The Waiting for Craig Quilt

Another finished quilt and another learning experience.  I do start each quilt with the hope that this will be the “perfect” one.  Perfect points, perfect color combinations, perfect seams, perfect everything.  I think that is what keeps me going despite my disappointments.This is not that quilt for me.  

56" x 71"

The things I learned from this quilt:

Lesson #1.  I don’t like sewing with pre-cut packs.  These blocks sprung from a layer cake I had won and a Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial for making church dash blocks.    I just don’t like the hodge podge of matching prints.  Same prints, different colors.  Different colors, same prints.  Solids that are the exact colors of the prints.  So booooooring.  I added black sashing to try and give it a more cohesive look and I think that did help a little.   
 

Lesson #2.  I don’t like big blocks.  These blocks finished at over 13” and they just seem so bloated and large.  Ok … I'll admit that’s how I feel most of the time so maybe a little transference was going on there.  

Bloated.  Right??  Quilted with Perle Cotton #12

I did take the time to hand quilt and gave each center a different look (that's actually kinda cool).  It involved twirling the large quilt around in a circle on my lap all night while dodging a dog head that wanted to lay on it constantly. 

Is it my eyes or is this blurry?

If you're wondering about the name it's because I had the layer cake and the five inch solid squares sitting by my machine and every time I was all-dressed-up-and-ready-to-go-but-waiting-for-Craig I’d work on a block.  It’s an OK quilt and I’m leaving it at that.  I feel a little sorry for it now that I’ve downplayed its appearance so much.  Craig loves it and it’s his now, he thought it was worth the wait :)

I love how Craig is always up for a photoshoot :)

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 .....

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.  

Weekend Reading

My library checkouts from yesterday.  The Quilters Guide to Amish Quilts and Almost Amish:  One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life.

Chapter One of Almost Amish:  Homes .... Homes are simple, uncluttered, and clean; the outside reflects the inside.   

That so does NOT describe my house right now.

And thus begins the first weekend of my "becoming almost Amish" project .....

That time I thought I'd start a movement

 My very first post on this red and white quilt was January 29th.  I put the final stitch in the binding and washed it on April 2nd.  I watched the entire two seasons of Shameless, all of Game of Thrones and many, many cheesy Lifetime Movie Network movies while hand quilting. That's a lot of couch time and TV watching/listening .....

52" x 79"

As I've been stitching away in the evenings I've been contemplating how much I enjoy the whole process.  (I know, I know ... I've said it before).  When I'm working on a gift for someone it gives me time to reflect on the person and why I'm making something for them.   When I'm done I feel like it's all mine because I've stitched every stitch.   I can start working on blocks for a new top while I'm hand quilting another but I don't get much more ahead than that.  I really need to complete a project totally and clean up my mess before I can give myself over to another one.  That does get frustrating when I have so many beautiful quilts pinned that I'd love to make and so many people I'd love to make them for **sigh**. That said, I still have no urge to machine sew my bindings.

 I've been interested in the slow food movement and it got me thinking that I'd like to start a slow quilting movement.   You know, a movement that would make someone that takes over two months to make a simple quilt feel good about themselves.  I even composed a whole blog post about it and had dreams of it taking over the interweb like Rossi's process pledge.  I'd be famous in blogland!

Luckily I googled "slow quilting movement" before I hit the post button.  Seems that lots of people feel the same way and have already started their own little movements.  Here and here are just two of the posts I've read on the subject.

My next project in the work.  Granny squares with the ORB gang!

I guess I'm not a groundbreaker in anything quilting-wise so maybe I can start a movement for people who have no innovation or original ideas.  Our motto:  We're the plodders and the followers ... not the inventors and the starters.   The nice part of my movement is there really is no pressure, we just do what we want.  Anyone want to join me?

The obligatory "quilt in the wind" shot

The Bee experience. The good, the bad, the recap ....

