slowly but surely…

 

…I am building a snake trail* quilt.  This hand-stitching** project is serving as an excellent reminder that, in my fairly busy*** life, I actually have quite a few small pockets of down time.

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*This is a pattern from Denyse Schmidt’s latest book.  I’m ALMOST completely sticking to the pattern, which is uncharacteristic — and really nice for a change.  I’ll write more on the process soon.

**I started this as a hand-piecing project, but when I do find time to use my sewing machine, I go for it.

***When I say “busy,” I mean “full.”  An abundance of good things.  I am SO grateful for that.

thoughts on motivation

This post by Chawne spurred some thinking about the types of quilts I most enjoy creating–the ones that give me that “rush to finish” feeling.  I’ve come to realize that I am happiest making quilts that are my own design.  Inspiration hits and I just go for it.  There is no pattern to follow.  Its just me, my ideas, and a desire to work with fabric until I make whatever it is I am hoping to make.  I love the feeling of not knowing exactly how the finished product will turn out, but trusting my design sense and technical skills enough to know that I will make something beautiful, or practical, or comforting {or whatever it is I hope to accomplish.} I also like making heartfelt gifts that are motivated by the prospect of giving a little bit of handmade beauty to someone who is important to me.  My goal is to make something that the recipient will love.  I try to figure out their style, their tastes, their favorite colors, etc.  This type of project can feel a lot more like work because its more about the end game than the creative process.  I still find great satisfaction in it, nonetheless.

As I was trying to coming up with ideas for the quilt that is pictured above, I endeavored to combine these two types of quilts:  heartfelt gift and original design.  I wanted to make a gift for a friend that she would love, but I also wanted to throughly enjoy the process of creating it.   I am pretty sure I didn’t even include her favorite color {purple?}, but I know that it is well-constructed, one-of-a-kind,  and will keep her warm. Its an added bonus if she thinks its beautiful, right?

Enough of the introspective naval gazing. Here are some details.  I was originally inspired by this piece of artwork by Mia Christopher, but I went in a totally different direction color-wise and skipped the rounded corners. I didn’t use a rotary cutter while I made this quilt; I tore the fabric strips instead.  The “organic” grid quilting was inspired by this awesome quilt.   I backed it in flannel and bound it {with the same flannel} using Sherri Lynn Wood’s fantastic invisible binding tutorial. I machine-stitched the binding to the back of the quilt for.the.first.time.ever because I knew that the stitching would blend with the quilting on the front. It went really quickly and makes the finish product a lot sturdier than if you hand-stitch.  I always forget to measure my quilts but my guess is that it is about 60″ x 75″ in size. I like to make sure that my friends will be able to cover their bodies entirely and wrap their quilts around their feet when they are snuggled up on the couch.

Now, I am curious.  What motivates your making?  What types of projects do you love to create the most and why?  Let me know if you have a minute.

low volume quilt

My friend Jenny and I made this quilt together.  We chose a very simple pattern {rail fence} and a color scheme {low volume} that was easy to pull from our stashes.  I think it took Jenny all of two days to sew her 16 blocks, assemble the gorgeous backing fabric, and mail it all off to me.  Super speedy!  Unfortunately, the United States Postal Service did not follow her lead.  Those gorgeous quilt blocks traveled to Massachusetts from Indiana via Florida and New Hampshire.  It doesn’t take a geography whiz to figure out that’s not the most efficient route.

