Tag Archives: Fiber Arts

Another Spring Circles Block

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When I made one block last week, I really didn’t intend to make another right away but I couldn’t resist. They are fun to stitch. Doesn’t hurt that it means I’m working with my favourite shabby chic fabrics again and that this block has it all — curved piecing and continuous stitching.

After pressing all the seams in one direction the block lies flat as can be and the back looks almost as good as the front.

After what seems like a long cool and damp spring, we are in the midst of a mini heat wave.  Yesterday was gorgeous and hot.  Today the forecast is for a humidex reading somewhere in the high 30s or even as much as 40C.  I’m not complaining after all those weeks of rainy cool weather.  In fact, if we don’t get thunderstorms this afternoon, I plan to spend some time out on the roof garden soaking up the warmth.

Smudge was quite content after his yogourt treat.  Mr. Q.O. is working on the video of him drinking.  As soon as it’s uploaded, I’ll post it.

Spectacular Sunflower, Day 3

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My first sunflower block turned out as wonderfully as I had hoped.  I used shapes from both the 6-inch and 12-inch collections so that I could make the double sunflower.

While I was stitching, I was taking pictures of the continuous stitching sequence that I’m using but unfortunately none of them turned out well enough to post.   I’m going to make a second block and Mr. Q.O. will take over the photography duties so that the photos are clear.  I will post them either on the weekend or on Monday.

It presses like a dream and the block lies wonderfully flat.

The block finishes at 12″.  I’m going to make one more block using these fabrics and then play around with some border ideas using shapes from the collections.  And then?  Well, then I’m going to make a sunflower variation using perhaps some batiks or maybe I’ll make a red and white quilt.  The possibilities are endless.  I’m glad I decided to make these blocks first as it has made it easier to sort out think about the design I’ll use for a larger quilt.

Two kitty close-ups .  First Lester.

Then Smudge.

Spectacular Sunflowers

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Two new collections were released yesterday for Sunflower — a 6 and a 12-inch version.  With the permission of Linda Franz, the inventor of Inklingo, I grabbed the above shot, which can be seen at the  Sunflower Gallery of Quilts — it’s just one of many options shown on that gallery and they’re well worth looking at.  These shapes really are exciting to me as the design possibilities with them are seemingly endless. I know I’ll be making more than one quilt using these shapes.

As soon as the collections were released and I had a few minutes to review the Sunflower Design Book , which is absolutely fabulous, I had my fabrics picked out and had printed the shapes for two blocks.  The design book is, for now, free and is well worth downloading as it’s absolutely stuffed full of great tips about techniques to stitch a sunflower.  If you click on the above picture to enlarge it, you can see the printed stitching and cutting lines and the matching points.

I started making the first of the two circles of diamonds and triangles and can’t wait to play with the design possibilities with other fabrics.  The diamonds in this circle are .74″.   Lots and lots of continuous stitching possibilities and, of course, curved piecing.  I couldn’t ask for anything more. The ideas are just flying through my mind!

It presses like a dream too — the back of what I’ve done so far.  It’s going to be so exciting to put the first block together that I can’t wait to finish it.

Smudge was not so impressed until I sat down on the couch and he could drape himself over my legs while I started to stitch.  Then he was happy.

Lester looks as though he was studying the design, watching as I stitched.

Quilt Labels

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Labels for quilts are something I look forward to making.  When I began quilting, labels seemed like something I could skip and needn’t worry about.  It didn’t take long though, before I started seeing how much fun it could be to plan a label that reflected, in some small way, the pattern on the front of the quilt.

The picture above is an exception.  It really didn’t reflect the front of the quilt but it was a label I made for a group quilt, which can be seen here.  There were a lot of names that had to be written on that label, so I took what was a placemat size and that was the label.

This one was done for the king-size shabby chic quilt I made using elongated hexagons and regular hexagons.  While the hexagons on the front of the quilt were all 1″, I had to use a 2″ hexagon to give me enough room to write the pertinent information and then I surrounded it with elongated hexagons in one of the fabrics that was used in the quilt.

A hexagon Christmas tree wall hanging was given to a friend which had an embroidered Christmas tree on some muslin to make the label.

This label was made for one of my favourite quilts, Chintz Circles, which was given to my aunt in August.  The fabrics and shapes used to make the label were reflective of the design of the quilt and gave me just enough room on which to write the details.

Cameron’s Windmills, which was a baby quilt I made earlier this year, was another for which I used a 2″ hexagon as the basis for my label.  The hexagon was surrounded by other half hexagons, which was the shape used to make the tessellating windmills.

As soon as Ferris Wheel is quilted and bound, I will be writing out the details on this label and attaching it to the back.  While stitching the blocks together, I was thinking about a label for the quilt and wishing I could make one more block.  The answer was obvious — make another centre and use the cream blades as the space on which to write the details.

