Tag: Works in Progress

Star Sampler Fabrics

Fabrics January 2013
Fabrics January 2013

I have been working on getting the fabrics for the Star Sampler together.

I washed a bunch of new fabrics over the weekend  and have added some of them to this group. I have a few more to iron, but will probably add them as well.

It occurs to me that the ones with a lot of white won’t work with the background I have chosen. I want the stars to be crisp and I don’t want the colors of the fabric in the stars to bleed into the background. That might mean taking out that nice graphic dot in the top row.

Additional Star Sampler Fabrics - January 2013
Additional Star Sampler Fabrics – January 2013

After I started writing this post, I was doing my Qi Gong practice and looking at the FOTY 2012 top, which was in process on my design wall. I saw some other fabrics, which I thought needed to be added.

I do notice that the group is getting very blue heavy, so I need to use a lot of the non-blue fabrics OR find some more of the purples and greens.

It has taken me some time to get the right fabrics and I think I still have more to add and some to take away. This group has more fabric than the group I posted in December.

Now I need to get off my duff and make some blocks. Enough playing with fabrics!

Steppping Stones Returns

Stepping Stones Top Quilted
Stepping Stones Top Quilted

I didn’t just take a bunch of quilts to be quilted on Monday a week ago I also got the Stepping Stones quilt back from my quilter. I am sort of diligently working on the binding.

This quilt was so big. The boys insisted that I had to take the photo from the top of the stairs. I don’t know, but I didn’t want to fight with them about a photo. I’ll have to figure out another way to take the photo full on with no banister in the way.

FOTY 2012 Emerges

FOTY 2012 Final Layout
FOTY 2012 Final Layout

Early last week I posted the final patches I was planning on using for FOTY 2012. The CQFA retreat was this past weekend and I worked on the quilt top all weekend. This is the final layout, or nearly the final layout, of Fabric of the Year 2012. I think of this as a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, in some ways. Perhaps I will call this piece Chrysallis?

In this picture, all the pieces are sewn into groups of 2. By the time I left the retreat center, I had started to sew larger chunks together and the upper right hand corner was nearly all sewn.

As usual, I went through my process of hand wringing and chest beating on Friday followed by sewing and intense rearranging on Saturday.

One of the things I really like about working on this at the retreat (remember last year’s retreat?) is that everyone helps. They don’t help by rearranging, though that goes on a bit, but they come by and give me an opinion, there is always someone around to help with tricky placement and they appreciate my process. By appreciate, I meant they let me engage in my process, which, for this project, involves a fair bit of angst. It was all worth it. I am pleased with the way this is coming out.

I think that I may be over the colorwash technique for these pieces. I like the idea of cutting a piece of fabric from each fabric I use or buy during the year, but I think I have done enough of the colorwash exercise for the time being. I am trying to think of something else for 2013. I have some fragments of ideas, but they haven’t coalesced yet.

Sparkle Pink Top

Sparkle Pink Top
Sparkle Pink Top

The Sparkle Pink top and back are done and at the quilter. I was in a rush and almost didn’t take a photo of this top, but it took 2 minutes, so I am glad that I did. It is a fun top and we decided that an all over design will work fine and not be overshadowed by the bold fabrics. Also, as an added bonus, an all over design will not cost as much.

Quilts Off to be Quilted

My quilter is back and it looks like she will be quilting quite a bit during the next 6 months. YAY! I took a BUNCH of quilts to be quilted on Monday. I kept three (Wonky 9 Patch, Infinity quilt and the Calm Jelly Roll Race) back to quilt myself, just so you know I am not a complete prima donna. I have to say that I took them in one of those blue plastic IKEA (great for hauling quilts) and that bag was heavy!

I also have more space now to store additional quilt tops!

Having the back to the Spiderweb done (as well as all of that %#@&^* paper ripped off) and in the queue to be quilted is great. Perhaps I’ll get the quilt back before 2013 ends and it will end up being a 14 year project rather than a 15 year project! It is last on the list to be quilted, so we will have to wait and see.

Now I feel like I crossed some sort of threshold. I feel like my decks really are clear. I still have projects on the 26 Projects list, but it feels manageable now. Putting my nose to the grindstone last year helped, as I have mentioned over and over, but until yesterday, I didn’t feel a sense of relief. That relief was building and I felt a little more of it and a little more of it with each project, but the Spiderweb was a milestone.

I also feel wary. I know the extreme amount of time I have had to sew the last year or so cannot last. I am really glad I spent the time when I had it and I am going to enjoy the time I still have, but I see the time and the quilts that resulted as a gift.

 

 

26 Projects – A New Year

I still want to work on finishing older projects. I want to continue to move older projects forward. As I said in the Creative Desert post, the longer projects languish, the less interest I have in them. I want to use new fabrics and new designs. I want to create using new inspiration and new ideas.

