Category Archives: Uncategorized

August 7, 2012 · 12:01 AM

Traveling hexagons

If you have followed my last couple of blog posts, you know that I’ve been traveling. I brought the ultimate traveling sewing project with me – English paper pieced hexagons!

A group of hexagons sewn together.

Before I left home, I grabbed this great set of fat quarters that my dear niece had given me.

Fun group of fat quarters

I had already purchased a package of 100 one-inch hexagon precut paper shapes.

Package of precut paper hexagons

I found these at a quilt shop in Illinois but you can also buy them online here. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. A 1″  hexagon means that each side of the hexagon measures one inch. These are made out of light card stock which is perfect. I also cut a couple hexagons out of some card stock I had that were 1/4 inch larger all the way around.  I used these as a rough template to cut my fabric with. I simply cut the fabrics into strips, stacked about 4 strips, and then used a rotary cutter to cut around the hexagon template.  Some of the fabrics had patterns on them that I felt would look better if they were not randomly cut.  In order to “fussy cut” these fabrics, I cut the 1 ” shape out of the middle of my template, placed it where I wanted on the fabric and cut each one out individually.

Using template to see what final hexagon will look like.

Using template to “fussy cut” hexagon

This gave me a wonderful collection of fabric hexagons which are the right size to use with my 1″ papers.

Fabric hexagons and paper pieces.

There are a lot of different instructions for english paper piecing. Some have you actually baste the fabric to the paper which I do not like to do. I hold the paper against the wrong side of the fabric, fold over one side, then another and baste the fold where they intersect. Keep doing this around the shape until all sides are basted down.

Back of basted hexagon.

After basting many of these, they can be whip-stitched together by putting right sides together and sewing one side at a time. It is an extremely accurate way of piecing geometric shapes together and is all done by hand.  This is what makes English paper piecing so great to travel with!  Small pieces, needle and thread.  So little to carry with you!

Front side

Reverse side.

Here is the little case I carry this project in which I bought at the Container Store.

Hexagon tool box

Everything I need!

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with my hexagons.  I’m thinking of making a tote bag or pillow. I guess it will depend on how many I get put together.

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August 5, 2012 · 1:48 AM

America The Beautiful

I can’t stop thinking about this song after traveling through Idaho a few days ago.

O beautiful for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

Wheat field – notice the mountains in the background!

Idaho farm

For purple mountain majesties

Teton Mountains

Above the fruited plain.

We traveled through Idaho on our way to a meeting in Wyoming. Yes, we saw a lot of Idaho potatoes growing but it is the fields of wheat that had me in awe – and out of the car taking pictures. America is truly beautiful. At least this part of America is that has been able to irrigate their fields because of ample rainfall this summer.  Unfortunately that is not the case in many other parts of the country.

I floated in a raft down the Snake River this morning, and while I was in this patriotic mood, guess what I saw?

Bald Eagle

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July 23, 2012 · 12:18 AM

CREATE workshop in New Jersey

My daughter and I just spent 5 days at the CREATE workshop in New Jersey. We have never taken a large workshop in another city over multiple days before this. It was fun and I learned many new things.  The teachers were EXCELLENT. I enjoyed and appreciated each one.  Quilting is my main interest these days but this was a multi media retreat and I was definitely taken outside of my comfort zone. The following are the workshops that I or my daughter took.
Workshop #1 Introduction to Fusion Fabrics taught by Jane Davies.

Introduction to Fusion Fabrics
Start of piece
Size: Approx. 12″ square

Fusion fabric
Finished piece

Fabric confetti

In this class we covered a plain piece of fabric with Misty-fuse which is a paperless fusible web.  We covered this with different fabrics, added another layer of fusible and then sheer fabrics (or papers!) including organzas and netting.  We were able to add fibers or threads next and then finished with a final layer of Misty-fuse.  It created some interesting effects.  I’m not that happy with what I made during class, but I can see myself trying this again at home and then using it to make a purse, notebook cover, or other small gift item.

Workshop #2  Thread Painted Mini Art Quilt taught by Elin Waterston and Workshop #3 Hand Stitched Jewels taught by Natalya Aikens.

