Slow Sunday Stitching - March 10, 2024 and getting started on the March WIPGO slots

First of all, I need some color advice from the quilter people.    I bought a jelly roll of Christmas fabric for the wall quilt made of the Victoria Sampler ornaments that I finished last year (Holly Berry Tree Farm by Deb Strain for Moda).  I plan to use it to sash the blocks.  Two of them were called for my WIPGO picks for March (you can also see the jelly roll laid out in that post.)

I'll be doing the 'quilt as you go' technique where the sashed blocks are joined with a thin 'window pane' of half inch finished strips.  I think I'll do those in white tone on tone front and back.  

Here's the tentative layout.   I'm pretty firm on where the centers are going, though I do wish that top one had some color in it, it's really too late to do anything about it now.  But the sashing is still up in the air - good colors?   Good mix?  Suggestions welcome!   I do have a strip of the cardinal on a black background, snowflakes print on a green black, white poinsettia on red background.  And a bunch of directional and typography prints plus buffalo plaids that are not really useful for this project.  (They will go into the materials for the Christmas random block quilt.)

Need to get the sashing pinned down so I can start sewing!

ETA:  Thank you, Gail, for your suggestion.  checkerboard mock up

I think this is the final version.   Brought that white diamond down to the middle and sashed it with the lighter green, brought in a tone on tone green from the stash and moved the hearts into a vertical row.  Swapped the poinsettia sashings to be in opposite corners. 

On the needlework front, I am Very Close to getting the March section of the Birdhouse SAL done - just the backstitching on the fence.  And there's another 'trail and butterfly' motif sort of between the March and April sections that I might as well do while I'm in the area.   Look for a changeover post later today.  (ETA:  That post is here.)

Linking up with the SSS crew, hoping for advice.

WIPGO Calls for March 2024

 WIPGO called slot 1 and 10 this month.

#1 was supposed to be a framing project, but I don't feel up to doing that quite yet (especially since I need to shoehorn in the finishing on the BBD "Two Hearts" Needlebook), so I swapped slot 1 and 2 and so I'll be doing two of the Victoria Sampler ornaments turned quilt blocks.

Each of the blocks will get a lining fabric, a backing fabric, borders of a Christmas theme jelly roll and assembled "quilt as you go" style.    I'll wait to trim them until they are all done.

First step is to match up each block with a border strip and figure out a layout.   Well, I know it's going to be a Three by Three layout for the nine blocks and the four 'carol' blocks will be in the corners.   But this is going to take a little thought.

Slow Sunday Stitching - August 6, 2023

This post should be subtitled "Santa needs a Beard: 'The 80s' needs a border. But Karla got though close".

That pretty much sums up this week. 

I did get the quilt top done - except for the small (2 inch finished) border.   I really like my new quilting/sewing set up in the dining room.   Other than the fact that I still have no place to lay out a larger quilt to take measurements and photographs.  Once I'm retired and get the big desk out of here, I think I can rig up a temporary design wall in the window seat area where the desk is now.   Just a few months.....   No date yet, but training my replacement is winding down in all but one area.  

In the mean time, photographing half the quilt at a time, pinned to sheets of foam insulation precariously perched on dining room chairs up against the bookcase is the best I can do! 

I thought about trying to photoshop them together, but decided my skills just are not up to the task.   I need to think about how to display a finished quilt, too!

I also got all the stitching done on the Heirloom Santa Ornament:Canine back during Christmas in July, as planned.   I even got him cut out and the hanger on him, but I still have his beard/mustache and the tassel on his hat yet to do.   And the backing to apply and cut out.   

I'll report on the sweater and the Blackbird piece next week. Linking up with the SSS crew (roundup here).

Slow Sunday Stitching - July 30, 2023

For the first time in absolutely ages, I am reporting on all three of my craft categories!   Not a LOT to report in any one of them, but enough that I feel like I can at least mention stuff. 

Now knitting won't have a photograph this week since I just added about an inch/2.5 cm (6 rounds) to the body of the brown sweater in simple stocking stitch.   When I get another 10 rounds or so, I'm going to put the sweater body on my longest cable and try it on.   I think that's about where the waist shaping should go, but I need to check.   I'll take a picture then.

