Saturday, February 8, 2025

Looking for a backing...........


This quilt top is next in line for basting to prepare for ditch quilting.  I needed to find a batik for backing yesterday.  It is 37 x 58" so I need almost 1 3/4 yards of fabric.











The first place I look is the 2 shelves of multicolor and large design batiks.  Most of them are hard to use because the color changes so often in them.










When I first look through the stacks I'm looking for larger yardage pieces and pull them out.  The one one the left is more blue, not green as it looks here.










I think I used the one in the center for a backing of another wall hanging, maybe a colorwash.

Since the Crooked Cobblestone wall hanging top has a lot of orange and green I think the one on the right is the best choice.  

Today I need to cut a piece of batting for it and prepare it for basting.  If it's a good day, maybe I'll even get some basting done.

Friday, February 7, 2025

First quilt top for February 2025...........


The first thing I'll say is that it is a lot prettier in person than I have been able to capture in a photo.  This little quilt top is all Kaffe Fassett collective fabrics.  I was able to use a pile of scraps and just a few pieces cut from yardage.  I would never have made this quilt if I didn't have a die to use for the cutting.  Its a Bow Tie die, with a wonderful secondary pattern.




I bought this cute piece of flannel on sale a couple months ago and I think it is perfect for the backing.









There are some really old Kaffe prints in this quilt top as well as newer ones.

This quilt top is 36" x 45".









Discovery time again.  I started making these yo-yos when I was the main driver for my elderly parents, 2008.  There was a lot of time to sit and wait.





They aren't very consistent in the centers.  







Some are made with batik, some Kaffe, and some other prints.







I bagged each size with its yo-yo maker so if I ever get the urge to make more, the parts are together.  I haven't made any with the jumbo maker but there are 2 circles cut and waiting.  On this post I showed an inspiration quilt and also a tutorial how to use the yo-yo makers.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Sewing it all together....


I couldn't figure out a good pressing plan if I sewed the blocks into strips or 4 patches, to get the seams going in opposite directions for matching in the construction of the top.  I decided I would just wing it and sew top together, webbing it.  First I laid out the 4 different corners fabrics in rows on my cabinet.


Then I started sewing it together alternating positions of the 4 different triangle fabrics.









I got all of the seams sewn in one direction and have 3 seams sewn in the other direction in this photo.  The rest is just hanging from the webbing threads.












This close up gives a better look at the sewn rows and the webbing technique.

I had miscounted the blocks that were sewn and had more than I thought.  I sewed the 20 that I cut yesterday morning and had enough to do a 12 x 15 layout.  The blocks are 3" finished.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Decisions, decisions................


Around noon I sewed the new pieces that I had cut earlier in the morning.  I have 125 blocks sewn now and need 144 minimum for the baby quilt, for a 36" square quilt.



Now I'm working on ideas of how to sew this quilt.  I have 4 different triangle fabrics.  One idea was to sew identical strips using the 4 triangle fabrics in the same position in every strip.  There would be many different sets of 4. The strips would then be spaced out throughout the quilt.



The second idea was just random groups, still using one of each of the triangle fabrics in each strip of 4 blocks, but not necessarily keeping them in the same order in every strip.

Maybe a combination of both methods would work.  


Meanwhile I cut some other fabrics for future projects while I did another load of laundry.  I have lots of cutting to do for the future quilts so it will be taking up a couple hours every day.  For people who don't make quilts, they don't realize how much time goes into fabric choices, pressing, and cutting the pieces.  

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Not much progress.............


I did get some sewing done last night, all of the triangles sewn on that I had prepared the day before.    After I finished all of those I finished knitting the dishcloth that was on the needles.  I didn't get around to looking for more fabrics to finish the cutting so I'll do that today.

They have possible ice storms predicted for 2 days this week so I made another run to the grocery store and post office.  When I got home I did a load of laundry.  I can't remember what else I did but the day flew by.  It got up to 49 degrees in the early afternoon and then the temperature started dropping.  It will only be in the 20s today.

Monday, February 3, 2025

2 projects.......................


The colorwash wall hanging is still on the design wall and I'm enjoying it there.  To its left is the first few squares that are sewn for the new quilt.











I sewed all 32 of this button print to the larger pieces in the early afternoon yesterday.  









Here are the other three triangle prints with 32 of the larger pieces selected to sew to the triangles.  I still have a little cutting to do to have enough blocks for a baby quilt.







My sewing project last night was the hanging sleeve on one of the quilts for my grandson and his wife.






