Sunday, March 17, 2024

Moving Closer to a Finish (Lime Sprinkle)--post 3

Quilting detail lower right section
This week, I finished quilting Lime Sprinkle. I thought that I would have it finished in time to post about it today; but, I didn't finish. Instead, I'm sharing photos of my quilting. 

In process quilting view top left 
First, I used a monofilament thread to stitch in the ditch to anchor all of the piecing, Because creating texture was my goal, I quilted the pieces using a combination of curved and straight lines. 

The first time I quilted an around an X shape

The lines are about a quarter inch apart. I used the same color thread as the fabric. Sometimes, I used a ruler to stitch the lines and sometimes I eyeballed the space as I stitched.

In process view quilting upper right.
Second time to quilt around the X shape.
If I was stuck with how to quilt one area, I moved to an area where I had an idea of how I wanted it to look. If I still was stuck, I considered repeating a quilting design. I used the shape below at least three times!

Quilting detail lower left of the project.
Third time to quilt an X shape.
Most of the top is quilted with straight lines going in different directions. I did a little planning to alternate horizontal vertical, and diagonal lines. The quilting felt right. It takes time to quilt the lines about a quarter inch apart! 

Quilting detail upper middle left
My friend JoJo often hand stitched small areas on her quilts to leave behind her hand in the project. I decided to include a little hand stitching in this project to leave behind the mark of my hand. I used red Aurifil 30 weight thread to stitch a simple running stitch to form an X next to the skinny lined X that I created in red fabric on the black fabric. I used the same thread and stitch to accent the tiny lime blocks in the quilt. 

Quilting detail hand stitches middle right
To view the quilting, you will have to be up close and personal.  Yesterday, I washed it to remove dog hair and the starch. Our dog is a sweetie. She is a shedder, even though I brush her every day!!! To ensure it would be dry today, I tossed it in the dryer for ten minutes. After ten minutes it was damp dry in most places. 

Detail of hand stitching around ghost block
Then, I blocked it which it needed. Before quilting it was 26 1/2 inches by 52 inches. It now measures 24 1/4 inches by 50 inches. Today, my goal is to trim the edges, machine stitch the facing to the quilt, make the label and the label. I'll be hand stitching the facing, label and sleeve into place during the week.

View after quilting
Perhaps, next Sunday, I will have a finish to post. I am pleased with both the progress and how the project look. It's been a super fun project to stitch. I definitely will be employing Irene Roderick's techniques in other projects!

View after blocking. The dark areas
indicate areas with more wetness. 
 I'm linking to Oh Scrap/Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework, Do pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy all the inspirational projects people share that they are stitching.



Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Visiting the Vancouver Community Library

Crossroads
Goal number ten on my March list was to see the exhibition of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild quilts that library staff hung throughout the Vancouver Community Library. As I've written, driving more than about 20 minutes causes tremendous pain in my right knee. So, I've not been driving more than to work and to medical appointments that are within that range.

Circling the Sun
My friend, Theresa offered to drive me to the library last Sunday. We went. This library is open seven days a week. There are five floors with books available on floors one, three, four and five. It is a beautiful building with lots of spaces for reading. There are even a couple terraces! 

Fly Home
We browsed the floors and found all the quilts and 3-D items on display. I had provided a fourth quilt; but, the staff didn't hang it. Likely, they ran out of hanging space! All my entries were inspired by books. It was cool to see them hanging in the library! 

Crossroads hung on the first floor. The other two quilts hung on the fourth floor on either side of member, Linda P. As we were admiring her quilt, we saw her! It was great to see her in person! We met her husband and a friend who had come to see the display.

Theresa's hummus
On our way home, we stopped at the grocery store so I could purchase some spinach and crackers for our late lunch. Theresa wanted to know how I made hummus so we made a batch together. When I make hummus, most of the time I give half of it away because one can of chickpeas makes more hummus than I can comfortably eat before it spoils. 

Sweet potato, spinach and chicken soup
As we prepared the hummus, I washed the spinach and added it to my soup. It simmered while we finished the hummus. The soup contained grated fresh ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, poblano pepper, onion, lentils sweet potato, spinach, chicken and chicken broth. It was delicious. The hummus was delicious. Theresa took hummus and soup home with her!

