Quilting the Butterfly--post 10 and Knee Revision Update

Warning: A short update regarding my knee revision is included at the end of this post. Knee photos follow the close up photo of the butterfly quilting. Stop reading the post at that point.

Examples of free motion quilting
in green and batik  fabrics

Goal number six on my September list was to make progress on free motion quilting my butterfly quilt. My plan is to stitch around the motifs and to take advantage of any "filler" type prints used in the design. I also plan to match the thread to the fabric so the quilting provides texture. Over the years, I've learned that plans change so I'm going with how I feel.

Stitching on pink fabrics

This project has been made with lots and lots of small scraps. There is a variety of fabrics used too. Some of the fabrics are: fashion fabric, swimwear fabric, batiks and quilting cottons. Many of the scraps are from my friend Martha's strip and crumb inventory.

Stitching pink thread on a motif

The photos represent about eight hours of free motion quilting. I believe I've stitched the black fabrics and most of the bright green fabrics. I had planned to quilt using one thread color; but, decided to quilt areas of the quilt instead. Quilting areas will allow me to keep the density of the quilting more even.

Overall view of project

I'll admit, I was getting into quilting this project. The closer the day of my knee surgery became, the less I slept so I was doing a lot of stitching at the beginning of the month! I hope to make more progress next month!

Close up of over all quilting and texture

My post surgery recovery is in full swing. I'm beginning to feel a bit of knee pain/tightness. Most of what I have felt has been muscle tightness. It's been a long time since I could extend my knee to walk so those quadriceps and hamstring muscles are protesting that I'm asking them to stretch and contract in ways they haven't. They loved their vacation!

Close up view of the spongy bandage and 
wound vac tubing

Between the wound vac system and the ice machine system, I have had little swelling and bruising of my leg. The swelling in the photo is a little less than I had before surgery. 

Bandage compressed against wound via the wound vac machine

I'm sharing a photo of the bandage as well as a photo of both knees. I'm moving forward faster than I did with my first knee surgery. 

The spongy bandage puffed up after the wound vac machine battery life ended.

Friday, the surgeon removed the spongy bandage and I returned the portable wound vac machine. I was surprised to learn that parts of the machine are recycled; but, that is thrown away. It benefited my healing process.

Steri-strips in place

The wound looked good. The edges had come together nicely. I now have steri-strips supporting the wound. The strips will fall off as the wound continues to heal. The purple lines are registration marks that the surgeon uses to close the wound. Once the wound has healed, I'll be able to try swimming. Only six more weeks to wait! Life is good!

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

A Mug Rug

Braid for a table runner

In my friend Rita's temperature quilt was a started braid for her temperature quilt and a length of braid in Christmas fabrics. I thought the started braid would make a good mug rug. I thought the length of braid would make a great table runner. I didn't know how to handle the started end of the braid so that it looked like the finished end.

When I'm stuck, I take the project to one of my small groups and ask for input. This project went to my Mavens group. Susan took a look at it and said that she would add more squares to fill it in. Not impossible, but fiddly. Pat said that she had just completed a similar table runner and showed me how she trimmed that end of the braid. It was a brilliant solution. I asked her to hold her hands in the "trimming" position so I could take a photo to remember the solution!

Mug rug back

I decided to try out my knowledge on the partial braid and make a mug rug. Cutting the end of the started braid worked great. I looked through my scraps to find a suitable backing and binding. I had a scrap of warm and natural batting that used when I layered the little mug rug. I quilted straight lines using a ruler and continuous curves in the squares using a neutral thread. 

Finished mug rug

I bound it and had a finish. It is headed to be in a basket that our small group is putting together for people to purchases tickets to win it at our guild quilt show. Rita would be pleased! Documenting this finish was goal number eight on my August list.

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

Stars and Stripes Guild Challenge Quilted--post 2

Stitching in the ditch

Goal number eight on my July list was to begin quilting the Stars and Stripes challenge. I started stitching in the ditch. I used matching thread in the needle and bobbin to complete the ditch quilting.

Straight lines for the top and bottom of the project

At the top and bottom of the project, I stitched straight lines. I had planned to use a blue silk thread and stitch the lines vertically. I abandoned this plan because the thread wanted to lay on top of the fabric and the stitches looked like the tension was incorrect. The vertical lines looked odd because they didn't line up with the striped fabric. I quilted vertical lines on the side borders. I chose to use white thread on the needle and bobbin to quilt horizontal lines that were a quarter of an inch apart.

Quilting lines in the stripe

In the stripe, I quilted more straight lines following the print of the stripe. I again used white thread.

Quilted vertical lines in the star center

In the center of the star, I quilted vertical lines using blue thread. I continued the theme of a quarter inch spacing for the lines. I had planned to divide the space into quarters and quilt the lines in a "V" shape; but, the vertical lines created the better texture.

Quilting curved lines

The quilting remained was the background of the star. I chose to continue the quarter inch spacing and the white thread. I chose a curved quilting ruler to stitch the lines. For the most part, I was able to join the lines from one section to another. 