Still, I can’t toss all of these older projects (some of them not so old), if they have some life in them. I feel like I want to work a piece until I finish or until it can’t be worked anymore.

Yes, this list is back for 2013. I want to make progress on languishing projects and finish newer projects that still need to be quilted. I feel  I have had a strong a start.

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013) YAY!

I came across last year’s end of year post and realized that I surpassed my previous goal of 9 quilts finished in one year last year when I finished 10 quilts. If I want to surpass another significant goal, I will have to finish at least 11 quilts this year. There is no hope for me now. Oh well, I did make a lot of progress on projects and that pleases me. I also had fun, which is the goal, right?

Still WIPs

    1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I finished our fusible machine applique’ blocks and I am supposed to be preparing the next class on curves.
    2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I haven’t quilted on this since April 2011. I really do need to work on the quilting. I was making good progress and then got sidetracked. Quilting the Whole Cloth quilt sort of got me back in the swing of quilting, so perhaps there is hope for this piece.
    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 think it is a sign that I need to work on this.
    4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing.
    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?
    6. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. I am working at ripping out the foundation paper (what a pain and what a mess!). I need to make a back and then take it to the quilter.
  1. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much.
  2. Flower Sugar Hexagon: sewed more hexagons together. Sewing Y seams is a bit of a chore, so I get tired of doing it after awhile.
  3. Young Man’s t-shirt quilt: have cut up the t-shirts and am still in the process of applying fusible. He cleaned out his drawers and found some more t-shirts to add to the quilt. Oh Yay! <– just a bit of sarcasm. He asked me again for another quilt, so I think this one is next in line. I plugged in his heating mattress pad, though, which should keep him quiet for a bit longer.

I still have a few more WIPs than I do finished projects. Again, I have made progress on clearing out old projects and I am pleased.

Ready for Quilting

  1. Original Bullseye: Top and back are finished. Needs binding and quilting. I think loopy feathers quilted in the border will set off the blocks fine.
  2. FOTY 2011: at the quilter, needs binding.
  3. Stepping Stones: currently being quilted, made binding, which she will sew on for me and then I need to stitch down the binding.
  4. New: Wonky 9 Patch: needs quilting and binding. Not on original list
  5. New* Super Secret Project #2: Top and back are made. It is ready to go to the quilter. Not on original list
  6. New: Super Secret Project: top, back and binding made. Ready to go to the quilter.  Stay tuned. ;-) Not on original list
  7. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; ready to go to quilter.
  8. A-B-C (A-Z) BAMQG Challenge – top finished, back and binding finished. Ready for the quilter.
  9. New: Sparkle Pink – top finished, back and binding finished. Ready for the quilter.
  10. New: Swoon – top finished, back and binding finished. Ready for the quilter.

Abandoned

Nothing so far

Hunting and Gathering

  • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. Cutting fabrics as I go. TFQ does not consider this a UFO and made some good points to that end, which is why I have moved it to the Hunting and Gathering section. She says, and I have to agree, that quilts are not ‘projects’ until the sewing starts. OK. I’ll go with that.
  • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering.
  • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two blocks, but still on back burner while I decide on the background colors.

I decided to continue this list into 2013, at least for the time being. It is a useful tool for tracking what is done. I, of course, want to create some kind of disposition for all of the quilts and projects on the list. However, as I mentioned, I wanted to think of a new focus for 2013. I feel that I made progress on the most ancient and difficult projects and I want to honor that. I won’t give up working on the projects on this list, but I also will not allow the list to prevent me from starting new projects.

Last update on 26 Projects List

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

More Swoon

All Swoon Blocks
All Swoon Blocks

I pretended for a long time that I was just playing around with blocks, but after posting Swoon Block #13, I had to admit that this was a project.

I decided that I would finish up the last few blocks, put them together, make a back and see what would come next.

I am pretty pleased with the way the blocks have come out. I don’t know if this will be the permanent arrangement. I am considering and will have to see.

 

I am hard on the heels of bordering this quilt top. I had hoped to have the border, the back as well as the back for the Spiderweb done by the time I go back to work tomorrow, but I can see that isn’t going to happen. Life interferes. I have to eat, play chauffeur, spend time with DH. I am fortunate that life interferes. It is work I could really do without, as long as they would pay me not to show up. 😉

Swoon with Framing Border
Swoon with Framing Border

The first thing I did was put a framing border on the top. The variety of colors needed to be contained and the pinky orange did a good job.

Next on the agenda, which I know is going to cause me problems is the larger outside border. I am taking elements from the Swoon blocks (the corner piece, the house shape, or as Sarah calls it: the Turkey Butt) and making them to insert in the corners and middle of the borders. I am pretty sure I don’t have enough of the border fabric, so we will see how that works out.

