Busy, Busy, Busy....Quilting

Right now I'm very happy that my studio is in the daylight basement. It's so much cooler than the main floor of my house!

Sometimes I'm in a mode to work on one project from start to finish, and other times I love working in more of an assembly line mode, where I rotate around to the different jobs, while working on more than one project. When I can, I like to begin by doing all the rotary cutting, then preparing appliques (if the quilt has them, and I know which fabrics I will be using). The next step is piecing, building blocks or some kind of center panel (some of my quilts have a plain fabric panel for the center, so this step can be skipped), then move on to assembling the center panel, and adding any borders. Depending on the quilt, appliques may be added when I'm working on the blocks, or may be added after the whole quilt top is assembled, and on some quilts like my Fantasy Fish pattern have appliques being added on the center panel, and then more when the quilt top is finished - or placed and partially attached before borders, folded out of the way while the borders are being sewn, and then completed afterward. It all depends on the individual quilt that I am working on.

Just like assembly line piecing, working on multiple quilts seems faster when I batch some of the work - making tops, quilting finishing. Right now I'm working on quilting some tops. Since I can't show you the projects themselves, I thought I could get away with posting a few close-ups of the quilting....

Jammin with Scarlet progress

While I was in Sisters, for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, I was able to take the Jammin with Scarlet class from Tonye Belinda Phillips, and this is my progress so far. I've decided to only make a much smaller quilt, with one block surrounded by a plain (or appliqued) border, and then the crazy log cabin blocks.

Blueberry Basket

When I was in Sisters, OR, for the Sisters Quilt Show, my new friend Cathy gave my roommates and I the materials, and taught us how to make this basket. It is my first real basket, and although I know it isn't perfect, it is beautiful to me, and I love it!


Now I know I took pictures of this basket, and thought I had posted it, but I noticed that there was not a label for baskets when I wrote my last post. Besides that, I couldn't even find the pictures I took (or thought I took), so my first basket, the Blueberry Basket, had a little photo shoot. Above is the basket with the fabric I was given to make a coordinating liner, and below are a couple more.

Business Card holder basket

Before I left Sisters, OR, my friend Cathy gave me a kit for a market basket, that I'm looking forward to making. However, it is a different style than she taught me, so I was scared of making mistakes, and thought it might be best to try a smaller project.

This basket is so small, it was sometimes more difficult than my first basket. I wasn't happy with the flat oval lashing reed, but did not want to use any from my other kit, so went with it anyway, although if I would have been making a larger basket, it would have been better to get different reed and toss this. All in all, I think it turned out ok, especially since it is only my second basket, first with only written directions from the kit, and my first woven bottomed basket.

Fabric Painting / Sun Printing

Yesterday was a very busy, but very fun day! A couple of friends came over to do some fabric painting and sun printing on my driveway, but since it was their first visit to my house, we spent more time than we should touring the house and studio, so painted less fabric than we could have. Originally, I had hoped to take pictures while we worked, but the day went by so fast no pictures were taken. Fortunately I still have the fabrics that I painted, so here they are:


I love the depth of color and sunprints on this one.



The ferns printed better on this one, but it doesn't have as much color going on as the first.


And this one is almost flourescent when you see it in person, but beautiful!

For something different, the burnt orange is just paint and a couple different types of salt.

And this pink one printed the texture in the drop cloth, driveway, and a few wrinkles, but coordinates with one of the others. Not bad for just wanting to use up leftover paint!

Chenille Vest finished!

I hope I'm not the only one who can be really close to finishing a project, and then not finish it for one reason or another. This vest is from a kit I purchased (at least several years ago), and was finished other than the closure. My original intention was to make frog with the same fabric that was used for the binding, but then it went in the UFO pile because I didn't think I wanted the tube to be made with the bias I had cut, and the scraps are ??? So it sat. As I was going through my button / closure box, I came across this fancy hook and eye set, and decided it would look good, so I put it with the project, and still it waited - other projects were ahead of it. Finally, last night was it's turn, the hook and eye was sewn on, as well as a hidden button for the other point, and it is now ready to wear!

The Bali Bag that went astray....

I've been saving a magazine that had a bag shaped like this, only smaller. However, when I was in Sisters, OR for the Quilter's Affair classes and Sisters Quilt Show, I saw the Bali Bags pattern at the Stitchinpost, as well as the Bali Pops packages of 2-1/2" strips, and purchased them.

It started out looking just like the pattern, and I had a nice, flat bottom created, but when I started up the sides it was a different story. I know it's because I didn't hold the bag exactly upright, but by the time I had realized what I had done, there was no way I was going to rip, and besides, I like this shape - as a matter of fact, it resembles the one from the magazine, and will be put into use as soon as it is finished. I decided to use all 40 fabric strips, reserving about three to make the closure flap, that was made just like the bag bottom (only smaller, and maybe a bit longer - I didn't measure, just went by eye). It will have a vintage button that was also purchased on the trip, and I'm thinking about using a pair of brown leather handles from my stash, although I wish they were shoulder bag length. Now as soon as I get to the store to purchase some strong upolstery thread, I'll be able to sew the button and handles on (I'm thinking velcro will be going under the flap, and will have to make a decision when I get to the store).