A Modern Quilt Guild Fabric Challenge

Wow.

I can't believe how much time has passed since I last posted!  I've been so busy with work, school starting up again, and of course, sewing and quilting!  I've finished the Breezes pinwheel quilt and just got it back from the superb (and kind of famous) long-arm quilter, Tia Curtis!  This is my first quilt that I haven't quilted myself.  It's also the most complex and intricate quilt I've made, so I wanted to make sure the quilting was perfect, so I sent it to Tia!  I will post pictures of the quilt soon....I need to bind it yet.

I met Tia through the KC Modern Quilt Guild.  I've been a member of the guild for the past several months and I've really enjoyed it even though I haven't been able to participate in any of the retreats or sew ins offered.  That is soon to change, however!  My work schedule is changing and I will soon have Saturdays off which is when most of the sewing events are planned.  That all said, I was able to sign up for a fabric challenge sponsored by Riley Blake and the Modern Quilt Guild.   Each participant was given six fat eighths from their Basics category and told to create anything quilted!  I decided to make a poncho for my littlest daughter, Charlotte.  Drumroll please.....

I created the poncho using the slice and insert technique I learned in the Improvisational Piecing Craftsy course I took a few months ago.  I experimented with different quilting styles after it was pieced.  I think it turned out pretty cute and Charlotte is super excited to model the poncho next month at the guild meeting!

Besides binding my pinwheel quilt, I have a lot of projects in the works...mostly Christmas gifts and I've promised to actually make a tree skirt for our Christmas tree this year.  What are you all working on?  

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A Look Ahead

It seems summer may actually be over.  There is a definite chill in the air this morning and football season officially kicks off this afternoon!  That means making a pot of chili, curling up together on the couch and watching the Chiefs lose play.  I love summer, but, if I'm honest, this summer has been brutally hot and dry.  Sleeping with the windows open and getting to snuggle up under the bed covers is a real relief.  It's also a great relief on our air conditioner...and the a/c bill!

Don't get me wrong, this summer has been great.  My family and I have taken a few great trips and gotten to spend quality time together. We've biked, golfed, gone fishing and done a lot of swimming!

Summer being over also means "back to normal."  Back to school, homework, 8:30 bedtime, and routine.  Another definite need in my family.  Personally, I'm feeling more normal, too.  It has been nearly one year since my total knee replacement surgery.  Time flies, huh?  They said it would take a year (or so) to feel like the surgery was worth it.  They were right.  My knee is feeling great!  I've got a lot of the flexibility back and the joint is feeling less mechanical and more like a normal knee!

I'm looking forward to cooler weather now and getting back in my sewing room.  I've completed a few projects in between summer activities, including sewing two dresses for my oldest daughter and a skirt for my youngest.  The lessons I learned from this dressmaking will be the subject of my next post!  Here is a sneak peak at a few of my latest projects.

      

I am super excited about my quilting projects I am planning.  I have the fabrics for two of them and am in the planning stages for what I want to do with them.   I can't wait to show you!

Have a fabulous fallish Sunday!  I've got to start on the chili!   Tootles for now!

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A Little Summer Sewing

I've finished another skirt using Butterick 4722.  My daughter picked out this cute fabric at Joann's several weeks ago.  It's cute, but it's directional!  I didn't realize this until I was about to cut out the pattern pieces. Luckily, I noticed the direction and made adjustments to the pattern pieces.  It wasn't difficult, but I had re-think how to lay out the pieces.  

This is the second  skirt I've made using this pattern.  Several weeks ago I made one using a blue Hawaiian-like batik.  It's a dead easy pattern!  It's perfect for a simple summer skirt for your little Princess!

Maybe I should say, "Diva!"  I've got a few more summer sewing projects in the works for this little Diva, including a halter top!  For now, though, I'm off to work on my mini charms project.  I'm hoping to finish it up this afternoon!  

Have a great weekend!

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Experimenting: Homemade Bubble Jet Set Recipe

Newsflash:  I'm not a scientist!  I flunked chemistry and never even considered taking physics at school.  However, I'm cheap.  I mean, I don't like to spend a lot of money if I can avoid it.  Considering Bubble Jet Set costs anywhere from $15 to $22 a bottle, I decided to try to make my own.   I do not want the disaster that occurred after I washed my Bunny Quilt to happen again!

I searched the internet for a homemade Bubble Jet Set recipe.  Here is the most simple version I could find:

2 tablespoons of Alum (the stuff used when canning pickles)

2 1/2 teaspoons washing soda (not baking soda) (I found this in the grocery store)

1/2 teaspoon liquid fabric softner

1 cup of hot water

Mix the first 3 ingredients and then add the hot water.  Stir.  It will be foamy.

When the foam eases, soak your fabric for 15 minutes.  Wring out and dry completely.  I poured the leftover mix into a baby food jar to save for future use.

When my fabric was dry (I cheated and put it in the dryer), I ironed freezer paper to it and ran it through my printer.  I used the same bunny image I used for my quilt.

Image pre-wash

Image post-wash

Yay!  It worked!  Before I use a printed image on a quilt or table topper again, however, I think I will do more testing, ahem, experimenting.  It faded a bit, but nothing like before!  For the most part:  SUCCESS!

