Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art

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Sunday Stash Report and a Finish!

IMG_2752Technically, Yuri and I didn’t finish this quilt until today, but I’m counting it on this Stash anyway.  This will be the last report I’ll write for a while, because of my knee surgery, so I want to include this.

IMG_2753This is a leaders and enders quilt that I made blocks for during the last year.  It’s very simple, two colors, because that’s about all I can handle for l and e.  I need to think about the quilt I’m doing, so this has to be fool-proof.  I have a lot of small scraps, but the main reason I do these is to eliminate starting and stopping threads in my regular piecing.  This cleans things up a lot.

IMG_2754It was fun to revisit some of the fabrics in here.  There are bits of peacock fabric from the 2008 Hoffman Challenge, and some from my nephew’s ocean-themed graduation quilt.

The quilting started with stitching in the ditch next to all the sashing using blue Bottom Line, so it’s nearly invisible.  Then I used a gold and blue variegated So Fine (Superior) 40 wt. thread for all the other quilting.  I used orange peel quilting on half the blocks, and free-hand spirals in the alternate blocks.  The border has a series of wavy lines.  I started that with the walking foot, but quickly switched back to free-motion quilting because it was much easier than turning the quilt for the walking foot, and, with the echo foot, seemed just as accurate.

IMG_2755.JPGThis quilt is 62″ x 84″ (or it was before washing!).  It used about 9.25 yards of fabric.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 9.25 yards
This year: + 77.25 yards,  – 123.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  46.50 yards

IMG_2757We’re linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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August/ September Goals

PicMonkey Collage 9-1-16September is suddenly here, so it’s time to check the goals.

August Goals:

  1. Hang the darned picture already!  Yes!  Done!
  2. Coastal-themed art quilt.  Nope.
  3. Piece top to Birds in the Air quilt.  Yes, and quilted and bound!  Here.
  4. Make autumn themed wall hangings / table runners. Yes, three.
  5. Make blocks for Kat’s August drive.  Yes, eight.

Bonus:  Assembled Blue and Brown Leaders and Enders top and made a lot of quilting progress.

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I finally just went up and hung that picture because I was too embarrassed to put it on the list one more time!  The photograph I hung is of my great, great Aunt Maggie.  She was Maggie Jane McMillen Mills (1864 -1916).  She was a seamstress, along with her sister Francie, and I have always wanted her to watch over my studio.  She made the dress she is wearing, which I wish you could see better, because it’s very elaborate in the front.  This very heavy portrait is behind curved glass, and I found it almost impossible to photograph, try as I might. The background is completely plain, everything you see is reflection. The background was tinted a rose tone, as were her lips.  I think some of the dress details were drawn in to help them show up against the dark dress.

2016-09-01 10.51.432016-09-01 10.53.11Anyway, Aunt Maggie is finally in her spot, and that corner behind the door has been cleaned up!

 

 

 

September Goals:

  1. Take my machine to the spa.
  2. Watch Craftsy classes.
  3. Catch up on podcasts.
  4. Heal from my right knee replacement!

 

Yes, light duty for September.  You’ll have to sew for me, please!


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Sunday Stash Report: 8/28/16

IMG_2745My only finish this week was Birds in the Air, but I didn’t buy any new fabric!  Thank you for the positive comments!  I can’t count most of the front, because the blocks came from other people’s stashes, but the back, solid blocks, and binding uses about 4.5 yards.

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 4.5 yards
This year: + 77.25 yards,  – 114.5 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  37.25 yards

I’m creeping up on fifty yards!

Jaye asked if I really found joy in the things I was making, like the leaf wall hangings, or if I did it to use fabric.  Yes, there’s always joy, or I wouldn’t do it.  I just report the fabric usage on Sundays.

I relish handling fabric and playing with color.  Sometimes a project begins with a need (in this case, a hole in my Etsy shop), or a desire to use a particular category of scraps, but it always ends up as a challenge to make something as beautiful as I can.  In the case of the wall hangings, I wanted to do them quickly so I used a single, previous design.  All the same, I’m very pleased with the fabrics I put together and thoroughly enjoyed the quick project and its results.

I also keep in mind Sandy’s injunction against ugly donation quilts.  Yes, I often use fabrics that haven’t found a home in previous projects, but I hope I do something attractive with them.  I never want to give someone a quilt that looks like Yuri’s breakfast.

And I want to continue to use as much as possible from my stash, so that I’ll feel good about replacing some of it with fresh, new fabrics!

I’m linking up to Sunday Stash at Patchwork Times.


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Twilters’ Birds in the Air Finished

IMG_2744A few months back the Twilters, of Twitter and Facebook fame, exchanged blocks in honor of our friend Frances O’Roark Dowell’s new novel, Birds in the Air, to be published in September.  I sent off forty eight-inch blocks, received thirty-nine different ones back (one went to Frances), added four of my own and some citron batik to make this quilt.  (Thank you, Tina, for coordinating all of this!)  These blocks are from all over the US and several other countries.

IMG_2744bThere was a question recently about whether we quilt in the ditch between patches.  It depends, but I certainly did on this one!  I used my walking foot and worked my way across both diagonals, then vertically and horizontally until all the “birds” were outlined.  I also created some “faux birds” where I wanted them in some of the white areas.

IMG_2745Then I switched to my free-motion foot to work inside all of the triangles.  The colorful birds got a curve on all three sides (orange peel?), while the background triangles got a figure eight design.  It was my first time using this, so they were mostly figure eights, with the occasional one that turned out more like ribbon candy!

Finally, I put feathers in the center and the other open areas.

