I didn’t buy fabric this week! And I used a yard and a half to make Kat’s blocks, and three and a half for the Force Awakens baby quilt.
This week: + 0 yards, – 5 yards
This year: + 77.25 yards, – 107.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016: 30.50 yards
Onward to fifty yards!
I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.
Today I finished the little Star Wars quilt I worked on this week. It evolved a lot since my first concept, but I like the way it turned out. And I have a lot of left over fabric that I cut along the way, so there will be a sequel. I wrote a tutorial on inserting the orange strips into existing blocks.
The back is a blue geometric, a band of of orange Fairy Frost, and a section of gray moonscape.
I quilted it in a six” grid with gray Bottom Line. Then I used NiteLite Extra Glow thread (Superior) to quilt diagonal lines in the direction of the green streaks in the fabric. I did both a long straight stitch, and #44, a “hand quilting” stitch. This would take some tweaking to really look like hand quilting, but the forward and back stitching put down lots of thread to enhance the glowing effect. I used this is a quilt I made my son long ago, so I know it last through years of use and washing.
Batting is Warm and Plush. 35″ x 41″
Of course, Yuri snuggle tested it, and it passed.
Coming soon to an Etsy shop near you.
I reworked some of the blocks in the Star Wars baby quilt, and here is the finished top. I inserted strips of orange Fairy Frost into some of the silver blocks, and I think it gives it some pop.
Let me begin by telling you not to make your blocks this way. The best way to do it is to plan ahead and cut your blocks over-sized, then trim them after you’re finished. I didn’t do that. My blocks were already cut 6 1/2″ square, and I had limited fabric to remake them. So I used the ones it had, sewed them carefully, and they worked.
After slashing your block on the diagonal, sew your insert strip to the largest piece of your block, right sides together. My strip is 1″ wide, so that it finishes at 1/2″.
Press the seam toward the insert.
Place the remaining piece on top of the block, right sides together, matching the corners.
Place a ruler across the pieces at a 45° angle (it might help to use a ruler with the angle marked). Use some type of marker to make a tick mark at the top of each piece.
Reposition the smaller block piece along the insert strip, matching the marks. Pin, then sew.
Also press this seam toward the insert. The result should be close enough to your original block size. Or right on, like this one! Just trim the ends of the insert.
I’m going to finish this with some diagonal quilting, then bind it with the orange. The Force Awakens!
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.
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:
Bonus: I made commissioned Elephant baby quilt, and I sewed a top for myself.
August Goals:
We shall see what August brings, but that’s what I’m thinking for now.
Good luck on achieving your goals!
Busy week with just one finish, this commissioned baby quilt in a familiar pattern. I did have to buy a yard and a quarter of the aqua chevrons for the backing, but the quilt used three and a half yards.
This week: + 1.25 yards, – 3.5 yards
This year: + 77.25 yards, – 102.75 yards
Net destashed in 2016: 25.50 yards
I’m linking up to the Stash Report at Patchwork Times.
Here is my finished rainbow heart quilt for Orlando Pulse survivors/families. The Orlando Modern Quilt Guild is collecting these, and there is still time if you want to send one.
The butterflies are the HSTs that were trimmed from the lower corners of the heart blocks, and then I framed them to bring them up to size.
The back is a light green dragonfly print, and it has a row of print rectangles inserted in it.
I quilted half-inch and one-inch grids inside the hearts, and free-form feathers in all the white space in between.
And, of course, I had this snuggle-tested, and it passed!
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.
Yesterday I finished the little pouch to keep me from dropping my stuff all over the Y. I used the Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial from Noodlehead. I didn’t use her measurements, though. I think I cut my pieces about 7″ by 6″. And I added a strap by which to carry and hang it. I’m not sure you could tell these are flamingos if you didn’t already know, but it’s colorful, anyway. I used Pellon fusible fleece for interfacing, and it stands up well.
I also added inside pockets. There is a very good reason the pattern doesn’t have pockets. They don’t work with this construction method. Well, because I’ve made pouches before, I figured out how to sew around them, but it added time to what should have been a very quick project. Maybe if they were just sewn into the lining they would work, but I wanted them sewn all the way through the layers. Probably shows my lack of bag-making experience. But don’t do it if you’ve never made one before. This is a nice, simple, cute pattern without them.
One pocket is for my Bluetooth earpiece, and the other is for hairbands. Then in goes my phone and Y card, and maybe my wallet. I’ll be so together no one will recognize me!
Hope you’re finding time to sew!
I started this week quilting this quilt made from the Impressionist style fabrics. Another few hours should finish it up, and then I’ll post more about it.
Yesterday, I put that quilt aside to cut fabrics to make heart blocks for a quilt for Orlando survivors and families. This is being coordinated by the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild. There’s a new post today with details and the address, and yes, just blocks are also welcome. They’re using this tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew.
At the gym this morning I dropped my Bluetooth earpiece AGAIN and narrowly missed having it stepped on AGAIN, and finally decided it was time I stopped juggling my little pile of keys, phone, earpiece, and Y card, alongside my water bottle. So I moved the heart blocks off the cutting table and cut some fabric for a little zipper pouch. Yes, that’s the &#$% flamingo outdoor fabric that I fought with to make the deck cushion and pillows. But I had large scraps still lying out, and I feel like it should stand up well to being kicked into the corner of the aerobics room and hung from the elliptical machine. So far, so good. The lining is the last of my Flea Market Fancy in a pretty peachy-pink.
So, I’ll finish up this pouch and get back to the heart blocks this afternoon. At least it’s relatively cool here and my studio is habitable.
What do you have in progress?
Evening in the Garden Quilts 