Tag: Works in Progress

Various & Sundry #1 2014

What I am Reading

  • I plowed through, via audiobook, a number of the Jo Beckett series of mystery novels by Meg Gardiner while I was home over the holidays. They novels are a little formulaic, but I like the characters and the relationship of the characters to one another. The latest one, The Nightmare Thief, is the best, I think, though I liked the character development in the others as well.
  • Quilty as Charged by Spike Gillespie

Want some free audio books, so you can listen and sew? Try openculture.com. They have a lot of public domain stuff.

Housekeeping

We moved the blog to a new hosting site. This will alleviate, with any luck, the 500 Internal Server errors that were recurring with some regularity. If you are reading this, you have gotten through the worst of it. If you commented before the move, but not since, your comment will not show up until I confirm you are not a spammer. I try to be very quick about it, but if you are on the East Coast and commenting at 6am, you’ll have to wait until I get up a few hours later. 😉

We have noticed a few missing posts. If you commented on one of the missing posts, we will have to restore it and then I can respond to the comment on the blog. I’ll try to send you an email sooner, though. Polly, you leave such fabulous comments and  you are one of the ones in this bucket. So sorry! Data conversion is a *itch!

Projects, Patterns & Tutorials

Quiet Play blog has a very appealing BOM called Sew Kitschy. It is appealing for me because of the turquoise and red. The imagery consists of 1950s looking kitchen accessories. I am not sure how the artist will create some of the patterns, but I look forward to seeing what you all make.

I found a pillowcase pattern that might be more my speed. I haven’t tried it, but there is nothing about selvedges, which might be a blessing. Thanks to Pam for pointing me to it.

There is an interesting Blog Hop going on called Dreaming of Stars. I saw it on the Magnolia Bay Quilts blog.

Scrapitude Step 4, Part 1, the Block has been posted on Sandy’s blog.

Now I know what crumb blocks are. Daisy mentioned it on her podcast and I had a minute to go look up the explanation on Bonnie Hunter’s site. I know it as mosaic quilting! I do it all the time and make new fabric from like colors.

I really like the Super Size Castle block from Sew Mama Sew. After the Swoon and Round and Round, I am thinking that blowing up some of these blocks with 85 pieces is a good idea and a lot of bang for my buck.

Joyce, over at Quilting Adventures, has a blog post up about making Hearts. It came about because of the upcoming Valentine’s Day. She acknowledges that many do not celebrate VDay and this project transcends those people to be all inclusive. It is a really sweet idea and an easy project – really good for TV time, or doctor waiting room time.

Helpful Hints, Tips, Traps & Tricks

If you need to know how much yardage a layer cake has in it, take a look at this page of quilt terms. I didn’t check the math, but it is a start.

Robin has a great, temporary, but not lame, tip for preventing your rotary ruler from shifting while you cut. You can find it and a brief overview of other more permanent methods on her blog.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim has 474 free art books available online. There is excellent access to catalogs, bulletins and other hard to find art materials. thanks to Timi for pointing that out to me.

From ResearchBuzz “Wellcome Images is releasing over 100,000 high resolution images under a Creative Commons license (CC-BY). “The earliest item is an Egyptian prescription on papyrus, and treasures include exquisite medieval illuminated manuscripts and anatomical drawings, from delicate 16th century fugitive sheets, whose hinged paper flaps reveal hidden viscera to Paolo Mascagni’s vibrantly coloured etching of an ‘exploded’ torso.” Good morning, Internet…” I am sure you’ll find some inspiration for your quilts there.

I heard a recent lament from a quiltmaker friend who hadn’t followed her own advice and put the kind of information on her label that she really needed. Yes, she put name and year, but not whether the quilt was from a guild challenge or made especially because of some specific inspiration. What if we all put QR codes on the backs of our quilts? Then, we could tweak the related page infinitely. I saw an article recently about prettifying QR Codes. There are Android & iOS versions to play with for free.

Fabric, Supplies, Tools & Jewels

I popped by the CraftSanity blog and was thrilled to see a feast for the eyes. The fabrics shown are gorgeous and I feel the first stirrings of interest in buying some fabric that I have felt in awhile.

Timeless Treasures has a hilarious vampire fabric. You don’t often see hilarious and vampire in the same sentence, I know, but this fabric made me laugh.

Exhibits

Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr will have an exhibit of Modern Quilts at the Wisconsin Quilt Museum from now until the beginning of April. If you are a reader from Wisconsin, I would love to hear what you think.

The California State Parks are celebrating the 150th (WOW!) anniversary of the system with a quilt contest. Make a quilt, make history. The contest will include an online show of quilts created by quilters throughout the state to honor our state parks. The theme of the quilts is any aspect of California State Parks that inspires you. There are no restrictions as to quilting style, fabric, technique, size, etc!!!