I just completed the last block for the eleven member Twitter Bee and have laid my rotary cutter down with a thud of relief, but also with a feeling of accomplishment.  I started out full of great intentions of whipping off a fabulous and perfect block (maybe even two!) as soon as my fabric arrived.  By the end I was stressed and late and racked with guilt over the lateness and doubts about the quality.  It's impossible to sew with a joyful heart with those envelopes staring at you from the sidelines ...

I did enjoy opening my mailbox each month and finding the fat packet and getting a little glimpse into the life of the sender.  Although I admit sending back the completed block and wondering where it would end up was definitely better.  Stretching myself to make different blocks was a huge plus.  It's nice to try something new without having to commit to a full blown project. 

The best part is that I received thirteen beautiful and creative blocks of my own from eight fantastic quilters.  Two I never heard from although I made them blocks.  I have no hard feelings though because I have no way of knowing what the circumstances were with them. I just hope they're OK and am grateful that I've had a good year and my clan is all safe and healthy. Soon I'll have a quilt that is a lasting reminder of this great group of women.

Would I do a yearlong bee again?  Not at this point in my life.   I didn't realize how little sewing time I actually have each week until I started one extra thing.  Also spaces were reconfigured at my house over the year and I lost my dedicated sewing and fabric storage space.  Suddenly trying out complementary fabrics became an ordeal of pulling out bins, pawing through unorganized stacks and then trying to neatly fit everything back where it came from.   I had no way of anticipating this when I committed but a year can bring some pretty big changes.  I love being involved with the quilting world so an occasional swap,  shorter bees and quilt-a-longs are still a sure yes. 

All-in-all it was GREAT experience.  And I can confidently proclaim that now having completed it totally, cleaned up my last scrap pile and mailed off my final block. Whew!

This blog has been interrupted by tiny triangles

Am I crazy?!?!  I started a nice, simple quilt and whipped the top together in a matter of days (well, weeks ....  but it COULD have been days if I'd applied myself) but now I've sidetracked myself with these darn triangles.   Four corners trimmed off of thirty-eight snowball blocks = 152 two inch triangles.   Here's the crazy part ... I have absolutely no plan for them but I just can't stand to waste them.  Make a border?  Use them in the back?  Zig zags?  Pinwheels?  Spikes?  What would you do with 228 inches of tiny triangles?

You could be finished now if your maker wasn't obsessed with small triangles

I did finish the quilt that my hairdresser's mother started many years ago.  She had made all the log cabin blocks and I sewed them together, put a small border of white around the edge, pieced a back and hand quilted.  I was able to take it to it's rightful home this week and now it has completed it's journey.  It's being used by her Grandson and I couldn't be happier for them both.

Another woman's quilt blocks

Last Thursday I was getting my hair cut by my long-time hairdresser Kim and I was telling her of my new found love of quilting.  She mentioned that years ago her mother was learning how to quilt when she was sick so she could make a quilt for each of her grandchildren.  She died before she finished the last one ...  for Kim's youngest son.  Recently Kim found all the finished blocks and fabric and had been wondering how she could find someone that could put them together and finish the quilt.

I am so honored to be able to sew these blocks together and complete the wishes of a woman who wanted to leave each of her grandchildren a memento of her love.  I've thought of her a lot as I've been pressing and trimming and sewing the blocks that she made with hopes of leaving a gift of comfort for her grandson. 

I'm going to add a border and hand quilt and then bind with navy blue.  I really hope I can do this quilt justice and make it as nice as she would have and that a young boy thinks of her as he snuggles with it. 

Second Place? Ok, I'll take that ..

Is anyone subscribed to the Generation Q on-line quilting magazine?  It's a fun read and full of great quilting news.  They had an essay contest last month to try and define what exactly is modern quilting.  I never really thought about it before but it really is an ambiguous term.  What exactly does makes quilting "modern?"


I entered an essay and was the second place winner.  I haven't got my prize yet but am anticipating my second place winnings and imagining all sorts of booty .... new rotary cutter?  super funky fabric?  new sewing machine??  All expense paid trip to the Sewing Summit???  If you are interested in my take on what modern quilting means here is my second place essay. 

