Category: Quilts

Creating · Quilts

Lollypop Trees Block Two

Elizabeth E.2 Comments

Before.

After!

Thoughts so far:

My block number one is Kim McClean’s block number two , as numbered in her pattern. My block number two is her number three.

It took me about a day to pull all the fabrics together.  Some have said–on the Glorious Applique blog (which features Lollypop Trees)–that taking the first dive into cutting up the fabric is difficult.  I recently have come to the place where I’ve realized that saving “for the best” must come to an end.  What am I saving all these Fassett fabrics for if not to cut up like Swiss cheese and use?

It took me the better part of a day to stitch down the pieces.

I think those little yellow flowers on the green shoots look like cactus flowers.  Well, maybe it’s the green shoots that evoke this.

I’m tired of applique.  Today a friend comes and we do patchwork!

The book I listened to is The Weird Sisters.

I recommend it highly.

Creating · Quilts

Lollypop Tree–Block One

Elizabeth E.1 Comment

One down!  Who Knows How Many to go!

How I did the machine applique:


You saw the earlier post on preparing the pieces: freezer paper lightly glued to the back of the fabric with a regular glue stick, the edges pressed over onto the waxy side, tamping them into place.  I got out a stiletto to assist me wherever the going got tough: where there was a tuck, or a sharp corner that normally, with the edge of hand needle-turn applique, would be smoothed out.  I lined up my piece with the center notch of my presser foot, and with a narrow zig-zag (1.0) and smallish stitch length (1.5 on a Husqvarna), went sort of slowly.

Remember that I’m a beginner.

Then I cut out the back of the pieces with the freezer paper (mostly the large and interestingly shaped pieces), leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance. The glossy surface you see is the waxy side of the freezer paper.  Kind of pull–a bit–the edge of the applique to “break” the seal of the bond between the fabric and freezer paper, then place your scissors (closed) or your finger under the freezer paper and snap it out.

I took the paper out, finished cutting, then pressed it all, face-down on the ironing board.

I’m still stewing about whether or not I want to do hand-applique.  We’re in the middle of watching Foyle’s War, a BBC-TV production, and there’s something so relaxing about hand work and television.  But I also know that while I really like this pattern, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life making it, and I’m not that fast of an appliquer.

Fret. Fret. Fret.  I hope I’m not the only one in  Quilt Land who stews about these kinds of decisions–should I do it this way, or that? Use this technique or that?

Quilts · Sewing

Quilt Night–June version

Elizabeth E.Leave a comment

So why did we have June’s Quilt Night in May?  Next Friday is the last day of school for most of the teachers in our group, so we thought by jumping it ahead we might be able to avoid Zombie Quilt Night.

Yes, this could have been us last night.  I had my grandsons for the weekend–which was fun, but tiring–and the others were teachers and tired professionals who came just by themselves, or with a hand project.  When someone asked Tauni what I was working on–I had brought down the sewing machine and had the Lollypop Tree block there, but at that moment was sitting over in the comfy red leather chairs visiting with Jean–Tauni glanced at me and said “Small talk.”  I laughed.  Yep–that’s about all I was good for.  But in my defense, Jean was headed to DC and since I had lived there for a year, I was giving her tips for her visit.

Others had been productive; here’s some of their achievements:

This is Connie’s quilt for a friend–all done with machine applique (a lovely line of zig-zag stitching around everything).  Connie said she chose a quick pattern this time for a quilt, and Lisa and I burst out laughing.  You ought to see Connie’s complicated quilts!

We recommended using some dye absorber if the recipient ever decided to wash it.

Laurel had been very productive with making these large (20″?) stars of multiple dotty fabrics.

Here they all are together (line-up was done digitally on my computer).

Tauni had finished this quilt top, and then when Jean arrived. . .

. . . got her second quilt back.  This was a friendship group challenge–to make a chubby log cabin block with modern and/or Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  My blocks are still in the bag!

Lisa’s first project of the night was to fix her daughter’s “promotion dress.”  Slight dressmaking adjustments. Then she put the borders on this wonderful quilt, made from a Bonnie McCaffrey block.

Lisa was the first to go, as she had “a date with the pavement in the morning” (she’s a marathoner).  The rest of us lovely zombie quilters slowly packed up and the night was over.  Who knows what July’s quilt night will bring?  It’s scheduled for the  4th of July weekend!

Happy Quilting!

Quilts

Gone Fishin’

Elizabeth E.4 Comments

Not really, but I just returned from a family reunion in Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  This was just after the rainstorm, and the Watchman Mountain was reflected in a puddle.  It is glorious waking up to, and going to sleep to this sight, as our campground is just below its colorful beauty.

Not only was the place beautiful and with wonderful people, which were made all the better when I discovered that an in-law (the wife of one of the young cousins) loves to quilt!  I dragged out the quilt I had on my sleeping bag to show her.  “Brights,” she said.  She likes the Reproduction fabrics, a more subdued palatte than the one below.  I keep this quilt in the car as it’s smaller.  It was really cold that first night (43 degrees) so I was glad I had brought it along.

This was a mystery quilt done by my guild, and I had a stash of fabrics from Me and My Sister Designs, which all worked together just fine. I have never named this one, but generally refer to it as “the bright mystery quilt.”

True confession: I generally HATE mystery quilts.  I’ve done several and I feel totally constrained by not knowing how the fabrics will work together, or where the darks/lights/colors will end up.  Some of the rows in the above quilt worked okay, and some didn’t.  Maybe that’s why I keep this in my car!