Braided Rug--post 1

The class

Mid-April, I took a rug weaving class from Ilka White. It was a two day class via Zoom. Each session was three hours. Thirteen people were in the class. At least five us were from the United States.The majority of people were from Australia. Australia is where Ilka lives. Learning what materials could work for a rug was eye opening. T-shirts, jeans, cotton shirts, wool scraps, table cloths and sheets were a few of the materials mentioned, They really eye opening factoid was that all these materials could end up in one rug! I chose sheets. The dark blue are old sheets from our bed. The lighter blue flannel sheet was a set that my daughter had on her bed growing up. She didn't want me to throw them out until I had made her something from the fabric.

Progress at the end of the first session

A couple decades later, I decided she might get a kick out of a rug! I learned about Ilka from fellow blogger, Linda, at Flourishing Palms, Linda had posted about several projects she had made using Ilka's techniques. I began following Ilka. When Ilka posted the online class, I registered.

Progress at the end of the second session

At the end of the first day, I wasn't happy with my piece. I removed the stitches and started again. I was happier with the look. On the second day, I asked for another demonstration on how to add strings to the piece. It took a long time for Ilka to get to that point as she addressed that question towards the end of the question session. I did add a piece; but, after picking up a couple bits of wisdom I should have learned on the first day, I didn't get make much progress.

When Ilka showed videos and sometimes while she demonstrated, I had so much buffering that it was difficult to follow the process. I struggled with weaving the end of the strip into the rug until I discovered that I had missed the part where she had snipped a button hole at the end of it. She used her crochet hook to enter the hole and pull the strip through the rug. 

At the end of third session--back to the beginning

On the third day and on my own, I tried to make use of the knowledge I thought I had garnered at the end of the second session. I realized, I had made an error early in the weaving process. I removed stitches until I was back at the beginning!

Results on the third beginning

Starting the fourth day, I felt confident that I could conquer the process. This time, I wove like a left hander. I am left handed. This is the largest portion I have been able to weave. I've started to add strips to the weaving with plans to add more. Ilka said rug weaving was meditative. Perhaps it is, once one gets into the zone of the process.

I hope to work on it a little each week. My goal is to use all of the flannel sheets. When the sheets are used, then that will be the size the rug needed to be! I likely won't post often about this project; but, may include a photo with my monthly recap/goal post.

Documenting taking the rug class was goal number one on my May list.

April Recap and May Goals

✔Make progress quilting the 2022-2023 Temperature quilt

My April goals were:

✔1. Finish Lupine and Laughter.

✔2. Finish Scrappy Kaffe.

✔3. Make red string blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I started them last month. I need to add the gray and black backgrounds.

✔4. Make pink string blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Quilting complete on the temperature quilt

✔5. Begin work on my guild challenge project.

✔6. Make progress quilting my 2022 through 2023 temperature quilt.

✔7. Document my Liberty of London visit.

✔8. Layer and baste my small group Kaffe challenge. 

I met my goals! Gertie. my inner squirrel, joined me to dance happily about the studio to celebrate. I was excited to have finished quilting my 2022 through 2023 temperature quilt. In earlier posts, I was incorrect regarding the years the blocks represented. I'm looking forward to finishing that project in May!

Scrappy Kaffe finish

Fabric Accounting:

Current Month:

Fabric in: 0 yards

Fabric out: 30 yards

Net loss for the month: 30 yards

Year to Date:

Fabric in: 24 3/4 yards

Fabric out: 66 1/2 yards

Net loss: 41 3/4 yards 

Best Read/Listen of the Month:

Begin quilting this project

This time, I'm going with a series! The first book of four in the Found series is "The Little Shop of Found Things" by Paula Brackston. This series is about how found things often purchased through estate sales sing to the main character. Quickly, she learns she is a spinner--someone who can spin through time and set things the way they should be. I enjoyed the detail the author used to find period type items in this day that could pass for items in an earlier time. Each book was a light and easy listen.

My May goals are:

1. Document my braided rug making class.

2. Make the orange string blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

3. Finish my 2022 through 2023 temperature quilt.

4. Begin quilting my small group Kaffe challenge.

5. Make progress on my guild challenge project.

6. Decide what to do for the current book club book.

7. Determine the next step for Good Fortune.

8. Make the President's block for CCQ.

9. Quilt Beyond the Surface.

Linking to Oh Scrap, Sew & Tell and To Do Tuesday.

Stars and Stripes Guild Challenge--post one

Some doodles

Our guild is hosting a challenge for the quilt show coming in October. The basis of the challenge is to celebrate America's 250th birthday and the 50th quilt show of the guild. I reviewed the official rules: 

1) The challenge entry must include recognizable amounts of red, white, blue, and gold. You can use any amount of the colors, fabrics with multiple colors, solids or prints, multiple fabrics of one or all colors, pretty much anything goes as long as all four colors are included.

Pattern pieces

2) The challenge entry can also use any other colors/fabrics in addition to the red, white, blue and gold.

