tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29166315017105528552024-03-05T02:34:15.967-05:00Can't Quit QuiltingOne woman's fascination with quilts and quilting.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-20656760667673781712021-01-10T12:08:00.002-05:002021-01-10T12:15:03.837-05:00A new year, a new start - Project Quilting 12.1<p>I've committed (to myself) to participating in Project Quilting's 12 "season," which started this week. The first challenge is "Illuminating + Ultimate Gray," based on Pantone's two colors for 2021. Each project must be predominately yellow and gray, but not necessarily the specific Pantone yellow and gray.</p><p>I got a late start, but I made something that I actually need. I've been working out of my basement "office" since March and have cobbled together a backdrop to shield my unkempt basement from my computer's camera, sparing those in Zoom meeting from a view of our storage and ironing board. Now that I expect to be working for home for another six months or more, I've decided to fine tune my background. Inspired by everyone's bookshelf backgrounds, I made a bookshelf quilt over the summer, but, anticipating that I wouldn't need it in the basement long term (ha!), I only made it wide enough to fit the hanging bar in our bedroom. As a result, it doesn't fully block the basement view and I need a filler to take up that extra space. So, I'll hang this "table runner" next to the bookshelf quilt to provide a better background.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfdNFKW_9ByMSxyjH8znEVqS7CVCdl3Zl3CklgLIMjBdtZyOgccYp_K6MYu33ngdSilv6omzxdpQkIxTUM8bAkQ28iH8Awn82qwfb1GK4VuTaiQQRAzjt_HsO_mgLimhH_8dxZchyphenhyphenayQh/s2841/20210110_104339.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2841" data-original-width="1107" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfdNFKW_9ByMSxyjH8znEVqS7CVCdl3Zl3CklgLIMjBdtZyOgccYp_K6MYu33ngdSilv6omzxdpQkIxTUM8bAkQ28iH8Awn82qwfb1GK4VuTaiQQRAzjt_HsO_mgLimhH_8dxZchyphenhyphenayQh/s320/20210110_104339.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wallpaper, January 9, 2021<br />(cotton fabric, cotton batting, cotton thread)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I threw it together with fabrics from a quilt I made for my niece's wedding a few years back. It's not exactly what I envisioned, but it's done.</p>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-33481342610434235292018-03-25T11:11:00.002-04:002018-03-26T00:02:55.701-04:00My Scrappy Spring Garden (Project QUILTING - Season 9, Challenge 6)The sixth and final challenge for Season 9 of Project QUILTING was "<a href="http://persimondreams.blogspot.com/2018/03/96scraptasticchallenge-6-of-project.html" target="_blank">Scraptastic</a>." I logged on to the Project QUILTING site from the hair salon on Sunday afternoon after the theme was announced. I started planning my project while my color was processing. (I find that letting my mind wander while at the salon is relaxing and, as in this case, helpful.)<br />
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With plans to be out of town for four days last week, I knew I'd have to plan a project that could be finished with only a few days at the machine. The challenge required that we use at least twelve fabrics in our finished piece, so I had to take that into account, too.<br />
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I have a half-square triangle pattern that I've made several times and really like (see below). One of the smaller quilts has been hanging in our bedroom for a while and I'd been thinking that I might want to make a new wall hanging for the spring.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZsro_U6akYkngKOADiY04WvxaVsF9JdDl8m6nFFZRuRFhPyvkJb20vhHU8zxKu1KdzRpJ8xIHXyKE2uADIFMzxAaWjhDJqbt3gaavNff3GkcomPyMwK5YqVOQVEEMC15vkA1U-4J5oKz/s1600/Pillow+-+Rallie+201412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1578" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZsro_U6akYkngKOADiY04WvxaVsF9JdDl8m6nFFZRuRFhPyvkJb20vhHU8zxKu1KdzRpJ8xIHXyKE2uADIFMzxAaWjhDJqbt3gaavNff3GkcomPyMwK5YqVOQVEEMC15vkA1U-4J5oKz/s200/Pillow+-+Rallie+201412.jpg" width="196" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7uXbTsuuPDroDQ16wnhX8nkeGZ4TECwZjLUYmzd-259xxAl_AJRNivVgiumMm2Nkb4qJjJMgYHr0SBXkbD5oiCkB0y9N2FVRUQKMdgbgEQjVnt42PWi-P787vb8gTgDSQtwO-CxISZcO/s1600/Rappelling+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7uXbTsuuPDroDQ16wnhX8nkeGZ4TECwZjLUYmzd-259xxAl_AJRNivVgiumMm2Nkb4qJjJMgYHr0SBXkbD5oiCkB0y9N2FVRUQKMdgbgEQjVnt42PWi-P787vb8gTgDSQtwO-CxISZcO/s200/Rappelling+quilt.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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With the warmer weather, flowers were starting to poke their heads up through the ground--crocuses, bleeding hearts, bluebells--even the forsythia looked like they were ready to make an entrance. An idea popped into my head that I could choose a few colors to represent spring flowers--pink, yellow, orange, white, purple--and make scrappy HSTs with this pattern. In my mind, the quilt would represent my favorite spring flowers: lily of the valley, lilacs, and peonies, as well as the flowers that grace our yard early in the season: crocuses, forsythia, and bluebells.<br />
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On Sunday night, I put together eight squares with six different fabrics each, two squares of yellow, two purple, two yellow, one white, and one pink. The friend we were visiting is also a quilter, so I thought I might be able to pick up background fabric if (when) a trip to the fabric store was planned.<br />
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Happily, I did make a trip to <a href="http://www.stitchcraft.com/" target="_blank">Stitchcraft</a> in Boca Raton, FL, and I found some lovely green fabrics for the background and binding. My friend and I planned a sewing session on Friday morning, and I was able to smash out all of the HSTs and lay out the top. Thanks to input (and some extra fabric from Chris), I was also able to create a few more scrappy HSTs in pink and white to fine tune the design, and assemble the top (without borders).<br />
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The view in Chris' sewing studio is far more attractive than that in my windowless basement sewing area in Brooklyn!<br />
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When I got home, I spent all day on Saturday adding borders and getting ready for quilting. Since I prefer to baste with thread, it's always a challenge to find empty floor space in our apartment. Happily, there's JUST enough space in the kitchen for a quilt this size.<br />
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I much prefer piecing to quilting (and I didn't have much time to be too creative with the quilting anyway), so I opted for straight line quilting with a variegated green thread.<br />
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I finished it off with a binding in fabric that reminds me of grass, finishing up the hand sewing on the binding as I watched this morning's episode of <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sunday-morning/" target="_blank">CBS Sunday Morning.</a><br />
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I call my finished piece, My Scrappy Spring Garden. Once I get the hanging sleeve attached, it will hang in our bedroom to welcome the spring flowers inside as well as out. I used a total of 64 fabrics (including the background, backing, and binding), so I more than met the requirement to use twelve fabrics. All of the "flower" fabrics came from the scrap bins of my friend and me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y3TQRLM8i8KtBbePc2yHwl9pux1ApYVS6xKO2oqQlCk5m2zGizGu2As8W_uryo4uzEonUuGLxpVTnHg4aodUxbK-kY3lsrIprBSv0GIirAu_jP61HytIVMQ8GU80lejbJIjbelCo8H_y/s1600/20180325_110341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y3TQRLM8i8KtBbePc2yHwl9pux1ApYVS6xKO2oqQlCk5m2zGizGu2As8W_uryo4uzEonUuGLxpVTnHg4aodUxbK-kY3lsrIprBSv0GIirAu_jP61HytIVMQ8GU80lejbJIjbelCo8H_y/s400/20180325_110341.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px;">My Scrappy Spring Garden</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px;">38.5" x 38.5"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.88px;">Various cotton fabrics with cotton batting and thread</span></td></tr>
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-88661472127837474702018-03-11T12:47:00.002-04:002018-03-11T13:01:55.567-04:00A Stitch in...Time's Up (Project QUILTING - Season 9, Challenge 5)The theme for this week's <a href="http://persimondreams.blogspot.com/2018/03/95a-stitch-in-timechallenge-5-of.html" target="_blank">Project QUILTING</a> challenge was "A stitch in time saves nine." I spent a good part of the week trying to come up with a project that wouldn't bee too literal (one stitch holding the number nine on a clock) or too forced (the number nine hanging from a thread and being dropped into a piggy bank). I wasn't having luck coming up with anything until I was inspired by the challenge on this week's <a href="https://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway-all-stars/season-6/episode-9" target="_blank">Project Runway All Stars</a>.<br />
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The contestants on PR were tasked with creating a red carpet look using their signature technique. One of the contestants used pintucks. I've enjoyed working with pintucks in the past, so I decided to take my inspiration from the inspiration for Project QUILTING and do something that would involve pintucks and nine colors of threads manipulating the tucks.<br />
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I chose a black and white Japanese print that I thought would have some interest when pintucked and would accommodate an interesting design for quilting/manipulating the tucks. I started the pintucks and chose a selection of nine thread colors for the quilting.<br />
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After I finished the pintucking, I assembled my quilt sandwich and tried a pattern with the quilting. I didn't like it, so I broke out the seam ripper and took it all out. I thought a bit and tried a new pattern. It didn't work for me either, so the seam ripper came out again. </div>
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After four or five failed tries, I ceded defeat and decided to try a different design for my project. </div>
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Sadly, it was Saturday afternoon with the Sunday deadline looming and I still didn't have a good idea. I ran the theme through my brain over and over, trying to land on something that would work, but wouldn't require me to stay up all night.</div>
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As I started to realize that I might not be able to come up with something in time, my mind landed on "Time's Up." Not only did that reflect what I was facing creatively, it has also been a timely message this year. Things started to fall together and I decided to make a nine-patch of neutral squares onto which I would stitch the letters spelling out Time's Up (seven letters + one apostrophe + one space = nine).</div>
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I cut squares from nine different low volume white, cream, and gray fabrics and sewed them together with a red border. I chose a simple grid pattern for the quilting, thinking that it wouldn't distract from the letters.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqvOg1UbSSm45EF0-Fr7qPpqndC8irhcQDxGsQec9-GaYAJrWhhkrQmgv_ZyDkFRzRUfFfXZo2K9kBflGYuV8_juu9irkCkCzU4dw0UqoR9BtC-woqFIIzo6ONzwGntFS7K7KD8-_HX3_/s1600/3+Quilting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqvOg1UbSSm45EF0-Fr7qPpqndC8irhcQDxGsQec9-GaYAJrWhhkrQmgv_ZyDkFRzRUfFfXZo2K9kBflGYuV8_juu9irkCkCzU4dw0UqoR9BtC-woqFIIzo6ONzwGntFS7K7KD8-_HX3_/s320/3+Quilting.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I printed out the letters in a bold Times Roman font and used my <a href="http://www.neulux.com/britepad-200/" target="_blank">BritePad</a> light board to trace the letters onto freezer paper.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiAgZl3i6rBjqsVDKToILlySCp21zSoM9tJgIAcNwZbWpIfg3CS2ydlZwWdPWu7XfuPvJS4EW_gqV_IPIU8JyL40XXzohuOHh_5WFFpg-076-Jn6Axv13C5RhqI1vW56JI2UY7tuZz2O5/s1600/4+tracing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiAgZl3i6rBjqsVDKToILlySCp21zSoM9tJgIAcNwZbWpIfg3CS2ydlZwWdPWu7XfuPvJS4EW_gqV_IPIU8JyL40XXzohuOHh_5WFFpg-076-Jn6Axv13C5RhqI1vW56JI2UY7tuZz2O5/s320/4+tracing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used a ruler to help evenly position the letters and ironed them in place, then stitched around the letters in black thread. (Sorry, I forgot to snap a picture of the stitching.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF4_gMtIctcuFxEVuON3QTIDYyOV6Ia9o-sdlNVXkiDf7ezYl5iLXWA62MbMzfb2_rHV9RnnlOvjhTMPVjOONdml24JSR7SEzNjGFIk3tnTe5vnIEE7I2myUECCDCqSYX7XlDr_Q9AZmo/s1600/5+placement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF4_gMtIctcuFxEVuON3QTIDYyOV6Ia9o-sdlNVXkiDf7ezYl5iLXWA62MbMzfb2_rHV9RnnlOvjhTMPVjOONdml24JSR7SEzNjGFIk3tnTe5vnIEE7I2myUECCDCqSYX7XlDr_Q9AZmo/s320/5+placement.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I had to take Tim Gunn's famous advice to "make it work" this week, but I'm pleased with the way my piece turned out, and I got the <b>nine</b>-patch <b>stitch</b>ed just <b>in</b> <b>time </b>to <b>save </b>myself from missing the deadline.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmVsqb4M6L-daP7Luxgj45u753jZctKmFuNlU1EZI0O1LOiccGySxNQ7qYEeQHULwzVBgalKmYo83H6wQhoIA0s8PjF2qlbDLigZBscm8Ff_YOamLXrkmR_4hyAuRoA-Y_ocqzGs0gNUE/s1600/7+Finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="11.5" x 11.5"" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmVsqb4M6L-daP7Luxgj45u753jZctKmFuNlU1EZI0O1LOiccGySxNQ7qYEeQHULwzVBgalKmYo83H6wQhoIA0s8PjF2qlbDLigZBscm8Ff_YOamLXrkmR_4hyAuRoA-Y_ocqzGs0gNUE/s320/7+Finished.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Stitch in...Time's Up</b><br />
11.5" x 11.5"<br />
Various cotton fabrics with cotton batting and thread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-47527615510685476582018-02-25T12:05:00.003-05:002018-02-25T17:56:00.501-05:00Keeping Pace with Dad (Project QUILTING - Season 9, Challenge 4)When I first heard that the theme for this week's <a href="http://persimondreams.blogspot.ca/p/project-quilting.html" target="_blank">Project QUILTING</a> challenge was <a href="http://persimondreams.blogspot.com/2018/02/94mellow-yellowchallenge-4-of-project.html" target="_blank">Mellow Yellow</a>, I thought of our <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1975_AMC_Pacer_base_model_at_2012_Rockville_g.jpg" target="_blank">AMC Pacer</a>, which my father purchased in the mid-1970s. He was so pleased with the car (it may have been his first new car) that he parked it on the front lawn and took pictures of it from a number of angles to show off its radical new design (which many considered less than attractive). He told us with relish that this fabulous new vehicle was not yellow or gold, but <b>Mellow Yellow</b>.<br />
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I considered making a quilt with a Pacer on it, but when I couldn't find an image that I thought showed a flattering angle, I opted instead to make a quilt using yellow fabric that brought to mind the silky polyester shirts my dad used to wear with his mod polyester leisure suits. Although his shirts were green or gray prints to match his dark green and navy blue suits, I chose a bright yellow paisley print to echo our Mellow Yellow Pacer.<br />
