Symbiotic Projects

Soon after I blogged about joining the Tokyo Subway Map QAL, I had one of those, "what was I thinking?" moments.  I never cut all the fabrics for a quilt before sewing and I hated the idea of spending all that time doing nothing but cutting.  While I confess that I am going to cheat a little, the quilt, as designed, is made from 1600 squares cut from 12 colors plus black and white.

Playing around with the very scrappy Tulip blocks gave me an idea and a way to break up all that cutting ... and reward myself for slogging through it.

As I was going through my scrap bins, I pulled scraps large enough for either project, and after I cut everything I could from the scraps in one color, I took a break and sewed 4 tulip blocks in that color.

Now I have all the colored squares cut (and about half the black-on-black squares I'll need) AND I've made 25 Tulip blocks, enough for a throw-sized quilt.

In case you missed it in an earlier blog post, the Tulip block is this month's pattern for the Block Lotto and you can find the link to the pattern in this post on Blocklotto.com, and there's a badge in the sidebar of this blog that will take you to the details for the Tokyo Subway Map Quilt-along.

I picked up some a white-on-white print for the background and I am itching to start making Tokyo Subway Map blocks ... but maybe I should use that as the reward for getting the Tulip blocks sewn into a top and keep the symbiosis going to get both projects closer to "done, done."

I am joining the list for WIP Wednesday with these two projects.

Orange You Going to Ask?

A couple days ago I shared some very scrappy purple tulip blocks, made using this month's Block Lotto pattern.  I was making them for a small project idea I had for a sewing machine cover, similar to the one in this post, but decided the scale was wrong and I needed a smaller, different block.   I woke up with a new idea today, but I wondered what to do with the purple blocks?  Were you also curious about their future?

I decided that the answer was to make them some colorful friends.

Even though I really haven't participated in Angela's Rainbow Scraps Challenge much this year, I decided to go with the flow and start with the September's color and make some very scrappy orange tulips.

I sorted through my orange scraps and found twenty fabrics (plus one in a complimentary turquoise for the center).  Things are shuffled so that each block is made from 16 different fabrics.  At times I wondered if maybe I was making these blocks a little TOO scrappy.  They look very different than the ones we're making on blocklotto.com which can be made  from two (or more) tulip fabrics per block.

After making the orange blocks, I was on a roll, so I kept going–organizing my scrap bins and also cutting squares for the Tokyo Subway Map quilt along the way.

Next I made some red tulips to add to the mix and put them all together on the design wall and they looked like this:

I envision that with the addition of some more blocks, this will become a colorful, scrappy, throw-sized quilt.  Making them is kind of like eating potato chips, so who knows if/when I will be able to stop ...

Scrap-Happy Works in Progress

This is how scrappy projects begin at my house, with my sorted-by-color scrap bins. They go from neatly folded 5 inch squares, stacked on end with everything visible, to this messy (non) arrangement ...

The bins are re-used produce containers which once contained spinach or mixed lettuces.

In this case, I used some of these fabrics to make a couple of Sunrise blocks (from last year's Block Lotto).


Some friends from the Modern-ish mini group asked me to demonstrate Dale Fleming's 6-minute circle technique and I was working on some samples to use in my demo–hint, it's a great technique for other kinds of curves besides those perfect circles :-)

As someone who already has more orphan blocks and UFOs than any sane quilter should, I didn't want to produce more, so I'll be using my demo-samples to make placemats for the guild's community service group's annual effort.  The placemats go to Kitchen Angels.

A couple of days ago, I had a little idea about how to use this month's Block Lotto pattern and so yesterday, pulled out the purple bin of scraps and made these five scraptastic Tulip blocks.

There are 25 different purple fabrics used in these 5 blocks. I like them, but not for the original project idea, so I'll be pulling out some more of the scrap bins and making more for my new idea :-) 

My quilting mojo must be coming back in a fashion, because I also had a new idea for some 1 1/2 inch strips gifted to me by someone in the guild's QOV mini-group.  At our meeting last week, I created some test blocks. 

Here are the first two. I think it has possibilities and plan to make many more.

The foundation pattern I used was drawn with paper and pencil. Now I am struggling playing with EQ to create a more precise version. It looks like it should be so easily done, but for me ... not so much.

I am amazed at this group, not only for the beautiful QOV quilts they create, but how they all show up SO organized and focused and ready to sew for three hours before they pack it all up and take everything home again.

