paper piecing and stuff

Oh, man!  Do I even blog anymore?  It's been a while, right?  So, what's been going on... I started a new job (part time at a quilt shop!)... went away for a long weekend... because it was my birthday! (yesterday. I'm officially old)... broke a toe... had to stop 2 quilts in the cutting stage while I waited for more fabric... and tried some paper piecing.

my crazy messy design wall

I've done paper piecing before, but never really loved it.  I love the detail you can achieve, though.  So when Kristy at Quiet Play was looking for pattern testers for her new paper piecing patterns I jumped at the chance.  Trying new things keeps the brain from turning to mush, right?

if only real pots stayed this clean

I'm pretty impressed!  Despite my best intentions to get going on this as soon as the pattern hit my inbox, I just kept putting it off.  Until today, that is.  A few hours at the machine later and I have a cute mini quilt for my sewing room.  And it wasn't all that painful.  I had to unpick a bit, but I remembered a tip I'd read to baste iffy pieces first before commiting to sewing them with those teeny stitches, so it wasn't as bad as it could be.

blocks "stored" on the floor

Not as bad as the tidying job I really should be tackling.  One scrap vomit, one scrappy trip, an x+, bee blocks, paper piecing, and not fully unpacking from retreat equals one horrible mess.  At least the cats like it.

beat that babe,
c

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blooming and a question

Hi!  I hope everyone had an amazing weekend!  I had to drop the hubs at the airport way too early Sunday morning (it involved a 6), but the upshot is that I got to do a bunch of uninterrupted sewing in the afternoon!  Woot!

The result is that I put a bit of a dent in my Bloom top.  I was inspired to start it by seeing this cushion from Svetlana at sotak handmade.  I never thought that I'd want to make something with peach!  But then I became obsessed and needed to track down that peach painter's canvas.  Which around here generally means ordering online and waiting at least 2 weeks.  But it was my lucky weekend because coming back from Victoria I stopped in the Fabricland in Duncan, and they had a big selection of painter's canvas at 50% off!  Not quite as amazing as the previous weekend's Victoria score of Amy Butler for 3.99/m, but still awesome!

 He's away for 4 days at a conference so I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get all the dresden rings done for this guy.  Plus some quilting.  And maybe actually blog on a regular basis!

I've got a question, though, that I was hoping I could get some help with.  I'm looking for a 60 degree ruler.  Anyone have one they love?  I've done two quilts lately (hexy baby and patchwork prism) and while I love the look of those triangles, cutting them with a regular ruler isn't terribly accurate.  So I want to invest in a 60 degree ruler, and, of course, I want the best one!

I looked at this one and while I like the size, the lines are really thick, making it hard to get an accurate measurement.  Most of my rulers are by omnigrid so I'm used to all the lines being dashed.  I wish they made a 60 degree ruler!  Any suggestions?  Should I just get over my fear of solid lines?

happy sewing,
c

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Blocks, no quilts

After the Made in Cherry Quilt along I'm feeling a little lost.  I just don't know what to start on next.  So, like a good quilter I've been playing, making blocks.

First I decided to jump on the x+ bandwagon.  Who knew it created such tiny blocks?  I guess I would have if I'd actually read Amy's post before just jumping in, cutting and sewing.  They're cute, I'll keep making them out of my scraps, but I don't see a bed quilt emerging from these.  (they're 7½" finished, by the way.)

Next was the granny square block.  Jolene started these, Heather made me realize I couldn't not make some.  I've made one.  I'll make more.

Finally the retro flower block.  I kept looking at the pattern and putting it off.  I don't really like buying patterns.  I can't be bothered reading instructions.  So it seems kind of dumb to buy them.  But this ones seemed original enough that it really would be pretty sh*tty of me to just draft it myself.  I've made two blocks so far, one using the templates in the pattern, one using slightly larger ones.  I just wanted to see how it would look bigger.  Blame it on swoon, I want to make everything bigger now.

Oh, and I still haven't read the instructions.  I'm sure they're good, I'd just rather be sewing.

xox
c

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Work in Progress Wednesday - the one in which there is some actual progress

 

I've actually finished my Loulouthi tiles quilt!  A marathon 3 hours of tv watching/hand stitching binding and it's done.  Oh, except for washing, which is very necessary as the damn thing is covered in dog hair.

I need to get a decent wide shot of it, I took a whole bunch of the quilting but didn't get one showing the whole thing!  Hopefully tomorrow doesn't rain so I can take it outside for a photoshoot.

