I finished Metroscape a few weeks ago. I didn’t post it sooner because I just had the chance to snap a photo before I took it to guild last week.
I am still pleased with it and was encouraged to enter it into the fair, which means adding a rod pocket. I don’t have much else to add so I just might. It will, at least, impress a few people because of the curves. The machine quilted category is a tough one, but with the curves and the bold fabrics, this one might have a chance to win.
Metroscape back – finished
What this quilt makes me think about now is what to do next with the Quick Curve Rulers.
It isn’t that long ago that I was sewing the blocks for this piece. Now the quilting is done and the binding is machine stitched. I am ready to hand sew the back of the binding and be finished.
Quilting – Lights tablerunner
I spent all day Saturday quilting it. It took me all day, too, to carefully straight stitch the areas I wanted quilted.
I really didn’t want to do it, but I also don’t want another UFO hanging around, so I bit the bullet and did the quilting. I am paying for my work as my arm and neck aren’t their usual selves. I tend to attach my left shoulder to my ear as I quilt. I tried really hard to keep it down so the pain is not as bad as it could be. I have Serendipity Lady to quilt, but that piece will have to wait for another day.
Lights tablerunner – quilting detail
The quilting isn’t perfect, but I am pretty pleased with the way it came out. There are a couple of sections I might redo, but I don’t need to worry about that now.
What really helped me was listening to the Pearl Sister as I quilted. After a couple of enjoyable, but not well written books, this was a fantastic quilting book. It is the latest in the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley and was really great. I am going back to read the first in the series, because it was so good and I want to be reminded of the details of the sisters. I just found out there is another installment in the series ready for me to read as well, The Moon Sister! Yay! Perhaps it is time for another quilting project? Definitely read the series in order.
I spent most of Saturday’s Sew Day working on the Mod Lights pattern from Sew Kind of Wonderful. When I say ‘working’, you have to take that with a slight grain of salt, because I can’t help but change up the pattern.
In this case, I am not changing a lot. The fabrics are different and the size is slightly different. I want it to fit my buffet and that piece of furniture is a certain size. Otherwise, the layout and the way I put it together was the same.
Holiday Lights Buffet runner
I finished the top on Sunday, so now I have to make a back and find some batting.
I bought the pattern on a whim at Stitch in Ferndale. I stopped there, as mentioned, on my way back from Portland right before Christmas. I love that store. I would drive up there for a class, if they had one I would enjoy.
Trimming the lights
This pattern required the small/mini Quick Curve Ruler, which I also bought at Stitch. I was slightly annoyed because I thought I could use the larger version, but I ended up happy after seeing the lights develop and how great the motif is.
As mentioned when I was making MetroScape, all the curved portion of the blocks require trimming. You might sincerely dislike trimming, but I like it as it sets me up for success. Some of the curved pieces I sewed together came out super weird looking. If I had tried to sew them together as is, I would have had a disaster on my hands. As it was, I was able to help fill a pet bed and be successful.
The pattern has a couple of different projects included so you are getting some bang for your buck. All of the projects include the light. I got some ideas on other projects in which I could use the light motif, so I might get even more bang.
As I mentioned yesterday, I dropped a quilt off to be quilted. I don’t normally just go to Colleen’s to drop off a quilt. I try to take two or more at a time. As it happens, two were ready for me to pick up and Metroscape was one of them.
Metroscape quilted, reading for binding
I am pleased that it is nearly finished. Colleen machine stitched the binding on for me as usual, but I will hand stitch the rest.
Sewing the back is my least favorite part of the quiltmaking process. Quilting doesn’t count since I usually don’t do it. This particular back took longer than expected, because I prepared all the fabric twice.
I decided to use the stripes for the back because I hadn’t used much of them on the front. I proceeded to cut up the dot fabrics for the back.
Huh?
Nope, not a typo. I did the exact opposite of what I intended. I don’t know what I was thinking.
It didn’t really matter, so I took down all the dots and started again. I had made the binding in advance so I could use all of the stripes I wanted as long as I could deal with the diagonal cut out of the yardage for the binding.
As you can see from the photo, I was able to make a back. It seems a little darker than I intended, but it could just be the contrast of the white from the front.
