X-Plus Block

 I was struggling with the X-+ block for the BAMQ BOM, and it turned out that the template I printed out wasn't at full size. Soooo, no wonder it didn't fit! Started over with these directions for a 12.5" block. I almost 

I had to interrupt my studio assistant's nap time. And clean off the felt pressing pad. Usually I cover it up, but he always takes advantage if I forget to.

All pressed, including the bonus HST's. They're not teeny tiny but they will probably make it into the final quilt somehow.

All together now. Hey, I actually like this one! After all the hassling around because of my mistake in printing it really wasn't a hard block to do.

Note to self: Always check the size of the printing - not fit to print, but 100%

I may still do the giant (24" square) version.

Here's how all the blocks are looking together. Some of the "mistakes" from making this block are on the upper left, they may or may not make it into the quilt.  It certainly would make a very strong border if I continued those!

6x6 Finished

 

Well, 6x6 is now officially finished and even more importantly: LeeLoo-Approved™.

I used self-threading needles to bury my thread ends. There weren't a lot of them as I went from edge to edge with the quilting lines.

There it is, all finished, but not yet washed. Consider this the before picture.

Here it is post-washing. So much more texture, but not too much due to pre-washing the fabrics used. 

There's a side-view of the quilt surface.

And that's my #6 done for the CQFA UFO Challenge, hooray!

Returning to Choices

 

Today I worked on finishing up the free motion quilting on May You Ever Return. Almost there, but I had to make some thread choices.

The different blues and greens in this fabric was hard to match.

As usual one of my Studio Assistants made sure I was "Making Good Choices."

Getting there.

This is my favorite X so far.

I was tired of free motion quilting, so switched over to get to some zig-zagging on the shapes who's edges hadn't been stitched down.

The words are supposed to be not really legible at a glance.

Almost done with the quilting and zig-zagging. (Just the lower left) and I'm really pleased with how it's looking so far.

Lots of Quilting Lines

 

A lot more free motion quilting got done on May You Ever Return yesterday. I'm very focused in on it, but I'll admit that I keep struggling to stop myself from switching over to work on other things like the Patchwork Palooza on my design wall or the Lupine Mystery.

After an initial alarmed response at all the noise near her napping spot, one of my studio assistants kept an eagle eye on my process.

The quilting is getting pretty dense in some spots. While I was quilting, I pinned back some of the un-anchored shapes in order to just have the lines go under where they'll end up being zig-zagged down. This will help with "floating" the shapes above the densely quilted surface in a consistent way across the whole surface.

No decision made on the number of X's, and I see some hand-embroidery/stitching in my future. Also, this quilt is getting the facing treatment as opposed to a binding. Countdown to the UFO Challenge due date of 2/7. That's just ten days, two of which will be traveling to Spokane and back again. Maybe if I get it to the finishing point of sewing the facings down it will come along with me, but I'm not counting on that.

Tool Tuesday- Steady Betty(s)

 

One of my most frequently used tools is finally failing on me. At first I was a little mad about it, but then I realized I'd been using the Steady Betty pressing board for almost 10 years now. Just about daily. But unfortunately there are big tears in the material that make the board so useful. 

There are tears on both sides of the board. I don't remember seeing these begin, all of a sudden they're just there. They don't affect the performance of the board as far as ironing goes. But I'm pretty sure I can't just glue these down as it would either not stick well enough, or melt the foam, or make a lump under the pressing surface that would translate to the fabrics I'm pressing. The tears are just going to get worse if they aren't repaired or secured.

Besides the two big tears, there's a lot of little pieces missing, especially on or near the edges. Maybe from using pins and/or scissors on and around the board?

Or...perhaps some of the holes were started by studio assistant claws (as pictured above in action)? That probably didn't help matters.

But I also noticed that the same thing is happening with my Betty Bands, which the studio assistants do not use. I think this grippy foam material is just not endlessly robust. It wears out with use (like most things), which is really not terribly surprising. 

So, Merry Christmas to me...I ended up replacing both the mat and the machine quilting bands. They arrived today with very cute Sharpie-art on the package.

 Hopefully I'll get ten more years out of these. It's so much lighter, and a bit bigger. The edges are a little strange, but it seems like very similar foam. Now to maybe make something out of the old mat. Perhaps I'll cover it with canvas and use it for a surface to have for pressing underneath the wool mat I have in my traveling kit.

 

And unfortunately I didn't notice the redesign of the Betty Bands on their website, they no longer have adjustable velcro, so they do not fit my hands very well at all. I will be doing some modifying to be able to use these!

Seat Repair

I have this great pillow from Cushion Lab that I use with my sewing room chair. Even though the chair is on the new side, the cushion wasn't cushy enough for me. The pillow cover has a great grippy surface on the underside so it stays put.

Unfortunately the studio assistants also enjoy it and poked some holes in the jersey cover which then tore quite badly along the seam. The pillow is still in great shape (especially for a memory foam pillow), and thankfully it's got a removable cover, so it's worth the time and effort to repair it. I got it wrestled off and set up for some repair stitching.

I chose to use a piece of this nice soft grey pomegranate print. It turned out to be pretty easy to sew it on, and I didn't stitch through all the layers, which was my real worry. It seems to be working out well so far, we shall see how long it lasts in its repaired state. Especially with the cotton quilting fabric vs. the stretchier jersey.

 

Completed Central Old Town

 

I'm feeling like this blog has turned into all Old Town all the time, but that's just how it goes on a project like this. 

The studio assistant is wondering when it's ever going to be over!

It's a lot of time to sew something like this together. I know, duh, of course we already know that. 

Even though I'm steadily getting closer and closer to finishing this project, I think I'm feeling the pull to pull focus and work on one of my remaining UFO 2025 challenge projects.  

Especially when I get interrupted by messages like this from my sewing machine. Thankfully that was just a turn the machine on and off again kind of message.

But that concentrated effort has led to this! The central part of the quilt is now put together. 💪👍👏🙌🎉🎊 Now moving on to getting the three borders attached for a truly completed quilt top.

Up to Thirteen

 

After a whole lot of sewing, I finally arrived at the last to be assembled block for the Old Town mystery quilt.

There was a big pile of sewn-together units all chain-stitched together.

After separating them back into the block groups I kept each group pinned together. They all needed a lot of ironing which I put off to another day.

Part of the reason for the delay in pressing, as per usual is the current favorite resting spot for one of the studio assistants.

Thirteen blocks done and up on the design wall with the pieced sashing. Feeling a whole lot closer to finishing this one.

Nine Done

 

I had a busy weekend, but I managed to get the units of all six blocks sewn into the three rows per block. And the seventh one that was laid out to the second stage. All that was left was to do the pressing.

Unfortunately, my studio assistant was using the ironing board and I didn't have the heart to wake him up. 

Once nap time was over, I pressed all of those seams (mostly) in the correct directions and sewed all of the blocks together.

After even more pressing, here's how nine blocks look with the sashing and cornerstones. This is not arranged in any particular way, just thrown up there for now so I can look at it.

And on to the tenth block I go now. Eventually I'll be finishing the 25th block.