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.

BOMs, BOWs and a Cruise, Oh My!

It has been a while since I have posted but that does not mean I have not been busy sewing away! 

I finished the Month 4 of the Barbara Brackman Threads of Memory BOM:

Here's the first four blocks in a collage format:

I had been working steadily on the Dear Jane blocks, but I took a break this weekend and started the Barbara Brackman BOW - Austen Family Album.  For this one I am using the fabric Ms. Brackman sent me in her Modernism line. I adore it.  I am adding to that line a tea-stained muslin and various snippets of neutral handwork -- edgings, lace,  and whatever else I find.  Here's the three blocks I finished this weekend:

 And I've worked  on Pat Sloan's Globetrotting BOM - here's the first 4 blocks in the relative position they will end up in the quilt. It will be a series of small blocks around the large on in the middle.

Along with continued travel for business, I snuck in a cruise with my quilter friend Suzanne. We went on a quilting cruise sponsored by Kelly Ann's Quilting and The Swirly Girls. We had a fantastic time, and I even finished the quilt top:

I love this pattern and I will make it again. It was designed with a white background, but I decided to change it up to black, as did one other person on the cruise. Suzanne used a beautiful blue batik for the background.  The next one I will do will be in patriotic colors for Quilts of Honor, but that's another post.



More on Dear Jane as soon as I catch up with taking pictures of all of the blocks.



And that's all folks for now.