3) The challenge entry must include stars and stripes - at least one star and at least one set of stripes These elements can be added to the quilt in any way, including but not limited to piecing, applique, embroidery, inking, etc.

4) The challenge entry itself can be of any shape, but the width of the quilt cannot be more than 24 inches. The entry can be any length. There is no minimum size. Entries must be quilted and finished with a hanging sleeve. Three-dimensional entries are allowed as long as the piece can be hung in the standard manner.

Gold fabric

I decided I wanted to play. I drew some thumbnail sketches. I selected a design and drew it on paper. I doodled lines on the design and considered color placement. I decided to string piece the star legs so I made foundation paper patterns. I also made a pattern for setting the star into the background.

Last month, I searched online for gold fabric and bought a quarter yard. After pulling the red strings and the blue strings from my string bag, I was ready to begin the piecing!

Strings at the ready

Goal number five on my April list was to begin my guild challenge. I've almost finished string piecing. This project will be on my monthly list until I finish it. Yet, I plan to keep the project under wraps. Instead, I'll share sneak peaks of my progress.

Linking to Finished or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

Kaffe Challenge Basted Using Elmer's School Glue--post 6

Goal number eight on my April list was to layer and baste Scrappy Kaffe. This time I tried a sort of new to me technique. I used Elmer's school glue instead of safety pins. I tried this technique on the last project I layered and basted. The process didn't work. Likely it didn't work because I didn't wait long enough for the glue to dry. One of my fellow quilters, Rebecca, uses a large Elmer's purple school glue stick to baste her quilts. She has good results with that product. I had plenty of the liquid glue so that was what I used. If it works, I'll keep using it!

Gluing the backing

This time, I tried the technique again. I clamped the backing as I usually do to the kitchen table. I positioned the batting on the backing I pulled the batting back from a section of the backing. I spread a thin line of glue on the background. I placed the batting back on the backing and patted the batting into place. I repeated with the other part of the backing.

I let the glue sit for 30 minutes before I moved the project to another section. I repeated the process until all of the backing and batting were glued together. I repeated the process with the top. After I had folded the top to expose the wrong side of the top, I added the glue. I repositioned the glued section to the batting, I patted and smoothed the top. Again, I let the glue sit for 30 minutes before I moved the project to the next section.

Smoothing the top into place

After I had glued all of the sections and the glue had set for at least 30 minutes, I moved the project to the spare bed to allow the glue to dry fully. The following day, I checked the project. The glue had dried and even though there were some heavier glue drops than I would have liked when I glued the top, the hand of the project has no hard spots. The batting absorbed the drops fine. I could have used a bit more glue on the backing; but, I think after stitching in the ditch, all will be well.

Glue basted

I look forward to quilting this project to see how well the glue holds the layers in place. This process was fast because I wasn't inserting and closing a bunch of safety pins. I pieced the leftover Hobbs 80/20 batting from the quilts I had longarmed this year. I had little leftover which is great! 

I'm linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.

Scrappy Kaffe--A Finish!

Quilting design

This project is the back that became a front! I'm glad it did. Becoming a front meant I needed to piece a back for the challenge and a back for this project! The Gresham Senior Center longarmed it. The pantograph pattern is Botanical Blossoms.

Green binding

I used a different green for the binding as I didn't have enough left of what I had used in the front. I like the added depth of dimension the binding added.

Label

The label came from the guild free table long ago, I've been using the free table labels when I can figure out how best to use them! This time, I added the information I wanted to include around the preprinted information.

Hand stitching the sleeve

I did have to piece the sleeve as I was about two inches short of having a piece of fabric wide enough! The pieced part is next to the quilt so it appears the sleeve is all one fabric. Shhhh. . .we will keep that piecing fact between us!

Finished back

The handwork on this project was to close the corners of the binding, attach the label and sleeve. I machine stitched the binding to this project. 

Close up of quilting from front

In no time, I had another finish! This is the fourth finish of the year! It was goal number two on my April list. This project meets goal number three on my annual list. I used 11 yards of fabric in this project. I've used 30 yards of stash this month! Hooray!!!

Finished front

I have another finish to share with Finished or not Friday, Quilting and Patchwork, and Slow Stitching. Since there is a measurable amount of pink in this project which is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color this month, I'll link up with So Scrappy too.

 

And the Quilting Continued. . .Temperature Quilt 2021-2022

View of the light thread quilting on the back

The quilting pattern done in 33 rows

Goal number six on my April list was to make progress quilting the 2021-2022 Temperature Quilt. I started quilting it last October on Joie, my 790 Bernina. Projects needing quilting are piling up. I needed to push myself to make progress . . .like completing the internal quilting so I could quilt the borders! This was the project that I spent time on when I returned from my London trip.

View of the black thread quilting on the back

It helped to quilt it during some Zoom sew sessions. People talking helped keep my mind off of how  challenging the quilting of this project had become. I also listened to audio books from the library. I had 33 total rows to quilt. It took me about four hours to quilt each row. Pushing and pulling the mass to get the orientation of the stitch lines the direction I had wanted took a toll on my shoulders and upper back. I spent a lot of time stretching so that I could quilt the next row!

