Category: Quilts

Quilts

Scrappy Star, part I

Elizabeth E.4 Comments

I’ve been diving into scraps this week, as I had a couple of days all to myself.  Inspired by a quilt I saw in the Scrap Attack Flickr group, a scrappy star by Svetlana of s.o.t.a.k homemade, I decided to try it myself.  It looked similar to lots of spiderweb blocks found in many traditional blocks, some published ages and ages ago, I thought I might be able to draw on my years of quilting and put it together myself.

First, download my scrappy stars paper piecing template by clicking on the link (NOT the picture).  It should measure 10 inches from tip to tip when you print it out.

A tip I learned from Becky Goldsmith is to print out your paper piecing templates on vellum paper.  I bought a package some time ago from my local paper store, so I went to the copy center and printed ONE copy of the diamond.  Then I pulled the original off the platen glass and checked it for size.  Yep.  Same size.  I wanted to make about eight stars (and there are six diamonds in each star), so I printed off 60 copies — about ten more diamonds than I needed, just in case.

Okay, so PANIC!  When starting a new process or project, I can feel overwhelmed by it all.  But then I said to myself, just choose six fabrics that go somewhat together, in fact the less they go together the better it will be.  That’s all, then you can take it from there.  I chose fabrics, laid them out, liked them.  I cut 3″ squares for the two tips, then I cut the rests of the strips 2 1/2 inches wide by 6 1/2″ long.  Yes, I know that’s way wide, but I liked some squoosh room when working with them.

Line up two at first, peeking through the parchment template to line them up straight.  Stitch on the line.  If you are not familiar with the technique, there are several YouTube videos (just google “paper piecing”).  I don’t trim up the sides yet.

As you progress, you’ll need to trim off the excess in between your seaming.  Lay it out flat on your cutting surface, and crease back the template on the stitching line, making a nice crisp crease.  This also helps when you rip that paper off, later.

Line up the ruler, slice off the extra.  Iron the fabric down into place, then keep going until you fill up your diamond.

From the paper side, use the marking to stitch around the outside edge.  Since you are using scraps, some may be off-grain and this stay-stitching helps stabilize that outside edge.

Trim.  It looks sooo pretty now, but now comes the real fun!

Lay them all out.  * Smile.*  Since you are working in such a large scale (20 inches from tip to tip), that star really makes an impact.

Or do I like it this way?  Flipping them around creates a totally different look.

I have this clever device: a hinged mirror.  I place ONE diamond, set the edges of the mirror on it, and voila! My block, in reflection.

This is what it looks like from the top, sitting on top of one diamond.

Check back Tuesday for how I put the pieces together.  AND. . .Don’t forget to come back on Wednesday for our thread giveaway.  We have ten different bloggers participating in the Leap Day Superior Thread Giveaway.

Quilts

Scraps Into LOVE

Elizabeth E.5 Comments

This challenge of Rachel’s is looming in my mind, now that I’m past the red/white quilt, and feeling like life has resumed its rhythm.  She has a terrific Flickr group, and I spent some time there this morning, looking at various ideas.

I used to be a real scrap saver until one day I looked at what I had and realized it was mostly junk.  Making a quilt can be a bit like falling in love, with that rush of excitement, the novelty, the promise.  You work your way through the fabrics and patterns and ideas and a quilt evolves into something that becomes comfortable and comforting.  I don’t need the scraps because I have the real thing.  But every once in a while, I do get on a saving jag, but I have decided to confine my scraps to this large bin drawer in the bottom of my studio closet.

I printed out the paper piecing chart from Sew, Mama, Sew for this mini-quilt by Kelly of KelbySews, setting the printing to 50% as I wanted it tiny.  Quick.  Something to do this afternoon while I listened to my novel on the computer.  Something to keep my hands busy and into the scraps.  I don’t know why the corners are skewing like they are–I’ll have to figure out what’s going on before I stitch down the binding.

One way I’ve heard to hang a mini is to make folded triangles in the upper corners of the back.  So I did.

I found many other ideas while browsing.

This one, titled Veggie Star Quilt, by Dana who write the WaterPenny blog, is really wonderful with its wonky star blocks and twisty layout.

This is from the balu51 and her own Flikr pool, and I wish I know who that was, but she has a cute fluffy white dog and lives in a place with LOTS of snow.  She attributes her inspiration to Amy of Badskirt.  (Who wouldn’t find inspiration on that blog?)

And who wouldn’t want to make this variation?  I found this on Rachel’s Stitched in Color blog, but you can also find it on Ayumi’s blog.

I tried to balance the day with some looking, some sewing.  I sleep better at night knowing there’s something begun in a day, whether or not it is completed.  I’ve put all these links and pictures in here, not so much for you, but for me–to remember my wandering journey (a hallmark of the internet is this wandering quality).  Rachel has laid out her plans, with a culminating Festival of Scraps the last week of March.

