Clover Pillow

 

I just remembered that I needed to work on my #1 item on my BAMQ UFO Challenge List before this Saturday's Sew Day. It's the Clover quilt, from the Tara Faughan Color Collective class that I tried out back in 2023. I decided that I didn't want to make more of the gigantic blocks, and would rather make a super big pillow(case).

The rough quilted edges really need to be managed so that it'll stand up to repeated washings.

Time to try out my Lap Seam foot to seal up those edges.

I found a great fabric in my stash that matches so well to use as the backing of the pillowcase.

Went around all four sides and left myself a space to turn it all open.

The corners turned out pretty well.

I pushed the corners out a little more so that they're a bit rounded. Now to finish the opening where the pillow will be inserted, and figure out if there will be a closure needed or not.

Slopes Finish

 

Ta-dah! An actual quilt finish, now presenting a completely finished: Slopes. 

I started this back in 2023 when I did the Color Collective with Tara Faughan. She would choose the fabric palette which would be sent to us from Sewtopia, and then she would present them in a video class being used in a pattern. In this case, a diagonal half-rectangle design.

The brilliant thing about these color palettes was mixing the Kona solids with Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyes. That combination of the true solids with the textured yarn dyes is really visually striking. 

I really enjoyed making this one, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Even the back!

Diagonal Slopes

 

Trimming all the extra backing off of the Slopes quilt. I love this step.

I did some diagonal quilting in the upper right-hand section. 

It's not too noticeable in the overall view.

And closer up, I think I like it. Time to stay diagonal.

Slopes Rows Quilted

 

Here's how Slopes is looking now that I've done the columns and the rows, in-the-ditch style. This is plenty of quilting for this one, at least I think it is for now.

But maybe, I should do the diagonals as well. I think I'll quilt a few and see how it looks to me.

Rows of Slopes

 

The walking foot machine quilting is going well so far.

Slow and steady and kind of racket-y. I'm blocking the sound out by listening to a very good library audio book on my headphones (Weyward by Emilia Hart)

I pinned it up on the wall to see how the light grey quilting lines look now that I've done all the rows.

It looked well enough to me, so now I'm doing the other directions of each column.

Slopes Quilting

 

I'm finally going in---getting the machine set up for walking foot quilting Slopes. 

Got the quilt sandwich all re-ironed and re-sandwiched. It had been folded up for a while (May 2023!), so it took a little fussing around.

Looking forward to getting this beastie quilted.

December To-Do

 

Here's how my design wall was looking on December 1st. There's my half-way assembled Temperature Quilt, and then the three pieces of dyed yardage waiting for their second dye baths.

Here's my To-Do list for December:

Sew-a-Long Thingies

Trinket - layer and quilt.

Color Collective - Quilt and bind the Slopes Quilt, 

and make another side for the Clover Pillow with Swerves, start cutting for Colorwash

Temperature Quilt- cut remainder of needed pieces from newly dyed fabric, keep piecing monthly columns.

Pantone Project - keep making blocks and pass them on to friend Jaye.

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

Indigo Way - Begin work on this year's Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt. Assemble fabrics, make the first blocks.

New Work

Wedge Quilt - finish assembling quilt top, make a backing, quilt, bind, label.

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

Garment Sewing Academy - finish Cielo top.

Make It Work - assemble a quilt top out of the materials for BAMQG, make backing, layer, quilt, bind.

Make binding and finish the other BAMQG quilt for donation.

Dye Mastery Class - finish final unit on over-dyeing and patterning.

Finish It Already

Make a back for Metro Twist, layer, quilt, bind, label.

Finish quilting Japanese Houses, bind, label.

Y.E.S. Coat - lay out what I've made, make more elements, start assembling.

And finally and most importantly: finish making the gifts before Christmas.

That should keep me busy enough for December!

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.