One more thing:  School's out!  That means sewing summer clothes for my littlest daughter!  Yep, every summer, I try to make a few dresses and skirts for her.  Here is Charlotte's first skirt for Summer 2012:

Butterick 4722 View E

  

I used a Hawaiian looking blue batik.  

I know, last year I said I would NOT sew ruffles again, but I couldn't resist.  I thought this skirt was just too cute!

Tootles!

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Quilt Thrills On Blueberry Hill

Blueberries and watermelon.  Am I thinking Spring?  Well, yes.  It's 80 degrees in the big city today.  It seems the grass has turned green overnight and the trees are beginning to flower!  Kids are out riding their bikes.  And I am sitting here writing this wearing shorts!  Gentlemen:  Start your BBQ grills!  

I'm also thinking about the quilt I began sewing this week.  Originally I planned to do a log cabin quilt, but I changed my mind when I came across this pattern called, Blueberry Hill.  It's by Villa Rosa Designs.   

  

I decided this pattern would work well with the yummy Bali Pops I  found at the same shop.  This packet of 2 1/2" strips is called, Watermelon.

The purple fabric under the Pops is what I'm going to use for the border.  The quilt should (fingers crossed) end up to be 56" x 72."  I began the other night by pressing the strips and then cutting them into 3) 8 1/2" x 2 1/2" and 2) 6 1/2" x 2 1/2" strips.

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Now the hard part.  Selecting the strips for each block.  Honestly, I thought this would be much easier as these strips came from a coordinating set right?  This was frustrating, but, in the end, I just decided to be completely random and not put too much thought into it.  Each block is made by sewing three longer strips together lengthwise and then adding a shorter strip on each end.  There are 40 blocks in the finished quilt.  I've made 21 so far.  To get a sense of what the colors look like together, I've laid my blocks out according to the pattern.

Not exactly how I thought they'd look, but after the blocks are all there and the border is added, I think it'll look pretty cool!

I've learned a few things from this project.  First, I love batiks!  How cool is it that you can use either side?  Very cool!  Second, chain sewing is awesome!  Also, using that little piece of fabric at the start of the chain makes sewing so much smoother!

My family and I are going away for Spring Break!  We'll be heading for the beautiful (and warm-I hope) Gulf Coast this coming weekend!  I hope to finish sewing my blocks before the trip, but if not, they will be here when I get back!

Tootles!  

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An Art Quilt

It's official.  I've got the quilting bug.  Since finishing my Baby Bird and Bunting quilt, I've been searching out and reading up on directions, designs, and patterns for my next project.  I've checked out library books and even watched a few quilting shows on television.  Honestly, I've wanted to make a quilt forever, but have been too scared of messing up to even try.  Since finishing the baby quilt, however, I've gotten a bit of a confidence boost and am now ready to go "all in" on quilting.  As a matter of fact, I've made my first art quilt.  It's a small wall hanging that was inspired by this mini quilt I saw on the back of one of my Sew Somerset magazines.

Isn't that adorable!  I've probably seen that picture a hundred times, but never thought about attempting it until now.  I started by sketching the girl and table.

Next, I had to decide on colors and fabrics.  Again, for me, the hardest part of the process!  I traced my sketches onto freezer paper and ironed each piece to fabrics.  I pieced the red and white fabrics together and then ironed fusible batting to the backside.  I then used a decorative stitch on my machine to "draw" soft gray lines vertically on the white fabric.  I stitched straight black horizontal lines on the red fabric.  I positioned the freezer paper pieces on top and determined placement and then stitched the black lines for the bunting.

The bunting triangles actually took forever to sew around.  Before sewing, I adhered them to the fabric using fusible web.  Big help!  After completing the bunting, I sewed around the girl, table and cake.  

I eventually sewed more lines to add depth and texture to the dress.  I stamped "Live for Today" on a piece of fabric and sewed it to the bottom of the quilt.  I spray basted a back piece of fabric to the top and quilted it using invisible thread.  I bound it using the fold over technique.  And the result....

See the little button on her waist?  It is vintage and was a gift from a super special friend of mine.  Love it!

Have a great weekend!

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My First Quilt: DONE!

It's done!  I worked all week on it and finished up my first quilt Saturday night.  I ran into a few hiccups along the way, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out.  My hiccups?  First, I tried basting the quilt sandwich using Heat N Bond "tape" as described by Nancy Zieman in Sewing A to Z .  This did not work.  I guess my sandwich was too thick to heat all the way through.  I went out and bought basting spray.  It rocks!  Problem solved!  The second problem...the yellow flag, above the bird, frayed and came away from the satin stitched edge when I washed the quilt. I tried "patching" the spot, but, to me, the flaw is obvious.  I'm still glad I started my quilting journey with applique.  Next time, however, I will cut my pieces a little larger and make sure to watch all fabric prior to cutting and sewing!  

Even with the flaws, I'm still happy with it...and pretty proud of myself for quilting it myself!  All those (straight) lines!  I didn't use my new walking foot for the quilting, but I did use the transparent thread I bought.  Wow.  It is like fishing line!

Quilt back (closeup)

I folded the back fabric over to the front and used it for the binding.  I found this method pretty easy and will use it again for my next quilt!  

Fold over binding

So, what do you think?  Thanks again to Polly at Helping Little Hands for the great Bird and Bunting Quilt Tutorial.  Any good ideas for what I should do for my next quilt?  I'm on the hunt for another great pattern!

Have a great week!
Tootles! 

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