Garden Flowers--post one

Fat quarter, parts and scraps

Goal number nine on my July list was to determine what to do for our book club quilt project. We are discussing "By Her Own Design" by Piper Huguley. It is the story of Ann Lowe, a black woman dress designer, who created Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding gown. Lowe was truly an artist when it came to dress design. From the time she was a young girl, she liked to make fabric flowers and attach them to the dresses.

Fussy cutting the flower motifs

In the stash, I had a fat quarter that was printed with large flowers. I decided to use it as well as some green strings, pink half square triangles (HST), a few leftover parts from a previous project and pink strips. I fussy cut the whole printed flowers. I was able to cut out six flowers.

Possible layout

After fussy cutting, I started to work on a layout. Because the flowers were different sizes, I used a variety of pink strips to frame the flowers. Then I trimmed the blocks to one consistent size. I continued to arrange the blocks as if they were photos on a wall.

Flowers framed

After seeing all the pink, the project needed green! I thought the green bits I had were crumbs; but, it turns out they were strings. I started piecing two and a half inch strings strips of fabric to use as sashing. I also pulled the leftover pieces from a previous project to audition into the mix.

Leftover parts to possibly add to the project

I added a few HST to the layout as well as a yellow background fabric. I made an X from four of the leftover parts. I changed the layout so the flowers circled the X.

Adding a background fabric and changing the layout

I decided that I needed one 4 1/2 inch string strip to be placed at the bottom of the project. I pieced that strip. Maybe half of this strip will be on one side of the triangle leftover with the other half on the other side of the pieced part. 

Center block on point, adding HSTs

Looking at that center block, I decided it needed strings. I pieced more strings. These strings are two and half inches wide. After contemplating the layout yet again, I turned the center block on point and auditioned the pink HSTs as a border around the center block. 

Additional flower block added

I needed another flower block. I was able to piece one from the scraps of the fat quarter. In the photo below, you have to zoom in to see the piecing line! The design needed the additional flower block.

Pieced flower

I've created a math challenge for myself. I want to piece the flower blocks around the center. How to make the design work will be a challenge for another day! I hope to be able to inset the flower blocks around the center block with straight forward piecing.

Triple Treat Is A Top--post 4

Layout on the design wall

At an in person sew day with the Mavens, I sewed the remaining blocks that I needed for the top. I didn't take photos. At home, I added the blocks to the design wall. I did find one block that I hadn't sewn the neutral squares correctly. I also had two extra blocks which I used on the back.

The top

Stitching the blocks into rows and the rows together didn't take long. It measured 60 by 72 inches. I had planned to use a wide back for the backing. Instead, I decided to go into stash and choose fabrics to piece a back.

The fabrics

I started with a couple pieces of red; but, went instead with a brown, a tan and a red fabric. I've had these fabrics since 2005. Their time to leave my curated art collection, more commonly known as stash, had finally arrived! 

The back

I did cut a sleeve from the tan fabric. I used four and half yards of stash to make the back! Soon, I'll be taking the top and the back to the quilter! Making progress on this project was goal number one one my July list.

Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.

Quilting the Sashiko Project --post 2

Backing fabric

Goal number four on my June list was to prepare the project for quilting and to figure out the quilting. For two weeks, it hung on my design wall. I didn't hear what it wanted. One day, I decided to pick a scrap fabric for the back. I bought it for a project in the early 1990s which I gifted! Scraps from this fabric have made their way into several projects since. 

Auditioning pink

As I began to measure the scrap for piecing, it struck me that the handwork piece was too plain. I felt it needed a border. I pulled pink strips for a border. While the pink brightened the project, it overpowered it. Next, I auditioned dark strips. I even auditioned a scrap of the sheet that I''m weaving into the rug! I wasn't "sold" on my options. 

Auditioning a dark border and half square triangles

Then I remembered I had some half square triangles (HSTs) in the parts department. These finish at one inch so they were the right size. I had used pink and white fabrics. While the idea was good, the white wasn't right. Gertie, my inner squirrel, decided the project needed white.

White border added

I cut an inch strip of white fabric from my white scraps. After squaring the top, I stitched the white border to the top. I auditioned more dark strips. I decided the white would not make it obvious that I didn't have enough of the background fabric for an outer border. I also decided that a dark blue and pink HSTs in the border would be a great add. The HSTs remind me of rose thorns!