Mending the jeans
After lunch, she showed me a pair of jeans that she had purchased and worn one time. At the pockets and belt loops, the denim had split. Upon inspecting the rent, it looked like the fabric had been cut underneath those areas. No wonder there were holes! They were Wrangler jeans which usually are well made. I used a product called Bo-Nash to mend the rips. I sprinkled a little Bo-Nash powder on the rip; placed a denim scrap over the powder and heated the fabrics until the powder melted. 

The birthday girl
It takes some time to get the denim hot enough for the powder to melt. Theresa is planning to add hand embroidery stitches around all those areas. Her pants will be one of a kind and those ripped areas will be thoroughly reinforced. I hope she shares her pants after she finishes the embellishments! We both laughed at how that was popular when we were teens! 

Trying a new swimsuit on for size
Monday was Miss A's second birthday. My husband flew last week to be with Miss A and family for her special day. I made her a swimsuit a couple sizes too big so she had a suit to grow into. After she opened her package, she immediately wore it. First, it was upside down. Second, it was backwards. Third, she had her two legs through one leg opening. She asked her papa to help. 

On the move and pool ready 
He managed to stretch the suit on over her clothes. It was good that the suit was too big. Otherwise, the suit wouldn't have fit over all that clothing. She proceeded to wear it while she opened her other gifts. I was tickled she liked it so much!

I also have news--I have a date for my knee joint replacement surgery: April first . . .no fooling!! I'm looking forward to being a little more mobile, although I will need my other knee joint replaced before I will feel like I could travel again without causing myself major pain. 

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Farm Quilt Quilting Progress--Post 5

Block #2 farm chickens
Goal number two on my March list was to make progress on the quilting on the Farm quilt. Last month, I managed to determine the quilting in the blocks. I quilted three and a half blocks. As February ended, I thought if I quilted four blocks each month, in five months, I would have all the blocks quilted. 

Block #3 Pig
During the first few days of March, I decided I would quilt a few blocks. If I made progress at the beginning of the month, I'd meet my March goal. If I had time at the end of the month to quilt more, ir would be a bonus as I'd be closer on track of finishing the block quilting in five months. I'm two and a half blocks away from that finishing goal. 
Block #4 turkey
Gertie offered helpful suggestions. She whispered in my ear to spend an hour quilting the project before working on Lime Sprinkle. I tried her suggestion the first day. I found it was too cumbersome to switch gears. I quilted a couple blocks and I now have six and a half blocks quilted. There are 20 blocks in the project. Any progress I make will get me closer to the finish line.
Block #5 lamb

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

2024 Temperature Quilt Block--Flying Geese


Fabrics for January first and second
Goal number eight on my March list was to piece some blocks for the 2024 Temperature quilt. This year to record the temperatures, I'm making flying geese blocks that will finish at two inches by four inches. I'm using the same fabrics in four degree increments that I've used for the last two tops that I've made.

I cut the block pieces from two and half inch strips. I used the Essential Triangle Tool from Bonnie Hunter to cut the wing part of the block and Wrights Companion Angle tool to cut the goose part of the block. There is less waste with this method and it doesn't take much to square the blocks as I finish.

Block in process--a sunny day
To denote a rainy, snowy or sunny day, I'm using the same fabrics as I did last year. I'll attach a strip that finishes to one half inch to the right of the block to denote the kind of day it was. In this session, I completed two blocks. I've a third block in process. The block stitches much faster than piecing the English Paper Piecing blocks that I did for the last two years. Perhaps by the end of May, I'll be making the blocks in real time.

Between the first two days in January, the high on the first day was the low of the second day! 

The goose is the high; the wings are the low
I plan to attach the blocks vertically with each row containing a month. At the end of the year, the project will be a lap sized. I hope it doesn't take me months to quilt it!!!  

