Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2013

I'm submitting my newest quilt in the Blogger's Quilt Festival and entering it in the hand quilted category.  Apologies to my regular peeps for the repeat, but how can I not enter a quilt I named "ode to autumn" in a fall quilt show.

The beginnings and ideas sprang from a color challenge in the Old Red Barn Co quilting group and a stack of Lotta Jansdotter fabric.  The large prints were a challenge in themselves as I wanted to showcase some of the fabric and was looking for a way to leave big chunks of print.  An improv coin quilt turned out to be the perfect solution.  With autumnal solids and the fall palette I was set on creating a quilt that would honor the warm slices of colors seen throughout the Northeast.

I hand quilted the entire quilt top in mostly straight lines but with some random patterns thrown in there to break it up a little.   Yes, I quilted the whole entire quilt top by hand.  Are you gasping?  I hope someone is because I have to admit I've received less than stellar reactions from my non-quilting friends.  "Wow. That looks like a LOT of work" with a slow head shake was my most popular reaction.  Prompting me to agree and gush, 'Yes, but it's amazing, isn't it?!" Geesh people.  Make me draaaaaaag it out of you .....

The quilting commenced in March and finished in September with serious lulls during the humid months. Perle cotton #12 is my current favorite quilting cotton.  It's a bit finer than #8 but is still chunky enough to be noticed. 

41" x 63"

I can see already that I'm going to be spending many quality hours perusing the beautiful quilts over at the Quilt Festival.  I'm sure I'll find tons of inspiration and with the cooler fall weather I'll be invigorated to start some new projects. 

Ode to Autumn

Introducing Ode to Autumn ... my finally completed quilt that was started over a year ago.  The beginnings and ideas sprang from a color challenge in the Old Red Barn Co quilting group (original post here) and a stack of Lotta Jansdotter fabric.  The large prints were a challenge in themselves as I wanted to showcase some of the fabric and was looking for a way to leave big chunks of print.  An improv coin quilt turned out to be the perfect solution.  With the autumnal solids and the fall palette I was set on creating a quilt that would honor the warm slices of colors seen throughout the Northeast.

I hand quilted the entire quilt top in mostly straight lines but with some random patterns thrown in there to break it up a little.   Yes, I quilted the whole entire quilt top by hand.  Are you gasping?  I hope someone is because I have to admit I've received less than stellar reactions from my non-quilting friends.  "Wow. That looks like a LOT of work" with a slow head shake was my most popular reaction.  Prompting me to agree and gush, 'Yes, but it's amazing, isn't it?!" Geesh people.  Make me draaaaaaag it out of you .....

The quilting commenced in March and finished in September with serious lulls during the humid months.  I think I've seen this style of quilting referred to as sashiko so if anyone can enlighten me on that I'd be appreciative. 

I'm a little lost in the evenings now with nothing ready to start quilting but this little break has given me a chance to get out my old standby.  Embroidery .... I'm back! I forgot how much I love you. 

My next quilting goal in the works

Gen X Quilters Sisters Ten BOM Blocks

I had an epiphany moment a while ago while watching a Fons and Porter quilting show on TV.  The mother/daughter duo were chattering away discussing how they aim to get their quilt blocks perfectly sized as they sew them and not trim them down after sewing. 

Huh? 

You mean you CAN sew a 12.5 inch block and have it actually measure 12.5 inches on all sides when you're finished?  Doesn't everyone just trim them later to a smaller size?   It made me realize I'm really lacking in the most basic of piecing skills.   I decided right then my next quilting goal is to actually read and follow directions and finally master that 1/4" seam.   Is it possible that I could make perfectly sized blocks right from my sewing machine?  I guess I was about to find out .....

At the beginning of my summer sewing lull I joined two block of the month alongs (Gen X Quilters and Sew Lux Fabric) and decided that the least I would do these hot months is to sew the monthly blocks with the mindfulness and carefulness I was missing before. 

My lone 9" block.  The result of  a direction reading deficit.   

First observation:  I don't read directions well.   The Gen X Quilters BOM gives two sets of cutting instructions.  One for a 12.5 block and one for a 9 inch block.  Right off the bat I cut all my pieces and took a break.  Went back later and thought, "Why did I cut all these pieces wrong?" and trimmed them all down to the correct (I thought) size.  That is why you will see one 9 inch block amongst all the 12.5 inch blocks.  For each block I've made so far I've cut at least one piece of fabric the wrong size.  READ DIRECTIONS MOLLY! 

Second observation:  My 1/4" foot makes my seams too large.  When I finally took it off and followed this tutorial to find my perfect needle setting and stuck a piece of tape on my machine as a guide I made much smaller seams.  Now my blocks are actually the correct size when I finish.

Third observation:  Wanting perfection is a learned art.  A couple times when my seams didn't match up nicely or my points were blunted I really just wanted to shrug and say, "good enough."  But I picked apart and re-pinned and re-sewed and re-cut where necessary.  Now seeing how nice the blocks look with everything all aligned and sharp really makes me want to continue in this vein. The gratification I get from seeing a nice, neat block really makes me wonder about myself.  When and why did things like this start giving me pleasure? 

