The Quilting Has Begun

Time to start quilting the North Market quilt. So I made the ol' quilt sandwich out of some fabric from a North Market apron because it's heavier than quilting cotton. I wanted to see how it would stitch out and I'm very glad I did. My machine skipped stitches. Ack! Not good. So I changed needles (three times, may I add), re-threaded (at least twice), and took out the bobbin thread and put it in again. But no. Nothing helped.

I went online to various sites and saw that for the type of fabric I was using, I should use a Universal needle. Luckily I had a few so I put one in and I am happy to say it appeared to help. I practiced with invisible thread. Once I gained some confidence, I switched to darker thread to see how well I was doing. Not too bad, I thought.

Now I picked a square that I knew I wanted to quilt with little bubbles, put on my trusty Machingers, and started to stitch. A few things I learned...when using thread that matches the color of the fabric, it can be difficult to see where I had already stitched. So that's a good news/bad news: the stitches blend in, but the final result might not be as crisp. Also, I used my Bernina Stitch Regulator (BSR). It allows you to stitch without using the foot pedal, so I was able to concentrate on moving my fabric. Dropping the speed was good for me because I could concentrate. Also, I thought I'd want a longer stitch length, but by having it shorter, my curves were smoother.

I get sloppy when I rush. So the master plan is to quilt two squares each weekend. I'll see how that goes, but that's the plan at least for now (fingers crossed).

Keep This in Mind

Well, the North Market quilt top and back are done. I pieced together the back using some extra blocks left over from the front. It's a modern technique that I really like. Only issue in mine is that I really needed that extra fabric since I didn't buy enough for the back. Oh well, I stressed out, but got it done.

This weekend's task was to put the three layers together because as we know...'it's not a quilt till it's quilted'!

Now I've watched Elizabeth Hartman put these sandwiches together on multiple occasions and I'd even done it her way and very successfully I must add. Disclaimer: Elizabeth didn't have to lay her quilt out on the floor of the garage.

Here's the technique: measure the quilt top. Add 2" on each of the four sides for the size of the batting. Take the batting size do the  same math to determine the size of the back of the quilt.

Then roll each piece individually in a roll. Unroll the back and tape it down. I use spray adhesive just like Libby Lehman said at one of her classes I attended a couple years ago.

Now here's a piece of free advice: if you are doing this outside in the fall in a state like hmmmm, Ohio, and it's breezy...be careful that leaves don't fly onto the adhesive. Enough said.

At this point I have the back down and sprayed and "just" need to roll out the batting on top. Luckily anything placed on the spray adhesive is re-positionable. Once again; enough said. I had to roll it out at least three times because I kept rolling it crooked. Finally it was time for the top.

Here's the photo. I struggled a few times,but finally got it down. I don't have the neat 2" and 4" borders like Elizabeth, but it's done none the less.

Now it's a-quilting we will go! Wish me luck as I move onto the next step in the process. I saw a t-shirt quilt I really liked at a show and made some notes. I have a kabillion Craftsy classes ready to watch, so now I'm ready for some inspiration...

Quilt Blocks are Fini

I'm so happy to say that the blocks for the front of my North Market quilt are officially done.  And I'm proud to say that every single one is different...

This is from my favorite and very first t-shirt:

Steelers black and gold here. Gotta love it if you're from the burgh:

This t-shirt is from the wine festival and is a real piece of art, so I didn't want to add too much busy fabric. While the leaves aren't grape leaves, they give that feeling I think.

A few different shades of green here and a lesson learned. Can you see what happened in this photo?

Here's the scoop: some of the t-shirts and aprons were silk screened with a rubber-like graphic. And when a too hot iron was used, the ink streaked. Lesson to the wise; be careful with the heat setting on the iron, it's not like working with quilting cotton.

The color of this t-shirt was a bit difficult to coordinate colorwise, so I introduced some turquoise and off white:

Here's the last one...a wonky log cabin.

Now I move to step 2: framing each block with a black fabric with a slight white stylized feather.

Pattern Makers Please Take Note

Excuse me just a sec while I get up on my soapbox. Ahem! 

In my last post I mentioned the t-shirt class I took at Sew to Speak. When we started laying out the pattern pieces on the fabric there were two pieces labeled "6". At that point we should have known that the instructions might not be the best. I'm sorry but that's not an "oops" kind of mistake. One was the short sleeve and the other the 3/4 length. And there was no piece #5 as is shown in the fabric lay out.

