Another Smokey Summer

Which is just perfect for sewing.  Can’t go out? Sew! Go to the condo gym or pool! Bake!  I just baked a Muslin navy bean pie.  It’s not bad!  My July dozen for Sew Powerful are all set to be mailed along with the June purses.  And I’ve even made a small dent in August’s purses. 

My sister returned to me a quilt I made for her husband’s ENT practice in St. Joe.  There was an atrium sort of space, and this tall piece (96” x 48”) hung there.  I’m not quite sure what to do with this piece - I love it,  maybe cut it up and  make tote bags? 

A few months ago I was working on granddaughter Nikki’s baby quilt - little Charlotte Rose was born July 15.  She and her mom are doing well.  We hope to meet her this weekend!  As I started Charlotte’s quilt, I realized, as I was cutting out the clamshells, that some of the colors were not right.  So I jettisoned those and found fabrics that more accurately reflected what Nikki wanted for the nursery.  But meanwhile I had all these bits cut out.  So for the last weeks  I’ve hand pieced these leftover clamshells and then quilted the piece.  It’s complete and very pretty.  Nikki might be getting this one, too!   

What’s on my mind all the time is my SIL Chris in Orlando.  She’s taking care of her husband, who has Lewy Body Syndrome, and is doing such a terrific job.  It’s hard to imagine walking in someone else’s shoes…  I’m not sure I could give John the same level of support that Chris is giving to Jerry.  So when Chris mentioned she could use new mug and plate cozies, I sprang into action - these went into UPS this morning.  Think I’ll make myself some! 

In Love With Every Aspect of This Glam Clam Quilt

This quilt is such a departure from what I usually do.  These colors and fabrics are a part of my new favorite palette.  And there are no straight lines.  These clams all had to be cut by hand, not by rotary cutter.  I did think about piecing by hand, but then I snapped to my senses and did the piecing by machine. However, the quilting?  Yeah, all done by hand, baby, with wool batting and my favorite fabric for backing.If you zoom in, you might be able to see the print of a train or ferry schedule.  It’s very subtle.  

I love cutting the clams.  I loved sewing the clams with its odd assembly of left to right, top to bottom.  And I loved quilting this.  Almost like reading a fabulous book, I really slowed my sewing down the last week just to make the quilting last longer.   What a great quilt t end the year with! 
 

Changing gears again - a finish, a start, and the germ of an idea

At the risk of sounding dorkier than I usually do, this quilt has been a joy to work on.  AGF has free patterns, and this one is Pacific.  And look - I still have some Seth Apter fabrics!  I love these colors, and I loved hand quilting it.  But it’s time to move on.  There has been a huge pile of gorgeous greens and blues fabrics just begging for some interesting design.  And I’ve decided to repeat the Glam Clam pattern.  It’s been pin basted, and it has now been my new evening companion for the past few days.  The temperatures have recently dropped - we’re in winter for sure.  Sitting with this quilt on my lap as I stitch is a perfect way to spending chilly evening.

   

After mailing off 21 purses (see below) I let myself play with scraps and a little zip pouch pattern from The Pink Door.  These are little curvy clutches.  One will be for the December good swap.  The rest - well, it is December!

The next quilt project is a joyful one.  My little friend (jeez, Cristina is 34 - I should find a better descriptor for her…) is pregnant with her second child, another boy.  I made Enzo a pretty sweet baby quilt and am using the same color palette of blues and greens (how perfect - I have just the fabrics) for the new baby.  Cristina likes when I go off script with my quilting choices.  She likes wonk and random, but both those words make me twitch a bit.  I found this pattern and am adapting it.  Today is the day I  will play around with the “blocks” I’ve made from the strips below.  

And of course Sew Powerful purses.  I was delighted to get these three made and mailed off with these other 18.  Time to start a new batch.  This Zambian ministry is now over 10 years old and has spread to Livingston in addition to the capital city of Lusaka. My political distress over the November election results grows with each day’s news as Trump begins his second presidency on a revenge tour.  Look at the appointments he’s making.  The system of checks and balances is out of whack and getting whackier by the hour.  I sincerely hope in 4 years my conservative brother can say to me, “See? He was good for our country and values.”  But we have been on the road before.  It’s impossible for me to give this convicted buffoon a second chance.  And I am appalled at those who voted this narcissist into office.  So, I will sew.  And sew.  And sew.  And then I’ll sew some more. 