But arrive they did, and a collaborative quilt was born.  I did my usual safe and steady straight-line quilting and finished it off with a scrappy binding made of matching low volume prints.  Jenny and I used a collection of some of our most beloved prints for this one. {Not that it really matters but the photo above of the whole quilt is driving me nuts because the colors are off.  I really had a tough time photographing this one!}

This is the softest, prettiest quilt I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting together. It was such a wonderful group project. It makes me feel so grateful for the internet and the generous, collaborative community it fosters.  XOXO.

fields and furrows

My god-daughter, who will receive this as a gift at Christmas, helped me chose the prints that were used in this quilt.  She sorted through a bunch of 2.5″ strips of fabric I had cut for another project and was very cute and also very opinionated as she worked through the pile.  {Apparently, she a big Laurie Wisbrun fan, too.}  Both my god-daughter and her mom are purple people.  You know what I mean, right?  Some folks just FEEL VERY STRONGLY about their love for that color.  I do not fall in that camp, but then, this quilt was not made for me!

I love making traditional log cabin blocks and ever since I saw this quilt-in-progess, I wanted to try to make one in the “fields and furrows” design.  I think my one minor error was to use the solid, lighter value pinkish squares that are grouped with all the purple solids.  I don’t think they ruin the quilt by any means, but if I were to make it again, I’d probably switch them out for more purple fabric.  {You may be tempted to be kind and tell me that the pink squares “add interest,” but I’m not going to buy it. Though Carolyn’s take on it –in the comments–is interesting.}  Really, the prints are what makes this quilt shine.  There are so many fun and bright novelty designs in the mix. I really love it–as evidenced by this photo-heavy post.

I quilted a four inch grid following the lines of the logs.  The backing is pieced with Kona solids, but I have no idea which ones.  I used the remaining scraps of solid purple fabric to bind it all up, and I think the thicker binding makes a nice frame.  I’m excited to wrap it up and give this throw-sized quilt to the sweetest little four year old around!

In other news, I started piecing my next quilt last night.  I’m using lots of linen and blue gingham, with a splash of text prints.  I really should be thinking about some of the smaller items I’d like to make to give as Christmas gifts, but I am so addicted to quilting right now.  I think I’ll just ride the wave.

a quilt for my girl

This is an over-sized twin quilt I made for my daughter.  I first started conceptualizing this quilt in June, 2011. I posted a photo of some of the fabrics I used here. I’m so glad I took Chawne’s advice and used an alternating solid–Kona eggplant.  She had mentioned that if I only used prints, I’d likely lose lots of the triangle points in the design. I thought I’d use charcoal gray as my solid, but I took into account that my pint-sized recipient would prefer something more colorful than gray. I threw in a handful of random pink and green solids as well. I was nervous about that addition, but now it is one of my favorite aspects of the quilt.

The piecing went slowly because bias edges are a little bit fiddly.  I used a specialty ruler and am convinced that the cut-out corners on the top of the triangle helped a great deal with accuracy.

I sent it off to be long-arm quilted by Emily Sessions of Emerson Quilting.  I saw Emily’s work here first and I wanted that exact same quilting design.  Emily was so patient with me as I peppered her with questions and her turn-around time was quick.  Her pricing is more than reasonable and the work she does is simply gorgeous.  I was thrilled with the results.  The backing fabric is a fun Heather Ross print that I had been saving for this project.  My quilt backings tend to be pieced together, so it feels luxurious to have something so uniform and, well, adorable. I used mostly hot pink prints for the binding because I wanted it to coordinate with the backing fabric and I knew it would match the quilt top well enough. If I had been considering the front side of the quilt exclusively, I probably would have gone with more of the solid eggplant.

My daughter is one of the best appreciators of my handmade items, and this one is no exception.  She points to different triangles and tells me which ones she likes best.  And then she always ends with, “but I like all of the fabrics, Mom.”  {Me too, sweetie. Me too.} It’s is so nice to see it on her bed, side-by-side with the one I made for her older brother two years ago.

raffle quilt

I didn’t think I’d have time to make a quilt to donate as a raffle prize for the fundraiser at my kindergartener’s school, but inspiration hit at the right time, and I managed to make this child-sized lap quilt.  Originally, the patchwork piece was destined to become an oven mitt, but I had already made two potholders and just didn’t have another one in me.  What I really wanted to do was make a quilt.  So I did.