Other Artists

Friend Julie has a new website and her own domain. Check it out at JulieZacconeStiller.com. I am jealous. I really need to work on Artquiltmaker.com, but haven’t done it. Yes, I am putting it on the list.

Have you seen Pam’s English Paper Piecing Project? It is stunning. I love the fabrics she chose.

You can still read Libby Lehman’s CaringBridge site. She went home last week, which is great news. You have to log in to leave a comment.

Frank's Lovey
Frank’s Lovey

I am in an online quilt group and periodically a member will have a really terrible year. this happened to a member recently. We all made blocks and one of the members put them together into a ‘lovey’. I no longer remember which block I made, though I suspect it is the Sawtooth Star with the black on white background to the right of the center. I think I made it during my Star Sampler craze last year.

I was interested in the way the author of the With Strings Attached blog calls quilt tops ‘flimsies.’ I have never heard that before. She has a page with all of her flimsies listed (no links, though) so you can take a look.

Quilty Fun

Most Interesting Man
Most Interesting Man

I do think that quiltmakers, for the most part, are funny people. Recently I saw this posted to Instagram by MissouriMel and retweeted by Alex Veronelli of Aurifil fame. I wonder if the most interesting man knows?

Not Quilt Related

Check out some interesting youth art on a site called DeviantArt.

Some of you read of my computer woes last summer. After reading a brief article about Windows 8, I feel a bit vindicated in my frantic search for a Windows 7 machine when Windows 8 was taking over the world.

Are you interested in cheesecake (@HQSuz??). I met a librarian at a recent conference who bakes cheesecakes in his spare time. Then he writes about them in a blog. He is a librarian, after all, and that is what we do. You can see the regular blog as well, which has interesting bits of information, things about life, books, etc.

 

Top Complete: Attack of the Hexies

Attack of the Hexies Finished Top
Attack of the Hexies Finished Top

Yes, yesterday I finished the last details I needed to do to prepare the top for quilting. The tasks required were:

  • Finish back
  • Make binding
  • Trim top
  • Stay stitch

Saturday was a busy day, because I attended the CQFA meeting. I stayed after the meeting to sew with Sonja, Angela and Rhonda. It is good for me to hang with others and talk sewing. I am tending to work alone lately and am trying to get out of that rut.

During the sewing time, I worked on finishing some buttonhole stitching on one of the stockings and making progress on applying the sleeve to the Original Bullseye top. When I returned my mind was buzzing with an idea using the technique that Caroline taught based on Susan Carlson’s book, Serendipity Quilts. I worked on getting the design to the size that I wanted. That was about all I had energy for before I needed to go to bed. In the process, I ruined the cropping tool on Photoshop Elements. I know there is something I clicked, but I don’t know what it was and will have to take some time to find it and undo it. Ergh! All this is to say: 1) I didn’t work on the Attack of the Hexies on Saturday and 2) I have an idea for a new, small art piece, so stay tuned.

Yesterday morning, I had big plans to get up early, go to the gym, take a shower and get going on Attack of the Hexies by 10am. Famous last words! I didn’t get up until nearly 9 and I felt creaky. I have been dealing with a cold. While I am on the downslope of it, I am stilling fighting it off. I didn’t sleep well a few nights in a row and am trying to make up for that lack of sleep. I cut myself some slack.

After writing in my journal for awhile, I went upstairs and started sewing. I had to add a bit of fabric to one half of the back before I could sew the whole piece together. I did that and had to trim the whole back so that the piece was essentially square.

Attack of the Hexies Back
Attack of the Hexies Back

The line of bricks on the horizontal in the center of the back used to be hexagons, but I cut the leftover hexies up into rectangles and used them to add a little interest. The rest of the back is leftover yardage from the Flower Sugar line of fabric. I still have at least 5 yards of yardage left from that line. Not sure what I will do with it, but it will go into the stash and will show up again. There are two pieces that I really like.

Next, I made the binding. I used one of the pinky-reds from the line to provide a frame for the entire piece. I also made it a straight of grain binding. A lot of the border is on the bias because of the way I placed the hexagons as I added them to the piece. Basically, I didn’t pay attention to the grain line. I should have, but didn’t. I don’t do straight of grain bindings very often, because they tend to get kinks and near-folds in them as I hand stitch them on to the quilt. I like the ‘give’ that bias bindings have. It makes them very easy to apply by hand.

In this case, I want the edge to be stable. I don’t want it to get out of whack when it is quilted, thus, a straight of grain binding. We’ll see how it goes.

Trimming Border
Trimming Border

Finally, and I don’t know why I did this last, I trimmed the border. It wasn’t straightforward, but I had to trim half of each hexagon one by one. I used the lines on the Clearview Ruler I discussed in the Hexagons Follow-up post to keep the who piece as straight as possible.

It wasn’t straightforward, because of the bias, so I just did it slowly and as carefully as I could. The piece will not be as straight as the Quilt Police would want, but they never made this quilt and I am happy with it. As you can see from the photo above, the border looks a little odd, but I like how it looks different.

