WIP, RP, BB Can’t You See?

March 5, 2014November 25, 2014 Elizabeth E.14 Comments

That’s Works in Progress, Rainbow Petals, Bee Blocks, can’t you see? I just liked the rhythm of it all, especially after the previous post, with Emily Dickinson, a reclusive but prolific American poet, writing about her sewing. And yes, that video was of my granddaughter, taking her first stitches.

So the Work in Progress is my Rainbow Petals quilt. This is a rainy-day-late-at-night photo, and we all know how those turn out, but if this looks familiar, that’s because it is. (Check your iPhone.) I first thought of this last summer, when — in bed recuperating from foot surgery — I watched the Apple Keynote talk about their new iOS7, and this logo kept flashing on the screen. I took a screen shot of it and tucked it away. I went to the Long Beach Quilt Show (final year) and bought sixteen different half yards in the Kona colors I thought would match, holding up my screen shot to double check the colors. My friend Leisa and I arranged them at dinner that night, numbering the labels so I wouldn’t mix them up. I’ve since seen another quilter try her hand at this. I had thought to piece it, but now I think I’ll appliqué it by hand.

I’m still thinking over those dark middle petals. While they “read” as black, they are actually forest green.

I also finished a first set of churn dash blocks for my Mid-Century Modern Quilt Bee and sent them off. I kept thinking about them, unhappy with how they had turned out.

So I made another set. I am one of those quilters who have ironed seams so long to the side, that I’m not very happy with my results when I have to iron seams open. If the block is too small, and the seams are pressed to the side, I just take a bigger seam and press again. But if the seams are pressed open, then it’s unpick, resew, re-press. As I mentioned on our Mid-Century Bee blog, I’m just Open-Quilt-Seam-Challenged.

Cindy, also from the Mid-Century Modern Bee, wanted a spiderweb block, with a low-volume (muted) text center and solid strips for the web. A great idea!

For March in my Always Bee Learning Bee, Marci wanted two Modern Maples blocks.

And yep. I did it. I joined the Modern Quilt Guild as an Individual Member because my closest guild was MILES away, across the great wide scorching plains of Los Angeles Traffic — or Orange County Traffic — and I wasn’t able to attend their meetings. Maybe in summertime?

Linking up with Lee of Freshly Pieced.

Quilts

Don’t Put Up My Thread and Needle

March 4, 2014March 1, 2014 Elizabeth E.6 Comments

Don’t put up my Thread and Needle (617)
by Emily Dickinson

Don’t put up my Thread and Needle—
I’ll begin to Sew
When the Birds begin to whistle—
Better Stitches—so—

These were bent—my sight got crooked—
When my mind—is plain
I’ll do seams—a Queen’s endeavor
Would not blush to own—

Hems—too fine for Lady’s tracing
To the sightless Knot—
Tucks—of dainty interspersion—
Like a dotted Dot—

Leave my Needle in the furrow—
Where I put it down—
I can make the zigzag stitches
Straight—when I am strong—

Till then—dreaming I am sewing
Fetch the seam I missed—
Closer—so I—at my sleeping—
Still surmise I stitch—

Quilts

Making My Own Quilt Labels

March 2, 2014February 26, 2014 Elizabeth E.14 Comments

Something I did last month was rewarding: I joined a quilt guild again. I am a member of one for a while, then time or distance or a crazy life overtakes me and I forgot and I don’t go. . . but I’ve joined the Raincross Quilters Guild here in my hometown. When I attended in February, they were having a Round Robin of tricks and techniques and one of them was making your own labels. I’ll have to try hers sometimes (she had some really good tips), but here’s how I usually do my labels.

Open your word processing program and figure out what you want to say. Name of the quilt, your name and who quilted it, the date finished (but sometimes I also add when I began to make the quilt) are musts. I usually add the dimensions, too. And often I like to add a verse, or a few words about the quilt, especially if it is made for someone else. I print this off on my Epson printer, because Epson has the best inks. The preferred printer would have a straight paper path all the way through, but I was in a hurry last time and forgot to check for that, and now it feeds from the bottom tray making a U-turn into the delivery tray. I can make this one work, but if you are buying a new one, look for that.

I use light-colored fabric for my label–sometimes I use something with a small print. I cut a shape about 2″ larger than the “label” and iron that fabric to freezer paper. I tape it to the same paper I proofed the label on, using three pieces of blue painters’ tape. That way I know the placement of the fabric so it will come out right.

I go into the print settings, choosing what I think is thick paper and high quality printing. The printer will lay down more ink and will go more slowly, and you have a better chance that it won’t distort the fabric. I feed that prepared paper through the printer, then take off the tape, and the freezer paper. I use a clean sheet of paper and press the label in between folds of paper, setting the inks.

Trim, lining up the ruler with the printed words to keep it square. I like a bigger border on top (about 1 1/4″) than on the bottom (although sometimes I goof, like today). I trim 3/4″ out from the sides of the words.

I sew 1 1/4″ strips on all four sides, trimming them up.

Iron the raw edges 1/4″ under, then. . .

. . . pin to the lower left corner of your quilt. Why there? Because when people face your quilt, they always seem to go for the right corner to pick up and check for your label, and you don’t want to disappoint them. Sew it down securely around all the outside edges, and then I also stitch invisibly around the interior of the edge strips on the label, securing it twice. That’s it!

Quilts

March Cross-X Blocks

February 28, 2014October 15, 2014 Elizabeth E.8 Comments

It’s Cross-X Blocks time again! The last Friday of every month, Krista of KristaStitched and I post about our swaps that we’ve done. Above are the eight blocks I made for February, four for Krista and four for me. Our Flickr group is *here* if you want to see what everyone is doing.

Here’s mine, all alone after sending my blocks off to her.

My organizing fetish surges to the front at times like this, as I like to see our progress. Krista’s ahead of me, having sent me two March blocks. I have to get going to keep up with her!

And here they are, all together. I can’t believe the number of blocks is growing this fast.

I like playing with the blocks because I get to look more closely at what Krista’s been up to. Here are four of my recent favorites of hers (above and below).