Evidence of bleeding

It took me about 14 hours to complete the quilting which seems over the top because the piece measures 20 by 31 inches! I blocked it and  some of the red fabric bled. I wet the project again. I started with Dawn detergent and scrubbed the bleeding areas. The bleeding areas lightened; but, were still visible. I tried the Synthrapol detergent process next. The bleeding is mostly out. It is what it is. I can live with it.

Bleeding area after treatment

I quilted this project with cotton thread. I matched the bobbin thread to the color of thread in the needle.

Thread used to quilt the project

I added a facing and mitered corners. I hand stitched the loose edge of the facing to the quilt back. I added the hanging sleeve and label. 

Label

I used a yard and a half of scraps to complete this project. I've reduced my stash by two yards this month. I have a net loss of 75 and three quarter yards of stash used this year! With five full months remaining in the year, I'm close to meeting my annual goal of using 100 yards of stash. 

Back of project

Photos of the front will be shared and this post updated in October after the quilt has been shown in the guild quilt show. 

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

Basting the Butterfly Cut Loose--post nine

The butterfly

I finished piecing the butterfly in November 2020. It began in a Susan Carlson workshop in September 2018. I called the project Cut Loose because I cut shapes out of scraps and collaged them into the shape of one of Susan's patterns, the butterfly. I chose to make my project whimsical.

Last year, I had the project on my annual list to finish; but, it didn't happen. I decided this year I would finish it. I pieced a back from one fabric and glue basted the project. I forgot to take photos of the process! Getting the project ready to quilt was goal number four on my July list.

Beginning the quilting

Since I have finished quilting the guild challenge, this piece is my next one to quilt. I plan to use coordinating threads to free motion stitch around all the pieces. It is going to take time to nail all the parts down. I'll make an effort to work on it next month.

Linking to Sew & Tell, To Do Tuesday and I Quilted This.

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.

Read--post 2

Project to determine the quilting

Goal number three on my June list was to determine the quilting for Read. I started stitching the center of the ribbon. Eventually, I stitched on each edge of the ribbon. I knew I wanted to do some dense quilting on the book and around "Read." 

Space divided; ghost strings quilted

I was stuck with what to do in the rest of the space. While I pondered, I stitched in the ditch around the strings at the top of the project. I was still stuck. When that happens, I divide the space. This time, I was stuck with how to do that! 

Gertie, my inner squirrel, and I had a conference. I thought, "What is already in the project that I can use as my guide?" My eyes lit upon the strings. I could divide the space into segments the size of the string blocks! Using a chalk pencil, I divided the space like that. 

I stepped back. I liked what I saw. I had some thoughts about what to put into the rectangles. Gertie chimed in with why not create ghost strings? Good idea, I replied. Gertie raced off doing her happy dance.

Filler stitches behind Read

I pulled a grey thread that was similar in color to the background and began stitching lines. I used the lines from the strings as my guide. Except, I matched the lines at the intersections because it lends better fluidity to the piece. It didn't take long to stitch the lines. I did use a ruler and ruler foot to quilt the lines.

Fillers used to quilt the book cover

After the lines, I stitched a couple filler stitch designs behind the word Read. A few pebbles within the word and some swirls in the background felt right. Then, I began quilting the book cover. I quilted pebbles down the spine. I used a darker gray cotton thread to quilt the floral motif. To make the design standout, I stitched over the lines three times. I switched thread to the lighter gray and quilted leaves in the background. I quilted a few pebbles in the space above the book as a fill. I quilted straight lines in the curved small sections at the top of the book to represent pages.

X's were a no go

I had considered hand stitching X's in the bottom four rectangles to represent the people that the character read to during the air raids. I didn't like how the X's looked so I switched to a simple running stitch. 

Back view of the hand stitching

I used one thread of black Aurifil 30wt thread that I doubled so I could begin the stitch without needing a knot. I popped the knot into the batting when I finished a line. I started with a no knot technique. I chalk marked some lines and I used masking tape to mark other lines. I still couldn't manage to stitch straight with either marking method!

Stitching the lines 

The hand stitched lines leave my mark as the maker. I decided the lines represent the text in a book.

The project waiting for facing

I hand washed the project in the sink to remove the glue basting. I blocked it. I was surprised at how wonky one side of the project was! 

The sleeve

After trimming the project, I added a facing. I had enough of the gray fabric to make the facing. I did make an inside mitered corner for the facing. 

Sleeve stitched in place

The sleeve was a fabric that arrived in my stash around the same time as the backing. I had considered using it as a neutral; but, decided it was too busy a print for that purpose.

The leftovers after adding the sleeve and facing

The little bit of gray leftover went into my Rainbow Scrap Challenge tub to use next month! I cut the leftover sleeve fabric into five inch squares.

Label

I added the label. Yes, I picked it up from the free table! Now I have another finish! I realized that this is number seven in my line series. I need to add that information to the label!

Thread used in project

I did give the project a final steam. The project measures 24 x 33 inches. 

View of the finished back

I used one and a half yards of fabric for this project. I have a net loss of 11 and half yards of stash this month!

View of the finished front

Linking to: Oh Scrap, Sew & Tell, To Do Tuesday, I Quilted This and Finished or Not Friday.