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I started out by embellishing a strip of the yellow paisley print with some embroidery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLfC2xDkgvdbVzAwRVN61Nk-rtszAbcLt-qm8-3LCSVcAKtLN-zufZ9-VviPYifK9U4mJAgYPqU-xVbt3bsWh-qfn9HPzIJMoFZqq9LmUB0miyoU-sNXUXB93TlsCNnV7NMrP0hsx5o8w/s1600/20180224_165116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLfC2xDkgvdbVzAwRVN61Nk-rtszAbcLt-qm8-3LCSVcAKtLN-zufZ9-VviPYifK9U4mJAgYPqU-xVbt3bsWh-qfn9HPzIJMoFZqq9LmUB0miyoU-sNXUXB93TlsCNnV7NMrP0hsx5o8w/s320/20180224_165116.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then I sewed the strip diagonally to a solid yellow square.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9Og1IWJdjLEvSTuMcPdTy3s2PoNUBjSSIB0OwOgTLmTnWIyN-ilstFbmBu0rvlwOVQmnEzaFKBUo8Pe7Li-qIHyZ51gx6vBO1ysafDiBJroggTY-Qcx_BBbFGdORQuPT2bkpF-cETxv5/s1600/20180224_165232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9Og1IWJdjLEvSTuMcPdTy3s2PoNUBjSSIB0OwOgTLmTnWIyN-ilstFbmBu0rvlwOVQmnEzaFKBUo8Pe7Li-qIHyZ51gx6vBO1ysafDiBJroggTY-Qcx_BBbFGdORQuPT2bkpF-cETxv5/s320/20180224_165232.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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I wanted to create a checkerboard surrounding to the strip using 3/4" pieces of black on black and black & white fabrics. Because I planned to sew on the pieces with visible stitching, I decided to use that stitching as my quilting. I put together my quilt sandwich and started pinning and sewing the pieces into place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWVV26nW-8NKVOIibho5B-smRRLVwwJDK0IccsC7zcF9XBQmOdhLwkMuEhgphyphenhyphenoBgFeljZXSznE0yiqnPBUBUHFe-y-xT8_gW6kiK64_Jvmv5ShDJc5pIA5gPerwWKsO4Ac9-Fb_SWxO3/s1600/20180224_134942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWVV26nW-8NKVOIibho5B-smRRLVwwJDK0IccsC7zcF9XBQmOdhLwkMuEhgphyphenhyphenoBgFeljZXSznE0yiqnPBUBUHFe-y-xT8_gW6kiK64_Jvmv5ShDJc5pIA5gPerwWKsO4Ac9-Fb_SWxO3/s320/20180224_134942.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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After sewing all of the pieces into place with stitching parallel to the strip, I added more quilting perpendicular to the strip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrsttlLuWRYMhqzp3RVEritVGpEpVDgOU91SN-B9iPT_VQvH8VVWdUg6fgXbrwSZYLUg5qvmw0VG2NxESgRcVHWWyRgKHYcH7HqMDJHYB_BaATdnbkVRbFvL_GyKa-fOax2VC97MQ9iY5/s1600/20180225_110529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrsttlLuWRYMhqzp3RVEritVGpEpVDgOU91SN-B9iPT_VQvH8VVWdUg6fgXbrwSZYLUg5qvmw0VG2NxESgRcVHWWyRgKHYcH7HqMDJHYB_BaATdnbkVRbFvL_GyKa-fOax2VC97MQ9iY5/s320/20180225_110529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Of course, with all of the raw edges on the 3/4" squares, I had a lot of random threads all over the top. I waited until I had the quilt bound before I took time to remove all of the strays.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttpPDSfWFrLiNQaxOqsPKmo_C99f0cjJPqxzb5Yk9bgWmLbtETp7FN_vzhMzqv_tiI7FlhNLznl-QEQ2EL9wm8mROuoyyLT66du0DE590gkhT1Tvh8UtGs39CL5LHOBhX8lKScVSgpEn_/s1600/20180225_112739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttpPDSfWFrLiNQaxOqsPKmo_C99f0cjJPqxzb5Yk9bgWmLbtETp7FN_vzhMzqv_tiI7FlhNLznl-QEQ2EL9wm8mROuoyyLT66du0DE590gkhT1Tvh8UtGs39CL5LHOBhX8lKScVSgpEn_/s320/20180225_112739.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm pleased with how it turned out (it's about 13 inches square). It probably won't say "Pacer!" to many people, but it's a reminder to me of how proud my dad was when he brought our mellow yellow Pacer home.</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-53988065051687901242014-03-30T23:03:00.000-04:002014-03-30T23:03:03.371-04:00The call of the quilt<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Every now and then, a good friend of mine kindly host a group of quilters for an afternoon or evening of hand sewing (or embroidery or knitting/crochet). We try to get together every few weeks, as everyone's schedule allows. Five of us braved the rain yesterday to gather and chat about things quilting and not, while we sewed and munched on snacks (there are always delicious snacks!). It's always a pleasure to get together and make quilting more of a group activity. We're a varied bunch and there's always something interesting to talk about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our hostess is working on a beautiful anniversary quilt for her parents, another friend smashed out a couple of </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">crocheted preemie </span>hats, there was appliqueing aplenty, and I stitched away on the sashing for the black/white/red/yellow quilt for my niece and her husband. I've finished and attached seven of the ten rows and am at a temporary stand-still while I await the arrival of more black Michael Miller Cotton Couture. I guess I didn't do such a great job of estimating how much I'd need for all that shashing!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6BrDPR9M7mj_w6JFGCk52fhB1yXT4hVlQrVIt_naWaCcJqx42b2T3M6XicuQKTog-_MV2cqU1-4X9LDmOtS1RpeUFknjNispFqG0nAbJSJqkiMKGZQljecgCUsjmrthvurGxZq0KJlVN/s1600/IMAG1011-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6BrDPR9M7mj_w6JFGCk52fhB1yXT4hVlQrVIt_naWaCcJqx42b2T3M6XicuQKTog-_MV2cqU1-4X9LDmOtS1RpeUFknjNispFqG0nAbJSJqkiMKGZQljecgCUsjmrthvurGxZq0KJlVN/s1600/IMAG1011-1.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A little after noon today, I received a call from yesterday's hostess who was having a quilting emergency and needed a sympathetic ear. After chatting for a while, I sensed that she could probably use a little company, so I offered to stop by and lend a hand. She accepted my offer and I headed over to provide what little aid I could. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We spent a few hours working on her quilt, then swung by <a href="http://cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a> to pick up some supplies. The staff there never seem to judge one for getting the wrong size batting or forgetting to buy thread (I am often guilty of that one), and they're always willing to offer guidance or an opinion to help resolve an issue. No one rolled their eyes or tsk-tsked when I confessed I hadn't bought enough black fabric to finish my quilt. (Sadly, they were out of what I needed. Oh, the horror!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So, while I wait patiently for my fabric shipment, I've started planning a quilt for my sister's charity walk in the fall. I'm going for a variation on a rainbow strip-and-flip. I haven't seen anything exactly like what I want to do, so I hope it turns out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsCONgNYZDp0ovktuBgv3OmkdGxl7ZmSZQ_8CPrYrRhyphenhyphen2YQebkugq4Ve_cL5dZ8TJXlb1dFW6HZ4p9fsKhzTT4iAf-BMMlRa6r4lktKbzFBNblSTysv7SESSlFgerLSfHbLEzdBSwbC2Z/s1600/IMAG1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsCONgNYZDp0ovktuBgv3OmkdGxl7ZmSZQ_8CPrYrRhyphenhyphen2YQebkugq4Ve_cL5dZ8TJXlb1dFW6HZ4p9fsKhzTT4iAf-BMMlRa6r4lktKbzFBNblSTysv7SESSlFgerLSfHbLEzdBSwbC2Z/s1600/IMAG1013.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And, of course I still have to work on my quilt for the <a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Inspired%20By/guidelines/?utm_source=eBurst+2.8.14&utm_campaign=2.8.14+eburst&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">Quilt Alliance contest</a>, and the baby quilt for the guild, and those other two or three (or four or five) quilts awaiting my attention.</span><br />
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-15200834122891253342014-03-15T12:10:00.003-04:002014-03-15T12:10:26.109-04:00Am I working on too many projects?<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I realize that I've already failed to meet my commitment to post weekly, and I also realize that I may have spread myself a little too thin with commitments (so what else is new?). Here's what I've been working on lately and what I've gotten done (mostly two weeks ago).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've made more progress on my niece's black/white/red/yellow quilt. After getting <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2916631501710552855#editor/target=post;postID=2104566886338377427;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=1;src=postname" target="_blank">the layout</a> set a few weeks ago, I've assembled four more rows (for a total of seven out of ten) and I've fully attached one more row (for a total of four out of ten). My niece and her husband were here for a visit last weekend, so I was able to show them where it stands. They seemed pleased, but of course I did nothing on it while they were here. We spent too much time walking around the city and eating at our favorite restaurants.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIefgq9hZXjeVDi2WuSoJWmsEfE60JVV8iB1-bg1e30APmw87tTftnGMr343UCy6xIbsBjGB-j2R9PQ5FONcBGtx7JVWrws9MxgdoReSNCQfSP4mknlDb9uxYK-k2_Ylp3-aGSa-tsbJ7X/s1600/IMAG0988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIefgq9hZXjeVDi2WuSoJWmsEfE60JVV8iB1-bg1e30APmw87tTftnGMr343UCy6xIbsBjGB-j2R9PQ5FONcBGtx7JVWrws9MxgdoReSNCQfSP4mknlDb9uxYK-k2_Ylp3-aGSa-tsbJ7X/s1600/IMAG0988.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Now that they've left, I'm trying to keep things moving by doing some hand stitching on the assembled rows each evening (some nights more successfully than others).</span><br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The theme for the Quilt Alliance's 2014 quilt contest, exhibition, and auction is <a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Inspired%20By/guidelines/?utm_source=eBurst+2.8.14&utm_campaign=2.8.14+eburst&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">Inspired By</a></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">. I used a </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.quiltindex.org/basicdisplay.php?kid=51-8C-4AE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Storm at Sea </span>quilt</a> from the <a href="http://www.quiltindex.org/contributor.php?kid=51-CB-0" target="_blank">Wyoming Quilt Project</a> as my inspiration, but on a smaller scale to fit the 14"x14" requirements of the contest. I finished the the first four pieces for my quilt-let two weeks ago.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZ_Pjf63qbkRD-pYbjXtOGMBaCRdHWlSGTBmEFKsvqNWe8bcdx_wSkI637p01lqXamCOr-0zlFDasemp05MbV810qGi96vk1f3SRsC8QEtpZr17UwqxGmMUhmp5jJ1izSQB7IJUz9BF5h/s1600/IMAG0982-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZ_Pjf63qbkRD-pYbjXtOGMBaCRdHWlSGTBmEFKsvqNWe8bcdx_wSkI637p01lqXamCOr-0zlFDasemp05MbV810qGi96vk1f3SRsC8QEtpZr17UwqxGmMUhmp5jJ1izSQB7IJUz9BF5h/s1600/IMAG0982-1.jpg" height="320" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For our February guild meeting, we asked our members to make as many 6-1/2" green and/or yellow blocks for a baby quilt as they liked. It turns out that we received enough blocks for two quilts. Two of us (both, coincidentally, named Andrea) agreed to take half of the blocks and design a quilt. Despite telling our president that with everything I'm working on I <i>most certainly </i>would not have the top done for our meeting in April, I couldn't let the blocks sit unattended. Two weeks ago, I added the borders to my quilt top and plan to incorporate the three extra blocks at the bottom into a pieced back. Luckily, the quilt isn't due until the fall, so I have plenty of time to finish it (famous last words!).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJDK1_wZEBtUBbKOACFgJCJJGGZqt1SuThK4Vm1G8Ivp7osU9oED6xNAFZtBiuyCcXtHxrRdCt6iM8f79RZlgybns5LQRczhgsPC5KvLwRzmIeLZZfdJdVoxw-g2WwZ0FyUEXeGF4qsJC/s1600/IMAG0980-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJDK1_wZEBtUBbKOACFgJCJJGGZqt1SuThK4Vm1G8Ivp7osU9oED6xNAFZtBiuyCcXtHxrRdCt6iM8f79RZlgybns5LQRczhgsPC5KvLwRzmIeLZZfdJdVoxw-g2WwZ0FyUEXeGF4qsJC/s1600/IMAG0980-1.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And, I made some progress on a mystery project that I need to finish by next weekend. I've tried two versions of the border and still am not happy with it. Perhaps I'll find some inspiration this weekend so that I can move on to piecing the back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Of course, this means that two projects that have been waiting patiently for some attention will have to wait a little bit longer. Seriously...how did I get to a point where I have so many projects going at once?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And so, I'm off to start sewing to try to get something finished!</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-21045668863383774272014-02-26T10:53:00.003-05:002014-02-26T10:57:19.660-05:00There's black thread at the end of the tunnel<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The layout is complete! I spent a good portion of my class at City Quilter last night laying out all of the blocks for the quilt for my niece and her husband. And another portion of the class moving the blocks around to avoid having similar fabrics too close together! This is just one of those quilts that you could spend days moving the blocks around and I'm probably the only one who would ever notice that two adjacent blocks have a strip of the same fabric.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So, here's the layout I've settled on.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My teacher noted how the sashing between the blocks seems to calm the chaos of all those prints. Now I just have to get the sashing between all the rest of the crazy blocks. I see a lot of black thread in my future! </span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-8311358043808498172014-02-23T17:47:00.000-05:002014-02-23T17:47:04.650-05:00Recommitting to my blog<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Y'all may have noticed that I haven't had a new post for over a year. Yeah...I think I was writing too much in each post (not a bad thing) and that took a lot of time. As a result, I kept procrastinating, waiting to have time to create what I thought was an "adequate" post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">That was clearly ineffective, so I'm recommitting to my blog, and I plan to post updates at least once a week, focusing on quick posts about what I've been working on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This weekend, my goal was to finish the remaining blocks for the quilt I've been making as a wedding gift for my niece and her husband. You may recall that I started the quilt way back in 2012 (<a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/07/post-about-something-i-cant-discuss.html" target="_blank">A Post About Something I Can't Discuss</a>). Well, I didn't get it finished before their wedding in August of 2012 (</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/12/the-cat-is-out-of-bag.html" target="_blank">The Cat Is Out of the Bag</a>)</span>, and I didn't have it finished in time for their first anniversary in 2013, which made me feel pretty pathetic. So, I signed up for a quilt-as-you-go class at <a href="http://www.cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a>, fully intending to use the time to work on the wedding quilt instead of the quilt that was being taught. (Luckily, the one being taught is similar to a quilt I made for another QAYG class, so I don't feel like I'm missing too much.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Well, I met my weekend goal. Here are all of the 90 blocks for the quilt. The first three rows of the quilt (assembled and lying flat in the photo) contain 27 blocks, so the two stacks have the other 63--yellow blocks on the left, red blocks on the right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There's one more class on Tuesday night, so I'll use that time to get the blocks up on CQ's design wall to finalize the layout. Then it's just a matter of getting the blocks sewn together, sashed, and bound!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After I finished all the wedding quilt blocks, I decided to take a break from black and white with a few soft colors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A few of my guild friends convinced me to join a quilting bee this year. I'd always feared that participating in a bee would be a huge time commitment, since you're committing to make a block or two each month for whoever is the queen bee. Happily (and just as Jody promised), it didn't take much time at all to put together the two blocks Mandy requested for March. She provided a few fabrics, but encouraged us to add some of our own, as long as they stayed with her selected palette. I added blue gingham, gray and white chevron, pink gingham, green batik, gray floral, blue geometric print, pink and white floral, and blue and white floral. I hope Mandy likes them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHaoMcG8ElcyKOAqjkeLhqelVTYsQHFVVfQ8gfQCP-WgT5AZFziN7C37o7GX1x58iiKDDUXKa1WM6ZdCKm5WJUcneENn3dSS_iq-JI1QwrKKU7APsLMlI09s5VNMPsJ4TW-i5nBK53nCW/s1600/201403+-+Mandy+block+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHaoMcG8ElcyKOAqjkeLhqelVTYsQHFVVfQ8gfQCP-WgT5AZFziN7C37o7GX1x58iiKDDUXKa1WM6ZdCKm5WJUcneENn3dSS_iq-JI1QwrKKU7APsLMlI09s5VNMPsJ4TW-i5nBK53nCW/s1600/201403+-+Mandy+block+2" height="320" width="178" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAx5vBiC0nPFjRdkqlPhhvv9C-lkjO0BSiOtIxJcrNDveIZMtmhiXM0WxDiJS7MsFIXe4Bp9sksTyDIw-dTSRSPlFdSC_a2km73O6TuKuEwQVmuzt72jR8UYbCUIbE3OUw8cQoVjHpYHx/s1600/201403+-+Mandy+block+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAx5vBiC0nPFjRdkqlPhhvv9C-lkjO0BSiOtIxJcrNDveIZMtmhiXM0WxDiJS7MsFIXe4Bp9sksTyDIw-dTSRSPlFdSC_a2km73O6TuKuEwQVmuzt72jR8UYbCUIbE3OUw8cQoVjHpYHx/s1600/201403+-+Mandy+block+1" height="320" width="183" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That's it for this weekend. Stay tuned for (more frequent) updates...because despite the lack of recent blogging evidence, I really can't quit quilting.</span><br />