Lack of planning with rending of garments or design challenge?

You can read about preventing sickly sweetness in the last post about this project.

Swoon #15 & 16

Swoon #15
Swoon #15

I sewed the last two blocks. They look great, I think. I did have some challenges picking the fabrics for the last two blocks.

I had picked out a certain crop of fabrics for these blocks. I didn’t want to add in any new ones that I didn’t have to add, because they wouldn’t be in the rest of the quilt.

If you zoom in you might see that I pieced some of the fabrics to make sure I had enough. That odd piecing doesn’t really show even in person, so I am happy.

Swoon #16
Swoon #16

Block #16 was a bit of a challenge, because I couldn’t decide if I wanted to use more of the blue Sophia fabric that kind of started me on this journey.I finally decided that I liked it enough to use it. I also decided that it wouldn’t scream out of the quilt that I had used too much of it.  The blues are relatively strong in this piece, but I don’t think they overwhelm it. I think the blues keep it from being too sickly sweet with pink.

Now I am done with these blocks. I have decided that 16 is enough.

The last post was about the other Swoon block I made recently.

26 Projects List – December Update

Yes, I rearranged the way this post was structured. You will get to see the year’s roundup soon, but I wanted to highlight the finishes on this list, too.

Finished projects that were on the list:

  1. Stars for San Bruno #2: Finished! YAY!
  2. Pavers. Finished! YAY!
  3. Kissy Fish: Finished! Yay!
  4. Stars for San Bruno #3: Finished! YAY!
  5. Food Quilt: Finished 5/24/2012. YAY!!!!
  6. Renewed Jelly Roll Race Quilt: Finished 9/9/2012 YAY!!!
  7. Whole Cloth Quilt: Finished 10/5/2012 YAY!!!
  8. Flowering Snowball: Finished 10/31/2012 YAY!!!

I came across last year’s end of year post and realized that I surpassed my previous goal of 9 quilts finished in one year last year when I finished 10 quilts. If I want to surpass another significant goal, I will have to finish at least 11 quilts this year. There is no hope for me now. Oh well, I did make a lot of progress on projects and that pleases me. I also had fun, which is the goal, right?

Still WIPs

  1. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I finished our fusible machine applique’ blocks and I am supposed to be preparing the next class on curves.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I haven’t quilted on this since April 2011. I really do need to work on the quilting. I was making good progress and then got sidetracked. Quilting the Whole Cloth quilt sort of got me back in the swing of quilting, so perhaps there is hope for this piece.
  3. Garden: I started this piece in a class with Pamela Allen in 2006. I also used this piece for my beading demo for the 2012 EBHQ Voices in Cloth show (March 17). I made the facing and started to stitch it down. After stitching down the facing, I need to make a sleeve and finish about 2″ of blanket stitching that I noticed wasn’t complete.
  4. 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 think it is a sign that I need to work on this.
  5. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing.
  6. 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?
  7. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. I am working at ripping out the foundation paper (what a pain and what a mess!). I need to make a back and then take it to the quilter.
  8. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much.
  9. Flower Sugar Hexagon: sewed more hexagons together. Sewing Y seams is a bit of a chore, so I get tired of doing it after awhile.
  10. Young Man’s t-shirt quilt: have cut up the t-shirts and am still in the process of applying fusible. He cleaned out his drawers and found some more t-shirts to add to the quilt. Oh Yay! <– just a bit of sarcasm. He asked me again for another quilt, so I think this one is next in line. I plugged in his heating mattress pad, though, which should keep him quiet for a bit longer.

I still have a few more WIPs than I do finished projects. Again, I have made progress on clearing out old projects and I am pleased.

Ready for Quilting by Checkbook

  1. Original Bullseye: Top and back are finished. Needs binding and quilting. I think loopy feathers quilted in the border will set off the blocks fine.
  2. FOTY 2011: at the quilter, needs binding.
  3. Stepping Stones: at the quilter, made binding, which she will sew on for me and then I need to stitch down the binding.
  4. New: Wonky 9 Patch: needs quilting and binding. Not on original list
  5. Corner Store:  Finished quilting the middle and am preparing to work on the borders.
  6. New Super Secret Project #2: Top and back are made. It is ready to go to the quilter. Not on original list
  7. New: Super Secret Project: top, back and binding made. Ready to go to the quilter.  Stay tuned. 😉 Not on original list
  8. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; ready to go to quilter.
  9. A-B-C (A-Z) BAMQG Challenge – top finished, back and binding finished. Ready for the quilter.