Ready to be layered

I almost cut the border strip at 3/4 of an inch; but, decided that the inch border was better. Now, I'm second guessing my decision! In person, the border looks great.

Background and curved lines around central motif

To quilt this project, I pulled silk thread for the needle and a cotton thread for the bobbin. I'm using a constant 50 weight blue cotton thread in the bobbin. I stitched around the motif in a dark blue thread.  Silk thread is wonderful. It adds texture and sheen in a subtle manner. I don't use it often because it is expensive!

I stitched a line a quarter of an inch away from the motif so that the quilting stopped before the motif. I framed the motif with three rows of stitching. I used two templates and a chalk pencil to make the placement line. It took me several tries before I had a shape that I found pleasing!

Template combination used to quilt the curved lines

I used a brighter blue thread to quilt the background around the motif with a filler stitch that resembles flowing water. I quilted pebbles around the motif to give the hand work depth. I did leave a quarter inch space between the motif and the pebbles.

Pebbles quilted around the central motif

l did quilt around the "veins" in the leaves and along the lines in the roses. I added a continuous curve to the half square triangles.

The array of threads used to quilt the project

In the border, I quilted straight lines, some horizontal and some vertical. I quilted a line in the middle of the white border. The project measured about 16 inches square. 

View of the quilting texture

The quilting provided great texture. You do need to stand close to see the texture. 

View of quilting texture on the back

The label is yet another that I picked up from the free table. The embroidery motif sure was perfect for this backing! I named it Sashiko and Rose. I bought a book, paid the class fee and purchased the class supplies. I spent about $130 to make this tiny piece! I also have about 50 hours of work into the project!

The label

I needed to piece the sleeve because I didn't have enough of a scrap to cover the width of my project. Other than the class supplies, I purchased nothing for this project. Even the batting was pieced from leftovers.

Sleeve and back of quilt

I bound the project in the fabric that I used for the outer border. I cut the binding at two inches so the binding is narrower than I usually make.

Front view

I'm loving this finish. If you missed the first post, click here. Documenting the finish was goal number five on my July list. Finishing it was goal number 2j on my annual list. I've had ten finishes this year with eight finishes from my annual list! I used half a yard of fabric to finish this piece which reduces my stash overall to 74 and 3/4 yards. I have used one yard of fabric from my stash so far this month!

Linking to: I Quilted This, Finished or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

Two Reversible Aprons For A Special Granddaughter

Doll blankets AKA Fat Quarters

When I was visiting my youngest granddaughter in London last March, she showed me her doll blankets that one of her special aunties had gifted her. I tried to explain that I knew her blankets as fat quarters and asked if she would like to have an apron out of the fabric.

Apron making in process

She looked at me like I had grown horns on the top of my head. First, there was not "fat" in the fabric and it was "whole" not a quarter! She is four years old. I couldn't argue with her logic. She was NOT letting her blankets become an apron! I returned home sans the fat quarters. A month later her uncle visited. Her mama managed to slip the fat quarters into his luggage with a note to make the aprons! She and her mama will be here in a few weeks for a visit. It was time to make the aprons!

Pocket detail using a coordinating fabric

I found a free child's reversible apron pattern on line which used three fat quarters. I rummaged through my fabrics and found fabrics to coordinate with the fat quarters so that I could make two aprons. The prints with the people characters was printed horizontally. Using the fabric as per the pattern meant that the girls would be sideways on the apron. That orientation wouldn't fly with my granddaughter!

One side of two reversible aprons

I added a little fabric to allow the girls in the print to be vertical! It took some time to make the straps and apply the pocket. The yellow pocket is smaller than the printed pocket because that was all the fabric I had!

Second side of two reversible aprons

I hope my granddaughter will like the aprons so much that when she travels to her godparents home she will pack one. Her godfather is a chef. She does get to do a little meal preparation with him which she loves. At the least, I hope trying to decide which apron she wants to wear and then which side she wants to wear will be at least a five minute activity here!

Miss A

Making these aprons was goal number seven on my July list. I used the equivalent of two fat quarters to make these aprons from my stash. I have now used half a yard of fabric from my stash this month. I've a net loss of 74 and a quarter yards of stashed used this year. 