I stole a few minutes from a very busy weekend to sew. I need to finish the MetroScape back and binding before Thursday. I am taking quilts to Colleen to be quilted. She is finally feeling better and able to quilt a bit again, so I can pick up the Stepping Stones #2 as well.
I decided, after I cut up all the dot prints, that I hadn’t used many of the stripes on the front, so I would use them on the back. I spent a lot of Saturday evening recovering the stripes from making the binding. They all of have a big diagonal strip cut off the length.
The binding is finished, which is always a relief. I have enough fabric for the back. I just have to make it work. Right now my issue is what to put in between the three horizontal lines of fabric.
I came home from my trip on Sunday evening. It was actually the second trip in a week, but I was only home for about 12 hours between trips and much of that was spent sleeping, so I hadn’t done any sewing for over 10 days except some EPP in the car.
MetroScape Top – complete
Monday was a holiday and DH was home. I had to do some work, but I pretended for most of the day that it was Sunday. I chatted with my mom on the phone while I ironed a ton of fabric. I also worked on some donation blocks and put the MetroScape top together.
Yep. All those blocks are now a top! I am really pleased with the way it looks. I am just trying to decide about a border. I like I like it as is, but we will see.
I am back from 4 trips in 4 weeks. I am hoping I can can get to know my husband again, get back on schedule and get life back to normal. I have finished the last Metroscape block and am ready to start making a quilt top.
Actually, I am ready to do a whole bunch of sewing.
This block is my least favorite. The blue and red, especially the blue don’t see to go with the other blocks. I had 12 different dots and I didn’t want to repeat any, so I used it. We will see how I like it when I put all the blocks on the design wall together.
I finished another MetroScape block. This is the second to last one and I should be able to get a start on putting the quilt together soon.
I didn’t cut my regular Hunting and Gathering pieces, because I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough fabric for the blocks. I am pleased that I have plenty and will be cutting the pieces I need for various other projects soon.
I finished another MetroScape block the other day. I am closing in on finishing the blocks and think I am ready to put the quilt together and be done with it.
I am still pleased with the way these pieces are coming out. I am just ready to move on Who Am I? is on my big design wall and it is starting to call to me again.
As mentioned, I spent a lot of time Saturday afternoon and evening working on the Ends n.6 donation top and back. Before I got to work on that project. I finished the MetroScape block n.5.
I had done most of the work last week, but hadn’t quite has the time to finish.
I am pleased with the way it came out and am liking the look of the Quick Curve Ruler pieces more and more.
It might seem unbelievably boring to see each of these blocks as I put them together. However, they make me so happy that I can’t help sharing.
I am particularly happy with this block. I started out with a cool center, which I love. Adding the dot fabric, which I thought would be warm, fits perfectly. It takes on a warm cast, I think.
I also counted up the dots I have and found 11. That is one short of those needed for the number of blocks in the pattern. I don’t mind repeating one, but I may make more blocks, which means I will have to repeat others. Stay tuned.
I should have started a new project sooner then I wouldn’t have felt so bad. I started on the next block and I really like it.
I’m still sticking to dots in the outer section of the block. I haven’t decided if I will try the stripes. The thought of matching stripes makes me a bit crazy.
MetroScape block 2 in process
I worked on this block at the retreat, too, and made good progress. Having a nice piecing project to work on is awesome.
MetroScape Block n.2
I did finish the block yesterday and am pleased with the way it came out.
I wondered about whether I would enjoy making this block after finding the ruler and the pattern the other day.
It has a lot of curves, which can be problematic in general. I also had to use a special ruler. Sometime special rulers create great effects and sometimes they are a disaster.
I started out easy with 4 blocks that create the center. All of the center blocks will be dots and stripes. Sewing four squares together was easy.
MetroScape curves
I dove in and started cutting curves. I had some issues but it was mostly operator error. Cutting the first block took me a long time as I attempted to navigate the pattern and fabric choices.
I am planning on using dots on the outer part of the block, but I don’t know if I will have enough dots to differentiate the blocks enough. I am scared of trying to line up the stripes, but I might try one block with stripes to see how it looks.
I did realize that the pattern is called MetroSCOPE not MetroScape. Well, I am going with MetroScape regardless. I don’t have a better name and it kind of reminds me of landscape.
