At Sew Day, Gerre was quilting the donation quilt I made in January. I am always super happy when the donation tops I make get quilted quickly.
I don’t know how much she was able to finish. Progress is really good.
Friendship Star in the Wild
Tag: Group project
More Pantone Selections
I have decided (today) that waiting for a chunk of time to select fabrics for the Pantone Project isn’t getting selections made, which means I cannot make blocks for Julie. I think that if I select even one fabric I am much closer to handing more blocks over.
I am pretty pleased with the yellow selection. I know it doesn’t look exact int he picture, but the card is more of the same color in real life.
Last week, on my lunch hours, I selected one or two fabrics. This orange is also a better match in person.
Julie and I both acknowledge that this is more challenging than we thought it would be. Still, I think doing it in small chunks is worth a try. I hope I can make some progress using this strategy.
Julie and I meant to go over her technique for foundation paper piecing and we didn’t get around to it. That lack gives me a reason to get together with her soon.
These two are pretty similar. I remembered this peachy fabric, but had to get it out to see which one works better. I think I will use this fabric for the Coral Haze and find something else for the Blossom.
Rainbow Strip #2 Donation Top Started
I started, sort of, the next Rainbow Strip donation top. I finished the first one in September of last year. Mostly what this means is that when I am delving into a scrap bin and come up with strips, I make a Color Strip block from it.
Recently I have been making blue strip blocks and I have a lot of them. I think I will have to make a blue Color Strip donation top.
I don’t know if I will use all of these since 6 is a lot of any one color. We’ll see.
This group adds to the yellow, green, grey and pink blocks I already have.
Finished Orange You Glad
I finally finished Orange You Glad’s sleeve. It took forever considering I got the quilt back from Colleen in February. The real problem was that I put off making the sleeve for awhile. I know I should have made when I finished the quilt, but I didn’t.
This quilt doesn’t look square, but apparently it is. It is 63×63 inches.
I am pleased to have another finish.
March Donation Blocks
I was really pleased to see a bunch of quilts that Peggy made for donations at the meeting the other day. She called them her “Jaye collection”, which I thought was very kind. I was confused until she talked about how she made them out of bits and pieces I sent to her. I sent her a couple of stacks of HSTs during the pandemic as well as many 16 patch blocks and she turned all of them into great quilts.
I made a bunch of donation blocks this month. Some are 16 patches and some are the pink strip blocks. As a result I am feeling better about my contributions to the guild.
Pink Strips Together
I moved all the blocks to my larger design wall after Who Am I? went into the ‘to be quilted’ bag. While I was little lazy about walking across the room to use the donation blocks for leaders and enders, I finally put the quilt top together and put the borders on.
I got inspiration from the Red Strip donation top I made a few years ago. I really liked the cornerstones and the way the white sashing separated the blocks so viewers could see each one distinctly.
This one is larger than the Red version. I did end up adding a column to the quilt, but I still think it is a weird shape. I didn’t do any of the ratio math I suggest my students do to make their quilts the right shape. I plan to put more borders on, so maybe I will make the vertical borders a little wider than the top and bottom borders.
So far so good and I am on track to bring it to Sew Day or the next meeting.
Finished: BAMaQG IRR
I finished another old project. As mentioned, I started this project in 2015, so it is only eight years old. Still, old enough to get on my nerves.
Someone compared my dislike of UFOs to someone I really don’t like who has no UFOs. That annoyed me, because I don’t think I am like her at all. I just don’t find that **my** projects improve by sitting around. I can’t imagine never having any UFOs, but I think they will be projects for which I have cut fabric, but not started sewing. Once I start sewing, it is pretty easy to continue.
I zoomed through the binding on this quilt. Using good fabric really helps. I was pleased I remembered not to use a batik in the binding! I didn’t expect to finish it so quickly, but it went really fast.
Quilts Return: BAMQG IRR
This is another quilt that I had returned to me for finishing. This has been a long time in coming. The start of the project was in 2015! I know Rhonda, who was also in my group, was working on hers recently as well.
I probably won’t keep this one, but for the moment I don’t have a recipient. I’ll need to check my Niece-phews list and see if it would be appropriate for anyone on it. I have an idea, but would need to make another for a sibling.
I remember my excitement at using the Queen Street fabric in this quilt. I think the solid turquoise dominates more that Queen Street, though the Philip Jacobs shell fabric is no slouch either.
Queen Street really shines on the back. You can see all the prints, but they aren’t highlighted by piecing.
More binding!
New Pantone Project Blocks
I received some more blocks from Julie a week or so ago.
These are the result of the postcards I sent to her. It is interesting to think about the choices I made and the result that I see in the blocks Julie made.
I can’t imagine how the blocks the blocks will come together as a whole but I am excited to see how they come together.
I have not made any other blocks since my last batch. I need to get one that.
First Finish 2023: Friendship Star
Finishing a donation quilt first in the year has to be good karma, right?
I had been saving some 16 patches to make a donation quilt and decided that New Year’s Day was the day. I combined the 16 patches with pieced sashing and cornerstones from an article in Today’s Quilter issue 91. The information was in the Essential Guides sections, which is great for tuning up your skills.
I wanted to try the technique out, so I took out those donation blocks and got to work. I, mostly, used up some Pure Elements Linen for the sashing background and used a solid for the cornerstones and the back.
