Again, I’ll look forward to seeing them on the site. I even had something to show this time! Bleah.

The good thing, aside from trying to ward off the cold, is that I get to stay home. I have to admit that I have not had enough time to commune with my house lately. I will work on the Pineapples and the binding for Thoughts on Dots. Perhaps I will go with the husband to see a movie, especially since the child is gone.

I did finish another Flowering Snowball block (Cross Block) this week at Craft Night.
I like that I am making more an effort to make the background fabrics all different. I think it makes the blocks more interesting. I am really pleased to say that I have gotten a lot of compliments on this pattern. I am pleased that people have noticed and pleased that people are interested in blocks that have nothing to do with ‘quick piecing.’

In my last post (much too long ago!), I talked about possibilities for binding Thoughts on Dots. I also asked for feedback. Deirdre, Sherry, Sage and Cami all commented. Sherry and Sage thought a bright red or yellow, so I tried those. The red is really good.


Deirdre suggested a black/white stripe or a zigzag pattern. The above is what I pulled out first and it frames the piece nicely, but kind of ruins the whole cheerful energy that I have been working on. In all fairness, Deirdre did suggest a stripe or a zigzag pattern. The above is not a stripe or a zigzag.

So I hauled out a stripe. I couldn’t find a black and white zigzag, even though I think I have one. Even with the addition of the white, I don’t like the black. Sorry Deirdre!

Sherry suggested a solid red or a solid yellow. I really like the red (see above), but I also like the yellow. Neither the red or the yellow are solid, but they are tone-on-tones and are close to solids. I think the yellow is a top contender.
As I was pawing through fabrics, I also came up with this blue swirl, which I couldn’t not pull it out. I like it, but I think the yellow or the red is better. What do you think?

One Down One to Go

The Eye of God is bound and I am working diligently on Feelin’ Blue, Too. I have been working on one of the other of them every day. I expected to make more progress today, but worked on other things. Mostly “housecleaning” and kid wrangling. I haven’t gotten the sleeves on but am happy to be making progress.

My Garbage Can Runneth Over

The small garbage pail next to my sewing machine table is full. I found this to be an excellent indicator of my fiberart output in a week.

Trashcan 2005
Trashcan 2005

There have been too many weeks recently where my garbage pail has been completely empty. The quilts are back, however, so I cut off the excess fabric and batting in anticipation of sewing on the binding. This exercise quickly fills up the pail.

CG did a great job quilting them. She did the work quickly and it was reasonably priced. I am very pleased. The only thing that threw me for a loop was the way the edges were not straight. This can’t be unusual, so I don’t know why this seems so odd. I had to be very careful cutting Feelin’ Blue, Too, because there is no border, so if I cut too much, the blocks will look odd. I tried to err on the side of caution. This must be from the shrinkage from quilting the quilt.

Both bindings and sleeves are ready to go. Tomorrow: onto the binding. I know I have plenty of time and will get them done.

Fabric That Binds

I made the sleeve and the binding for The Eye of God this weekend. YAY! I am thrilled that I made progress. I feel like I am on a roll and will go to make the sleeve and binding for Feelin’ Blue, Too.

Both sleeve and binding are ready to be sewed on to the quilt when The Eye of God returns. I used Robbi Joy’s directions for making the sleeve and I am pleased with the result. I do like the way the sleeve went together. It also feels substantial, like it would protect my quilt from errant rods. Of course, we will have to see when I put the sleeve on the quilt.

Why You Should Have a Lot of Fabric

As mentioned previously, the quilts are gone and I have only to make binding and sleeves before they come back. Have I made progress? A tiny amount. I found that I don’t have enough of the dark purple batik fabric I planned to use for the binding on The Eye of God.

This is why you must have a large amount of fabric.

I went through my purple fabric bins to see if I had something that would go with the dark purple batik. The first bin was full of purples with lots of red in them. Not what I needed. Then….Voila! Not the same, but similar enough in value and amount of underlying colors as well as overall look to go with the dark purple batik. YAY! There will be extra seams in the binding, but that is life on the edge.

No other progress. We’ll see what happens today/this weekend.

No Progress on Feelin’ Blue, Too

I am worried about the quilting. My quilter is gone until the end of the month and I am anxious that I won’t get the two quilts back in time to bind and sleeve them for the show. I am so worried that I have been contemplating quilting it myself. Not sure the body can handle it, though, so I haven’t actually committed to the quilting process. And before I decide, I have to doodle my quilting idea for awhile to see if it will actually work.

My mom assured me that she would help me finish the quilts no matter what time it got back. Why can’t I have faith? This is a theme lately and it tells me that I am in the wrong space.

Sitting down and doodling the quilt design, working on the sleeve and the binding would all help me move forward. I need to break the process into baby steps and JUST DO IT. I could also decide to forget the whole thing.