The piece is now ready for quilting. I’ll take it to Colleen for quilting as soon as I can. I look forward to getting this completely done.

Hexagon Related Posts:
Little Bluebell’s Cutting Instructions
May 21, 2011 – Hooked on Hexagons
June 1, 2011 – Hexagons Follow-up
June 7, 2011 – Attack of the Hexies
June 9, 2011 – Hexagons tutorial
October 20, 2011- Hexagons Return
November 13, 2012- Blue Chair Blog Hexagon Sewing tutorial
June 28, 2013- Hexagon Clarification
September 5, 2013 – Hexies Return
January 5, 2014 – Attack of Hexies Returns
January 8, 2014 – Attack of the Hexies Border

Attack of the Hexies Border

As I mentioned, all of a sudden, I am working fast and furiously on the Attack of the Hexies (Flower Sugar Hexagon). I spent all weekend trying, in vain, as it turned out, to finish the top, back and binding of Attack of the Hexies.

Attack of the Hexies border - in process
Attack of the Hexies border – in process

As I have said, Y seams are not hard, but they do take time. I decided to put a border on the piece and I needed to do it using hexagons. I don’t know another way to piece fabric into a hexagon piece without using hexagons. I could have cut off the hexagons on the edge, but I have always disliked that look for my own quilts and didn’t want to do that for this piece.

I also didn’t want to buy new fabric. Fortunately, I had enough of the Art Gallery solid Linen to use for the border. I didn’t even use all that I had, though my stock is significantly diminished.

The border is on the piece. I intend to trim it so the edges are square and still need to do that. I am all for wonky borders (Case in point: the Zig Zaggy Quilt), but not in this piece. I want the border to be square and subtle so that the center looks like it is floating on the border.

I am partway through the back as well. I lounged around for a long time on Sunday and didn’t have enough time to finish it. I had big pieces left over, so I didn’t have to piece a lot of small pieces together.

Almost there!

Attack of the Hexies Returns

Hexies - January
Hexies – January

For months I didn’t work on the Hexies project, then on the first I just dove in and added rows. I am not sure why except that it didn’t require cutting. The hexagons were there, the piece was there and I needed something to sew.

I got my head around the Y seams and did it. I didn’t want to sew one hexagon on at a time and I had a row started, so I finished the row and worked on sewing the whole row on at a time. It was a lot of stopping and starting, but I just did it. I developed a system and kept at it.

Things I have to figure out:

  • How big to make it. It seems small now, but I know that if I fill my design wall it makes a pretty big quilt.
  • Whether to unsew a section where I sewed two of the same fabrics together.
  • How to finish the border – to square it off or leave it jaggedy. I am not sure I can face all those mitered binding corners

I  plan to just work on it until I am done with the top.

Hexagon Related Posts:
Little Bluebell’s Cutting Instructions
May 21, 2011 – Hooked on Hexagons
June 1, 2011 – Hexagons Follow-up
June 7, 2011 – Attack of the Hexies
June 9, 2011 – Hexagons tutorial
October 20, 2011- Hexagons Return
November 13, 2012- Blue Chair Blog Hexagon Sewing tutorial
June 28, 2013- Hexagon Clarification

September 5, 2013 – Hexies Return

26 Projects List – December Update

I told you that I was thinking about changing the name of this post in the new year.  I think it is a valuable post for me to write, so I have decided that I will continue, but will just change it somewhat. I will freshen it up a bit to reflect the progress I have made on the old projects and change the focus to WIPs rather than UFOs.

12 quilts finished in 2013 is something of which to be proud, thanks to the 26 Projects post.

Again I need to keep in mind that I need to focus my efforts on not filling up the list with UFOs again. I don’t mind having a few projects going at once, but I continue to feel that I don’t want stalled projects hanging around for years. I really don’t. That is the key: I have to work on the projects. If I work on projects in which I am interested, I don’t think I will let them languish for years.

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013 YAY!
  3. Stepping Stones: Finished on 2/14/2013 YAY!
  4. Fabric of the Year 2011: Finished on 2/27/2013 YAY
  5. Calm: Finished on 3/14/2013 YAY!
  6. A-B-C Challenge: Finished on 3/31/2013 YAY!
  7. Super Secret Project #1: Finished on June 13, 2013
  8. Super Secret Project #2: Finished on June 23, 2013
  9. Sparkle Pink: Finished on August 20, 2013
  10. Swoon: Finished on August 27, 2013
  11. Original Bullseye: Finished on October 20, 2013
  12. T-Shirt quilt: Finished

Other non-quilt Projects finished

Still WIPs

WIPs Collage Jan 2014
WIPs Collage Jan 2014
  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I are stalled. She has a lot going on, but I hope we will get back to it. I am thinking about the next tutorial regardless.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though, periodically, I think about working on it.
  3. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. I still haven’t worked on this, though, every once in a while I think about using some of the squares as leaders and enders.
  4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing before the end of the year, though with all the cutting I have done recently, perhaps not so much.
  5. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair? The attitude I need to have is that I can’t ruin it; there is always more fabric. Possibility for abandonment.
  6. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much. Possibility for abandonment. I have to face reality.
  7. Flower Sugar Hexagon: This piece is up on the design wall and I have sewed a few more hexagons together, but haven’t made significant progress despite looking at it all the time. I am beginning to think I should have added fabrics from different lines to this piece.

