quilt

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Passing Pinwheels

This September I attended the MSQC fall forum retreat.  There were over 40 ladies and gentlemen in attendance.  We enjoyed socializing and sewing in the beautiful retreat center space and partied at the companies 7th Birthday Bash events.  An extra bonus was the JCPenney’s day festival that coincided with all of the events.

I enjoyed meeting many new people.  Some did demos and most everyone had created special custom favors to share with their new friends.

One of my contributions was a portable design wall for everyone that contained the triangles needed to create traditional pinwheel blocks.  The design wall was inspired by the UFO to GO at the Riley Blake Designs site.  The half square triangles for this block were cut from vintage stash using a Sizzix Bigz die.  Sashing was added as a design element to separate the triangles spinning in opposite directions.

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I named the quilt based on a poem that I found online.  It felt fitting for the event and final destination of the quilt.

This quilt will be gifted to a homeless shelter and I am sure it will be cherished. Thanks for everyone’s participation!   It turned out soft and beautiful.

Passing Pinwheels
By: Kenneth Alan O’Shaughnessy 
Colors burning in the bright summer sun
Kaleidoscoping in the breeze
Friends beside me to share in all the fun
There are no other joys like these

Passing pinwheels from hand to hand
And smiles from face to face
Sharing our simple God-spun joys
Blown our way by grace

Sometimes we have to create our own wind
When the breezes cease to blow
We blow and blow with all the breath God gives
To try to make the pinwheel go

Passing pinwheels from hand to hand
And smiles from face to face
Sharing our simple God-spun joys
Blown our way by grace

And when the soft breezes blow in the clouds
And the sun hides behind the rain
We pass the pinwheels safe on the porch
Until the fair winds blow again

Passing pinwheels from hand to hand
And smiles from face to face
Sharing our simple God-spun joys
Blown our way by grace

All we need is the breath of God
A little paper and a stick
A bunch of friends who’ll stay with us
Through the thin and thick

Passing pinwheels from hand to hand
And smiles from face to face
Sharing our simple God-spun joys
Blown our way by grace

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Curve it Up – Block 7 – Log Cabin

UnknownIf you can believe what is on the internet (ever) then you might know that the log cabin quilt dates back further than the pioneer days in the United States.  Supposedly, similar designs were found on an ancient Egyptian mummy and in an English quilt predating 1830!  While that is all fine and good, the design makes me think of the pioneer spirit and workmanship and bravery of those who rebuilt their lives in new territories.

I would like nothing more than to built myself a log cabin home as a retreat (complete with a real floor and AC). I’m afraid I would be left sleeping on top of my sewing tables!

logcabinThis curvy log cabin block starts out the same as a traditional log cabin.  Lore says a red center symbolizes the hearth of the home, and yellow a welcoming light in the window, My pink centers represent something else entirely.  For a long time, I hated the color pink.  Don’t ask me why, I just couldn’t mentally handle it.  One day after college, before I became a mother, I decided it was time to “girl up”  and come to terms with what is now one of my favorite colors, though I lean toward the darker pinks.  My centers are not “just pink”, they are built of peony medallion and navy haystack fabric with a hint of traditional navy.  They represent my “inner girl”  that used to hate pink…

I really liked making this block, and may need to build an entire quilt like it.  The only “trick” to the completion was the tapered 1/4″ curve to finish the curved center.  IMG_7298Start your seam  1 3/4″ down on your curve and taper your seam to the normal 1/4″ seam allowance.  Taper back down on the other side.  It took me a couple of tries to get it right, but mistakes were easily corrected.

 

Update (11/2016):  I recently received a bunch of inquiries regarding the pattern for this block.  It is part of the Sew Kind of Wonderful, Curve it Up, pattern.  It is not free.  I think a link to my site was listed under free patterns somewhere incorrectly.  I hope this clears up some confusion.

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Row By Row – Amazing Map of Participating Quilt Shops!

