Project Quilting 17.1 - Clean Cloud

 Just like Project Runway, Project Quilting gives you a challenge and you get a set time (One Week) to produce something that fits the rules. I skipped last year, but I'm back to participating this year. I loved this first challenge: Clean Slate, inspired by Cloud Dancer, the Color of the Year according to Pantone. Not a super exciting color, but it's Not Just White as a lot of people instantly responded. 

I was one of those naysayers, but then I looked a little closer at Cloud Dancer, all because of this challenge. I'd copy/pasted in the directions into the word processing program on my Mac and I looked at the screen. Well how about that, it's really not just plain white. And look at all three greys on the screen versus the white "page". 

Something all super light grey or white would be kind of boring, so I wanted structure and texture. I started with a simple 4-square of two light grey fabrics, each one flipped to have the back as the front. It's subtle but I thought it worked to reflect what I'd noticed on my computer screen.

I dug around in my "FabMo fabrics to be dyed" box and found some interesting pieces of fabric to use to surround the four patch.

Here's my piece, named: "Clean Cloud" it's 13"w x 14"h.

Here's a closeup of it. I'm pretty happy with how it looks.

Final Project Quilting: Sláinte!

Here it is, Sláinte! all sandwiched up and waiting with the binding all ready to put on once I get the quilting done.

When choosing threads for the quilting I almost went with the orange, for another of the Irish flag colors, but since I don't have any white on here, it seemed like it would be a bit garish as I'm planning on doing embroidery stitches. I went with the darker green instead.

 Here's my final entry for Project Quilting this year. Sláinte! Made for the prompt Irish Chain using a whole bunch of the various greens I dyed most recently.  As it only had to be "based on" or "inspired by" the block design I went a little far afield. You can see one proper Irish chain block, but then it morphs from that.

The quilting was done with two directions of the same embroidery stitch. I thought it kind of looked like a chain. 

The binding was one of the hand dyed greens. I used Wonder Clips all the way around while using a machine embroidery stitch. In this picture the bottom row of squares look very blue, but they're actually blue green.

Worked out very well, I have to remember to use those clips the next time.  Here's a close up of the binding. I kind of wish I'd changed to an even darker green, but I still like it. 

I left this on our dining room table and came down this morning it was just glowing in the sun, like a patch of a greener than green field.

I used two of the embroidery curvy lines on this to represent all the "snakes" that remain in Ireland. Snakes as in Pagans that is, as Ireland has never had actual real life snakes. That whole St. Patrick story is pretty much just that, a story, cloaked in the usual allegory. 

Sláinte! and Cheers! to Project Quilting, I've really really enjoyed participating in all the challenges this year.  I hope they do it again next year.

Sláinte! Begun

 

For the final challenge for Project Quilting, we've been prompted to work with "Irish Chain". Of course, that means green of some sort, and since I've been dyeing lots and lots of greens trying to match my Temperature Quilt greens, I have a lot to choose from. I cut out twelve 4.5" squares and paired them up. By the way, this is called Sláinte, which is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for Cheers! 

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I watched a great tutorial for making this sort of block (Double Nine Patch) and followed the instructions. First the opposite sides of the squares are sewn together using a short stitch as all the seams are getting pressed open.

Then the sewn squares are cut vertically in the center in line with the seams.

And then cross cut horizontally which gives you four pairs of squares sewn together. 

After pressing open all the seams, I started arranging the sewn pairs. I swear this part took the longest.

This one didn't really work to show the pattern of the Irish Chain block which a sort of spreading out across a quilt type of block instead of small and contained.

I like this one as it reminds me of a Brigid's Cross, but I didn't want to make something that wide as this was now seeming like a table runner shaped thing in my mind.

This is what I ended up going with, the essence of the connecting blocks in the Irish Chain block pattern, but the skinny version. 

