Category: Quilting in Maine

Quilting, mine and others

Turkey Tracks: Quilts by Friends: Tori’s Ice Dyeing and More

Turkey Tracks:  February 7, 2018

Quilts by Friends:  Tori’s Ice Dyeing and More

Tori is intrigued with ice dyeing.  She made a rope bowl a bit back after ice dyeing the rope.  (Only use pure cotton rope for dyeing.  Polysester won’t take the dye.

Jim Vandersnoot recently did a program on ice dyeing for Coastal Quilters.  That got Tori really going.

Here’s a “onsie” gift for a new baby.  With socks.

What a great present!

But wait, there’s more:  her giraffe quilt goes into the present as well:

Tori is “camdenmemom” on Instagram if you want more info on her work.

And here’s a selection of what she dyed recently.

 

Here’s a t-shirt quilt for a friend–from the friend’s t-shirts.

And here she is making a RUG with a package of Alison Glass strips.  Tori loves Alison Glass fabrics.

 

Tori’s projects always amaze and intrigue me.  Go Tori!

Turkey Tracks: Quilts By Friends: Linda Satkowski’s “Quilt-lets” and More

Turkey Tracks:  February 5, 2018

Quilts By Friends:  Linda Satkowski’s “Quilt-lets” and More

Linda hs been making these coral “quilt-lets” (Katja Marek design) for some time.  They are really starting to come together now.

She is also working on Bonnie Hunter’s “wild and goosey” block and is way further along than I am. She gives me renewed interest in returning to this pattern.  I like the way she using consistent color in each block.  Mine are scrappy, and I have not worked on them since last May.

 

 

Turkey Tracks: My “On Ringo Lake” Quilt Top

Turkey Tracks:  February 5, 2018

“On Ringo Lake” Quilt Top Done

Finished the top.  “On Ringo Lake” is Bonnie Hunter’s 2017 Mystery Quilt.  She releases the first clue the Friday after Thanksgiving.  The digital pattern is now available on her website, quiltville.com

I changes colors from Bonnie’s aqua, coral, dark brown, and neutrals to my grey, gold, black, and neutrals.

The secondary patterns are awesome.

I would rate this quilt as difficult.  And I’m an accomplished seamstress.  Bonnie’s directions are really good, and she shows you multiple ways to do the units.  I like to do her quilts because I always learn a lot.  This time was no exception.  I love the new “corner” ruler she introduced.  It sits on my cutting table all the time now.

Not sure how I’ll quilt it.  To remind, here is my Cotton+Steel backing and the gold binding I found:

Turkey Tracks: “Big Star: Cotton+Steel” Quilt

Turkey Tracks:  February 8, 2018

 

“Big Star:  Cotton+Steel” Quilt

It’s finished!

I designed the big funky star in an Amy Friend workshop last spring–using her improv paper piecing design process.  The book is IMPROV PAPER PIECING.  I used all Cotton+Steel for the big stars.  And I manipulated color in the center of the stars to get the internal star shape at the center.  The block is 16 inches with four quadrants of 8 inches that come together.

There are lots of “big star” forms out in the quilty world, but mine are “funky.”

I used this very fun aqua print for the back.  And I like the light binding a lot.  I like the dark grey background, too.  It feels very rich and warm.

The design throws a lot of patterns.  Here is an octagon.

Here is a big fan with a funky center.

And when seen in other ways, the diamonds form lines up and down the quilt.

I wanted quilting that did not in any way distract from the pattern, so I used a medium grey thread and just made a grid of wavy lines.  It worked beautifully as where they c tossed made odd-shaped funky diamond forms.

 

Turkey Tracks: Mt. Battie Modern Traveling Quilts January 2018

Turkey Tracks:  February 4, 2018

Mt. Battie Traveling Quilts January 2018

The traveling quilts are beyond amazing.  Each time we see them, they get larger and more exciting.

Here is Joanne Moore’s quilt, with writing added by Lynn Vermeulen and the f lower block in the upper right corner by Nancy Wright.

 

Here is MY QUILT, and boy do I love it!  Becca added the line of paper-pieced flowers on the left, the fabric squares above them, and the line of trees above the words.  Trees and flowers, what’s not to like?

Becca  ordered the graphic village fabric that is around the flowers after I asked her if she knew who made it.  That was a lovely surprise.

She later told me she had made this strip below because I love her selvage spider webs, but that she could not work it into the quilt.  I took it and will see that it gets worked in along the way because this spider web is something she has been designing for some time now.  More on that in another post.

Here is Lynn Vermeulen’s quilt.  Joann Moore added the thread spools and button on the left.  The fabric around that block pulls down a lot of the color going on in the quilt.

 

Vicki Fletcher made these two blocks for Linda Satkowski’s quilt.  She wanted to add an animal and an insect to Linda’s “community.”

Margaret-Elaine Jinno added this coastal block as we live on the coast with mountains that come down to the sea.

The above blocks will go into the blocks below.

Nancy Wright added this flower block to Vicki Fletcher’s quilt.

It will probably go on the right side with the other flowers.

Tori Manzi added the round blocks, the heart, and the rose  to Becca’s quilt, and Margaret Elaine added the colored pencils.