I was browsing the MSQC blog, and they had a great posting about the “Row by Row” experience.  I saw some of the “plates” at the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival this weekend, but didn’t know what the program was all about.

Yes I know, where have I been??

Anyhow, check out this link of participating shops.  It is fun even if only to see all the quilt shop locations across America!

Row By Row Participating Shops

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Curve it Up – Block 4 – Four Patch

After a month of stormy weather, broken arm blues, and family “vacation”, I sat down to complete the fourth block in the Curve it Up series.

The four patch block was one of the earliest “block” styles used by quilters.  It enabled them to use small “scraps” of fabric in their designs.  I could see this lending itself to the use of old clothing, especially dresses or shirts that were not being up cycled to other clothing use.  Can you imagine what early generations would think of our tag of “up cycling”.  They would think it is funny how much we simply dispose of!

The curved four patch is certainly not a simple stitching design due to potential stretching of the curves.   Attention to detail for matching your corners is important, as is pressing and squaring the final blocks.

No fear, the pattern designer did leave enough “extra” on the background sashing to allow you to square up the wonky final shape.  (Whew!)

Color Selection:
I selected colors from my previous block, turquoise/blue and purple, to help tie the designs together.  Funny, I must have picked colors for my mood, but even those are beautiful, life can’t always be rainbow!

Fabric Sizes:
The squares in the pattern are 4 1/2″ and the strips are 2 1/2″ wide.  This could be easily adjusted to be “charm pack” and “Jelly Roll” friendly. A whole quilt of this block would have sashing that looks like flower petals or leaves!
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Step One:  Cut your fabrics.  You will need 8 focus squares, and 8 background fabric squares.  You will also need 16 of the 2 1/2″ wide sashing background fabric.

IMG_6978  There are lot of ways to lay these out.  Pick oneyou like and stitch them together like four regular four patch blocks.

Step 2:  Sew the four patches and trim each edge of the blocks using the curve it up ruler.

IMG_6979IMG_6980 This is a great time to use a spinning rotary mat, the lazy “susan” of quilting.   Several manufacturers sell these, Olfa, Fiskars, Martelli to name a few.  I love them while working with small pieces and when cutting multiple directions. I used it for the initial curve trimming shown here and for squaring my blocks after stitching the sashing.

Step 3: Sew the sashing…

IMG_6983 Your block will not look like this (After trimming it will).

It will probably look like this!  IMG_6984  Breath!  You are fine.

It is important to sew the opposing edges (left/right , top/bottom) to help keep the curve edges stabilized. After each curve is sewn, press the seams open to help reduce the bulk at the points.

Step 4:  Trim each curved four patch with a squaring template. Use your seams to help center and align the block with the ruler.

Step 5:  Make a larger four patch with your new blocks!
Note:  I again used the Terial Arts – Terial Magic to give my blocks better shape hold and to help prevent fraying as I store them for the rest of the year!

Give this one a try!

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Curve It Up – Block 2 Sawtooth Star

I finished Block 2, Sawtooth Star, in the Curve It Up pattern by Sew Kind of Wonderful.

Assembly of the sawtooth star was very traditional.  If I wanted to complete a whole quilt of this design, I would definitely change the cutting and assembly of the half square triangles and center checkerboard block.  Half square triangles can be assemblIMG_6462ed two  – four at a time, and the checkerboard would be easier to work in strips.

The QCR (Quick Curve Ruler) allowed me to cut gentle concave and convex curves for the curved half square triangle blocks.  Notice how the pattern had me cut the tips of the triangle off?  IMG_6459

This allowed me to align the curved slot to a corner on the fabric.

Just like block 1, the fabric for the curved pieces is oversized so that it can be squared up after sewing.

The curves on these blocks do not lie as flat as I IMG_6464would like after pressing.  If I clipped the curve, they would, but I wanted to leave the edge alone.