Sunday, March 3, 2024

February ReCap and March Goals

 

Make progress on the Farm quilt
My list of goals for February were:

✔1. Work on the Farm Quilt.
✔2. Enter my quilts for the Clark County Quilters Northwest Quilt Fest quilt show which is April 4. Entries are due February 8.
✖3. Complete the February embroidery software lesson.
✔4. Make selvage squares in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month which is red.
✔5. Add the half diamond filler blocks to the lower edge of my 2022-2023 Temperature quilt.
✔6. Attend a Cindy Grisdela workshop.
✖7. Make progress piecing the blocks together for Indigo Way.
✖8. Make progress on the Modern Mystery quilt along with Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle.
Materials for two decorative kitchen towels
✔9. Be available for a sew day with Miss K. (Sadly, she wasn't available though for a sew day.)
✔10. Finish the top that I started in the Irene Rodrick workshop.
✔11. Organize that stack of magazines on the floor.
✔12. Make another kitchen towel. I'm determined to figure out the process without having to tune into the video each time! 
✖13. Consider piecing a few blocks for the 2024 Temperature quilt!
✔14. Write a post sharing the quilts accepted to show at the Vancouver public library in March.
Progress on the blocks made in the
Cindy Grisdela workshop
✔15. Make a birthday swimsuit for the youngest granddaughter.

February 6, the American Red Cross released an update to the lifeguarding program. As an instructor trainer, I completed the process to not only update my certification; but, I also renewed it for another two years. I'm still working as the administrative assistant at the hospital part time. Some days, I'm too tired to even think about stitching! 

In spite of the training and work, achieving eleven out of 15 goals--while not a total win--was still good progress! 

My list of goals for March are:
1. Finish Lime Sprinkle
Backing fabric for Lime Sprinkle
2. Make progress on the Farm quilt.
3. Complete the February and March embroidery software lessons.
4. Make selvage squares in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month which is purple.
5. Make progress piecing the blocks together for Indigo Way.
6. Make progress on the Modern Mystery quilt along with Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle.
7. Sew at least one kitchen towel.
8. Piece some blocks for the 2024 temperature quilt.
9. Make progress on the blocks I began in the Cindy Grisdela workshop.
10. Visit the Vancouver library exhibition of Portland Modern Quilts.
11. Sew with Miss K should she be available.
12. Make progress on the 2022-2023 temperature quilt.
13. Make progress on the Farm quilt.

No way will I achieve the entire list; but, I've plenty of options. The number one goal is to finish Lime Sprinkle as I've entered it in the Clark County Quilters show which is April 4-6.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Temperature Quilt -- English Paper Piecing Complete

All half diamond shapes in place
Goal number five on my February list was to finish English paper piecing the half diamonds on the other edge of my temperature quilt. 

To meet the goal, I needed to insert one half diamond piece 25 out of the 29 days of the month. I wasn't worried. I started out the month making good progress; but, after the first week, I fell behind. By the fourth week of February, I had pieced a little over fifty percent of the half diamond pieces. It wasn't looking like I'd meet that goal.

Gerite, my inner squirrel, kept whispering to me that I could do it. She told me all I needed to do was piece four shapes each day. 

Close up of lower edge
I couldn't get motivated. Days passed without me stitching even a partial diamond into the top. Daily, I review my monthly list of goals. I look at the calendar. I have talks with myself about which project I could move forward a bit as I approach the end of the month. I also determine what projects will likely languish. I ask myself what is holding me up to work on those projects.

While I had these conversations, Gertie told me that I had
done so well keeping up with this project for the last two years. She said it would be sad if I lost momentum now. The last two weeks, she has been especially vigilant. After all, I was 14 shapes from finishing the lower edge. This week on Monday, I pieced six shapes. Tuesday, I pieced the remaining eight blocks. Wednesday (this morning), I took a photo of my top.

My plan is to applique a border around the outer edge using the purple fabric.  Next step is to carefully remove the papers along one side and place it on the border. Rather than use pins to anchor the edge to the border fabric, I'll use small drops of glue. 

I'm feeling thankful that Gertie kept whispering words of encouragement!!!


Sunday, February 25, 2024

Farm Quilt Progress and Rainbow Scrap Squares--Post 4

Beginning to quilt the churn dash sections
Goal number one on my February list was to make progress on the Farm Quilt. I was thinking that perhaps another month would have lapsed with the quilt in the same condition as it was at the beginning of the month. 

