WIPs on Wed Nov 14

I survived the mixed-method trapunto experiment...but did manage to break about 5 needles.  Which is weird since I can't even remember the last time I ever broke a needle while hand stitching.

Normally I have a stash of needles since I'm forever losing them.

I had to run to the LQS to replenish the stock.  I have to say I'm not too happy.  The Piecemaker's 12's are lovely to sew with, but the glazed quilting threads are too thick to fit through the eye.  The Clover big eye 12's are nice, but really what I would consider an 11.  I was excited to try the Roxanne 11's - cute case, but quite the price since there are 50.  I had all kinds of bad words to say once I started using them as they are what I would consider a chubby 10.   Seriously now...what's the point of a numbering system if it differs by brand???

I am very pleased with this center motif.  It is pieces and parts of Ester's Heart's Desire.  Actually, I think it's all from the same outer border.  The big flowers were in the center of each side and the 3 petaled flowers were draped over the basket handle.  Fill is just straight(ish) lines 3/8" apart.

I re-hooped to the section of leaves closest to the center.  It will also look familiar to many of you who know her design since it was block 2 of the quilt along.

This was me pondering how closely I really need to quilt everything to be happy.

I'm afraid that the correct answer is "very, very close".

The additional veining in dark green and curley-q's in pale green make me very happy.  I stitched the flower buds in magenta.  Funny how those details will be completely lost to anyone standing more than a foot away.  But still, I smile.

Quilting Again

I spent Saturday morning doing my least favorite quilt related task.  I sandwiched and basted a quilt for hand quilting.  That involves moving furniture and sitting on the floor for ages, making giant basting stitches to hold everything together.

This is the project for which I used the machine trapunto technique of basting the extra layer of batting in place using FMQ with a wash-away thread on top.  I posted about this technique on Celebrate Hand Quilting a couple weeks ago.

Unfortunately, I had used a new marking pencil that mostly brushed off during the FMQ process.

That tends to be a problem because I am not very good / accurate with FMQ so my basted flowers are all wonky.  I spent the day trying to reshape flowers as I stitched.


All things considered, it's turning out pretty well. And I'm starting to actually enjoy the fact that my floral motif is a little organic and not as symmetrical as it was planned.

This final photo really illustrates bad basting turning into nice quilting.

Best Laid Plans

I had planned to spend my day off working on the Trapunto project.  I made this prototype over the weekend and blogged about it at Celebrate Hand Quilting.

Ever have those days where nothing goes as planned?  Nothing worthy of real complaints, just annoying.  Like running out of thread and having to go get some during the first rain storm in 5 months.

And I had bought some of these super expensive water soluble pencils to mark the quilt.  When I was using the white on the dark, my complaint was that the lead kept breaking.   I adapted my technique and smoothly copied my pattern onto the white fabric using the blue pencil..

Problem is, that the blue is hard to see while doing FMQ.  And by the time I was done with the machine basting, sections of the markings had completely brushed off.

I eventually got it basted and most of it trimmed.  No telling how it's going to turn out as I will have to re-draw or just guess on the stitching lines.

I also spent a couple hours trying to figure out where I was on my state block quilt...finding the missing fabrics and patterns.  And I carefully prepared 2 blocks to throw in my purse since I knew I'd be waiting for my daughter at 2 appointments.  Got there are realized I'd forgotten to include needles in the kit.  Ack.

Maybe the rest of the week will go better.