But for needlework, take a look at the tiniest, cutest little stitches on my BBD "Two Hearts" needlebook:

For scale, that needleminder is almost exactly the size of a US quarter/UK 10p!  56 count linen, one strand of CC floss over two fabric threads - full cross.    And let me tell you, it's fiddly work too!   I need both a 5x magnifier light AND my needlework glasses.   I do have a 10x lens, but it's hard to work with since the smallest movement (like just drawing the thread through the fabric) will knock it out of focus.   Technically, those stitches are the same size as one over one on 28 count, but having twice as many ground threads makes for a much more supported, much denser and altogether to my eye more attractive stitch.

Speaking of one over one on 28 count.  This month I put in 1268 stitches on the Sugar Skull; a much more respectable showing than June.   My monthly average is just short of 1600 stitches per month, well over my goal of 1000 stitches.  Time so far on this project is 66.25 hours.  Picture of it when I hit my next milestone, which is getting one of the temple areas done.

And my quilt is one long seam and a small outer border from being an actual quilt top!!!  I got the bottom third of it put together over the last two weeks.

The reds are actually rose pinks, it's a hard color to capture.

Linking up with the SSS crew (current roundup is here)

ETA:  my thumb is better.  After it not getting much improvement for a couple of weeks, I went to the doctor. X rays say that it's not broken, but I'm in a splint for at least a few weeks to keep it protected and not moving to let the tendons heal.  I think it's helping.

Slow Sunday Stitching - July 9, 2023

For the last several months, ever since I got the dining room table situation fixed, I have been waffling about how I am going to sew now.   I do not have a dedicated sewing room or even a sewing space.   I always set up my machine on the dining room table and the old table top was so scratched and marred that I didn't care if there was another scratch added by a random pin or dropped pair of scissors.   When the leg support on the table collapsed, the only other possible space was my work from home desk.  And with the laptop stand, large monitor, files etc, there was barely enough space for my sewing machine.  Plus I didn't want to ruin the finish on my desk.   Then the NEW dining room table top is also lovely and I do not want to ruin it either.  What to do???   So I haven't had my sewing machine out since.

Well, I was getting ready to take my order of furnace filters down to the basement, and it struck me - here's a huge horizontal space that needs to be protected and here's a huge expanse of very nice cardboard that is only going into the garden as mulch or into the recycling.   It's a match made for each other!

So here's my sewing set up.  One of the drop leaves is up and the cardboard is just about a quarter of an inch over the edge.  The weight of my machine is enough so that the cardboard doesn't move around and there's just a tiny triangle of space that isn't covered on the near side of the table.  (I think I'm going to put masking tape on both sides to fix that.)  My built in buffet in the back is counter height and just fits an 18 x 24 cutting mat perfectly.   And the ironing board is usually just where I'm standing, but I moved it out of the way temporarily.   I have one of those three tiered craft carts that you can find anywhere that are dupes of the IKEA Rashult for all my tools.    

The quilting bug has bit again and "It was the 80s" is now 2/3s of the way assembled.  I rebooted it back in December of 2017, which is a bit embarrassing because at that time I thought it would be a six month project LOL.  I got distracted by a couple of other quilts, including Lucy Boston, and I just do not sew all that much these days. Hoping for more time once I retire.  And now that I've figured out the set up, hopefully I'll do better.   

It takes me about five minutes to set up once everything is pulled out of the hall closet and about 15 to tear down, including sweeping the floor and putting away all the fabrics used.   I have another old cart that my mom had in her pantry that holds the thread box, the pattern and fabric for the current project, the cutting mat and the case for the machine.  Adding the carts to the mix has made it so that I can corral the tools and materials in a way that is both efficient and easy to work with.   I'm still tweaking the tool set up, but I can find everything. 

The machine, by the way, is "Bee" my mother's Singer 99 from 1955.   I use that one as my 'daily driver' because it has a bigger harp than my grandmother's Featherweight and a larger bobbin, which I appreciate when doing long seams.  "Alice", the Singer 221, is still my workshop machine and my favorite overall.  I learned to sew on that machine.