I “resorted” to a new product I had been meaning to try, Terial Magic by Terial Arts.  This product is meant to replace stabilizers and fusible for quilters and embroiderers.  It also can help keep fraying in check.  Best of all, it is water soluble and can be washed out.  I can’t wait to try it for cutting appliqué items using my Silhouette Cameo!  IMG_6482

When used by itself per manufacturer directions, It makes fabric VERY stiff and paper- like.  However, I diluted the solution 1:1 with tap water in a small, fine mist spray bottle.  I gently sprayed the back seam, and then pressed it.  This made my seam lie perfectly flat, and gave the blocks a slightly firmer hand. As an added bonus, my blocks will not stretch out of shape now when handled!

Good news: I sprayed this over my fabric and let some of it get on my new ironing board cover.  After I was finished, I damp wiped the surface of the cover, and there was no indication of staining or residues!  I’ve ironed on the board since, and there is no scorching or discoloration which you tend to see over time with other starch sprays.

I’ve sent an email request to the manufacturer for the SDS.  I am interested to compare it to starch.  Bonus, my regular starch is in an aerosol can and this is not!

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Curve It Up – Block 1 Churn Dash

I completed the cutting and sewing of the first block of the Curve It Up quilt pattern today.  This was also the very first time that I have tried the “Quick Curve Ruler”.

My color selection didn’t vary much from the pattern (this time), call me chicken!

IMG_6340Step 1:  Choose your fabrics
I plan to incorporate a mixture of solids and prints in my blocks.  I will probably carry over one of the fabrics to each subsequent block to attempt to tie everything together.

Step 2:  Precut your fabrics – What I learned… I precut my fabrics to the sizes suggested.  The sizes are supposed to be a little larger than the final sizes needed for the curved pieces.  However, no extra is given for the more traditional non-curve pieces.

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Step 3:  Sew your block per the pattern…
So far, the beauty of the “Quick Curve Ruler”  is that it gives you a slot to follow for cutting the curve AND after you have pieced your curve (and it isn’t perfectly centered) you can use the ruler to correct it by cutting it down!

This ruler doesn’t make it any easier to match the starting point of your curve.  You also still need to be careful during stitching not to tug or stretch the curve.  I found the blue concave piece the most susceptible to the stretching.

Here is what helped me:
1.  To center the blue concave curve piece and the background convex piece, overlay them, and then mark where they intersect.  (I used a pink friXion pen… it will disappear with ironing, and will be within the seam allowance.)IMG_6413

2.  Use a stylus to help feed the two layers under your foot while sewing the curve.  I found that my fingers tended to tug at the fabric more than a fine edge.  I’m trying out “That Purple Thang”, and it seems to do the trick. 🙂

Step 4:  Press and admire…
The finished blocks of this quilt are 16 1/2  x 16 1/2.

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Curve It Up – BOM – (Coming Soon!)

This quilt pattern, “Curve it Up” by Sew Kind of Wonderful was gifted to me along with the “Quick Curve Ruler” .  Over the next year, I plan to post information about the quilt construction and use of the curve it up ruler.  Come learn with me!

Here are my plans:

Blog 1 – Curve it Up:  Pick your fabrics!  – Overview of Moda Palette Builder
Blog 2 – Block 1
Blog 3 – Block 2
etc.

Let me know if there is anything else you want to see! I’m new to blogging and don’t know what others would like to see yet.

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A Trek (in the wrong direction)

This fabric is what happens when you take a Trekkie fan to the fabric store! I started this quilt on our marriage anniversary and finished on Valentines Day.

I used the Simply-EZ double wedding ring template and filled the centers with large print instead of neutral background fabric.

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It started as “The Ugly Quilt” and ended as a fun conversation item. My mother says it reminds her of a comic book.

I also used the new Warm and Plush batting in this. I loved how the thicker batting quilted and draped. It stretched with handling more than Warm and Natural, so it was harder to load and handle on my longarm.

I digitized a special ship for a polo recently and decided a custom label was in order! IMG_0157_2IMG_6114