Skirt Cont...

I do believe that I left off having finished this panel and debating about background fill.

The comments left about stippling detracting from the design reminded me of this practice piece I had done.  It did, indeed, detract from the central design.

I problem that I resolved by keeping the background fill linear.

So I decided to try that on the skirt panels.  I did switch to a grey thread and a walking foot.

To bypass the marking issues, I tried using freezer paper templates.

Didn't really work.

I would be outlining nicely, then the paper would become un-fuzed and I was either running the foot under the paper, or it would randomly run over one of the pointy tips.

The result was 2 side panels that look more like cousins than twins.

After a hot wash and dry, they have some nice texture to them.
Since I don't hate them at this point, I shall continue on.  I've managed to make the whole project more difficult by adding a pocket detail that wasn't in the original skirt, a separating zipper, and a new waist detail.  I am absolutely certain that my plans exceed my abilities.   Stay tuned.

Skirt Update

I do have some progress to show, but it was not without it's challenges.  

After daydreaming about this project all week, I woke up Saturday morning jazzed (chuffed...psyched...) to get started.

I had decided that plastic templates would be the way to go since I would be making 2-4 repeats of most of these designs.

I was so careful to cut them out just inside the tracing lines so I would have accurate templates.

But then I hit a point when I realized that my FMQ is so if-y that it was unlikely to follow those lines very well anyway.

As I was cutting them out I had a tragic realization.  I ALWAYS have yards of black Kona Cotton hanging around the house.  Um. Not today. $#^+!   I'm willing to shift gears, but soon realized that of the 1000 yards of fabric in my stash, I don't have a single piece over 2 yards in a color that A) I will wear B) I can imagine in this design.  And JoAnne's Fabric on Saturday morning is worse than a root-canal with no medication.

After a brief period of panic, I decided that Hancock Fabric might be less painful.

Turns out that I was right.  Quilting cottons 50% off.  As were zippers and Coats & Clark thread.
Instead of a stash buster project, I added 6 yards for this project and 9 yards of white-on-white - my standard quilting background. HOWEVER, I am using stash fabric and batting.  (And if I make it to the red/black version, stash thread.)

And then there was the Marking Saga.  I don't mean to be a drama queen...but really?  I can't find anything that really works on a mid to dark fabric.  I had an insanely expensive white Clover marking pen that I am totally hoping I can find the receipt so I can return it.  I bought it last week for this project thinking I'd be marking on black, and it was an absolute piece of crap.

I pulled out the water soluble blue marker thinking it would work.

Kind of did as long as I had full day light, overhead light, desk lamp, focused LED lamp and the machine light.  And reading glasses.  Double normal strength.

Here is the center front panel of my new skirt.  Since this is a major experiment I am also playing with thread.  I am using a Sulky embroidery thread on the top (with and embroidery needle), and the Coats & Clark on the bobbin.   [this panel has whatever was already on the fuschia bobbin...but the rest will be C&C.]

I did outline stitching on this panel so I can wash them all and get the shrink and texture that I want before I cut out and attach the panels.  I am using Bamboo batting (stash).

My current quilting dilemma is background.  I am thinking that I need to add some sort of stippling so the design will stand out.

So, anyway, welcome to my new 3-D quilt project.

Feb at a glance

One of the things that I love about Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts, is that it gives me a chance to reflect on the month of February and realize that I actually did get things accomplished.

My FMQ is getting better with feathers that look kind-of like they are supposed to.  I realized after making this that I don't actually LIKE feathers in quilting, which is probably why mine never look amazing.

My FMQ confidence is growing, and I'm really glad I decided on these practice panels that are designed to be a whole quilt later.  This piece, for example, I think I could have picked a better background fill, but I still love the leaf.  This leaf deserves better than becoming a pot holder!

One of my 2012 goals was to do trapunto, and this practice panel was my first attempt.  I learned a lot about background fill from the leaf panel and I was quite pleased with the outcome.

I finished piecing the silk tie quilt, which removes 2 things from my quilting bucket list  - upcycling and working with silk.  I learned a lot from this project, most importantly that I'm "totally over" the need to quilt with silk and I can move on.

But I am keeping the bonus silk woobie because it feels so soft.

Although I don't really enjoy piecing, working with someone else's yellow scraps for this charity quilt was a lot of fun.  I need to sew with yellow more often.

My only finish for the month was the Quilts of Valor quilt that was a collaborative effort from my quilt group and a chance for me to use another new-to-me technique.

And I am finally nearing the end of the hand quilting for the Double Wedding Ring.  This has taken 96 episodes of Cake Boss, and I've moved on to watching LA Ink.  Unfortunately the tatoos give me ideas for quilting designs so I tend to get distracted.

For March, I plan to continue to practice FMQ, finish the hand quilting, finish the Executive Woobie and $2.25 Plus Tax, finish piecing the Citrus HST top.  I also want to work on something to use up the blue scraps for another QOV quilt, and I need to get back to some applique on my Hearts Desire.

String QAYG

I've been using a quilt-as-you-go method to do a yellow string quilt and was so pleased with the results that I decided this could be a fun Quilts of Valor group project.  Several of The Quilt Block Ladies (a local quilt group that has let me join the fold)  have decided to join with me.

This tutorial is for them.  Cheers!
(I've added more info with each step if you're making this project with your own fabrics)

Start by placing the red strip face down, diagonally on a flat surface.  Line up the corners of the batting square so they are centered on the strip.

(The red becomes a diamond shape sashing throughout the finished quilt.  If you use this approach later, pick out something that contrasts from the strips.  I cut mine 2"wide, and the batting 10.5" for a 10" finished block. )

Place the backing fabric (also 10.5") over the batting, right side up.  Pin the 3 layers together and flip the sandwich over.

Pick any of the long blue strips and place it face down, lined up on the right edge of the red strip.  Pin strips in place so that red strip stays centered.   Remove the pins from the back that were holding everything together.

Prepare all 4 squares this way.  You'll do the same steps on each square at the same time - like chain piecing.   I find it most time effective to work on 4-8 blocks at the same time which is why I included 4 squares in each kit.

Stitch 1/4" seam, using your walking foot and any shade of blue thread.

 If you don't have a walking foot, you should be fine, but just be sure not to pull or stretch the block as you feed it through the machine since you are sewing on the bias of the backing fabric.

Finger-press this seam open by running your finger or finger-nail along that seam line while it sits on a flat surface.

Continue to add strips toward one corner.  It's helpful to trim those tails off so they don't get in the way.  I sort those tails into Long, Medium, Short piles so I don't end up at the end of the project with a zillion short pieces when I need some long ones.

I pre-cut the strips in variable widths between 1"-2".   If you add your own fabrics to the ones provided, please keep them in the same widths.

In my experimental piece, I had some 2.5" strips, but they seemed too big for a 10" square.  Other string quilters use wonky shapes instead of strips.  You can play with size and shapes when you try this approach with your own scraps. 

   Continue these steps to the opposite corner.
That's it.  The Quilt Block Ladies will turn their blocks in to me at the February meeting looking just like this.  


Please don't trim them to size.... or I'll have to have Becky kick your butt.

When I get them, I'll trim them to size this way.  Notice that I've lined up the 1" to the bottom right, and the diagonal line runs evenly up the center red diagonal.  Before I trim, I make sure that I'm lined up so that I'm trimming a tiny bit (1/4" or less) of the backing and batting (remember I made them 1/2" larger than my goal size.) and I'm sure that there's still 10" worth of block left.

Then spin the block around and line up the edges on the 10" lines and trim the other 2 raggedy edges.  


This is the link to the Welsh Quilter blog that shows the technique for joining the finished blocks.