First step is to integrate twill tape into the shoulder seam to reduce stretching. I had to do this step at home because I spent the entire first class cutting out my t-shirt (Sally & I have been known to talk too much in class - enough said).  Okay, I don't want stretched out shoulders so I can figure out how to sew it in. However...here's the instruction and accompanying drawing:

Excuuuuuse me? how the h%@# are you supposed to do that? I read every inch of the pattern and there was no additional guidance. I'm an experienced sewer but ended up watching a You Tube video posted by Professor Pincushion (honest; that's the name). Thank goodness I paid for the class and Pat Wax was the instructor. She's great. Very nice and knowledgeable. The next week in class I watched as she showed Sally how to sew on the twill tape. Different from the video, but just as effective.

The rest went very well until I got to Step 9 (there are only 13 steps for all of the options with the t-shirt):

"Finish seam" Seriously?? What does that mean? Once again no additional instructions. I'm a technical writer by trade and perhaps my expectations are too high. I know at work we struggle with the level at which we write our content; should it be for a rookie or someone more seasoned. In this case, the pattern designer was definitely expecting someone with experience.

My recommendation is that pattern designers have their designs sewn by people at different experience levels so it can be determined before the pattern is published if any additional steps are needed. (In my TWIG days I made a stuffed elephant only to realize that the pattern never indicated when to insert the arms; a definite faux pas for that poor little elephant!). Okay, I'm now getting off my soap box and putting it away hopefully for a long time!

I Digress

Please excuse me while I digress a bit with this post. It all started when I was in junior high...

Sewing that is. I've always enjoyed it. My mom got a Singer when I was in junior high and I thought I was in heaven. I even took tailoring in high school and made a suit and my winter coat. Sewing; always enjoyed it. I wanted a sewing machine for high school graduation, but I got a ring. A lovely ring that I still wear, but I couldn't sew with it.

After I graduated from college and got my own apartment, my mom gave me her sewing machine. Gasp!  I couldn't believe my luck; a machine of my own. Woo hoo! I still sewed apparel. I remember making my Easter dress that year.

As life got busier and I met a guy, I started to sew less and less. Now the primary use of the sewing machine cabinet was to hold the television. So I ended up marrying the guy and a few years later we bought a house. Since we didn't have kids, I needed a way to meet women in the neighborhood.

I was put on a waiting list to join TWIG; a little branch of Children's Hospital. Women would craft all year and then the big fund raiser was a bazaar at the fair grounds every November.This gave me the chance to meet like minded women who enjoyed sewing, wood working, painting etc. It was a great organization raising money for a great cause.

One of the projects I worked on was machine applique on sweatshirts. It was the first time I'd sewn for a very long time. And it was very fun. Then after a friend drug me to a quilting class at JoAnn's I was hooked. I even chaired a project with my TWIG where we made holiday wall hangings with log cabin blocks.

Since then I've made queen sized quilts, table runners and wall hangings. I still enjoy sewing and I'm constantly on the look out for new techniques to try.

Imagine my joy when I saw that our local sewing shop, Sew to Speak had a  class on sewing with knits! I hadn't sewn with knits since, well...since last century! So my friend Sally and I signed up.

I went to the shop to pay my fee and look for fabric. Have you noticed that a lot of fabric designers are now turning their designs into knits as well as 100% cotton for quilting? Well,April Rhodes, designer of the Arizona fabric line is the daughter of the owner of the shop, so they carry the whole line (what a surprise!).

I picked out Tomahawk Stripe in Night. It's a lovely weight knit and while I didn't want horizontal stripes, this design doesn't read like a true stripe (at least that's what I tell myself).  The pattern used for the class is the Renfrew t-shirt. It comes with three different sleeve lengths and three different necklines. Awesome!

I'm really pleased how it turned out and I learned from it. For example knit fabric stretches more in one direction than the other. Make sure that extra stretch is horizontal rather than vertical. Not something I had realized but Pat, our instructor pointed out.

If you enjoy quilting consider extending yourself and learn another way to express yourself. There are a lot of techniques out the so give it a try and learn something new; you could be pleasantly surprised!

Seminole Patchwork

I thought one of my North Market blocks should have a special look and I wanted it to be asymmetrical. Then a little lightbulb started to glow and I remembered a book I've had for years and never used. It's called Basic Seminole Patchwork by Cheryl Greider Bradkin.

