I'm a quilter without a plan... that's just how I operate. Ok, well, I do from time to time make a plan for my ongoing projects, but a good majority of what I do, starts out with no real A to Z, start-to-finish, mapped out direction. Usually such quilting projects leave you with a pretty good story once you do finally make it to the finish line... so, are you ready for a sit back and grab a cup of coffee kind of tale?
I actually started my Churnstile quilt back in February of this year when I wanted to "audition" potential bee blocks for when it was my turn to be queen bee. It didn't take long for me to figure out that I liked the block so much, and had such a very specific color direction, that I decided to keep it for myself. After adding several blocks, I had my usual debate of layout and size. (I guess one could argue that since I do this with almost every quilt, that this IS actually the plan)
In the end, this quilt came with a nice surprise... it turned out way bigger that I thought it would, and even big enough to be a bed quilt! (I seriously didn't plan that one!?!) By summer I was able to get the back finished and the quilt basted just before our big move, but as you can imagine, pulling up roots in one spot, and setting them down in another can take some time to get adjusted. By the time I found my sewing table again, there were several quilts that had cut line, and it was hard to pick this back up since it felt that I wasn't really sure where I had left off. But there's nothing like the push of a deadline to put you back on track... aka end of the year Finish-A-Long.
For the backing I used two leftover blocks that didn't make it in the quilt top, and added two blocks of color. Somehow I really wanted a simple backing, and used a good bit of cream Basic Grey grunge fabric for the rest.
I kept the quilting pretty simple by following the extending lines of the blocks. Perhaps if I had stayed on track the whole time with this quilt, then I might have done something a little more creative... do you get that way too, just going with whatever gets the projects done? Well, I suppose that's not all bad because a finished project means getting to start on the next one.
Quilt: Pattern: Churnstile from Stitchery Dickory Dock, Churn Dash block from the January Sugar Block Club
Started: February 2016
Fabrics: Alison Glass,
Carolyn Friedlander, Cotton & Steel, Lizzy House, and various
additional prints from my stash. Low volume with color background
fabrics
Finished quilt size: ca. 66 x 82 in. (168 x 208 cm)
...behind the scenes shots are always such fun... can you spot my little helper?
Linking up with Let's Bee Social and 2016 Finish-A-Long
I've been working really hard on my second quilt pattern, and am now almost finished with the quilt top! I just have to add a border and some additional applique circles to finish it off. Generally when I work on a pattern, I make it first to see if my idea will even translate into a usable pattern, and then I backtrack to write the instructions.
Perhaps it might be a little backwards in my thinking, but it's somehow the way I work best. I suppose it could also be because I procrastinate on the computer work, much preferring to sew than to calculate math... you too?
Of course there is still the quilting ahead, and as usual, this will be no small quilt. It would appear that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and as my dad would say, if you're going to do it at all, then do it big!
This pattern will be a little of everything with curved piecing, traditional piecing, and applique. I had originally thought that I would include paper piecing in this pattern, but realized that I could accomplish the same result with traditional piecing. I have to admit that I love paper piecing so much, that sometimes I much prefer the method to traditional simply based on those perfectly matched points!
No release date planned yet, but I am planning to share more this time before an official release because I would like to allow my pattern testers a little more time to work on this one.
Linking up to Let's Bee Social
On the surface it looks like I only finished about half of my quarterly goals list for Q3 because I am only checking two things off my list. The behind the scenes reality of it is that I was able to finish THE goal that I didn't think would happen, plus a finish of an old WIP that never got listed, because I wasn't even planning to work on it at all! But all in all, I don't think it's too bad especially when you consider that we moved, our oldest started school, and I released my FIRST quilt pattern! So, for this quarter:
1. My Churnstile quilt makes it back on the list, and it won't take that long to finish, but my first quilt release has kind of taken the front burner. I'm am nearly finished with quilting on this one!
2. Green Smoothie is also being carried over, but beleive it or not, the issue with me not finishing last quarter is because the bed that it is going on it STILL not in place!?! (long story that would take at least 20 posts to explain!)
3. Well, you didn't think that I would leave you with just one pattern release, did you? Since pattern #2 has so many pieces and parts, curves and trimmings, this will, again, be a very ambitious goal... so why not another pattern release on the list for this quarter?!?
4. I have also already started on quilt pattern #3 which should actually come together rather quickly. This is a totally different color palette for me, and I can't wait to share more. A more simple and straightforward pattern, but with partial seams... I am really trying to figure out what all the fuss is about and why the term has gotten such a bad rap? (I totally get it about y-seams)
´5. Unfortunately my bee quilt is a really low priority on my list right now. I've gotten all the blocks from my bee members, but it just turns out that the other projects are higher on my list. When it was my turn to be the queen it wasn't the best schedule fit, and since we finish every two months instead of each month, other projects kept moving up the list.
On another note, if you happened to miss it, or you are just stopping by for the first time, my new quilt pattern is on sale until Wednesday, October 19th in my Payhip shop.