Posting to the SSS crew, who are probably amused by my glacial quilting progress!  Link to current round up.

Slow Sunday Stitching - June 25, 2023

Sorry for skipping out on last week's Slow Sunday Stitching round up.   I had zero progress on anything to report!   

I'm having a bit of a rough patch - work is crazy, of course, with my boss out on maternity leave (healthy baby was born on the 13th) and the garden is taking most of my after work attention right now.    So the usual summer slow down in crafting is hitting a bit earlier than some years.  It doesn't help that I jammed the thumb on my left (non dominate) hand so it hurts to 'pinch' anything - like a sewing or knitting needle!!!

But LOOK

Is that the borders of the Patchwork of the Crosses Table Topper that I see?   Yes!   After almost exactly a year since I finished the center, I finally have gotten energized on this project again.   Now I have to figure out how wide the solid black inner border needs to be, get the borders assembled and the corners mitered and then applique down the EPP center onto the borders.   

I've laid it out on the table that it's being made for and I think somewhere between six and eight inches for the inner border will give me the size I need.   Since there's a drop over the edge of the table, I'm a bit worried that the corners will not drape well.   Definitely using the thinnest batting I can find for this, maybe flannel or even no batting at all, just the front and back cotton layers.   That's what Lucy Boston did in her patchworks - they are actually not true quilts because they have no batting and no quilting or even tying.   

Decisions, decisions - but at least we are underway again.  

Hopefully I'll have some needlework to show next week; linking up with the SSS crew.

Quilt WiP - It's still the 80s

 I haven't touched this quilt for a bit over a year - Jan 2020.  I lost my 'sew-jo' somewhere in the never-ending parade of masks last spring and it has been reluctant to come back.   But I made a resolution to move forward on my quilting and decided early last week that the best way to do that is to allocate a specific time (namely Saturday and Sunday afternoons) to the task.   I promised myself that I would set up my sewing machine on the dining room table Friday after dinner and then sew on Saturday and Sunday, then put the sewing away for the work week to keep everything in my work space (currently the corner where the living room and dining room come together) nice and tidy.   

What do you know, I worked on my quilt!   I had finished all the blocks and all the pieced sashings (though I had not cut the solid sashings) when I put it away last year.   I will cut those sashings as I come to them in the assembly.  This quilt is not put together in rows due to the asymmetric setting.  It's not even put together in quadrants, but instead in seven large areas that are then seamed together in a way the makes sure that there are no set in corners.   The sections are designated A-G

I actually started with section  B, which is the center and center upper area.  While this one is the largest area wise, it is also the one of the simpler areas in construction, with only one real sashing strip and very few places where corners meet or points are a concern.  I trimmed the outer round of the log cabin blocks down so that the bright rose would not overpower the blue so much.  They were a bit wonky, so that also made that less of an issue (and I hope the rest will quilt out).  The lighting makes it look much worse than it is, btw.  And I didn't smooth out the wrinkles at all, as I was losing what little light a grey winter day provided in my north facing bedroom!.

It's going to be huge.  The length of this section is about 2/3 of the length of the quilt, and between 1/3 and 1/2 of the width.  And it almost covers a double bed mattress top.  It will be nearly 90 x 90.   Bedspread sized.

Next I will try to work on Part A.  It has a much more complex layout with sections of pieced sashing.

Slow Sunday Stitching - February 16, 2020

Most of the crafting this week was on Millennium.   This is just shy of five hours, not a lot of the mountain left! 

I cast on a pair of socks since the Christmas Carpenter's Wheel is getting so big that it isn't really a travel project any more.

And I have a design wall!!!  It's rough, I need more command strips to get that one panel straight and there are two more panels to install up high.  I will eventually want to wrap each section in warm and natural batting so that I don't have to pin the blocks in place, but it will work for now. 

I'm just starting to lay out "It was the 80s" to check color placement and final decisions on the rest of the sashings and which way the center will go.  Getting the rest of the blocks up is today's project (along with more Millennium).   See what the rest of the Slow Sunday Stitching crew is up to in today's link party.