Thread painted sandhill crane with hand stitched embellishment (not complete)

Teacher Natalya Aikens holding her art piece.

These workshops were separate classes.  When I got to the Hand Stitched Jewels class, I decided to use this piece to stitch on. I’m not completely crazy about it, but I don’t hate it either!

Workshop #4 Text Tiles taught by Seth Apter. My daughter, Sandy, took this class and made this for me:

Text Tile
Size: approx. 6″ square

And this one for herself:

Text Tile

Workshop #5 My Mapology taught by OrlyAvineri. This class was about art journaling. The class was full (25 students) and many had signed up for the conference just to take Orly’s class. She had us use images that she gave us (including maps) to create art in our journal. We used paints, papers, inks and any other mediums we wished.

My art journal.

Teacher Orly Avineri’s art journal

Workshop #6 Textured Cuffs & Scrapbook Rings taught by Eva Sherman.  Sandy took this class and made 3 copper bracelets and 2 rings.  She has never done anything like this before and these things she made are beautiful.

Copper bracelets Sandy made and kept. (Gatsby is her dog!)

Bracelet and ring she gave to me!

Finally we took a class together.  Workshop #7 Collage, Texures and Composition taught by Lesley Venable. I had fun in this class, especially because my daughter was there, but collage is definitely not my thing! There are way too many choices of materials.  I love working with fabric and a sewing machine SO much better than this.  Sandy really enjoyed this class though and I think that her artwork shows that.

My collage

My collage

Sandy’s collage

Sandy’s collage

Workshop #8 Nesting Instincts Necklace taught by Jean Van Brederode. This class was about enameling copper to make a fun necklace. It was fired in a kiln at 1350 degrees for 2 minutes.  True confession – I bought a kiln 5 years ago to use for making glass beads and have never used it.  Here is another thing I could do with it if I got it set up.  I really love this necklace.

Nesting Instincts Necklace class

The teachers were all amazing and the students were fun to be in class with. I could write so much more about this fun retreat but I’ve worn myself and probably you out with what I’ve already posted tonight. Thanks for visiting my blog and taking a look at what I’ve been up to!

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July 16, 2012 · 10:23 PM

Zaka Style project #16 – Patchwork Ribbon

My favorite gift!

I didn’t plan on doing this week’s Zakka Style project but I’m glad that I did because I’m quite happy with how it turned out and will actually use it! There is a BIG incentive to complete this project and to link it up to the sew along – a nice collection of Cosmo Thread by Lecien.  I was intrigued by the post by The Patchsmith who said she has threads all over the place from making this.  After thinking about it for awhile and reading the directions again, I thought that starting with a large patchwork piece and cutting it into strips on the BIAS might be an answer to the loose threads.  So I tried it!

I sewed some strips together, cut them into smaller pieces and then sewed the pieces together in an arrangement that I thought would give me a long run of bias.

I cut bias strips 1 1/4 inch wide from this.  No frays on the edges and the front of the stripes looked great. The back, though, had all those seams.

Front of bias strips – beautiful

Back of strips – not so pretty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I joined the strips together using a bias join technique.  I thought about stopping here and using the “ribbon” this way.

Single layer

However, there was so much of it that I decided to go ahead and sew it all together with the wrong sides together using a simple running stitch down each edge.  After that, I had only half of the length but no raw edges showing at all!

Double layer

After looking around for something to be the gift to tie it onto for the photo,  a wine bottle seemed perfect.  My sewing space is incredibly well “stocked”! Don’t you agree?

Fabric to the right. Wine to the left.

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July 14, 2012 · 10:22 AM

Honey Bee Quilt

Isn’t this quilt beautiful?  I wish I could say that I made it, but truth is, it’s an old quilt that was bought years ago by my mother-in-law.  The quilt block design is called “Honey Bee”.

Honeybee design

Can’t you see why it is called Honey Bee?  Especially done is this yellow color!  There is a pieced nine patch in the middle of the block and then the body and wings of the bees were appliquéd on.  I am not an expert but the nine patch fabric looks 1930s to me.  Quilter’s Cache notes that the block design is from the 1920s-30s era so I’m guessing this may be how old this quilt is.  Unfortunately, as with many old quilts, there is no label or clue as to who made it.  I always put labels on my quilts, do you? Here is a link to directions for making this block.