I am a lot LESS organized.  Here's a peek at my work area last week. I usually take Isaac, my trusty workhorse of a sewing machine (AKA a Singer 301).

Now that I've decided to move forward with this block idea, maybe I can get things a little more organized for next time. 

As you can see the mojo's coming back, but maybe I could use a bit more focus ... 

I am joining the lists for Scraptastic Tuesday and WIP Wednesday. 

Design Wall Tuesday ... Tulips in September

I couldn't share this yesterday because it's the September block for the Block Lotto and had to be kept secret until today.

This block looks like a traditional block, but when I went looking in Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, I couldn't find it, so I am just calling it Tulip.  I had fun playing with the different ways one could scrappify it.

You can find my block directions and fabric guidelines for the Block Lotto this month in this post:

Think Spring (!?) in September

If this block appeals to you, it's easy to jump into the Block Lotto and play along (and maybe win a pile of blocks).

I am belatedly joining the list for yesterday's Design Wall Monday.

More Slow Stitching in the Pumpkin Patch

I have finished the appliqué on all the parts included with this orphan and have pulled a couple of fabrics from my stash for the moon in the original pattern and an additional border to make the pillow cover that I plan to make from this a little larger.

I will be pin-basting a couple quilts this afternoon–a task which is my least favorite in quilt making–with the reward of some relaxing slow Sunday evening stitching to add the silvery moon and call this done.

Tokyo Subway Map Quilt-Along

I was surfing blogs this morning and Celine mentioned on Espritpatch that there is a new Quilt-Along starting next month for Elizabeth Hartman's Tokyo Subway Map quilt.

Back in 2010, I followed along (and saved the directions) when Elizabeth shared the design as part of the original QAL, tucked it away and thought of it as a someday quilt.

The pattern as written is made from 1600 2-inch squares. I spent some time back then thinking about how I would change the dimensions and cheat the background, using larger squares and rectangles as much as possible.  Now that my scrap bins are filled or overflowing and with the support of other quilters who will be quilting along, maybe it's time to make a serious start on this quilt.

Click the QAL image above (and in my sidebar) or this link for details on Nina's blog, Nina with Freckles.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a link to the pattern page and an image of this great, modern, scrappy quilt, inspired by the Tokyo subway map:

Do you have one of those someday quilts that you've seen online or at a show or in a show, saved the pattern and know that you WILL make it one day in the future?

Three Questions for My Quilting Friends

First, because it's (almost) WIP Wednesday and two of the three questions I have for you are about this piece, here's what happened with my scrap bag challenge.

To refresh your memory, some local friends and I exchanged quart-size zip lock bags filled with fabric scraps.

The challenge was to use all the fabrics we received and make a little quilt.

It's OK to add your own fabrics, but you must use everything you find in the ziplock bag.

Here's a better look at the fabrics I had to include:



And now for my three questions for you:

         Do you see what I see?

1. This was one of those projects that took on a life of it's own and ended up being something completely different that I first imagined it.  An idea took hold and I ran with it and now I wonder if I made my intent clear.  My question for you is, what do you see in this design?  



Borders?







Does it need borders?  If so,  how wide and what color?  Keep in mind that it was made primarily from someone else's scraps, with some of mine added, so I don't have any more of any of the fabrics. The pieced top currently measures 26 by 37 inches.  It will be a wall hanging, or possibly be used as a table mat.   




What three words describe your quilts? 






As I was playing with these scraps, I started thinking about how you think the challenge is to use all the fabrics, but you find that it's also about how do you make a quilt from fabrics not chosen by you, in combinations you might never choose to combine and have it turn out looking like a "you" quilt. That led me to think about what makes it feel like me and I came up with these three words that often apply to the quilts I design and make: scrappy, organic and color-saturated.  What three words do you think describe your quilting style? 

I'd love to read your answers to one, two or all of these questions in the comments.

Because it's already Wednesday in Australia, I'm linking with Ester's WOW (WIPs on Wednesday).  Be sure to click over–she has quite a WOW to share today. 

Updated Sep 29 to this improvisational effort still in progress with AHIQ.

Preparing for Play

I confess that I was looking for something else that I had tucked away before the move (which I haven't yet found) when I pulled out my in-progress Scrap Bag Challenge.

I put the completed units on the small design wall, which is (another confession) not yet attached to the wall in my sewing room.

I still have quite a few fabrics left in the zip-lock bag that must be used in the challenge.





I described how the Scrap Bag Challenge works at the bottom of this post: Challenged by Challenges. 