Ready for Quilting

Again, I don’t have anything ready to take to my quilter. The machine being in the shop has put a cramp in my style this month. Sigh.

  1. New:* Wonky 9 Patch: needs quilting and binding. I am still thinking about quilting this myself and I am thinking about it more and more. I am wondering how far apart I can quilt it so that it has some drape. (Not on original list)
  2. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; at the quilter.
  3. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. This is at the quilter.
  4. New:* FOTY 2012: top, finished. Back and binding are complete; at the quilter.
  5. New:*Star Sampler: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)
  6. New:*Fresh Fruit: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)

Please note that even if you combine the two lists above, I do not have 26 projects on this list anymore. This is true even though I keep starting new projects. I am thrilled that I have made progress!!!

In the Finishing Process

  • Original Bullseye: Sleeve made. still working on the hand sewing. I have been embellishing Christmas stockings instead of sewing on the sleeve.

In Process
I decided that I had better put in an ‘In Process’ category. The difference, at least in my mind, between ‘In Process’ and ‘UFO’ is that I am actively working on something In Process.

Hunting and Gathering

  • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
  • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. Need to find a background, because if we use the cut fabrics, the pattern will be lost. The pieces are too oddly shaped to lose the pattern in a mass of scraps.
  • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two test blocks, but still in the thinking stage while I decide on the background colors. I want the contrast to be good.
  • Super Secret Project #3: working on color choices.

Abandoned

Nothing so far for 2013

Last update for the 26 Projects List. Read it. There’s some interesting stuff there.

I thought you might want to take a look at the first list I made, the one with the 26 Projects. I started the list in October 2011. I have made progress. I plan to stop this post when I have no more projects from the original list to write about. I wonder when that will be?

*New – Project started after I started working on the 26 Projects list

Russian Rubix Center Square Test

Russian Rubix 1st Block
Russian Rubix 1st Block

The center of the Russian Rubix blocks has been bothering me.

The block is put together like a four patch. to build the 4 patch, you add large and small triangles to the octagons. This makes the block really easy to put together (you should still buy the pattern).

The problem is that this type of construction means that there are four seams that meet in the center creating a very distinct seam line. I have had this block up on the design wall trying to decide if I can live with the seam lines or if I need to piece the block in a different way. Sometimes I can’t see the seam lines and sometimes they scream like a neon sign.

Russian Rubix block with solid center
Russian Rubix block with solid center

As I might have mentioned, I decided to cut a square and try piecing the block with a solid square.

As you, can see from the photo (bottom right), the center looks great – seam free and pristine. The bad news is those weird angles with which I need to sew the other parts of the block.

Sigh.

Some observations:

  • Print fabric with a large or distinct pattern would not work for the background. The messed up fabric design (from cutting up a large print or, for example, dot fabric) would scream at the viewer
  • Low intensity or solid fabric would work best.
  • Piecing the block with a solid center will end up with some weird angles to sew.

I don’t know where I will go from here. I will probably try to sew more parts of this block together to see if the piecing is as bad as I think it will be.

Russian Rubix posts:

 

What’s on the Design Wall

Periodically, I look at my design and think “there is enough here for a post”, so here is that post. The last post I wrote about what was on my design wall was earlier this year. You can find it on the April 1, 2013 post.

Design Wall 12/1/2013
Design Wall 12/1/2013

My cup runneth over. Well, my design wall runneth over. Seriously, there is barely any space for one more piece of fabric.

I often think that my design wall mimics my mind and my mind is in quilt chaos at the moment. My mind is better now that I made a bit of progress during the Black Friday Sew-in and the weekend.

Mostly, the design wall is covered with octagons for the Russian Rubix. I don’t know why I feel the need to look at them spread out like that, but I, apparently, do. That feeling may be passing. The group on the very bottom is helping me to see all the unique colors. I have placed the octagons on the top randomly. I might be getting over this desire to see them all. Or I may just be getting annoyed at not having one spare inch of design wall space.

You saw the FOTY pieces the other day. They are on the bottom left.

On the very bottom left are ATCs. These are bits of art from my art quilt friends.

Above the FOTY (mid/top left) is a Russian Rubix block. I am looking at it to see how bad that seam running through the middle looks. It looks bad, but not all the time and mostly if I look at it closely.