It felt so good just to do some easy piecing and I am pleased to have a donation quilt to bring to Sew Day next week.
New Pantone Project Blocks
I received a nice package of blocks from Friend Julie the other day. It is so interesting to see these blocks. Julie mentioned that it looked like a real project now when she posted about the blocks I sent to her last week.
I can’t really see what they will end up looking like, but I can see that they will end up as something. I can see the possibilities now.
I have received more postcards and need to match them to fabric. I might be over the hump of fabric selection being a big barrier. We’ll see how it goes with the next group.
SJSA Top Finished
Cyndi brought the Social Justice Sewing Academy top to the meeting a few weeks ago for us to see.
The sashing fabrics are not fabrics I would choose, but they really provide a great background for the blocks. I think the blocks really shine.
SJSA Joins Sew Day
Cyndi invited a group from the Social Justice Sewing Academy to our Sew Day. Some of our group had finished blocks, so those were turned in. Sara, the organizer, brought a different group of blocks that were to be made into a quilt.
People worked together to put sashing on the blocks and sew them together.
I was tired and stayed in my corner working on the Half Hexies. I wasn’t up for a group project that day.
The group achieved a lot. They put thin sashing around each block and then worked on larger pieced sashing (no photo). They decided to put the larger pieced sashing on backwards so the raw edges show. I am not sure the point, especially after quilting, but it was definitely a design choice.
The themes of the blocks varied. I might have put all environmental blocks together in one quilt and all animal blocks together in another quilt. I can see the appeal of varying the themes as it makes people really look at them to see what else is there.
My favorite block has a fantastic design. The design is very simple and clear IMO. It also has a graphic quality and provides a lot of scope for discussion. Whoever designed this block should get an award. Great job.
It was fun to see the blocks up close and contemplate the messages. If you want to participate, check the SJSA website for more details
First Pantone Project Blocks
I finally (FINALLY!) made some Pantone Project blocks and handed them off to Julie when we were at PIQF.
I know there are a small number shown here, but along with the fabrics I have selected, I feel like I have made a good start. I am in the process of making the other blocks. Once I do that I will be caught up and should be able to make a couple of blocks per week. Fingers crossed.
UCAB: Separating Zipper Top Tutorial
In order to sew along, you will need to:
- Purchase the pattern
- Gather your supplies
- Print the tags
- Cut your fabric
You can find more information at the following links:
- Tour of the bag -Instagram
- Bag-a-Long project post – 9/27/2019
- Thoughts behind the bag – 8/7/2019
- Sotak Handmade’s video on making a neat and tidy zipper end
- Find all posts about this bag, including posts on my progress,
- by using the hashtag, Ultimate Carry All Bag
Additional Supplies**
- Separating zipper
Notes:
I was not able to find a 12″ separating zipper so I used a 10″ and it worked fine. you might be able to find one the right size at Wawak.
Use E8 pieces for this step. The zipper flanges (fabrics surrounding the zipper) should be exterior fabrics ifyou want them to match the outside of the bag.
Tutorial:
Use a 3/8″ seam allowance for this step.
You will be using the pattern starting on page 20. Use the exterior fabrics for the fabrics surrounding the zipper (E8-zipperr flanges). Match thread to those fabrics.
Take the zipper apart. Keep all the pieces oriented as if you are going to zip them back together.
Make a zipper sandwich
-
- Lay 1 E8 piece right side up
- Position the zipper tape along the center of E8 half an inch from the end (see photo above where clips are)
- Clip fabric to zipper tape
- Put another E8 piece face down to make the sandwich
- Reposition the clips on the E8 pieces to encompass the entire zipper sandwich
- Clip the top of the zipper (side where the stop will be when the bag is closed) so you can veer it and the top of the tape will be hidden. Sew Sweetness has a tutorial on veering a zipper.
- Follow these directions for the second piece. You want to continuously check that the two pieces of the zipper are lined up so the zipper will work properly.
Look at the images on pg.20 of the pattern as they will help.
Install the zipper. Stitch to the end of the fabric.
Stitch both short ends closed. You have, basically, sewn around the zipper lining/edges in a U shape so that the ends are closed and three sides are finished.
Make sure the end of the zipper is OUTSIDE of the seam allowance. You want to stitch as close as you can to the stop, then match the seam allowance on the second side of the zipper.
Turn the piece right sides out and press. Top stitch the U after you have finished the second side.
Throughout this step:
- Remember that this zipper comes apart.
- Make sure the two sides of the zipper are in the correct orientation and the ends are even the whole time.
Keep checking.
N.B.: Quiltessa Natalie calls these zipper tabs, but I have never heard of zipper tabs being applied to the sides of the zipper. I call them zipper flangesI have also never used a separating zipper, so who knows?)
Previous Tutorials:
- Large Pocket #1 pt.1 tutorial
- Large Pocket #1 pt.2 tutorial
- Large Pocket #2 Clippy Pocket tutorial (type 2)
- Large Pocket #2 tutorial pt.2
- Small Front Pocket Tutorial pt.1 – center section
- Small Front Pocket Tutorial pt.2 – Clippy pockets (instead of badge holders)
- Pocket information – post showing additional mesh pockets (not a tutorial)
**Obviously, you should shop at local fabric, knitting shops or quilt shops. However, if you can’t, please know that I use affiliate links. I may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I do not recommend items I don’t like. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.