IMG_2747I bound this with strips left from the blocks I sent and some of the left over binding from the Orlando Pulse quilt.  The back is just the scribbly batik.  The large label has all the contributers names printed on Quick Fuse printer fabric, because, even though each block is signed, some of the pens used aren’t completely colorfast in the wash, and I always want to remember you ladies!

IMG_2748

Thank you, everyone, for your contributions to this pretty quilt!

IMG_2749c


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WIP Wednesday: Donation Blocks and Star Wars

Today I finished the other five D9P blocks for Kat’s August block drive.  It’s straighter than it looks, I promise.

And here are all six together.

And then I started cutting up fabric for a Star Wars baby quilt. (No, not on my goals list at all…)  I’ve rearranged the colorful “nebula” squares.  It still lacks pizazz, but I have a plan!

I sometimes feel like I’m the only one who loves Kona Solids.  I like the colors, and I really don’t have any trouble with them fraying.  I like how substantial the fabric is, especially after I’ve starched it up and it reminds me of construction paper.  So I was pleased to see Rita’s post today at Red Pepper Quilts.  Leave her a comment to win a Kona bundle, and check out Stash Fabrics “Gimme the Konas”.  Be still my heart!  I don’t like fat quarters, and the larger cuts are a little pricey, but I may just need to do some stash enhancing on my own.

Hope you’re making progress this week.


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July/ August Goals

So, July has come and gone.  I didn’t do too badly with my quilty goals.  I was only home for two weeks in July, so I kept them modest.
July Goals:

  1. Make the quilt for Orlando.  Yes!  Ready to mail off.
  2. Finish the Impressionist Quilt.  Yes!  I sent it to victims of the WV floods.
  3. Hang photo in Studio, etc.  No, again. Sigh.

Bonus: I made commissioned Elephant baby quilt, and I sewed a top for myself.

 

August Goals:

  1. Hang the darned picture already!
  2. Coastal-themed art quilt.
  3. Piece top to Birds in the Air quilt.
  4. Make autumn themed wall hangings / table runners.
  5. Make blocks for Kat’s August drive.

 

We shall see what August brings, but that’s what I’m thinking for now.

Good luck on achieving your goals!


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Sunday Stash Report: 7/24/16

Hot, hot here, but we did get an inch of rain this week from some lucky thunderstorms, so I can’t complain.  My studio is too hot most of the day, but I worked by fits and starts today to make all the blocks for a new commisioned baby quilt.  Yeah, same old chevron design.  I’m waiting for people to get tired of it, but at least this one has a little more color.  Watch this space.

This week I bought two yards of fabric, but used five and a half for the Rainbow Hearts quilt, so that works.
This week:  + 2 yards,  – 5.5 yards
This year: + 76 yards,  – 99.25 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  23.25 yards

I think I’m on track to destash fifty yards this year.  How are you doing?
Keep cool (in the northern hemisphere!) and keep sewing!

I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.



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Sunday Stash Report: 7/17/16

This my first Stash Report since the end of June.  I tried to write one before I went traveling, but it repeatedly disappeared into cyberspace until I ran out of patience.  I may have mastered the updated WordPress app now, so I’ll try again.

My only finish so far this month was sizeable, at ten and a half yards.  This the Impressionist Fabric donation quilt.
This week:  + 0 yards,  – 10.5 yards
This year: + 74 yards,  – 93.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016:  19.75 yards

I asked for suggestions for this fabric, and I did consider the ones I received.  As I looked more at the fabric, I found that the prints were really only medium scale.  

More importantly, most had no center of interest, no pictures or scenes that could be centered in a block to any effect.  So I went with my original thought to do large Rail Fence blocks (10″ finished).  I also added a little Kona solid to counteract the busy-ness of the prints.

Yuri wants you to know that, in spite of extensive testing, this quilt was not as snuggly as usual.  We scrambled to take photos before it rained, so it hadn’t been washed yet.  Then we washed it up and sent it off to Quilts of Compassion to go to flood victims in West Virginia.
We’re linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.


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Piggy Bank Savings = Money for Quilting Challenge

I’m late, I’m late, but I am here with my report, and linking up to Val’s Quilting Studio.  I was away on vacation, but I’m back now, and I’ve counted my savings.

The Official Pitcher was about 2/3 full of change and ones.  (I make sure to place the change rather than drop it, as advised!)  The grand total?  $81.55!  That should buy some Craftsy classes, huh?
So, the Pitcher goes back into the china cabinet to start filling again.  Are you saving with us this year?


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June/July Goals

Lots of things were stared, worked on, or finished this month.  They just weren’t what I had scheduled.

June Goals:

  1. Recover settee cushion for our deck.  Yes!  I procrastinated, but got it made, and two bonus pillow covers.
  2. Order fabric to finish Scrappy Stars Around the Corner.  I’ll say “Yes”.  I can’t decide how large to finish this quilt, because I might change my mind about what to do with it.  Instead, I bought fabric for backs for three other quilts.
  3. Hang photo in Studio, etc.  No, I didn’t.
  4. Work on a new coastal themed art quilt.  Nope.
  5. Make blocks for Kat’s June block drive.  Yes!

Other things I made: 

  • I finished the Black and White Baby Quilt. 
  • Sandwiched and started quilting the Impressionist Quilt.
  • Made thirty blocks toward a quilt for Orlando.
  • Sewed a little zipper pouch to carry my stuff to the Y. 
  • Made a commissioned Star Wars baby quilt.

We’re going to travel again, I’ll only be home two weeks during July, so I have modest goals.

July Goals:

  1. Make the quilt for Orlando.
  2. Finish the Impressionist Quilt .
  3. Hang photo in Studio, etc.

This weekend we’re doing a Fourth of July Sew In on Twitter. (Monday is Independence Day in the U.S.) Please join us,  #4SI