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-39249210598442221202013-01-06T19:01:00.003-05:002013-01-06T19:01:23.297-05:00IS FUNDRAISING JUST AN EXCUSE TO MAKE ANOTHER QUILT?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">For the
past two Novembers, I have joined my sister and one of her friends to
form the Titular Titans, a team committed to participating in the Susan
G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, a three-day walk in support of breast
cancer awareness and research. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In addition to training to walk 20 miles a day for three days in a row (yes, that's right), we set a goal of raising at least $10,000 among the three of us. A hefty goal, to be sure, but also a particular challenge due to the economy and to a controversial decision made by the organizers back in February. To help encourage donations (or perhaps as an excuse to make another quilt). I decided to make a quilt to be given to one of our supporters after the walk. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I didn't
want to make the easy choice and make a quilt with pink ribbon fabric
(although there's nothing wrong that choice). I had developed a fondness
for Valori Wells' Wrenly line, so a while ago, I purchased a jelly
roll of various fabrics from that line. It had been hanging around my stash for a while, so I decided this was a good use
of the fabric.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I found yardage of some of the fabrics in the roll to use for the back, but since the line has been around for a while, the pickings were somewhat slim. Luckily, there were a number of fabrics that worked well with the colors and pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wanted to keep the pattern fairly simple, since I had a number of other projects I was working on (isn't that always the case?) and I wanted to be sure that I could finish it before the walk in mid-November. And as usual, I wanted to do it as quilt-as-you-go so that it would actually get finished!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc32Ok4io-g9jhgupGflCtFXTyxx85KnJRYExhCAJ32QBOOQ1nJgdnbklC7t-8esyYVaDyb5yvidJUay-HsI958QHMzn5cyD_jrsm8BdhVd54K1aoFIQY7qbW78mjbRT4BQdLusXKi9Ih7/s1600/IMAG0065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc32Ok4io-g9jhgupGflCtFXTyxx85KnJRYExhCAJ32QBOOQ1nJgdnbklC7t-8esyYVaDyb5yvidJUay-HsI958QHMzn5cyD_jrsm8BdhVd54K1aoFIQY7qbW78mjbRT4BQdLusXKi9Ih7/s320/IMAG0065.jpg" width="180" /></a>I sorted the 42 strips and found that the various colors could be divided evenly into sets of three strips. Since I don't have room for a permanent design wall, I bought a large flannel-backed tablecloth at the dollar store and sewed a few rings on one end. Then I hung a few small clear <a href="http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/~?N=5924736+3294737339&rt=rud" target="_blank">Command hooks </a>on the French doors between our foyer and living room. Once the doors are closed, I can hang the tablecloth on the hooks (which aren't noticeable) and I have a temporary design wall that can accommodate a fairly good-sized quilt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I assembled the strips into the color sets and then prepared the back.
After determining what I'd need for the back, I found that I'd have enough fabric to include a few solid blocks with the strips to kind of break the monotony of strips alone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I went back to the design wall and worked out how I could place the blocks. Since I'd already sewn the strips into color-coded strips, I decided to cut the already assembled strips and insert a block in each row. It's surprising how much easier it has gotten for me to cut my work, although I do still feel a little anxiety.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Once I had the blocks and strips sewn together, I positioned the batting on the back and started sewing each color strip to the batting and back (sorry, I don't have any photos of this step). I knew this wasn't going to be enough quilting for the whole quilt, but it does help hold everything together for the rest of the quilting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After everything was assembled, I went back and added linear quilting using a multicolored thread. I like how it turned out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p2yLT1JujipxK52FJ26UX0fzW5sM0iuJJLwxhAs1KEsWJGUyxACkcnyCoXmxwbg7erQA61ssJjC5aU0LjOWDy4fX0KDeLEeCzltoo9lkSl3M7w5PLipU94gT2Wkxg6sKy2sy9ZhbfgTM/s1600/IMAG0106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p2yLT1JujipxK52FJ26UX0fzW5sM0iuJJLwxhAs1KEsWJGUyxACkcnyCoXmxwbg7erQA61ssJjC5aU0LjOWDy4fX0KDeLEeCzltoo9lkSl3M7w5PLipU94gT2Wkxg6sKy2sy9ZhbfgTM/s320/IMAG0106.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Our cat got attached to it while I was sewing the binding, but since she didn't make a contribution, she wasn't eligible to win the quilt.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I finished it before the walk and we were able to draw the winner's name at the finish line. I hope it helps keep her warm during the sometimes chilly Bay Area winters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here's the finished product, front and back.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaFwCddhiia264O79T-UcZgiB8eHI0MbQcef6TbKrVVh7PbitHwlUiGx1grgKGDx8fptVVyJrPN03MxxhGrUs63wN-aGqtIFyVuny28MSz8A9sqjVP-cc8rPzH244O8BVUBUzMUWYaZ6R/s1600/IMAG0145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaFwCddhiia264O79T-UcZgiB8eHI0MbQcef6TbKrVVh7PbitHwlUiGx1grgKGDx8fptVVyJrPN03MxxhGrUs63wN-aGqtIFyVuny28MSz8A9sqjVP-cc8rPzH244O8BVUBUzMUWYaZ6R/s320/IMAG0145.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilt front</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwNfQujDpyZEHrQLA8FTTVInm8tYEBwnWRAJRprrSTZ6doQU5O9MweVa7Pe9VE2dwz6GzInCiaFVyz36-PrKXxZ3SgySeAtgMMHR3i-W1JOUhanNLEakgxZ4fWLgFO5yuB_38Di0tYeQI/s1600/IMAG0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwNfQujDpyZEHrQLA8FTTVInm8tYEBwnWRAJRprrSTZ6doQU5O9MweVa7Pe9VE2dwz6GzInCiaFVyz36-PrKXxZ3SgySeAtgMMHR3i-W1JOUhanNLEakgxZ4fWLgFO5yuB_38Di0tYeQI/s320/IMAG0147.jpg" width="261" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilt back</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoBlZPrWk4_WWAaLRCx1cSGbXqbUwRdUCU7PBXqtljM-W_GKgQ40eO-GV0wUPLfOBAXO2yF8y4QyymwYQ1R1fB7JEYPQNr9x9yztdMQzSWGBMtCTAxS74TxsxoSDGBRVBopyKbPXVY7kn/s1600/IMAG0196-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoBlZPrWk4_WWAaLRCx1cSGbXqbUwRdUCU7PBXqtljM-W_GKgQ40eO-GV0wUPLfOBAXO2yF8y4QyymwYQ1R1fB7JEYPQNr9x9yztdMQzSWGBMtCTAxS74TxsxoSDGBRVBopyKbPXVY7kn/s320/IMAG0196-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And here we are at the finish line. Only seven months before I start training for the next one, but I'll plan next fall's quilt a little earlier to avoid the rush (famous last words).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-27845958167228272602012-12-29T16:34:00.001-05:002012-12-29T16:34:48.551-05:00THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWwPsiy-3-coMkaera9QiQqYmNdtBc8sSvTSwHHVf8bmXlcUfwEyqdJ3O1d9H1InScTjUdGh0VqiYRzitU4hFmXhwgv9nseEARtn7xf8H_dj0Mw0E3ZQlH3dmZ0mLFtU9Ja-T33isItDp/s1600/550817_1969436189019_188163996_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWwPsiy-3-coMkaera9QiQqYmNdtBc8sSvTSwHHVf8bmXlcUfwEyqdJ3O1d9H1InScTjUdGh0VqiYRzitU4hFmXhwgv9nseEARtn7xf8H_dj0Mw0E3ZQlH3dmZ0mLFtU9Ja-T33isItDp/s1600/550817_1969436189019_188163996_n.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>Shortly after I apparently fell into a giant black hole in July, the event I'd been waiting for finally arrived in mid-August. My niece and new nephew-in-law got married in a beautiful ceremony at a winery in Northern California. (Congrats from your Aunt Consuela, kids.) That means I can now reveal the (as yet unfinished) quilt I was working on all summer. (Read more about the quilt design <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/07/post-about-something-i-cant-discuss.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkDuUcBuDVxfQVPflf6WOiozUAgq5qhIxP_2jv_L3E0MS7rZNMsGjCtLDGgqGG6KTMIuugT3nWkVMHdpWHMjuxohGI9uV10fJVuPdqEsbMgcoqauye-L3SZbSRUvgj9iBvUddxPKq6wQt/s1600/264369_1969382027665_52329223_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkDuUcBuDVxfQVPflf6WOiozUAgq5qhIxP_2jv_L3E0MS7rZNMsGjCtLDGgqGG6KTMIuugT3nWkVMHdpWHMjuxohGI9uV10fJVuPdqEsbMgcoqauye-L3SZbSRUvgj9iBvUddxPKq6wQt/s1600/264369_1969382027665_52329223_n.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><br />
Their wedding colors were red and yellow (roses and sunflowers), so I opted to go with black and white fabrics for the front, as well as a few fabrics with dashes of red or yellow, or in some cases, both red and yellow. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_OZauFEzptkxkHr5Pm9CZskdQR1PAplsd-gXCwG4yQZJKCS3NvSX7hOSFM6tiePTRIM_YBwixJjEqYCB6rL5ZERTJaSUs1TB4aLKcL-FlSmf3sZve850OTUCwFZHwOgf7rTHWvRl56pi/s1600/IMG00806-20120714-1423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_OZauFEzptkxkHr5Pm9CZskdQR1PAplsd-gXCwG4yQZJKCS3NvSX7hOSFM6tiePTRIM_YBwixJjEqYCB6rL5ZERTJaSUs1TB4aLKcL-FlSmf3sZve850OTUCwFZHwOgf7rTHWvRl56pi/s1600/IMG00806-20120714-1423.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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For the back, I selected a total of six floral fabrics
(sunflower-esque), three in red with black and white, and three in
yellow with black and white. (I must say, it's easier to find red
fabrics than yellow these days.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx9ye5BNeZN6h10P35zLABQgFdbkM_pqdF_XHqwDzxpW7aHfHfDUEkYRW31LLaksp4aKf2bS41TMTgYtTyWxWiY0PnUsy0lORh_MXwGS_-1Nkn9cg7RtyPsU-t01kFIqsV7T6JDP5zJKw/s1600/IMG00809-20120714-1535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx9ye5BNeZN6h10P35zLABQgFdbkM_pqdF_XHqwDzxpW7aHfHfDUEkYRW31LLaksp4aKf2bS41TMTgYtTyWxWiY0PnUsy0lORh_MXwGS_-1Nkn9cg7RtyPsU-t01kFIqsV7T6JDP5zJKw/s1600/IMG00809-20120714-1535.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
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I also found two cute fabrics (one red
and one yellow) to use for the sashing on each block. I chose to go with solid black for the sashing between blocks, because
I really didn't need any more pattern going on with all the prints in
the blocks. (Thanks to my <a href="http://www.cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a> classmates for assisting with
sashing fabric selection.)<br />
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As anticipated, I did not finish the quilt in time for the wedding (in fact, I'm still working on it), so I took two of the extra back squares and assembled two blocks as pot holders (also known as hot pads in my family). I'd never made them before, but I bought some Insul-Bright and found it surprisingly easy to work with. I did have to pin the blocks together while I was sewing the strips, because the batting and Insul-Bright together moved around quite a bit more than just the batting on its own.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uYxWpAiZb-VhbrHthJ95H6shQv7SP-Sfc4twvcaR98Ne869wSNn5wIjocMoyzivR9PeSqXOCFKUX1ACUiEuSYCRdTUhehvq4SqDwpJ47eocmH8sOUuy_dEbNaMqxND7OmuapbqE-G_Ws/s1600/Hot-pads-side-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uYxWpAiZb-VhbrHthJ95H6shQv7SP-Sfc4twvcaR98Ne869wSNn5wIjocMoyzivR9PeSqXOCFKUX1ACUiEuSYCRdTUhehvq4SqDwpJ47eocmH8sOUuy_dEbNaMqxND7OmuapbqE-G_Ws/s1600/Hot-pads-side-1.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJixOOO5CWloYeV2DIvOBUsRlw27q4pc-HZcGekr-SAM7XlPVmvrwwQejFp1rQ_dwkIHnY9tAVsNdSmZ3WamaSqBbPqqFCOFR_tk0FejlGjqWp54gzH2gDzqkXWP_RvG3ZDs96APGunUH/s1600/Hot-pads-side-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJixOOO5CWloYeV2DIvOBUsRlw27q4pc-HZcGekr-SAM7XlPVmvrwwQejFp1rQ_dwkIHnY9tAVsNdSmZ3WamaSqBbPqqFCOFR_tk0FejlGjqWp54gzH2gDzqkXWP_RvG3ZDs96APGunUH/s1600/Hot-pads-side-2.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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I brought the finished portion of the quilt to the wedding to show the happy couple (no, not <u>at</u> the ceremony; at the brunch the next day). It was only 1/5 the length it will be when it's done, but I was pleased with how it looked and it gave them a good idea of what the pattern will be. The happy couple was pleased with what they saw, and they're unexpectedly happy to have hot pads that match their bedroom decor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5G2ViplNcne5dTA1EOKzOIUIdhiRkgYlA9nJQ6UYVJpq4nuJoCLC2VV9mc_uOvCuyTLNZJlV3RByAEKVVHWdWPwVgPPAiPWI3CHjERxAd-Qa9F-a6w3UTj_TPBhiMV9rlj1g1mfVZ2iN/s1600/IMG00846-20120817-1216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5G2ViplNcne5dTA1EOKzOIUIdhiRkgYlA9nJQ6UYVJpq4nuJoCLC2VV9mc_uOvCuyTLNZJlV3RByAEKVVHWdWPwVgPPAiPWI3CHjERxAd-Qa9F-a6w3UTj_TPBhiMV9rlj1g1mfVZ2iN/s1600/IMG00846-20120817-1216.jpg" height="110" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have to admit that I've taken to working on it more sporadically, since I find my eyes need a break from black and white and red an yellow. I will finish it before their first anniversary, of that I'm sure.</div>
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-10118248891008397252012-07-26T10:43:00.000-04:002012-07-26T10:43:18.993-04:00QUILT PROGRESS UPDATE<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
So, I've been busy lately (who hasn't been?), and haven't been making as much progress on the mystery gift quilt as I'd like. That said, here are the current counts:</div>
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Back squares cut (of 90) - 96 (I'll find a use for the extras) </div>