I was inspired by Jenny and this absolutely amazing baby quilt that she made for a friend, though my version certainly does not have as much dimension.  I believe the solids are Kona pomegranate and Kona red. I bet my fellow stash-pacter Katie can confirm that.  She sent them to me in a recent swap. The patchwork piece was a result of my obsession with the Campbell’s Soup cans that were designed to celebrate the anniversary of Andy Warhol’s famous artwork.  Most of the binding was made from scraps of Children at Play that my sister had gifted to me.

This quilt was a blast to make.  There is nothing fussy about the process–just lots of improv sewing with fabric I adore.  There really is nothing better, craft-wise, for me.  Here’s hoping it raises a little bit of money for my kiddo’s school.

a quilt and a pact

This quilt was built in 16-patch blocks made up of 2 1/2″ squares.  It measures 56 x 72″ and was long-arm quilted {beautifully} by Margaret Gunn at Mainely Quilts of Love.  It holds lots of little bits of fabric from many of my sewing friends  — and a couple of squares from a non-sewing friend who dabbles in fabric. My personal stash is also very well represented in this piece.

This was my go-to project when I couldn’t decide what I wanted to make.  I always had a pile of little squares at the ready, so when I had the urge to sew, I would make a block. This quilt taught me that you don’t have to set aside a big chunk of time in order to flex your creative muscles.  Sometimes twenty minutes is all you need. This one will stay in our living room.  Our kids have been using it every morning.  I can’t tell you how good that feels.

In other news -and as a follow-up to the series of blog posts I wrote about fabric shopping– Chawne of completely cauchy and I have decided to bring back the StashPact.  Chawne explains the group in this blog post and has set up a flickr group called StashPact II: Electric Boogaloo. It should be a great place for people to join up and support each other as they endeavor to curb their craft supply purchases.  It’s a flexible, welcoming group for anyone with a bit of fiber shopping habit that they’d like to get under control.  Check it out and join us!

my precious

I don’t know that I can continue to call this quilt “My Precious Quilt” for much longer, because it just sounds so goofy to me, but I should explain.  At the beginning of the summer, Kelly of kelbysews started a brilliant quilt-a-long that encouraged crafters to make something with fabric that they have been hesitant to use.  She named it the “My Precious Quilt-A-Long” and it gave me the push I needed to make a quilt for myself that catalogs a collection of some of my most treasured prints.

This throw-sized quilt is machine pieced and hand-quilted in a simple crosshatch pattern. I started by cutting into my own collection of  fabric and then added squares I have received from friends. A good number of the squares came from the ongoing and stress-free swap I have with Jenny, which I explained in my last post.  More squares from Carmen, Mary, Yahaira, Chawne, and Sarah made their way into this quilt as well.  I followed Yahaira’s awesome tutorial to make bias binding for the rounded corners.  I also used very special fabric  I received from Sheetal {green buttons} and Chawne {anchors} to lengthen the binding so that it would go around the whole quilt.  I completely miscalculated when I originally made the bias binding.

This photo shows a bit of the back:

This quilt now lives in our living room, and despite the warm summer temperatures, it is already seeing heavy use.  As a whole, it really isn’t much too look at.  Other than alternating light and dark values, I didn’t give any thought to placement of the squares. But up close, it is a patchy work of art.  It truly is precious. My guess is that the silly name is going to stick.

little islands quilt

I didn’t plan to make this quilt.  It emerged out of a pile of scraps and it was a ton of fun to sew up!

