Piecing the Back For the Selvage Top

Novelty sewing themed print fabric

Goal number nine on my November list was to piece a back for the selvage top which I'm calling "Hidden Seven." I started with the piece of green I had left over from cutting the background for the selvage blocks. 

I cut and prepared the binding. I decided to use one cut of the fabric pieced horizontally. Next, I went to the stash. In 2011, my friend JoJo and I went fabric shopping. I was on the hunt for a particular background fabric. I found what I needed. Together we found a fun novelty print. 

Two yards of the newsprint/Sewing Daily print remained on the bolt. She and I split it. I liked it so much that every time I went to cut it up, I couldn't! I don't know how JoJo used her fabric.

Pieced back

The novelty fabric seemed just right for the back. Still, I needed another chunk of fabric. I chose a red fabric. It was also a yard. With a little more piecing, I finished stitching the back. I had enough of the green to cut the sleeve. I will cut the batting. This project will be ready to go to the longarmer! 

Linking to Finished Or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

Four Patch Fun--"Pink Lemonade"--post 1

Pink fabrics

Our Mystery Mavens group is planning to share strips to make Bonnie Hunter's Four Patch Fun Leader/Ender challenge. We were going to share the strips in September but some us forgot! I was one of those who forgot! So we are exchanging strips in December. 

One of our members said the colors reminded her of pink lemonade and so that has become the name of the project. We are sharing strips so we will have fabric from other members of the group. Some of us have pink and yellow fabrics. Some of us have pink and little yellow. Some, like me, have yellow but almost no pink!

Yellow fabrics

We decided any pink from light, to bright to dusty and to dark would be accepted. We also made the same sort of allowances for yellow. We could look at our stash for yellow gold, bright yellow, mustard, dark yellow and light yellow. 

My oldest granddaughter was over for a visit. She helped me find the remaining pink fabrics. (I already had pulled pink for Bonnie's mystery that will begin in a few weeks so I had little left!) We also pulled the yellow fabrics. 

Again, a lot of the yellow fabrics came from Rita's Temperature quilt fabrics. Although, I had quite a few. The really bright yellow fabrics, I picked up from the free table a number of years ago. 

I thought that I would start cutting strips. Then, I decided
that at the least, I want to pre-wash the fabrics first. Some, I have pre-washed; but, there are a lot that haven't been pre-washed. I will likely pre-wash the strips I get because I don't want to be surprised with a fabric bleed when the project is finished!

In process sewing

Then, I decided that I wanted to make a block to see what it was like. I asked my granddaughter if she would like to cut the pieces and sew a sample block. She did!

Chain piecing the block

That quarter inch seam proved to be elusive in some places; but, as she stitched, she hit the mark most of the time. She was impressed she remembered how to lower the presser foot and provide an even speed with the foot pedal. I was impressed with how quickly she corrected her seam allowance.

Finished block

Once she had finished, we both liked the block. So over the next week, I pre-washed fabric, dried fabric, pressed fabric and cut strips. If there wasn't enough fabric to cut a strip; but, there was enough fabric to cut a block, I did. For two days, I spent the majority of the day cutting!

15 pink and 80 yellow strips to exchange

Next,  I raided my precut strips and was able to come up with a few more fabrics. I pre washed the pink leftovers that my friend, Rita had cut for her Temperature quilt. These were the leftovers that would work for this project. I dried, pressed and cut as many blocks as I had fabric. I cut steadily for a couple of days!

Pink leftovers

I'm ready for the exchange. I have a great amount of fabrics cut for the leader/ender. I do need to cut the background fabric. I'm saving that task for another day!

Yellow fabrics ready for stitching

All my yellow and pink fabrics are in a project box awaiting background fabrics. I'm thinking that I will cut 20 strips to start and replenish as I need. My project box is about full; but, I believe I can squeeze in some background strips! When I finish this project, I will have used a lot of scraps!

Pink fabrics ready for stitching

Goal number six on my November list was to gather and cut strips for this leader/ender. Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell.

Sashing Grassy Creek--post 8

Chaos while figuring out a piecing system

The first and third Mondays of the month are the days that our Mystery Mavens group meet. I try to work on a Bonnie project during those days. I've been working on Grassy Creek. The first Monday, I planned to get started on the sashing. 

I made quite a mess while I was figuring  out a system to build the sashing. I decided to make the churn dash elements with the same fabric in each churn dash.

To ensure the blocks stayed as I had laid them out on the design wall, I pinned the sashing on top. This turned out as not the best solution; but, it got me started with the process.

Sashing in progress

Because working on this project takes up so much space in my sewing area. I made the decision to sew on it until I had the blocks together in a top. 

I'm pleased with how the parts are coming together. I'm also pleased with the overall effect of the sashing. Although the first photo of the sashing in progress doesn't show the effect!

At the end of my second sewing session, I had made a little more progress. My design wall isn't big enough to hold a full row of the blocks. Consequently, if there was a way to sew the blocks together differently from the directions, I tested it! I found that moving the blocks to the floor netted a whole lot less unsewing! 

Progress after the second sewing session

Even though  I haven't sewn but a few rows together, I'm liking the emerging design! The light background pieces sure pop in this design. It is easy to sew bits together that creates a pattern other than the one that I want! I plan to be mindful as I stitch each seam. 

Working on the other half of the blocks at the end
of the third session

At the end of session three, I had sewn four rows together. I also had laid out two thirds of the second half of the quilt. I did need to cut a few bars for the churn dashes so that I had the same fabric in the four sections of the churn dash. 

Progress at the beginning of the fourth session

At the beginning of the fourth session, I thought that I would be able to complete the center. Even though I had sewn half of the quilt into rows and even though I had begun the layout of the last half of the quilt, I was too optimistic!

Lower third of the second half of the quilt

There are 24 points to match in each row. Sometimes, the matches went well and sometimes they didn't. I was short one HST and I had one extra string pieced sashing. I sure removed a lot of stitches in that last row because I kept turning the HSTs in a direction other than was directed! By the end of the fourth session, I had three more seams to sew! 

Close up view of the churn dash sashing

On the fifth session, I was sure that I could finish the center. I had three seams left to sew and I had pinned two of them. I did it! WHEW! I like it. It measures about 84 inches square which is too big for me to get an accurate photo of the center. 

Finished center

There is a skinny inner border and a string border left to add. In the coming weeks, I'll think about when I will work on those sections. I need to get to other items on my November list. I'm glad that I've made progress on this project which was goal number seven on my list.

Linking to Finished or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

Pulling the Fabrics for Lupine & Laughter--post one

Fabric pull for Lupine & Laughter

Last month, Bonnie Hunter released the introduction to her 2025 mystery quilt along. She is calling it Lupine & Laughter. She released the information a week early because she would be traveling to Oregon to assist her son's recovery from brain surgery. 

If you want to participate, clink the link for more information. I participate because it is an opportunity to use from stash, to play with different color ways and to become more accurate with my cutting and piecing. 

Purple fabrics starched in the shower

In 2019, I started a group to work on the mystery. We call ourselves the Mystery Mavens. We gather the first Monday of the month in a hybrid meeting. We meet the third Monday of the month via Zoom. 

A couple of our group moved to other states so we added the third Monday meeting to stay in contact with them. After a few months, I realized there was WiFi at our in person meeting space so that meeting turned into a hybrid meeting. 

Dried fabrics ready for the iron

Several of our members who met in person don't want to haul their supplies to our first Monday meeting so they Zoom into the meeting. Several of our members don't Zoom. It is nice to have options! It is also great to be able to stay in touch with our members who have moved to Kansas and Alabama.

The reason that I started the group was because working on my own with Bonnie's mysteries, I didn't finish. Sometimes, I never got past the choosing fabric stage! Often, I would get stuck and the project ended up as a UFO. From watching Bonnie's FaceBook page and reading her blog post comments, I could see how much fun it was to stitch together in a group setting.

Some of the prepped fabric

There are 25 members in our group. You do have to be a member of the local quilt guild to join our group. Some members only work on Bonnie projects during our time together. Others are working on the mystery.  It could be a past mystery or it could be the current mystery. Once members complete the mystery, they work on other projects. Often, they work on another of Bonnie's patterns.

Fabrics prepped and in the project box waiting
for the first clue

As am aside, I have had several people say they want to join us; but they have no interest in working on a Bonnie project. I encourage these people to start their on group. I. explain how to set up a group. Each time, I've been told that the person didn't have time to start or maintain a group! 

This year, we are planning to work on Bonnie's Leader/Ender challenge, Four Patch Fun. Because some of us have little pink or little yellow we are going to exchange strips in December. We tried to do it at the end of summer, but, some of us (like me) forgot! Those that live out of state can participate too. It will be fun to have fabric in this project from other members of the group!

We have a FaceBook page where we post photos and exchange information. They are a wonderful group of women. Frolic was our first mystery together. Then it was Grassy Creek, Rhododendron Trail, Chilhowie, Indigo Way and Old Town. I am working on Grassy Creek; but, I will finish it in 2026! The other one I haven't finished is Good Fortune which was the mystery before Frolic.

It's been awesome to share fabrics. I've been inspired by members' color way choices to go "rouge" which I did with Rhododendron Trail. I've been awed with members'
creativity in putting blocks together in different layouts and using alternate sashing options. The best part is the support of the group. Without them, I'd likely have more unfinished projects!

Eleven of us in December 2023

For Lupine and Laughter, I pulled fabrics from my chunks of scraps. Most of the pieces are between an eighth and a quarter of a yard. I hope that the bits I have will work into the project. I have so little pink! In Rita's Rhododendron Trail box, there were a few pink chunks so that helped me with my fabric pull! The plaid fabric in the photo was leftover from a skirt my oldest granddaughter stitched in 2016!

The purples also came from the chunks scrap drawer. I emptied it by about half! Again, I hope that the size pieces I have will work well with the project. I did have some light creams in my neutral pull; but, I switched those out so that the neutrals are white as per Bonnie's suggestion.

Ice blue fabrics were not many in my stash either. I had to stretch what constituted ice blue to me! But, the great news was that all the fabrics came from my stash. I did order and purchase the half rectangle ruler that Bonnie suggested. I understand that these are sold out everywhere. Amazing that one woman could have that much influence in the quilting world!

Once I had chosen the fabric, I tested each one to be sure that it wasn't going to bleed. Pre-washing takes some time! I dried the fabric in the dryer to ensure if shrinkage was going to occur it did! Next, I sprayed each fabric with a mixture of one part starch to two parts water. I have a few containers of Stay-Flo; but I understand that Linit Starch is a good alternative. Purex stopped making Stay-Flo some time ago. Stay-Flo was starch in concentrated liquid form.

I dilute the concentrate with a ratio of one part concentrate to two parts water. I use a spray bottle to distribute the starch on the fabric until the fabric is soaked. I spray the fabrics in the shower because clean up from the overspray is easy! I hang the fabric to dry, then I iron the fabric. It takes a long time to complete the fabric preparation; but, it is important because I find my accuracy is better if I use starch. The prepped fabric feels stiff like thin cardstock. 

My fabrics are prepped and I'm ready for the first clue to be released November 21! Are you playing along with Bonnie this year? 

Pulling the fabrics and prepping them was goal number two on my November list. Linking to Oh Scrap.

House Blocks at the Longarmer--post 3

 

Stitching around the appliqué with
monofilament thread

Goal number one on my November list was to press the backing and top of the house quilt so I could get it to the longarmer. I took the pre-washed wide back to an in person sew day. Pressing a wide back isn't my idea of a fun time. Being able to do it amidst laughter and conversation made the task so much better!

Later, as I was pressing the top, I realized that on three of the raw appliqué blocks, the edges were only pressed in place. Some of the fusible was lifting so I needed to stitch down each of the pieces. My original plan was that when I quilted the piece, I would stitch down the appliqués in the process. I totally forgot about that plan now that I'm sending the piece to a longarmer! I used monofilament thread in the needle and a cotton thread in the bobbin. With my free motion foot, I stitched around the block parts.

The back and top ready for the longarmer

Next, I realized that two of the blocks had hard embellishments. . .button door knobs! I removed those. I will add them back after the project is quilted. I had a quilting pattern in mind, but, I didn't see anything close to it in the panto list. I selected a few options and encouraged the longarmer to choose one that would work. I also thought that a medium gray or dark grey thread, of the options available, would blend the best; but, again, I asked the longarmer to make that decision. 

It's been a long time since I worked on this quilt. It took some digging to locate the previous post which were in September of 2023. It is no wonder that I had forgotten about the buttons and the appliqués!

Linking to Finished Or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

October Recap and November Goals

Quilting back of temperature quilt

My Annual Goals are:

✒1. Have a net loss of 100 yards of fabric from my stash.

✒2. Finish six UFOs

✔ a. Temperature 2021--pin basted and ditched quilted started in January;  progress made in February. Almost finished the quilting in March. Completed the project in April. Hooray!!!! 

✒b. Temperature 2022-2023--pin basted in September

✒c. Martha's House blocks--purchased backing in May; determined a quilting design in August;

Clamshells--front of temperature quilt

✔d. Positively Grows--pin basted in February; started ditch quilting in July, finished in August, documented in September.

✔e. Maze top--purchased backing in May; longarmer quilted and I added the binding, sleeve and label in June!

f. Butterfly number four 

Fabric Summary:

Fabric in this month: 0 yards   

Fabric in year to date: 64 3/4 yards

Fabric used from stash this month: 4.75 yards 

Fabric used from stash year to date: 107 yards

S

Squirrel antics

Net loss/gain this month: -4.75yards

Net loss/gain year to date: -45.75 yards  

Books:

"New" quilting pattern

My favorite listen of the month was: "The Spoon Stealer" by Lesley Crewe. Often a spoonful of kindness is all one needs to set issues on the right path. The main character "Em" lifts spoons to remember the people she met, assisted and loved during her life. She is one strong, wise and witty woman!

My favorite read of the month was: "Together in Manzanar: The True Story of a Japanese Jewish Family in An American
Concentration Camp" by Tracy Slater. I was familiar with the Tule Lake "relocation center." I had not heard of Manzanar and I had no idea that the camps were indeed concentration camps. This story is written using the diaries of the mom and dad before, during and after the war.

My October goals were:

✔1. Post about my sourdough baking.

✔2. Share my progress with the Triple Treat Leader Ender Project.

Pre-washing garment fabric

✔3. Make progress on Grassy Creek.

✔4. Make the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks. 

✔5. Make more 2025 Temperature Quilt blocks.

✔6. Finish of Stitch By Stitch.--It lacks a
sleeve and blocking.

✔7. Prewash challenge fabrics that one of my small groups is doing.

✔8, Make a knit skirt for my granddaughter.

✔9, Piece the batting for Beyond the Surface.

✔10. Begin quilting the 2022-2023 Temperature quilt. I did begin the quilting. Photos are at the top of this post! While I liked the clamshells in the border, I did not like them on the boxes so I ripped about 15 rows. . . .sigh. . .Gertie, my inner squirrel, tried to tell me to

Making progress on the Temperature quilt

stop; but, I didn't listen!

✔11. Document the QOV presentation.

✔12. Continue working on the virtual retreat. Speakers have said yes. The guild president has signed the contracts and retuned them to the speakers. The treasurer has paid the deposit fee one speaker required. Charity block directions and photos are complete. I also know how much it costs to mail one block or two blocks. Our committee is working on games/activities. if you have an idea, please share!

I made great progress last month. Now  my goal is to keep up the momentum!

My November goals are:

This fabric destined to be a backing

1. Get the backing pre-washed, pressed as well as the house top pressed and to the longarmer.

2. Gather and prepare fabrics for the Bonnie Hunter mystery. This year it is Lupin & Laughter.

3. Make more 2025 Temperature Quilt blocks.

4. Make progress quilting the 2022-2023 Temperature Quilt.

5. Make a garment for my middle granddaughter.

6. Gather and cut strips for the Bonnie Hunter leader ender.

7. Make progress on Grassy Creek.

8. Begin cutting and piecing fabrics for the small group challenge.

9. Make a back for the 2025 RSC top. I did choose one fabric as a start! 

Linking to Oh Scrap and Show and Tell and To Do Tuesday!