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Batting squares cut (of 90) - 88</div>
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Blocks pieced (of 90) - 45 </div>
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Blocks assembled (of 90) - 45</div>
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Blocks finished with sashing (of 90) - 41 </div>
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Rows of blocks assembled (of 10) - 1 </div>
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Rows of blocks finished (of 10) - 0 </div>
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Rows attached together (of 10) - 0 </div>
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Rows attached & finished (of 10) - 0 </div>
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Binding attached - 0 </div>
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Binding finished - 0</div>
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More hand sewing of the sashing on row 1 is on tap for the bi-weekly "quilt night" at my friend's apartment tonight. A group of quilters worked on a project together last year and enjoyed each other's company so much that a handful of us (whoever is available) get together every two weeks or so to work on whatever hand work we have to do -- quilting, embroidery, or whatever. We bring cheese, crackers, cookies, wine, or whatever strikes our fancy to share. There are always intriguing projects to see and our conversations run the gamut from challenges with kids and family, to travel tips, current events, recipes, and even quilt topics. Yet another instance of a nurturing quilting community. I love me some quilt night!</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-55555700481165716032012-07-12T13:00:00.000-04:002012-07-12T13:00:03.940-04:00A POST ABOUT SOMETHING I CAN'T DISCUSS<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
I have once again been an irresponsible blogger. I am working on a quilt that is a gift, and am therefore unable to post any photos or too much information about it without risking the giftee seeing it. That means I haven't been able to blog about what's been taking up my time over the past few weeks.</div>
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So, I've decided to try a new tactic and talk about what I have to accomplish in the broadest possible terms, so that I can post my progress and hopefully feel some accountability to those of you who may be following.</div>
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The quilt I'm making is quilt-as-you-go, because I like seeing the quick progress on QAYG projects, and I have a history of actually finishing them, as opposed to the finished quilt tops languishing in my sewing room waiting to be paired with back and batting.</div>
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It's going to be a fairly large quilt, so I have to make a total 90 blocks--ten rows of nine blocks across. Each block is constructed of a random number of fabric strips sewed directly onto the back and batting. It's basically foundation piecing, not unlike what's described <a href="http://www.connectingthreads.com/tutorials/Foundation_Piecing-Muslin_foundation__D63.html" target="_blank">here</a>, except that instead of just the square of fabric, you also have the square of batting. On this quilt, I've been starting from the middle (the longest strip from corner to corner), but it works starting from the corners as well. When I start from the corners, I sometimes forget to take into account that the next piece will need to be long enough not just to attach to the previous piece, but also long enough to span the width of the foundation. Starting with the long strip in the middle, everything is shorter and I find I don't have as many errors in length.</div>
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I'm using strips varying in width from 1-1/4" to 2" to give the block some variety, and I'm using a number of different fabrics, all in the same color family. When I'm done, a block looks something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsaiRRbqNw-R91zRbjLo4P0Is3euzrf7Fzsr5bBuQ2tXT4QM8EfzxGQFECBK_bk1zeeGLaxufHIMKeHPM0GjPZ6XfAvdXzMZxbJAR1CO39ccDKAQI-3yQmm40Tv-0BV5TwIK6IaO1Dyx7/s1600/Strip+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsaiRRbqNw-R91zRbjLo4P0Is3euzrf7Fzsr5bBuQ2tXT4QM8EfzxGQFECBK_bk1zeeGLaxufHIMKeHPM0GjPZ6XfAvdXzMZxbJAR1CO39ccDKAQI-3yQmm40Tv-0BV5TwIK6IaO1Dyx7/s320/Strip+block.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, it also has colors and pattern from the fabrics, which I can't show here (sigh).</div>
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After the block is finished, I make a cut and flip part of the block so that the back of that part is now on the front, and the front of that part is now on the back. I can't show the cut I'm really making, of course, so let's pretend it's from corner to corner.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LBy0o8Bze3pZ7N0yApe143suofbjfxAbQLB6AxNoMnk2QrID8UOvFYwNZK_4Oy9Mgyq6rAftfgKVEDIu9_Lls_lNXzeX1K-powc2OxJYaTzBzVvsUjat0vupQ_KYShbq1gRaxY_Bxvlx/s1600/Strip+block+with+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LBy0o8Bze3pZ7N0yApe143suofbjfxAbQLB6AxNoMnk2QrID8UOvFYwNZK_4Oy9Mgyq6rAftfgKVEDIu9_Lls_lNXzeX1K-powc2OxJYaTzBzVvsUjat0vupQ_KYShbq1gRaxY_Bxvlx/s320/Strip+block+with+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To reattach the two parts of the block, I cut sashing for both the front and back, and use my machine to attach it to both front and back of one of the block parts. Then, I sew the two parts of the block back together using a zigzag stitch. On previous quilts, I've hand stitched the other half of the sashing, but because this quilt will have so many blocks and so much sashing, a friend recommended that I use a decorative stitch on my fancy new <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/06/bernina-upgrade.html" target="_blank">Bernina</a> to attach the other half of the sashing. After a bit of trauma with the bobbin thread breaking on me mid-sashing, I found a thread tension that works for the decorative stitch I like and it's saved me a lot of time. With the sashing, it looks something like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVJ9PaVw_p2-deTrNxJWY-CPbvMtAkuso1TaNtTMOcGhVY_OlsbKsPsEwhSokeTajSsvSD8o43IJeeqdPsh15VScKRfbTARw58U_iU6kKv7HKOAdIH8eyxt0i1pg0GjeJv-nxyAGEi6Xm/s1600/Strip+block+with+sashing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVJ9PaVw_p2-deTrNxJWY-CPbvMtAkuso1TaNtTMOcGhVY_OlsbKsPsEwhSokeTajSsvSD8o43IJeeqdPsh15VScKRfbTARw58U_iU6kKv7HKOAdIH8eyxt0i1pg0GjeJv-nxyAGEi6Xm/s320/Strip+block+with+sashing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The block is now complete and ready to be attached to other blocks to make rows. I use the same technique to assemble the blocks into rows. I cut sashing and assemble it to both sides of one block, then attach the two blocks using a zigzag. I'll use this technique to sew the rows to each other as well. I've decided to hand stitch the sashing between the blocks and the rows, so that's my hand stitching project for the summer! (Isn't it great to have a quilt draped across your lap in the hot, hot weather of July and August?)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So, I'm hoping that </span>I haven't given too much away, should the giftee happen across this post, and I also hope that what I've shared isn't so vague that it's incomprehensible to someone who isn't familiar with this technique. In any case, here's the list of everything I need to complete on this quilt and my progress so far:</div>
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Back squares cut (of 90) - 96 (I'll find a use for the extras)</div>
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Batting squares cut (of 90) - 62</div>
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Blocks pieced (of 90) - 33</div>
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Blocks assembled (of 90) - 31</div>
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Blocks finished with sashing (of 90) - 29</div>
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Rows of blocks assembled (of 10) - 1</div>
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Rows of blocks finished (of 10) - 0</div>
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Rows attached together (of 10) - 0</div>
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Rows attached & finished (of 10) - 0</div>
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Binding attached - 0</div>
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Binding finished - 0</div>
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<br /></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-83529529293049567992012-06-28T10:49:00.003-04:002012-06-28T10:49:56.213-04:00QUILTING CLASS COMMUNITY<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
I signed up for the Checks and Balances Quilt As You Go class at <a href="http://cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a> this summer because I do love quilt as you go (it helps improve the odds that I'll actually finish what I start!) and Judy Doenias is one of my favorite teachers (she's also one of the teachers for City Quilter's ongoing Dear Jane class). It was a three-session class that ended last night, and although Judy and one of my quilting pals convinced me to do an entirely different pattern (Tipsy Strips, a variation on Drunkard's Path - see one of Judy's samples <a href="http://www.empirequilters.net/gallery-detail.php?cat=134&ID=12" target="_blank">here</a>), I paid enough attention to the Checks and Balances pattern to give it a try some time. </div>
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I decided to make the quilt as a gift, so once again, I can't post any of my progress yet. But, I'd like to say a bit about the class experience. </div>
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Historically, quilting has always been a community activity as well as a solo endeavor. A quilter might piece together a top alone, but would likely call upon friends and community members to help with the quilting. One of the things I like most about the quilting classes I take is the input and feedback from others in the class. Someone might ask a question that I hadn't thought of, or someone might offer an alternative method for cutting or assembling. And of course, there's the invaluable advice on which color to use for the border, or which of two green batiks best compliments a quilt without overwhelming it. Whether or not the advice is taken, I've found that quilters are happy to offer their thoughts and respect whatever choice is made.</div>
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In short, I really appreciate the community of the quilting class. Last night was a perfect example. One of the fabrics I chose for the back of my quilt is considerably brighter than the other fabrics. I'd originally made four blocks with each of the six backing fabrics (three each of two different colors) so that I could get an idea of how they would work together. When I laid out the blocks with like fabrics together, I found that the brighter fabric stood out, but not in a good way. After a lot of thought, I'd decided not to make any more blocks with that fabric and to find a fabric that blended better with the others. I like the fabric, so I was a little disappointed, but I knew I'd find a use for it some time down the road. Last night, I put all my blocks up on the design wall in the class room and started bringing in other fabrics to see what I could use in its place. Judy and the other students were very helpful in offering their thoughts on whether or not something worked.</div>
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I hadn't been able to find anything I liked and was feeling a little discouraged, when Judy said she really did like the bright fabric, and a few others agreed. I like it too, but it's just so much brighter than the other fabrics that it drew my eye right to it. Then I got an idea. What if I mixed the like colors together, instead of making a path with just one fabric at a time? I rearranged the blocks on the wall...and it worked. Everyone agreed that mixing the colors made the best arrangement. </div>
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Done! No need to sideline the bright fabric. No need to buy new fabric. Time and money saved! Without the input from the others at the class (not to mention the spacious design wall), I likely would not have found the right combination and layout.</div>
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And that's not to say that the sole focus of the class was my layout. There was teaching, and sharing samples, and we also gave our input to another class member who was looking for just the right combination of batiks for her quilt. Very understated colors, but with a little pop of turquoise. How much more turquoise should she use? What would be too much? Everyone chipped in, but no one seemed offended if their suggestion wasn't chosen. </div>
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People may wonder why I take so many classes and spend so much time shopping at quilt stores. Sure, I enjoy learning new techniques and patterns, but I think much of it has to do with the sense of community I feel. Where else will a perfect stranger ask you to help them make a decision on their purchase? I get very strange looks when I ask someone at a department store if something I've tried on looks good, but I've had numerous people ask my advice, or offer advice, on fabric combinations. </div>
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And so I offer my thanks to teachers, classmates (I'll miss everyone from the Checks and Balances class and hope to see your finished quilts someday), store employees, and random shoppers for providing me with such a welcoming and supportive community. You all contribute to keeping me addicted to quilting!</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-62574473503047648872012-06-18T17:00:00.000-04:002012-06-18T17:00:48.072-04:00BERNINA UPGRADE<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
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In 1989, my mother offered to buy me a sewing machine, as she had done for my older sisters. We went to the sewing machine dealer and she gave me two options: 1) I could have a new Brand X machine (I honestly don't remember the brand) or 2) I could have a 1969 Bernina model 731. The 731 was very similar to the model 530 my mom has had since she got married; the machine on which she taught me to sew. I don't remember pausing at all before telling her I wanted the Bernina. She paid $275 for it, which was a hefty sum for her back then, but it seems like a bargain to me now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyvxUw8s7c9ZM6qafStW4OWxsLFawXAhhinNeBV6ulmkgZtzdC9FlklVENz0wJVqCm_votv2-NOKn6zBiUVplr6tU_0SWn8WjfMo6m7oBA-mO9VpCkE5gGhiYpw279PembzbGHFC9xuF4/s1600/IMG00558-20120414-1639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyvxUw8s7c9ZM6qafStW4OWxsLFawXAhhinNeBV6ulmkgZtzdC9FlklVENz0wJVqCm_votv2-NOKn6zBiUVplr6tU_0SWn8WjfMo6m7oBA-mO9VpCkE5gGhiYpw279PembzbGHFC9xuF4/s320/IMG00558-20120414-1639.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've sewed on that machine ever since. I've used it to make skirts and dresses, curtains and pillows, quilts and quilt tops, and even a few improvised chair covers. It's a great machine, built like a tank and still going strong. But, it doesn't do many stitches and I'd starting getting a little envious of my friends' newer and more amply equipped machines. The question was, would I buy a different brand that might get me more features for less money, or would I spring for a newer Bernina that would probably cost more, but would likely last forever, just like my old machine? A dilemma.<br />
