Author: louisaenright

It has been a busy week for me. But we did get a good rain. I’ve had a sore knee, but am now walking again. I have no idea what I did to it. And I’m so happy with my quilting work. I mailed “Pot Pourri 4” to a niece with a new baby. And I’ve been contemplating tiling my outdoor screen porch. Neighbors just tiled theirs, and it is so lovely. They are encouraging me…

“Arrowheads” is almost bound. Yeah! It’s gorgeous! Pics to follow soon now.

“Diamonds” is on the longarm. This pic does not do it justice I don’t think. I really like this quilt. And I’m enjoying making this series using the half-rectangle triangle block made with the Hurty ruler (Latifah Saafir). On to the next… I have TWO ideas to trial.

And then there are three leaf potholders–but yesterday the orange one went to a neighbor who had a birthday, along with a rope bowl. As requested by a reader I did take pics of how to do this binding and will post them soon.

Tara Faughnan, in our online “Blocks 2” class showed us her method for corralling solid scraps so they are easy to see and use. She clips color groups together and then links groups together with big rings. I had some small clips on hand, but ordered 2-inch ones and the rings. Wow! No more pawing through strips. I can just reach for the ring that holds the colors I want.

And now I can’t stop playing with these scraps rather than using the very pretty palette I pulled for this month’s block play. The pic on the left is from the grey strips–and you can see how very varied they can be and how their colors change according to what other color next to them. I’m going to hand quilt it and bind it. I have sorted all my strips but the greys–which will be a task for today.

What I want to do with the hexagon and the triangles (there will be a green triangle next–with an orange center and background) is to stretch them over 10-inch canvases to be used as little gifts. I am so excited about trying out this idea.

“Pot Pourri 5: Crosses” is all laid out. Now if I can make myself stop playing with this month’s block project, I’ll get it sewed together. (Remember this one is part of the 5+ years of using up Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society 3 1/2-inch squares. The bins are about half gone now, and the colors are starting to run out.)

The scrappy “Glitter” blocks are growing, but I’m not really engaged with this project. The block is intriguing, but so fiddly, even with the templates I broke down and ordered. I have two more cut out. So one more row, than…a decision.

It is another beautiful day here today! I’ll be getting out into it shortly.

…is off the longarm.

It took me a while to quilt it as I had planned to use a daunting pantograph for the first time: “Nemesh’s Feather Grande” by Bethanne Nemesh.

I was intimidated. For sure.

But once I got organized with this panto, I found it was fun to use–all those cute swirls. And it lays down what would be a double/wider run, which means a more intense run, but double the amount it does on the quilt–so less runs to do.

It proved to be PERFECT. The texture is just awesome. Here is “Arrowheads” just finished.

Here’s a close-up of the texture:

And here is “Arrowheads” all trimmed and bound and ready for me to sew down the binding. I lay out a quilt on the floor to lay out the binding so I don’t play “binding roulette” with where a seam falls near a corner.

I’m liking this striped binding a lot:

“Arrowheads” is the first quilt in a series–using Latifah Saafir’s Hurty ruler–with which I am currently obsessed.

The second quilt, “Diamonds,” will come off the design wall later today–and I’ll likely use this same pantograph to quilt it. And I have enough of this striped binding to use it again. And I have a backing.

I have two more ideas to play with regarding at least a third quilt.

Meanwhile, I’m loving pulling so many cool fabrics out of my stash to make these blocks. This project is allowing me to play to my heart’s content.

How fun they are!

Next I think I’ll try a green one.

I’ve worked out how to easily handle the binding now–and I do like the zig-zag stitch to hold it down–sewn from the front. And the loop encloses itself so just needs to be doubled back and sewn to the potholder–which means no need to join the circle of a binding when the ends meet. Here the ends meet at the bottom of the leaf.

Reminder, I got this idea from Amira Ameruddin’s video on Instagram: amira_littlemushroomcap. This leaf potholder idea was featured on the weekly post I get from Aurifil threads that highlights various quilt/sewing projects using Aurifil threads.

Here’s a really fun quilt–be sure to scroll down to see the maker’s dress as it matches the gingham used in this quilt. (You might have to copy this link to get to this post.)

https://mailchi.mp/thencamejune/three-things-weve-never-done-before?e=cf2adeac48

This quilt is super bright, yes. And I think the bright neon thread is a gutsy choice that works well.

This little project from Tara Faughnan’s online “Blocks 2” class is finished. I tried facing for the first time, and it worked well I think. I like the clean, modern look facing gives.

This one (18-inches square) can be used as a decorative table topper I think. Here it is with large and deep rope bowl I made as an example. But a thinner vase with flowers would be lovely and more in proportion.

I’m hand quilting the bright version now.

I never would have thought of this “hourglass half-rectangle block” on my own, and I am intrigued. Note: you have to cut two of the half-square rectangle blocks on the diagonal to get the 4 colors of the hourglass block–then sew those two halves together.

I’m now making some potholders while playing with versions of a straight hourglass block combined with this half-rectangle hourglass block–and having lots of fun trimming blocks into pieces that will make a kind of collage look for the potholders. Pics to follow at some point.

Have a great week everyone!

