SVBAQ Pineapple Block Prepped

Now that my background fabrics have been selected and the range of fabrics selected for the applique', I decided to prep the first block in the sew-along - the Pineapple block.  I will be using a wide variety of Grunge Basics for the applique pieces (great idea Suzanne!) and I bought the fabrics for the three Pineapple blocks that appear in the quilt. I may try to place similar colors as they are in the original quilt - we'll see how that goes as we progress

So the first Pineapple block is in the upper left-hand corner, and is pink. Here's my version laid out - it may not end exactly like this as I numbered all of the pieces and the pattern and I have not checked to see if I have the pieces in the right place yet.

It's not sewn down yet as I cannot see well enough to do that yet.

So I will continue to make good use of my light table and trace some more blocks. I think I'll do the yellow Pineapple next.

I'm doing the 20" blocks and it will be my Springtime bedspread if (WHEN) I finish it!

SVBAQ Backgrounds and Layout

I finalized my background fabrics and layout. It's a bit hard to see here, so the photos of the individual blocks will show more detail.

I am using 5 fabrics: black and white stripe; black and white text; purple tone on tone grid; solid lavendar; solid light periwinkle.

I will be using a wide variety of grunge fabrics for the appliqué. 

Patterns Printed for SVBAQ

I had trouble finding a place to enlarge my patterns for the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt Along. Most places (FedEx Office and a Staples) said it would be over $100 to enlarge them because I needed an 8 1/2 x 11 page enlarged by 200%. I finally went to a Staples that knew about paper that is 18" x 24" used for engineering drawings. It worked perfectly!

Now onward!  I need to find one more fabric for the block backgrounds and then I will cut the background squares. And the most fun for me, is picking the fabrics for the applique! The top pattern, Pineapple, is the first block in the sew along - this pattern is used three times in the quilt.

I will likely use the method of tracing the pieces onto heavy freezer paper, then ironing the freezer paper to the fabric and turning under the edges with starch. It's a lot of prep work, but I find it's the best way for me to get those edges turned under cleanly.

I still cannot see well enough to sew the applique down, but will get as much done to get the pieces ready as I can.  This will be a fun project!

There's also a Shenandoah Valley Botanical Quilt sew along page on Facebook, if you're interested in following along there.

Mini Quilts

I had never made any mini quilts, and then several months ago I was with friends at Oh Sew Persnickety and we all picked up a cute little mini quilt pattern.

Thimble Blossoms mini - May 2015

Then one night when I couldn't sleep, I made a Scottie block or mini:

Scottie - pinkdeenster - May 2015

And finally, now that I am not doing any Blocks of the Week or Month, I'm doing an online Mini Quilt series called Little Lovelies hosted by Swirly Girls Designs.  I've pieced the first two (for September and October 2015):

Little Lovely Layla - September 2015

Little Lovely Lexi - October 2015

 Now I need to get on the ball and quilt them!  I am going to use basting spray on these to see how I like the technique (since I seem to be very pin basting-challenged).

I'm enjoying these - they are easy to put together in small snippets of time, and I think they're really cute!  For the Little Lovelies series, it looks like I'll be "mad for plaid" when I make them.

(and colvinkiwiquilts- there's GREEN in them!)

Dear Jane Borders

Over the next month I will be working on a project or two in order to determine how my eyes are healing and whether I will need to return for a "tweak" or another procedure. The aim is to get my close vision as good as possible and correct the longer range vision via prism lenses. Not perfect, but will hopefully be better than it has been in recent years.  

One I really am intent on finishing is the borders for my Black &White and Bright All Over Jane.

Here they are partially sewn and 

on my design wall awaiting my initiative to get going.

I am deciding how to quilt them that I can do successfully and that will look good. I have figured out (I think) how to put them on in a QAYG way. Then I need to decide what fabric to use on the back of the borders. So many decisions! 

Another Finish!

I went on a cruise in April 2014 sponsored by Swirly Girls Design and Kelly Ann's Quilting. The quilt was a new design by Swirly Girls Design called Stars at Sea. The pattern called for a white background, but I decided to use a black background instead, so I guess it's now Night Stars at Sea!

I used the machine applied binding again and did a little better this time, I think.

This brings back good memories! I'm roomed with my friend Suzanne on this cruise, and I am still in touch with a couple of ladies we met on that cruise. Fun times.