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So, when I heard that <a href="http://cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">The City Quilter</a> was upgrading its classroom machines to new 550QE models, and they'd be selling the old 440QEs, it got me thinking. They were having the machines completely refurbished and they would come with a new-machine warranty. Still, a Bernina is rarely cheap, and I while I considered the price fair, it was still a hefty sum.<br />
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After discussions with my husband (who is surprisingly supportive of my quilting habit) and my sister (who is always surprisingly wise for one so youthful), I decided that getting one of the used machines would be a good investment. Given how much I've been sewing in the past few years, I can only presume that the new machine will make that sewing easier and more enjoyable.<br />
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I stopped by the shop one day to pick up some thread and mentioned that I'd decided that I wanted one of the machines. About a week earlier, they'd told me that the machines were out being serviced, so I was taken by surprise when they said they had one ready to send home with me.<br />
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Huh?!<br />
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Sure, I'd decided that I was going to get one, but hadn't planned on getting one <i>that day</i>. But, no sense in procrastinating, so I bought the machine, hailed a cab, and headed home. My husband was out of town, so I photographed the friend in the cab and texted it to him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpGc4CucTsX_lRNVWs6iM1-mfKAqFW43KQFsM6S_-XMmZhsTFmdsfBMhxPRHXS9UYyWWh2odzySJ5ju0_xCdzNPX8RONncuX9w_05BEQj4FxcLif9CYVUAzkontNVZ4a20RD1HvnXP52d/s1600/600336_3734412912284_491365338_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpGc4CucTsX_lRNVWs6iM1-mfKAqFW43KQFsM6S_-XMmZhsTFmdsfBMhxPRHXS9UYyWWh2odzySJ5ju0_xCdzNPX8RONncuX9w_05BEQj4FxcLif9CYVUAzkontNVZ4a20RD1HvnXP52d/s320/600336_3734412912284_491365338_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
He was not entirely surprised.</div>
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<br />So, my new machine is home now and I'm not disappointed. It's a little quieter than the 731, which means I can better hear my NPR shows as I sew, and I appreciate the highly specific stitch length options...not to mention the many stitches available!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv2rRjzAhZTI9oY2DxbgICYGHQR6ev7t7w-SvVUSlAp_zkNTpf5TesfIwbLuF_KdfyG7tdeNtOumaqFoIIwAteoBqiXTd7YQqgAM3J73SinE76kD-cmvIaqAExYym8NGegagp_0ECvSoM/s1600/20120618+440QE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv2rRjzAhZTI9oY2DxbgICYGHQR6ev7t7w-SvVUSlAp_zkNTpf5TesfIwbLuF_KdfyG7tdeNtOumaqFoIIwAteoBqiXTd7YQqgAM3J73SinE76kD-cmvIaqAExYym8NGegagp_0ECvSoM/s320/20120618+440QE.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Included in the purchase price was a three-hour "get to know your machine" guide class. Among other things, we learned how to use the needle threader (I'm still doing it the old-fashioned way), the walking foot, the Bernina Stitch Regulator, and (perhaps my favorite) the programmable memory.<br />
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I still need some practice with my free motion quilting...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6TATTYsxL1QW-zndJG7F2qfud-nucg5ZJdVEdkj_GiKnpvcbL9DI4w_OlfzDwciocawU06vLNDd0veoQzIcgAC46ph9IwPKQFwpmIE9MYmUPrzgh2ApqW41JiEv1GLvDOMmaQB-5dLq3/s1600/20120618+Free+motion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6TATTYsxL1QW-zndJG7F2qfud-nucg5ZJdVEdkj_GiKnpvcbL9DI4w_OlfzDwciocawU06vLNDd0veoQzIcgAC46ph9IwPKQFwpmIE9MYmUPrzgh2ApqW41JiEv1GLvDOMmaQB-5dLq3/s320/20120618+Free+motion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...and I have to figure out a way to get the apostrophe to show up better...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH2V2SjtSYwRUtiLBhyphenhyphenhNxLUf7VXOPCngzmBuxKDeLqAolomcW0GH5SpO2Nxo_TAxh54bPV1rtAZQwzOQ7NmpJqVVIs2nG-m_u24zmmnpjEynQata5eSAK6ddtGY8OsvkQroI3FvDJeem/s1600/20120618+Machine+embroidery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH2V2SjtSYwRUtiLBhyphenhyphenhNxLUf7VXOPCngzmBuxKDeLqAolomcW0GH5SpO2Nxo_TAxh54bPV1rtAZQwzOQ7NmpJqVVIs2nG-m_u24zmmnpjEynQata5eSAK6ddtGY8OsvkQroI3FvDJeem/s320/20120618+Machine+embroidery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...but I did make my first <u>ever</u> buttonholes. (I've always either opted for a zipper or had my mom make buttonholes for me.)<br />
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I also have to get used to the knee-operated free hand system for lifting the presser foot. I'm told it saves a lot of time. My problem is that the "gas pedal" for my mom's old Bernina is a knee control lever, instead of a foot control. (See item 19 below.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTJwsBHcBLRIpfxtISLWU3268gFQtLqKZb5nAM8qy84CdpxFBruc6EPEfocY3NpEGyNzZbAQ-GvXvAUiIkythCaqIl-gg3PR4a8nis5KXISL5WtNHHWLZGZqnpyNNn5qjsH1t_hc-sSiz/s1600/20120618+BERNINA+530+knee+control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTJwsBHcBLRIpfxtISLWU3268gFQtLqKZb5nAM8qy84CdpxFBruc6EPEfocY3NpEGyNzZbAQ-GvXvAUiIkythCaqIl-gg3PR4a8nis5KXISL5WtNHHWLZGZqnpyNNn5qjsH1t_hc-sSiz/s400/20120618+BERNINA+530+knee+control.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Even though I haven't used her machine for many years, my muscle memory wants to use anything by my knee to control the speed of my sewing. It's going to take a while to retrain myself.<br />
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I have plenty to learn about all the ins and outs of the machine, but I'm very pleased with my purchase and look forward to years of happy quilting together.<br />
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</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-91048491987963699242012-06-10T00:01:00.000-04:002012-06-10T00:07:57.663-04:00LETTING GO...AND HOPING FOR THE BEST<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
So, I finished the lap quilt I was making for our friend who was moving to Pasadena and have been waiting to give it to her before posting the final product (read more about the quilt <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/04/rainy-day-for-roses.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/04/place-for-everything.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I'm really happy with the way the colors work together in a relatively simple pattern (Lake Shore Drive from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colorful-Quilts-Fabric-Lovers-Easy-To-Make/dp/1607052709" target="_blank"><i>Colorful Quilts for Fabric Lovers</i></a> by Amy Walsh and Janine Burke). And the purple <a href="http://www.westminsterfabrics.com/pub/singlefabric.jsp?designer=Kaffe%20Fassett&pattern=Wood+Ear&color=purple&image=&collection=Kaffe+Fassett+Prints&category=0&catname=&newitem=0&new_desc=null" target="_blank">Kaffe Fassett Wood Ear</a> on the back may be my new favorite fabric. It's so vibrant and friendly. Love it! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betty's Purple Passion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb_UWCV3lxhQd0MEHmSy1JZhaaUwCkqpXSrNBHO2-7MLdm-xyBz1GG-GXXaKHmp2Sy-7SdqS2cq5Pp4BCHrGuNTZMBNYUJRNLWyzoigpnq2PjE2BCfCO3IVoCj8E9ocbhsh4QURLHWCYD/s1600/20120528+Betty%2527s+back+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggb_UWCV3lxhQd0MEHmSy1JZhaaUwCkqpXSrNBHO2-7MLdm-xyBz1GG-GXXaKHmp2Sy-7SdqS2cq5Pp4BCHrGuNTZMBNYUJRNLWyzoigpnq2PjE2BCfCO3IVoCj8E9ocbhsh4QURLHWCYD/s320/20120528+Betty%2527s+back+sun.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of quilt</td></tr>
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We took Betty out to dinner a few days before she left and gave her the
quilt that night so she'd have time to include it in her packing. She's
not one for grand displays of emotion, but my husband (who knows her
far better than I do) said he could tell she likes it.</div>
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Betty has now made the move west and is settling into her new apartment. We hear that she's using the quilt to add color to her bedroom and carries it with her from room to room to help stay warm in the air conditioned environment. (She's not used to central air at home.) </div>
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My goal was to give Betty something that would remind her of her New York friends, and to help make her new home more comfortable. The quilt seems to have succeeded on both counts. I couldn't be more pleased.</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-4886239748921123922012-06-04T13:46:00.000-04:002012-06-12T17:37:54.773-04:00OM IS WHERE THE QUILT IS<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
At the April <a href="http://nycmetromodquilters.blogspot.com/2012/04/march-meeting-show-tell.html" target="_blank">Metro Mod Quilting Guild meeting</a>, we were reminded that the deadline for the <a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Home/guidelines/" target="_blank">Alliance for American Quilts "Home Is Where the Quilt Is" contest</a> was June 1. I liked the idea of making a very small quilt (15" wide x 19" high) in the shape of a house and thought I'd give it a try. My first time entering a quilting contest!</div>
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<a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Home/guidelines/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://cache.matrix.msu.edu/quiltctr2/images/1-5-9-63-HWQI_logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Because we had so many quilts around when I was growing up, quilts have always felt like home to me--comforting and calming. A quilt is always a safe place to cozy up. I kept trying to think of a way to reflect that in a quilt, but kept coming up blank. Then, after a particularly trying day at work, I came home looking forward to doing some quilting to calm and distract me from the frustration at the office. Before starting, I took a few deep, cleansing breaths...and then it occurred to me: quilting calms me just like yoga does. And that's when it hit me, "Om Is Where the Quilt Is." </div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Om.svg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Om.svg" width="193" /></a>A sacred Sanskrit word, "om" is used at the beginning and end of a prayer or mantra, and is often intoned at the start and end of yoga classes. To me, it's an invitation at the beginning of class to refocus and calm myself, and a reminder at the end of class to take that focus with me.</div>
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I'd been working on a few log cabin blocks, so I decided to to put together a wonky log cabin house in various shades of blues (a calming color for me) with an om symbol in a shade reminiscent of henna.</div>
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I started the quilt in late April and was pleased with how quickly the base of the house (the rectangle) came together. The roof, my first log cabin triangle, was also pretty easy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9T26roiCz3OwwW8Bf-p8Ccw1iKu8mTOKGvgO-PCG3Xs_NSaWMGipI1_qVsFUXZ9bDSP_c8nOJ7xemWv35Z-6-KutrW1h0FxT_KKFHD6dyn3xwvXSV3bDcPxQXkm2D3NIvQ0vQH2Volm0O/s1600/20120502+Folded+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9T26roiCz3OwwW8Bf-p8Ccw1iKu8mTOKGvgO-PCG3Xs_NSaWMGipI1_qVsFUXZ9bDSP_c8nOJ7xemWv35Z-6-KutrW1h0FxT_KKFHD6dyn3xwvXSV3bDcPxQXkm2D3NIvQ0vQH2Volm0O/s320/20120502+Folded+house.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House base with roof positioned for sewing.</td></tr>
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I'm not a big fan of applique, so I knew attaching the om symbol was going to be a challenge. I decided to use zigzag topstitching to save my sanity. Unfortunately, I'd never even done that before. So instead of looking online for a tutorial or some tips, I presumed I could find my way. I went ahead and cut out the om and basted it to the quilt top. Then I started topstitching. As you can see below, it turned out horribly, with puckers aplenty. This was not a good plan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKdeGypKJ55SbdxM3vRlzx9i0H_knNUUFBPVfpf-JekrnJMOFozPkNpd1bNlBTrMMOccrxVBwufmqKUPyFAFx34LccjRAH86YzaDFzaDBEMPUWFcPpZPeyavfKn5MigvaiXemgvwKVqdX/s1600/20120502+Om+stitched+on+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKdeGypKJ55SbdxM3vRlzx9i0H_knNUUFBPVfpf-JekrnJMOFozPkNpd1bNlBTrMMOccrxVBwufmqKUPyFAFx34LccjRAH86YzaDFzaDBEMPUWFcPpZPeyavfKn5MigvaiXemgvwKVqdX/s320/20120502+Om+stitched+on+house.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How NOT to machine applique.</td></tr>
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Discouraged, I put the quilt aside for a few weeks while I tried to figure out how to fix it (and to put off undoing all that topstitching!). I think I was reading a quilting magazine that mentioned fusible web and thought that might solve my problem. I also thought it might help with stability to quilt the house <u>before</u> attaching the om. So, I focused on quilting the house (I used straight and curvy lines radiating from the center), then I bought some fusible web (for lightweight fabrics), removed the old om, and cut out a new one. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZugWWRD74lxt_dUoEXz10bIU4R5G44_LEJ_mF5mipNtCWS3DA9nK4qHKo7rtljR9zU_EYbn7_5sWRhdK-LRFtyIcWkTajxsRMApTF2b8LBg4SypZoYV2DQ5K6LD3KL4pKp7N6XLFezxp/s1600/20120528+Om+fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZugWWRD74lxt_dUoEXz10bIU4R5G44_LEJ_mF5mipNtCWS3DA9nK4qHKo7rtljR9zU_EYbn7_5sWRhdK-LRFtyIcWkTajxsRMApTF2b8LBg4SypZoYV2DQ5K6LD3KL4pKp7N6XLFezxp/s320/20120528+Om+fabric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then, following the instructions on the package, I attached the fusible web to the om (so simple--just lay the fabric on the web and apply pressure), and trimmed the web to the size of the fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G6aTwZXMLDVGigHpdDGjHAoCSbW4X9wJkPfQIwhsglDCNs7RG8mit47kmZeDSjyrJNIb0D_5hGnlITKpl7q-KIZFSBwlDEb3z3uzRfnmNSQyEfBkpQs_TaYx3hyphenhyphenGmqN5ne-FD6UmyEs4/s1600/20120528+Om+trimming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G6aTwZXMLDVGigHpdDGjHAoCSbW4X9wJkPfQIwhsglDCNs7RG8mit47kmZeDSjyrJNIb0D_5hGnlITKpl7q-KIZFSBwlDEb3z3uzRfnmNSQyEfBkpQs_TaYx3hyphenhyphenGmqN5ne-FD6UmyEs4/s320/20120528+Om+trimming.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I pulled the paper off the web...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgU7mVNCcQ5KRpiVePKe0moI8nO1mNoxbIiweQ2ZGLsJr6AZKxBV00G8yWJyzTujR4AS9TWF6qusS8g62Dgx-6ZMz2usKf6i-wsnSMtdP_L3sRnOxwfW3uVAYdJirav03Hj2S14fhCvQA/s1600/20120528+Om+fusible+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgU7mVNCcQ5KRpiVePKe0moI8nO1mNoxbIiweQ2ZGLsJr6AZKxBV00G8yWJyzTujR4AS9TWF6qusS8g62Dgx-6ZMz2usKf6i-wsnSMtdP_L3sRnOxwfW3uVAYdJirav03Hj2S14fhCvQA/s320/20120528+Om+fusible+web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...positioned it on the house, and pressed using a hot iron. That om wasn't going anywhere! <br />
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What a breeze it was to do the topstitching this time. No fighting fabric, and the results were exactly what I had in mind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpl0KUjcRKaN2mRPHTVUyY-QVpNVyq3OhobYAindtGSskKFBMOaH7cusgU3dxHIQ7GAzA0ibDIJPCjFPHAzx2DDU0CulqXSm-t_9E7RhZjRk3npfiqnI63YwGulnPZkshzBs8XfeHPLqz/s1600/20120528+Om+on+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpl0KUjcRKaN2mRPHTVUyY-QVpNVyq3OhobYAindtGSskKFBMOaH7cusgU3dxHIQ7GAzA0ibDIJPCjFPHAzx2DDU0CulqXSm-t_9E7RhZjRk3npfiqnI63YwGulnPZkshzBs8XfeHPLqz/s320/20120528+Om+on+green.jpg" width="279" /></a></div>