There is a quilt on the longarm, the design wall if FULL of blocks that need to be sewn together for two quilts–plus some Glitter blocks in process. There are ropes waiting for me to make trivets and baskets, the “play” with Tara Faughnan’s first block class this season (Hourglass block) is ongoing, and the leftover fabrics from Prickly Pear are waiting for me to use them to try out an alternative block or two and maybe make a lap quilt…

So in the midst of all that chaos, yesterday I couldn’t resist this leaf potholder–and it took me all afternoon as, for me, there was a learning curve–starting with when I cut the two slabs separately on the diagonal and the joined rows didn’t line up. Probably I didn’t cut each on the same diagonal angle. Add into the learning curve that that I cannot easily cut the leaf shape on the slabs free hand. I needed a freezer paper template, LOL. And that it worked better to cut out the leaf with scissors. That meant two more slabs to make. But who cares? It is a learning curve. You do need TWO slabs so each half of the front and back is different from the other side on the front and back. (That is also true of the little Hourglass half-square rectangles I’ve been making. You need two half-square rectangles to make the 4 colors.)

I also didn’t cut binding wide enough to manage two slabs, a batting layer, and a layer of fluffy Insul-Brite–next time, 2.75 wide binding I think. AND, this little potholder DOES need bias binding for all the curves. I managed with straight binding, but it was tricky. A walking foot is absolutely necessary.

BUT, it is so darn cute! I can see it in scrappy reds, in winter blues, in spring greens, etc. And like most learning curves, once you’ve “gotten” something, it all goes much, much faster.

A reminder, this idea was created by Amira Ameruddin, and there is a video on Instagram: amira__littlemushroomcap. Her video made it look easy and fast, and maybe it is…now. You really DO have to quilt all the layers before cutting out the leaf. Amira only uses one batting layer, but I don’t think that would really protect with a potholder.

Also, if the binding process goes faster next time, maybe I will try this binding zig zag method from Stitched In Color. I think it would be a nice addition–if I can do it as nicely as Rachel Hauser does. She makes this method look very elegant.

https://www.stitchedincolor.com/blog//2011/11/zigzag-binding-tutorial.html

Another learning curve yesterday was making FACING for one of the 18-inch square Hourglass half-square rectangle little quilts, and that went well. I do like the “clean” look of that method. BUT, putting on a hanging sleeve would mean putting it on after the facing is done. Just noting. I don’t intend to hang this little quilt. The bright one will be hand quilted next.

Here they are side by side before I faced the one on the left. I do really like this block: big or little! I will try it out big for my quilt series on the half-square rectangle using Latifah Saafir’s Hurty ruler.

Today, I’ll–RIGHT NOW–go upstairs and do at least ONE row on the longarm quilt. Then I’ll walk. I don’t have to cook today, so the rest of the day will be mine to play upstairs.

I’ve been busy!

Life…happened.

And life has included watering outside as it is again very dry. But our weather has been spectacular for days now. This morning we had a little colder weather, and I needed warmer clothes and slippers on my bare feet.

And life has included that there are a host of quilty projects happening.

The most recent “Pot Pourri” quilt made from the 3 1/2 inch Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star squares is finished. It is “Pot Pourri 4.” There are MORE quilts from these blocks not called by that Pot Pourri name. And…I still have about half a bin each of the colored and neutral squares.

PP4 came out much cuter than I had thought it would be–but what could go wrong? It’s scrappy goodness from great fabric prints!

The backing is a turquoise wideback that works well. I used a kind of light seafoam green thread and a pantograph that was new to me and suggested by Wendy Curry, my Canadian online longarm quilting friend: Rhododendron. It was a fun panto to sew. I used the backing fabric for the binding.

My online class “Blocks 2” with Tara Faughnan has started. The first block with which we are playing is the Hourglass block, also known as “Broken Dishes.” It’s long been a favorite of mine. Tara, as is usual, had dozens of ways to manipulate it–modern, improv, and traditional.

What drew my interest in my current moment of making a series of at least 3 scrappy quilts from the half-rectangle block–using Latifah Saafir’s Hurty Ruler–was Tara’s example of taking that half-rectangle block and making it into an hourglass form.

I set up a palette from my solid stash that came as close to Tara’s palette as I could–though I did limit the number of colors but made sure to have darks, mediums, and light fabrics included. And then I made two quilt versions of the half-square rectangle hourglass blocks I made (3 by 6 inches)–one dark and one light/bright.

Here’s the dark one–which is 18 inches square. I’m hand quilting it with my 12-weight cotton threads–just a simple grid. I pulled threads that match these colors. I might try facing these two little quilts, as I need to learn to do that well. It’s all about play, right? And with the binding on PP4 finished, I was missing night hand sewing. Otherwise, tv makes me so restless.

I got the lighter one sewn together last night and will layer it today. I’ll use the brighter threads to match the brighter colors.

I like both of them, but I have no idea how I’ll use these two blocks–but I do have some ideas. And I think this block would make an awesome bigger quilt. But I’m not going there right now.

I will play with the traditional hourglass block before I break up this palette. Maybe just a few blocks…LOL.

The design wall is FULL!

I’ve got the blocks set now for the second half-square rectangle quilt. The first is on the longarm and is now basted and waiting for me to finish it. I’m using a challenging panto that is new to me, so I’m hesitant I think, but also engaged in these other projects.

To remind you, here is “Arrows” which is on the longarm.

Here’s the second quilt: “Diamonds.” I changed out the bottom row diamond and am making one I like better. The top two rows are sewn together–after days of moving blocks around and trying out more diamonds than originally planned. And, playing with ways to NOT make the diamonds altogether symmetrical. Or, all of the neutral backgrounds symmetrical–as would be typical in a traditional quilt. I wanted the edges to feel a bit…scattered.

PP5: Crosses–is on the right and needs to have its rows sewn together to free up space to finish it–which is not far from being done.

I also know what I’ll do for the third quilt in this series–and am already looking forward to starting it.

I also got tired of pawing through my 12-wt thread spools for the “right” color and put them all into shallow boxes where I can see them all at one glance. I’m loving that!

OK, folks. That’s it for now, and I’m sending all of you my best wishes for a lovely week.