Read--post 1

First pencil sketch; hands too low; poor fingers

Goal number six on my May list was to figure out what to do for the current book club book which is "The Last Bookshop in London" by Madeline Martin. With each project I make, I try to challenge myself in some way. For the last several projects, I've used scraps and blocks from the "parts department."

Second sketch: hands okay; too much like a newspaper

As I read this book, I had several thoughts about projects I could make. Those projects would take more time than I had to spend on the project. I thought some more. 

When I was in London earlier this year, I was re-listening to the book. In the story, the main character takes a position working in a London Bookshop just before WWII began. When the bombs fell on London, she would read to those that were using the tube as a place to shelter. Reading in the tube became a way for her to connect further to her community. 

It's been a while since I played with line.  I pondered that I could make a line drawing of hands reading a book. I could call the project "Read." I could use some of my grandmother's narrow bias tape to define the line. I looked at people holding a book, holding a paper, holding a newspaper. I asked my husband to hold a book. I reviewed examples on Pinterest. I drew a sketch. 

The hands were too low and the fingers weren't visual enough. I couldn't draw the right perspective with the arms. The book curve was okay, I wasn't successful making the drawing one line as I had picked up my pencil and redrawn or back tracked in some areas.

I tried a second time. This time, I did achieve a single line. The hand and fingers were much more believable; but, the book now looked like a newspaper.

Third sketch: more book like

For the third try, I erased a few lines and added a curve. A few lines overlap; but, the design is doable. I enlarged my sketch on my home printer. I used a black Sharpie marker to darken the lines. I chose a medium gray solid fabric from my stash for the background and a blue grey bias tape. The price on this package was 85 cents.

Auditioning a few strings to represent stairs

As I reviewed the layout, I thought that I needed to add some interest to the top and bottom of the piece. I auditioned a few grey string blocks and decided to place those across the top and bottom of the piece. The strings could represent the stairs where the people sat. 

Bias tape

While I was piecing the orange blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, I pieced the remaining three string blocks I needed for the borders. I added the blocks to the background. Using a light box and pencil, I transferred the pattern to the background. Using Elmer's School Glue, I glued the bias tape to the background. 

Offray ribbon

The plan to use bias tape while a good plan, didn't work. The tape wasn't narrow enough as I lost the definition of the little finger. Gertie, my inner squirrel, and I thought some more. We could couch a ribbon, yarn or maybe stitch heavy lines of thread or maybe a combination of thread and couching? We decided to try gluing black offray ribbon to the lines. That idea worked.

Read and auditioning the lower string border

As I stepped back to view the hands reading the book, Gertie and I both exclaimed it needs the word, "Read!" I like the add as does Gertie! We then auditioned the string border for the bottom of the quilt. Neither of us liked it. I tried auditioning only the lower border. I tried auditioning string blocks around the entire perimeter. I didn't like that either. So in the end, we both decided the upper string border was enough. The strings can either represent the steps the people sat on in the tube or the rubble that they found when they emerged from the tube.

Ready for a backing and layering

I selected a backing and a sleeve fabric from the stash. These fabrics have been around a long time. They were "gifted" to me. They must have been waiting for this project!  

The backing and sleeve fabric

I layered and glue basted it. Because this is a wall hanging, I used Warm and Natural batting. The letter R looked lonely so I added a bit of ribbon. I'll attach the ribbon as I quilt. 

Ready for quilting

Now to determine the quilting! Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.

Temperature Quilt 2022-2023 Is Finished!

Thread used

Goal number three on my May list and goal number 2a on my annual list was to finish the 2022-2023 Temperature quilt.  The general goal of number two on my annual list was to finish five projects. Last year, I had a goal of finishing six; but, finished five. Gertie, my inner squirrel, convinced me to list 21 projects to have variety in choices of projects! I have many more than that; but, I'm not COUNTING! This finish makes five so I have met that goal! I intend to surpass it!

Label

Let's return to the subject of this finish: Last month, I finally finished quilting it on my 790 Bernina. Earlier in the month, I stitched the binding on via the machine and added the label. Towards the end of the month, I attached a sleeve. It was a long time in coming, but, it is FINISHED!

Hand stitching the sleeve

Honestly, I have no idea of the number of hours I've spent stitching this project. The blocks are English Paper Pieced (EPP). I hand appliquéd the top to the border. I custom quilted the project. I estimated 1200 hours; but, likely this number was an under estimate!

Close up of quilting

For the high and low temperatures, I used hand dyed fabric purchased from Vicki Welch before she closed her business. I loved her fabrics and miss not having access to them. Although, it is still possible to stay up to date with her activities because she blogs at Colorways by Vicki Welch. I used commercial print fabrics to record rainfall, no precipitation and snowfall.

Pieced back made mostly from batik fat quarters and batik leftovers

Eventually, my U.K. granddaughter will be gifted this quilt. She was born in March of 2022. I EPP many blocks while I watched her grow during her first three months while I visited! English temperatures and Pacific Northwest temperatures are similar. 