It's nicely set out and very clear. Starts with easy designs and then gets more complex. At the beginning it even gives tips on how to sew thin strips together and all the while keeping them straight. (As you'll see below, I chose not to heed her advice.)

I cut the strips of various colors to the sizes the book suggests for a given design.

Then stitch them together carefully.

They're sewn together in a given order and then cut into strips.

Below is my completed block. As I mentioned, I didn't follow the advice so some of the tiny squares aren't aligned perfectly. If this was a gift; I would have done it over. Also, I had issues with the top section. I'm still not sure what I did wrong, but by using a little ingenuity, I added a strip at the top to give me the length I needed at the top.

I'm very happy with the result. I think it gives this block the special je ne sais quoi that it deserves!

A Quilt for Me...Part Deux

I am having a blast working on my North Market quilt. Since I want every block to be different, I've been able to let the creative juices flow.

Working free form and without steps to follow is a stretch for me which, to paraphrase Martha, is a good thing.

Here are my blocks so far...

This one follows the steps I've outlined before regarding the selvage block technique. It didn't work out exactly as I initially planned, but I told myself to go with the flow and voila!

  

I'm very happy with the result.

 

Here's my wonky Ohio Star. There was an article in the Summer edition of Modern Quilts

Unlimited. And after i was done, I realized it's the first time I've made one (on purpose that is!).

This one was kind of fun. I had to go through my stash for fabrice that went with the ocre kind of color of the t-shirt.
 

Similar colors on this next one. I thought that since I'm planning on putting them on opposite sides of the quilt, it might help tie the things together. I was very pleased that both the yellow and orange fabrics have a circle motif.

Wasn't sure what I had in my stash to go with the wine color in this t-shirt. This one has a little checkerboard quarter inch border and then the outside border is from Valori Wells' new Quill collection.

A Quilt for... ME?!

North Market is the last remaining public market in Columbus.  It is a fabulous energetic place and I've volunteered there apparently for about 15 years. The reason I say "apparently" is because that's about how many years worth of t-shirts and aprons from Apron Gala I have stuffed in drawers.  I realized I wasn't using them so what should I do to clean out those dresser drawers? The baby quilts I've been working on are now with their new little owners.  And the work I was commissioned to do is done. So what now? A quilt for me!

But where to start? It was totally overwhelming to look at it all. 

I know I don't want each piece to be cut in even squares with sashing, but what to do? I Googled, I looked at examples of quilts I liked, but I didn't know where to start. So, as anyone with a support group would do; I packed up the majority of the t-shirts and aprons to show my Magpie friends.

They felt my pain and helped with a number of great suggestions. A few of the aprons which are made of canvasy duck cloth have been set aside for a tote bag (thanks for the suggestion, Angela!). 

Then after much trepidation, I took out my rotary cutter and (gasp!) I cut each one into the largest piece I could. The t-shirts were backed with a stabilizer.  I made a note of the size of each piece and then laid them out in a design that balanced out the colors and designs.

Today was the first chance I've had to work on my new creation. For this block I decided to cut the design into vertical strips and mount it on a coordinating red fabric. Here's how it turned out:

I am pretty darned pleased with it so far.  Maybe tomorrow I'll move onto...a wonky star? Whatever it is I know it'll be fun because every block is going to be slightly different, so stay tuned!

 

Magazine Report: Generation Q

On occasion I've written a report on a favorite book.This time I'm posting about my favorite magazine: Generation Q. I saw it the first time when I went to QuiltCon. I've been hooked ever since. I'm happy to say that's it's easier to find now than it used to be.

It's a great magazine that I want to read from cover to cover. The articles are interesting and relevant. Every month has articles on new up and coming quilt designers as well as fresh new patterns.

Generation Q also has a feature where they test drive products. One time they reviewed different embroidery floss and another time hand sewing needles. This month they tested different spray starches and sizings. Since I've found how valuable starch spray can be as I continue on my path to precision, I'm really looking forward to reading this one.

 You'll also find a sampling of new fabric lines which is always fun to preview.

The one downside of the magazine is the price: $9.99. An annual subscription is $50. Once again, I think that's high, but I enjoy the magazine so much that I splurged and got a subscription in January. They have a website too so take a look and see what you think!