Linking to.Sew and Tell and To Do Tuesday.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Aqua--post 8

Scraps and leftover chunks

Angela, the creator of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color, chose aqua as the color for July. I didn't have many strings of aqua so I looked through Martha's scrap bag. I added a few. Then I pulled the chunks I had remaining from past projects.

Piecing the aqua

To have enough fabric, I needed to throw in a few teal and turquoise strings to have enough string material to piece all the rectangles. I believe I managed an aqua vibe to the block! 

Strings leftover

I had few strings remaining, which is great! It makes me so happy to be using instead of collecting!

One block

Then it was on to piecing the gray and black bits to the blocks. Gosh, my table gets to be such a jumbled mess as I work through the blocks! 

Four blocks sewn into one big block equals two big blocks

I spent a day piecing the aqua part of the block. I spent a day and a half piecing the grey/black part of the block and piecing the sections together. Matching the intersections has improved since I began gluing the center string.

I need four more blocks. Gertie is thinking that for two of the blocks, I piece one additional big block of green and an additional big block of yellow. She is likely right; but, I'll piece purple next and then decide! It is shaping up to be 60 x 96 inches. I've asked Gertie to think about ideas for getting it to 72 inches wide. She said she would appreciate suggestions from you. She is such a cheeky squirrel!

Blocks so far

To answer a question I've received about the foundation that I use to sew the strings--it is newsprint. Weekly grocery circulars and the voter's pamphlet from the May primary are my current sources since it is "free." I use a short stitch length--12 to 15 stitches per inches or 1.5- 2.0 setting when I'm stitching the strings to the paper. I do try to back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam. Removing the paper is easy, although it is messy. I tend to remove the paper when I'm ready to sew a big block together. I do take a victory lap around each big block to discourage any seam from "unsewing" itself!  Piecing the aqua strings was goal number two on my July list.

Linking to Finished or Not Friday, Patchwork and Quilts, Rainbow Scrap Challenge and Oh Scrap.

Piecing Strings--post 2

The string bag in June

That string bag was calling to me. I was thinking about goal number three on my July list which was to sew strings from the 6 1/2 inch and 4 1/2 inch string bags. I was curious as to what I would find in Martha's scrap bag. 

The pile of fabrics to sort

To start, I pulled about five inches from the bag of scraps to the sorting table. Any aqua fabrics when into the Rainbow Scrap Challenge strings. There were a few of those.

Partial blocks, block parts, chunks of fabric

The pile contained partial blocks, blocks, squares, rectangles, triangles, crumb triangles, strips and strings! There were even a few pieces of similar fabric that might have been cut for a border for a small wall hanging. I started a bag for triangles and another for floral fabric squares. The black fabrics went into my Scrap Challenge project bin. The chunks went into my chunk drawers.

Strings, strips,  squares and a couple heart blocks

I sorted strips, squares and strings. I put the strips and squares into my scrap saving system. The strings went into my 6 1/2, 4 1/2, 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 inch bags.

Progress in July--reduced by almost half

Progress at the end of the sorting session was great. Maybe after one more sorting session, I will empty the bag! While I applaud Chantal (At the Corner of Scrap and Quilts) for her ability to make blocks immediately from the scraps, I contented myself to stitch the strings. My plan was to stitch four strips of strings in all the sizes but the 2 1/2 inch size. I'll save that stitching for when my youngest granddaughter is visiting.

6 1/2 inch strings

I started piecing the 6 1/2 inch strips to the paper foundation. I pieced four strips for a total of 88 inches. Of course, I had strings left to save for another sew day! The photo below contains all the 5 1/2 inch strips I have pieced so far!

I pieced the 4 1/2 inch strips next. I have another 88 inches of fabric!

I moved on to the 3 1/2 inch strips. Yep. . .another 88 inches of fabric!

I sew from the largest to the smallest because sometimes, there are bits left that will work in a smaller unit. Sometimes, I've miscalculated the correct size strip. This way, I make better use of my strip sewing time! 

The string bags are manageable so that means that they are ready to receive more strings as I make them.

I believe I'm close to having made enough "fabric" for string borders for a project!

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