Circles Block #15–EPP Sew-A-Long

September 1, 2015July 3, 2020 Elizabeth E.12 Comments

Compass Rose
Number 15 of the circles blocks in Shine: The Circles Quilt

About this time, I was running out of ideas for another two circle blocks, so of course I turned to the internet, but didn’t type in “quilt circle blocks.”

Collections Bibliotheque Municipale de Rouen. Photo : Th. Ascencio-Parvy

Instead I typed in “compass rose” as every map from the ancient days had an elaborate compass design in the corner, orientation the sea-faring ships to North, keeping them on track. I found several I liked from those old maps, and modified them to be suitable for my quilt, and drew them up in Electric Quilt 7:

The difference between the two is the subdivision of the spikes around the inner circle into two rays. I liked that, but I also knew a short cut so I wouldn’t lose my mind piecing them. If you like the solid rays in the inner circle, just don’t cut the patterns for that ray apart (but don’t cut them apart anyway. . . keep reading).

I have the final four patterns as a group up for sale on Payhip. I will post the tutorials each month until the set is complete. The finishing instructions pattern for Shine: The Circles Quilt is also listed on Payhip.

(Note from the 2020 Elizabeth: A new, revised pattern is coming soon, so I’ve removed the old ones from previous posts. Many thanks.)

Print four of these out at 100% scale. Cut them out, but count as you do this, because on one of these last patterns, I may have missed a beat or two and added an extra ray. BUT FIRST! To cut down on your EPP efforts, you can leave the rays and the diamond pieces together, cutting them out as a unit. I’ll show you what I mean, so please read this entire post before you snip snip snip.

Pull your fabrics, using a good range of colors and value (light to dark).

Okay, here’s what I mean about some time-saving. I didn’t cut the diamond apart. You can seam two strips together, then lay out your diamonds to cut. Here I am measuring for the diamond strip width (above, which will be 2″), and below for the rays (which will be 1 1/4″ inches wide). I use a lighter version and a medium version of the fabric color I chose so the difference will stand out. Above you can see the two colors, layered.

Seam the long strips together, then lay out your pieces, making sure that the center line of the ray is exactly on your seam, as shown. Trim away the excess like I did in the upper ray example.

Ditto for the diamonds. However, the layout of the pattern has you cutting some apart. No worries. Just tuck them up under the seam allowances (as shown in lower right diamond above) and proceed cutting around them and gluing them as normal. I made a command decision to make my seam allowances a wee bit smaller on these two pieces, as I didn’t need a full 1/4″ inch. The seam allowances are at about 3/16″ of an inch, just a bit narrower than usual.

After gluing them, I put them in a baggie with a printout of the drawing of the block, so I can keep things straight.

Since the outer golden diamonds are already sewn together (or if you constructed them more traditionally, stitch them together first, then come to this step), you can start sewing these golden diamonds to the outer orange point triangles, making sure that the curved edge of that triangle is pointed towards the eventual circle.

Sew all your groups; I did a grouping of three.

While I don’t have a photo for it (where was my mind?), stitch the rays to the inner circle points (the green points in my block interspersed with the blue double-rays). Do those in groups as well. Now to get them sewn together.

Find the lower center of the outer point, and pinch it, leaving a mark.

Match it up with the outer edge of a green inner circle point, and take a stitch, as shown.

Find the center of the next outer point, and put in a crease, as shown. Line up the ray with this crease. I sometimes like to put a single pin to keep me on track.

Stitch carefully, neither adding — nor subtracting — any ease, moving one stitch at a time around the arc.

Keep pinching in the centers, and matching up the rays until you’ve got this set together. Yours may look different than mine, in terms of how many rays you sewed together, or outer diamonds and points you sewed together. But the principle is the same for matching.

Stitch the next set of inner rays and points to the existing set.

Join the next outer set of diamonds and outer points to the existing, as shown.

Using the “pinch the center method,” join those two arcs together.

Here we go again. This time I sewed on the outer diamonds/points unit to the existing.

Then I stitched the inner points/rays together on one side only. Although it may look like it, the circle is not stitched together!! Leave it as a giant arc on both sets.

Continue the process of pinching to find the center, and matching it up with the rays. It will serpentine in your hands as you work. Perfectly normal and easier to do than if you had joined them both into circles. (Don’t do that!)

That outer arc seam is almost done. I left the last orangey-red bit unsewn. Now I’ll stitch the blue ray to the green inner point. Then stitch the orangey outer point to that inner circle. And last, I’ll close the outer yellow-diamond-orangey-point circle.

Don’t you feel like you’ve crossed the oceans, charting by a compass and the stars only? But look how beautifully it came together–no puckers anywhere. Just move slow and steady.