I used cotton and polyester thread to quilt this project. The back is pieced with the leftover dark batik fabric I used to make the spacer sections. I pulled other chunks and fat quarters that complimented the leftover batik. I estimate that I used 18 yards of fabric. It measures 60 by 82 inches.

Finished front

This brings the total fabric used this month to 20.5 yards. I have a net loss for the year of 62.5 yards! (I'm over halfway to my goal of having a net loss of 100 yards!) Linking to Finished or Not Friday, Patchwork and Quilts, Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday and I Quilted This.

 

Kaffe Challenge Quilting Begun--post 7

Goal number four on my May list was to begin quilting my Kaffe Challenge. This is the challenge that my small group is doing. We all had the same Kaffe fabrics and the challenge was to make a quilt with the fabrics. We could choose any design/pattern and we could add an unlimited number of supporting fabrics.

Determining a quilting design

I finished the top in January. I finished piecing the back in March. I layered and glue basted it in April. It took me some time to figure out how I wanted to quilt it. I printed a color copy of the photo of the top. Using a pen, I drew lines on quilt sections. Straight lines interfered with the flow of the dashes. A curved echoed in the solid fabric areas and a simple meander stitched in the print fabric areas looked like the best options to pop the purple dash lines. 

Beginning the quilting

I started quilting in the ditch. I could do this stitching with a walking foot; but, I do it with the open toe free motion foot instead. I used monofilament thread in the needle and a purple 50 weight cotton thread in the bobbin. So far, the glue basting has worked well. It is so nice not to have to stop to remove pins!

First solid area quilted

After I finished the ditch quilting, I stitched a straight line down the started quilting a curvy design in the solid fabric areas. I'm using a ruler template from Sew Steady. I used the four inch arc template that came in a starter sampler set. I stitched with a thread that blends into the solid fabric. I like the texture the quilting created. I plan to quilt all the solid fabric areas before I quilt the print fabric areas.

Linking to Oh Scrap, and Sew & Tell!

Orange Strings--post six

Strings left over from Good Fortune

This month, Angela at SoScrappy, chose orange to be the color of scraps for May. Lucky for me, I pulled a bunch of strings as I emptied the Good Fortune project bin. 

Leftover chunks waiting in the wings

There were also some chunks remaining which I put to one side to cut strings as I needed.

Strings gleaned from past projects

Finally, I pulled the orange string bag. There were some strings that for his project I decided weren't orange. I put those in a different container!

Piecing orange

At last, I started the piecing rectangles. I sew sixteen uphill and sixteen downhill rectangles into two blocks.

One section

Eventually, I pieced enough rectangles to sew them into a section.

One block

Four sections made a block. I stitched together two blocks. This time, I used a stick of Elmer's School glue to anchor the first fabric. I had a much easier time matching the centers.

View of most of the blocks pieced

I have space on the design wall for two more blocks. 

Orange string bag after piecing 

Cleaning up, I found more orange strings! The bag is about as full as it was when I started; but, I did use a lot of strings! Piecing the blocks was goal number two on my May list. Linking to Finished or Not Friday, So Scrappy and Patchwork and Quilts.

Good Fortune--post 7

Sharing a birthday coffee

Yesterday was my birthday. Our oldest daughter brought over a birthday coffee. The youngest daughter and youngest granddaughter called and serenaded me with Happy Birthday. 

Gift from my small group

The day's mail held a package from one of my small groups. What fun contents it held! I had a great birthday!

Good Fortune auditioning binding

Goal number seven on my May list was to figure out what to do with Good Fortune which was the Bonnie Hunter mystery in 2018. This was the first of her mystery quilts that I actually started. I removed the project from its container. The last post I wrote about it was when I had finished piecing the top in October 2019. Then, I thought it was too small at about 73 inches square. Now, I decided it was big enough! Since this top is full of orange, I'll be linking to Angela at ScrapHappy. (Go visit Angela because there are so many wonderful blocks of orange being constructed!)

Binding prepared

I looked through the scraps for binding options and didn't find any that were large enough or a color that would work. I did pull a solid red from my stash that will work. I cut and pieced the binding so it will be ready to add once the quilt is quilted.

Piecing the back

I pulled the larger scraps to see if I could piece a backing. With a little effort, the answer was yes, I could. It took me about three hours to piece the back. The colors in the photo aren't true. The print stripe fabric is really red, orange and green on a navy background. 

Fabric for the sleeve cut

In the container,there was even an orange chunk large enough to construct the sleeve.

Leftover strings from Good Fortune

I did do a little scrap sorting. Because this project called for orange string piecing, I was excited to add a bigger variety of orange strings to my scrap bag. This month, Angela chose orange as the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color. I'll be string piecing my blocks next!

Container ready for the 2026 Bonnie Hunter Mystery

Earlier this week, I took the top and backing to the longarmer. I sorted the remaining fabrics in the container back into my stash. I am excited about having an empty container which I will fill next October when Bonnie releases the fabrics for the 2026 mystery! 