 

Linda Satkowski added the row of mountains to Nancy Wright’s quilt.  Becca’s saying is “never stop looking up.”  Margaret Elaine Jinno added a row of adorable birds for the bottom.   I’ll get that picture next time.

I had Gus Bruns quilt this last time, and I spent a lot of time joining up the parts.  Here is the left side.

I left a big center in the middle to fill.  The right side and bottom are connected.

I added the row of made fabric on the left, the bear on the aqua fabric at the bottom, and loads of connecting strips.  Margaret Elaine Jinno added the fox in the circle in the middle and a poem about the fox below–with an orange moon.

We are all busy now working on the quilts we picked up at the meeting.  We will see them again in February.  And I hope we can devise a way to display them a bit better.

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: January Thaw 2018 and Update

Turkey Tracks:  January 14, 2018

January Thaw 2018 and Update

Hi folks!

This post will be a mish-mash of updates.

First, we had a brief but very welcome thaw.  At one point over the past two days we had temps in the low 50s, with a lot of rain accompanying the warmer temps.  Most of the snow has melted away, so we are ready for more snow to make everything look clean and white again.  The temps have dipped again, so we are back to winter.

Penny dog began begging for a walk as soon as the rain stopped.  She would not leave me alone until I dragged on boots and got out our coats.  The walking produced a “walking haiku.”

18.

January 13, 2018

That dog loves her walks
A January thaw called
Her joy filled my heart

Coastal Quilters had their monthly Sit and Sew at the Lion’s Club on Wednesday.  Becca Babb-Brott brought her spider web quilt and worked on the binding.  The spider webs are made with selvages:

I love this quilt.  (Becca’s Etsy store “Sew Me A Song” carries some really interesting Japanese fabrics that are hard to get here in the USA.)

She quilted it with diagonal lines that vary in width.

I finished all the blocks for the “Big Star” quilt, started in an Amy Friend workshop last year about improv paper piecing, the subject of her new book:  IMPROV PAPER PIECING.  The fabrics are Cotton+Steel, except for the charcoal solid.  Who knew I could make my own design?  I didn’t, but I really like it–though I recognize that it did not create any new territory.  I am sewing it together now.

I am on my THIRD Brother inexpensive serger.  I’ve sent two back as they had serious problems.  I am going to try out the one that came this week later this afternoon.  There is not doubt that a working serger makes sewing clothes really fast–especially with knits.  If this one doesn’t work, I’m giving up and will look for a more expensive serger.

I bought this yummy cotton knit fabric to make a sweatshirt on the serger this week–in my Wednesday class with Cheryl Rodriguez, whose studio is located at Waterfall Arts in Belfast.  Cheryl is AWESOME, and has gotten me feeling competent on the serger.  Now if the new one works…

And I finished the corduroy skirt that will go with the fleece top I made earlier:

It’s Simplicity 2058, and it fits after some major measuring and altering of the pattern.  I am back hippy and low waisted in the back, so a skirt without a waist band works best for me.  Thanks Cheryl for helping me figure out how to sew for my body.

I like the flare that develops AFTER my hips are fitted–the flare makes a swirly fullness at the hem.

Friend Gus Bruns dropped by and brought me this cowl that she made for me.  I love it!  She didn’t know that I love snowdrops and that I have them planted all over the yard.  The white on the navy feels like the essence of spring, doesn’t it.  The knit came from Alewives Quilt Shop in Damariscotta, Maine, and it is a sweatshirt knit.  Well!  I’ll have to slow down and go down for a visit as I’m looking for a knit in which to to make the Simplicity skirt, now that I’ve got the pattern “just right.”  The cowl fits “just right” too, and I really like it.

I took this picture Friday at a friend’s because it shows the sailcloth bag the kiddos gave me this summer–bought from a local store that specializes in sailcloth products.  I wanted them to see it gets used all the time.  AND, this picture shows how a mudroom functions in Maine–I love to see all the winter clothes hanging.  that’s my black coat and turquoise scarf just above the bag.

Lunch is ready (a lamb stew) and “that dog” is begging for a walk.  We’ll probably do it, though it is colder.  The bracing air may help clear out my head and chest as I’m fighting a simmering cold.  I haven’t had one in some years now, so it probably is time for my body to cleanse itself immune wise.

Hugs to you all…

Turkey Tracks: January 5, 2018

Turkey Tracks:  January 5, 2018

January 5, 2018

I’m not sure how it got to be January 5, 2018, already!

Where does the time get to so fast?

We survived yesterday’s “Bomb Cyclone” up here in Mid-Coast Maine.  I’ve seen much worse in terms of blizzards.  Maine coastal areas flooded, however.  Just north of Camden, Lincolnville Beach flooded.  I’ve never seen that kind of winter flooding before this storm, and many old timers here are saying they have not either.  It is not an exaggeration to say that we are in unchartered territory in terms of big storms and rising waters.

I replenished bird food and Louisa food before the storm.  The bags are so boldly colorful.

After this storm, we have a fair amount of snow on the ground.  The winter sports folks are delighted.   Here’s my back deck, so you can see what’s accumulated now.

