Cleopatra's Fan Quilt

I had seen a quilt using the Cleopatra's Fan pattern and had pinned it to my board for future reference.  Then one of my local quilt stores, Creative Stitches, offered a class on it out of the blue.  Needless to say, it seemed like an omen.  So I gathered up my Joann's coupons and purchased my fabric.  (I couldn't buy it at the LQS as she has a small inventory and none fit my 'vision'.)

Not a great picture of the fabrics being used, but almost all of it is metallic.  The cream/gold on the left is my background and I have two constants I will be using, with the others filling in.

The green patterned fabric is one of my constants. The cream/gold, by background. There are 10 pieces in each half of the fan, so 20 total for each block.  A bit of curved seams and some planning involved.  This is not a block you can just sew on mindlessly.  In fact, I will probably draw up a template of the block so I can lay the pieces out on to be sure I have the right fabric in the right spot.  This will be a quilt I work on over an extended period of time.  No rushing here.

This is my finished block.  I'm not trimming it until I get all of the blocks done just to be sure.  But I think Cleopatra would approve.

Fibers and Fabric This Past Week

Despite feeling under the weather (or maybe cause I was under the weather), I have managed to get some projects moving forward.  

The first, and one that had a definite deadline, was my block for the January Bee Hive Swap.  

I made two blocks, one to send, one to keep.  Mine, I sewed together and used the less than perfect blocks for it.  This way I will have a second quilt top by the time the swap is over at the end of the year.  One that is all my blocks and another one block from each month I sent out.  I love the deadline requirement and the color requirements the other "Queens" will come up with.

The second challenge I am involved in is the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge 2016.  The first month is blue and a Twinkle Star.

My shadow is involved with the picture and I was too sick to care.  My center block is a dark blue batik with the words 'create', 'imagine', among others on it.  Then the dark points are a purple/blue batik.  The light points are a blue/grey batik.  I wanted/needed to do six blocks for the quilt and I ran out of the light blue and subbed a darker blue on one block.  This was a fun block to put together once I got the measurements right.  Now I need more white background fabric for next month.  And I want to make another block with the white a dark color and the blues a light fabric in color.  In other words, swapping the light/dark in the block to see what it looks like.  May this week.

Another item I am working on for my goals for this month is this piece of knitting which I started, abandoned and have picked up to finish up in January.  I now have one sock finished and the second one started.

The picture of the sock on my foot is the true color of the yarn.  It's a worseted weight yarn and the pattern is Railroad Rib Sock by Fiber Trends and was recommended by my LYS in Great Falls as a go-to sock.  The pattern, so far, has been fast and easy, even finishing off the toe with a Kitchener Stitch which I have not done before.  Texter thinks the yarn is too stiff for her, which means I might be able to keep them for myself.  They will make a good pair to wear around the house to keep my feet warm.

While I hadn't planned on adding to my stash, I did pick up a hat to knit this weekend.  It's going to be a fun knit, and hopefully, a quick one.  At the yarn store they had some of the Plymouth Yarnimals which are super cute and I can knit it in an adult size.

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It comes with the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and ties already made.  All you have to do is knit the hat.  Can't wait to get started on it.  They also have an owl one, but Lady K wanted the monkey.  

Another fun thing coming up is I have a couple of friends who want to learn to knit and have asked me to get them started.  Can't wait!  More people speaking my language of fibers and needles.  I need to round up the rest of my needles I have 

The Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt is still in pieces.  Pieces being combined to become larger pieces.  I am so tired of pressing and trimming and trimming and pressing.  Since I feel like I want to 'get it done', I have set it aside for a couple of days and then push forward again.  Hopefully, this week I can mark it off my to-do list and move it to the next stage of 'needing border fabric'. 

Another thing I can't wait for and I will be lending a hand on (so I can take advantage of it), is my friend Kathleen is setting up a studio.  A studio! For Quilting!  And a large design wall!  And access to it!  And to her expertise! And a possible long arm quilter in the future!  It's like saying I have access to Aladdin's Cave.  But I have at least one quilt I need a large design wall to set out the pieces on and ask for suggestions on how to get the pieces 'together'.  My Geisha Garden Walk quilt I have designed for Savvy has the background fabric being cut on the bias and panels set into it.  A bit tricky on that part and will need some guidance and a large design wall to put it up on to mark and view.