Matchstick Quilting

I love, love, love the look of matchstick quilting. And now I have baby quilt #2 to quilt so I really, really would like to try the technique.

So, as my test, I put together a quilt sandwich and drew the heart shape that I want to use the matchstick quilting on.In Jackie Gering's new Craftsy class, she talks about how to pull off this type of quilting. First use painter's tape to set a straight line as a registration mark.

Stitch right next to the tape. Then stitch in one inch increments from the center over to the right and then one inch increments from the center and over to the left.

Now, using the markings on the walking foot, stitch at half inch intervals again to the left and then the right. Then do the same thing at a quarter inch.

On my sample below you'll see that I then went the next step: 1/8" (#1). I liked it straight, but thought...what about a curvy line (see #2). hhhmmm like that! What about a decorative stitch (#3)? Blech! No. Only did one row like that.

I think I will use this technique for the heart and then use quilting that's more open for the rest of the quilt.  As Jackie says, the lines are to be perfectly imperfect. Love it!

Quilt Prep

I have the first baby quilt all pieced. Woo hoo! I've watched Elizabeth Hartman talk about putting the quilt sandwich together. So, since this quilt is small, I thought I'd give it a shot.

I measured the quilt top (36"x36") and added two inches on each side. So I cut the batting 38"x38". The cute fabric I bought for the quilt back wasn't quite wide enough, so I had the opportunity to put a couple strips down the back (which made me happy; love that look!). Now I cut the back 40"x40".
 
I pressed everything including the batting so that it was very smooth. Next I put the backing down wrong side up and used painters tape to keep it stable. I like 505 spray adhesive  so I gave the backing a quick spray then put down the batting.

Elizabeth rolls the batting and lays it down two inches from the bottom and sides. Then it's carefully unrolled.

 Now another quick spray of 505 and lay down the rolled up quilt top.

 Here's the end result which was very nice to work with.

 

Jacquie Gehring suggests the quilt sandwich be pressed. This does make the adhesive more permanent. Now I'm happy to say that I was able to quilt the top and didn't have one of those darned wrinkles stitched into the back which I'm so used to seeing. If you don't use this method, you might want to give it a try; it makes for a neat and tidy quilt top which is great as I move forward with my work on precision. 
 

Thought You'd Like to Know

This week I'd like to share some creative things that different people out there are doing...

The first is one of my favorite sewing accessories: it's a pincushion ring.

I bought it in December from Bee Wise Bags on Etsy. It's just so handy to stick a pin in as I'm stitching. And as I move from my machine to the ironing board; it's right there with me. I don't have to look around to see where I left my pin cushion. There are a lot of different styles out there so I encourage you to go out and take a look.

The other thing I wanted to share is a tutorial I found through Pinterest. It's called a Selvage Bag and was designed by Heather Louise. You can see it on her blog How Do You Do That Again but the really clever part is how the snap closure works. You know the kind; you pull the sides to open it then when you push the  sides together it snaps closed. Heather uses a couple of pieces from a metal measuring tape for the closure. Brilliant! I had hoped to stitch one up for this post, but that just isn't going to happen, so I wanted to be sure to share. Take a look and give it a try!

Embroidery Con't.!

I'm still working on my grande Stupendous Stitching. I'm at the stage where I'm embellishing with hand embroidery and beading and enjoying every stitch.

I thought in this post I'd show some of my favorite sections of my wall hanging and show you how to do a favorite stitch.

The one thing I'd like to say I've learned; even if you do the stitch differently than a book or web site shows, it doesn't matter. It's a great opportunity to turn the lemons into lemonade! That's kinda what happened here...I struggled a bit with the stitch but enjoyed how it turned out and add a few beads; what's not to like?!

 
I like this yellow stitch too. I wanted to just go wherever my fingers led me and I came up with this fun wandering stitch that goes from east to west on my piece..

Here's the Double Knot Stitch that I wanted to show. I found it in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches New Edition by Jan Eaton. Once again, I have this one going the entire width of my piece.

Here's how you do it:  Take a stitch and bring the needle  right up next to where you entered.

Loop the threads underneath the initial stitch. Bring it around and hold the loop down with your thumb. Now slide the needle underneath the initial stitch and then over where you came up the second time. Whew! Thank goodness it's easier to do it than to write! Take a look:

Give it a tug and you have a lovely little knotted stitch.

Give this stitch a try, you'll get the hang of it in no time. Enjoy!