Quilt WiP - the never-ending scrap basket

UMMM, I found another box of quilt scraps last night when I was putting away all of the Christmas stuff.   In one way, it was great - there were actually some fabrics that 'go with' the quilt I'm working on - "It was the 80s".   All these are matching or coordinating prints to the fabrics already in the quilt.  There's at least a yard total, maybe closer to two.  

I will be able to remake and swap out one or two blocks that have a lot of that bright rose pink solid in them (and move those blocks to the back).   And I will have enough to do the one fabric sashings now.   But I'm so happy with the Carpenter's Wheel block, which was made out of necessity when I thought I was running out of fabric, that I can't be sorry these fabrics were hidden up to now.

There are also a bunch of pieces of homespun, shirt weight ticking, parts of shirts and shirting fabrics in small checks and plaids.  I've been casually collecting for one of Bonnie's quilts from "Shirt tails", so the variety will be nice. Not sorry I found that box in the basement storage, but will I ever get to the end of zombie craft supplies????

It is becoming increasingly obvious that I need a better storage system for my quilting fabric! 

Quilt WiP - back to "It was the 80s"

One of my major goals for this year is to get "It was the 80s" done.  I haven't been putting time into my quilting.  Knitting and needlework happen in the living room in a comfy chair.  They are often (though not always) projects where 15 mins of work can happen without needing any set up or much prep.  I can leave a needlework project on a frame on the floor stand and the pattern on my antique music stand that I use for a chart holder and just sit down and stitch whenever I get a minute.  Knitting is even more portable yet.  Even on lace pieces, it's just a matter of finding my place on the chart and away we go.

Quilting, on the other hand, means hauling out a sewing machine, setting it up, getting out fabric, and iron and ironing board.....  I'm a dining room quilter and I can't really leave everything set up.  Well, I COULD, but the dining room table is the only place to eat in the house other than a TV tray in front of the tube (which I try not to do).  I'm trying to find a solution.  But in the mean time, I'm going to try hard to utilize the weekends. 

So this weekend, I spent some time organizing my projects.   And sorted and folded the fabrics that will be used on the back and sashings for "It was the 80s".   I also made a list of the steps needed to finish the top and back for the LAQ.  I have the funds saved up to pay her and once the top and backing are completed, I'll get on her waiting list.  Jean is pretty quick, and I just need an all over pattern, so it shouldn't be a long wait. 
So the next part is checkerboard sashings - 4 of them, three that are a single strip and one that is basically 4 patches set edge to edge.   I got all the parts cut on Saturday and the machine set up and pairs run through on Sunday afternoon.

The single row sets went quickly - these are the two that are 12 patches each.  The four patches (2 x 11) were fun, too.  I wanted to include as many of the mid blues as I could, so there are some 'patched patches' in this set.  The blue and cream stars from the salvaged sashings of the old quilt cut down nicely into two patch sets. 

Still have the one patch row that is 22 long (this one will go along the lower edge of the top).  So that will be next weekend's goal along with figuring out where and how to do a design wall.  I don't want to lay this out on the floor unless I have to.


EDIT:  last of the sashings

Slow Sunday Stitching - October 13, 2019

Work is good - we got past quarter close and I actually have a few vacation days coming up.  I offered to cancel, as the staffing situation is still not resolved.  But my boss told me to go ahead and take the days.  I'm not going anywhere - a "staycation" is fine with me.  

I will hopefully get some good crafting in!  Probably focusing on "Millennium".   I put in about 2 1/2 hours this week and got the first couple of the 'sky' colors on the landscape area done.

This section started out about where St. Michael's hand ends, but because the colors in through here are a very subtle gradient, the progress is not very noticeable.  And look at all that confetti stitching!

On the quilting front, I got the replacement block finished.

Next step on this project is to prep and baste the four border cornerstone blocks - finally!  That's what I'll be working on today.   I won't be appliqueing them down until I work on the border vine, so I'll do closer basting than I did on the center blocks.  The borders will get handled a lot.  Definitely hitting the corner blocks with a heavy dose of Best Press to help everything stay in shape. 