To me the adjective in modern quilting has little to do with the aesthetics of a quilt.  Take a look at the primitive solid quilts of the Amish and Mennonites and the free form and wonderfully abstract quilts of Gee’s Bend.  You can’t say that what quilters are making today is new and uncharted territory.

So what is it then that makes a modern quilter?  One common trait I’ve noticed is unabashed creativity.  Originality and untamed lines are applauded over perfection.  There is NO FEAR in the modern quilter.  No fear of shame for not having perfect points, no fear of seam allowances being measured, no fear of angles or colors.  When the fear of breaking rules is gone the creative juices flow with much more force.

But what if you want to make traditional blocks with perfect points?  That’s OK too!  Another attribute is the acceptance and embracement of all styles and methods of quilting.  Sometimes making a classic block is a rewarding challenge.  Hand quilting?  Machine quilting?  Both are cool.  The modern quilter moniker is more about attitude and less about construction.

You can’t overlook the new social networking aspect of quilting either.  Blogs, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and message boards are the new quilting clubs.  My own introduction to quilting was a blogger’s quilt-a-long with the participants joining a corresponding Flickr group.  I was able to ask questions, show my work, get feedback and see what everyone was doing all while on my laptop in my living room.  I became friends with several people in the group and we became mutual blog followers.  Some of these friends live halfway around the world and, yet, I feel like we are in a virtual quilting guild together.  Even if you live in an area with no quilt shops or associations you can grow in your skills, get advice and tips, and feel kinship within the global modern quilting community.    

So my interpretation in a nutshell:  No fear.  Acceptance.  Social Networking.    Degrees of these three elements combined in one quilter = one modern quilter.  What do you think?

Well ...what DO you think? And if you'd like to check out the other essays go here.  They make some interesting food for thought.  

Since I hate to have a post with no pictures (how sad), I leave you with a glimpse of my almost completed, hand quilted kaleidoscope quilt. 

What could be better?

Hand quilting a cozy, warm quilt while snuggled on the couch with your best friend.  Netflix on the television, snacks to share nearby and the ability to be part of the family unit.  Ahhhhh..... 

 
How can I ever go back to being hunched over a machine by myself while struggling to feed (jam) a large quilt evenly through a small space? This is definitely more time consuming but I am loving the chunky look of the perle cotton and the accent it adds to the overall look.   For a while I had a feeling I was in a self imposed contest to see how many quilts I could produce, but now I'm enjoying the slow process and the added personal touch.

Today I made my second ever bee blocks and Jessica chose a ticker tape block.  These were fun and reminded me of fitting a puzzle together.

I hope she likes them!  Being in a bee is such a great way to connect with other quilters and get to experiment with new blocks.  I'm debating about joining another bee but don't want to overextend myself and start freaking out at piles of envelopes.  How many are you in and how do you handle them?

Peep Love

The Assistant needs a lot of attention. 

This is how the Assistant helps me while I'm handquilting.  She lays her head on the quilt and gives me "the look" until I pet her.  This gives me a chance to rest my wrist and give my fingers a break so I guess it does serve a very important purpose.  She knows what she is doing. 

This weekend I was so pleased to find out I was tagged for the Stylish Blog Award by one of my favorite bloggers, Carolyn, of Fake it While you Make It, a blog that not only full of awesome quilts but  lots of interesting takes on crafting and life in general.  The rules of the award are that you share seven things about yourself and this works out perfect for me since I don't have one single "post worthy" topic going on right now.  Sooo, without further ado .... seven quilty things about me:

1.  I'm hand quilting for the first time and learning as I go.  I'm now wondering if I should have bound it first.  Also I found I don't like a hoop, it goes much easier just pin basted and on my lap.