Linking to: Scrap Happy, Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.

Beyond the Surface is Finished- -post 3

Ditch quilting

This project was originally designed as a backing. It talked. Gertie, my inner squirrel, and I listened. Last October, I posted about trying a different basting technique on this project. The technique didn't work for me that time. I ended up pin basting it as I usually did. 

Quilting ghost geese

This month, goal number nine on my list was to quilt it. I began using a polyester monofilament thread to free motion stitch in the ditch. There are few piecing elements so this part of the process went quickly,

Second attempt quilting the ghost geese

Next, I pulled threads to quilt the cream and brown areas. I used thread that matched the fabrics. My first go to quilt the ghost geese went awry. I realized when I quilted smaller ghost geese, the goose base didn't line up with the larger ghost goose. I removed the stitches and stitched it again. This time, I squeezed or stretched the goose so the shape fit the space. This result was much improved!

Sunshine quilting in place

I had thought that I would fill the background with ghost geese, but, that felt boring. Instead, I removed some lines and quilted goose formations. I liked that look. I quilted lines about an inch apart in the brown. Originally, that was where I had planned to end the quilting.

Portrait orientation

I photographed it a portrait position to see if I liked the orientation better. As I studied the quilt, it felt like the landscape orientation was the better layout. I also heard that the quilt wanted more quilting. I set it aside for a day to think about options.

Straight lines added to the goose formation

Adding quilting meant the I would be introducing shadow areas to the project. A good mix of sunshine and shadow quilting gives a project nice texture. Straight lines a quarter of an inch apart in the goose formation area seemed to be the "right" first addition. I left some areas of the section unquilted to let the sunshine appear. Purposely, I left the open areas unequal. After all, there are different numbers of geese that fly in flocks. I liked the result.

Straight lines added 

I added more straight lines in the brown areas so that the lines were also a quarter inch apart. I quilted the wing sections of the ghost geese with straight lines too. The additional quilting lines added to the dimension of the quilt. I now had a little bit of sunshine (open areas) and a lot of shadow (filled areas).

Almost a continuous curve added

Of course, the large ghost geese needed a little definition. I quilted an almost continuous curse on these. I also quilted the same motif in the large brown geese. What I liked about this add was that the center of the goose now was about the same size as the small ghost geese. I liked the overall view  the texture gave the quilt. 

The only way you would notice the texture would be if you stood in front of the quilt. When I make a quilt, I hope to draw the viewer to the quilt from across the room. As the viewer approaches, I hope their eye will find the quilting and linger on the work for a minute or two. My fingers are crossed that I achieved my goal!

Blocking the project

Since I was this far and it was early in the month, I decided to go for the finish! When I quilt that densely, the quilt doesn't lay flat.  A little steam and quilting rulers to provide weight as the project dries, encourages the project to lay flat. This process is called blocking.

View of matching the binding

While the quilt was drying, I cut the fabric for the sleeve, binding and label. For this project, I wanted the binding to match the top. I cut a strip of cream and several strips of brown. I sewed the cream to the brown. At the first place on the quilt where it was those colors, I matched the intersection. I stitched a little of the brown and about half of the white. 

After I had stitched an inch into the cream, I checked to be sure that the intersections had remained. I resumed sewing until I was about six inches from the second cream area. I measured where the cream needed to join. I added a quarter inch and cut it. I cut pieced another section of brown to the cream and continued adding the binding to the quilt. I pressed the seam away from the quilt. Next., I machine stitched the binding to the front of the quilt. I hand stitched the binding to the back.

Detail of sleeve

I did need to piece the sleeve as I didn't quite have the width I needed from the available scraps. I like the interest the line of lighter brown provided to the back.

The label

I added my label. Again I used one from the ones I picked up from the free table. I squeezed in the information that I wanted to include. I had a finish! This project is 47 inches by 31 inches.

Finished back

I used two and a half yards of fabric in this project. I have now used 44 1/4 yards of fabric from my stash! Getting this project to the finish was also goal number 2l of my annual list. It is my fourth finish of my annual goals!

Finished front

This week, I actually have a FINISH to link up with Finished or Not Friday! I'll also be linking up with Patchwork and Quilts and I Quilted This.

 

President's Block

This year for the Clark County Quilters President's block, the colors were white, black, red and gray. The pattern was a Sawtooth Star with with a plain center or any design that you desired. The unfinished size of the block was to be 12 1/2 inches.

Selected scraps 

I went to my scraps and selected fabrics. I decided I would piece a checkerboard for the center using gray and black 1 1/2 inch squares. I cut a red and a white 3 1/2 strip of fabric for the background and star points. I used Bonnie Hunter's Essential triangle tool to make the geese units.

Finished block

I forgot to take in process photos. The process went quickly! There are a few less scraps in the studio and this block is on its way to be given in June to the outgoing guild president. Making a block is a way that the members say thank you to the president. Randy is our current president. He will like this block. I hope he has fun putting together his president's blocks into a quilt!

You can view what I did with my president's blocks here. Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.