Another Quilt With the Feel of Africa

I decided that Kalahari Fire Ring was very flat and lacking in the detail that I like, so I decided to try something using the Cathedral Window block. I think these fabrics are more vibrant, and that satisfies my interpretation of African textiles. I had to dedicate a piece of fabric for the windows that was earmarked for a vest lining, because I fussy cut the windows. The repeat on the fabric was so large that I had to break it down to 3 sets of 4 windows each. The center four were one, the remaining 8 were two different cuts. I like the red/orange in the center of this a lot. The fact that the windows were cut from leaf shapes also echoed the leaf prints in the black fabric, and I like that kind of continuity in my work, if I can make it happen.

My closeups always look distorted...but this is 12.5" square

These 3 black fabrics were companion pieces that I got from a shop in Columbus Ohio, and I liked that they all felt organic in the design. My method for hanging these small pieces is to get a wooden dowel, and cut it to fit inside the sleeve. I then wrap tape around the ends and screw in eyelets. The tape prevents the wood from splitting, and I  can use a smaller dowel that doesn't distort the front of the quilt. There is no weight to speak of, so this can be hung with straight pins. They don't leave much of a mark, and it can be moved around without too much wall damage. It's how I hang all my pieces here, and it works very well. I also like that there is no visible hanging hardware.

My next Cathedral Window experiment will include rectangle blocks that impart a bit of a 3-D effect. This pattern uses a LOT of fabric and needs a LOT of hand stitching, but I like the result, so I think I'm going to work on another piece.

Kalahari Fire Ring

As a gift for someone who collects African art, I was inspired to create a wall hanging with colors that reflect that continent's vibrant and rich textile and nature colors. I knew it would be a small piece, one that is like many others I have done, because I lose interest with larger projects. I usually have several things in mind, and when my Mr. is away on work travel, I take sewing magazines and my clipboard with graph paper and mechanical pencil to bed with me and work on plans and schemes for future projects. They are usually left on the Mr.'s side of the bed, that is way too empty when he is gone. But his work trip this time may give him the chance to jump in the ocean at Challenger Deep, and give him the chance to claim swimming at the deepest place on earth. He deserves that, even if it makes me extremely nervous for him to do it. It all depends on the weather, which right now is at typhoon level 3. But he will be out there for a few weeks, so maybe the chance will still be there.

My color inspiration came from this insect, the African Bottlebrush Beetle. Africa has so many amazing creatures, this beetle among them. Its front legs look like, well, bottle brushes. Even I was able to figure that out. I also liked that the orange/yellow/black colors reminded me of some fabric that I had on the shelf, from Paula Nadelstern's Patternista Chorus Line. I love these fabrics, and am buying yardage online because it isn't in stores anymore. My choice for the background fabric with leaves on it came from the fact that the Kalahari Desert has areas that get up to ten inches of rain per year, and things grow there. These few interesting facts about Africa gave me some reasons for my choices, and I always try to incorporate things like that in work that I do.

My first bright idea was to piece it so the featured triangles were all the same. Known as fussy cutting, it is a great way to give a quilt an added visual impact. Good idea, except for the fact that this is paper pieced, and lining them up on the back of the paper, and having to sew the seam, then flip them over and press them into place left room for a lot of error. In order for the pattern to flow around in the circle, they needed to be nearly identical. 12 triangles, 3 of them removed, repositioned and re-sewn, and 1 triangle removed twice. Talk about frustrating. It was. But their position was crucial to the impact of this, and there was no way I was going to give up on it, even though taking stitching out of the paper foundation weakens the paper, and can distort the rest of the sewing lines. So I was very careful to place the needle back in the original hole so I wouldn't be adding another line of perforation in the paper. Couldn't sew them all correctly the first time, but I could resew them. Add to that the small stitch length used so the paper is easier to remove, and you have a seam ripping nightmare.

I began looking at sashing strips. Light or dark fabric...how many...I spent a day considering many fabrics. I gave in to the dark, light, dark, light look, and I think I'm happy with it. 