You knew I’d work that constellation fabric in here somewhere, didn’t you. Yes, it’s my outer arcs, and I now stitch them into place. Take a stitch at that outer edge, just over the yellow points, to hook the two blue arcs together. Just a single stitch, to keep them together around the circle.

I love seeing all the papers lined up in a row.

Remove all but the outermost blue arc papers, flip it over and give your circle a press.

In thinking about what size center circle you’ll want, lay your Karen Kay Buckley Circle templates out on the block. You’ll want a circle that covers the open area, but doesn’t hide the points, like the one above. The one below is too big: it covers too much of the rays’ inner points and makes it look like something is missing.

This was the dimension of circle I used. Trace your circle on your chosen fabric, then cut 3/8″ around it for the seam allowance. Stitch a running stitch around the outer edge, then slip the plastic template inside and draw up the thread to enclose the circle. Give it a shot of spray starch, press it, then let it cool and slip out the circle. I show how do do this on *this post.*

Cut a square 14 1/2″ and find the centers, as you’ve done for the other blocks. At this point, at block number 15, you are used to doing some of the steps, so if you are joining me just for this block, I’d suggest browsing back through other Circles blocks (see tab Shine: The Circles Quilt EPP above) to learn the tips and pointers. Appliqué the circle to the block.

I always pin around, then when I get to a join area, I first fold in one side, then the other, before continuing on (see below).

That’s it for this block! The tutorial for the last circle block, Block #16, will post October 1st, then our series is complete. While you work on your blocks, I hope to work on the quilting of this quilt and have it ready to show at the beginning of October. Have fun stitching!

Quilts

Popsicles in My Way

August 30, 2015August 30, 2015 Elizabeth E.16 Comments

This morning, I drove the car down to our local park, walked one mile with my husband by my side, and drove home. Not a big deal for most people, but it was the first time I’d driven a round trip and walked that far in one swoop since the surgery nearly five weeks ago. Maybe all the post-surgery obstacles are now, after five weeks, becoming more like popsicles: little humps of fun to celebrate with song and a leap into the old swimming hole.

So even though this feels like a lost summer, this past week I had another first: I operated my sewing machine, sewing up the Bee blocks for Mary’s turn at bat. And the world didn’t end. Tutorial is *here* or you can find it on the tab above under Tutorials, where I keep links to all of the tutorials on this blog.

We’ve watched nearly all three seasons of Granite Flats (only 2 more episodes to go) and I’m continually amazed at how much freedom children in the sixties were given to roam around on their bikes and get into scrapes and generally explore. While it can be at times cheesy, it’s a fun show that has allowed me to sit and stitch, fully entertained.

Earlier I was able, over the course of several days, to put this together on my pin wall, then went to bed for nearly two days to recover, paying for my creative burst of energy. During recovery I was confining my sewing to handwork, and was hoping to get this stitched up for the Kaffe Mini Swap I’m in, but I saw the writing on the wall, and switched to a different project that involved the sewing machine.

I was able to put this one on the wall (only took two days this time), and will now tweak it and stitch it together and quilt it–all tasks that will probably take me oodles longer than usual. (Working title: Kaffe’s Rainbow Block.) But that is the good news! That I am actually quilting, working with the cloth, however slowly, and participating once again.

And to further prove that I’m into Popsicle Territory, I have started reading a book, a task unthinkable two weeks ago with my fuzzed-out brain cells. David Orr’s book is a fascinating look at Robert Frost’s well-known poem, and while I find myself arguing with Orr’s analysis every once in a while, he wins me over as he progresses, teaching me about Frost, perception, decision making and the “deciders.”

Little steps, but definitely progress.

Quilts

Summer’s Hot and the Recuperating is Easy

August 15, 2015 Elizabeth E.16 Comments

Let’s start with the first item: summer’s hot, and yessiree it is. Tomorrow is supposed to be 108. This is a good time to stay inside and keep getting better, which leads us to the second item: recovery.

Here are some of my recovery activities, omitting the one I do most: lay on the bed. I finished up my Rosette #3 in periwinkles, blue and purples (below) and started putting Rosette #4 together. The photo in the upper left took about a week to do, in twenty minute intervals off the pillow. I continued sewing up little felt creations from kits I’d picked up at quilt shows (why do I buy these?) and thought I’d finished them all. However, I found another batch in the closet yesterday. My husband took me for a Big Day Out to Cinnabon, and I could only eat half of a mini, a side-effect of surgery. Nightly I would I arrange my applesauce and spoon for the 3 a.m. pain meds routine, which I am happy to say, as of today, has been phased out. However, I am still in my nightgown, so be sure to call first before showing up on my doorstep.