After making these herringbone blocks, I was left with a bunch of triangular scraps that sewed up nicely into rectangles. I matched them up with a bright blue solid and got to work assembling the top.  My process was very improvisational.  I knew that I wanted the scrappy rectangles to show as just little bursts of color here and there. I randomly tore large rectangles of blue solid fabric and sewed them around the scrappy bits.  I really didn’t think much about the final layout and I certainly didn’t bother worrying that the colorful rectangles were evenly distributed throughout.  I just had fun sewing and tearing, and sewing and tearing, until I had made nine large rectangular blocks that fit together like a puzzle.  I ran out of one of the blue solids at some point, so I just grabbed the next closest color I had and kept going. When I ran out of that fabric, I added the aqua dot as well. Sometimes having restrictions can force you to do things you wouldn’t have thought of if you had it all planned out from the beginning. That’s a big part of the fun for me. I was really pleased with the results. And perhaps most importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the process. I didn’t have anything in particular in mind when I was making this, but looking back, I have to say that I was probably inspired by this quilt, this quilt, these blocks and this book.

I wanted to do loopy quilting but I still haven’t taken the time to learn how to free motion quilt.  Instead, I settled on a basic grid design.  I actually like the look of straight lines more than the loopy quilting.  But still.  It would be really nice to have more options. I get bored running the quilt straight through my machine over and over again.  I started off just using the guide on my walking foot to create the grid, but my lines were veering off course as I went and I didn’t like how it was turning out.  I remembered that I have a Hera marker and used that to draw a grid.  That helped a ton–what a great tool! I used an aqua thread on top and an off-white color in the bobbin. In the end, I am really glad I went with the plain old grid because I love how it looks on the back.

Since the quilt top is extremely loud and bright, I wanted to back to be super simple. The backing fabric is the reverse side of a super ugly printed solid blue color that reminded me of “mom jeans.”  I really did not like the color of the “right side” of the fabric, but it was the only piece of solid fabric I had on hand that was big enough for the back of this quilt.  The “wrong side” is a wonderful light slate gray, so I just used that instead. I bound it with a Carolina Chambray.  The quilt washed and dried up so nicely–it had the perfect amount of crinkle.  {I love that out-of-the-dryer crinkle so much.  I think it is what motivates me to finish my quilt projects.}

I shipped this birthday gift off to my sister who lives in Hawaii. She is a dedicated community leader who runs a grassroots organization called the Hawaii Island Sustainability Organization.  More importantly, she is one of the kindest, most generous people I know.  She is beautiful, inside and out, and is a wonderful mom.  She is an amazing sister and such a good friend–and sometimes it drives me crazy that she lives so far away!  She called me the day that she opened the package. She told me that her almost-four-year-old daughter took both the baby quilt that I made her and this new quilt and wrapped herself up in them as soon as they got home from the post office.  That description provided such a nice visual image for me.  Gosh I miss them so much.

many trips around the world

This lap-sized quilt was the one big handmade item I made this year for Christmas.  I started thinking about it in June and finished hand-sewing the binding just before Christmas.  I made it for my youngest sister and all of the fabric was from my stash. I was first inspired by this quilt, and then this one, and I followed this fantastic tutorial to piece the top.  I was surprised at how fiddly the blocks were to make, but I love the overall effect. The individual squares finish at 2.5″ and the quilt measures 60″x60.”  I quilted it in a simple crosshatch pattern and bound it with a polka dot print plus a handful of scraps to mix it up.  The back of the quilt is also patchwork.

So. What to say about this quilt?  I love it. It houses some of my most favorite pieces of fabric. I love the design. I love the mix of colors. I love the scrappiness. I love that it is crazy busy and there is no place for your eyes to rest!  I love how it is quilted. I love how it is bound. {This quilt! IT IS SO ME!}  I love that it now belongs to an awesome person and very good friend.

When I first picked my sister in our annual Christmas pick, I asked her if she wanted me to make her a quilt.  She said that she was really hoping that was the plan, and ever since, she’s been telling me how she is so excited for HER QUILT. {On Christmas morning, she sent me a text that read:  Merry Quilt Day!} Do you know how nice it is for someone to tell you over and over again, throughout the span of six months, that they are excited to receive something that you are making for them?  It’s really nice!  And you know what else? My little sister is really nice too. I’m so lucky to have her in my life.