I am about to put the binding on the largest quilt I've ever made - 90x100 inches! Not only is it large in size, it's also large in learning. Stitcher's Garden is a block of the month quilt I teach at Mea Bernina. I've been working on this sample for over a year and I thought it might be interesting to write about everything I've learning while making this monster quilt.
My first lesson was how difficult it was to choose fabrics for the entire quilt at the beginning. I learned through this process that I am more like a design-as-I-go type of piecer. I had trouble visualizing all the different blocks and how they would look together. I do like the final result, but I was uncertain until I saw it all together. I'm not always going to be required to choose everything before starting, but it was a good learning opportunity for me. Actually, today I chose fabric for a new BOM we'll be offering - again, having to pick everything at the beginning. It's still a challenge, but getting easier.
In month One I experienced prequilting an applique background for the first time. I started out somewhat conservative and used black thread to match the solid black background fabric. if I were to do it over, I would use variegated thread or a bright color to prequilt the background. I'm going to try to remember pre-quilting as a possible technique for future quilts.
Since this is a mostly applique quilt, I had the opportunity to experiment with different paper backed fusible products. I tried Light Steam-A-Seam 2, Pellon's WonderUnder. and OESD's Fuse & Fix. My favorite appears to be Light Steam-A-Seam 2. I like that it is on 9 x 11 sheets (more manageable) and in a sealed envelope (stays fresher). However, occasionally I got a "bad batch" where the paper released before I was ready or the fusible didn't stick well. Since Light Steam-a-Seam 2 has been out of production (see an update here) I've been using WonderUnder on the roll. It's OK but I tend to stuff it into my work storage tub and it gets all wrinkled. As soon as Steam-A-Seam comes in I'll switch back.
More about what I learned in a later post.
The third major component of my new quilt studio is a new, larger cutting table. I like my current table but I always seem to be moving stacks of fabric around - I just don't have enough horizontal space. My current table has 2 cupboards and 4 very small drawers. I ordered it from Nebraska Furniture Mart and I really do love it, I've just outgrown it.
So I started looking around for a new one. Koala has a nice one, but I really didn't want to spend that much. I also looked at cubes from Michaels and Target, but they were a little too small. I saw this one on Pinterest that sort of peaked my interest. It was made from IKEA Expedite bookcases. As shown, the surface was 31 inches wide - a bit smaller than I'd like. So, I thought about adding another piece and putting them together so that I would have a 47 x 74 inch work surface. I'm thinking of putting my pressing mat on one side and cutting mat on the other.
Fast Forward 2 months. I ordered 2 2x2 and 2 2x4 Expedite bookcases (OK so they call them Kallax now) and asked the son of a quilting friend of mine to put them together into a super-dooper cutting table. He is building a platform with casters to set them on - that way I can move it around my studio. It also adds a few inches to the height - I'd like it at least 36 inches high. So with the wheels and a top it will be the perfect height. Here is a picture of the work in progress - the bookcases sitting on top of the base. Notice that I am using it even before it's finished!
Fast forward another week . . . This afternoon Darren delivered the final piece - the top - and it is spectacular! He stained the oak plywood top the same color as my soon-to-be-ordered sewing table. I can roll it to wherever I need it - it's not a lightweight, but I can still push it around! The Next step is getting just the right tubs and baskets for the cubbies and getting everything organized. I'll use my current cutting mat for now, but I might decide I need a larger one. So for a moderate investment (Ikea - 200, Home Depot for wood and hardware - 200, and Darren's hard work - I'll let him tell you how much he charged me, he may want to raise his price!), but not nearly as much as a Koala, I have a gorgeous, functional 47 inches wide x 74 inches long x 37 inches tall cutting table to die for!
Later I'll post some pictures of how I organize the cubbies. Now, I want to go cut out some fabric!
About a year and a half ago I took a KVQG sponsored workshop from Joe the Quilter - Joe Cunningham. Although Joe's experience and training is in traditional quilting, he has branched out into sort of abstract and modern quilting. Check out some of his work here.
The Workshop we did was "Rock the Block, block style". Piecing the blocks was a breeze because there really was no specific pattern - it was just slice and add or slice and insert.
Deciding where to put the blocks was another deal altogether. Joe suggested we lay them out so that the color flowed from one area to another. When I did that with my blocks, I did get the feeling of a landscape with golden flowers, greenery and sky. But it was a landscape as seen through fractured glass - hence the name of the quilt - Fractured Landscape.
Adding the borders was another interesting step. I didn't want it to look "bordered" so I added borders in a way that continued the colors and lines of the design.
Next step - quilting. I have been paying more attention to how quilts are quilted and had seen this "follow the lines swirls" somewhere - I'm sorry I can't remember who inspired me - maybe several folks. And now that I started quilting it this way, I see this all the time - most recently on one of Jacquie Gering's quilts (see the post on her quilt Shattered Remix). If Jacquie is doing it I'm in really good company!
I have never spent so much time looking at my walking foot before. This quilting design is simple, but it takes a lot of time. I can use all the different "toes" on my walking foot as guidelines. I'm also really thankful for the needle stop down feature on my machine. I could stop with the needle down every time I needed to pivot.
My new (used) Bernina 440 has a free hands system that enables me to lift the presser foot with my knee. It works better if I used my left foot on the gas (foot control) and my right on the lift. It felt a little weird at first, but I am getting used to it.