I’ve been thinking about quilt labels a lot lately as I’ve been looking at all the pictures of the gorgeous red and white quilts that are being displayed in New York and wondering just what the labels on some of them might be.  While I absolutely love seeing the pictures of the quilts, I do wish that sometimes show organizers would take the time to photograph and display some of the quilt labels.

Do you make labels for your quilts?  Do you look at it as a chore or do you enjoy it?  If you think of it as a chore, try looking at the blocks you’ve used for the quilt and see if you can isolate one that would give you enough space to write the details you wish to include and make that one extra block.  Set it aside and then, when your quilt is done, your label is there and ready.

Half a Dozen Melons

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I’m hooked.  No question about it.  Stitching these little blocks is nothing but fun. They’re a quick stitch and those perfect curves make me smile every time.  I need around 40 of them for the border I’m planning but, at the rate they’re going together, it’s not going to take long.  But ideas for a quilt made with just these blocks keep floating through my mind.  It’s one of those blocks that I find irresistible.

Thursday was a great day.  The pink and cream quilt top is finished.  When I got up Thursday morning, I decided it was time.  Sashings were cut, sewn to cornerstones and added to the blocks and then the final border was added.  What I learned yesterday?  That machine piecing isn’t that difficult.  All the joining was done by machine, while the blocks themselves were hand pieced and I got it all put together without having to rip out any seams.  The top finishes at around 60 x 70, and I am thrilled with it.  Pictures when it’s quilted.  I’ve already got the quilting planned for it.

Charlsey posted some pictures on her blog post here from our two days of stitching, talking and planning as well as some interesting people watching.  There’s one shot of Charlsey’s Seven Sisters quilt and my X’s and O’s quilt that I love.  The hotel lobby is rather beige and I think our quilts added some needed colour!

For some reason we got no new photos of the cats on Thursday.  Things are definitely looking up — the two of them had one of their mock battles on Thursday evening, which they haven’t really done for a couple of months.  This is one of my favourite photos and a rather rare shot of the two of them together that was taken a few months ago.

Arcs for Pickle Dish Block

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Seeing Karen Dianne’s beautiful Pickle Dish block done in Kaffe Fassett fabrics inspired me to get back to work on my Summer Picnic Dish.  Another dish actually got added to those already joined but we didn’t get a photo of that yet.

Putting together the arc/melon combination is something I really enjoy so I think I’ll concentrate on making the arcs for a bit and hopefully get the quilt top finished fairly quickly.  I’m not planning to make the Summer Picnic Dish larger than a lap quilt, so it shouldn’t take too long.

The back of an arc/melon combo.  I prefer to press the arc towards the melon as it ensures that the points of the triangles in the arcs stay as sharp as possible.

Over the past few days I’ve been trying to decide exactly what my goals for this year are as far as quilting goes.  While I have a number of projects on the go that I want to finish, I also want to start concentrating more on designing.  Sometimes I feel like I want to do it all, and I know that’s rather unrealistic.  I’ve flirted with these ideas:

  • make a series of two-colour quilts
  • make a series of heirloom baby quilts
  • concentrate on designing and learning EQ or some other drawing program
  • make a series of shabby chic quilts
  • make a series of batik quilts

It seems like a daunting list, and I’m sure I’ve left off some items.

The baby quilt was basted on Monday and the quilting of it will begin today.  It won’t take long as it’s not a big quilt, but I’d like to have it done and bound by the weekend.  Then I’ll just be waiting to hear what the baby’s name is to finish the label.  Other than the baby quilt and some hand piecing in the evenings, the balance of my quilting time this week is going to be spent on learning EQ.

It was incredibly cold again on Monday and the cats found cozy spots to curl up. Lester on the couch.

And Smudge was in a kitty bed.

Baby Quilt Top Finished

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It’s pressed and ready to baste.  Hopefully that will happen this afternoon.  It finished at 38 x 27.  Names for quilts usually don’t present a problem for me but not this time.  I cannot come up with a name I like at all.  Maybe once I start quilting it something will come to me that works for it.  Suggestions are more than welcome.

We’re in the midst of doing some reorganizing and, as part of that reorganization, I’m hoping to free up an area in the apartment where I can use a wall as a design wall.  That would be great for photographing something like this little quilt.  For today’s photo, we laid it out on the floor and Smudge had to immediately come to inspect.

Monday I spent a bit of time trying to get more comfortable with EQ.  Today I plan to spend more time.  I am not finding it a very intuitive program at all, but hopefully it will become easier the more time I spend using it.

We think that Smudge has turned a corner.  He started eating a lot on his own on the weekend.  And eating.  And eating some more.  That was a huge relief!  The next step will be getting him off the kitty junk food and back on to some of the better foods.  We also managed to find some foods that have no tuna in them that he likes.  Here he was relaxing after one of his meals.