Also, this week starts the Modern HST QAL.  Hosted by Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts, who is also the host of the Bee Hive Swaps.  I have a lot of this owl fabric collection and will use it for the QAL. I will probably need to buy some solid background fabric, but can't wait to get started.

So are, 10 days into January, I am pleased with how my fabric and fiber tasks are being accomplished.  And I'm having fun doing it, they are not just things to check off a list.  The end of the month should be fun recounting where I am with my goals in this category.

It's a Mystery to Me!

November is my 'writing' month.  It's all about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  So that is my excuse for agreeing to participate with a friend in a Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt.  This is KE's third year at doing it and my arms are very sensitive and I was distracted, so I quickly agreed.  It also helped my decision knowing Lady K and Texter will be spending two weeks at Christmas in South Carolina with the other grandmother.  Two weeks of FREEDOM! And no little hands helpin'.  So I will be able to spread out and leave things out.

Anyway, I decided to do it in batiks.  And I love the fact Bonnie gives you the 'color swatches' from the paint store as the colors for the quilt.  It really makes selecting fabrics easier than just saying 'two yards of grey'.  So I have a file folder with the initial directions printed out and the swatch cards glued to it (KE also brought me color swatches to push me over the decision edge.  Have to love enabling friends!)  I also snipped a bit off the cards and put them in a little notebook I am trying to keep all my sewing info in for reference and ease of carrying to the fabric stores.

I started with the grey, because that is suppose to be the one constant in the quilt.

I thought this piece captured the spread of the shades of grey and also the pattern would give some movement to the quilt.

Unfortunately, the whole process has me thinking of 2016 quilt plans.  Let's not think about the stuff I already have, that's stupid.  On my wish list of quilts are the following ideas...

Fancy Forest Quilt is one I would love to do.  Texter would also love for me to do it (hint, hint).

I also have my eye on a Jen Kingwell design.  (We will not discuss the several Judy Niemeyer patterns I have all ready to go!)  Gypsy Wife is what I have my eye on.

And the Tokyo Subway Map quilt is still on my 'want-to-do' list.

Needless to say, none of the quilts I want to do are 'quick and easy' in category.  And my fabric stash is very limited, which means I HAVE to build it up.  Right now, when buying fabric for anything, I usually round up to the nearest yard in order to have extra to add to my stash for future quilts.

But December will also find me combing through my bins and updating my 'project' list.

I have a couple of 'ideas' in my head for a couple of quilts.  One is my "Tree of Life" quilt.  I have a panel I need to finish calculating the borders around the panel and stitch it all up.  It will be similar to the Asian themed quilt I just did for Savvy (which needs to be quilted, by the way).  I also have fabric for and an idea for a "Batman" quilt for Texter.  I want do to a design on the quilt which looks like the old "Pow" graphic design on the TV show and comic books.

But right now, it's a search for batiks and a lot of writing.  See you in December!

Farmer's Wife 1930's QAL

I have joined a QAL starting on the 28th of this month.  There are several different ways to do the 99 blocks for this quilt, using templates, paper piecing, hand piecing, etc.  One of the reasons I want to do this quilt is the chance to practice some more complicated techniques and to practice my paper piecing skills.

A lot of the participants are using reproduction fabrics and being true to the time period and look.  I'm not really a reproduction fabric lover, so I am going a different route.  I have also signed a pledge not to start until the 28th in order to be in for a possible giveaway win.  But I have my patterns copied, my book I had spiral bound in order to use it better and I have my fabrics selected for my quilts.

Yes, quilts!  Why do anything the easy way?

I have been wanting to do a black and white quilt and selected these from my stash.  Black and white with a pop of red on the blocks for color.  I do have a bit of black/cream in there I will have to weed out unless the piece can be done on the black part of the fabric.  Texter already has her eye on this one.

The second one I am going to do is also pulling from my stash.  I have this layer cake and charm pack I need to do something with.

I figure it won't be hard to find other fabrics to fill in with these colors if needed.  

The background I am going to use on the black/white/red will probably be various light grey.  I will see what I finally use for the French General lines.

But I am really excited and figure with the quilt being spaced out over several months, I should be able to do the two quilts.  We will see.  In the meantime, back to watching Longmire and crocheting on Sophie's Universe.

Fractured Grinch

I love The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  It has been my favorite Christmas program for decades and I love his little, bright green self and crooked smile to pieces.   So it was not surprising when I walked into one of my LQS and saw a whole row of the Robert Kaufman line of Grinch fabric, that I had to buy some.  