I also used my Machingers gloves, a textured finger glove, to help me exert more control over the quilt sandwich. These gloves are especially useful when free-motion quilting.
Since the quilt design had irregular shapes in 3 colors, I decided to quilt the shapes separately, and then as some colors bordered each other I decided to try combining some of the shapes. It was enjoyable to see how the shapes emerged with the quilting.
So then I was approaching my non-bordering borders and didn't to quilt them like traditional borders. After consulting with my quilting sister Kathy at the retreat and seeing what she did on an angle quilt, I decided to continue to quilt the shapes into the border area. I marked the outlines, making sure that I varied the size and contour of my shapes.
I am finishing up this wall hanging just in time for the KVQG annual quilt show (5-6 April at Crown Toyota in Lawrence). Now I have to figure out how to bind it. I'm having the same dilemma I had regarding the borders. Should I bind as normal? Match the binding color to the border color? Face? Or use some other technique? I'll show you what I ended up with in my post about the quilt show.
What do you learn by taking workshops?
Always curious,
I just got back from a terrific retreat - 4 glorious days (2 full, 2 half) of sewing, visiting, learning, and sharing. I am so jazzed about what I accomplished as well as all the inspiration I got from my fellow retreat goers.
Stitch-On Needlework Shop sponsors 3 retreats a year and I have worked my way up to be on the permanent list for all three. These are so popular that there are already 26 people on the wait list for September!
This time I decided to focus on my block of the month projects. As I have already confessed, I am a BOM addict. And logically when one signs up for so many BOMs one gets behind almost immediately. I brought along 6 BOM projects to catch up on. I am also a chronic list maker. So here is my to-do list.
I made some pretty good progress. I finished
~ 2 more blocks on the Buck a Block Half Square Triangle quilt
~ 2 sets of blocks on Toes in the Sand
~ Block A on Ato Z
~ Zylophone and Metrolopolis minis on the Modern Patchwork Sampler quilt, and
~ Month 2 on Sedona Star. Whew!
I sewed and sewed until my back ached. A massage today took care of that little side effect! I love having dedicated time and space to create. I made myself a very functional little nest and got lots accomplished.
In a future post I'll share the best part of the retreat - my fellow quilters and stitchers!
Last week, the bi-monthly gathering of my small quilt group was at my new home. We had such fun! We got to enjoy my new quilting studio as well as each others' company.
This group of women have been meeting for years, but I just joined them a couple of years ago. They have been friends, creative partners, shopping buddies, teachers, and inspiration. I eagerly look forward to our get-togethers.
Last year, at one of our gatherings, we talked about the various challenges and experiences we wanted to try. Only one of us had participated in a round robin, so we decided we should have a go.
Our "rules":
1. There really are no rules.
2. We each make a block that serves as the inspiration and foundation for the quilt. We could include any fabric we wanted and then the subsequent quilters could add fabric.
3. We would give ourselves a pen name and a back story.
4. We won't see the progress on our own block until its done.
What an experience! I felt like there was even more pressure to do a good job when you're working on another quilter's quilt. Each block was so different and each addition to it added so much character. We did a variety of piecing, applique, and embellishments. The styles were traditional, fun and funky, and improvisational.
I started with an applique block from a workshop by Kathy Delaney. I knew I would not make the remaining blocks but I wanted to do something with this one, so I thought it would be a good beginning for the round robin.
After six rounds, here is what my block looked like.
I am getting ready to quilt it and will share pics when I get it done.
I'm curious, what are your experiences with Round Robins? Post a comment and let me know.
Happy Quilting!
The Galapagos really was the trip of a lifetime. The ship was terrific, the crew and fellow passengers were amiable and interesting, but really the best part was the wildlife. The guides were so knowledgeable about all the different species and their place and contribution to the development of our knowledge about evolution. The isolation of the islands (600 miles from Ecuador) combined with the respect and protection shown by humans to the animals has resulted in a place where the animals have little fear and allow us to approach them. We got to get very close and get some good shots. Too bad my camera malfunctioned half way through the trip and I had to use my cell phone for the rest of the trip. I have hundreds of great pics still stuck in my camera - waiting for me to take it to be repaired. Thanks to anonymous photographers for the pics below. I'll replace them with ones I took after my camera gets fixed. I hope I am not violating any copyrights.
After experiencing all these wonderful animals, my mind immediately went to a sampler quilt. Maybe a 4 by 4 with a block for each animal, or a "scene" with all the animals and birds in their habitat. I could either print out my pics on fabric, using the special printer fabric, or convert them to applique and use batiks and thread painting. I'm not sure yet, but I do know that I'm going to include 16 animals, birds, and reptiles.
Lets start with the birds.
Darwin Finches - tiny but important to the scientific community!
The booby brothers - blue-footed, red-footed, and nazca boobies. They all had the most unusual expression on their little birdy faces.
We saw a group of Galapagos flamingos in a lagoon doing a very coordinated dance. No sign of the choreographer or director.
The frigate bird (red throat) and albatross. The albatrosses do an adorable mating dance - clicking their bills together.
We saw a lot of swallow tail gulls sitting on eggs.
And finally the Galapagos penguin. It's small compared to other penguins and absolutely too cute.
Whether they were sitting on eggs, flying, swimming, dancing, mating, fishing, or napping, the birds were interesting and beautiful. Perfect subjects for a quilt!