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I broke out my trusty copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Endings-Mimi-Dietrich/dp/1564775003" target="_blank"><i>Happy Endings</i></a> by Mimi Dietrich (I find I always have to consult the binding bible when I get to that point) and made and attached the binding. I'm pleased with how it turned out, although this photo (taken as I was rushing to get it in the mail before the deadline) is not fabulous. Hopefully it will look better at the exhibit!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFH2FBWj4v9Ra5ECBvo_0g0vyEe_4ChVx__tJd5DR7vncjqSTMfsndFZDMUjcuA1_30TKq-nnQQVFI1qillm2xJQhLLs25OUlAOgd3SwHJ3mq49LAwDuH3QU5E5aZ-A7XdGVBoV-EaD2d/s1600/20120601+Finished+om+house2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFH2FBWj4v9Ra5ECBvo_0g0vyEe_4ChVx__tJd5DR7vncjqSTMfsndFZDMUjcuA1_30TKq-nnQQVFI1qillm2xJQhLLs25OUlAOgd3SwHJ3mq49LAwDuH3QU5E5aZ-A7XdGVBoV-EaD2d/s320/20120601+Finished+om+house2.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>
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The houses will be part of a traveling exhibit through November, starting at the <a href="http://www.sewingexpo.com/" target="_blank">Original Sewing & Quilt Expo</a> in Raleigh, North Carolina, then they'll be auctioned off to benefit the Alliance for American Quilts.</div>
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Here are a few other bloggers who have posted about their entries:</div>
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Sue Bleiweiss - <a href="http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/2012/05/09/home-is-where-the-quilt-is/">http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/2012/05/09/home-is-where-the-quilt-is/</a></div>
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Bumble Beans - <a href="http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/2012/06/home-is-where-quilt-is.html">http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/2012/06/home-is-where-quilt-is.html</a></div>
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The Sewing Loft - <a href="http://thesewingloftblog.com/2012/05/30/home-is-where-the-quilt-is/">http://thesewingloftblog.com/2012/05/30/home-is-where-the-quilt-is/</a></div>
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Lisa Ellis - <a href="http://lisaellisquilts.blogspot.com/2012/03/home-is-where-quilt-is.html">http://lisaellisquilts.blogspot.com/2012/03/home-is-where-quilt-is.html</a></div>
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Kathy York - <a href="http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com/2012/06/blue-birds-and-their-orange-house-i.html">http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com/2012/06/blue-birds-and-their-orange-house-i.html</a></div>
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</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-17099874564046808292012-05-19T19:51:00.000-04:002012-05-19T19:51:20.271-04:0070-YEAR-OLD QUILT PATTERNS<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
My husband and I were heading out to run some errands this afternoon and met the mailman coming in to deliver our mail. I was pleased to see that one of my quilt magazines was part of the delivery, as well as a large manila envelope with a return address in Pocatello, Idaho. It took a minute to register that it was from my cousin Raylene. (I'm not used to seeing her married name.)</div>
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I haven't seen Raylene since we were both teens, so I was eager to see what she'd sent. I opened the envelope to find a short note from Raylene that read:</div>
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"These belonged to Grandma Earl. Enjoy!"</div>
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Inside were two very old pattern booklets and a few loose pages. What a lovely surprise, especially since they were my grandmother's. (My mother's mother, who made most of the quilts I grew up with and several of the ones I have in my home.) Raylene and her family don't quilt, so it was very generous of her to send the booklets to me.<br />
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<i>Grandmother's Patchwork Quilts</i> includes a number of traditional quilt patterns. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbaehKudS_DcKr7wzN5F8L-I8Y1zltRI5Sm_LwP0pT70lUPm06MTj_QD2iievBeMYtDSrQDh_aQT2eGkffQ48SNYsK7v0WUgd5f_QOuMCBDuncsgKGO7XReJfGcjQANJdfyreUdts33H4/s1600/20120519+Grandmothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbaehKudS_DcKr7wzN5F8L-I8Y1zltRI5Sm_LwP0pT70lUPm06MTj_QD2iievBeMYtDSrQDh_aQT2eGkffQ48SNYsK7v0WUgd5f_QOuMCBDuncsgKGO7XReJfGcjQANJdfyreUdts33H4/s200/20120519+Grandmothers.jpg" width="157" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNa9sxgMSbFivr1m8TAwJFsitdG8v5iWm3UifZWJvaxcNTOR-yD7gk1-F6ugpbvWaxZHzo1bjOf9JFL5ztc6ehkmwwr6Gz9BeRRlm-U6orc1g1kyTdOAYLzQug8RktuId_KCVB0WqMR3TK/s1600/20120519+young+mans+fancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNa9sxgMSbFivr1m8TAwJFsitdG8v5iWm3UifZWJvaxcNTOR-yD7gk1-F6ugpbvWaxZHzo1bjOf9JFL5ztc6ehkmwwr6Gz9BeRRlm-U6orc1g1kyTdOAYLzQug8RktuId_KCVB0WqMR3TK/s200/20120519+young+mans+fancy.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
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I'm usually not a huge fan of floral patterns, but this stylized flower is intriguing. I love all the different shapes in the pattern and how they could be manipulated through the use of color.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2sCwfx6chIZLcVfuWc6xHkYqxFsGkm3yUmRTTo5L03FEnxEb9ZwKkz-eJK9yriSw6NgDIcrWW8SghtP2t1SDA90kawEI2fClpJ1hq9TeuYZQgTJTR0LL9lCqWSXmi_GN4oNVgdgl7Unj/s1600/20120519+Stylized+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2sCwfx6chIZLcVfuWc6xHkYqxFsGkm3yUmRTTo5L03FEnxEb9ZwKkz-eJK9yriSw6NgDIcrWW8SghtP2t1SDA90kawEI2fClpJ1hq9TeuYZQgTJTR0LL9lCqWSXmi_GN4oNVgdgl7Unj/s320/20120519+Stylized+flower.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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<i>Heirloom Quilts </i>was published in 1941 and sold for a whopping 10 cents!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl5bk3IbCao5JEclaKRBCN63K7_htebfleBoNndo0cY94zzL2ikWrgwEvv6-LOIbyc9LOmXGz6uXAWs3ZoMFhi-_S1ybzsw3CQqj4YX5LTsG0UKvMkdSH6-285nFI2B-tsP9RmHoBLA8h/s1600/20120519+Heirloom+Quilts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl5bk3IbCao5JEclaKRBCN63K7_htebfleBoNndo0cY94zzL2ikWrgwEvv6-LOIbyc9LOmXGz6uXAWs3ZoMFhi-_S1ybzsw3CQqj4YX5LTsG0UKvMkdSH6-285nFI2B-tsP9RmHoBLA8h/s200/20120519+Heirloom+Quilts.jpg" width="146" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzcdxfJIkBSTUCUNNKyYxIDHzK0OAWm1Ubrm7wjOONhtEA7E-DaAvAz_IHKHqnwYTesSoaXTmhscFHrTfMkyxcmFhQ8D0bGbLEuxXHOA0IIQwIv4PXBBEB2HP4MWy9VxSOw6Gk3voBTlA/s1600/20120519+HQ+with+date.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzcdxfJIkBSTUCUNNKyYxIDHzK0OAWm1Ubrm7wjOONhtEA7E-DaAvAz_IHKHqnwYTesSoaXTmhscFHrTfMkyxcmFhQ8D0bGbLEuxXHOA0IIQwIv4PXBBEB2HP4MWy9VxSOw6Gk3voBTlA/s200/20120519+HQ+with+date.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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The page on crazy quilts includes a couple of blocks that have a strikingly modern look -- like the Crazy Patch Quilt and the oblongs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzItN9Z1BzJXHvvibaC06JiLhp46bYdTileq6g27oKp_bFHnBup9XxCx96IGkP7g-xWDRVh-OuGQcidE7JFOPrLbx1Nlg8l8SgNum_bmdpEXaMYN-kDM9xoek53_ZLlislXAmRu9kyWUaK/s1600/20120519+Crazy+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzItN9Z1BzJXHvvibaC06JiLhp46bYdTileq6g27oKp_bFHnBup9XxCx96IGkP7g-xWDRVh-OuGQcidE7JFOPrLbx1Nlg8l8SgNum_bmdpEXaMYN-kDM9xoek53_ZLlislXAmRu9kyWUaK/s320/20120519+Crazy+quilt.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<br />I found the thread ad in the back of the booklet particularly amusing. Who knew that quilting bees replaced bridge parties in the '40s? ("...real accomplishment instead of wasted afternoons.")<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJawoypCagdSkzaIieNc_dk1MsAMco-x_JCzK3hjtdueaJH8MphEf9Sfzyofho-m6H4VZsmIJSTigbpQmqyVjen73v8QsM__eCPC4J8RVLfm_Hay5JoSdRNvIOXblBmD04jFsiX-EqJlsD/s1600/20120519+Quilt+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJawoypCagdSkzaIieNc_dk1MsAMco-x_JCzK3hjtdueaJH8MphEf9Sfzyofho-m6H4VZsmIJSTigbpQmqyVjen73v8QsM__eCPC4J8RVLfm_Hay5JoSdRNvIOXblBmD04jFsiX-EqJlsD/s320/20120519+Quilt+ad.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
I'm pleased to be able to add these to my quilting library, and my thanks to my cousin for sending them along!<br />
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(P.S. If you're making a quilt on the fly without a pattern, it might be a good idea to
make a basic drawing and write down all the measurements so you don't
cut everything and then realize you forgot to take something into
account. Sure, you might be able to figure out a way to salvage it, but
wouldn't it be less frustrating not to have to? I'm just saying.)</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-2387171813137646652012-05-14T00:51:00.001-04:002012-05-14T00:51:05.181-04:00A VISION IN QUILTING (MAGAZINES)<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
A few weeks ago, I had my eyes checked and learned (no surprise) that I needed a stronger prescription for my left eye. I ordered new lenses for my glasses last week and stopped by the optical shop this afternoon to get them put into my frames. They said it would take about 90 minutes, so I had time to kill on 7th Avenue, one of Park Slope's well-traveled shopping districts.</div>
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My first stop was <a href="http://www.clay-pot.com/home.php" target="_blank">Clay Pot</a>, an eclectic shop where we've found clever mugs, cute earrings, and stylish serving ware, not to mention my engagement and wedding rings. Today, some blown glass chickens caught my eye. (Have I mentioned my bordering-on-obsession fixation on chickens?) I didn't buy any, but I did send a photo to my husband (hint, hint).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFFq_aN7N43ZP0qTwIrf99iTs8IfQJSz-twe0UvshZKL1CPsZQL_fv4er8ffVqXc0ozi_fGG-aA1iz7_5SLuqx3doxh-tMTfv0M0jyd4dG1qD0IRtz1emzwV_S0u4kY0dhidH4SKdhpZJ/s1600/20120513+Chix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFFq_aN7N43ZP0qTwIrf99iTs8IfQJSz-twe0UvshZKL1CPsZQL_fv4er8ffVqXc0ozi_fGG-aA1iz7_5SLuqx3doxh-tMTfv0M0jyd4dG1qD0IRtz1emzwV_S0u4kY0dhidH4SKdhpZJ/s320/20120513+Chix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Jon 'ShakataGaNai' Davis</span></td></tr>
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Next, I headed to <a href="http://www.bn.com/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, where I fully intended to look at their <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook/379003208?r=1&utm_source=google&cm_mmc=Google-_-NOOK%20General-_-NOOK%20%28exact%29-_-Nook&cm_mmca1=589a9c0c-f1da-a268-9a36-000014da7f15&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=nook&utm_campaign=NOOK%20General" target="_blank">Nook e-reader</a>. I have a first generation Kindle (see ancient-looking device to the left), which is fine, but I'm constantly frustrated by 1) not being able see what page I'm on relative to the number of pages in the book, and 2) not being able to see how many pages are left to the end of a chapter.</div>
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Recent ads for the Nook show page numbers at the bottom of the screen, something like "page 47 of 384." I'm not excited about paying for a new e-reader, but it would be worth it to be able to know how may pages are left. Now, I do realize that if you change the font on the Kindle (my husband and I use very different sizes), it changes the number of pages in a book, but isn't this the sort of simple math that should be a breeze for an electronic device?</div>
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Anyway, I went into B&N to look at the features on the Nook. I got distracted by the magazine section and thought I'd see if there were any new quilting magazines. Well, of course there were, including a few I'd never seen before.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsjLlWw8wIXxJaAuJlMNUO2qSoXIdZI8PQztH314iO-oBCm88uZeXxcbIq4fWl3UGS0fv26u0kntS1aL-7h8nNvetGzoVA_u5AxsUagesw5HPMg38vxcbWJkmbubt8jjrqpIxzL1GVdVs/s1600/20120513+Quilt+mags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsjLlWw8wIXxJaAuJlMNUO2qSoXIdZI8PQztH314iO-oBCm88uZeXxcbIq4fWl3UGS0fv26u0kntS1aL-7h8nNvetGzoVA_u5AxsUagesw5HPMg38vxcbWJkmbubt8jjrqpIxzL1GVdVs/s320/20120513+Quilt+mags.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.modernquiltingmag.com/" target="_blank"><i>Modern Quilting</i></a> is from the UK and has some cute patterns in fabulously bright colors. I'm looking forward to poking around their website to see what other lovely things they have to offer.</div>
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<a href="http://www.quiltmania.com/english/home.html" target="_blank"><i>Quilt Mania</i></a> is printed in France, but thankfully this was the English edition. My high school French isn't good enough for me to understand quilting instructions. It has some interesting articles about the <a href="http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/quilt/" target="_blank">11th International Tokyo Great Quilt Festival </a>and the Reiko Kato Exhibit (also in Tokyo), but my favorite thing in the magazine is the pattern for "Bird on a Wire," the quilt featured on the cover.</div>
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<a href="http://www.heyquilty.com/quilty-magazine.html" target="_blank"><i>Quilty</i></a> is a new magazine from Fons & Porter. (This is the first issue.) It's subtitle is "fresh patchwork + modern quilts" and it isn't false advertising. I guess <i>Quilty </i>is also an online quilting show, but I have yet to check it out. The magazine has some nice patterns, tips and techniques, and some basics for beginners. There's even an article about the <a href="http://themodernquiltguild.com/" target="_blank">Modern Quilt Guild</a>, including a photo of a quilt by Elizabeth Hartman from <a href="http://www.ohfransson.com/" target="_blank">Oh, Fransson</a>, currently one of my favorite quilt book authors. (I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of my copy of <i>Modern Patchwork, </i>a birthday gift from my husband.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Quilty Magazine</span></td></tr>
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While some of the patterns in <a href="http://www.quiltmag.com/" target="_blank"><i>Quilt</i></a> are more traditional than in the modern-focused magazines I found, several of them got me thinking about new projects. Even an old tried-and-true pattern can be made to look new with creative fabric and color choices.</div>
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Okay, <a href="https://www.threadsmagazine.com/" target="_blank"><i>Threads</i></a> isn't a quilting magazine, but it has an interesting article on how to make removable covers for dress forms, so that one form can be modified to work for any size you make. (No, I don't have a dress form yet, but someday I will and then this article will come in so very handy!)</div>
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After I'd bought all the magazines and headed in the direction of the small craft/quilt store at 7th and Union, I realized that I'd completely forgotten to look at the Nook. (sigh)</div>