Projects in Process

 

Why do I think I need an even number of purses to mail to Sew Powerful?  I have 18 completed and think I need two more before mailing.  But I’ve been distracted by the lure of other projects.  Evenings I’ve been hand quilting a project that I am still so in love with.  I’m may be  half way done and am enjoying every stitch.

My never-ending supply of scraps and UFO’s call to me loudly.  At the beginning of the pandemic I took an on-line workshop with the revered and lovely Carol Lyles Shaw(who sad.y is no more ). And it was terrific.  She had one camera above her work surface and one on her, and she toggled back and forth seamlessly.  The topic of this workshop was scraps and a creative way to use them.  Here’s what I created: 

My plan was to make more of these large blocks (15” x 24” ish).   But after 4 years it’s clear that that’s not happening.  So, what to do with these?  Then I remembered the scrap community project guild mate Jane Shapiro led us in.  I liked it so much that I made a quilt using her technique.  This quilt was gifted to my cataract doctor (John had a horrible complication with one of his surgeries, and I was thrilled all worked out for me.)  and I wondered whether this pattern might lend itself to these big squares - and some random black and white blocks.

After a bit of sewing and finagling and looking for a background fabric, here’s what I’ve come up with. I have  a total of 48 blocks, 5 pairs of orange, 5 pairs of teal, 5 pairs of purple, five pairs of browns, and 4 pairs of blacks. Each block is 12.5” square.  This means the quilt of 48 blocks would be 72” x 96”.  

And here’s how I’ve packed it away until I’m ready to join the blocks together.

Look at my note to myself.  I can make more blacks.  Do I want a quilt that is 84” x 84”?  I need one more block.  What if I want the quilt 84” x 96”?  Then I need to make 8 more.  Next decision is layout.  Here is something different: 

But while I’m deciding how to lay out these blocks and finish this quilt top, I’m itching to start a Glam Clam using a pile of blues and greens I’ve been accumulating. I spent one day with my quilt guild at last weekend’s retreat.  All I accomplished there was cutting the clams.  Today I started to lay the quilt out.  Here’s what I have so far. 

Construction of this quilt is odd.  One must work row by row, starting with the top row.  Each new clam is inserted and sewn to the body.  Starting this quilt is easy, but it gets cumbersome as you work your way towards the bottom of the quilt.  But my hands are happy piecing curves.  We’re heading to Atlanta to visit Julie for a long weekend and to see foliage in Kentucky and Tennessee.  I can’t take the quilt I’m in love with because it’s too heavy and Atlanta is still pretty hot.  So this hand-piecing will go with me.  Perhaps when we return I can finish those two remaining Sew Powerful purses and get them all mailed! 

A Hand-Quilted Finish

 Usually I am happy to finish a quilt and see its completion.  This Glam Clam quilt?  I'm sorry it's done.  I began hand-piecing the clams in August after my guild hosted a workshop by Latifah Saafir
and her Glam Clam technique.  As guildsters started posting pictures of their progress, I knew this design was one I wanted to do.  My hand-piecing was just for evenings when I was on the first floor of my house and not in the studio.  By December the quilt top was together.  I ordered a wool batting and a fabric for the back.  After basting I started my quilting using No 8 Perle cotton and matching thread color to the clams.  This quilt has been - along with John - my constant evening companion, and my hands are sorry to let go of it.  This is my 4th hand-quilted finished.  Time to find a new hand project.

These fabrics are all peppered shot cottons. 

The back shows not only the different quilting threads but also the unquilted parts - the puffy parts.

There's a wonderful texture happening on the back.

Keeping Busy

This doesn't look like much, does it.  But this 18" x 20"  sampler is what I produced in a one-day improvisational hand quilting class.  I do hand quilting, but not with thread - I use No. 8 Perle cotton.  But it turns out these sashiko techniques I use work nicely with regular quilting.  Chawne Kimber of Cauchy Complete taught this Saturday class and was our lecturer the next day at our guild meeting.  Chawne is a math professor and one of the most thoughtful and provocative quilters I know.  This is my third time to meet her and spend time with her, and my admiration grows.  Chawne and hand-quilting aside, it was a lovely workshop.  Not using machines for a day was a great change of pace.