The blank spaces will get filled in with strips of one of the same fabrics. I tried out several of them and landed on this one. Now to get this assembled, layered, quilted, finished and posted in time for the deadline on Sunday.

Wearables: Project Quilting 15.5

I nearly almost forgot to check out the Project Quilting prompt this week. The prompt for 15.5 is Wearables. That means either something to wear, made out of previously worn clothing, or is somehow related to something wearable. I started thinking about this on Wednesday, worked on it and posted about it Saturday. And finished it in time to submit it on Sunday. I'm covering this blue slap bracelet with a quilt so that I can wear it. I found a nice scraps of stretchy grey knit fabric. I think it is left over from some old pajamas. It's very soft and will feel okay next to my skin.

I sewed it up on three size and turned it carefully using the forceps, and pressed out the end. The slap bracelet slipped right inside without a problem. It's not too loose and not too tight.

I slip-stitched together the open end and it's all done.

I like it!

It turned out great, it's not too stiff or heavy.

Here's how it looks on my wrist.

I may add more buttons, but I think I like them not being too close to the edge.

The buttons aren't exactly in a straight line, kind of echoing the wavy quilting stitch that I used.

Here's how it looks where it overlaps.

Here it is: Pearl Lucky 13, in all its chunky funky glory.

Wearable Project Quilting

 

The Project Quilting challenge for 15.5 this week is: Wearables. I knew I didn't feel like making a quilt out of formerly wearable fabric, or making a quilt block of a shirt, or make an entire shirt. My eyes just happened to have landed on the blue slap bracelet I got at last year's BAM retreat in the goody bags we were given. I was on a zoom call when it came to me: I can't wear this slap bracelet because the rubbery plastic feels yucky on my skin. Call me sensitive, yes, yes I am. So that meant I could make it Wearable. 

I pieced and quilted a strip that would work, using mostly prints from making the recent Boho Wife quilt blocks. I thought it kind of funny that the main fabric that I ended up using is called Mini Pearl Bracelet (Lizzy House/Andover Fabrics). That brought to mind pearl button bracelets, which I've always wanted to try and make, so out came my jar of white pearl buttons.

 This meets one of the challenge elements, that it uses previously worn materials, as you can see by the fabric and thread still on the buttons, they're definitely pre-worn.

I paced the chosen buttons in three graduated sizes. There was only going to be so much room for the buttons, as the bracelet ends wrap over each other.

I tried it on and took note of where the overlap happened and made sure that the buttons wouldn't get extended into that zone on either end.

I used the button sewing stitch on my machine to sew all thirteen of the buttons on. A bracelet of pearl bracelet fabric underneath pearl buttons.And there it is, Pearl Lucky 13, all ready to get stitched together in time for tomorrow's deadline.

Muddy Hours

 It's done, my entry for the 15.4 Project Quilting prompt: Hourglass. This is called Muddy Hours.

Details, so many details.

I used machine embroidery and also normal echo stitching.

I like this corner the most. This on its own would make a cool quilt.

I like the muddiness of the printed image and the muddiness of the over dyed check linen/hemp. vs. the very clear and vibrant color hand dyed cottons.

Up close and personal, in the lower right hadn't corner, you can see my family's standing order at our favorite sushi restaurant. I was testing out the printer before I printed the fabric by printing the sushi order. There was a little hiccup and for unknown printer reasons it reprinted itself on the fabric. I then over printed with the image. Adds a little visual texture, especially because it's upside down and mostly illegilble.

Hourglass Finish

 

The ingredients are all ready to make this into a quilt top in time to submit tomorrow for Project Quilting 15.4 - Hourglass.

Stitching 1" wide strips in-between two 1.5" wide strips for the border pieces.

Plenty of the precious dyed fabric is left after making the border strips.

I think it's going to all fit together.

A little rearranging and now the top is ready to be quilted and finished today.

I keep thinking of the Days of Our Lives soap opera opening theme while working with this hourglass idea.  "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." True true true.