Since the red and white quilt top was finished, I’ve felt almost lost and just flitted from project to project but nothing really captured my interest. That changed last night. I decided that Pickled Ladies is the next project up … Continue reading
… is definitely in my future. Remember the Joseph’s Coat shabby chic project? It feels like forever since I’ve worked with my favourite shabby chic fabrics, so once the red and white top is done it will be the shabby … Continue reading
A new Pickled Lady is ready to join the bevy of beauties. When I started putting the original Pickled Ladies together, I realized I wanted it to finish larger. So more florals were fussy cut/printed and more of the blocks have been and are being made as well as the partial blocks to square it up.
While I am still working on the red and white Feathered Star/Sunflower quilt, the Pickled Ladies are going to get equal time. As will Scrappy Star. In fact, Scrappy Star may need only a couple more evenings of work until it’s finished. So I may have three tops finished in relatively quick succession.
Pressing of the latest Pickled Lady took only a second and grading the seams took not much longer. This one is now ready to add to the group.
Baxter has completely taken over the blue and white quilt on the couch. I don’t think he could get more relaxed!
Ages and ages ago, I printed a number of half clamshells on various fabrics. Last night I put together three blocks. They finish at 3″. I think I’ll make two more and then set them together into a 9-patch block and turn that into a doll’s quilt with a pieced border. They are amazingly quick to stitch and go together perfectly.
They only take a second to press.
Yesterday was a big day in the Q.O. household. After debating it on and off for about a year the decision was made. We now do not own a car but instead have joined AutoShare. For downtown residents like us it makes a ton of sense. Parking charges downtown are insanely expensive. With the AutoShare car, we park it back in its designated spot when we’re done and don’t have the monthly parking fees. No more insurance costs. They even pay for the gas!
Yes, it will mean that we’ll have to plan ahead a bit when we’ve got errands to run for which we need a car rather than just going downstairs and jumping in the car whenever we want but, when we looked at the amount we used the car, it made sense to make the move, particularly given that our car was old and probably getting to the stage of starting to need more and more repairs.
Baxter doesn’t care, of course, so long as one of the errands for which we will use the AutoShare car is to get his favourite food. Mr. Q.O. dubbed this photo “Pasha Puss”. I call it his “peel me a grape” look. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you just see the tip of his tongue sticking out.
The first of the next three that are joining the group. Every time I finish one, I think it’s my favourite and then I make the next and think it is and then … well, you get the picture.
The second of the trio.
And the third.
Another 15 to go and they will all be done and ready to add to the others. Then I’ll start with the half Pickled Ladies that will go along the edges and then the border(s). I’m still undecided about how many borders it’s going to have.
Baxter likes to “hide” beneath things. When he’s found, his eyes get so big!
The additions for the Pickled Ladies quilt are underway.
The second addition.
The third addition.
The fourth addition.
The fifth addition. Just about 20 more to go and I’ll be finished with the additions.
Baxter is fascinated by pens. If Mr. Q.O. leaves his puzzle and pen within paw’s reach, this is what happens. What isn’t shown is that shortly after this photo was taken, Baxter had the pen down on the floor. Pens and fabric, he just can’t resist them.
Over the holiday, I had a good look at the size of the Pickled Ladies top and decided to add a few more rows. These are the first three ladies that will be joining the group.
The arcs are in the process of being made and I hope to have them all done by the end of the week. Then it’s nothing but easy stitching, attaching them to the clamshells which are already prepared and waiting.
Having been through the process of grading the seams on the other Pickled Ladies all at once, this time I’m grading them as I go. It only takes a minute and makes a huge difference to the drape and weight of the quilt.
When each arc is finished I grade the seams of the two sides of each black triangle that are attached to the white triangles. I like to wait until the seam is stitched before grading it, mostly because having even seam allowances makes it easier to line up and stitch the pieces together. It also gives me the option of not grading a seam if a fabric seems to be of a slightly looser weave than others.
Once the arc is attached to the clamshell, I then grade the black seam that’s attached to the clamshell. A quick press and it’s done.
The window templates for the half clamshells for the edges are made and I’ve been auditioning fabrics with them. The arcs and partial arcs for the edge pieces are also ready to be stitched.
Baxter has lounging on the sofa down to an art form. Mr. Q.O. captioned this one, “Dinner ready yet, lady?”
46 of the Pickled Ladies, that is, joined together. Now that I’ve started grading the seams, the difference in the weight of the top is very obvious. It will also make the quilting of this easier, as I am definitely planning on hand quilting it.
There aren’t too many more rows to go. Then it will be time to start adding the partial pickled ladies around the edges and then find the perfect border fabric.
Baxter patrols the windowsill even at night, particularly on windy and rainy nights.
Trimming of seams, that is. Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time grading the seams on the Pickled Ladies. It makes an enormous difference in the weight of the top as well as how it drapes. I’m cutting less than an eighth of an inch off the black triangles in all the arcs. I put one trimming on a ruler to show how little I’m actually cutting off the seam allowance.
This little vase is now almost full of the trimmings.
In this close-up of the back of one of the blocks, you can see how it looks after trimming. While I don’t always grade the seams on quilts, for the Pickled Ladies quilt it makes a big difference and is worth the time and effort.
Baxter was lounging on top of a couch.
The fourth row is now added. They’re easy to put together, thanks to the stitching liens and matching points.
It’s a little difficult to tell from this photo, but the intersection where they meet is easy to press by pressing one of the arcs over the other beside it and then pressing the one below it over both of those. It may look a bit bulky, but it actually isn’t.
Quilting on the Ferris Wheel quilt is going rather slowly but I am getting it done. Baxter is insistent on helping whenever there’s a quilt on my lap, whether I’m quilting or tacking down binding. At one point last night, he was right under the hoop. He seems to think it’s play time as he attacks my hand that’s underneath the quilt.
Quilt Obsession 