This quilt is in beautiful shape.  There are no holes or frays.  However, when I first received it there were many stains and the whole thing was very dingy.  It was a beautiful quilt that looked terrible.  I wrote this post a few weeks ago about a product called Retro Clean.

Retro Clean

Before and after treatment with Retro Clean

It is a product that revives old textiles.  I couldn’t wait to try it on my Honey Bee quilt.  I followed the directions on the package. I washed the quilt, soaked it in warm water mixed with Retro Clean and then washed it again.  The quilt was kept completely submerged for 30 hours (directions say 24 to 48 hours) in a tub which I kept outside in the sun during the day.  It was almost 100 degrees the day I did this and evidently keeping the water warm helps with the cleaning process.  On the second day (which was cool and rainy), I couldn’t see any stains, so I took it out of the “bath”.

Stained quilt before Retro Clean

After Retro Clean – no stains!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After such a success with this quilt, I’m wanting to try it on the first quilt I ever made which was for my oldest daughter probably 25 years ago.  She still has and uses it and she doesn’t live near me (boo hoo), so I’m going to ask her to send it to me.  Fingers crossed!  It has a lot of white fabric in it and every time I see it, I think I’ll never make another quilt with white fabric.  It’s the dinginess factor again!  If I can revive that quilt, I will definitely not be afraid to sew with white. That is an exciting thought.

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June 19, 2012 · 7:41 PM

Retro Clean: seeing is believing!

I think that a lot of quilters and non-quilters would be interested in knowing about a product called Retro Clean. If you have any old fabric items (quilts, handkerchieves, tablecloths, etc..) that are yellow or stained with age, this product can make them look like new.

Quilt top – before and after

I took these pictures today with my phone while at a friend’s house.  She is the president of the DC area quilt guild I belong to called the Needlechasers of Chevy Chase.  She had this old quilt top that was badly stained.  She removed the worst looking block to see what this product would do to it.

Retro Clean is a powder that is mixed with water.  The directions are to mix 3 or 4 tablespoons in a gallon of water and then submerge the item you are cleaning for 24 to 48 hours.  My friend soaked her quilt block for 24 hours.  She also put the tub she was using out in the sun as the directions say that this helps (their literature says it’s the heat).

One more picture of the results!

I was completely amazed to see the difference and had to take these pictures and share!  Honestly, even the colored fabric looked brighter.  I can not wait to try it on some items that I have.  Luckily my friend sent me home with some, so I don’t have to wait to mail order it.  I have this old quilt on a bed at my house that I may try to soak.

 

Don’t you know how much nicer this would look without those stains? I’ll let you know how it turns out!

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June 11, 2012 · 11:52 AM

Gift Notebook Cover

Front of closed notebook

I wanted to make a gift for the woman who cuts my hair.  She is a young and busy mother who I always enjoy seeing and who always makes me look good – or at least as good as what she has to work with can get! This notebook is very similar to the notebook I made for my college roommate.

Back of outside

These notebooks have a handy pen holder on the outside, a business card pocket on the inside front and a larger pocket on the inside back.

Open notebook – front

Open notebook – back

I did some free motion quilting practice on the notebook I made for myself and I use it all the time.

Front

Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope that Heather likes hers.  I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow (and dyed – yikes! Wish me luck.)

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June 8, 2012 · 8:44 PM

Zakka Style project #10 – The Zip Organizer

I started this project yesterday when I was waiting for an air conditioning service guy to arrive.  I finished it today when a friend came over to sew with me.  My daughter looked at it this evening and asked how long the friend was here (all day) and was surprised this is all that I had made during that time.  I guess she doesn’t understand how long it takes us to chit chat and show each other what we’ve made since the last time we visited one another!  And we had to have coffee…and lunch!  We’re probably lucky we got anything done.

