Quilting in Progress

The pattern here, Fractal, is from the book Quilt Lab by Alexandra Winston. It's a book of patterns inspired by science- chemical formulas, math, etc. Very modern and fun. I bought the book for this specific pattern.

I'm only showing a little because the story is the quilting. It's not exactly matchstick quilting- that would be even denser- but it's more modern than my usual style. I'm liking it a lot though.

It will end up as a gift for a family friend, nice sizable throw about 60x60 inches or so. The batting is my usual Quilters Dream Green and the thread is Aurifil 40wt in Aluminum. I haven't decided on a binding yet.

It's taking a long time just due to the density of the quilting. I've been working on it for two weeks and I'm only barely half way done. Usually my half-ass minimum-standards approach to machine quilting means I'm done in two weeks or so! And I'm definitely going to need another spool of thread!

To measure the intervals I'm just using the quilting foot. The biggest challenge is keeping those lines straight so the quilt doesn't lose its shape. I started in the center and worked my way out to the right hand edge; now I'm back to the center and going out the other way. Wish me luck!

Crumb Stars- Second Draft

This is the fabric I really want to use for my crumb quilt- it's the Japanese import cotton from SF that I mentioned in my last post about this project. I only have a yard of it so I have to make the smallest size, 40x48 inches.  That's still a decent throw size for me so that's ok.

I like this one a lot better than the solid navy; the geometric pattern is subtle enough to provide some texture and interest without competing with the crumb blocks. So I went ahead and cut up the yard into the strips I need. Feeling confident!

I may also be done making crumb blocks for this project; I have about 31 made and need 76 diamonds for the project but I can often re-stitch the scraps from a block into new blocks. That's the beauty and the curse of crumb quilting; it's a constantly renewable resource, but you can never use it up. Lol.

Crumb Stars

I've been obsessed with crumb quilting lately, and after some back-and-forthing about what to do with the crumb blocks I've been sewing, I've settled (for now) on doing a version of Jaybird Quilts' August Stars pattern with my crumbs.

This is a picture of my test block, which I'm pretty happy with. I have a different navy fabric I'm going to use "for reals" but this gives me a rough idea of what to expect. I didn't want to cut into the other fabric until I was more sure, because I only have one yard and it's not something I can get more of. (It's a Japanese import I got at Britex Fabrics in San Francisco several years ago.)

Here are some more crumb blocks/ "made fabric" for the project. It's blocky because I don't love using triangles in these, at least not yet. Maybe that's something to work up to. 

This all started because my scrap bin was literally overflowing and I needed to get it under control. So I sorted out all of the smaller pieces and put them in a separate bag, where I can dip in and use them more efficiently. So far so good!

Sew Together Bag

So I was feeling like working on something and dragged this kit out of the stash- the Sew Together bag, which was kitted by Gotham Quilts and bought at the Empire Quilt Guild's show a couple of years ago. It takes me forever to get around to making these things sometimes.

Staying safe at home has encouraged me to reach into those dark corners of my craft room and pull out kits and bundles and other things that I can work with without buying anything new.

Truthfully I was intimidated by the pattern, which is difficult, but I found a great tutorial from The Quilt Barn which made it easy-peasy.

I'm almost done- I just have to work through the final post in the Quilt Barn's series. Then I'll have a pouch!  And I only broke one needle so far.

Sewing Update

So I guess I haven't been much of a poster lately but I am chugging along on my projects.

• I finished my black & white cats quilt, which I don't have a real name for. The pattern is called Row of Cats by Gingiber. I'll have a picture soon.
• I made six pillow cases for a charity drive initiated by a member of my guild. The tutorial I used is from The Crafty Gemini. It was a lot of fun to make these and learn a new skill. I made a couple to keep for my home in addition to the six for charity.
• I'm just about to finish piecing the top of my Tomte quilt. It's up next for machine quilting since it's a Christmas gift. You can find the pattern at Rebecca Mae Designs.
• Still working on my 12 Days of Christmas redwork series. I just started Nine Ladies Dancing. I just looked it in the hoop though I'm thinking I might need to start over. It's not looking that great lol.

