Super Sew

 

BAMQ's Super Sew Day (that's two days in a row) began last Friday in Palo Alto, and I was so glad that I was actually feeling up to attending. I really made myself taket it easy walking in from the parking lot with all my stuff. Even making two trips instead of over burdening myself to only struggle/walk the distance just one time. I'm trying hard to not overdo it and make dumb mistakes just because I'm excited to get out and do something. 

The first project I worked on was pin-basting the Community Giving quilt top. Thankfully there was a cute cotton print for me to use for the backing so that I didn't have to use the kind-of-plastic-y fabric that was included in the bundle. I had several other people confirm my feelings on that one before I swapped it out. I got most of the quilting done on this cute quilt on Friday. Once I got started, I ended up getting a good amount done along with the most socializing I've done in a month. Such great people to hang out with and to be inspired by their projects. Then coming back in the next day on Saturday, I got right down to finishing off the very last of the quilting to get it off of my to-do list. 

My next project was working on a new section for my YES coat. This is called Afghani piecing in Rachel D. K. Clark's booklet, "Picture This" Techniques for Wearable Art and Quilts. (She's teaching next month at PIQF). The written instructions are a bit spare, but the illustrations were clear enough that I got the hang of it. It took me a while, but I think it turned out pretty well and was worth the effort.

A Quilt Bound

At the BAM meeting last weekend I picked up a Community Giving quilt that was already quilted but needed the binding to be made and applied. There was a lot of the backing fabric left over once I trimmed the quilt so I made the binding out of that nice patterned red. I wrapped the binding around an old thread cone and set it up like a Binding Baby on the second spool on my machine, it worked very well.  My Binding Baby is already filled up with the binding for the Village/Japanese Houses quilt waiting for the     quilting to get done.

I'm doing an all-machine sewn binding because this is a quilt that will likely be washed a lot.

It's looking pretty good.

Here's how the whole quilt looks, such a great design and quilting, not sure who in BAM to credit on that. 

I'm excited to have finished this so quickly. 

These two yellow fabrics are the reason that I selected this particular quilt to work on and get finished. I made a dress for myself out of these same fabrics back in 2009!

Two Finished Donation Quilts

 

I finished off the quilting for the Ends n.17 (plaid) donation quilt.

I'm calling these Casual Curves. I tried to not get too dense with the quilting as these are lap quilts and they need to be soft and fluffy and comfy.

And these are Casual Triangles.

Casual curves and triangles. 

I made two bindings for the two donation quilts. The red one is for the Plaids quilt and the blue is for the Bars quilt.

And here it is, all bound up!

I did an all machine binding because I think it's more secure for a quilt that will be washed a lot.

And here's the second one done!

Glad these two are finished and I'm looking forward to turning them in.

Ends n.17 (plaid) Quilting

 
The quilting is getting done on the BAMQG donation quilt that just happens to have been made by friend Jaye. Her name for it is, Ends n.17 (plaid). I'm enjoying working with the really nice plaid colors and I have grown fond of this taupe fabric that was giving her so much trouble.

I think that this is the first time I've quilted over batting tape. It's not noticeable at all when you're sewing. The pieces of batting are very secure and staying together which is the main thing.

It's a great way to use up all those strangely shaped pieces of batting you end up with. Guess I ought to try the batting tape I bought ages ago now that I know it works so well.

Here's how it's looking at this point, I'd say it's almost halfway done.

Plaid Time

 

I came home from Sew Day with another quilt to get quilted and bound for BAMQ Community Giving. Yes, I was drawn to the backing fabric that was showing. Frida Kahlo+Dia de los Muertos so of course.

But then I realized it was friend Jaye's wonderful plaids top that she'd just finished and turned in to be quilted. I don't wear much plaid at all, but I really love the look of plaid. I used to wear my Mom's wool tartan skirt to high school or my great grandpa's plaid wool overshirts in college. It's probably leftover from my fascination with the 80's Vivienne Westwood punk looks. (Ballgowns in tartan, etc.).

Anyways...I'm excited to get to work on this lovely. I got it all ironed and then smoothed out the quilt sandwich up on the design wall with a 24" ruler.

 I carefully took it down and draped it over the ironing board to pin baste. Ready to quilt! I think I'll try to do a plaid motif.

Community Scrappy Log Cabin

This month's Bay Area Modern Quilting Sew Day was Saturday, and I came prepared to sew some modern scrappy log cabin blocks using the Community Giving scrap stash. Peggy got us started with the above as a suggestion, which she got from Zen Chic.

I first made two nearly identical blocks, these are 13.5" square. It didn't occur to me that this wouldn't necessarily be the best thing since we were going for scrappy. I was just in the zone and thinking I'd be super efficient and get two blocks done.

I was just drawn to the blues in the scrap bin I guess. I was also cutting some more piecing for my Metro Twist, which are mostly blues and oranges, so that may have been the actual inspiration.

We use the room dividers as design walls. Everyone sewing added their blocks as we got them done. It got big fast with the large block size. I did one more block using some of the same blues along with a lot more orange (it can be spotted on the left).