Abandoned

  1. Flower Garden: The flowers were too spiky. This is going to Pam for a cat bed.
  2. Pineapple: will remake blocks at a later time with more care.
  3. Moon and Stars: This quilt was barely a quilt and was not interesting. I realized I didn’t want to devote time to it. So, I finally just decided to give up and get it off the list. I will send it to Pam for a cat mat.

Hunting and Gathering

  1. Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. Cutting fabrics as I go. TFQ does not consider this a UFO and made some good points to that end, which is why I have moved it to the Hunting and Gathering section. She says, and I have to agree, that quilts are not ‘projects’ until the sewing starts. OK. I’ll go with that.
  2. Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering.
  3. Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two blocks, but still on back burner while I decide on the background colors.

I am pretty pleased. I have 8 projects off the list and 9 others with a definite plan.

I am still mulling over whether I want to continue this update into 2013. I, of course, want to create some kind of disposition for all of the quilts and projects on the list. However, I do want to think of a new focus for 2013 and I don’t want it to be the same focus year after year. Stay tuned while I decide.

The Garden Progresses

Garden front
Garden front

I said previously that I thought this piece was finished. I took it out on Friday in order to decide for sure and decided to put a facing on it and prepare the piece for finishing. The photo, left, shows the front with the facing applied by machine. I am sad that some of the edge detail was lost in the seam allowance. I’ll have to remember to plan better next time.

This piece didn’t need as much beading as the others I have done. I am not sure why. Laziness might be a factor, but the riot of color and fabric definitely draws attention to the elements of this piece. I don’t think it needs much detail to draw the viewer in.

I am a little sad about these small pieces. I really don’t have anywhere to display them, but would really like to have wally large enough to hang all of them.

Garden back
Garden back

I am particularly fond of the back. I used different colors to quilt and intended to cover up the back with a fake, but it looks so nice that I could barely stand to cover the edges with the facing.

Now I need to stitch down the facing and make the sleeve. I have a lot of cards to write for Christmas, so I don’t know if I will be able to finish this before the end of the year, but that is definitely my goal.

Now I feel like I can work on some of the other smaller pieces on the 26 Projects List. Perhaps I will do a blog post about each one as well?

Original Bullseye Top

Original Bullseye Top
Original Bullseye Top

I finished the borders for this Original Bullseye over last weekend (12/1). I thought for sure I would be able to finish the back as well, but the headache hangover kept me sewing at a snail’s pace. Also, I had to clear off the cutting table before I could sew.

For some reason, finishing this particular top makes me really feel like I have made true progress on the 26 Projects list.

This top has been hanging around so long (12 years!) that I know I am acting like I finished the whole quilt. I wonder how I will feel then!

Original Bullseye back
Original Bullseye back

I got a bug in my ear to clear out some projects on Friday and made the back for this piece. I am pleased with it and think it matches. It isn’t really very special, but is interesting. As an added bonus my white on black bin has some space in it!

I have to say that I am resolved not to let projects languish for years. In the recent past, I think I have been plowing through projects once they get past the hunting and gathering stage and I hope to continue that practice.

Fortunately, I have friends with better memories than me. Julie wrote a nice overview of our Bullseye project and reminded me that I started this quilt in 2001. Last post on this subject.

A-B-C Challenge Top Finished

A-B-C Challenge Top Finished
A-B-C Challenge Top Finished

I know I should wait until after the BAMQG meeting to crow, but I can’t! I just finished this top yesterday and am THRILLED with the way it came out. The border is much simpler than I originally thought I would make, but I think it brings out all the piecing in the individual blocks. So far, I am in love.

I am planning to work on the back today. I have a large piece of the Martha Negley Mum Toss print (lower right hand corner of photo, below) to put on the back. The main color is the same as the very outer border of the front. Also, that weird gold is included in the Martha Negley print. I have to do a label and a binding, but I think I can do both tomorrow.
New Pieces, October 2012

Oh Dear! #BFSI

I am hiding upstairs for a minute to breathe. I am Miss Popularity down in the dining room (she who brings food is popular) at the moment.

The Black Friday Sew in is on Friday (thus the name). Sandy organized all the things she wants to work on and I realized halfway through the main course that I had not thought about what I am going to work on tomorrow. Yes, I have to sort silver and put the china away, but I am talking about PROJECTS! Sewing projects!

Yikes!

The Spiderweb top is done and I am still ripping out paper, so I will start the back, etc after I finish the ripping. I don’t want to work on that, because I want to be at the machine and ripping out foundation paper is a good TV project. I have to put the borders the A-B-C Challenge, so I will definitely do that. BUT what else? I don’t know. I do hope something occurs to me before I waste a whole day staring at the machine.

  • T-shirt quilt, I think.
  • Patchwork Wheel blocks

Perhaps those two projects will keep me busy and I will get a lot of them done.