This past weekend I had a lot of fun visiting the Brownstone Quilt Guild's show in Allendale, New Jersey. Allendale is a beautiful suburb not far from NYC and my husband and I enjoyed viewing the spectacular quilts, shopping the vendors and taking in the fall scenery. We even found a new-to-us rare book shop in nearby Teaneck. 

What's up next? Machine quilt the Tomte and start thinking about any small projects I might want to complete for the holiday season. What are you working on?

Kitties to Stitch and Quilt Double Irish Chain

So I finally got this top pieced. I embroidered the 12 blocks from Nancy Martin's book Kitties to Stitch and Quilt over the course of 2018 and then a couple of weeks ago I decided I should set the blocks in a Double Irish Chain pattern.

The redwork blocks themselves finish at 6 inches; the pieced blocks finish at 10 inches. I did not use a pattern but it's pretty easy to figure out and you just use 2 1/2 inch squares and 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 white strips.

I used a combination of jelly roll strips and fat quarters to strip-piece as much as I could. It was fun and pretty easy to do. And it finishes into something like a throw size, around 50x50 when all is said and done.

Most likely I will machine quilt it sometime in the next few months. I plan on spending the rest of the month quilting and finishing various projects. I'll keep you posted!

Monday Making

I've got a bunch of things on the hopper as usual; I've decided to move forward with some Double Irish Chain blocks to complete a 12-piece redwork series I finished last year, Kitties to Stitch and Quilt, from the book by Nancy J. Martin.

They will turn into 10-inch blocks and a good sized throw quilt at around 50 x 50 inches. Today I'm going to cut some white strips and some red squares and hopefully get started framing the redwork. Then later on I'll work on the alternating blocks. That's gonna require a lot of scraps- great!

Over the weekend I finished (minus outer borders) piecing my Tomte top, which will be a gift for a friend this Christmas.

That's just the gnome- the quilt includes three tree blocks of equal size to the gnome. The pattern is by Sherri Noel for Rebecca Mae Designs and the official title is Scandinavian Tomte Quilt. You can buy it at the link. I picked it up at The Quilted Crow quilt shop (link on the sidebar).

He was fun to make but he is fussy and all those little corners really have to line up. I am not the greatest at technical perfection and he is not perfect but he is fine.

Today I am not going to have much/any time for quilting and in fact this will be a light week for sewing overall. But I'll do what I can.

What are you making this week?

Monday Making

Still working on August Stars; I started out making the Baby size but decided I needed it to be bigger, so now I'm working my way up to Youth size. You can see the size chart and everything else about it here on the Jay Birds Quilts page.

Anyway it turns out that it's a lot of work to do that, and I went from almost-done -with-the-top to feeling a-little-behind.

I just love those big colorful stars and I didn't feel like I had enough with the Baby size. I want to keep making them and making them.

Today I finished what I hope are the last of the diamond four-patches; the genius of the pattern is there are no Y seams thanks to those triangles. Even when I enlarge it, there will be no Y seams, just some weird piecing that is still all straight.

 I really can't wait to get the top finished and start thinking about how to quilt it. What would you do?

Monday Making

Today I'm working on my August Stars quilt; August Stars is a no-y-seam diamond pattern by Jaybird Quilts.

I'm making the Baby Quilt size; I have to make 20 of these equilateral triangles and I've made about 12 so far. I just got a new sewing machine, a Janome 9450, and it's really been a breeze with this wonderful machine. Hopefully I'll have the top pieced by sometime next week!

The batiks came from a stash of 2 1/2 inch strips that have been sitting around. I was trying to go for tropical, Lilly-Pulitzer-like colors. White would have been a better background choice for a truly Lilly look but I thought the navy set them off nicely too.

Monday Making

I finished my 49 string blocks today; now I only have to piece them together into a quilt top.

They measure 6.5 inches each and are scraps sewn to a muslin base. I'm excited about the design possibilities!
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What I'm Working On Now

I started my next doll, a stuffed cat I'm making from a pattern purchased at City Quilter in Manhattan.

I'm using gray linen for the body and limbs, and Liberty scraps for her clothes. She's going to be a ballerina.

This picture was taken on Saturday and right now her body and arms are basted together and sitting at my sewing machine for the next step. I'll probably sew her up and later today.

I've been learning some new techniques and approaches from this pattern that I think will improve my work considerably!