We arranged and rearranged until we liked the look. There was some discussion about whether or not to add sashing to the block but we decided they looked fine butted up together. I helped sew the blocks and rows together. I think it turned out really well! Very happy and colorful. I think the solids used along with all the new and old prints makes it have that more modern look. Low pressure (doesn't have to be perfect) and very fun sewing along with the group.

 I also turned in my four Churn Dash blocks so those are no longer hanging around. 

First Donation Quilt Done

 

Here's the story on the donation quilt that I picked up at the BAMQG Super Sew Day last month. I really liked the foxes on that one fabric, reminded me of some of the Charlie Harper fabric designs. And the other fabrics were cute too.

I also chose it because of the size: 31x44" is a very easy size to work with. I liked that it's a very simple strip quilt, but even with all the prints it's fairly restful because of the solid-ish fabrics.

The backing fabrics were really cute too.

At first I just top-stitched along each fabric join. But that wasn't quite enough stitching for me. I was trying to keep it simple and not get all dense and wonky like I tend to. This is a baby quilt so soft soft soft is the goal.

I went with a free-hand wavy line along each fabric strip. Just enough visual interest, but not overwhelming.

My studio assistant thought it looked done and agreed I should stop adding any more quilting. She's making sure the stack of table runners get inspected before I put them away (after using the lint roller on them).

A little closer up on the stitching. That one bear (whose head is unfortunately cut off) with the big oval white stomach reminded me of Totoro, which was definitely another reason that I picked this particular quilt to work on.

My Neighbor Totoro is one of my comfort movies. I've watched this so many times, and it makes me happy every time. In my opinion, it's one of Hayao Miyazaki's very best.

And here's how the back looks after quilting. I think it took me about an hour and I find I like this feeling of Doing Good.

I've trimmed the quilt down, but now I'm not sure about the binding, as there wasn't any provided. Am I supposed to make some and add it? Or is there some already made waiting with the donation quilt person? I know sewing binding is a separate option for helping with the donation quilts so that's possible. I think I'll just bring it to Sew Day and ask. I like that the donation quilt operation for the guild is split up into manageable chunks that you can pick and choose to help on, quilt blocks, quilt tops, quilting, binding. It makes sense to break it down so that more people can help out and not feel overwhelmed. More gets done I think.

Make It Work

 

I picked up a "Make It Work" bag from BAMQG Super Sew Day. I'm supposed to put these elements together into a quilt top for our guild donation efforts. It's going to be a challenge, but I really like the colors. Time to use my Kitchen Sink Quilting skills. On the left is part of the March Temperature Quilt layout.

I also was feeling happy about getting the Orange You Glad bullseye quilted so I also picked up an assembled donation quilt that needs quilting. It's fairly small and simple and the fabrics are super cute. I'm not going to densely quilt it so it'll get done quickly.It came all rolled up, a top, a back and the batting.

Cute fabrics, huh?

I like the fabrics on the backing.

After all the quilts had been photographed and rolled up and put away, that left behind the table runners. So here's a group photo of four of them before they get put in the closet where they should live unless they're out on tables. Three are recent finishes from this year, the Rock Candy on the left was from back when I did Journey2Nebula

Keeping It Spiky

After cutting all the triangles out, I'm kind of wishing I'd done these as foundation piecing now. Or only cut out one of the blocks to make sure it would work out. I got on a roll cutting yesterday so...welp. It's all cut out now so I guess I'm sewing.

Wish me luck as I try piecing these things. I just want them to be spiky! I can always adjust the size because the center embroidered rectangle can be trimmed a bit. Before sewing I went and looked at this post about sewing 1/2 rectangles and then I remembered friend Jaye had a great round-up post on HSR.

Love That Lioness

An initial fabric pull for the Sister Artists 2 quilt is up on the design wall along with the wonderful embroidered block it will be centered around. I love that lioness.

But where to go from there?

I decided to use some of my newly acquired skills with EQ8 and make up a medallion quilt design.

 Okay, pretend the lioness is a watermelon for just a second, this is the quilt I designed in EQ8. I've got the instructions and measurements from EQ8, and I'm setting off on making this. I've got a bunch more solids chosen to use as well as the fabrics shown above. Also, these colors won't exactly be followed (of course). 

Pass It On

I'm going through my stash and trying to pass on usable fabrics to people and groups who could use them.

 One of the groups I follow on twitter, @FoPRR which is Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation passed on this list of Native folks who can use fabric for mask making and quilts.They can also use patterns, buttons, zippers, needles, thread, ribbon, quilting supplies, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, beading supplies, leather and embroidery thread. If you can pitch in and help, that would be great. And if you can't, then please pass on the information to help with getting the word out to the wider quilt-y world.

Sister Artists 2

The lioness block I chose for the Sister Artists 2 project arrived today. Isn't it amazing? The embroidery is very very nicely done by an artist named Diana Nelima. She lives in Kangemi, which is a neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya. I only hope that I can make a quilt worthy of it.

If you're interested in participating, there are still some embroidered blocks left to be claimed.