Coming back to spending time quilting has made me see how much I need it as part of de-stressing.  This week, I'm going to make a conscious effort to spend at least 15 minutes working on this project playing and enjoy the tangible and intangible benefits.

Since I almost have a design wall again and something on it to share, I'm joining the lists for Design Wall Monday  and Monday Making.

A Little Hand Applique on a Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday was the guild's Red Hen Auction.  One of the lots I won contained a nearly finished Halloween appliqué and book.

I don't make many seasonal projects or Sunbonnet Sue blocks,  so I thought this would be good for me ... plus the price was right, since no one else wanted it and I cannot resist an unwanted orphan.

The pattern for the orphan is not in the book that accompanied it, but I found it on Sentimental Stitches, as part of an Angelic Sunbonnet Sue series. Here's her version.

The designer blogged about the series here and you can find the pattern for the wall hanging here.  Isn't the internet a wonderful resource? A quick search for Sunbonnet Sue + Pumpkin patch and I found it at the top of the search results.

To finish it as it was designed, looks like I only need to add a hand and a star and finish the appliqué ... then decide what to do with it.  Pillow cover, maybe?

It's my plan for some Slow Stitching Sunday later today.

Returning To Quilting (and Blogging)

On Monday, I was asked to help begin the assembly of some pieced parts for what will become the Northern New Mexico Quilt Guild's 2016 raffle quilt.   I was flattered (and a little surprised because I'm not at all a perfectionist quilter).

It was the push I needed to return to quilting (and finally find the box with my favorite scissors, rulers and other go-to tools.)


The quilt pattern is a block-of-the-month pattern called Taos by Whirligig Designs (you can see the whole quilt about half-way down this page).  Here's how it looked when we were done with this step.

The organizers are changing the outer pieced border to appliqué–I volunteered to help with that, if needed, so you may get another peek in the future.

Since I was now reunited with my scissors and organized to travel, I caught up with the QOV Mini-group yesterday and made some progress on a scrappy star quilt I started last spring.

The end was in sight so I was motivated to keep going after I came home.  When the quilt top was completed, I realized that taking a photo wasn't going to be as easy as it was in my old house with it's long 1000 square foot studio.

On the plus side, I now have a deck, high enough to hang a big quilt–the only challenge being all the trees and vines in the back yard that could obscure a clear shot.

Block Lotto followers will recognize the stars with made-fabric centers (our April block) and the Many Triangles border (this month's block). The stars are a lot bigger (15 inch blocks) and the border is slightly larger (5 inches).   The completed top measures 60 by 75 inches.  I couldn't find my clamps, so you can't see it, but the scrappy blue triangle border goes all the way around ;-)

Updated to fix some grammar and punctuation and to join Angie's list for WIPS Be Gone. 

Play Day (with Dyes)

I am still in dealing with the aftermath of my move mode, but I took a break yesterday for a Shibori play date with the guild's Surface Design mini-group.  I haven't yet washed out all of my pieces–I dyed cotton fat quarters, silk scarves and a straw capeline (which will become a hat soon)–but, here is the first.

What do you see in this arashi shibori? 

Common answers of the day were petals, yucca plant, dragon or alien skeleton.

There is a nice tutorial for shibori here:

Shibori-DIY

For our workshop, we used an indigo-colored procion dye.

This (and getting settled into the new place) is my work-in-progress this week. Like Lee, there will also be painting.

My sewing space is still unpacked (and I still cannot find the box with the sewing essentials like scissors and needles in it).  Right now, the cats are spending more time there than I am.

And the design wall is still just a piece of insulation ...

They are checking out the neighbors. Isn't he a beauty? 

   

Butterflies and Birds and Bunnies ... Oh My!

The latest round of Julie's Cotton Robin has concluded and all has been revealed. I had so much fun this year working on–and being challenged by–this round of little quilts and was delighted by the quilt that came back to me.

For those unfamiliar with the Cotton Robin, here are the basics:

1. Make a center that is no larger than 9 inches square (or a comparable-sized shape) and mail it to Julie.  Optionally you may include additional fabrics (totally up to a quarter yard) and/or instructions.  This year, Julie asked us to challenge ourselves in some way. Once the package goes to Julie, things become pretty much anonymous. 
2. Receive a package from Julie which contains a center and mailing info for this and all future rounds.  Add a border and send it on to the next person. 
3. Receive a package with a center with one border and add the second (last) border. The quilts should be no larger than 20 inches square (or something comparable if it isn't square). Send it to the next person. 
4. Receive a finished quilt top, add backing and batting, quilt and bind it. Mail the finished quilt home.  