The other project for this week is to prep a block or two to demonstrate hand piecing at the local library's "Fiber Fair" which is the 27th.   I'll try to get some pictures and report in late that day.   Bells are playing that morning, so it will be a very busy day.   I can't decide what to prep for the demo.   I'm leaning toward a block in Christmas fabric.  I am gradually collecting random blocks for a "gypsy" style sampler quilt.  Every time I make a test block, I do it in Christmas fabric and put it in the bin.  Someday I'll have enough...…  

Linking up with the rest of the SSS crew over at Kathy's blog. 

Slow Sunday Stitching - Sept 22, 2019

Stitching will happen, but it will not be so much "Slow" as "Tucked in between my duties as treasurer for the local Quilt Guild."    This weekend is our local quilt show. 

My quilt in all it's glory - this is the Scrappy Sister's Choice that I finished a while back.   The theme of the show is "Stars" and this one fits with the green star points surrounding nine patch blocks.   Please pardon the rather rumpled photo of me - hanging a show is hard work!  In between volunteer shifts yesterday, I did manage to finish up prepping the pieces for the replacement block for "Aunt Lottie's Garden".  

I'll get to work on assembling it today.  (The fabric is another one from the 'states' line so it will coordinate with several other pinks done previously.)

And Dutch Beauty is coming along.  The body of the deer is outlined.

Linking up with Kathy's Blog.

Weekly Check in - August 18, 2019

Last weekend passed in a blur of overtime, but all of the audit items were submitted by the 5 pm deadline on Monday.  Go my team at work!!!

This week has been much better.  I took a full day off on Tuesday and half day on Friday.   It was glorious.  (Went to a lecture at Union Station on Friday in conjunction with the "Stonehenge" exhibit.) 

So there's been quite a bit of crafting this week.  First up - finished Block 26 for Aunt Lottie's Garden.  Just four more blocks to applique for the center of this quilt.  This is one of the vintage blocks and was actually from the scraps from one of my grandmother's house dresses.  My aunt and grandmother made most of their casual clothes, aprons, house dresses and such, but used a professional seamstress/dressmaker for their more formal clothing worn to church and out in public.  I loved Miz W (I don't remember if she was a widow or unmarried).   She used to make the most wonderful doll clothes from the scraps of her ladies' fancy dresses.  

You know, I remember less than half of these fabrics, so either the dresses had already worn out by the time I was old enough to pay attention, or possibly some friends and/or extended family gave Lottie their scraps.


The Four Elements Band Sampler "Green Earth" is on the bottom band.

And the zombie project that I picked up while waiting for the malachite beads has the second motif's borders laid in.

 Goals for today are to get a few more passes on the bargello, the rest of the double running on the towel  and get block 27 prepped and basted to work on in the upcoming week.


ETA: IT at work updated my operating system to Windows 10 week before last (yes, right in the middle of the audit - just one more stressor LOL) and now all of a sudden I can do the Slow Sunday Stitching link party again!   Hope it continues!   Here's the link up for this week.
 

Weekly check in - July 14, 2019

I'm still feeling a bit under the weather.  Since my cough is persistent, I went to the doc this week.  My asthma is usually really under control, but right now I start coughing and end up giving myself an asthma attack on top of the scratchy throat.   So we are trying an additional med for a while.  I hope I can get rid of it eventually since it makes me retain water and I feel a bit like the Staypuff Marshmallow Man in the original Ghostbuster's movie - UGH.

On the other hand, I have gotten some crafting done. 

The Victoria Sampler piece is at the half way point.   There are 16 bands and I have 8 of them done.

and I finished Block #24 of 30 for the center of the "Aunt Lottie's Garden" quilt.  Just two more of each color to go.

Not much progress this week - July 7, 2019

Still trying to get over this lingering summer chest cold.   My energy levels are so low; I can barely make it through a work day.


So not much crafting (or anything else) to report.  I did get another block for Aunt Lottie's Garden finished.   This was 23 of 30 for the center of the quilt.

I have the next one prepped and basted.

