6x6 Diagonal

 

Time for more quilting to get done on the 6x6 quilt. The back shows the square grid that I've done following the blocks of the front of the quilt.

I'm going diagonal in one direction over the whole quilt. Using the Hera Marker and ruler to keep my quilting line straight.

The next quilting is going well, but my machine is acting up. Sometimes the walking foot isn't engaging, and the feed dog don't seem to work correctly so the stitches get way too small. I think I might switch it out for my old one to get it finished.

Here's how it looks with the diagonals quilted in just one direction. I think I might do the reverse diagonal to finish the quilting off.

6x6 Anchor Quilting

 

Time to get this quilt sandwich set up on the sewing machine. I've got the right thread colors in the top (orange) and bottom (lime green), the walking foot is on, a new needle is installed, the surrounding surfaces are cleared off and flat.

Starting with the center vertical line going mostly along the block edges. Not quite in-the-ditch, but close to that.

In some cases, the vertical line doesn't carry on continuously, so time for some Hera marking to get from point A to point B.

I marked as I went down each line, using my wonderful American Vantage point turner/Hera marker that friend Jaye gave me. It makes a really good visible line in both prints and solids. Very easy to follow while quilting.

Here's how it's looking after quilting both vertical and horizontal 4" spaced out lines. I think I might go on the diagonal now to add interest. Or maybe just split up the squares into 2" spacing vertically and horizontally.

Gray Lines & Gold Rectangles

Working on adding the "drawn" lines in my initial sketch using the light blue thread 

And then a light grey.

Now for the second line, this one is meant to be lighter so I'll only use the grey thread.

Beginning the application of gold sheer rectangles. Lots of pinning.

The layers of gold sheers are being applied one at a time, because I want the overlaying rectangles to be visible marks.

Here's how it is looking, getting closer to done.

Ocean Effect Quilted

 

Ocean Effect is all quilted now. This is not exactly how the finished quilt will look, the edges are only folded under and pinned for the photo. I am glad that the angle didn't end up on in the corner, that was my plan and I'm glad it worked.Now to work on adding the other parts of the design.

Veering Off

As expected, the remainder of the quilting for Ocean Effect has veered off from horizontal or vertical or the established 45° angle. This was one of the things I was noticing in the Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park series. There always was a "reason" for any non-vertical or horizontal lines, in this case it's my green rectangle. Just like you can see on the surface of the ocean if there's a big enough rock underneath, a way of acknowledging the volume of something that takes up space.

  I marked out a lot more of these lines but haven't stitched them yet.

I think I'm going to stick with the very light green thread that I've been using. It's subtle enough that it's not fighting with the background fabric. 

Possibly Ocean Effect

 

The pin basting for the quilt in process that I'm working on had to happen before I did much more walking foot quilting. 

My trusty Parmesan cheese container of safety pins came out. This is such a tightly woven cotton, they had a little trouble getting through the fabric. Or maybe the safety pins need sharpening? Is that even a thing?

As promised I veered off from horizontal, using the corner of the green rectangle as my starting point.

I have postponed the decisions on the sheer fabric until tomorrow.

And then I went vertical for the section in the right hand upper side. So far so good.

I think the possible (maybe probable) name of this quilt is now: Ocean Effect.

Continuing the New One

I'm starting out the quilting/construction of this new quilt from the bottom up. There are two lightweight upholstery pieces (thank you FabMo), that are getting stitched down with fairly close lines of stitching. I chose a very light green rayon thread. I like how it pretty much disappears, reminds me of some of the Agnes Martin paintings I've enjoyed seeing at at SF MOMA. That works for me, as I wanted this piece to be a combination of things that I've learned from modern artists.

 After a couple lines stitched, I remembered to put my walking foot on, and that was working better. Stitching through upholstery stuff onto a finely woven cotton is a challenge, but I tried to take it slow at the transition point. I put on a good audio book (Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson) and my headphones and got the entire bottom section all quilted.

The last thing to add is the sheer, but I have to decide several things.

1. How to attach it, just at the top and leave the other 3 sides loose?
2. If I attach all four sides, whether to quilt on top of the sheer or not? 
3. If quilting it, change thread color and go with horizontal lines of stitching?
4. Do I keep the folded up (and thus darker) part at the bottom or not. If so, how to make the curve stay? (because I Really Like that curve). Maybe the stitching in the sheer could echo the curve?

I pinned up the gold part just temporarily to make sure it will still work in the composition. I am really glad I chose this hand-dyed piece for the background. It's an old one from back when I was first learning dyeing.

 I think I'll continue the walking foot lines of quilting, but probably will switch up either the thread color and/or the direction or spacing of the lines.

Still thinking up a title.

Thread Spiral

Choosing threads for all the colors of the background of my SAT 26 quilt, Cumulative Spiral.

Looking for not exactly matching, but pretty close.

It's always fun to go through my quilting threads and search for the right colors to use.

 I think it turned out pretty well. Now that the background is all done, it's time to do the rest of the work on the reminder of the quilt design.

Trinket Quilting Finished

 

The Trinket quilt was back under the needle today in hopes of getting it finished up. This picture shows the solid dark berry/wine fabric color.

This one does not show the correct color at all. But you a see the start of the quilting I'm doing, just a simple X marks the spot. It's just diagonal point to point quilting, very simple, but I think it suits the quilt just fine.

I was so excited to see how it looked I didn't bother taking down the City Sampler backing efforts I'd pinned up earlier. 

And there it is all quilted and trimmed with less background. The lower lefthand corner features a bit of my smoothing ruler, so not an actual yellow piece of fabric in a weird place.

And here's how the back looks. I think it turned out pretty well. Now to get that binding on and finish it up the whole way.

Trinket Anchored

Back to getting Trinket anchor quilted. That's what I call doing the horizontals and verticals in my mind.

I still love these juxtapositions of odd colors in the Alison Glass fabrics vs. the odd dark berry purple solid that I chose to use.

And there it is, all anchor quilted and un-trimmed.

This is probably just enough quilting, but I know I want to do more.

Why are the yellows so odd in this picture? I think it's because they're next door to the intense reds and cellphone cameras are notorious for struggling with accurately translating the reds correctly.

Here's how the back looks with the untrimmed edge pinned underneath. ie not the final bound and finished edge.

Hmmm, don't like that grid offset look on the back.

I still can't believe I paper pieced that block!

Trinket Quilting Stop

 

At first I thought I'd bought some Aurifil thread in the right color but then I realized it was a much larger spool, actually a pretty large 5,500 yard cone. I'm using this cone of rayon thread that I picked up off of the Free Table at a BAMQ Sew Day. The color is INTNS MAROON maybe that means Intense Maroon? I also picked up one in a lighter purple but that's too light. I wound bobbins so that it would match on the back.

Here's how it looks on the front. I'm starting out with just out of the ditch quilting along the horizontals. I did three rows out of sixteen. I think I'll do the verticals as well, and then we'll see from there on what else. Maybe a design of some type in the solid squares? X marks the spot or ???

It's not going to look perfect on the back of course, but also I need to remember that it's the back.
Alas, a tuck was stitched into the backing. I think I'll un-sew this part and re-stitch this part of the quilted line. I also have to face facts that the whole shebang needs to be re-ironed as well before I doing any more quilting. It just got too wrinkly in the storage box.