All Packed

 

Well, I'm finally all packed up for the retreat, phew! That's pretty much all I did today. So, I have a range of things to work on, a small quilt to quilt, and many things to piece and maybe some paper piecing. I'm really looking forward to this time away with BAMQ.

The studio assistants were trying their best to blend in and ignore the hubbub. Korben will let me spin him on my work chair more than ten times. It's very funny. I think he'd make a good space-cat.

When Leeloo is asleep with her eyes closed you really can't see her.

No picture of Meg because she's figured out I'm going somewhere and her face is too sad 😢

Thread Choosing Time

 

I'm planning to get the quilting done on the 4 I's quilt at the retreat this weekend. 

I don't want to bring my entire case of Aurifil as it opens up too easily, so I'm picking a big range to cover all the colors.

There are a lot of shades involved in this quilt.

Of course I'm taking these pictures in the late afternoon so there are Many Shadows.

I think this is going to be a fairly easy quilting project.

It's a pile of thread already and I haven't even gotten the grays out yet.

Wrong Way Round

I guess I wasn't paying enough attention this morning as I raced through sewing up the sashing/cornerstones and adding it onto the two sections. 

 All together and ready to sandwich.  But it's really not, look closer.  If only I could go back in time and stop myself, sigh.

All sandwiched up and then I realized that I got it all turned around when I joined the two pieces. Some un-sewing time later...

Impressed with the dents of the seam allowances left in the batting.

The ghost outline of quilts meant to be finished by now (sigh).

A little fiddling around was required as some of the top stretched as I un-stitched and re-stitched.

There, phew all ready to quilt now. The finished size that I'm shooting for is 24 x 36" so that's why the border is a little oversized so I can trim after quilting.

Colorful Cornerstones

 

An array of corner stone pieces cut out and ready to sew into the sashing for the quilt I'm making for the BAMQ group exhibit at the San Mateo County Fair. I really love the color palette represented here. I also like seeing the real difference between commercial solids and my hand-dyes.

The final arrangement before stitching.

I got most of the way there and managed to keep the points pointy. That will be more apparent after I press the seams open. Now I'm starting to think about the quilting I want to do on this....circles maybe?

Sashing Decisions

 

I decided to put up the four blocks on top of a possible sashing fabric.I think this one works well, it's different enough from the darker grey triangle. It has hard to read handwriting in German, just looks texture-y to my eye.

Looks pretty close to the design I originally started with. Except, I don't want to use all yellow cornerstones.

I think using colors from the blocks will look better. Only the center one is a square, the others are rectangles  as the outer sashing is going to be a bit wider to give me some trimming/quilting shrinkage room.

This might just work out!

56 Out Of 100 Days of Scraps

 

Continuing on my 100 Days of Scrap Tape project. Now that I'm on the other side of halfway it's seeming pretty easy to finish up.

Some of the scraps are tiny.

Some are larger bits.

Sometimes the fabric matches the wool pressing mat! Sheesh, change the angle already.

It's amazing how these little bits of fabrics can evoke memories, there's one of the pink fabrics that I used to make my daughter a duvet cover for her weighted blanket.

Then there are all these scraps that I don't remember because they only briefly passed through my hands like backings and binding for the bamq community sewing quilts. 

That black polka dot leaves such an absence doesn't it? When so little black is in a project, it really really stands out in contrast.

All Four 4 I's Blocks

 

According to my original design, I'm moving onto working with grellow-ish, weird yellow/green and purple for the other half of my quilt. Name change of this quilt: The 4 I's (Ideation Interpretation Iteration Implementation) 

I was really really pleased with the first block that I made out of all of my hand-dyes.

Honestly, I'd like this one all on its own. 

I think it works pretty well with the other half, here it is next to the solids version of the blue and orange.

And here's how the print version of the grellow/purple looks with the other three.

Now to decide on the the final form, and add the sashing. I like the way this pattern works with four blocks right up against each other, so I may change that from the original design, and just have a larger exterior border(s) to make the final quilt 24"x36".

Second of Four

After yesterday's successful test run with the all prints version, I dove into making another in all solids. I visually tested out all the solids options that I had and came up with this final choice.

Here's how it looks all sewn up with the print version.

And here they are arranged the opposite way. I think I like this slightly more, but I haven't sewn them together yet. I'm going to make the other two and see how they look best all together.

I like seeing how the intersection of the prints and the solids go.

A kite appears!

Just for fun, I put the two blocks together horizontally and I really really like this arrangement!

The other way around is not as effective, imo.

First of the I's

 
I'm starting in on making the first block of four for the 3 I's quilt for the BAMQ group exhibit. Yes, I'm paper-piecing these enormous blocks, and yes, it's more than a little bit silly, but I think it'll work for me.

The first piece went together well. I really like these two prints together. I'm glad that I wasn't trying to match the directions of the blue print. I think it works out to be more visually interesting to see each of the three blue pieces go in slightly different directions.
Here's how the three pieces of the block look before sewing them all together. Really happy with the prints that I chose, they're all busy and active in their own ways, but not overly so. I'm looking forward to seeing the contrast of another block being all solids.

And here's how it looks all sewn up, pretty cool, I think! I'm really liking the direction and movement in this block, kind of like the FedEx logo, etc. The giant paper piecing isn't terrible since it isn't tiny like the tiny Trinket blocks.

Start of 3 I's

 

The challenge this year for the BAMQ group exhibit at the San Mateo County Fair is "Work In A Series". The details are to make four quilt blocks, minimum size 4x6", quilt size max 40" square. Here's my first pass quilt design in EQ8 for a 24" wide by 36"long quilt. I like this size, it'll match the other ones I've made in this size. The four "blocks" are quite big, sized at 11x17" unfinished with a small sashing all around. The quilt block I used is called "Ribbon Border".  The quilt will not necessarily be these exact colors. My main idea is each of the four blocks will be very different from each other, they'll only have the same block design. The quilt has a name before I even start sewing: The 3 I's (Ideation Iteration Implementation) 

Starting out with Ideation first, what forms concepts do I want to work with within the parameters. The main thing is each of the four blocks are different one from the other, but they must all four work together as a whole.

The first idea group for the four blocks that I'm starting with is to have the blocks be made as follows:

1. All Prints
2. All Solids
3. All hand-dyes
4. All black/white/grey

My second idea is:

1. Each, or some of the, elements of the block design are pieced prior to using in the block
2. Each element of the block design is machine embroidered in its own design before piecing or as part of quilting process
3. All the pieces of the block are manipulated by tucks and folds and gathers before piecing
4. All pieces are very different textures within a block

These two sets of ideas may combine as I proceed. I think the sashing fabrics will be letter/numbers fabrics. Such an orderly start to a creative project, usually I don't write it all down like this.

I've printed out a foundation piecing pattern.

And here's the first fabric choices for the block that will be all prints.