Here are some of my in-progress photos and notes of the four Cotton Robin quilts I contributed to this year, along with a photo of the finished quilts, one for each of the steps above.   It's a longish and photo-heavy post, so if you want to just cut to the chase and see ALL the finished Cotton Robin quilts, scroll up and follow the link at the top of this post. 

My Center 

The challenge I set for myself was to create a soft, low-volume quilt. I pieced a scrappy center from 64 one inch (finished size) low-volume squares and added a machine appliqué cat silhouette. The cat is from a book by Carol Armstrong–if you have been around long enough, you might recognize that I've used it before in a doll quilt I made in for a swap–click over to see Ela and her Doll Quilt ... and those in the Block Lotto may see this cat again in a block for this month–it's a quilter's choice month with the theme of pets. 

I didn't include a note with my Cotton Robin package, but hoped that the center and the fabrics included conveyed my intention.

I included two fabrics–one which was used (the green background in the second round) and one that was returned to me with my quilt.  

Round One 

I confess that when I received this package, with the note, Keeping this piece monochromatic and small, I wondered about the person who was really challenging themselves (and us) to make a monochromatic yellow quilt.

The center was 5 inches square (to finish at 4 1/2 inches).

My first inclination was to turn the square into a circle and make it the center of a sun (aka New York Beauty block). But then I realized that was exactly what I did for the first round last year and left it alone.

I looked in my stash for a pair of yellow/gold fabrics that matched the two in the center and had as much contrast as possible and made a round of 1 1/2 inch half-square triangles.  The quilt was now 6 inches (finished size).

Maybe I pushed a little too far into golden brown territory.  I don't know.  Here's how Mary Jane's finished quilt came out:

Round Two

Sometimes, you receive a package and an idea immediately takes hold.  You can't shake it even if you aren't sure you have the skill set necessary to achieve it ... but when a quilt is actually asking you, "what if ..." I think you have to go for it and so I did.

My vision was that the center was a thought bubble and someone was thinking and asking themselves that question. I googled for images of a "cartoon thinker" ... and Google returned many images of MEN!  (bad, sexist Google). I tried again with "woman thinking" and found some candidates including a cartoon woman sitting in front of a computer.  I saved her, cropped her, resized her (multiple times) and started playing with the idea on my design wall.

I found a fat quarter of hand-dyed fabric in my stash that was a good match for the fabrics used in the first round and used it to define the dimensions of my round. 

 

At the guild retreat last winter, someone had some bright green that I knew would be a match for the background of the center and I asked for a bit of it so I could continue it into the last round.   I also continued the look of the improvisationally pieced second round, added a couple more arrow blocks, procrastinated a lot and then faced the cartoon lady thinker.

I didn't have a clue whose quilt this was, but at some point I thought it might be Glen's–a woman with very red hair ... I sent her a cryptic email to confirm or eliminate the possibility that maybe my thinker should be a red head, found it wasn't her and continued on.  I built the fused, raw-edge appliqué in layers–skin, eyes, hair, clothing, jewelry–then attached it to the pieced background.

I decided that I would use an open zig-zag stitch for the black lines in the cartoon ... and hoped that whomever was the owner of this quilt would see it as in the cartoonish style I intended and wouldn't disapprove of the messy look.

The rest of the raw edges were stitched with matching thread.

Since a lot of this was new territory for me, I started stitching, knowing that it could all go terribly wrong and I'd be starting over.

I sent the finished top onto Helen, with my apologies.  This was her first experience of the Cotton Robin; I knew she was a little worried about the quilting/finishing round and I was sending her this challenge to finish.  She did a great job.  Here is the finished quilt, being held by her son.

It's probably a good idea that I didn't know this quilt was Cathy's until Helen posted that she had mailed it to her ... I would have been totally intimidated knowing I was was trying something foreign and new-to-me on a quilt for a quilter that is so accomplished and productive.  I guess it's true, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Finishing a Quilt

Speaking of intimidation ... the quilt I received to finish was going home to our fearless leader in the Cotton Robin, Julie.  Julie has done a such a great job of organizing us for four years–I wanted to finish a perfectly beautiful quilt for her.  I loved everything about the quilt that Julie, Diane and Shannon had made except for one thing ... I was never quite sure which way was up. Since I couldn't decide on a logical "top," I didn't sew on the hanging sleeve and left it for Julie to decide.