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<a href="http://fibernotion.com/store/retail-store/info_7.html" target="_blank">Fiber Notion</a> is a cozy little shop located at one of the busier intersections on 7th Avenue, not far from the infamous <a href="http://foodcoop.com/" target="_blank">Park Slope Coop</a>. Because of the shop's limited size, their selection is naturally not what you'd find in a larger store, but there's a nice selection of fat quarters and yardage of some vibrant fabrics. They're not just a quilt shop, so there are also other craft supplies, as well as books and notions. With a new project in mind, I picked up some fusible web and a handful of fat quarters. (Note: They are a bag-free store, so if you check them out, be sure to bring your own bag to carry home your purchases.)</div>
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By the time I left Fiber Notion, my glasses were ready and I stopped back to pick them up. Aaaah! Now I can see to read all of my new magazines!</div>
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<br /></div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-77618932352370007882012-04-29T18:00:00.000-04:002012-04-30T10:54:53.721-04:00A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Oh, the joy, and the pain, of organizing my new quilting station. I spent a good four hours or so on Saturday refolding just about every piece of quilting fabric I own so that a folded edge will show when placed on a shelf.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4hW5V_bsxin3-OZvW8nhG-dD4KB4eEIjzIQnhxxONDyOv5y-I7RmtEAIfGYi0DCGDyEQyFxAEp7UKlaOt8AOWi0Ia5bPPbYj9Fd62_j0wKAclsPTtwQpV0yhYJoOP2Q1irKNvHCF13Rd/s1600/20120428+Folding+fabrics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4hW5V_bsxin3-OZvW8nhG-dD4KB4eEIjzIQnhxxONDyOv5y-I7RmtEAIfGYi0DCGDyEQyFxAEp7UKlaOt8AOWi0Ia5bPPbYj9Fd62_j0wKAclsPTtwQpV0yhYJoOP2Q1irKNvHCF13Rd/s320/20120428+Folding+fabrics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">It was a lot of work, but well worth it. Now I can see all of my fabric at a glance, and the folded edges showing makes it easy to see what I have. (And I'm please to see that while I have more fabric than I have projects, I have less fabric in total than I thought.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN54Md4Qaf_hVSt0szXP1ChBFk0EIODLZokv_Nzbyz3fA7E6F5X3Z9_HO6SVigpOjFXrMOPQTLwdAsRCrruedjpIuWvmPLdQkeXWFLvw4PgRMWu34tGFWYRaXIM4Vw8aD0dPXOTLbhwbJR/s1600/20120428+Folded+organization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN54Md4Qaf_hVSt0szXP1ChBFk0EIODLZokv_Nzbyz3fA7E6F5X3Z9_HO6SVigpOjFXrMOPQTLwdAsRCrruedjpIuWvmPLdQkeXWFLvw4PgRMWu34tGFWYRaXIM4Vw8aD0dPXOTLbhwbJR/s320/20120428+Folded+organization.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Once everything was organized, I was ready to get back to work on the <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/04/rainy-day-for-roses.html" target="_blank">quilt-as-you-go quilt </a>for our friend who's moving to Pasadena. Since I finished the pieced strips and pieced together the backs for the solid strips earlier in the week, I was ready to start quilting the solid strips with the backs. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">I decided to do three vertical lines spaced evenly across the strip, as well as some random curves. I marked the straight lines with a <a href="http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/490%2BNV/_/Hera_Marker" target="_blank">hera marke</a>r, which I find quite a handy tool. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSv3gPyBYDndcu_Izz74x3fcBsmMlo4mx4lIqKvGg91sCT3wa6zpXv1WIQZw934c32KQ849g_1HSrSWKWA9VLpZC6ySwk2cZIAuPXUV_BchMOMlA0cs7xLS0b3EUB3R8Ed3oo0FFdyxU3/s1600/20120428+Tracing+quiltlines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSv3gPyBYDndcu_Izz74x3fcBsmMlo4mx4lIqKvGg91sCT3wa6zpXv1WIQZw934c32KQ849g_1HSrSWKWA9VLpZC6ySwk2cZIAuPXUV_BchMOMlA0cs7xLS0b3EUB3R8Ed3oo0FFdyxU3/s320/20120428+Tracing+quiltlines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Once the strips were quilted, it was time to assemble the full quilt. I laid out the three solid strips and four pieced strips on that table of my quilting station. Sure, it's a little smaller than I'd like, but one makes do with what one has. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Even a bit cramped, I thought it showed promise.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj42Vd6KwdYO-ov8GmO-8c3sSe_RlJkNwSuls-c4IxiB_R29lMQ_E8vwgrRrdyav71da6Ept8uKIF7MN7hgUG1_TJXnqZ6MSaqPBs3SKYDN4jSI5RyxillIsQPoKHgv95bz4qfWpLbZnf/s1600/20120428+Quilt+laid+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLj42Vd6KwdYO-ov8GmO-8c3sSe_RlJkNwSuls-c4IxiB_R29lMQ_E8vwgrRrdyav71da6Ept8uKIF7MN7hgUG1_TJXnqZ6MSaqPBs3SKYDN4jSI5RyxillIsQPoKHgv95bz4qfWpLbZnf/s320/20120428+Quilt+laid+out.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">I decided to sew the strips with a basic seam, so that the front would be clean. It went pretty quickly, seeing as it's just a series of long, straight seams.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjkMS0T1SHM8pAHMklEtcduyCIk4opHeuWAGjpD_ZIweDCePH_VPoEYvxWq1qfv-8SFylAAMBWOnjFQLuYoeo5p8qDTu5KksNBDF7Fqq2tSC9dlGs9b5nzQThiAUVj00Mjxr07ACrQrIP/s1600/20120428+Assembling+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjkMS0T1SHM8pAHMklEtcduyCIk4opHeuWAGjpD_ZIweDCePH_VPoEYvxWq1qfv-8SFylAAMBWOnjFQLuYoeo5p8qDTu5KksNBDF7Fqq2tSC9dlGs9b5nzQThiAUVj00Mjxr07ACrQrIP/s320/20120428+Assembling+quilt.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Here is the finished front...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsdmbXsStkXygV4TmXLfdoTFKNOb04d5W43EfysQVCVygaHTJvsuJzg6jZ7VcQo15WVsB8oDw9Gk5fd4wnMeTZ4XbPJ1usePauhSF3qvNSl7MpJr6u3Gn_C8G6ZvYBa8WDho9xQ39hvSJ/s1600/20120428+Assembled+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsdmbXsStkXygV4TmXLfdoTFKNOb04d5W43EfysQVCVygaHTJvsuJzg6jZ7VcQo15WVsB8oDw9Gk5fd4wnMeTZ4XbPJ1usePauhSF3qvNSl7MpJr6u3Gn_C8G6ZvYBa8WDho9xQ39hvSJ/s320/20120428+Assembled+top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">...and the finished back. (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">I'll cover the raw edges of the seams on the back with strips in the same floral fabric as the long front panels.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPee3jV_Zy-zxHNVj7qRTxAdcaspQ6GmgTw3CJqmG4_8odXXVUpWEtjWy5wQ23-F7o3f0Abz95ZeFq7Rqs-6QiVVoLVoh0DkwgRUfbpwn2o9uDh7Dnt_z8sV7cBD1qzi7TaZ8kCQQwpQm/s1600/20120428+Assembled+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPee3jV_Zy-zxHNVj7qRTxAdcaspQ6GmgTw3CJqmG4_8odXXVUpWEtjWy5wQ23-F7o3f0Abz95ZeFq7Rqs-6QiVVoLVoh0DkwgRUfbpwn2o9uDh7Dnt_z8sV7cBD1qzi7TaZ8kCQQwpQm/s320/20120428+Assembled+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">I'll have to piece some of the strips, because I have limited fabric left, but I think it will look good. Luckily, I have just enough to do all six strips.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_8wvkfROKAL6emLGmFcGt9PfLWOiHlImc-qoxfxjnlWfKrO1SHeQ7BRymtYTCFqSVPS_jlE_ixCzUHZfwpWxfL72XCpuNvX1mA7I_COfCjwSkTUWud8EbH6lJl_tkN_iLG7OaI5-zYCl/s1600/20120428+Cut+strips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_8wvkfROKAL6emLGmFcGt9PfLWOiHlImc-qoxfxjnlWfKrO1SHeQ7BRymtYTCFqSVPS_jlE_ixCzUHZfwpWxfL72XCpuNvX1mA7I_COfCjwSkTUWud8EbH6lJl_tkN_iLG7OaI5-zYCl/s320/20120428+Cut+strips.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">I still have to decide what to do for the binding, but that will have to wait for another day. I had to get up early on Sunday morning, so I covered my sewing machine, bid good night to my wonderful quilting station and headed up to bed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br /></span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-72254413129136865252012-04-27T22:44:00.000-04:002012-04-27T22:44:20.157-04:00SHOW ME QUILTING STATION!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I checked in with my husband as I walked to the train after work today, just asking what he was making for dinner, if I needed to pick up anything on the way home, that sort of thing. I commented that the lovely spring evening had me feeling like I wanted to stop at City Quilter, although I was just there yesterday to pick up more batting and a larger rotary cutter (and maybe I also got a couple of long quarters), but what I really needed to do was a new post for my blog. He replied that he thought I'd have some organizing to do. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Huh? We'd gotten a box of goodies from a friend in Greece this morning...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKuMz6bBlVDCqD-K2eoco_HRZz6rKemVUTCJU95ENEdoe6VGFnJ2ecJTmsG6Xwt8Fs85UoAJAzSVlOGCs5uc1oRPcc26XB_kl6qrkOPoPeY9i2aXdOOp8w5sjdaCyECLKHrNti-FaEGvf/s1600/20120427+Greek+gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKuMz6bBlVDCqD-K2eoco_HRZz6rKemVUTCJU95ENEdoe6VGFnJ2ecJTmsG6Xwt8Fs85UoAJAzSVlOGCs5uc1oRPcc26XB_kl6qrkOPoPeY9i2aXdOOp8w5sjdaCyECLKHrNti-FaEGvf/s320/20120427+Greek+gifts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...but nothing that would involve organization, so I was baffled. "What do you mean?" I asked, to which he replied that he had set up something in my sewing area. Woo-hoo! My quilting station was done!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Last year for my birthday, my husband (an experienced woodworker) offered to build me a work table/storage cabinet for my sewing area. We're lucky to have a basement in our New York apartment, but our space is still limited. As I acquired quilting tools (and a little bit of fabric), I found I was having trouble finding adequate storage, not to mention I was forgetting what I already had. (Yes, I've bought the same fat quarter twice.) It's been a little longer in construction than he'd anticipated, but my fabulous quilting station is finally finished!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(Insert sound of angelic choir here...Ahhhhh!!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoO8DtLiBanS41qc4LZ90S7JsFLmNuXIOmAiZbxwbZSsNVF6d4tccO9zsnOuMifaV-C3304LbKdz3qg-1QDpWfyNFv96fEBWSWPYu6S-Bry_wDC5FBpRHp3yDzsCdqEEeJVVqZJRso_Myf/s1600/20120427+Quilting+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoO8DtLiBanS41qc4LZ90S7JsFLmNuXIOmAiZbxwbZSsNVF6d4tccO9zsnOuMifaV-C3304LbKdz3qg-1QDpWfyNFv96fEBWSWPYu6S-Bry_wDC5FBpRHp3yDzsCdqEEeJVVqZJRso_Myf/s320/20120427+Quilting+station.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The table is the same size as my cutting mat and is at a comfortable height for me to stand and cut or assemble quilts. There are deep shelves from top to bottom (I'll need to get some storage baskets) and, because space is at a premium, the table folds up to make a "door" for the top four shelves. Clever design by that man of mine. I'll be able to store my fabrics up top and things that won't suffer from a little dust (e.g., my sewing machine case) down below. It will also free up space on my sewing desk (just to the right of the station) for books, jelly rolls, tools, and the like.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I got home, I spent a little time transferring my fabrics from various locations (including my desk, which no longer has room for my computer because of all the quilting supplies). I took a break for dinner (sliders and homemade potato chips--have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is to build things AND cook for me?) and now I'm blogging, as planned, but not about the quilt show we saw last week. That will wait for another day.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tomorrow I'll have to choose between organizing my quilting station and working on one (or more) of my quilts. This is a dilemma I can work with.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrx3G_Xlw2OSY6VWp4zK_C-qrhSzE-GLOeuWVunT1k9qDWRO1IdghiMGESq5WIZQqfVtKIvb6gfsjsxIf0OV_Big83-dNzgbFUCwQP7a3EHWzZpgypVPBshwH775dPqsXxGHESHHzLRrsT/s1600/20120427+Filled+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrx3G_Xlw2OSY6VWp4zK_C-qrhSzE-GLOeuWVunT1k9qDWRO1IdghiMGESq5WIZQqfVtKIvb6gfsjsxIf0OV_Big83-dNzgbFUCwQP7a3EHWzZpgypVPBshwH775dPqsXxGHESHHzLRrsT/s320/20120427+Filled+station.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-61141012818225036372012-04-22T23:37:00.000-04:002012-04-27T10:49:45.222-04:00A RAINY DAY FOR ROSES<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Thunderstorms and rain all day were in today's forecast, so I planned to spend the day indoors quilting. The thunder never materialized (if you can say that about a sound), but it was raining for much of the day, so I was happy to have indoor projects to keep me busy.</div>
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I probably should have kept working on the <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/04/sunny-sunday-quilting-variety.html" target="_blank">Carousel quilt</a> we laid out in the yard last week (I have two rows assembled so far), but I was eager to get started on a quilt I'm making for a friend of my husband. She's moving to Pasadena, CA this summer and I want her to have something to remind her of her friends back in Brooklyn. </div>
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I lived in Pasadena for four years, and some of my closest friends are still there, so it has a special place in my heart. One of my favorite things to do each winter was volunteering to help build floats for the <a href="http://www.tournamentofroses.com/TheRoseParade.aspx" target="_blank">Tournament of Roses Parade</a>. It's great fun working with all of the other volunteers, and it's amazing to see what the designers are able to come up with every year. Keep in mind that every surface on the float has to be covered by organic material, so these are not floats that can be thrown together overnight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNtZao25KsLACcvlP43PWMhalL4sKhzBN5SRjQBUXMWl0Fo1H7vWxsbDsG4siYDaJRDcIlActEGHO5uBFk91TPe2KfXgy5knlKFmpnu1DXXkSOivkDnCrHZiSYEvxG_Qraeb6Kue0VJHf/s1600/NAMM+float+2006+in+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNtZao25KsLACcvlP43PWMhalL4sKhzBN5SRjQBUXMWl0Fo1H7vWxsbDsG4siYDaJRDcIlActEGHO5uBFk91TPe2KfXgy5knlKFmpnu1DXXkSOivkDnCrHZiSYEvxG_Qraeb6Kue0VJHf/s320/NAMM+float+2006+in+rain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2006 NAMM float. I think this is the second (or third) float I worked on. </td></tr>
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Anyway, because of the parade, and the many roses that grow around Pasadena, I wanted to include roses in the quilt somehow. Her favorite color is "any shade of purple," so I set out to find a fabric that featured purple roses. I decided to try to find a large print to use in the Lake Shore Drive quilt in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colorful-Quilts-Fabric-Lovers-Easy-To-Make/dp/1607052709" target="_blank"><i>Colorful Quilts for Fabric Lovers</i></a> by Amy Walsh and Janine Burke. It uses wide strips of the focus fabric with pieced strips of scraps dividing them. I'd been admiring the pattern for a while, so I'm pleased to have a project suited to it.</div>
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I found a few purple rose fabrics online, but nothing seemed right for this extraordinary woman, who had a successful career as a clothing designer, later sharing her knowledge and experience as an author. I concluded I needed to see fabrics in person to decide what would make this quilt pop. </div>
