Quilting in 3-D

This week, I finished quilting the Storm at Sea throw, and it looks really good.  As I quilted the, the spirals got easier, and I love the final effect, especially with the blue variegated thread.  It's been so gloomy and/or frigid that photos are out of the question until we see a few glimmers of sunshine.  That's the way with winter in the north country - when the sun shines, it's below zero; when the temperatures climb, it snows.  Suffice it to say, I'll share when I can.

I took a little inventory of my UFOs and decided to try to do a few quicker projects before getting involved in something bigger.  I have everything I need to start a quilt for great nephew Ben's high school graduation, but I was in search of instant gratification for a change.  I got out a pattern for a wallet that I've been saving for ages and a batch of batiks.  The result was awful!

The square version of this pattern is much to bulky for my purse or a pocket.   I guess I really need a credit card holder, so I'll make one of those eventually.  I will probably either throw the square wallet away or cut it down, and I don't think I'll make the clutch despite the fact that I've got the requisite clear plastic the pattern calls for ages ago. 

I was a bit discouraged, so I refreshed my brain by making a nice, flat quilt block for my orange/yellow/black and white block of the month quilt.

Because I had to make a run to Joann Fabrics to buy some Velcro for the wallet, I looked ahead to another three dimensional project that's been on my mind - a caddy for the car.  We are heading south for a week or so at the end of March, so I thought this might be useful for car snacks, drinks, guidebooks, etc.   This requires a puzzling array of stablizers, notions, and handle tape, things I rarely use when concentrating on one dimensional quilts.   We'll see how it goes this week.  Quilting means always learning!

The red tote saga

How is that some of the easiest things turn out to be the most frustrating?  I made a red tote bag for the annual Friends of the Library Annual Winter Banquet/Auction.  I usually pull a quilt out of my collection for the auction, but this year Nancy, a new member of the Friends, announced that she was going to make one.  Not wanting to step on her toes, I decided to make a tote bag instead. 

I had a lot of red fabric which I cut into 2.5" strips to piece together in a manner similar to a bag I made last year and several people admired.  I also had two 6" appliqued heart squares in my stash of "orphan" blocks for pockets.  There are two pockets inside, too.   And I had a pair of old blue jeans to make a sturdy bottom and handles.

You can't see either the bottom or the handles in this picture taken with my phone, but those handles were a real pain!  I was going to put a zipper into the top but ended up making it an open tote instead.   I took it apart a couple of times and spent entirely too much time with my seam ripper.   I did do some nice quilting on it and like the way it turned out over all.   Since it is rather plain on its own, I added a book, The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans (sappy but sweet), a ball of yarn, a nice bookmark, and some hot chocolate.  Going with a cozy theme!

Anyway, I'm glad that's over and I can get back to machine quilting the Storm at Sea quilt.  We are having lunch with two friends today and tomorrow hope to see The Post at the movies.  That was my home-town paper, and it sounds like a great film.  

Keeping busy but nothing to show

This weekend, I took my walking foot off and returned the piecing foot to the machine so I could catch up on some regular sewing.  I'll get back to quilting in a few days.  Two rows in the row by row swap I'm in arrived at nearly the same time last week, and I picked up the "block robin" for the coming month also.  I hate to have a full quilting "in basket"!   I do enjoy the challenge of round robins since it involves using fabrics I may never have bought myself.

Friday and Saturday, I paper pieced a row for an ocean-themed quilt (Carol's) which was quite a departure from my usual.  I hate taking the paper out and all the little bits that end up everywhere, mostly the floor.   the row needed some dark blue which is in short supply here due to my recently making the scrappy Storm at Sea.  I managed to eke out just enough and have it ready to mail on to Susan.

On a roll, I opened the next package, this time requiring an Indian (from India) row (Tricia's).  I combed my stash for something that would go with it.  And then thought hard about a block using some of the fabric enclosed in the package.  Log cabin?  Courthouse steps?  Hourglass?  I settled on the latter arranged Yankee Puzzle-style with a little beige batik, and it's in the package for Susan also.  I'll take it to the post office tomorrow since today's a holiday.

I can now work on three blocks for Renee's block robin sampler.  There's some lovely blue, white, and yellow fabric for the 9" blocks which I may get a chance to begin cutting today.  Maybe tomorrow!  We are taking Chris out to lunch for his 36th birthday, then going to the MLK program at the historical society, and then my usual get-together with Cindy and Sandy.  A busy day on tap.

A slow process

I've been diligently quilting my scrappy Storm at Sea quilt, which measures about 65" x 65".   First, I stitched in the ditch, taking a rather wavy path.  Now that it's anchored, I'm quilting a spiral in some of the circles.

