A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 4 Assembly Line Foundation Piecing

Wow, its been quite a week with the Kaw Valley Guild's Quilt Show. The Show is now behind us and I am catching up with housework (yuck) and sewing (yeah). The show was a success by many standards. A lot of hard work by many people and also great fun and inspiration. 


So, now that I am a bit caught up, I can work on my Judy Niemeyer Cattail Mixer. In previous chapters I designed and colored the quilt on Quiltster, and prepared the papers and fabrics. In this chapter I am working on one series of cattail sections. One of the best features of Judy's quilts is her method of assembly line sewing.


Actually, it should be assembly line sewing, pressing, folding, and trimming. Because the mantra here is "what you do to one piece, you do to all pieces". For Judy's patterns that could mean 4 pieces, all the way up to a hundred  - on the border for example. In this case I have four sections.

For those of you who have done foundation piecing before, this is pretty much the same method. What is different is that you do several at the same time. 

The first step is to lay out all your pieces that you prepared in Chapter 3. I aligned them in the order that they will be sewn with the "sew side" towards the top. In this case, I had 11 pieces of background and cattail leaves. 



When doing foundation piecing, you should reduce your stitch length so that the paper is easier to tear off. Its a bear to rip out if you make a mistake though . . . curse words have been heard coming from my studio. Judy recommends 1.6. So I adjust my trusty Bernina and I'm ready to go.




Following the "do it for every piece" method, I lined up the first 2 pieces of fabric on each of the 4 papers.  The beauty of foundation piecing, is that you just have to be able to sew on the lines. You get perfect points on difficult patterns just by sewing on the lines. I sew on line 1 four times. By the forth time, I really know that line well. Practice makes perfect!


Second step is to press the seam open - yes, 4 times! I sometimes use getting up to the ironing board as exercise (don't tell my trainer Zach), but this method saves those trips. I iron all 4 papers at the same time. I guess I'll have to do real exercise instead.




Step 3 is to fold the paper back and trim the excess fabric away. Judy recommends a long piece of template plastic because you can get a good fold all along a long paper. Using an "add-a-quarter" ruler butted up against the template plastic gives you a nice straight cut edge. 


Now you do it again with the next piece of fabric, then the next, and next, sewing on lines 2 through 11 - you get the picture.  I now have 4 raggedy papers, so obviously there are still a couple of steps left. 





Step 4 is to sew the registration lines using a basting stitch. This is one of the brilliant features of Judy's patterns. The registration lines help you put the sections together. This section has 3 registration lines on each piece.


Now the last step, the fun part that really gives me a feeling of accomplishment - trimming the papers on the outside cutting line. If the lines are straight, I use a ruler. If they are curved I do it free hand. 

So now I have 4 left side cattail sections complete. In this pattern there are a total of 4 different sections - 2 corner sections (left and right) and 2 center sections (left and right). As soon as I complete the 4 right side sections, the cattails will be done and I can move on to the inner border. The cattail sections include some applique stems and cattails which I'll address in the next chapter.

Keeping life curious with Judy Niemeyer!

That's Just the Way I Roll . . .Jelly Roll, That Is

I would guess that most quilters who have been at it for longer than 2 minutes have at least one Jelly Roll in their stash. For my non-quilting family and friends (Mom), a Jelly Roll is not a tasty, fattening treat, nor is it a rapper from Nashville, but rather a collection of about 40 2.5 inch wide strips, sometimes rolled up and presented as a roll. Fabric company Moda coined the term, so other companies have other cute names - treats, buns, pops, roll ups.

As most of you know, I work at Mea Bernina, a sewing machine and quilting store, teaching machine  and quilting classes. What could be more fun, right? So at the beginning of 2016 I started teaching/hosting a club we called the Sassy Strippers - its all about fabric strips and Jelly Rolls.

This was a terrific challenge for me - to come up with different and interesting monthly projects that showcase various techniques, using our own curated jelly rolls, and then teaching the technique to anywhere from 12 to 20 sassy gals.  It was soooo much fun!

So we started where every self-respecting quilter would start - with the Jelly Roll Race. Did you know there is more than one? Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company made a video tutorial that really popularized the JR Race.

Our Jelly Roll was a specially curated black and white roll, with fabrics from various collections that we had at Mea Bernina. So there is no other Jelly Roll like this available anywhere. We gave each Sassy Stripper a cut of a bright solid so that they could add in squares (JR Race 2) or triangles (JR Race 3) in between the strips.  We didn't really race, but some say they have completed it in less that an hour. I should time myself sometime and see - although I'm really not a very speedy sewist.

My intention for Sassy Strippers was to do different projects - not just quilts. So for our second project we featured a wonderfully creative string market bag. Bias strips were double folded and stitched together using the Bernina Binding Attachment. Then the resulting strong, double fold strips were then sewn together at intervals to make a string bag. Terrific! Mea Bernina has kits available to make this cool bag.
 