My air conditioner is now working but my internet is out.  I’m posting on my husband’s computer who has a special” thingy” to hook it to the web without an internet connection. This computer is unfamiliar to me and doing weird things like centering my writing and I can’t get it to align left so I give up!  Goodbye until I can use my own computer!  Good luck to everyone who is making this organizer this week.

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June 1, 2012 · 4:47 PM

Quilting while visiting Montana

Quilted table runner

Quilted table runner – ready for binding

My in laws have a summer “home” in Ennis, Montana.  My husband loves to go there.  I did too when my kids were young and his folks were there.  Now when we go, it is often just the two of us.  That is nice too, but he is often busy puttering with the opening or closing or general (unending!) maintenance, so this year I decided it would  give me more to do if I had a sewing machine there. The “home” is a one bedroom mobile home which was built in 1963.

Humble lodging

Humble lodging

It is in the Madison Valley with mountains all around and the Madison River within footsteps.  Great fly fishing!  I wasn’t sure if I could find a sewing machine store anywhere close so I did the next best thing – ordered from Amazon.  I ordered an inexpensive ($150) Brother sewing machine that came with a hard cover and walking foot.

Sewing in the kitchen

Sewing in the kitchen – Look closely

The machine came the day after we got there and it’s terrific.  It’s not my Bernina, but it sews great.  So look close at the picture, dark as it is (sorry!) and see how lucky I am – sewing machine, wine, little creek just out the window and a BBQ.  What more could anyone wish for?  Well, maybe an extra bathroom would be nice if it were more than just two of us staying here.

Close up of piecing

Close up of piecing

This log cabin table runner is an unfinished object that I started quite some time ago.  I had 18 blocks made up but not all sewn together.  It started as a kit for a lap size quilt but I realized that it would look quite nice on an antique side board that we have inside our front entry at home where we tend to drop mail and keys.  The 18 blocks are the perfect size.  I have sewn them all together and quilted it simply with the walking foot. While trimming I did some measuring and one end is almost 3/4″ wider than the other.  How come?  The wider end is the one I did on the new machine!  Obviously the 1/4″ mark is different enough that with all these seams, it added up to be that different.  I will have to be creative with attaching the binding in order to try to “equalize” it.  The binding will be added tonight so that I can hand sew the back side tomorrow when we drive to Yellowstone Park.

Here it is in place, back at home!

Addendum – The pattern for this log cabin block is by Edyta Sitar and is called Cross Roads. You can find the pattern here.

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May 27, 2012 · 3:33 PM

Zakka Style Project 8: Block Quilt

Zakka Block Quilt

Zakka Block Quilt    Finished size = 46 X 60 inches

Yippee!  I got the quilt done and I LOVE it!  I thought I had gotten a jump on this project by deciding the layout a few weeks ago.  However, all the sewing, quilting and binding was done this week – mostly in the past 3 days.  Luckily my husband was out of town and I didn’t have too many other responsibilities.

Blocks and stitching

Blocks and stitching

I used a charm pack of woven japanese fabrics which are 4″ square.  There were 70 squares in the package and I needed 72.  I supplemented by cutting some similar fat quarters that I had.  I used cream colored linen for the rest of the top and a cotton fabric for the binding and back.

serged quilt back

Serged quilt back

I put the quilt together with my serger.  The linen and the woven fabrics were a loose enough weave that they were fraying like crazy so I thought this would be a good idea.  Look at how neat the back is!  I’ve only used my serger for garment construction and edge finishing (150 cloth napkins for my daughter’s wedding) in the past.  This project was the PERFECT project to serge because of all the straight lines and it went together very quickly this way.

Finished corner

Close up of binding and hand stitching

I did stitch in the ditch with thread that matches the linen along the seams on the top and bottom of the blocks.  This did a good job of stabilizing the quilt.  This loosely woven linen really wanted to lose it’s shape.  Next I did the hand stitching with a thick pearl cotton thread.  The hand stitching was definitely the most time consuming part of this project, but I’m SO happy that I did it because I love how it looks and it reminds me of sashiko stitching which seems appropriate with my japanese fabrics.

Finished Quilt

I wonder how many other Zakka Sew Along sewers are scrambling to get their quilts done today in order to link up for this weeks “prize”.  Good luck everyone!

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