Linking up to 2016 Finish-A-Long
When I said that I was doing a lot of secret sewing, I really wasn't kidding!?! My Jeweled Mystery quilt top is almost finished and will go out soon to be longarm quilted - my first quilt to be finished by someone else! If you don't know Iva's work, then you really need to check her out here... just amazing!
Well, now that the cat's out of the bag that I'm working on writing quilt patterns, I can let you in on a few behind the scenes in the works. The
second pattern that I am working on really is a little bit of everything -
traditional piecing, paper piecing, applique, and curved piecing... is
there anything that I left out?!?
... and what's a good quilt block without a little bit of mini cuteness in the mix? 1 1/2 inch HST cuteness to be exact.
It's
been fun for me to explore a variety of time saving techniques to make
things come together faster... like this great HST tutorial that I
found on Pinterest... why re-invent the wheel, right?
Hmm... trimming HST's in not exactly my favorite part, but a necessary evil that now matter how hard you try, you just can't get around.
Aside from our move, our big guy starts school this Saturday, and we have been enjoying the relaxed, off-schedule summer days. Despite the slow pace of things, I'm sooo ready to make it back to my sewing room!
Linking up to Let's Bee Social.
Before our recent move, I was actually able to make significant progress on two secret projects that I've been hinting at for way too long... I'm in the process of writing my own quilting patterns! Since it is such a lengthy process not only to write the pattern, but also make a sample quilt, it's been hard keeping it under wraps... week after week making lots of progress, but nothing to show!
If you have seen very many of my quilts, you may have noticed a little addition here that doesn't usually pop up in the rest of my projects, and is definitely not a staple in my fabric stash. Somehow I felt like that this quilt just needed to have grey in it! So, am I the only one who chain pieces paper pieced patterns?
... but behind
the scenes, this quilt top is getting close to being finished! The first
pattern will of course be a paper pieced pattern with some applique... what else, right? Somehow I'm
just not ready to step away from my jewel colors, and this palette has
made it back up on my design wall once again.
There's no offiical release date lurking around the corner, and I even hesitated about letting the cat out of the bag too early. There are still a few boxes in random corners throughout the house waiting to be unpacked, and our big guy starts school this next month (!?!), so needless to say, my plate is pretty full. Are you working on any summer sewing projects?
Linking up to Let's Bee Social.
If you've followed me on any of my quilting journeys you know that color is my favorite part of the quilting process and feels easy to me, while the actual quilting part is what I struggle with the most. Since my Jeweled Improv Mini is my first improv project, I really was a little clueless where to even start quilting. Sometimes balanced designs give you little hints, but
there's nothing symmetrical here!
Somehow the obvious choice seemed to be to shadow the points: Obvious, but perhaps a little too obvious... predictable was not what I wanted on an improv project. Instead I really wanted to challenge and push myself, not to mention avoid the downside of having several points that would have to be backstitched since this gal doesn't bury threads!
In the end, I actually did let the design dictate the quilting to me. I started by making the white open V at the bottom of the quilt my starting point, and filled it in. Once the radiated V was in place, I changed the direction of the quilting lines into an L shape on both sides.
I really wanted to use my variegated threads that I had purchased a while back (with no particular project in mind), but I decided that to use it all over might be too much and take away from the overall design. I used a white Auriful thread for the main quilting, and simply accented a few random points, which I think continues with the improv style.
This past Saturday was the first HH Patchwork Treffen with my girls since we've moved, and my first time back at the sewing machine in three weeks!?! Let's just say that it was a much needed sewing time, and I'm super excited to have my first project checked off my Q3 Finish-A-Long list!
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
If you somehow happened to miss randomly dropped mentions here and there from my previous posts, we've moved! This has not been an easy decision, but we are hopeful that it was the right one. With all that being said, this girl has been desperately missing her sewing machine!?! Like a good little quilter, I gave up my Bernina a week before the move to have her serviced. It's when you have to give something up, that you start to notice that you are a total addict! Anyone else out there who exhibits major withdrawl symtoms when away from the sewing machine for too long? This whole last week has been about unpacking boxes, finding new spots for things, and making our temporary living space a home.
Since I will be looking for a little direction once I am able to sit back down at the sewing machine, the 2016 Finish-A-Long Q3 linkup couldn't come at a more prefect time! I had two finishes last quarter (here and here). This quarter I will have two projects that I will carry over from my Q2 list, and two that have been recently added:
1. My Churnstile blocks are now a quilt top, and I was able to get it basted before we moved... and now there's just a little simple quilintg ahead.
2. Green Smoothie Quilt... even though this is the second project that is carried over from the last quarter, it won't make it to top of my priority list because buying a new bed is. All the leaves are finished and connected, but since I want to custom fit this to a bed that we don't have yet, it will have to wait.
3. Jeweled Improv Quilt... this was a result of using up leftover scraps from my bees blocks, but instead of letting all that scrappy goodness go to waste, I started my very first improv project... well, at least I've found the perfect thread to quilt it.