But who cares, look at that quilting!  I'm so happy with how it turned out!  It looks hard but it's just hooks that go together to look like feathers.  Yup, this one makes me a proud mama.

not seeing much action:
hexie stars
yellow hexagons
hexie charm quilt
good folks voile crosses
double wedding ring

still in need of quilting:
swoon
Single girl
Prince Charming zig zag
made in cherry quilt along

xox
c

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Work in process Wednesday

Congratulations Lee on a whole year of WIPW posts!!  I wish I'd started linking up from the beginning, hell I still have stuff in process that I started before she started WIPW!

 This week there's not too much going on.  Some churn dash blocks, a half started tutorial, a wedding ring quilt abandoned on a shelf.  Le suck.

Oh, and this big pile of tops waiting to be quilted!


much loves,
c

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Work in progress Wednesday

 

It`s gotten to the point here on the west coast where it`s almost impossible to take a photo.  Noon is just as grey as 4 pm and there`s a constant drizzle outside.  Perfect sewing weather I`ll admit, but not great for the snaps.  But it's Wednesday, so I'm fighting the grey and linking up over at Freshly Pieced.

The 2x wedding ring is progressing.  I`m glad I`m just making this throw sized!  Ten of sixteen rings are sewn and attached.  Pretty good I`d say!

I've started on a couple new things this week.  The first is my trial block for my bee month over at the travelling circles bee.  I fell in love with this block and basically copied it.  Yup, out and out plagiarism, but I don't care, I love it.  And her tutorial is great, it's my favorite way of foundation piecing.

My other new start is a Texas Star following this tutorial on Blue Elephant Stitches.  I'm so happy that Jolene posted this, I love the quilt she made using this block and the block itself is awesome.  I think I'm going to draft this up to a 16" block then attempt a quilt using them.  I'm even going to steal her colour palette!

not seeing much action:
swoon
yellow hexagons
hexie charm quilt
good folks voile crosses

still in need of quilting:
Loulouthi tiles
Single girl
Prince Charming zig zag
postage stamp quit along

xox
c

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Work in progress Wednesday

 

I'm linking up again, I'm going to try to do this every week.  It's nice to have some structure, right?

Another embroider bee block.  Yay!  I feel pretty accomplished getting these done.  Two more to do, though.

I've made a bit more progress on the 2x wedding ring and swoon.

no progress:
yellow hexagons
good folks voile crosses (I need a design wall!)

waiting to be quilted:
Loulouthi tiles
Single girl
Prince Charming zig zag
Checkerboard quit along

and that's about it!
c

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Work in Progress Wednesday

Not much of a week for getting sewing done, sorry.  Between hosting thanksgiving on Sunday and the bracketing days of marathon cooking and bloated lying down and moaning, yup, I just didn't sew.  Much. So...

One more swoon block.  Whoa, that's a loud fabric combo.  Oh, well.  Each quilt needs one questionable block, right?

And a block for the travelling circles bee.  This one is heading to Australia!  And the package arrived here with chocolate!  Yay!  So much better than the giant dead spiders my Aussie friend's sister used to send her in care packages.  Never share your phobias with your sister!

love and tofurkey (which we didn't have.  i'm veggie but not crazy)
Chelsea

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Are you there Shar? It's me, Chelsea.

 

If you were quilting in the 90s, you probably saw at least one episode of Quilting with Shar.  I don't know if it was the nasal voice or the constant pimping, but I bought one of her template sets way back when.  The 2x wedding ring, in fact, and I'm finally doing some stitching on that beast.  As much as Shar drove me crazy, the templates are pretty good.  But the instructions?  A wonderful combination of confusing, bitchy, and insufficient.  Yay!  Good thing there are some decent instructions out there, like these from Kaelin.  Oh, yeah, what I meant to say is: look, I've made some progress on the 2x wedding.

Ok, enough griping. 

I got an awesome block in the mail today.  Thanks Stitch n' Bits! 

Happy thanksgiving, eh!
C

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Work in Progress

I've been in love with Lee's Work in Progress Wednesdays for a while now but have never got off my butt to add to it.  So, today, finally, my WIP Wednesday:

New projects:

Swoon!
I'm in love, complete and utter love with these blocks.  Ok, I hate HSTs (and all of you Canadians who're dealing with the HST tax know this has a double hate on).  But, these are gorgeous.  And even though it's almost a cliche now, I've gone with an aqua grey and red palette.  Because it's pretty, dammit.