Here's the wedding quilt I started last week.  Each little block is 5" x 5".  16 rows by 19 columns.  The gap in the middle?  I just haven't pieced those blocks yet.  This has been a lot of work but very simple and satisfying.  And I do like how this is turning out.  It's been the perfect project for these pre-inauguration days.  I'm torn between refusing to watch any news and yet wanting to stay informed. So simple tasks and focusing on the Women's March in Chicago the day after the inauguration have been my coping mechanisms.    Thinking about Chris and Andi and their life together is a nice bright thought, too!

Late afternoon/early evenings I love settling down with this glam clam quilt. Months ago I began hearing about the slow stitching movement. And this winter, more than any other time, I get it. The simple joy of quiet stitching, creating something that will be both utilitarian and beautiful, is what I treasure. I'm maybe a little over one-third finished - these little 2 and 3 hour sessions eventually add up. I love how the stitching looks on the back, too.  I'm stitching in the color of the individual clams so there is a beautiful texture happening.

Last and pretty important, this year is my 10th year blogaversary.  I've been blogging since January 2007 and have printed out each year's blog entries into book form.  So this is the 10th volume of my blog books.  Hardly scintilatting reading but a wonderful record of projects and life events.  Although I have worked on a lot of projects in 2016, this Sloan Bag, pattern by Sew Sweetness, is among my favorites.  I have used this bag for travel and love the size and practicality.  For the back of this book, I chose a picture from the International Quilt Festival.  Here's my fabulous "My Answer is Yes" hanging next to Bill Stearman's "My World".  We both had Drunkard's Paths quilts in this festival, too.  See this blog entry from last April for details.  It's been the start of a nice friendship. 

Upstairs, Downstairs - Part 2

The Glam Clam quilt top from peppered shot cottons - the one I started piecing by hand in September  - is ready for basting and hand sashiko quilting.  I just finished piecing this last night, and I hope to be able to start quilting it tonight.  Perfect quilting weather - lowest temps of the season.  I love our 1908 stucco bungalow, but it is cold cold cold in this house.  My studio has is own mechanicals, but that doesn't do much good in the evenings.  Quilting by hand?  Ah, that's the trick.

Below is the wool batting and the backing.  As soon as I get it measured, I am going to wash it.  These peppered cottons are so soft, and this Studio E wide backing will match in texture nicely.

Meanwhile, I have finished piecing this top. During the process I fell out of love with fabrics. Maybe as I quilt this, I will redevelop a fondness for them again. I thought putting these 5" charms on a navy background would calm these modern prints down.  For the December Chicago Modern Quilt Guild holiday swap I made a basket out of 2.5" charms and liked it much more than I thought I would.  See below.  Purses?  Soon.  My goal is to do at least 12 by the February 1 SewPowerful.Org deadline, but I have a feeling it will be more since I already have 7 of them completed. 

I'm using up the various leftovers, including anything remotely navy blue from my stash, on the back.

Upstairs, Downstairs

I have everything I  want upstairs in my studio -  machines, fabrics, cutting tables, supplies, bathroom, lighting, Bose radio, computer, quilting library.  Monday was a long sew day, and guilt buddy JLo and I made Trail Totes, the nifty pattern by Noodlehead.  This link leads to the free pattern download.  My Trail Tote has a bright pink outer zippered pocket and a wonderful turquoise lining.  The inner pocket is the same fabric as the outer fabric.  My phone is on the picture just for scale.  I am waiting for rivets to come and want to use them for the purse strap.  Thank you, guildster Dani M, for this inspiration!  But my studio is missing two key elements:  my husband and the television. 

I love having a hand project going.  The summer my Chicago Modern Quilt Guild hosted a Glam Clam workshop, and I didn't attend.  But since then I have decided this project would be perfect for the downstairs.  So evenings I am handpiecing these 12" clams and will Sashiko-quilt it once the top is complete.  Projected size will be 65"ish by 80"ish.  We'll see.  It's going to be a nice cozy project for fall and winter.