Concept for Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt

As I recently stated, I am planning to do the monthly sew along for the Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album quilt. As I am wont to do, I have created a drawing of my concept and picked some scraps to visually get an idea of that concept.

Conceptual Drawing

Concept with Fabric

Final Selection of Background Fabrics

 
I like it and I'm interested to see it play out in the 20" block size. I'm making it the size of the original because I plan for it to be my Spring bedspread. As much of these colors that I have in fabric, I do not have much that is large enough for backgrounds for the size block I'm making since I got them for a Dear Jane quilt (which will be the Spring wall hanging in the bedroom) and bought mostly fat quarters.

Darn, must go shopping! In my defense, I plan to use fabric from my stash for all of the applique pieces. Well, unless I find the perfect shade of green (or fuschia or pink or periwinkle) while I'm out and about.

And a Finish!

In 2013/2014, I started quite a few BOMs and BOWs. I am determined to get them finished this year.

I have finally completed the BOM from Riley Blake in 2013 called "Things We Love".  I enjoyed this one a lot, and I am happy with the bright and cheery result. I had it quilted with a pattern of a needle and spools of thread to go with the theme.

Finished Top

Detail showing fake flange on the binding

I used the fake flange method for the binding. See here for details. It's not super fast to do; it takes less time, though, than hand-stitching the binding on the back in the traditional binding methos. I've decided to use this method on a couple of the quilts I have left to bind to speed up the number of finishes for the year.

I had a hard time stitching in the ditch. I am hoping once my eye surgery is done I will be able to better determine where that needle is going. Or not! Time will tell.

Applique Project Starting....Yes, I Said Applique

I have decided to embark on the sew-along from the Virginia Quilt Museum at the blog:

Virginia Quilt Museum's Shenandoah Valley Botanical Album Quilt (SVBAQ) Sew-Along

The pattern is purchased from the Virginia Quilt Museum, in either paper version or digital download.

I'm planning on a lavender backgrounds because I plan to use my purple/pink/periwinkle Dear Jane on the wall in my bedroom and think this may work on the bed from time to time. I may piece the backgrounds as well so I can use the fabric I used in the Dear Jane - I do not have pieces large enough for the 20" blocks and I want to use my stash for this project.  I may lay out the first block with the pieced background and if I don't like the look I can always buy background fabrics.  I have not decided on other colors yet.

I am surprised that I am signing up for this, but the block are very large, so I'm hoping the applique will not be too difficult. We shall see.

French Knots

I decided to practice French knots at my embroidery club today and finished up when I got home. The pattern I used is adapted from the tissue paper pattern I found in my Great Grandmother Harvey's tin. I find the traditional French knot is my favorite. I have friends who prefer the colonial knot, but I cannot seem to get the hang of that one.

I think my Great Grandmother would be surprised at my color selection, but anyone who knows me now would understand it's just how I am!

I am enjoying this embroidery journey. It's a nice change of pace.

Dear Jane,

I had been neglecting you. Today, I got back on the stick(le) and finished the center portion of my Black &White and Bright All Over Dear Jane! Did you hear my squeal of delight? I am very pleased with both the front and the back. I still have to hand sew the sashing on 5 of the rows on the back.

There are 3705 pieces in the blocks.this count does not include the sashing pieces or back of each block.

Crayons and Embroidery Thread

My first embroidery project was made by tracing a pattern onto the fabric, coloring parts of it in using crayons, and embroidering the outlines. Then I made it into a pillow cover.

Austen Family Album Quilted

I got my Austen Family Album BOW quilt, aka The. Giant Nine-Patch, back from the longarmer.  I am very happy with it.  The quilting helps emphasize the large "blocks". Now to bind the darn thing!

Black and White and Bright All Over Jane

I am making steady progress on the black and white version of the Dear Jane quilt I am making.  I have 5 more 66" seams and an accompanying 5 x 66" of hand sewing the sashing down and then the center portion will be done!  Here's the back of the rows - I tried to use a square of the same b&w print used on the front of the block on the backs. I ran out of some, so it's not perfect. I used each B&W fabric at most three times and there is only one instance where the same fabric is right next to another. Not bad, I think!

The quilt as you go technique is perfect for this quilt and makes the quilt reversible, which is why I'm showing the back here. 