When I don't make progress or when it looks like I'm not going to make progress on a project the second time I've listed it on my monthly goal list, I ask myself if the project needs to come off of my list. I ask myself what is stopping me from working on the project. In this case, I have been studying for a class. With work and studying, I haven't had much concentrated time in the studio.

Quilted lines 
I decided that I would spend two hours working on the project last Wednesday after work. Since so much time had passed since I last worked on it, I needed to reacquaint myself with what I was doing and what I was doing it with!

First quilted block
At the end of the time, I had finished the ditch quilting and had started quilting the blocks. Friday evening and after spending a day training in the pool, I attended our standing Zoom sew day session. 

The makings of some blocks
Every Friday, our Clark County Quilters guild provides a Zoom link so any member can sew with other members from 10 in the morning until 11 in the evening. People come and go and some come back through the day. It is good to catch up with people. I treat these days like a mini retreat. 

Last Friday after the training day, my brain was too tired to think about putting selvages together for a square. I decided  I could make more progress quilting the block I had started on the Farm quilt.

I was stitching line after line using a ruler. The repetition of the movement helped my brain unwind from the challenges of the day. I hadn't planned to quilt this project this densely nor had I planned to customize each block. Sometimes, the quilt talks and the maker needs to listen. In this case, the quilt talked.  I ignored the quilt. Gertie, my inner squirrel, chirped at me to listen to the quilt. Gertie had a point. I listened. Now, I'm stitching. There are 20 blocks in this quilt. I'll be at this stage of the quilting for some time!

It took me about three hours to quilt this block. Some of the time I was talking to other pitchers on the Zoom call.. Some of the time, I was auditioning a line and sometimes, I was removing a line. Perhaps if I'm not visiting, I will quilt the next block a little faster. 

Yesterday, I pulled out my selvages and began to putting together squares for three blocks. Today, I'll stitch and trim the blocks. Goal number four on my February list was to make selvage squares in the color of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. This month, Angela chose red. Eventually, I will combine four squares into a block. This year, I'm concentrating on making the squares!

Linking to Angela at Scrap Happy and linking to Cynthia at Oh Scrap/Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework. After all, these selvages qualify as scrap!



Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Another Kitchen Towel

 Goal number 12 on my February list to make another decorative kitchen towel. I thought I'd use these two fabrics; but, I decided the red was too bold. 

Original plan
I actually stitched this project as a leader ender as I finished my Lime Sprinkle top! I went a different route with the fabric. I found a blue that could be a subtle transition from the tree fabric to the checked towel fabric.

The finished towel
For the next project, I'll try to center the tree print so that you can see the branches rather than the trunks. This would be a good gift for someone who likes blue. I have a lime green checked towel and a different tree print fabric for the next two towels. 

That is a project for next month! I'm planning to gift kitchen towels to colleagues next December. I started in January and my goal is  to make one or two a month. I was asked in a comment where I get the towel. It is a Dunroven product. I've paid four to six dollars for a towel which I cut in half. Using scraps, a little thread and time, it is an affordable project!

The eighteen inch pile of "stuff"
I also eliminated  the pile that has been on my studio floor for at least a year. This was goal number 11 on my February list. I had saved at least a dozen magazines over the years for inspiration. As I looked at the pages, I pulled patterns that I could make. In the end, I recycled all the magazines but two. Those two magazines contained projects that I "might" make!  There were six quilt books in the pile. I had pulled them off the shelf for possible patterns. There was the stack of medical bills from my September 2022 car accident. These I saved because there are still outstanding bills. While I'm not as good as I was before I was rear ended, I look forward to closing the case. 

There was an equal amount of papers regarding quilt projects, activities and trainings. I filed some and recycled the majority. The biggest find was a little project bag that I have been trying to find! I have a plan for that project! Finally, there was my art journal. There are still some blank pages. I placed ii with my other art supplies. Now there is open floor space which is great. 

It wasn't the awful experience I had anticipated. Although, I'd much rather be stitching than cleaning or organizing! Next month, I'll choose another "pile" to tackle. Little by little, I'll regain control of my sticking space!