Top left are 2″ squares in red and turquoise. I cut the fabric whenever I wash and press either of those colors and then send them to a friend when I write her a letter. I don’t know how many I have sent her. I have and buy a lot of red and turquoise.

My Stars in Stripes are still waiting for background fabrics (upper right).

A lot of my Scrapitude pieces are on my sewing table along with a few Russian Rubix blocks.

What’s on your design wall (you can upload photos to Flickr, if you don’t have a blog and want to show me)?

 

26 Projects List – November 2013 Update

I am just squeaking this update in under the wire. I almost forgot to post an update this month. Perhaps remembering is a sign I am getting back on track?

I am thinking about changing the name of this post in the new year. Freshen it up a bit to reflect the progress I have made on the old projects. We’ll see how things shake out. 12 quilts finished is nothing to sneeze at, but I am hoping to finish at least one more project this year.

Again I need to keep in mind that I need to be thinking about whether or not to focus my efforts on not filling up the list again. I don’t mind having a few projects going at once, but I continue to feel that I don’t want stalled projects hanging around for years. I really don’t. That is the key: I have to work on them. If I work on projects in which I am interested, I don’t think I will let them languish for years.

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013 YAY!
  3. Stepping Stones: Finished on 2/14/2013 YAY!
  4. Fabric of the Year 2011: Finished on 2/27/2013 YAY
  5. Calm: Finished on 3/14/2013 YAY!
  6. A-B-C Challenge: Finished on 3/31/2013 YAY!
  7. Super Secret Project #1: Finished on June 13, 2013
  8. Super Secret Project #2: Finished on June 23, 2013
  9. Sparkle Pink: Finished on August 20, 2013
  10. Swoon: Finished on August 27, 2013
  11. Original Bullseye: Finished on October 20, 2013
  12. T-Shirt quilt: Finished

Other non-quilt Projects finished

Still WIPs

  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I are stalled. She has a lot going on, but I hope we will get back to it. I should be able to do the next tutorial regardless.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though, periodically, I think about working on it.
  3. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. I still haven’t worked on this, though, every once in a while I think about using some of the squares as leaders and enders.
  4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing before the end of the year, though with all the cutting I have done recently, perhaps not so much.
  5. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair? The attitude I need to have is that I can’t ruin it; there is always more fabric. Possibility for abandonment.
  6. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much. Possibility for abandonment. I have to face reality.
  7. Flower Sugar Hexagon: This piece is up on the design wall and I have sewed a few more hexagons together, but haven’t made significant progress despite looking at it all the time. I am beginning to think I should have added fabrics from different lines to this piece.

Ready for Quilting

Again, I don’t have anything ready to take to my quilter. The machine being in the shop has put a cramp in my style this month. Sigh.

  1. New:* Wonky 9 Patch: needs quilting and binding. I am still thinking about quilting this myself and I am thinking about it more and more. I am wondering how far apart I can quilt it so that it has some drape. (Not on original list)
  2. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; at the quilter.
  3. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. This is at the quilter.
  4. New:* FOTY 2012: top, finished. Back and binding are complete; at the quilter.
  5. New:*Star Sampler: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)
  6. New:*Fresh Fruit: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)

Please note that even if you combine the two lists above, I do not have 26 projects on this list even though I keep starting new things. I am so thrilled I have made progress!!!

In the Finishing Process

In Process
I decided that I had better put in an ‘In Process’ category. The difference, at least in my mind, between ‘In Process’ and ‘UFO’ is that I am actively working on something In Process.

Hunting and Gathering

      • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
      • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. Need to find a background, because if we use the cut fabrics, the pattern will be lost. The pieces are too oddly shaped to lose the pattern in a mass of scraps.
      • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two test blocks, but still in the thinking stage while I decide on the background colors. I want the contrast to be good.
      • Super Secret Project #3: working on color choices.

Abandoned

Nothing so far for 2013

Last update for the 26 Projects List. Read it. There’s some interesting stuff there.

I thought you might want to take a look at the first list I made, the one with the 26 Projects. I started the list in October 2011. I have made progress. I plan to stop this post when I have no more projects from the original list to write about. I wonder when that will be?

*New – Project started after I started working on the 26 Projects list

Russian Rubix Color Choices

Original colors
Original colors

As you know, the machine is in the shop. It is still in the shop. While I have the Jem on which to sew, it isn’t the same.

I have been looking at the Russian Rubix pieces A LOT. I finally decided that some of the Joel Dewberry fabrics might be wrong. I really wanted to keep them in , because they were nice darks. Sadly, they just seemed wrong. Also, I couldn’t get a comment about the large stylized flowers looking like eyes out of my mind. I think that this quilt needs some darks. These weren’t them, though, so I thought they had to go.

One fabric removed
One fabric removed

I decided that I would take them out in stages and try to make, at least, some of these dark fabrics work.

I took out the one Notting Hill fabric that had the stylized flowers. I left in the fabric with the same colors (upper left hand corner). I am on the fence about it. I think that the piece, as I said, needs some darks.