Four blocks done. Whew. I had added another triangle to each of the inner corners to give it a center focal point, only to find that when I trimmed the under fabric and sewed the blocks together, I didn't like the fabric choice. Really, Peg? It didn't blend with the other fabrics, and was a distraction instead of a compliment. It kept staring at me like a grey eyeball. I hated it. I knew that if I took those four triangles out, having been stitched in with those tiny paper piecing stitches, it would probably distort the center of the quilt. 

So I spent another day deciding what to do. Enter the fussy cut, again. If I wasn't going to remove the grey fabric, I was going to have to hand stitch a square of fabric over it. And that is where I am now, about half way done. I have an Ott light, but the only light bright enough for that kind of stitching is sunlight, so tomorrow, about mid day, I will finish it. I am going to strip piece the backing fabric, including a fabric label, and then decide the quilting pattern. I will post a photo of the finished piece in a few days, but now it's off to bed to spend some time with my clipboard and graph paper. Also, my close up photo taking abilities need some work, because these look distorted, but another blogger, Heather said it was because the camera wasn't parallel to the surface. I need to work on that...but thanks Heather!

Vintage Goldmine

Well, I hit the mother lode of vintage fabric last weekend, and the second of four parcels arrived today. This first photo is just a VERY small sample of one auction that I won. The woman who did this work had to be an amazing person. She had so many projects started, and had taken the time to keep the groups together, many of them in zip bags. There are literally thousands of blocks, groups, pieces and parts. I am amazed at the variety of pieces in this collection.

This sewer liked what I like. I was humbled to open the box and start looking through what was there. Some of the pins were still holding pieces together, waiting to be stitched. One piece still had the needle and thread in it, where she left it. I have no idea who she was, or her name, or where she lived. But I feel like I know about her. I know the stitches on these pieces now, some by hand, some by machine. She was knowledgeable, the point and seam matching was quite nice. Some of zip bags contained cut pieces that are about an inch square, and the template is there as well, with the lead marks on it where the pencil slipped as she traced it over and over. Wow. I think I am meant to carry on where she left off, and I plan on working everything I can into clothing, green bags, and gifts for friends. Some of the bigger pieces will be quilted and bound for wall art. I have to honor what she began.

 This is the second batch, over 400 1" squares, 5 bags, sorted by color. Again, this person was busy. Some of them had been stitched together, and taken back apart. Lots of feed sack prints, amazing, vintage fabric goodness that is going to find its purpose in the now.

It's funny how this stuff is still out there. Fabric is fragile; an organic thing that doesn't last forever. Some quilts seem to have stood the test of time, others look as though the dog's had them under the porch. I have seen both, and when I came across these groups, I felt like I could save them. I could make things that would give them life, and hopefully, they will be around for a long time. The Mr. is on work travel for a month, so I have time to sew, along with painting ceilings and walls. It's going to be a good, productive 30 days. :-)

Better Late Than Never

I have had lots going on, but at least remembered to take the last photos and post them before the moon quilt is delivered to that sweet baby boy this weekend. I loved using painter's tape for marking the straight diagonal lines, but there were some blocks that it was hard to see against. Who knew painter's tape was going to match the quilt so well? I need to get some Frog tape just in case my next project is blue! I used a bamboo quilt bat that I like very much. I think if I need some filler in the clothing I plan on for my fall sewing, I will consider it. Nice, soft feel, and not stiff at all. I really like it.

I did free motion quilting around all the letters, and I have not had a lot of experience at that, but I think it turned out okay. This quilt is meant to be loved, dragged around, and generally scrunched up, so I tried to give it the foundation for lots of wear. It will be given with a re-stitch warranty, should anything come loose, but I think it's  going to last.

In Italian, the literal translation of 'to give birth' is "dare alla luce"...to give to the light.

Benvenuto alla luce, Lyric.

Moon Quilt Top

Sometimes my camera distorts the image, like this one where the edges don't look square. It is square, though. Rotary cut, 1/4" guide on the presser foot makes this as square as humanly possible, but it still looks crooked. Oh well, even if it weren't, after Lyric gets ahold of it, hopefully it will be loved, dragged around and broken in properly!

