Kawandi Finish

 

Since I got back from LA, I've been continuing to stitch the kawandii quilt. My goal was to finish in time for the BAMGQ UFO Challenge which is due on our Sew Day (which is today).

As I got closer and closer to the center I had to finalize it, added two last pieces into the mix, right before the stitching reached that area of the quilt.

I found the stitching got harder and harder to do as I got into the center. 

The pieces got smaller so there were a lot more edges to contend with and that meant more layers of silk to stitch through.

It has been a fun and challenging project and I’ve really enjoyed learning a new way to make a quilt. I started working on this project in a SBMQG class with Sujata Shah back in 2021

Here it is, all finished! 

I ended my last stitching line with an X just because, "x marks the spot" has always made sense to me.

The corners got a little ravel-y, but they're still looking nice. As Sujata said in class, "the Kawandi looks "naked" without a fula in each of the four corners."

And that's #2 on my BAMQ UFO Challenge list completed just in time to show at Sew Day.

Hello Again, Kawandii

 

Back to work on finishing my Kawandii. It's my #2 on the UFO Challenge list, so I'm really trying to get stitched all the way into the center.

There's a lot of pieces left to anchor down, and a lot of pins.

I love the big needle that I'm using, it's so easy to handle.

Freeway Snake Stitching

 

Down the freeway we went, and as I wasn't the one driving, so that meant I got to do some stitching on the Snake in the Garden. This green section in the lower right hand corner is now finished.

Here's how it's looking now. There's one bright green section left to do. 

I started doing this stitching on the red oval in the lower left hand corner and decided that the thread was too bulky and the wrong shade of red, so I stopped myself from continuing on. But I've just found the correct red (the one above), which is a lighter weight thread and a couple shades darker. I'll try that out and see if it makes enough difference.

I am still struggling a bit with what to do with the black and white print that goes down the left side of the piece. I really like how it looks now, unembellished and most importantly that it's free floating, anchored only by the red ovals. It's not like it is going anywhere, and this piece is meant for the wall so it won't get washed. I thought I might do French Knots (or just a stitch) in some of the white or black squares (in the corresponding color) so they don't show up. Decisions, decisions...

Waiting Snake

 

Yesterday was a traveling back from Spokane day, with an almost three-hour flight delay. At least I got this beautiful picture in the morning on Tuesday in San Francisco. Those glowing red squares are so interesting, especially with the offset squares and additionally offset circles inside them That plus all the lines on the pavement. A great start to a possible quilt design.

In the extra time I had to sit around and wait for our plane to even decide to show up, I got a whole lot of the sky stitched on the Snake in the Garden quilt. Just one more section of green left to go on this!

Davenport Trees & Sky Stitching

I was actually wandering on a Wednesday, yesterday that is. So, here's the stitching that I did while I was away. Two more lengths of variegated blue embroidery thread have been added to the sky in Snake In The Garden while I waited for my plane to board.

It was a rainy and windy morning in Spokane, so I was very glad I was inside stitching.

Also, strangely, there were birds indoors at the Peet's Coffee in the airport. They were nesting up above on top of the giant monitor screens that display great outdoors scenery. You know, like where the birds are actually supposed to be. I can't imagine they get enough calories out of the scone crumbs on the floor from Peets.

And this time, during the visit, I got to stay in the fancy old hotel, The Davenport, which was all done up for Christmas. Isn't that such a lovely tree?

The second floor was hosting a raffle fundraising event for the Spokane Symphony, so I went upstairs to check it out and got a great view of the big central lobby tree.

There were nine fully decorated trees (that's the LEGO one above) that came with "major prizes", actually they were prize packages worth $1,000's. It was quite a to-do, was absolutely packed with families in the evening, but still very fun to walk around and enjoy.

 

Lobby Snake

I’m on a trip and I’ve brought along a hand stitching project to work on while waiting in lobbies and so forth.
 

But not on the plane as I’m still not clear on the TSA and other countries rules and regulations on sharp things.

Running Out of Raincloud Finish

I have another quilt finish to post! Two in a row, that must be some kind of record for me. This time it is Running out of Raincloud, which just needed the facings to be hand-stitched down and the hanging sleeve to be added. 