2.  I love to bookmark things of interest I find on the internet. Quilts I admire, tutorials I want to use in the future, cool haircuts, interesting paint jobs, etc.  But later I have a hard time going through my folders to find what I want.  I just found a new site I love pinterest where you can pin these links to bulletin boards you create.  Perfect!  Not only it is easy to find what you are looking for, you can open your boards on any computer you are using PLUS you can see what other people are pinning.  At this time the site is in a beta stage so you need an invite to start a board so please let me know if you want one.  I promise you'll love it!

3.  I'm attracted to plain quilts with lots of solids and rich, earthy colors.   But I found that over the summer I bought lots of fabrics of pinks and peaches.  Now I have a stash that does not match my personality or my tastes ... yet I almost bought some pink fabric today.  Haven't figured out why I do that yet. 

4.  I have major gift regret when I think of the quilts I've already given to people. As I learn and my skills increase I cringe when I think of the quilts I was so proud of and gave away.  Now I want to take them all back and replace them with better ones. 

5.  I've realized I don't like pre-cut packs like layer cakes and jelly rolls.  I'd rather pick and choose the fabric and cut it myself.  Plus they're expensive!

6.  I hate putting the walking foot on my machine and I hate taking it off.  I pretty much hate everything about the walking foot. 

7.  The next quilt I make is going to be just for me.  I'm  excited to start, but I'm paralyzed with indecision because there are so many designs I've been wanting to try.  I think I'll just have to sit down this week and start cutting and sewing and see what emerges.

In the spirit of the award I'd like to tag some of my most recently subscribed to quilting blogs.

A Fish in Water

Joy in Everything

Mandyloon
 Andie Johnson Sews
Shiner's View 
Greenleaf Goods 
The Happy Bumbler 

Check them out!  They're some awesome quilters. 

Ode to January

I love a snowy January.   There ... I said it.  I know most people are droning on about how they hate the snow and can't wait until summer's loooong days, but not me.  I miss my peaceful, long evenings of sewing, baking, puttering and rearranging.  When the boys were younger we'd fit puzzles and board games in there too.  I love to read the January magazines full of new hope and clean, organized houses.

January such a nice relaxing, no pressure month after the craziness of the holidays.   You can stay in your house all weekend and not be embarrassed at work on Monday morning when people ask what you did over the past two days.

So far this weekend I made chili and bread, starting cutting up some fabric and making crazy nine patch blocks, experimented with handquilting on the pinwheel quilt I threw together last weekend, cleaned out my junk drawers and watched the first season of St. Elsewhere on netflix.  My house feels super warm and cozy with the windows covered with a lacy frost.  How could anyone even be dreaming of hot, sticky days and blazing sunlight until 10 p.m.??   I save that for the muddy days of March.

Sick little girl

The assistant is down

I wouldn't share this with too many people but I know I have a lot of animal lovers among my bloggy friends. My poor assistant hurt her leg last week. We're not sure what happened but last Sunday she was limping pretty badly. Being a large dog and prone to strains I didn't think too much of it at first .... especially when she seemed to be getting better on Tuesday. But soon she was not putting any weight on her back leg again. She has been very lethargic all weekend and today we made an appointment for her at the vet for tomorrow afternoon.

When someone just can't communicate how they feel I'm left feeling so helpless. I hope she understands that we are taking care of her and will not let her be in pain much longer.

Wrapping up a year

Well I never got to make anything with the Merry Modern fabric.  One of the problems of having your sewing room in your dining room is that you just have to give it up at a certain point and put all your tools and mats and piles away.  It's kind of nice to have that cut-off though because the pressure is off ..... you really don't have the option of trying to whip up a last minute gift.  You can just close off that part of  your life and concentrate on other areas. Before I put everything away I did make some new pillows for my couch with the leftover fabric from my Sampler quilt and I about twenty felt mittens for small gifts.