But wait, there's more! I really enjoyed coming up with interesting (hopefully) projects every month. I'll write more about the other projects in later posts. If you are interested in joining the Sassy Stripper adventure with me, we will continue it next year (2018) with a bit of a twist. After 20 projects with strips, we are branching out a bit. That's at much as I'll say here, but I promise it'll be fun! So, if you are curious about different techniques, want to get creative ideas with fellow sassy sewists, check out the Mea Bernina Class and Club listing and join us in January.

Keeping Curious!

Fabric Bowls - Possibly a New Addiction

I've always loved those fabric wrapped coiled clothesline bowls. I've got bowl envy - big time. My Pinterest "Fabric Bowl" board is full of bowls of various colors and sizes, and most exciting for me - handles. I love handles!

So if you want to join the bowl craze, here is what you'll need:

•  Fabric - make it scrappy or use just one or two coordinating fabrics. I've used both batiks and quilting cotton. Batiks tend not to ravel as much. I cut my strips 3/4 inch wide. You can also use jelly roll strips or Fat Quarters if you want.
• Lots of thread.
•  Fabric glue - I like Roxannes Glue Baste-It.
•  A few pins.
•  A few Clover Clips.
• Clothesline - 3/16th inch cotton or cotton-poly clothesline. Something not too stiff or too soft. You can find it at your LQS as well as your local hardware store, or big box discount store.
• Machine capable of doing a zigzag stitch and one that has some piercing power. My Bernina had no problems getting through fabric and clothesline.
• A 90/14 sharp needle.

There are several good tutorials out there, so I won't go into a lot of details on the how-to. There are also a few books available. I own this one - It's A Wrap.  Just know that it takes some practice getting the sides of your bowl at the angle you want. It's basically a matter of wrap, coil, sew, repeat. The wrapping takes the most time, but its a good TV watching activity.

I've made three bowls so far - one for our Sassy Strippers Club at Mea Bernina, one for my living room to hold potpourri, and a little bitty one to hold my cards at an upcoming show of some of my quilts (more to come about that). I've made each one a different shape and size and am experimenting with different handles. I'm also playing a bit with buttons and other embellishments. So, now I have a reason to look at awesome buttons when I'm out shopping.

I'm curious about all the various shapes and handles I can make! How about you?

Sedona Star Update

Yes, I am STILL working on Sedona Star . . .
But I am making good progress.
I am currently working on a series of 3 different applique blocks. I've finished two sets so far and they are really cool. What makes them so cool? Added applique goodies from Sarah Vedeler!!!

Of course Sarah designed Sedona Star and it uses applique shapes from her Heather Feather #1 Die from Accuquilt GO! But she also developed an embroidery design that either stands on its own or enhances the Sedona Star - its called Sedona Surprise.  I have loved doing these on my Bernina 830 and super large hoop. See all the little circles, hearts, eyelets, and outlining satin stitches? Don't they add a lot to the block?

Using the embroidery machine did present a challenge for me - and I do love a challenge.  The first challenge was a really fun one - deciding on colors that complement the Red Rooster fabrics I am using. The second challenge was a little more difficult - rehooping. Even with the jumbo Bernina hoop, I had to rehoop to get the entire design stitched out. Good thing Sarah included positioning lines that really helped. So now, although not an expert, I am at least somewhat competent at rehooping. I've done six of these blocks (three of two different layouts) and have three more to go.

Next update I'll add pictures of these blocks sewn onto the center medallion. Can't wait!
Keeping Curious!

A very productive BOM day!

What is a typical sewing day for you? For me, last Sunday was a super productive sewing day and it happened to include multiple BOMs! I wish I could say it was typical in terms of productivity, but I don't usually get quite so much done. It was typical in one huge way - variety.

"Typical" usually means multiple projects going at once, often at very different phases (design, cutting, piecing, quilting, finishing), and in very different colors and fabric styles. One thing I have learned about myself is that I get bored easily if I have to do too much of the same thing - same blocks, same fabric, same whatever. So I like to keep it varied. Sunday was a really varied day!

As you know I've got several embroidery BOMs going, so yesterday I made 2 tiles for the last Month 10 block for feathered star. I'm only 1 tile away from finishing all the star blocks. Then I will only have border blocks left to do - talk about boring, all 48 of them are exactly the same block with just one piece of fabric changing from block to block. Oh well, at least its bright, bold, happy fabric.

While my Bernina 830 was busy embroidering the feathered star (I'm needed for thread changes and adding pieces of fabric now and then, but mostly the machine takes care of it), I was working on last year's JayBird Quilts' BOM Toes in the Sand. Each month there are 2 blocks using the same pattern but with different fabric. So I got 2 blocks (Month 7 checked off my checklist) done and started cutting the pieces for the Month 8 blocks.

Then in the afternoon I scooted down to the shop for some sewing on the Sedona Star (more details in a later post). My friend Peggy is teaching the Sedona Star at Mea and I join in when I can. Class was cancelled yesterday due to the holidays, but Peggy was working on the shop sample, so I joined her and worked on the Month 4 paper pieced stars. I got one of three done!