One of the things I don’t like about the Moda Jelly Rolls is that the collections of fabrics often do not have enough darks or lights. Remember how I said I was trying to make my own Jelly Roll? I am understanding how hard it is to make a Jelly Roll with the right mix of lights, darks and mediums.

All dark Joel Dewberry removed
All dark Joel Dewberry removed

With the two dark Joel Dewberrys removed, it was clear I had too many warm colors

OR

I needed more cool colors.

The piece stayed like this for a week or two until today when it occurred to me that I might be able to add some DARKS and that might make the piece.

As I see it, at the moment, there are two reds that are the only darks. Perhaps I will some dark purple Pearl Bracelets. I have to look at it with the dark purple.

Russian Rubix posts:

 

26 Projects – October Update

I still have 7 projects on my WIPs list, but only 3 (4?) of them are really old. Two projects, from the “In the Quilting” stage, are ready for binding. I am still kind of in awe at how much progress I have made since I counted up my UFOs for the first time and decided to do something about it. It was 2 years ago that I started. All of the really old UFOs are mostly taken care of.

Again I need to keep in mind that I need to be thinking about whether or not to focus my efforts on not filling up the list again. I don’t mind having a few projects going at once, but I continue to feel that I don’t want stalled projects hanging around for years. I really don’t. That is the key: I have to work on them.

The machine is still in the shop, so I haven’t been doing a lot of sewing, even with the loaner (finally gave up). I pulled out the Jem and have done a bit of sewing. I have been doing a lot of cutting – still for Scrapitude, but also for one of the Super Secret Projects and a little for the Russian Rubix. Cutting so much means new projects. 😉

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013 YAY!
  3. Stepping Stones: Finished on 2/14/2013 YAY!
  4. Fabric of the Year 2011: Finished on 2/27/2013 YAY
  5. Calm: Finished on 3/14/2013 YAY!
  6. A-B-C Challenge: Finished on 3/31/2013 YAY!
  7. Super Secret Project #1: Finished on June 13, 2013
  8. Super Secret Project #2: Finished on June 23, 2013
  9. Sparkle Pink: Finished on August 20, 2013
  10. Swoon: Finished on August 27, 2013
  11. Original Bullseye: Finished on October 20, 2013

Other non-quilt Projects finished

  • 5 donation Pillowcases
  • 2 fabric handbags/project bags
  • 6 cat beds
  • 12 napkins
  • Petrillo Bag*: Finished on May 5, 2013 YAY!

Still WIPs

  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I are stalled. She has a lot going on, but I hope we will get back to it. I should be able to do the next tutorial regardless.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though, periodically, I think about working on it.
  3. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. I still haven’t worked on this, though, every once in a while I think about using some of the squares as leaders and enders.
  4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing before the end of the year, though with all the cutting I have done recently, perhaps not so much.
  5. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair? The attitude I need to have is that I can’t ruin it; there is always more fabric. Possibility for abandonment.
  6. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much. Possibility for abandonment. I have to face reality.
  7. Flower Sugar Hexagon: This piece is up on the design wall and I have sewed a few more hexagons together, but haven’t made significant progress despite looking at it all the time.

Ready for Quilting

Again, I don’t have anything ready to take to my quilter. The machine being in the shop has put a cramp in my style this month. Sigh.

  1. New:* Wonky 9 Patch: needs quilting and binding. I am still thinking about quilting this myself and I am thinking about it more and more. I am wondering how far apart I can quilt it so that it has some drape. Not on original list
  2. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; at the quilter.
  3. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. This is at the quilter.
  4. New:* FOTY 2012: top, finished. Back and binding are complete; at the quilter.
  5. New:*Star Sampler: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)
  6. New:*Fresh Fruit: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter.(not on original list)

Please note that even if you combine the two lists above, I do not have 26 projects on this list even though I keep starting new things. I am so thrilled I have made progress!!!

In the Finishing Process

In Process
I decided that I had better put in an ‘In Process’ category. The difference, at least in my mind, between ‘In Process’ and ‘UFO’ is that I am actively working on something In Process.

Hunting and Gathering

      • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
      • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. Need to find a background, because if we use the cut fabrics, the pattern will be lost. The pieces are too oddly shaped to lose the pattern in a mass of scraps.
      • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two test blocks, but still in the thinking stage while I decide on the background colors. I want the contrast to be good.
      • Super Secret Project #3: working on color choices.

Abandoned

Nothing so far for 2013

Last update for the 26 Projects List. Read it. There’s some interesting stuff there.

I thought you might want to take a look at the first list I made, the one with the 26 Projects. I started the list in October 2011. I have made progress. I plan to stop this post when I have no more projects from the original list to write about. I wonder when that will be?