This month's block came out all wrong and I don't know what I did.  Obviously I cut some strips the wrong size so I haven't mastered the following directions part yet but I didn't freak out.  I just left it and figured out a way to fix the problem without scrapping the whole thing.  Now I've got another perfectly pieced block under my belt.  Yes, I feel happy.  At least one tiny corner of my world is neat and orderly. 

Aha!! Another epiphany moment.  I think I just answered my previous question .....

To Boston With Love

Here's my contribution to the To Boston With Love project started by the Vancouver Modern quilt guild (details here).   I'm so excited to be a part of such a cool and thoughtful movement of love and support. 

My boyfriend lived in Boston for six years and every time I'd visit we'd explore a new part of the city and just soak in the atmosphere.  Believe me, we felt the love!  Well ... except for that time I almost got hit by a car in the middle of a very traffic-y street.  Other than that it was all good. 

I can't wait to see the impact of this exhibit when all the hundreds of flags are tied together and hung in the Museum of Fine Arts.  I just read the exhibit has been extended from Memorial Day until after the July Fourth holiday.  Check out the Flickr group to see the amazing flags coming in from all over the world. 

Scrappy Trip Baby Quilt

Yes, I succumbed to the peer pressure on instagram and jumped right into the Scrappy Trip craze.  How could I not?  What a sweet quilt to make and then to get to instantly share your progress in the instagram group was so fun.  

34" x 44"

I had won a jelly roll of Fig Tree California Girl by Moda a while ago and this project was a perfect reason to finally break it out.  I still have some strips left over to make a little pillow or a mini-quilt later.  

 Hand quilted with Perle cotton #12 in inter lapping circles.  

I think I've seen this called an orange peel pattern.

Just had to add a gratuitous shot of the assistant :)

I have to say that I've been a little lax with the progress pictures for the blog with the almost instant gratification of posting to instagram.  I'm quickly hooked and love to peruse other quilters feeds for ideas and inspiration.  I'm BaileyGirl_5  if anyone wants to follow me (please ... PLEASE! I have the least amount of followers of anyone I know).  Sometimes getting some feedback is the perfect thing to keep me motivated. 

I just found out that my son's friend is going to be the father of a baby girl in just a few weeks (surprise!) so I think this quilt will find a nice little spot to call home very soon.  

The non-lame (?) football quilt

I'm not a fan of sewing with novelty prints but this Christmas I was really stumped for gift ideas for my oldest son.  Getting gifts for your kids gets harder and harder as they get older.   The fun shopping trips down the toy aisles turn into confusing and expensive trips down the electronic aisles and the hunting aisles and the car part aisles and sports aisles, etc.  I want to give the boys gifts they'll use and appreciate, but also ones I can afford, and that's where it gets tricky. 

 ::  56" x 73" ::  hand quilted in grid pattern with perle cotton #8 :: 

Then I had an epiphany!  When the boys were little I made each of them a quilt (story here) and Russell's was made with Buffalo Bills fabric.   During the teenage years it got left somewhere and lost and he has missed it ever since. For a surprise I thought I'd recreate it with an updated twist.  My first idea was to make it a little more funky but the helmet fabric and the colors really didn't spark any creative juices.  I finally told myself that he'd appreciate the original patchwork look the best and I think that was true, not just a cop-out.  I pieced a back and added some embroidered embellishments to make it more personal. 

Unfortunately time got away from me this December (doesn't it always) and on the big day he open a box with a fully pin basted quilt and a roll of binding.  Hand quilting commenced almost immediately. Let me tell you something ... that novelty sports fabric is almost as thick as canvas and the perle cotton was a heavier gauge than my usual so my fingers were S.O.R.E. when I was finally finished.  I've never been so glad to be done with a project in my life.  It was worth it in the end because he loves it and I know it reminds him of his favorite quilt and all the memories that went with it.  

Modern Quilting 1970s Style

I found this quilting book, the Mountain Artisans Quilting Book by Alfred Allan Lewis, from 1973 at the library book sale a few weeks ago and I'm totally obsessed with it!    

"The Mountain Artisans Quilting Book is the best book on the contemporary adaptation of the old craft of quilting.  It tells the story of the famous West Virginia cooperative started by a group of idealistic young women and how their efforts to market the products of a centuries-old craft overcame seeming insurmountable obstacles to achieve national recognition." 

THESE women were the original modern quilters!  In fact, the words modern and contemporary are used continuously throughout this book, almost as much as it is on the internet today.  It's like a little slice of the groovy 1970s right from their perspective. 

The clothes made from quilts are what really got me hooked though.

I noticed one thing that these models have in common is that they are all tall and rail thin, two qualities I have in the exact opposite. I would look more like a rumpled quilt someone discarded on a floor, but still ... the idea intrigues me. 

Clothing for a horse ? I think this is my favorite quilt project!

A lot of the book is kitschy and outdated but one quote still rings true today. 

What more can any hobbyist want?  Here is a craft that is at once inexpensive, productive of immediate results, self-contained, portable, solitary, and social. 

Well, the inexpensive part was obviously before they invented designer fabrics. 

Don't you just want to time travel back to the 1970s now?  I love these intrepid young quilters and their take on the revival of quilting.