As you know, sewing is fun, but designing and thinking about quilting is almost as, if not more, fun. In January I'm going to start a new BOM (details available in a later post) so I've been perusing Pinterest and other sites for ideas about color choices for the new

BOM. I found a FQ bundle of PB&J on Etsy and ordered it so I could potentially use some for this new BOM. Craftsy was having a year end sale, so I also ordered a few FQ bundles from them too.

Overall it was a productive day and I got lots of creative itches scratched (I'm sure there is a better metaphor than that but I used up all my creativity!).

Happy Productive Creativity to You!

BOMs Present Part 1 - Embroidery

Wow, do I ever have a lot of BOMs that I'm working on! A couple of posts ago, I showed a picture of my spreadsheet that I use to keep track of my progress. Here it is again. I'm not sure if you can read it, but on this sheet I am tracking 11 different BOMs. Some of them have only 1 block completed (not even a whole month's worth), some are pretty close to being done. I wonder if I have some BOM in tubs that haven't made the list. I guess I had better look!

I'm working on several embroidery BOMs and the first one I started (in 2013) was Hoop Sisters' Feathered Star. I only have part of the last block to finish and then 48 blocks to do for the border. Each block takes about 50 minutes . . . so I still have a good deal of work ahead. This BOM was one offered at Mea Bernina last year and was the first time I really put my BR 830 Embroidery machine to use. It was a great way to get comfortable with my machine. Now I'm hooked. It's a good thing I have another machine - I start my embroidery machine and then turn to my BR 440 and work on a pieced or applique quilt.


Hoop Sisters comes out with a new Embroider-a-Block each year. The design for 2014 was Jacobean Journey. Of course, I also had to start this one - the colors are so rich and vibrant. I haven't gotten far at all - maybe only 2 blocks out of probably 100. I've worked on the blocks at Mea to help make the shop sample.  The pattern has several optional ways to combine the blocks, so I might put together a smaller version or a table runner.  We've received 2015's Embroider-a-Block at Mea and it is also stunning (like I said they are hard to resist). Sown Seeds is bright and fun, totally different from Jacobean Journey but just as beautiful.  This one will go on my future list!


The last Embroidery BOM on my list is actually a Row of the Month. It is called Tree of Life by AnitaGoodesign. Mea Bernina offered it as a class meeting for 2 days a month over 3 months. I couldn't attend all the classes, but I did get 2 and 1/2 rows done. It is a gorgeous design, and the best part are the dimensional leaves that are added when the quilt is done.  The three of us in class each used a different background. One was white, one was black, and I used a light blue background. I'm planning on putting it on the wall in my guest room which is bright and happy with colorful accents.

So, I have 3 current Embroidery quilt designs in progress. I intend to finish Feathered Star first before I move on to the others.  I'm sure other gorgeous embroidery BOM quilts will come along and move from my future list to my present list!

Happy Embroidering!

Fabric Post Card Exchange - Sew Much Fun!

    Today - my first fabric postcard:

    How this all started - Some of my quilting friends had shown me postcards they received from other quilters as part of a post card exchange. I was really envious - of all the wonderful cards they received as well as the fun and challenge of making postcards to send. So when the opportunity came up at our guild mini retreat in September I signed up. There were 3 possible groups based on themes - flowers, Kansas, and holidays. I joined the Kansas group. There are 6 of us in total and the guidelines are to send 2 postcards - 1 before Christmas and 1 in March to each of the other 5 people in the group. This seemed do-able to me.
    I received my first postcard from Carol just before Thanksgiving. Love it! 

   Receiving that first card from Carol spurred me on to start working on my first postcard. After watching a show featuring Karen Eckmeier on The Quilt Show, I decided to do a layered landscape and what says landscape more than the flint hills of Kansas! 
Since it is Fall now I wanted to do it in browns and tans and of course batiks would make the perfect landscape. After I cut and layered the fabric, I used a manila folder with a 4x6 inch window to do a preview of my landscape.

   Next it was time for appliqueing and thread painting. I put some round squiggles on the nearest mountain, some vertical but messy lines for tall grass in the foreground and some wisps in the blue for clouds. 
   Then the card was ready to assemble. I used computer transfer fabric for the back of my postcard and included a clue that this was the Flint Hills. I then used steam-a-seam to fuse the back and front to super stiff interfacing.
 And finally a decorative stitch around the edge to finish it off. I am really pleased with my first postcard.
    I put them out for the mail yesterday and I can't wait to see new postcards from my quilting friends in my mailbox.
   Come see the Flint Hills - any time of year they are beautiful!
Denise

Making Minkee Monsters at Mea Bernina

    Well, the weekend is almost over - our garage sale was a great success and I am beat! More about it all later - I still have stash!
    Last Friday while at work at Mea Bernina I got to make Minkee Monsters. They are adorable little monsters made from super soft minkee fabric. We have the coolest program that enables you to embroider the cute monster features and then even lets you sew it up around the edge. How cool is that! 
    Working on an Bernina Artista 640, I made a monster in about 2 hours - that included some stops and starts. I am sorta getting into this embroidery business. That could be dangerous!
   I'm putting my tired self to bed!
Good night,
D