4. Jeweled Mystery Quilt... this is one of my undercover projects that I have talked about several times, but I've not even given the smallest sneak peak anywhere... until now. This might actually be top of my priorty list to finish soon, because I can't hold it in much longer... a Q3 finish is a ambitious goal, but I hope doable.
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social and 2016 Finish-A-Long
P.S. If you've commented on my blog the last several months, and have not heard anything back from me, now you know what has been keeping me so busy and from writing back... but I do appreciate each and every comment!
It's no secret that I'm a project jumper. While it was my original goal to work on a quilt that I could turn out quickly and easily, I'm still pleased with how long it took to finish this charity baby quilt (story here)... especially considering all the in between sewing. Yeah, another quilt checked off my 2016 FAL list for this quarter! If you're curious about all those other in between projects, I added a "Finished Quilts" tab to share how far I've come... not too bad for just two years of quilting, huh?
This
quilt is packed full of favorite fabrics... come on now, who didn't
fall completely in love with Heather Ross' Tiger Lily fabrics when they
first came out?!? I waited for this bundle for a really, REALLY long time (too long of a story to go into), so it's fun to see it finally made up in this quilt!
Remember this pretty little stack of Lizzy House and Heather Ross Spoonflower additions from last summer?... you might recognize several of these prints.
"Becoming Frog" is one of my favorites... not only the print, but the color is the absolute perfect shade of pink, with just a hint of coral in it.
For the quilting, I decided on straight line quilting (of course), radiating from a focal star. I'm glad that you can't see from the pictures how croooked my stars got as they radiated out. Please note: this not my way of fishing for a compliment... I really was frustrated at how wonky they had gotten along the way. But I suppose washing and the magic of the crinkle should help, right?
The backing is, as always pieced, with the addition of Cori Dantini's Daisy Chain fabric and a few others in the mix.
The layout of this quilt was actually the first one that I got to put my Christmas present to good use. It's been part of my ongoing/yearly goals list, to learn the ins and outs of the EQ7 program. Obviously there are a few things off, but this really gave me a good idea about color placement. I've been experimenting more recently, and hope to share some secret sewing sooner rather than later.
Quilt Inspiration: "Super Star" from V and Co.
Blocks: "Simple Star" from Farm Girl Vintage book, in both six and twelve inch blocks. Additional flying geese arrows.
Started: December 2015
Fabrics: Heather Ross, Lizzy House, and various stash fabrics. Low volume background
fabrics.
Backing: Cori Dantini, Heather Ross, Cotton & Steel, Blend Fabrics
Finished quilt size: ca. 48 x 60 in. (122 x 152 cm)
Linking up to Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesday.
Don't you just love it when you carefully and gently pull all the finished blocks from your quilt wall to assemble them into your long awaited quilt top, and realize once it's together, that it appears that it is now half the size? (please note the obvious sarcasm)... the wonder and the mystery of "the great Shrink"
If you've been around here since I've been quilting, then you know that I'm a quilt size debator... usually battling the back and forth if I should make it bigger. (I suppose I figure that if you're going to do it at all, you might as well do it big) Even for this quilt, I seriously contemplated adding more blocks, because I had calculated that it would be a mere lap quilt after "the great Shrink".
So once the top was together, I quickly ran upstairs to take advantage of the bright, sunny day, and the fact that the kids were out of the house. I excitedly threw the quilt over my son's twin size bed and had my first surprise... it was too big and too long for the bed! (hardly a lap quilt!) Then I even more excitedly ran to my bedroom and threw it over my queen size bed... and much to my astonishment, found that it was almost big enough to fit my bed! (not quite, but again… not a lap quilt!)
Well, don’t you just love it when you over estimate, and are later pleasantly surprised with more than what you had originally calculated?
Quilt pattern: Churnstile from Stitchery Dickory Dock, Curn Dash block from the January Sugar Block Club
Started: February 2016
Fabrics: Alison Glass, Carolyn Friedlander, Cotton & Steel, Lizzy House, and various additional prints from my stash. Low volume with color background fabrics
Finished quilt top size: ca. 66 x 82 in. (168 x 208 cm)
What are your “the great Shrink” experiences?
Linking up this week with Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesday.
Once all the blocks of a quilting project are finished, one is all a flurry with excitement having reached the top of the first mountain. The next up hill climb is connecting it all together, where it can sometimes be slow moving.
After much debate about what size to take my Churnstile quilt, and some really good advice like "go with your gut", "consider the recipient", and probably the best advice from Kate to "let the quilt decide"... I actually decided to go for it and work on connecting the blocks! If it still feels like it needs more once it's all together, then I can keep going, right?
I've decided on using some of the same low volume fabrics that I used in the block backgrounds for the connecting sashings. I have fallen in love with using low volumes with a hint of color... Alison Glass has several in her Abacus series that I just adore, and Erin Michael's fabric Preakness from her Purebread collection, has reached favorite low volume status with me.
I've also been working on connecting the leaves on my Green Smoothie quilt. Once all the individual drunkard's path blocks are made, they have to be stitched together to make the beautiful leaf shape.
... and then a white strip to the top of each leaf before joining them all together.
What are you working on? Linking up the week to Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesday.