It seems every year I don't have enough time to do everything I have in my mind so next year I am planning on doing some sewing in July with my tons of Christmas fabric and maybe even designing some original cards with my photos from this year.  I'm thinking the assistant with some reindeer antlers under our tree.  Hee Hee.  I think of that every single year but not usually until the middle of December when I'm receiving cool original cards.  Of course this grand idea will be 100% dependent on the humidity level so I can't say for sure how much I'll actually be doing.

Another benefit of not having access to my sewing is that is that I'm getting antsy to start a new project or two.  My notebook is getting full of ideas and I'm constantly surfing fabric sites.  I just won a signed copy of Malka Dubrawsky's book Fresh Quilting on her blog tour stop at Pink Chalk Studio.  I can't wait to get it and start marking pages.  I'm sure that as soon as the new year starts I'll be ready to jump right into the sewing with both feet.

Saturday was my family Bailey Girl Christmas party here and we had such a fun time and lots of good food and good laughs.  I gave my niece Jamie the star quilt I made for her and her reaction was perfect!

My nieces Jamie and Lisa

Jamie snuggled up with her new quilt the next morning.

 Hope you all have a wonderful happy and healthy holiday! 

Mad Men made me do it

Oh dear.

Look what watching marathons of Mad Men while sewing will get you.  I innocently went on line the other night to do some Christmas shopping and somehow stumbled onto the Fabric Shack site.  Oops!   Today some Alexander Henry Merry Modern fabric just appeared in my mailbox with a credit card slip. 

I was planning on NOT getting into a sewing frenzy with a deadline this December but now I've just GOT to make something with these fabrics.  And before my Mad Men craze is over too.  Hmmmm.... I'm thinking pillows ..... any other ideas??   I need to redeem myself by producing something supercool. 

Gnome from Utah and the Tree from Minnesota

Along with getting this fabulous fabric in the mail today I also received two sweet ornaments from a Flickr ornament swap.   December mail is soooo much nicer than January mail :)

Our Favorite Walk

The assistant and I love the walk on the bank of the Erie Canal.  I sometimes take for granted that we live by this man made marvel but I never fail to notice the beauty on our walks.   The assistant even says it's lovely for a quick dip on a hot day, but I'll have to take her word on this. 

This year we started up again in early March when it was still empty.   The first day we walked I noticed a solitary white duck waaay down just floating around in the dirty puddles on the bottom.  I figured it was just a fluke and it was passing through.  It was still freezing at night and snowing many days but on and off we would walk on nice weekend days through March and April.  Every time I walked I noticed the duck all by himself.  I started calling him the solitary duck and I looked for him every time we were there.  I came to depend on seeing my little friend and I always wondered about him.  Why is he alone?  Is he a farm animal gone astray or a pet that was abandoned?  Does he like being alone? 

Two migrating geese stopped by one day this spring and he tenatively swam over to them and floated around in their company for a while.  I was so happy for him that day! 

It's the end of July now and he's still out there.  Now he has taken up with some wild brown ducks and their brood.  He looks so sleek and shiny and happy this summer.  I don't like to think of him wintering out there again ....

I'm leaving for vacation on Sunday so I'll leave you with some pictures from our favorite walk on the Erie Canal.  When I get back it will be August and my favorite time of summer will be beginning.  Ya know ... the end of summer when even though it's still hot out the nights start getting a little cooler and a little longer.  There is a slight change in the atmosphere and I keep saying, "I can smell fall in the air!"  Ahhhhh .....  pretty soon......it will be sewing weather again. 

This is my favorite picture of the solitary duck

Lots of Queen Anne's Lace out now

I'm so glad he has some friends now

Gratuitous picture of The Assistant carrying a big stick

My solitary duck in March. Doesn't he look lonely??

I've got a mule, and her name is Sal.
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
She's a good old worker and a good old pal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
We've hauled some barges in our day,
Filled with lumber, coal and hay,
And we know ev'ry inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo.

Low bridge! Ev'rybody down!
Low bridge, 'cause we're coming to a town;
And you'll always know your neighbor,
You'll always know your pal,
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.