I added the facings at the BAMQ retreat in March, but they needed that hand-stitching on the back to be done to count this as a quilt finish. I got most of it done while keeping friend Jaye company while she worked on another very cool quilt in progress. Thanks to her for the excuse to sit and get my hand stitching done! Sometimes a change of venue is what I need to get unstuck and finish something.

More pictures of the finished quilt and the crazy amount of quilting I did on this one.

This was designed and made for the 2024 MQG challenge, but unfortunately it was not finished in the correct year to actually be entered. Oh well, I got it done anyways and learned a lot by making it. 

This is also another one to check off of my 2025 UFO Challenges list, that leaves three left to be finished: Temperature Quilt, Trinket and Bohemian Wife. I'm really glad I signed up for this UFO challenge thing, because I've gotten 3 out of 6 quilts finished now, by the halfway point of the year, too.

SF Stitching

 

I actually sat in the sunny window in our hotel room in SF and stitched on my go-to handwork project, Snake in the Garden. I used the newest color thread that I had at hand, thanks to the shopping I'd just done at Britex Fabrics. The green sashiko thread was used to fill in part of the dark blue leaf between the gold print. 

These are the two sashiko thread colors that I bought at Britex. I chose them because I hadn't seen colors like that on offer in other shops.

Snake in the Hand

 

Sitting in the hospital for days, I finally worked on one of the hand projects that I brought along with me, Snake in the Garden.

We were in a room with a nice big window, so there was good light to work with for most of the day.

I think I'll always remember stitching on this piece as I kept watch over my dad.

Freeway Stitching Again

 

Today DH and I drove home from the redwoods up North through the Avenue of the Giants in Redwood National Park.

Once we got back on an actual freeway, I got out my hand stitching again. Still working on Snake In The Garden, last seen being worked on in San Diego in March, This piece has A Lot of freeway miles on it. I'm finally almost done with the purple-pink section.

I have my whole kit ready to go on my lap, it's easy to put away quickly.

I put it away again once we saw the Golden Gate Bridge. It's so nice to be back home once again. Time for more laundry...oh goody.

Stress Stitch Stage

 

All of a sudden, I find that I'm in a new stage of life now. One where I'm accompanying my folks to doctor appointments to take notes and make sure questions get answered. As well as to hang out and provide company during hours long infusion time. Good thing I have some stitching to bring along with me. Cancer still sucks though 😠

More Laps

 

A few more laps were made around the Kawandi at BAMQ Sew Day yesterday. Some more pieces of the silk fabrics I'm choosing from were added as I made my laps. 

As I get closer and closer to the center I have to go back and look at my notes or at Sujata Shah's website for indications on how the centers of these Kawandi pieces are finished off.

But the corners are dismaying me with their excessive fraying. (fraying and dismaying) so I decided to do some experiments with Fray Check. 

This was a new bottle that I hadn't opened, so it required a pin piercing to get it going. I like the fine tip applicator so that it doesn't blob out all over. 

It leaves a mark, but I think it's okay as a color change delineating the change from fabric to frayed edged which I'll be leaving. 

I just hope that it stops the deterioration of the corner pieces. 

Around the Kawandi

 

Another project I brought along to get some stitching done on was the Kawandi that I started in a class with Sujata Shah back in 2021. Here's how it looked before I started working on it, a little wrinkly out of the bag. 

Like counting rings on a tree, I can see I've gone around 10 times.

There's a whole lot of silk colors and types of fabrics to work with in the bag that I brought along. It's a really nice tactile experience to hold and stitch silk by hand.

I did most of the stitching outside on the balcony in the sun.

While listening to the opening day game with my SF Giants hat on. The game wasn't on hotel tv, so I got to listen to my fave Giants radio announcer, Jon Miller call the game. Too bad we lost 😞

Here's how my Kawandi looks after I'd worked on it for a few hours and traveling home smashed up in a bag again. This is displayed in my chair so it's not quite flat here.

Now I've gone around 13 times and started to add another few tiklis (the rose gold squares). The spacing of my stitching lines has changed, I need to loosen it up a little.