So Many Projects: A Good Thing

Sometimes I’m happiest when plotting what projects I want to work on next.  And I’m also aware my stash is dangerously close to being out of hand.  Wait.  Let me restate the truth: my stash is out of hand.  See all these 2” strips?  Leftovers from a community project.  These aren’t my favorite colors to work with, but they are lovely.  I’m looking at a Fence Rail  design that will create a woven effect.  

Throw stuff on the wall and see what sticks…

One of the quilts that drew me into the modern movement over a decade ago was Double Plus Good by Rossie Hutchinson.  So I’ve been looking at background fabrics and plus fabrics.  I started making plus signs, after really editing the fabrics to use, but knew I didn’t want to create something so precise and symmetrical.  Look closely at the design wall, and you’ll spot a design featuring two different size plus signs and arranged sort of randomly.  This is a new pattern by Zen Chic.  And I like it so much more.  So I know where is quilt is headed.  Unlike what’s below…

Speak of Zen Chic, the middle fabric above is from her Lower The Volume collection.  And I love it,  I’ve been examining two-color quilts and looking for a design I want to do,  I’ll continue to look because no design is calling my name just yet.

And always always always I think about Sew Powerful purses.  I have several in process and five finished, preparing for a local demo.  I have a shelf of fabrics to use for purses.  But these fabrics came across my radar, and I had to buy a yard of each.  With the work in our condo finally complete, it's time for a "normal" schedule focusing on walking and sewing and cooking, making time for each with no excuses.  I miss the destination walking of LaGrange, but I do love the small hills and paved paths that are so accessible here.  And when the weather is icky I have the luxury of the workout room here.  Sewing?  I sew almost daily so it's not that difficult to schedule that in.  Cooking?  John is great, but I must do my share.  So I'm focusing on healthy recipes I want to make and that John will eat happily.  

This first summer here is wonderful.  My studio is well-lit, thanks to my LaGrange electrician, and airy.  We love this condo.

Summer Quilt - Finished!

Summer Quilting is so much different than quilting in the other seasons.  Evenings I quilt.  Cool and cold days are perfect for sitting with a quilt and stitching.  But in summers?  No way?  Not to mention that my body temp is always 10 degrees warmer than John's.  So for several summers I have "summer quilted", meaning that I will hand-quilt a block at a time and then join these blocks using Sharon Pederson's Reversible Quilting method.  

A few months ago I saw e Bond's fabric collection Glyph at the Crimson Tate (an indy quilt shop in Indy!)

website and fell in love with five of her fabrics.  When they arrived, I fondled them a lot and realize that these were not fabrics to be cut up into little bits.  So I cut 10" squares and used the Attic Windows setting.      I found enough leftover wool batting and Frankenbatted with abandon.   Since I was going to be quilting these 30 blocks by hand, of course I had to find some Art Gallery fabrics for the backing, all neutral scraps.  Most of these blocks just have a simple spiral.  After all, it's the fabric, not the quilting, being featured.  And full disclosure:  there is one fabric included not in the Glyph collection although it is Art Gallery.  

I love how the back looks.  There is no rhyme or reason to the arrangement.  All I know is that the back of this quilt is wonderfully soft.  Each block is 12" so this quilt is 60" x 72". 

It's only late July.  I may have to find another summer quilting project!  

Guess I’m down to One Blog Post a Month

 

Good news:  our house projects in the kitchen and bathroom are over!  The painters just left today.  Bad news:  there's been a lot of turmoil locally, nationally, and internationally.  But the good news?  I sew a lot when I'm agitated.  And my soul has needed a lot of soothing.  This table runner has been a wonderful diversion.  Its a combination of hand and machine quilting and based on an Instagram post by @tygeroting.  I captured the spirit of their work and must let them know.  

This table runner is batted with Insulbright, the product used for hot pads.  My favorite piece of fabric  is the backing.  I had to go on line to find more of it.  What for?  I don't know.  I just need to have it in my stash! Next are placement made in a similar vein using these fabrics.  If I was to name this table runner,  it would have to be "With a Little Help from my Friends."  Most of these fabrics are from Sarah S and Melissa and one fabric of bones from Lynn B in honor of my broken bones of 2020.

 

While I'm happy during the cold months to sit under a quilt as I quilt it, this doesn't work at all for summer months.  My solution for summer quilting is to quilt small blocks and then later assemble them.  The fabric line Glyph from Crimson Tate caught my eye.  And these fabrics are too pretty and unique to be cut up.  So I cut 10" blocks and used the Attic Windows setting with 2.5" strips for the sashing. I used all my wool batting scraps for the 12.5" blocks, and went through my light neutrals for the backing.  The reversible quilting method by Sharon Pederson has been my go-to for projects like this.  

The three blank spots in the picture below have since been filled in.  

Months ago I bought two charm packs featuring Janet Clare's "Geometry" line by Moda.  And two weeks ago I started to play around with them.  Just as I began, my sister-in-law in Orlando asked if I had any quilts featuring greens.  Why, yes!  Yes, I do.  Setting these simple blocks on point gives this 70" x 70" quilt some nice drama.  It's batted with wool and machine quilted.  Chris wants this for her husband's doctor.  As soon as she figures out what she wants on the label, I'll put this in the mail

Speaking of Janet Clare and her fabric lines, I have been in love with her Wordsmith fabrics, most of which are out of print.  I am squirreling away leftover bit but found enough for another Trip Around the World.  It is pin basted and ready for quilting.  Machine?  Hand?  Hmmm....  and of course through all my sewing purses are at the forefront.  There are five African purses featuring a fabric I bought in Kenya.  They along with purses in process are ready for a demo for a local quilt guild.