I have spent an inordinate amount of time stitching while watching movies, because I am always tired and because apparently I had a serious case of Bonzo-Brain (from the effects of the anesthesia and pain killers). I found this out because my son told me I was “a lot more coherent than last time we talked.” And my husband says “you’re more alert now.” And my mother says “you are sounding so much better today.” Good to know that I have people who love me and will humor me when I am functioning at toddler level.

Here’s the center of Rosette #4, all sewn up. It may take me another week to get the next round, at the rate I’m going.

Because I now also apparently function at teenager level with my phone in my hand while I lie in bed (tablets are too big and a laptop is way out of the question), I discovered the Chuck Nohara Instagram group and fell in love with these amazing little six-inch appliqué blocks.

Which led to the QuiltMania website and the purchase of this book, which may or may not have had the most expensive postage I’ve ever encountered in my life. Even accounting for the lack of critical thinking during the Bonzo-Brain state, I was pretty freaked out.

Which has led to my obsessive compulsion with tracking the dumb thing. That book is going way more interesting places than the Cinnabon shop at the mall. (Attention FED EX: For the record, I live in California. Why is it stopping in Memphis?)

But there are two things that have gotten me through these past few weeks. The first and foremost has been my amazing husband, always asking me if he can do something for me, putting lotion on my toes and pulling up the covers for me in the middle of the night (because I can’t reach either of them). He has cooked for me, done the wash, brought in the mail, fixed me fresh orange juice every morning and taken me to the doctor appointments. He listens to me when I cry, reminding me that I will be in recovery for 6-8 weeks and it’s only nearing the end of week three and would I like to get out and take a drive? And we do and I stop crying and take a deep breath at how beautiful the world is, even if the temperatures are soaring.

Then I go and lay on the bed, my phone in my hand and read about you all on blogs and IG, distracting me in a lovely way from this work I am doing at getting better. This is the other thing that has gotten me through: my family, friends, and the sweet messages of hope and encouragement and inspiration from you, just like we were all girlfriends hanging out together in our jammies, drinking root beer and playing records and the ukulele. I am always amazed at how much we have come to know each other through correspondence and sharing activities, as well as quilting together.

Thank you all, so very much. You kind attentions have made my tough summer a bit more easy.

Quilts

Disruption in the Quilting Force

August 4, 2015March 31, 2024 Elizabeth E.35 Comments

All the nice nurses lined up to greet me

Last week I walked into our local hospital and two days later, was wheeled out in one of my new nightgowns, a vase of flowers on my lap while the two volunteer interns pushing my wheelchair commented to each other about the weather, the construction at the hospital, and about another volunteer that was not a favorite. It was the first time I’d been outside since the surgery to rearrange my clockworks and I was thinking about the sunlight, the slight breeze and whether or not my husband would back into the construction truck which had parked so strangely in his path. It was surreal. When I walked in, the possibility of the Big C was dangling over my head and I’m happy to say that the initial reports are that this diagnosis was carried away in the sunny breezes of that hot morning.

Aside from a brief mention of the process in this post, I’ve kept this pretty quiet as I lurched all summer from doctor’s appointment to scan to oncologist to OB-GYN’s office, not trusting the emotion, not knowing where the path would lead.

I had intended to keep it quiet still, as we here in QuiltLand tend to prefer our blog posts to be bursting with sunshine, little blue birds, some snippets of song, and fabric fabric fabric. However, when I realized that the recovery was going to be loooong, I might need to explain my absence.

I’ve recovered enough to now sit at the computer for whole stretches of minutes, but do most of my reading in bed with my tablet. I thought I’d share one or two interesting bits from QuiltLand that I thought you might enjoy. Stephanie Ruyle’s latest blog post, where she shows her magnificent quilt, Ember, is a great description of using up scraps, making them into art (no photos of this one–go over to see it).

We also had our recent Four-in-Art Reveal and while I loved all of the offerings this time, Catherine’s choice of poem, Mrs. Midas, and her resultant art quilt are a magnificent pairing. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling a bit imprisoned by convalescence that I related to what Mrs. Midas was saying. I also liked the speech on quilting, given by a sitting criminal court judge in Canada. He writes amusingly about his wife’s passion of quilting; although long, it’s worth a read.

My minutes are up, so it’s time to go. On the positive side, my husband says I’m more alert now than when I walked in last week, woozy from anesthesia and painkillers. I am hoping for incremental progress every day, knowing that the average recovery for this type of surgery is 6-8 weeks. On the negative side, I’ll cry (more) if I can’t get back to the quilting, but never fear! I’ve been able to pick up the hand sewing, so at least the hexies are coming together bit by bit. I hope that whatever summer fun you are doing, you’ll let me know–I can live vicariously though you all at this time. I may not have the stamina to write back immediately, but I will certainly read everything, and appreciate whatever you share.