I still have the side borders to make...I'm only piecing the corner kites and one triangle to put in the middle of each side.  I have all but the pieced triangle done on one side:

Once I make the pieced triangles for the center of each row and get them all done, I will have to figure out how I am going to quilt them. I am leaning toward simple one line of echo quilting in both the black and b&w triangles or just the b&w triangles using the variegated thread I used for the center blocks.

And I have the corner kites done:

I need to decide what to put on the kite with the yellow flower. This is the piece Jane Stickle used as a label. I will machine embroider the start and end years (2013-2015) and maybe my first name and last initial, along with the city where I live.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Because I Need Another Project

I decided to take an embroidery class at Kelly Ann's Quilting.  This is the first project. It will become a pillow.

There is a method to my madness. ..I will be making a crazy quilt inspired border soon and want to learn the basics of embroidery to add embellishments to that border.

And here's the finished pillow:

 The pattern calls for three buttons in the plaid area. I did not have any buttons that worked so I made a flower and used it instead. Not bad for one of the first pillows I've ever made.

Row by Row 2015 - Finish and a Win

I decided to see if I could get a quilt completed for the Row by Row experience this year. I had picked up a cute row pattern with cabanas on a beach from the Quilt Patch and made it over the next few days after work.  I then had time to get to a bunch of other local stores and over the past two weeks have worked diligently on them in the evenings after work.

I machine pieced the rows and used fusible applique. Some "firsts" for me during this process:

• Applique by machine using hte buttonhole stitch - not as difficult as I thought - need to work on turning those corners
• Fusible applique - tried several different types and found one I like - now I need to figure out which type that one is!
• Used the Quilt as You Go technique between the rows to practice longer seams before I put the rows together on my Dear Jane quilts
• Attached binding by machine rather than hand-stitching the back - if I am going to do this, I need to make my binding strips smaller since I like a nice tight binding.
• Machine quilting the entire thing - yes, you really should tape the backing down before pinning - I'll say no more

All in all, I had a lot of fun. I was the first to bring a completed top to Kelly Ann's Quilting in Warrenton, VA so I got to pick out 25 fat quarters. In addition, since I used the row from KAQ in the quilt, I received a gift certificate...which I promptly spent!!

Here is the result of my labor, which will be hung at Kelly Ann's for the duration of the Row by Row - through September, I think.

In order to keep myself from obsessing over what order to put the rows in, I chose to put them in alphabetical order by shop name, as listed on the label. (Yes, hand-written - I was in a hurry and it was 2am!)

Black & White & Bright All Over Jane - Border Options

I am working on the final layout for the Dear Jane quilt I am making using black and white fabrics as the background, and bright fabrics for the pattern.  I have decided not to make all of the pieced border blocks for this one. Instead, I will make the pieced version of the corner kites and I will piece a border triangle for the middle of each side. Other than that, I will alternate the black on black polka dot I'm also using for the sashing with black & white triangles.

Here are the options:

Option 1

Option 2

I thought I would like option 2 best, but now I'm leaning toward option 1.f I choose option 1, I will need to remake that corner kite with a black and white background -- which may be enough for me to decide on option 1!!  There will be a scalloped or straint border beyond the triangles - haven't decided that part yet.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Which option do you like, and why? Well I have decided it isn't close and the clear choice is option 1. Off to remake that corner kite.

(Updated) Modernism in fabric and style

Wow over a year since I've written. I've been busy with those crazy Dear Jane blocks, amongst other projects. But I'll post those on another day.

Today, I have finally put together the blocks I made as part of Barbara Brackman's Austen Family Album Block of the Week last year.

I used Barbara's Modernism line for this BOW, combining it with other fabrics. For he first 12 blocks I used Modernism fabrics, tea stained muslin and vintage handwork and hankies; for blocks in weeks 13 through 24, I used Modernism fabrics and tea stained muslin; for the final 12 blocks, I used Modernism fabrics, tea stained muslin and fabrics from Paula Nadelstern's Metallica line to mix in some contemporary fabric with the more traditional.

I followed Barbara's Historically Modern blog and there she posted descriptions of elements of Modernism design. One of these elements is scale - think about the huge flowers painted by Georgia O'Keefe. So, I decided that I would use scale in my design for this quilt using the Modernism fabric, and made my version of a giant 9-patch block. It so far measures 99" square, and I am considering adding borders to take it to around 120" sq.

I hope to get a full size picture if I can lay it out at the library where my guild is having a sew-in tomorrow.