I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I HAD TO HAVE IT!

It sat here for a couple of weeks while I pondered and thought, and thought and pondered.  Oh, no, no regular patch for the Grinch.  And then I spied these postings by Exuberant Color using the Fractured quilt pattern.

The more I looked,

The more I spied,

This was the one,

I could not deny!

And to make it a go, the pattern is by Kathy Doughty of Material Obsessions and I had the book already!

So (forgetting to take pictures BEFORE I started cutting up the fabric), I cut out my blocks yesterday afternoon and starting piecing my "Fractured Grinch".  It won't be a full size quilt (unless I can't resist and get more fabric), but it will be a fun quilt. 

(Please note the glass of iced tea to the left.  It is also a "must" for the sewing room.)

Some of the fractured squares waiting to be turned into blocks.

With all the cutting and hacking, hacking and cutting, I managed to get three blocks completed.  There are 4 blocks to this quilt, A, B, C, and D (very Seuss-like, don't you think) and I have 3 of the 4 Block A's done.

My lighting for the blocks is not the greatest in the basement.  But they are BRIGHT!  And wonky!  I am so excited about doing this quilt because, so far, it is coming together like I pictured a Seuss quilt would be.  Texter is going to be my assistant in laying out the blocks.  However, she has some definite ideas about how the fabrics should be combined, so there might be an issue here in the future, we will see.

Sunday's Spicy Spiral

I finished up the top of my "Spicy Spiral Table Runner" by School House Quilts between feeding Lake K and her napping.  I had cut out the strips earlier and last night sewed the strips together and cut out my wedges.

Texter and I loved the lime green and black combination when we saw it at the quilt show.  This color combo really speaks to me.  I want to do more with this neon green and black.

So, with Lady K up and entertaining herself, I used this Sunday morning to stitch the wedges together.

You cut out the wedges by layering two 'strata' of strips.  By inverting one on top of the other, when you cut, you get a light and dark wedge.  Once the two curves are together you stitch them together to form this lovely spiral.

Now I have to even up the outside edges so it makes a nice curve.  I also have to find a backing fabric for it, then layer and quilt.  I will probably use it on my dresser as a runner.

Couple things I really like about this pattern.  First, I have never sewn wedges.  This was a great starter project using wedges.  Since I want to do some really large circles made of wedges, I had a taste of what it is like to work with the wedge ruler.  Secondly, I now have my thinking cap on about how, other than appliqué I can use this pattern and set it into a quilt. 

Warning:  this pattern is addictive, so approach with care!

Baby Quilts

Right before Savvy was born 22 years ago, I made a simple baby quilt out of flannel and just tied it with yarn.  Savvy really didn't use it and Texter took it over when she was little.  She still has it...patches and all.  And Lady K has been wrapped in it since she arrived.  I did make her one blanket out of flannel where you expose the seams and let them fray, but these are in the style of her mother's blanket.

So I decided she needed some of her own.  Plus Joann's Fabrics was having a sale on flannel. 

Zombie Girl 

More traditional baby flannel

Texter and Lady K didn't let me finish tying the quilt.  Actually, Lady K might have to get older and fight her mother for the quilt as it covers both of them on the couch.

While the first quilt is sweet and more traditional, I love the zombie girls.  Pinky, girly, skulls, neon green.  It's fun.  I think Lady K will really love this one later on. 

The 'pattern' is actually very simple.  I buy a yard of the front and back fabric and trim the edges to square them up.  Then I buy a yard and a half for the borders and just cut strips about 6 inches wide.  I sew strips on the two narrower ends first and then up the longer sides.  With right sides together, I lay on the batting.  I use cotton batting which gives some body, but makes it cuddly.

Stitch around all 4 sides, leaving an opening on one side to turn the quilt.  Trim up the seams and batting and turn the quilt, poking out the corners.  I whip the opening closed by hand.  Then I tie the quilt with a coordinating yarn.  I like yarn rather than thread as it has more strength to it.  How you tie it depends on the pattern of the front.

This is a quilt that is quick and easy and I have made for friends who were having children or grandchildren.  With the flannel on sale, the fabric cost about $10.  Batting was about $5 as I had a large piece which I got at least 2 quilts out of and had a coupon for.  The yarn was some I had for another project and used since I don't need much.

But this makes the time and effort worthwhile.  Now if we can hide the Zombie Girls from her aunt.