I usually opt for brighter colors over pastels, and this is a good example of those choices. My Mr. went with me when I needed to get a few more blues to plump up my selection. He found the one that has the yellow and orange in it, and I'm glad he did. It shows up because of the yellow/orange in the center panel. I like a mix of prints, and these are all batiks, my favorite fabric. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the right from the wrong side on them, but I love the feel of the it. It has a smooth, tight weave, and I was surprised to notice the differences in un-batik printed fabrics after having sewn with batiks for a while. There's a noticeable difference in the quality most of the time. I think this will wear well. I have a feeling it will be going through the wash more than a few times.

The quilting plan is free-motion in the center panel, and diagonal straight line in the squares. My Babylock machine is great, and makes it easy to accomplish all these things with ease.

I have to put it aside until Monday, but I hope to have it finished by the end of next week, and in the mail to Lyric's mom and dad in Ohio, where they're eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Second Project

For some reason, I seem to find it necessary to work on more than one project at a time. I think by the time I get to the part of stitching the current one together, my mind is already looking for the next one to begin. These fabrics were in a jelly roll from Moda®. Forty 2 1/2" strips, arranged by color in such a way, that I didn't want to disturb them. But that only lasted for a while. My rotary cutter and mat are wonderful tools, because they feed my need for instantaneous gratification. If I had to measure each strip and cut it with scissors, this post would not be taking place. Plus my machine has a foot with a 1/4" guide on it, so even with my impatience, it's nearly impossible to stitch inconsistent seams.

The one thing that bothered me was that these strips were cut with pinkers, and that sawtoothed edge was biting into the quarter inch seam allowance. After it's all done, it won't matter, I guess, but it makes the cut edge a little more unstable as I sew the seams.

Last photo is my beginning attempt to lay them out in a color wheel sort of fashion. I already see some things that have to be changed. Funny that I didn't see it when I was looking at it, but when I saw the photo, I noticed it right away. And I may have to use some other fabrics, because this group had several pastels, and I am going for brights in this one. Well, I am as soon as I finish that baby quilt.
PHOTOS©pegyates/2012

And The Stitch Goes On

It has been a delicious relief to have the humidity drop ahead of a thunderstorm. One that didn't quite make it to us, unfortunately, but it is bearable outside now. I was really hoping for a drenching rain to water the grass, flowers and shrubs, and generally wash away the grime that has accumulated on everything since the last rain we had. But I'll take the cooler temps even without the rain.

I Love You To The Moon And Back detail.

I decided to free motion stitch the letters down before I layer and quilt this piece. I figured that if I did that now, and stitched the blue background after I sandwich it all together, they will pop a little more. The edges of the letters are meant to fray a little after washing to give it a used and loved look, but with all the stitches, they won't be going anywhere.

This quilt was one out of my imagination. I did google the name of it, with 'baby quilt', and got some hits, but nothing like this at all. I get myself into these situations of sewing but mostly they turn out okay. I do fine, unless I am sewing for someone with a deadline attached. For some reason, that takes all the fun out of it for me. 

After and before cushion covers.

My step daughter asked me to make new covers for her cushions. It was something I had never tried before, but how could I say no? Old on the right, new on the left. I even picked out the 12 zippers and reused them in the new covers. They were in great shape, and it seemed a shame to toss them, aside from the fact that new ones weren't nearly as well made, but yet, they were still expensive. It would have cost about $60 for upholstery-grade new ones.

The plaids match on these cushions, even to the gussets on the sides of the back cushions. Thanks for forcing me to understand the finer points of that, Grandma. I learned to sew from her when I was in the 5th grade. I stayed over night with her on a Friday, and Saturday morning we got up and make a jumper for me, in an uneven plaid, and it matched, everywhere. She made it impossible for me to buy plaid off the rack, because it never matches. So, 6 back cushions, 6 seat cushions, and 12 zippers later, my machine was all ready to go/sew after 4 months of sitting in the box from our move. I LOVE my Babylock.

More photos will be added as this quilt goes together. In between stitching the letters, I have rotary cut strips for a miniature wall quilt. I have missed sewing time, and am fortunate to have the equipment and supplies to sew as much as I want...so get busy, Peg.
PHOTOS©pegyates/2012