*New – Project started after I started working on the 26 Projects list

26 Projects – September 2013 Update

I just noticed that I have only 7 projects on my WIPs list. I have really made progress, which is a good reminder that I need to focus my efforts on not filling up the list again. I don’t mind having a couple of projects going at once, but I don’t want projects that are stalled hanging around for years. I really don’t.

I talked this week about all the cutting that I did. All true. I don’t know why I cut for the Scrapitude mystery quilt, but I did. I didn’t cut all the pieces for each project, but I cut bunches of pieces for a variety of projects.

I made good progress on the cutting for the Russian Rubix and started talking about Easy Street.

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013 YAY!
  3. Stepping Stones: Finished on 2/14/2013 YAY!
  4. Fabric of the Year 2011: Finished on 2/27/2013 YAY
  5. Calm: Finished on 3/14/2013 YAY!
  6. A-B-C Challenge: Finished on 3/31/2013 YAY!
  7. Petrillo Bag*: Finished on May 5, 2013 YAY!
  8. Super Secret Project #1: Finished on June 13, 2013
  9. Super Secret Project #2: Finished on June 23, 2013
  10. Sparkle Pink: Finished on August 20, 2013
  11. Swoon: Finished on August 27, 2013

Other non-quilt Projects finished

  • 5 donation Pillowcases
  • 2 fabric handbags/project bags
  • 6 cat beds
  • 12 napkins

Still WIPs

  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances  is working diligently, though I know she feels frustrated with the foundation pieced block. I think part of that is because she is left handed and I am right handed. I finished the foundation piecing tutorial, along with my block for this part of the class. I am not giving up on her. I hope she comes back.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though I did think about working on it. I hope that counts for something. I really do need to get back to the quilting. I am still a little mad at myself for making such good progress and then getting sidetracked. I thought quilting the Whole Cloth quilt would get me back in the swing of quilting, but apparently not.
  3. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. Mrs. K. gave me more PP fabric and I won some from a giveaway. I still think it is a sign that I need to work on this. Leaders and enders.
  4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing. I really have the feeling I came so close to working on this project this month.
  5. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair? The attitude I need to have is that I can’t ruin it; there is always more fabric.
  6. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much.
  7. Flower Sugar Hexagon: I have sewed enough of the hexagons together over the weekend to make the piece a normal shape. It is about half the size I want it to be, so I will work on sewing together the other half. I might start a new chunk and then sew that new chunk to the old chunk once I am done. It might be easier than sewing one or two hexagons together. We will see. I may make it a few rows longer, too.

Ready for Quilting

I took 5 quilts to the quilter last week: Infinity Blocks, which I had thought I would quilt myself, Fresh Fruit, FOTY 2013, Star Sampler, which nothing could induce me to quilt myself, and the Young Man’s t-shirt quilt. PROGRESS!

  1. Original Bullseye: At the quilter
  2. New:* Wonky 9 Patch: needs basting, quilting and binding. Not on original list
  3. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; at the quilter.
  4. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. This is at the quilter.
  5. New:* FOTY 2012: top, finished. Back and binding are complete; at the quilter.
  6. New:*Star Sampler: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)
  7. New:*Fresh Fruit: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter.(not on original list)
  8. Young Man’s t-shirt quilt: Top, back and binding are all ready; at the quilter.

Please note that even if you combine the two lists above, I do not have 26 projects on this list anymore. I have made progress!!!

In the Finishing Process

  1. It doesn’t really count as finished, though I am putting a sleeve on the Swoon.

Abandoned

Nothing so far for 2013

Hunting and Gathering

  • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
  • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. Need to find a background, because if we use the cut fabrics, the pattern will be lost. The pieces are too oddly shaped to lose the pattern in a mass of scraps.
  • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two test blocks, but still in the thinking stage while I decide on the background colors. I want the contrast to be good.
  • Super Secret Project #3: working on color choices.

Last update for the 26 Projects List. Read it. There’s some interesting stuff there.

I thought you might want to take a look at the first list I made, the one with the 26 Projects. I started the list in October 2011. I have made progress. I plan to stop this post when I have no more projects from the original list to write about. I wonder when that will be?

*New – Project started after I started working on the 26 Projects list

Hexies Return

Flower Sugar Hexagon in progress
Flower Sugar Hexagon in progress

The last time I seemed to have written about this Flower Sugar Hexagon project was way back in 2011. I didn’t think that much time had flown by, but Pam has made two hexagons, so I guess it has.

My design walls have been empty for several weeks while I work on small projects; the 3D items not needing much design wall space. I also love piecing so much that I didn’t want to be tempted away from the small projects that have been on my list for awhile.

My mom came over for a visit with the Young Man after being on vacation and down with Grama for several weeks. When I arrived home from work she told me that she had raced upstairs to see what was on the design wall and was so disappointed to see NOTHING. She looked a little worried as well. I felt bad.

This hexie project has been on my mind and it occurred to me that I could put it up on the design wall and see what I saw.