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I headed over to the always wonderful <a href="http://www.cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a>. After looking at several Kaffe Fassett fabrics and some other large prints, I settled on Flower Market by Martha Negley. The photo I took shows lilies, daisies, and peonies, but I swear it also has roses. The fabric has a lot of pinks, but there is also a good amount of purple.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFIAnc6_ul3LodiKUEDQRKMruz5WLEsvOMH4p8nOQGMEIz5Ni4Vc-4W8sDVOdGgTHjo8WZqmYCA1TFjIv5JnwFdwDeqkJL_8XtZsZvEz1I0wQaip6KHnwhsN8Cf0eBv3Gv75QA5f9Vlfo/s1600/20120422+Fabric+and+Lake+Shore+dirs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFIAnc6_ul3LodiKUEDQRKMruz5WLEsvOMH4p8nOQGMEIz5Ni4Vc-4W8sDVOdGgTHjo8WZqmYCA1TFjIv5JnwFdwDeqkJL_8XtZsZvEz1I0wQaip6KHnwhsN8Cf0eBv3Gv75QA5f9Vlfo/s320/20120422+Fabric+and+Lake+Shore+dirs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower Market by Martha Negley, with pattern page for Lake Shore Drive quilt</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.</td></tr>
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I chose <a href="http://www.westminsterfabrics.com/pub/singlefabric.jsp?designer=Kaffe%20Fassett&pattern=Wood+Ear&color=purple&image=&collection=Kaffe+Fassett+Prints&category=0&catname=&newitem=0&new_desc=null" target="_blank">Kaffe Fassett's fabulous Wood</a> Ear in purple for the back, and I pulled a number of purple fat quarters, as well as some greens and pinks, to use in the pieced strips. Some are prints and several are batiks. I think they all go nicely with the main fabric. Of course, none of them included the name on the selvage. (One is a great green and purple lettuce print.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieViXd1_lYtvGxKY-JmYcX8p1rHcwDpWggefeFJjce5lmt1IAKtY279_GLL_Ej1aGDunivHwPy6GBYC3DB62ba4o8MRLraBHY6OuTlr2mee-hyac-bIlf0BbPSk1DeWrz6sUUqWDFjiLzc/s1600/20120422+Lake+Shore+fabrics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieViXd1_lYtvGxKY-JmYcX8p1rHcwDpWggefeFJjce5lmt1IAKtY279_GLL_Ej1aGDunivHwPy6GBYC3DB62ba4o8MRLraBHY6OuTlr2mee-hyac-bIlf0BbPSk1DeWrz6sUUqWDFjiLzc/s320/20120422+Lake+Shore+fabrics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got all of the rectangles cut for the pieced strips and laid them out on the bed to make a pleasing pattern. (I'm making a lap quilt, so I didn't have to drag anything outside in the rain.) I'm doing it as quilt-as-you-go, so my next step was to cut strips of both the Wood Ear (for the back) and the batting. I sewed together two of the rectangles in each small four-patch before sewing them onto the batting and back.</div>
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The strips came together quickly, so I was able to get three of the four done before dinner called me away.</div>
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Once I finish the fourth strip, I'll need to decide what I want to do for quilting on the strips of the Flower Market. I'm thinking maybe wavy lines to bring to mind stems and vines. I don't really have any experience with free motion quilting, so I don't want to be too ambitious. Hmm...</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-74478056520598322582012-04-17T19:30:00.000-04:002012-04-18T14:25:19.495-04:00DEAR JANE CLASS<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Last night was my monthly "Dear Jane" class. For those unfamiliar with "Dear Jane," it's a quilt from 1863 that was made by Jane A. Blakely Stickle. It is made up of 169 unique 4.5" blocks, 52 pieced triangles, four corner "kites," and 56 solid triangles. It gets its name from <a href="http://www.dearjane.com/" target="_blank">a book by Brenda Manges Papadakis,</a> in which she imagined writing letters about the quilt to Jane Stickle, hence "Dear Jane..." She drafted patterns for each of the blocks, triangles and kites, and she gave names to each of the blocks (e.g., Maze of Madness and Bennington Star).</div>
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The <a href="http://cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a> has an ongoing Dear Jane class, where students learn tricks and techniques for each block and give each other encouragement for getting closer to completing all the blocks. In truth, it's also a bit of a gab session, since many students have been taking the class for years. I often take advantage of the seasoned quilters in attendance to get input on other quilts I'm designing or working on. Last night, one of the other students was soliciting suggestions for how she should quilt a small red and white quilt made up of tiny 1-inch half-square triangles. (An off-center spiral was the leading contender last I heard.)<br />
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Here's the completed Dear Jane quilt that hangs at the front of the room for each class. It was made by the teachers, Judy Doenias and Diane Rode Schneck.</div>
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Each session, Diane chooses a couple of blocks and one triangle as challenge blocks. Anyone who completes one (or several) is eligible to win a little chicken pin cushion. I finished both challenge blocks this session (they were both foundation pieced, which I love doing), so I won a little purple chicken!</div>
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I'm taking this as a sign that I need to buy the purple chicken fabric I saw on etsy the other day...</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-28670710623244530472012-04-15T23:18:00.001-04:002012-04-16T10:01:49.389-04:00SUNNY SUNDAY QUILTING VARIETY<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
After making good progress on my "Carousel" basket weave quilt yesterday, I decided to take a short break this morning and put together the challenge block for the Metro Mod Quilt Guild June group quilt. (If I decide I don't like it, there's plenty of time for a do-over.)</div>
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<a href="http://nycmetromodquilters.blogspot.com/2012/04/june-block.html" target="_blank">The block</a> is inspired by an antique quilt one of the guild members shared during show and tell at the last meeting. I wish I'd remembered that I have a tendency to misjudge the contrast between two fabrics and end up with a less than striking block. The fabrics I chose appeared to have more contrast before I cut them, but still showed promise when the pieces were ready for assembly.</div>
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The block is a four-patch with four "mini blocks." Here are all of the minis, with the top two already stitched together (as well as my cheat sheet, since I didn't have the computer in my sewing room).</div>
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And here's the finished block. I like it, but I may try it again with more contrast.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabrics used: Wrenly by Valori Wells: Bloom and Wildfield, both in cobalt.</td></tr>
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After my break, I got back to work on the Carousel blocks and finished (what I thought was) 144 blocks, one more than I needed. The blocks on top of the stack have lattice on only one side because I hadn't decided yet which ones would be on which end, and the end pieces get a wider strip on one side.</div>
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Since we don't have a space in the house big enough to lay out a queen size quilt, my husband and I headed out to the back yard. We laid out a sheet, which wasn't quite big enough for all the blocks, but it did give me a place to sit while I sorted out what should go where.</div>
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It took less futzing than expected to get everything in place, which means either I'm a genius at block sorting or I'll discover there's not as much randomness in the pattern as I'd hoped. I ended up with four extra blocks, three more than I thought there'd be. Apparently I had miscounted as I cut and assembled them. I'll probably use the extras on the back, along with some leftover kaleidoscope blocks from <a href="http://www.cantquitquilting.com/2012/04/at-last.html" target="_blank">my niece's quilt</a>. (I sneaked in a block from the main fabric on her quilt, too.)</div>
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Overall, I'm pleased with the variety of blocks and the look of the quilt.</div>
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Special thanks to my husband for acting as photographer and assistant block sorter. (He's very tolerant and supportive of my quilting habit.)</div>
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After coding the rows so I'd remember where everything goes, I brought the blocks back in the house and sewed the wide lattice strips onto the ends. Now I get to start assembling the rows!</div>
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But first...</div>
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Since my Dear Jane class is tomorrow night, I thought I'd better put some time in on my Dear Jane blocks. Both challenge blocks this session are perfect for foundation piecing (which I love), so I'd planned to do both B-6 (Wild Goose Chase) and C-8 (Hani's Crown). I'd finished Hani's Crown a few months ago, so that was already done.</div>
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I started Wild Goose Chase at class last month, but had done NOTHING on it since. </div>
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Lots of little pieces, but nothing particularly challenging. I'm happy to have achieved my goal of completing both blocks, although I didn't do any other blocks this month.</div>
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If only the weekend were just one day longer so that I could get more done!</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-5724757206891769022012-04-14T21:34:00.001-04:002012-04-16T10:02:10.156-04:00BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, MADAME X, AND COWBOY PIE<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Our office was closed on Friday (in observance of Passover), so I had time to work on more blocks for the green and brown basket weave quilt. Now that I finally have the brown fabric for the lattice, I've made excellent progress. (I think the blocks go nicely with my old green Bernina.)</div>
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Late in the afternoon, I headed into the city to meet a friend to go to a quilt show. She works at <a href="http://www.cityquilter.com/" target="_blank">City Quilter</a>, so my husband and I stopped by a little early to do some shopping. A friend of his will be moving out of state this summer, so I decided to make a quilt to keep a bit of our love nearby. We found some suitable fabrics for the quilt, and also a few random fabrics to add to my stash. There's never a shortage of things to buy at City Quilter! (Or at any other quilt shop, for that matter.)</div>
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After the shop closed, we headed over to the Eli Alexander Gallery on East 27th Street to check out a show of quilts by <a href="http://lukehaynes.com/blog/" target="_blank">Luke Haynes</a>. The name of the show is "The American Context," and it features quilts inspired by iconic American art. Here's a photo of one of the quilts, inspired by "American Gothic" by Grant Wood.</div>
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I was particularly fond of the quilt inspired by John Singer Sargent's "Portrait of Madam X." Of course, I foolishly didn't take a photo of it, but here's the inspiration (very shocking in its day)...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRgcpYV4A1RALsnZZ4xGxj0pzq0h9Kq1Xm_zVhdBYg41oTEBqinY28KSs9HEVRqRW9tzhGZKRLgEtwQ-usMXnFX9RxfBqs0ICx39rlUCneKrk2PbcVDpHtT9yZf0yWMbKPck3orIG5roG/s1600/Sargent_MadameX.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRgcpYV4A1RALsnZZ4xGxj0pzq0h9Kq1Xm_zVhdBYg41oTEBqinY28KSs9HEVRqRW9tzhGZKRLgEtwQ-usMXnFX9RxfBqs0ICx39rlUCneKrk2PbcVDpHtT9yZf0yWMbKPck3orIG5roG/s320/Sargent_MadameX.jpeg" width="169" /></a></div>
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...And you can find a photo of the quilt (and some others) on the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2916631501710552855#editor/target=post;postID=572475720689176902" target="_blank">NYC Metro Mod Quilters blog</a>. He also made a quilt that had an optical illusion. <a href="http://lukehaynes.com/projects/the-american-context/the-american-context-4-benjamin-franklin/" target="_blank">When lying flat</a>, it has an odd look, but when it's draped on a bed, it looks like <a href="http://lukehaynes.com/projects/the-american-context/the-american-context-4-benjamin-franklin-detail-2/" target="_blank">Benjamin Franklin is sitting on the bed</a>. Very clever.</div>
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After an enjoyable time at the show, we were famished, so we popped over to <a href="http://www.hillcountrychicken.com/" target="_blank">Hill Country Chicken</a> for a late dinner. </div>
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Any place with homemade pies and ceramic chickens on the counter...</div>
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...is okay by me. The fried chicken was delish, and I bought a few of their tiny 3" pies to enjoy later. The Cowboy Pie (dark chocolate, butterscotch chips, dried coconut, and toasted pecans in a graham cracker crust) was yummy, if a bit sweet. Now, what coconut has to do with cowboys, I've no idea.</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916631501710552855.post-29110516054533561602012-04-09T14:24:00.000-04:002012-04-09T14:24:18.097-04:00SURPRISE IN THE MAIL<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
I stayed home from work today with a queasy stomach, so I was sitting on the couch when my husband came in with the mail. Along with a quarterly statement from my 403b and a plea from the public radio station for financial support, there was a big padded envelope.</div>
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"Did you order more fabric?" he asked, knowing that it's not the most unlikely thing ever to arrive at our house in a padded envelope. "I don't think so," I replied. "Well, you got something from the <a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/">Alliance for American Quilts</a>."</div>
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I had just joined the Alliance on Thursday (so that I could get a discount on admission to <a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/support/events.php">Quilters Take Manhattan</a> in the fall), so I was surprised to already be getting something from them. What a pleasant surprise to find an AAQ pin, a couple of gold-toned fat quarters, and a packet of "<a href="http://www.benartex.com/page/index.php?page=gallery-detail&pg_o=&collection=251">Word Play</a>" fabrics from Benartex. (I love all things wordy, so this was a excellent gift for me.) Since I absolutely didn't expect anything from having joined, it was a really wonderful bonus.</div>
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I'm considering making a quilt for the Alliance's <a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Home/guidelines/">Home Is Where the Quilt Is</a> contest. You make a small house-shaped quilt that somehow reflects the theme. (<a href="http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/projects/galleries/Put%20a%20Roof%20Over%20Our%20Head/gallery/">Click here</a> to see some of the entries from last year.)The quilt judged best by their panel wins a fabulous prize from Handi Quilter, and all of the quilts are auctioned off to benefit the Alliance. A fun way to get motivated to design a lovely quilt <u>and</u> benefit a group committed to preserving our country's quilting heritage. The deadline is June 1, so I have to get going on a design. Hmmm...</div>Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17641899116832870865noreply@blogger.com0