I quilted spirals in the spiral, a checkerboard in the checkerboard, triangle shapes in the triangles and a leafy vine outlining the leafy vine print in the borders. I repeated these shapes in some of the plain strips and rectangles and added some straight lines, pebbling and feathers.  I used 2 purple threads, one lighter and one darker, but it's really hard to tell in the finished quilt.

I couldn't decide if the binding should be purple or turquoise, then found a hand-dyed fabric that had both colors.

It's not perfect, but it was so much fun. I hope Julie, Cathy and Mary Jane (and everyone else who participated in the Cotton Robin this year) love their quilts as much as I love mine. As soon as I get the bedroom that will become my home office unpacked and situated, I plan to hang the last two Cotton Robin quilts on the wall there so I can appreciate them every day.

For more of the in-progress photos of these four quilts, this link will take you to my photos on Flickr.

If you've read this far and want to see the rest of the quilts from the Cotton Robin, here's the link to The Big Reveal.

It wasn't until the big reveal that I found out my quilt was made by me, Terri, Rachel and Jay. Thank you all for making me an amazing little quilt.

I'm celebrating these finishes, finally revealed, at: 

Richard and Tanya's Link a Finish Friday
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? on Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Nina-Marie's Design Wall Friday
Fabric Frenzy Friday
QuiltShopGal's Creative Goodness Linky Party

Feather Pillows - A Lovely Goal for July

Last year, when I made this quilt . . .

I made four extra feather blocks with the intent to make pillow covers. 

My goal for July is to, first find them in the aftermath of my move, and then turn them into pillows. 

I have moved into another "previously owned by an artist" house, this one with wall colors in soft shades of peach, lavender, cream and pale olive. I think this quilt will look great on my bed, a room that is painted peach with olive trim. 

I'm joining the goal-setting party for July (and hoping for a better result for me than the past few months). 

The rest of the quilts ...

June is over, but if you're looking for more quilt eye candy from the Fiber Arts Fiesta that took place in Albuquerque in May, there are plenty more of my photos in my album on Flickr - click and enjoy.

Fiber Arts Fiesta 2015

And because I think all blog posts should have at least one image ... this is We're Not in Kansas Anymore by Norma Koelm, Judge's choice in the medium art quilt category.

The Month (and the Quilt Show) That Was

When I started this idea of a daily post each day in June with quilts from Fiber Arts Fiesta, I wondered if I there were enough of the quilts I loved to share all month long ... it turns out I ran out of month before I ran out of quilt favorites.

Judith Roderick is a silk painter who makes fantastic silk quilts (with lots of buttons!). This is her quilt, Two Creatures, the winner in the large art quilt category.



Judith's description from the program says, "This playful quilt was a dance between black silk and over-dyed hand-painted silks, richly embellished.

Here is a closer look at some of the wonderful details.


Judith Roderick also had a special exhibit at the show - here are a few of the quilts found there.



Although the month is ended, I just might HAVE to share more photos of Judith's work in July after I am moved and settled into my place.

Global Themes

I enjoy quilts inspired by events or global themes.  This is Climate Change by Gail Garber, the first place winner in the large art quilt category at Fiber Arts Fiesta, which took place last month in Albuquerque.




Gail's description of her quilt, from the program, is "Textile expression of sudden changes in our warming world." It was quilted by Kris Vierra.

It's a great example of what's possible with paper foundation piecing.

Kris' quilting is the perfect complement to the quilt design.

Simply Stunning

It's easy to be wowed by a quilt with a well executed, complicated, difficult technique ... but I also love the surprise of encountering a quilt with a more approachable technique that is stunning and in no way diminished by it's simplicity.

This is Ray of Light, by Victoria Romero-Cederberg, the second place winner in the the innovative pieced and/or appliquéd quilts category at Fiber Arts Fiesta last month in Albuquerque.

This is one of the quilts in the show that were a challenge to photograph because it was blowing in the wind of the big fans that cooled the event space.

I love black & white fabrics ... and what a fun way to use them.

The quilt, Meadows by Lorraine Hollingsworth was in the same category and, for me, another of those simply stunning quilts from the show.

I loved her use of color, fun quilting designs, and that pieced binding.

At this point, it probably goes without saying, but both quilts were quite large–once again the "small" category for innovative quilts was not consistent with other "small" quilts in other categories.