I got all of the hand sewing done last night.  This sleeve was about 40" long.  Now I have to do the 2 part hanging sleeve on the larger quilt which is 75" across.  The 2 part sleeve is black and the backing is a black background batik.  I might try to sew the top edge in place by machine with invisible or black thread.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Starting to cut.................


I started cutting a new project, most likely a baby quilt unless I have so much fun that I want to make it larger.

I showed a pile of pastel Kaffe collective fabric scraps a couple days ago.  Yesterday I pressed them and chose some corner fabrics and then had a cutting session.  I'm using the Bow Tie die but this quilt will be all light squares with a darker triangle corner.  I have seen this quilt on several blogs and liked it.


This is the whole selection I have cut so far.  I have one more triangle fabric to cut and may add a couple more if I can find some that have the same feel.

The rest of the day was a lot of thinking about new projects and doing laundry.

 

Saturday, February 1, 2025

January 2025 monthly recap................


I'm happy to have one finish for January 2025 and I ditch quilted it on my Pfaff sewing machine.  I like designing with the little rectangles in my colorwash wall hangings.  I don't always work yellow into them but I got a good variety of it in this one.  It is 31.25" x 50.25".









I also finished 3 table runners.  I'm hoping to get a lot of little projects finished this year.  I have plenty of large quilts right now but I still need to make more baby quilts.  

Making baby quilts gives me a chance to try a lot of ideas without having to spend a lot of time on each quilt.  If I like an experiment well enough I can make a larger quilt with the pattern.  This year I am jotting down ideas for new quilts as I think about them, and keeping it all in one notebook for a change.  Every day I review the older pages after I add a new idea.



I'm going the wrong direction again with more new tops than finishes but I still have less than 30 waiting to be finished, so I'm happy.  On the left is a Plaid-ish quilt top (free pattern from Kitchen Table Quilting).  It is 46" x 64" and made of Kaffe Fassett collective fabrics.  On the right is a flannel baby quilt size top, 40" square.

I took my van for its weekly ride to keep the battery charged and did my grocery shopping while I was out.  It was a pretty low key day otherwise.

Friday, January 31, 2025

A finish for January 2025..........


I'm so happy to finally have this batik colorwash finished.  I finished designing and sewing the quilt top in April 2023 and it waited 1 3/4 years to be basted and quilted.  I chose the back and cut the batting 6 months ago.

It is 31.25" x 50.25".

The pieces in the colorwash are 1.5" x 3" finished.








I need to record the details in this online journal.

The backing is a green/orange/gold batik and the binding is a brown design batik. The batting is Warm and Natural.  I used Invisifil thread to ditch quilt it.

I'll prepare my January monthly recap today and post it tomorrow morning.

 

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Binding...........


I found a binding fabric and cut it and also cut the hanging sleeve from the leftover backing fabric.





The binding was sewn on and I started the hand stitching last night.  I'm over half way around it now.












A view from the other end.

It was 46 degrees yesterday and the wind finally died down.  We are expecting rain Friday morning.  We have a had a very dry winter so far.

 

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Quilting..................


The basting was finished a week ago and I finally got around to the quilting on this colorwash.  It is designed with 1.5" x 3" rectangles.  It took 3 hours to complete the ditch quilting and had 5 colors of thread used.  I'll look for a binding fabric today and maybe squeak in one finish this month.


I sent 2 quilts with my longarm friend to be quilted for some February finishes.  They are a couple of my favorites.


It was 45 degrees yesterday and will maybe be 50 on Thursday and again on Sunday.  Quite a change from our subzero temperatures.  The neighbor kids were out riding their bikes in the afternoon after school. 

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

And then there were 3...........


I continued working on the hand finished binding of table runner #3 and got it finished last night.  They are all close to 15" x 31".









I remembered I had some blocks made with Australian fabrics.  I pulled them out yesterday and my note in the bag with them told me 3 were the same size and the 4th one is a little smaller.  When I put them in the bag I hadn't decided if I was going to make more blocks or just make a table runner out of the 3 that are the same size.  They are 12" finished blocks so I could add 1" sashing and 1.5" borders to make them into a table runner.

Monday, January 27, 2025

Another runner quilted.............


It was a lazy day yesterday but I got the second table runner in these fabrics quilted.  This photo is too light, still struggling with cellphone photos for my blog.




I did ditch quilting following a fabric, turning corners every 1.5".  This photo is a little darker than the fabrics really look.





I also finished the binding on the first one and took the photo with both finished table runners since I didn't show a whole view of the Kaffe fabric one yet.

I spent over an hour trying to come up with fabrics for the back of the Kaffe blue pinwheel quilt.  I'll continue looking today.  I want to keep the back all blue if possible since both sides of a throw quilt are visible at the same time when it is in use.

 40s all week if we can believe the predictions.  Back to the lightweight winter jacket.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Sorting and binding............


I needed to clean up all of the Kaffe fabrics now that the Plaid-ish quilt top is finished.  I pulled all of the most pastel pieces out of the stack of light scraps.  I want to use them soon.

The afternoon was spent finishing working with the end of the batting roll.  I had to throw 2 of the pieces in the dryer with a damp towel because they were so wrinkled.


Last night I started the binding on the table runner I quilted last Sunday.  I hope to quilt the other table runner with the same fabrics today.  The binding is already cut for that one to so maybe I'll even get it trimmed and binding sewn on.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

It's really sewn now..................


This looks a lot like the photo from yesterday but it's really sewn together now.  It is 46" x 64" as predicted.  All of the Kaffe collective fabrics came from the bin marked 'large Kaffe scraps' except 2 prints that I cut from 6" strips.  One print, used in 2 colorways, is from 2010.  There are a couple other oldies in there too.

The largest part of the day yesterday was spent cutting the battings and making backings.  I didn't take any photos as I was working.  I had 6 batting pieces I wanted to cut and I got 4 of them out of the end of the old roll.  There is one leftover piece that I can use for a small quilt.  Now I need to move the huge new roll up on the table.  I think maybe I'll wait a few days.  I made backings for 2 of the 4 quilts so I'll work on the other 2 backings next.

 

Friday, January 24, 2025

Only one photo.................


There were lots of tasks yesterday but I only took one photo.  All of the blocks for the Plaid-ish Quilt are sewn and on the design wall but this isn't the final layout.  I need to move some of the medium value blocks so the same fabrics aren't near each other.

In addtion to sewing the last 9 blocks I sewed the binding on the other table runner that I quilted last Sunday.  Then I cleaned off the table where I cut my batting and made a list of all of the pieces of batting that I need to cut.  I have 6 pieces (at least) to cut and I'll use up the end of one roll of batting and open a new roll to finish.  I chose some backing fabrics that I also need to piece.

In addition to all of that I need to sew hanging sleeves on 2 quilts that my east coast grandson and his wife chose when they were here the first week of the month.  I have the sleeves made, I just need to pin them on and hand stitch them in place.   

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Finished table runner and prep work............


I finished the hand sewn binding last night on the red Kaffe fabric table runner.  It is 15" x 31.5".  Now it is time to sew the binding on the other table runner.








I have decided to go with the smaller size Plaid-ish quilt so I got all of the remaining blocks prepped yesterday morning.  There are 2 finished blocks here with the 5 remaining to be sewn.




I had prepped the four dark blocks the night before.  I have enough light blocks already sewn.

I had to take my van out for a ride yesterday to keep the battery charged up so I ended up getting groceries at two places.  It was 23 degrees so it didn't really feel cold.

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Layout and binding...........


All of the sewn blocks have been pressed and are on the design wall.  There are lots of the medium value blocks so I need to do lots more cutting.  There are 2 more rows in length to be added and I'm not even half way across the width.  I have 8 of 20 dark blocks, 10 of 31 medium blocks, and 6 of 12 light blocks made.  I have 4 dark, 2 medium, and 1 light block ready to sew.  I don't know if this one will be sewn by the end of the month.  The quilt will be 64" x 82" if I follow the Plaid-ish pattern.  To make it smaller and still have the same layout it would only be 46" x 64".


Last night I started the hand sewing on the binding of the red Kaffe table runner.  I'm not quite half done.  I like how the muted stripe looks.

Yesterday started out at -10 and got up to 0 by mid-afternoon.  Today is supposed to be 22 degrees at mid-day and above freezing on Saturday.  I hope we are done with the sub zero weather for this winter.

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

A sewing day..........


I started the day yesterday choosing bindings for the 2 table runners.  I like this stripe with both the front and back of the red Kaffe runner.








This diagonal brush stroke fabric in rust is good for the second table runner.  I cut enough for 2 because I have another similar one ready to quilt.








While in the basement I found 16 blocks I made many years ago and sewed them together into a table topper.








Jack Frost was busy on a cold day that started at -2 and got up to 9 degrees.  It was 0 by bedtime and going to get colder by this morning.  I asked my son to drive me 8 miles to my pacemaker doctor appointment this morning.  I didn't want to be alone on the roads in this kind of cold (wind chill -24).


Last night I sewed 13 more blocks for the Plaid-ish quilt but it was too late to press them and put them on the design wall.