Orange Photos

The stars aligned and I finally did my big quilt photography project yesterday. The power was on, it wasn't too insanely hot to iron and use the hot photo bulbs, and I had enough energy reserves. I started with photographing Orange You Glad as it was already pinned up on the wall after being washed and dried.

The cast of the photo of this quilt is finally much closer to correct because of the photo bulbs I use for lighting.

I'm pleased with how the majority of the photos turned out. But boy am I ever pooped today, it really takes a lot of physical effort.

But hey, now I can update my website with the last couple of years of work.
 

A little behind the scenes peek of my set up. I use my ring light phone holder as a tripod holder. Yes, I'm using my iPhone to take the photos. It honestly works as well as the 35mm digital camera that I have. One of the big secrets is to use the timer delay so the camera is steady when the photo is taken.

Orange You Glad Finished

 

It was finally time to finish this Orange You Glad bullseye quilt which was begun in April 2022. I dug up the orange binding that I had made back in October and took this picture to commemorate the occasion complete with the kinda dumb note to self. As if I wouldn't know this orange binding would be for this quilt.

As I rounded the fourth corner...I realized I was not going to make it to where I started. Sigh, so close, about 18" away from finishing. One more WOF 2.5" strip cut, ironed and sewn on later and then I was done.

I think the darker orange Alison Glass print worked out well as a good binding frame to the craziness of this quilt.

It's a bit confusing when you try to look at the quilting to focus only on it to separate it from the top-stitched circles from the block construction phase. 

And here's how it looks: "Orange You Glad?" Done! I took this picture before washing the quilt, and if it greatly changes in size or looks I'll be sure to update this.

Thanks to friends Jaye & Adrienne, I literally couldn't have done this without you two.

Naps Suggested

 

Playing around with layouts for the Trinket quilt. This is a 14x14 arrangement. I kind of like this one.

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Another 14x14 arrangement. This features and highlights the paper pieced blocks more by centering and featuring them. Still not satisfied enough for the layout to begin sewing the blocks together.

My studio assistant has been offering helpful suggestions.

Mostly she's suggesting I take a break and maybe go lie down for a nap since I finished off quilting the Orange You Glad bullseye quilt. Which is apparently very comfy.

Definitely time to go back to napping.

Orange Bullseye Quilting

An action shot of walking foot quilting on the Orange Bullseye, "Orange You Glad"

I first did a line of stitching along all the vertical seamlines.

The extra throat space in the new sewing machine really helps.

The Hobbs 80/20 fusible batting is working out very well to hold it all steady.

It's just fun to look at, isn't it? This is after I've done a line of stitching along all the horizontal seamlines.

In one of the corners was a pinned on note to REPAIR.

Oh yeah, now I remember, I snipped this one when I was cutting out the back of the block to reduce the bulk.

A bunch of zig-zagging will likely be enough repair, and it won't be too apparent to the eye given the wild variety of color of this quilt.
 

July To-Do

 

A to-do list for July seems a little ambitious for summer, but hey why not? There might be some days where it's not too hot so that I can use an iron and so on. For those days, here's the list so I can easily choose something to work on. Above is how the design wall looks at the moment, the final arrangement of the Trinket quilt is still being decided upon right now.

Sew-a-Long Thingies

Trinket - Finalize layout, assemble quilt top. To get a finisher patch for the sew-a-long I have to at least get the quilt top done and submitted (but not quilted) by the end of August.

Color Collective - Sandwich the Slopes Quilt, make another side for the Clover Pillow with Swerves, start cutting for Colorwash

Stitch Happens - Finish making back, sandwich, quilt, bind, label.

Temperature Quilt - cut hotter colors, assemble more month columns

Pantone Project - keep making blocks and sending postcards

ICAD- keep making the monthly index card a day.

Secret Lives of Color- it's still so secret, keep reading the book and making the blocks, post some too.

New Work

A Hot One - planned quilt celebrating the color of the year, Viva Magenta.

Garment Sewing Academy- start sewing the Cielo top.

Finish It Up

Sightlines Triptych - make and hand sew on hanging sleeves and labels.

Y.E.S. Coat - make more blocks and pieces.

Orange Bullseye - Finish quilting, bind, label

Village/Japanese Houses -Finish quilting bind, label

Quilt Photography - Still need to get it done, because I'll be needing the photos to enter a couple of upcoming shows and to update my website. Plus I really need the space back in my workroom.

Okay that's enough of a list for a summer month I think.

June To-Do

 It's the rhyming month for to-do lists, hurrah. Here's how the design wall looks at the beginning of the month. Filled up with the recently basted Japanese Houses quilt. Onto the to-do's then:

Sew-A-Long Thingies

Trinket - keep piecing blocks, cut background squares

Color Collective - Sandwich the Slopes Quilt, make another side for the Clover Pillow with Swerves, start cutting for Colorwash

Stitch Happens - sandwich, quilt, bind, label.

Pantone Project - keep making blocks and sending postcards.

Temperature Quilt - keep making blocks and post about it.

Secret Lives of Colors- finish making blocks and post about it.

Added: Participate in ICAD

New Work

Mini-Quilt for SBAMQG using a word(s) in some manner. Due at next week's meeting 6/4

A Hot One to celebrate the Color of the Year, Viva Magenta

Stitch Punk and Fierce Planets - both SAQA exhibits

Finish It Up

Sightlines Triptych - make and hand sew on hanging sleeves and labels.

Y.E.S. Coat - make more blocks and pieces.

Orange Bullseye - quilt, bind, label

Japanese Houses -quilt bind, label

Quilt Photography - Still need to get it done, because I'll be needing the photos to enter a couple of upcoming shows and to update my website. Plus I really need the space back in my workroom.

One Orange Top

One whole top completed, which, as you can see, is all about the Orange. 

The orange bullseye experience is not quite over, as now I am working on a back and binding. 

But that's going to be a project for next month which is in two days, wow, August went by so quickly! 

 I took all these detail photos to show off all the great fabric combinations in the quilt top. 

The colors are still a little off in all these pictures. Other than getting daylight bulbs in my studio room, or setting up my quilt photography setup (not doing all that for just a top, sorry) this is the best I can do for now.

The sort of chaotic design I came up with has ended up emphasizing the squares of the background, which is one of the things I was going for. There may be another bullseye project in the works if we can agree on a color and timing, etc. What a fun and rewarding project to do with friends!