This picture of Lester makes me laugh.  He looks like he’s sleeping sitting up.

Baby Quilt Almost Done

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The main piecing, other than the pieces around the edges, is done.  I’ve started adding the edge pieces along one side so know it won’t take long to finish adding them and then it will be complete.  I have a piece of flannel that’s perfect for the backing and there’s batting on hand, so this won’t take long now to finish and have ready.  The only thing I’ll be waiting for is what the baby’s name is once it’s born and I can add that to the label.

I’ve been contemplating what, if any, quilting goals I have for 2011.  I am not making resolutions because I know I’d break them.  But goals?  Goals is another matter.  I have a few.  I’d like to try making a small quilt in solids.  I’ve never worked with just solids and am not sure how much I’ll enjoy that, but I want to give it a try.

My second goal, and probably the biggest one, is to try to limit myself to making small quilts when I start anything new this year.  I have many UFOs that are going to be large quilts on the go as it is, all of which I want to spend time on, and hopefully complete, this year.  Summer Picnic Dish, the Harpsichord quilt, my POTC blocks, the Pickled Ladies, the clamshell diamonds in Kaffe fabrics, the Christmas Feathered Star quilt (and probably some others I’ve forgotten at the moment) are quilts I want to finish sooner rather than later.

I also know that when I get ideas, some of which are in the ideas book already, I want to be able to play with fabric.  Playing with designs on the computer, while it is a good way to get an idea about how something might work, just doesn’t seem to be the best way for me.  I want to see what it looks like in fabric. So small quilts is the answer.  Then, if something I’ve made as a small quilt top really appeals, I can set it aside to make as a larger quilt.

A third goal is to make sure I have one thing added to the Christmas box every month.  2010 taught me a very good lesson; that I can’t count on having all the time to do things for Christmas in the last 4 or 5 weeks of the year.

Saturday was an incredibly mild day.  We broke records and had temperatures in the 52 Fahrenheit range.  It was lovely to think it was that mild on January 1.  Only a dozen weeks or so and we’ll be starting to get spring weather.  I’m already counting the days until we go back to Daylight Savings Time. Along with the mild weather on Saturday, we had fog.

Smudge seemed to be looking at a quilt book as he reclined on the couch.

Lester posed for the camera Sunday night.

Pickled Ladies Again

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While I have been working on the pink and cream quilt and playing with the irresistible Storm at Sea blocks, I’ve not been ignoring the Pickled Ladies.  Four more ladies were completed Thursday night and I have a stack of pieces cut and waiting to be stitched for another 15 or 20 of the pieced arcs.

Making the Storm at Sea blocks has taught me something — that I have absolutely no self-control when it comes to stitching those blocks!  Once I had printed the shapes on the third fabric, I just had to make some of the blocks with that fabric.  So now I’m thinking that printing the shapes on the next fabric is something that I will only do when I’ve finished off the pink and cream top and at least another 8 or 10 of the Pickled Ladies.  Otherwise, I just know that I’ll want to drop everything and make a few blocks with that fourth fabric.

At the same time, I’m trying not to start another Winding Ways quilt.  I’ve wanted to make another since I made this wallhanging back in February and have ideas on my “want to make” list.  But lately, Wanda at Exuberant Color has been showing the Winding Ways quilts she has been making and it’s very, very hard to resist!

Lester was lounging on the loveseat Thursday night.

While Smudge was snoozing on the couch.

Fabric Challenge

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These hand-dyed fabrics have been in my stash for ages.  I cut each one of them in half, gave half to a friend, kept half for myself and we’re both going to work on a quilt using just them and perhaps one other fabric as a neutral.  I’ve wanted to make something special with these for ages and am hoping that having this challenge will be just the thing I need to come up with the right design to showcase them.  The hard part of this for me will be that it has to be a machine-pieced design.  The fabrics are gorgeous but they’re very tightly woven, even more so than a batik, so I know that hand piecing would be too much for my hands.  I’ve been pouring over some of the encyclopedia of blocks books and think this may be what finally gets me to absolutely force myself through EQ and play with some design ideas that way.

Do you ever feel like you should limit how many blogs you visit because of the sheer overload of inspiration?  On Thursday, I saw a quilt at Nonnies Cedar Chest that really intrigues me.  I can see it done in pinks and greens and creams or with a beautiful Christmas red and green.  I love the ribbon effect Charlsey got with her design.  I think it’s a very good thing I have no Christmas fabric as I have a feeling I’d be itching to start this one.  But it may be hard to resist doing it in some lovely soft pinks and greens.

We had another amazingly mild day on Thursday with the promise of at least a couple more days like that to come.  The longer we can put off the bitter cold and true winter weather, the better.

The cats are showing how well they can curl up into kitty circles.  Lester in a kitty bed:

And Smudge on the couch: