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.

Binding and the Finish of Lupine and Laughter--post 6

A Tisket A Tasket quilting pantograph

While I was in London, Lupine and Laughter was at the longarmer. I often select a pantograph; but, ask the longarmer to pass judgment. After all, they likely have stitched that pattern and have a better understanding of whether it will work well or not for my project! They concurred with the pattern that I chose. The pattern is called A-Tisket A-Tasket.

Quilting texture from the front

I like the texture that the quilting provides. 

Binding corner close up and backing true color

I decided that I would make the sleeve and binding out of the leftover backing. I bought the wide backing last year during a sale.The other fabrics came mostly came from my stash. Alvera and Rosanne sent me some pink fabrics which certainly added to the scrappiness of this project. I had a few fat quarters on hand for the blue as well as strips. For the inner skinny blue border, I sacrificed some fabric that I'm using for my 2025 temperature quilt. The purple came from chunks and strips. The background fabric also came from leftovers and free table finds. 

The Label

This time, I finished stitching the binding by hand. I thought I would lose fewer points that way! The label came from a yard of fabric I purchased three decades ago. The labels are large. I liked it because of the floral pattern. I've had a hard time using them; but, it worked perfectly on this backing fabric. 

Close up of the label information

I left space on the label so that when the quilt determines its forever home, I can add the information about the recipient. 

Quilt front and back

I used 19 yards of fabric for this project. This is the third quilt that I have finished this year. This is Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt that she released at the end of last year. I'm excited to have finished this project way before Bonnie releases the information for the next mystery in October!

Finished Front

Past posts are: Pulling the Fabric; Piecing the clues 1-5; Piecing the clues 6-part of 8; Lupine and Laughter is a Flimsy; and Lupine and Laughter Off to the Longarmer.

Finishing Lupine and Laughter was goal number one on my April list. It was goal number 2t on my annual goals list. I'm looking forward to linking up this finish with Finished or Not Friday, Patchwork and Quilts and Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Liberty of London Visit

Happy Easter! May your day be spent enjoying services and catching up with family and friends.

View of the fabric from the floor above. Note the timbers.

One new destination on my list during my London trip was Liberty of London. The business has been around since 1875. The building was finished in 1924. It was constructed from two ancient three decker battle ships. The length and height of the building measured one of the ships. Flooring and support timbers came from the ships. It is such an interesting building!

A selection of the fabric

I looked at the bed linen floor briefly. I could have spent a lot of time walking through each floor; but, I didn't know how well my knee would cooperate so I confined my visit to the fabric floor. To see so many prints was amazing. One meter of fabric was 29 pounds. A meter is about 39 inches. The pound conversion meant the fabric was about $38 for that meter.

Pulling the fabric from the bolt

The employee who waited on me was helpful and knowledgeable. He did want to know what I planned to make with the fabric as there isn't enough yardage to make clothing. Before I answered his questions, I noted that he wore well fitting pants. I asked if he had made them since the fit was so perfect. He smiled and squared his shoulders before he responded. He reported that he had put the last stitch in the pants that morning and that the fabric had come from a recent visit to Scotland. He said he bought fabric every place he went and then made a piece of clothing as a souvenir!

My purchase

I laughed. I said I was doing the same but, I was sharing my fabric with my quilt group! He said my answer made sense; but, I could tell he had no idea how this small amount of fabric could be made into anything. Time will tell. My small group won't receive it until next fall. We all need to finish our current challenge!

Documenting this visit was goal number seven on my April list. Linking up with Sew & Tell.