The turkeys stay with me all winter now, but these males stick very close.  They spent the storm under the big white pine and their backs were often were covered with snow.  Did it help insulate their bodies?

I’ve had a lot of intense sewing time in recent weeks, which I love.  The Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt “reveal” came just before New Year’s, along with all the finishing “clues.”  “On Ringo Lake” is an intense, very scrappy quilt.  I am enjoying seeing all the different color ways and different settings people have used in this quilt and look forward to seeing my own different colors playing together.  You can see the finished quilt on Bonnie’s web site:  quiltville.com.

I don’t know.  I think in recent years Bonnie Hunter’s designs have gotten more and more busy.  Or, modern quilts have changed my own tastes.  But I often feel that all the busyness in sashings, especially, is detracting from the clever, innovative blocks she designs.  I know that opinion is a very personal taste take on my part, but I think my own challenge with her work that I attempt will be to scale back some of the elements.  The eye, I think, needs resting places.  Too much is…too much…and robs the work of its specialness.  The cleverness is getting…lost.

Here is a picture of some of the small quilts in my sewing room–made over the past 13 or so years:

I cut out a fleece top yesterday.  I’m working up my courage to sew it mostly on the serger.  Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

Turkey Tracks: Mt. Battie December 2017 Meeting

Turkey Tracks:  January 5, 2018

Mt. Battie Modern December 2017 Meeting

We had a very pleasant gathering a few days after Christmas.

We set the meeting calendar for next year, organized the “Long Time Gone” (Jen Kingwell) challenge for 2018, and celebrated completing our FIRST YEAR of membership in the Modern Quilt Guild.

Becca Babb-Brott brought her completed Tula Pink 100 MODERN QUILT BLOCKS top.

Note that Becca staggered her setting rows on the bottom as well as the top.  And, that she made the sashing between rows different widths.

It will be fun to see this one quilted and finished.

Next month we see the Traveling Quilts again.

Turkey Tracks: Clue 5 and Quilty Play Time

Turkey Tracks:  December 28, 2017

Clue 5 and Quilty Play Time

I finished Clue 5 yesterday.

The pile of units is looking healthily large:

I will be interested to see how my colors will work in this mystery quilt, “On Ringo Lake,” by Bonnie Hunter.

Instead of working on the LAST THREE blocks of the big star quilt…based on my design from Amy Friend’s Improve workshop and her book IMPROV PAPER PIECING…

…I played.

I think it is really important to have play time with sewing.

And, like many quilters, I have the ongoing battle of using scraps so as not to waste too much fabric.  Plus, I like scrappy looks in a quilt.

I pulled out some old blocks–because I wanted to see how the very modern fabric I chose for their sashing would actually work with these blocks.  The blocks are a riff on Bonnie Hunter’s “Nine in the Middle,” from her ADVENTURES WITH LEADERS AND ENDERS.  Instead of the 9-patch middle, I am using “made fabric.”  The sashing fabric came from Rebecca Babb-Brott’s Etsy store, Sew Me A Song.

I like it.  I like, too, the neutral block.  I have A LOT of neutral scraps, so will kind of dot those around this quilt like polka dots.  I will use colored squares on most of the neutral centers.  The all-neutral one is a bit stark.

We learned in one of Bonnie’s mysteries, to use the Companion Angle ruler to cut the big triangle in the outer block.  With a 2-inch strip, one can line up on the 4-inch line so as to get the top of the triangle cropped off.  This technique would combine with the Easy Angle ruler for the outer triangles.  No waste that way.  You could also use the new corner cutting ruler and lay a 2-inch square over a rectangle and cut.  More waste, though.  And, of course, Bonnie always shows how to draw a line on a small square, lay it over the rectangle, and sew a scant seam.  So many ways to make a unit.

Friend Linda Satkowski is making these “made” fabric blocks by using the same colors, like all the reds, all the blues.  I think that’s very interesting too.

Right now I have TWO leader ender projects:  The above and this one:

Garlic Knots, from Bonnie’s QUILTMAKER magazine column:

I THINK Bonnie made this quilt, and I suspect it is in her upcoming new book.  Here’s a picture. If anyone knows where this quilt appeared, let me know so I can credit it??

I think I would NOT do a border…???  I seem to be in a borderless moment.

Finally, I played around with Amanda Jean Nyberg’s idea of making birch tree trunks from scraps.  She made a small block, starting with a 5-inch square and making thin tree trunks–for a pincushion.  I started with a 7 1/2-inch block and used 1-inch trunk columns.  It so does not work:  the block-size math isn’t right, it isn’t square, and I don’t like how the trunks lean.  Will continue to play around with this one though.  Clearly the beginning block size needs to be much bigger.  Meanwhile I’ll throw this block into the Parts Department box and will probably frame it somehow to make the math work with other blocks.

I had a fun afternoon and emerged relaxed and ready to enjoy dinner and, later, to watch tv and sew “Valse Brilliante” English Paper Piecing blocks (Willyene Hammerstein, MILLEFIORE QUILTS).  I have quite a lot of those blocks now, but that is a story for another day.