The only other photos I have of this quilt is laying on the floor. Laying on the floor is different, for me, than hanging on the wall. I seem to be able to see so much more when pieces are vertical. It must be the perspective or the angle.

I found the piece and put it up on the portable design wall. Looking at it after not having seen it for awhile, I noticed some interesting things:

  1. My balance of different fabrics is pretty good.
  2. The piece is tiny. It is less than half the size of the Swoon. I have a lot of hexies to cut
  3. This piece does cheer up the room.

As I said in one of the previous posts,Adrianne of Little Bluebell, introduced me to the cutting technique I used for these hexies. You can find the cutting instructions on her blog.

I hope I won’t think too much about sewing more pieces together. I still need to work on small projects.

Hexagon Related Posts:
November 13, 2012- Blue Chair Blog Hexagon Sewing tutorial
October 20, 2011- Hexagons Return
June 28, 2013- Hexagon Clarification
June 9, 2011 – Hexagons tutorial
June 7, 2011 – Attack of the Hexies
Little Bluebell’s Cutting Instructions

August 26 Projects List

I just noticed that I have only 8 projects on my WIPs list. EIGHT!!! I have really made progress.

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013 YAY!
  3. Stepping Stones: Finished on 2/14/2013 YAY!
  4. Fabric of the Year 2011: Finished on 2/27/2013 YAY
  5. Calm: Finished on 3/14/2013 YAY!
  6. A-B-C Challenge: Finished on 3/31/2013 YAY!
  7. Petrillo Bag*: Finished on May 5, 2013 YAY!
  8. Super Secret Project #1: Finished on June 13, 2013
  9. Super Secret Project #2: Finished on June 23, 2013

Other non-quilt Projects finished

  • 5 donation Pillowcases
  • 2 fabric handbags/project bags
  • 6 cat beds

Still WIPs

  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances  is working diligently, though I know she feels frustrated with the foundation pieced block. I think part of that is because she is left handed and I am right handed. I finished the foundation piecing tutorial, along with my block for this part of the class. I am not giving up on her.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though I did think about working on it. I hope that counts for something. I really do need to get back to the quilting. I am still a little mad at myself for making such good progress and then getting sidetracked. I thought quilting the Whole Cloth quilt would get me back in the swing of quilting, but apparently not.
  3. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. Mrs. K. gave me more PP fabric and I won some from a giveaway. I still think it is a sign that I need to work on this. Leaders and enders.
  4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing. I really have the feeling I came so close to working on this project this month.
  5. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair? The attitude I need to have is that I can’t ruin it; there is always more fabric.
  6. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much.
  7. Flower Sugar Hexagon: I thought about sewing more hexagons together. Although not difficult, sewing Y seams is a bit of a chore, so I get tired of doing it after awhile. I could, perhaps, use leaders and enders to get this piece moving?

Ready for Quilting

  1. Original Bullseye: At the quilter
  2. New:* Wonky 9 Patch: needs basting, quilting and binding. Not on original list
  3. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; ready to be quilted.
  4. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. This is at the quilter.
  5. New:* FOTY 2012: top, finished, though I can’t decide if I need a quilting border. Back and binding are complete; I am waiting to take it to the quilter.
  6. New:*Star Sampler: Top finished, back and binding finished. Ready to go to the quilter (not on original list)
  7. New:*Fresh Fruit: Top finished, back and binding finished. Ready to go to the quilter (not on original list)
  8. Young Man’s t-shirt quilt: Top, back and binding are all ready to go to the quilter.

Please note that even if you combine the two lists above, I do not have 26 projects on this list anymore. I have made progress!!!

In the Finishing Process

  1. New:* Sparkle Pink – quilted, working on binding it.  (not on original list)
  2. New:* Swoon – Quilted; ready for binding.

Abandoned

Nothing so far for 2013

Hunting and Gathering

  • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
  • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering.
  • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two test blocks, but still in the thinking stage while I decide on the background colors. I want the contrast to be good.

Last update for the 26 Projects List. Read it. There’s some interesting stuff there.

I thought you might want to take a look at the first list I made, the one with the 26 Projects. I started the list in October 2011. I have made progress. I plan to stop this post when I have no more projects from the original list to write about. I wonder when that will be?

*New – Project started after I started working on the 26 Projects list

T-shirt Quilt-More Progress

T-shirt Quilt top
T-shirt Quilt top

After he returned from Scout Camp, the Young Man was happy to hear that I finished his T-shirt Quilt top. After writing several book reviews that were overdue, I spent quite a bit of time working on the back.

It is finally done and I just have to make the binding before I move on. I don’t have anymore of the grey left, so it will have to be green or black or some other color the Young Man chooses.

T-shirt Quilt top
T-shirt Quilt top

The pictures are terrible, because the boys didn’t have time hold the top and back up for me. I don’t have a picture of the back, though I hope to get one once the quilt is quilted.

Enjoy.