And an reminder: the Leap Day Superior Thread Giveaway is in less than a week!  I’ll have two giveaways, and one of them has a wee packet of fabric to go with it–something to help you with your scrappy quilts?  See you on Leap Day!

Quilts

EPP–Rose Window Block

Elizabeth E.7 Comments

It’s all Krista’s fault.  I’ve been seeing her English Paper Piecing for weeks now, and have really admired them.  But hey folks, is there anyone else out there with too many unfinished projects?  And should I even think about starting another one?

Here’s something else to blame: Downton Abbey.  I justified trying this block because I missed having something in my hands to work on while I watched.  And tonight is another episode, and so I jumped.  Besides I am doing ENGLISH paper piecing, and these ladies’ lovely accents will cheer me on while I get all Britishy and such.  Don’t you love their clothes?

First I followed Krista’s advice and went to Clare’s site, SelfSewn,  to read her tutorial.

Then I went to a site *incompetech* that will print out whatever size hexagon you want.  They tell you that whatever number you put in the size box, your hexagon will be twice that.  I wanted a jumbo, so I put in 2.5, again remembering Krista’s experience that she was wanted a big rose block. I subdivided it, according to Clare’s instructions, then cut the pieces apart with my template ruler.

And then, this wonderfully quiet Sunday afternoon, I pulled out a fat quarter pack from at least two seasons ago, figuring if I fussy-cut it to death, what would it matter?  I was at least getting it out of the cupboard and using it, and besides, I loved this collection from Dena.  Forgive the mediocre lighting and faulty Photoshop skills.

All lined up.  I cut them out, kind of free-handing it, and then realized that the pieces have to go on the BACKSIDE of the fabric.

Better.  I got over the terror of making my fabric into swiss cheese when I was working on my Lollypop Tree.  Which, by the way, I think about a lot and promise to get back to, but I have to completely destroy the studio, and when I’m in school, it’s too hard to clean it all up and get back to grading.  It will keep until summer.

My Rose Window block all laid out.  Now if I can just get this done in my lifetime.  Krista assures me that I can.  Now I’m all set for Downton Abbey!

And here’s my inspiration.  Thanks, Krista!

Books · Quilts

At the End of a Day

Elizabeth E.3 Comments

Sometimes at the end of a day, I like nothing to crawl in bed with a quilt book, and relax and think about different aspects of quilting.  One that I’m working through now is  Masters Art Quilts, Volume 2.  Here are some snapshots of what I have been interested by, followed by something grabbed from the web.  (And yes, that is still my red mess of a cutting table–sorry, I’ve been grading!)

I’m in love with quilts by Gayle Fraas and Duncan Slade, with their combination of photo-realism with quilt symbols such as lines and the grid.  Here’s a picture I found on Google Images:

Another artist which I’d never heard of before, but who I find to be very interesting, is Jan Myers Newbury.  She dyes her own fabrics and uses the tonality of these to build her compositions, of which many elements are seen in some of the Modern Quilt Guild artists working today, with their dependence on blocks of color.

This one is titled Ode to Albers, and it led me to a search for that artist’s name.  Josef Albers liked to place colors against each other to watch how they behaved.  Again–do you recognize this motif of a block within a block? To me a good book makes you want to head to another book, to find out more.  To search.

Beatrice Lanter uses small pieces of colors, working both in harmonies and dissonances to shape her quilts.

Vergngt is the name of this piece, and it’s approximately 43 inches square.  That’s another thing that struck me about many of the quilts I read about in this book was their smaller size.  This isn’t even a lap quilt in size, yet you could get lost in the design.

So when my husband and I are out today on an errand for my grandson (long story) I see this billboard sign, all fractured and shredded by months of painted produce advertisements, ripped off around their staples.  Before I would have just slid past it and into the store, but now I stopped and studied, as it reminds me that inspiration can be anywhere.  Isn’t this a version of a modern mola quilt?  With the top layers cut to reveal the lower layers?  And here’s another shot of what we did today (but don’t tell the grandson–it’s a surprise).

Yes, these are giant dinosaurs.  And yes, PeeWee Herman visited these in his movie.  They’re about 35 minutes from my house.  How random is this, in a quilt blog?

So, I’ve already placed the first of the Masters quilt book in my Amazon cart, and will order that one in as well.  Sometimes my big wish is to really break away from what I’ve done all my life, from the traditional blocks and triangles and just cut, stitch, deconstruct, and find a new way to a quilt.  But do I have the energy?  The vision?  The courage?  I sometimes wonder if I stay on the same track not only because I love it (and I do), but also because I am used to it.

And changing to a new track takes more ardor and zeal that I think I currently have.  But what then, this quote from Leonardi Da Vinci:  “Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.”  And my father’s favorite quote, which became the title of his memoirs, written a few years ago (he’s 86 now):  The place that seems most dangerous is exactly where safety lies.