Because I'm using my walking foot, it means a lot of turning, but it is working out OK.  I discovered from Leah Day's book that my Supreme Slider at the left of the presser foot makes turning the quilt much easier.   I'm working steadily, about an hour a day when I get a chance.  I've done six of the 18 "circles," and they look pretty good from far away.  There are a lot of wobbles close up, but I hope that washing will make it look fine... I hope. 

I finished the scrappy string quilt and put it in the washer with a couple of color catchers.  There were some red strips that I was worried about.  The quilt turned out great, but the color catchers were pink.  Glad I did that.

After two weeks of below zero weather, it's in the 30s today and predicted to get warmer.  The snow is melting, but ice is predicted for Saturday.  Perfect quilting weather!

Freezing!

It has been at or below zero for nearly two weeks, and I can't be the only one who's sick of it.  I have plenty to do in the house - sewing, reading, closet cleaning, etc.  - but I can't help feeling a strong case of cabin fever coming on.  The long range forecast seems better, thank goodness.  I have had to cancel or not go to several activities, so the cold has really disrupted my life!  I did venture forth Tuesday after New Year's Day because we needed quite a bit of food.  It was 25 below zero!  Then today, with negative digits and brisk winds causing a wind chill of 25 below, we went to a funeral.  Soup was definitely on the lunch menu, and casseroles have great appeal every night.

I just finished Jennifer Chiaverini's latest book about Ada Byron Lovelace, daughter of the British Romantic poet and acknowledged by some to be the first computer programmer.  Enchantress of Numbers paints a somewhat sad portrait of a Victorian girl whose parents separated early in her life and who was raised to focus on science and math over poetry.  Her nurses and governesses were told not to tell her fairy tales so that her imagination wouldn't become stimulated.  Now I'm on to something a little different - Amy Stewart's Girl Waits With Gun, a mystery set in 1914 in rural New Jersey.  So far it's intriguing and, I hope, diverting.

I finished quilting the string scrappy quilt and am on to quilting the Storm at Sea one.  That is going fairly well although I am mainly working in the ditch along the curves at this point.  I'll do some echo quilting when it's all  anchored.  I'm using a variegated medium-to-light blue thread although it doesn't make a lot of difference.  

I find quilting is great for thinking... mostly about future projects.  On my spring agenda are two quilts for Paul's great nephews who are graduating from high school.  The wrestler will get a t-shirt quilt, and the more science-oriented one says his favorite color is gray.  That should be interesting and offers some real "modern" quilting possibilities.

First 2018 project

Over the years, I've taken a lot of machine quilting classes, both in person and online, and I've learned quite a bit.  One of the best classes I took was was Frieda Anderson at the Vermont Quilt Festival some years ago.  Still, I'm not all that confident, especially with free motion quilting.  I always feel a little out of control.  My newer sewing machine has a slightly bigger harp and that helps, but I still haven't mastered setting the tension to look as good on the back as on the front.  I still feel better using my walking foot.

Recently, I got a copy of Leah Day's new book Explore Walking Foot Quilting and decided I'd try something on a string/scrappy quilt that's been waiting in the closet for a while.  Here's what I'm up to.

I like it!  I first quilted in the ditch from the center and around the string quilt section to stablize.  Now I'm echoing a gentle curve I drew in each of the four sections.  I thought this would be a good pattern for the irregular but straight blocks.  There are wobbles, but you can't see from the picture (just like you won't on a galloping horse!).  I don't know what I'll do with the scrappy/selvage borders, but I keep thinking about them as I quilt along.   Probably, I'll resort to my old stand-by, curvy lines across.

Reading Leah's book, I now have a thought about how to quilt my more recently finished Storm at Sea.  I'm so glad I got this book, if just for the confidence it is giving me. 

Starting the new year

We still miss our dog, Max, who enjoyed life to the fullest almost to the very end.  He was so uncomplicated but had distinct likes and dislikes.  When we walked past Tom Davis' house, he always stopped to look.  He knew there were treats to be had there if Tom saw him.  We miss Tom, too, taken from us this year, for his incredibly good sense of humor, fairness, and compassion for the needy of the world.  He was definitely one of the nice people to be nice to (#10 above).  I need to be more mindful of that in 2018.

It's been a tough year for some, so I hope that 2018 will be a better one all around.  Samantha and Chris need jobs, Jeanne and Madelyn need health, other family and friends need peace and love.  The world needs a lot less tension and a whole lot more understanding.  I feel lucky to have what I have, know who I know, and live where I live (despite the frigid temperatures right now).

Yesterday, I cooked some gourmet beets and a peach/blueberry tart to go along with the filets mignon we bought for dinner.  It was a great final meal for 2017.  Today we're having leftover lasagna for dinner, and we will start watching our intake as so many do after The Holidays.  (I will be starting a 12 week weight loss activity January 7 through 23andMe.)  I'll take down the tree and do a little more quilting on the string quilt I sandwiched yesterday.