FINISHED QUILT: Christmas Cabin Stars Wall Quilt

I finished the little wall quilt:


Size:  approx. 18 x 22 inches
Machine pieced and Machine quilted.  
Fabrics from a bundle purchased in the mid 1990s from Overbrook Quilt Factory.  (Would be called a layer cake in today's terms, though these were 12 inch squares.) Top was found in a tub of 'to be quilted' items and it fit the challenge perfectly - stars made with only squares, rectangles, half or quarter square triangles.

As seen hanging in our guild challenge exhibit.   It's actually square, the photo was taken at an angle due to the way the quilts were hung

Weekly update - June 23, 2019

Some crafting this week, including another block for Aunt Lottie's Garden

This is block #22 and I already have #23 basted to work on this week.   And I got two more bands on the VS Sampler "Earth" piece early in the week.  (See last two posts.)


My main focus, though, has been getting my little challenge quilt done.   It's an older UFO that just happened to meet the challenge criteria, so I'm motivated to get it finished.

It's about 18 x 22 (fat quarter sized) and I'm calling it "Christmas Cabin Stars"   I have the machine quilting done - very simple, just outlining the blocks.   And I'm in the process of binding it with a mottled green (also used as the backing).   


I have all the binding yardage made and the first side attached.  I'm not even bothering to do mitered corners.  I often use fold over square corners for mini quilts and table toppers.  They are quick and since the quilts won't be used, the fact that those types of corners aren't as sturdy and stable as continuous binding doesn't matter.

Weekly update - June 16, 2019

I'm frustrated by the fact that my favorite link party, Slow Sunday Stitching, has had a recent 'upgrade' to the link platform.   Not Kathy's fault, but I can't link up any more.   I post on my work computer and the new platform requires 'cookies' and is not a 'verified' site for my corporate IT.  Nor will the IT folks let me configure my laptop to accept cookies.   Sigh.  

When change is a BAD thing and "improvements" are anything but better.   So until I buy a personal computer (which I wasn't planning on doing until I retire), no more Slow Sunday Stitching.....

But I do like the discipline of the weekly progress report.   We'll see how well I do with that when there's not someone keeping me accountable.

This week, I did the one band on the VS sampler, and I finished Block 21 for 'Aunt Lottie's Garden'

My weekend, though, was taken up by the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival.  It was the first 'large' quilt show that I've ever been too.  Impressive.  I didn't even make it all the way through the vendors.   I was pretty good with my spending.   I got a grab bag of 1930s vintage scraps and several templates for hand quilting and pounce to mark tops for hand quilting.

Slow Sunday Stitching - June 9, 2019

I am finally getting back to the needlework project.  I made good progress this week, getting to the start of Band 5 on the Victoria Sampler "Earth" band sampler.  These three bands were fairly simple - leaf stitch, open herringbone and Smyrna cross.

Next up is a band of white work - half diamond eyelets just getting started.

And I've finally gotten back to the Aunt Lottie's Garden quilt.   This is block 20 of 30 for the center of the quilt

Needs a good press, but the stitching is done.   Today's task is to get Block 21 basted so I can work on it next week.  I'm really happy to get back to this project.  To see what the other Slow Sunday Stitchers are up to visit the link up. 

Slow Sunday Stitching - June 2, 2019

Milestone reached!   All the blocks for "It was the 80s" are done.   There's still sashing to cut and a whole bunch of assembly, but I feel like I'm making progress again. 

I really love hand piecing.  The points on this are very crisp and tight.  Well worth the time it took.  The assembly on this quilt will be done on the machine, though, and it will go to the LAQ, so the next time you see this on SSS will be when I'm working on the binding.   Who knows when that will be LOL.

And I pulled out a block from "Aunt Lottie's Garden" to work on this week.  It feels good to get back to that project, too.  My first goal for today is to get it basted.   This will be Block 20 of 30 for the center of the quilt.  Borders still to be appliqued, to say nothing of the quilting.  So a far way to go on that one. 

My needlework project is rather back burner this week.  My attention has been on the hand piecing almost exclusively.  Hopefully I'll be getting back to it after I get the applique block basted.  To see how the other Slow Sunday Stitchers are spending their days, visit this week's round up at Kathy's blog.