View of a completed section on the front

Eventually, I had the rows quilted. Of course, I didn't quilt the rows before I had a tension issue and had to remove and restitch a section! Next was to quilt the border. I needed to think about how to ensure the clams end up somewhat close on each side so that when I got to the top border, there would be a continuous row of them. Gertie had some thoughts and I had some thoughts. . .although my thoughts didn't involve a purchase!

Quilting one side border

Gertie wanted me to buy a laser self leveling light. While I think the tool is cool; I thought a ruler and chalk pencil would work just as well. Using the simple tools would save me at least $139. Yes, there are cheaper laser light models; but, Gertie tends to favor products with bells and whistles! After about five rows, I abandoned the ruler and chalk. The more I tried chalk the lines, the more the rows seemed to skew.

Checking the line up---hit and miss

In the end, I decided to stitch the sides as if I only had one side. I left a space at the top of one row so that I could adjust the row to merge it into the top border. I did a little adjusting; but, it isn't in your face evident. I was happy with the result. 

Checking the fit

The clam shell design almost fit. Adjusting the height of this row wasn't a big deal. 

Merging the clam shell quilting 

It didn't take long to finish quilting the top border. I love the end result.

The top of the clam shell border

Next month, I will bind, label and add a sleeve to this project to finish it! I'm excited to have completed the quilting which I started last October! While that is six months. . .there were many weeks that I only looked at the project and didn't work on it!

Finished quilting

Just as a reminder, this project is two years of weather. The dark line down the center represents the end of the first year. Linking to Sew & Tell and I Quilted This.

Pink Strings--post five

The pink scrap bag

Gertie, my inner squirrel, is happily chortling and prancing about the studio after receiving your kind comments after our last post. She has been pushing me to begin working with the pink strings. Pink is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color this month. I prepared the newsprint foundation papers and began. Again, I pieced the pink centers first.

Piecing the pink strings progress

Piecing the centers first means I can put the pink away once I'm finished. Working with the black and gray scraps still makes a mess; but, it is more controlled. . .as if it is possible to control a mess!

Leftovers uncovered from a previous project

Approaching the end of piecing the blocks, I uncovered left over string parts in the bag. I almost returned them to the bag. Gertie, my inner squirrel, convinced me to stitch them into bigger parts. I plan to add borders and move the small triangles to the sides of the body. Perhaps, it will become a placemat or a a small wall hanging. I will admit I had fun channeling Chantal (At the Corner of Scraps and Quilts) for her ability to reduce a scrap bag and Diann (Little Penguin Quilts) who turns the bits into mug rugs, table and placemats! 

Auditioning bigger parts

Gertie is thinking it might be fun for me to add some embroidery so it could become a "special" placemat. She thinks Happy Day should be the words. I see her point. Birthdays, an anniversary, Valentine's Day. . .hmm. . .I really don't need another project! For now, it can marinate!

Pink string bag after piecing blocks

After I had pieced the centers, I took a photo of the pink string bag. There are still a lot of strings; but, less than before!

Gray and black string process

I moved on to adding the gray and black corners. I will need to cut more gray and black strings to piece the May blocks!

Pink string diamonds

Sewing the rectangles together is the reveal. I continue to smile at how interesting each color is when the rectangles are stitched into the diamond shape.

The two "blocks"

Beginning with the pink, I sewed four diamonds together to make the block. It was a little tricky to match the constant fabric. I decided to match the constant fabric and let the seams fall where they would. Working with these giant blocks will make piecing the top faster! The giant block finishes at 24 by 16 inches. This could be a bigger quilt than I was anticipating!

All the blocks 

After stitching four diamonds together to create a block, I added the blocks to the wall. I like what I see. Soon, I'll be out of wall space! Sewing the pink string blocks was goal number four on my April list.

Linking to Finished or not Friday, Patchwork and Quilts, So Scrappy and Oh Scrap!

Red Strings--A Little Late--post 4

Red Strings

Angela chose red as the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color last month. I was out of town so I didn't get more than piecing the red portions of the block sewn. Usually, I remember to photograph the string bag before I begin; but, I forgot. I'll blame jet lag on the omission! 

Rectangles and leftovers 

I did remember to photograph the bag after I had pieced all of the rectangles. That bag was stuffed before I began! Previously, I pieced the entire rectangle. This time I pieced the red section of all the rectangles. Then I pieced the black and gray corners. Piecing this way created less of a mess. 

Blue, red and green blocks

When I had four blocks completely pieced, I was curious what the blocks would look like together. I put four green and four blue blocks on the design wall. I liked the layout of four blocks in a color way. I wondered what more blocks would look like. I added the remaining blocks to the design wall.

All the blocks

Gertie, my inner squirrel, likes the plan. She wants me to sew four blocks of each color together. I agree with her! Eventually, I'll stitch the blocks. First, I want to catch up with pink as that is the color Angela has chosen as the RSC color for April.

Linking up with So Scrappy, Oh Scrap and Faith Trust and Breast Cancer.