Double Wedding Ring
I started this in the 90s, people.  The 90s!!!!!  Yes, I was 2.  I got it cut, then got on with life.  Apparently I needed some 30s in my life again, because I dug it out the other day.  It's all cut, just (just!) needs sewing.  I think the fabric is all Marcus Brothers, and boy did they use some sizing back then, because these stink!


Still Needing Quilting:
single girl
loulouthi tiles
prince charming zig zag

xox,
c

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Hope Valley

I find when I'm really stressed that I have to start new projects.  Kinda crazy, but that's how I roll.  So with the house sale dragging on and the husband moved out I've started a new quilt.  Yup, the 6 or so on the go aren't enough.

Handkerchief Corners by philistine made

After ignoring Hope Valley for ages I finally decided about 2 months that I desperately needed some and ordered a fat quarter bundle.  The initial plan was to make the quilt above.

Fruit Salad from 107 Quilts

But then I saw this one and everything changed.

I'm making big blocks, 22" across, then cutting them down.  The plan is for 16 of the big blocks, resulting in 64 10" blocks after the trim.  I'm a little over half done, and getting a little panicked about fabric.  I have strips on the coffee table, on the couch, in the fruit bowl.  I'm pretty sure I have enough!  No tv tonight, I want these beasties finished.



And speaking of beasties, Miss Beatrice decided to try on a my underwear yesterday.  Tres chic, yes?

smooches,
C

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From pieces to pieced

My single girl is done!  Well, the piecing is at least.  And I'm psyched! 

Now comes the big debate.  Hand quilt or machine quilt?  I really think this is just begging for big colourful hand stitching.  But...

See that?  I know, it's not the best quality photo.  Anyways.  My big orange cat Tron likes to roll in dirt.  Then come and sleep on our bed.  I've washed this quilt at least once every 2 weeks.  I just don't know if hand quilting can stand up to that.  And I don't know of any way of keeping Tron off the bed that wouldn't get me in trouble with the SPCA.

ciao,
C

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How many are too many?

I have a bit of quilt ADD.  Right now I have 4 quilt tops on the go, one more that the fabric has been ordered for, and about 65 ideas floating around on my hard drive, on scraps of paper, and in my head.  It's probably not the most efficient way of working, but I've always been like this.

So, the most obvious project is my single girl quilt.  I've got more than half of the quadrants sewn and I'm pushing myself to get the rest done this weekend.  The husband is out of town so this might be a bit of a challenge.  Sure, I don't have to talk to him or cook anything more advance than oatmeal, but it means I'm also the only one on dog patrol.

The second is a yellow and grey version of Freckled Whimsy's recent Moda Bake Shop pattern.  Jamie actually saw the pattern on the counter and was excited.  Until he realized the "recipe" wasn't for cookies.  Hmm, I guess I need to add human cookies to this weekend's roster (dog cookies are already on it).

The third is a crazy nine patch I started in December and am working on quilting.  I am so sick of this quilt, though!  I really want to ditch it into ufo territory, but I think I'll try to finish it.

The final one is a yellow hexagon quilt using big (5") hexies.  I'm still in the fabric collection and cutting phase on this one, though.

So that's it.  Four on the go, one in the queue and about a billion brewing.  You?

PS:  Stay tuned because tomorrow I'll be posting my 1st giveaway!

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Single girl marches on

Week 3.  Sewing the arcs.  Fun.

Ok,ok,it's not that bad.  Just, I hate pinning.  And you really need to pin these mofos.  I have a nail polish called Adios Mofo and I really should wear it while I'm working on these.  I mean they're coming along and all, but... yeah, mofo.



Anyway I have one whole block done ( I just needed to see them all together) and almost all of the first quadrants done.  If I can get off my butt I may actually finish them all before Gossip Girl.  Maybe.



As you can see from the photo I had some major rippling in my block.  Don't see it?  Check this one out:



Yeah.

So I made up a template of what the arcs should look like.  And realized that mine are way off.  I tend to sew a scant ¼" which is fine when things are rotary cut since I cut tight.  But with tracing the templates my pieces all ended up a little big and I should have been sewing a generous ¼".  I ended up having to cut ¼" to ½" off each end of my arcs!!  But at least the blocks lie flat now.  And this solution was way faster than my original idea of going back and re-sewing each seam.  That was a bad, bad idea.



Hopefully by Friday I'll have these all sewn up.  Until then anyone have a suggestion for where to order perle cotton?  That ships to Canada?

adios mofos,
C

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