Monthly Archives: June 2015

HtbaS - Episode 232

WIP Wednesday: Helpering

In this weird space between work travel last week and family vacation next week, I’m just cramming in some simple piecing for mindless sewing. As a result, I’m almost done with another charity top with some simple piecing.  Here is Nina help(er)ing me with it.

See more WIPs on Lee’s blog!

Sunday Stash - June-ish

As expected, not much finished this week due to my travel.  I did get my two latest Harry Potter blocks done, and one test pattern for Sara over at Sew Sweetness.  Once that pattern goes live, I can share my finished pics, but for now you have to settle for my Project of Doom blocks:

Harry Potter POD blocks 24 & 25

I had hoped to record a podcast over the weekend, but I just didn’t have the time or energy while recovering from the travel and Father’s Day activities.  Look for the next one on Friday!

  • Used this Week: 0.75 yards
    • 0.75 yd for test pattern
  • Used year to Date: 141.25 yards
  • Added this Week: 0 yards
    • Woohoo!
  • Net Used for 2015: 70 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 69 yards (49% of total used)

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times!

The Kitchen Sink Quilt - Finished!

When I was thinking of this quilt during the block-of-the-month process, I was trying to think of a way to finish it that would be a little different from the standard 3 x 4 layout and refer in some way to the retro-style for the fabric used.

My first attempt was going to incorporate 6 applique blocks reminiscent of the “day of the week” kitten embroidery patterns. I got two blocks into the patterns and just wasn’t happy with the outcome. Perhaps sticking with embroidery would have been better, but with such a busy tiny dot background, the thread would not have show up well. And swapping out the background fabric for a traditional lighter color would have been too jarring, I think.

So, in the end, I did what I’ve been wanting to do with the Saturday Sampler blocks: put them around a center medallion.

The Kitchen Sink QuiltIn the blocks, one particular fabric was offered up twice and both times I substituted in something different because I just didn’t like it.  It was lighter background with orange flowers, and given the color-richness of the other fabrics, it didn’t quite look right to my eye within the 12 sampler blocks. That meant I had enough of it to use for the center star in the medallion.

The Kitchen Sink QuiltI did a star within a star for the center, surround by squares within squares. And then just regular squares. The entire center medallion was made from one charm pack and scraps leftover from the block construction, plus the navy dot yardage for the background.

The Kitchen Sink QuiltI called this quilt Kitchen Sink because of the mix of quilting textures in the blocks: orange peel and cheese grater (or whatever that not-quite-matchstick quilting is called!).

The orange peel quilting comes together in the blocks with large center squares to make a flower of sorts.

For the back of the quilt, I had picked up two yards of a reddish-orange reproduction print with tiny white  dots and small kittens. Because while I couldn’t use my kitten applique, I did need kittens in there somewhere.  The trimmings from the backing after I quilted it were enough to make most of the binding, interspersed with some of the blue from the background.

The Kitchen Sink Quilt

Polkadotamus Quilt - Finished!

The Polkadotamus quilt is a commission quilt for a friend of mine; she doesn’t have kids of her own, but has a plethora of nieces and nephews who have babies, and we both enjoy the thrill of giving something handmade. So it works out that she gives me high level requirements (colors or themes), and I get to whip up something fun that’s going to a good home.

Anywho, the guidance this time was pastels and animals, so I pulled out my copy of Scraps Inc and some 3-1/2″ scrap squares in the right colors and went to town.

PolkadotamusWith those blocks of big open negative space I had room to fit in some applique animals:

PolkadotamusI had a lot of fun with the polka dotted hippo, hence the quilt name, so I repeated him in the corners as a quilting motif:

PolkadotamusYou can also see a bit of the fern quilting  from the setting triangles in that shot. I think they might have been more balanced with the rest of the quilting in a slightly larger scale (and gone quicker to quilt!), but oh well. They are cute at least.

This same friend commissioned me to make another (even smaller) quilt, so once I get that one done I’ll mail both off to her.

Sunday Stash - Eeking By

By some miracle, I managed to finish the Bonnie and Camille quilt, now known as “The Kitchen Sink”, between quilt show duties.  The show went great, with lots of good feedback from the attendees and delighted people in general. Super fun.

Orange & Teal Baby QuiltI’ll post pictures of The Kitchen Sink later this week, but in the mean time, here are pictures of the Orange & Teal charity baby quilt I finished last week.

It went together quick since the blocks are simple mixes of 9 patches and 4 patches, and I guess 1 patches? Just big old blocks of fabrics!

I did straight line quilting with a thicker orange thread.

Here’s a closer picture of the center - the chunk of fabric in the upper left was the color inspiration for the teal and orange with pops of yellow.

Orange & Teal Baby Quilt

Orange & Teal Baby QuiltAnd here’s the back, which is pieced, of course!

  • Used this Week: 5.75 yards
    • 5.75 yd for The Kitchen Sink quilt
  • Used year to Date: 140.5 yards
  • Added this Week: 0 yards
    • Woohoo!
  • Net Used for 2015: 69.25 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 69 yards (49% of total used)

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times!

HtbaS - Episode 231

WIP Wednesday: A Surplus of Helpering

This week I’m focused on quilting my Bonnie and Camille sampler quilt.  Here is an early picture in the basting process:

Step 1: Layout quilt back

Step 2: Remove cat. Repeat previous step.

Step 3: Layout batting and top and take picture quickly before further cat helpering:

Step 4: Baste like the wind!

Step 5: Quilt:

Step 6: See Step 2.

See more WIPs on Lee’s blog!

Sunday Stash - 2 Good 2 Be 4Blocken

It felt like this week was Block Week between the double Harry Potter block, plus the latest HP block, and two Saturday Samplers.  I had also pondered in my podcast this how to account for some scraps I had received, and I ended up keeping some for myself and taking the rest to my guild meeting to accompany a lecture on improve piecing. First up, the Harry Potter blocks:

On the Harry Potter Sorting Hat block, I of course opted to include Crookshanks.

Harry Potter blocks

Harry Potter blocks

For Saturday Sampler, we have our next in Solid as a Rock (Teal! Hooray!), and 1st in the new program, Sparkling Gems.  The Sparkling Gems blocks are all mostly batiks with one piece of “cotton” (the black print).

 
I had to laugh as I finished mine because they finish at 15″, compared to previous programs that finish at 12″. I’m sure that the shop will get a call from at least one disgruntled quilter with nothing better to do than complain that the 15″ block won’t fit in their 12″ container without folding.

I also finished one quilt, the teal and orange I showed last week.

  • Used this Week: 3.75 yards
    • 3.25 yd for Teal & Orange quilt
    • 0.5 yd for Ceremonial Ribbon
  • Used year to Date: 134.75 yards
  • Added this Week: 0.25 yards
    • 0.25 yd for FQ won at guild meeting
    • 0.25 yd for scrap intake
  • Net Used for 2015: 63.5 yards
  • YTD Used for Charity: 69 yards (51% of total used)

See more Stash Reports at Patchwork Times!

HtbaS - Episode 230

This week I talk about quilt show prep, an embarrassing first-boyfriend story, summer camp, feedback, and blocking a quilt.

Play