Tag: Sugaridoo QAL

Sugaridoo QAL Rainbow Quilt is Bound

Turkey Tracks: January 28, 2021

Sugaridoo QAL Rainbow Quilt is Bound

Yeah!!

Sugaridoo, as hosted by Bernina, ran this QAL for a year.

Each month Sugaridoo gave us a new row to make and supplied us with patterns and videos. So I now have 12 new patterns in my files to be used whenever I see fit—and they are all interesting and lively. Almost any of them would make a quilt all by themselves. For me, there were some learning curves as well, and that’s always good.

Somehow I made two rows each month—one in this solid rainbow version, and one in all Cotton+Steel. I sat on these finished tops for a bit as I thought about how to quilt them. I didn’t want any quilting that distracted from these very graphic blocks. And I like to make soft quilts that are functional, so I didn’t want heavy quilting—assuming I have the patience for that, which I clearly do not. I chose just simple wavy lines and am very pleased with the result. I will do that in the other quilt as well.

Trimming up the sides:

Admiring how the soft, traditional backing I chose works to soften the graphic nature of the top.

Putting on the binding. I used the same dark grey that Sugaridoo used for the accents in each row. I think it is working well.

So now I have some hand-sewing for night tv watching.

AND a solution for quilting the second Sugaridoo quilt that is all organized and ready to go.

Mid November Quilty Update

Turkey Tracks: November 13, 2020

I have FOUR quilts to longarm now—each is all set up with all their parts organized, including their labels and bindings.

And while my quilt room is feeling MUCH less tangled with projects now, the bed in the adjacent bedroom is piled high with these projects.

First up to quilt will be the Wild Goose quilt, seen here on the design wall a while back:

Next will be the funky rail fence quilt designed by Sajata Shah and which can be seen in her book CULTURAL FUSION QUILTS.

The TWO Sugaridoo QAL quilt tops are finished as of yesterday. These two quilts have been a year-long journey. Here’s the rainbow solid one. You can see a piece of the backing fabric on the cutting board. I wanted something quiet, though I was tempted by the very bright choices others are making. I am going to bind in the darker grey accent fabric.

Here’s a close up pic of the LAST row, row 11.

Row 11 is so graphic. It was so fun to make. And in general, I have learned a lot during this project and have now 12 new patterns and several quilty methods new to me.

Here is the Cotton+Steel version:

And a close up of those bottom rows:

I have absolutely no idea how I should quilt these quilts. At 70 by 90, they are just way too big to be done on the domestic machine with a grid. And I don’t do intensive longarm quilting with rulers. I just don’t. And I don’t like intensive quilting on a functional quilt as it makes them too stiff. So I will do something overall—either freehand or with a pantograph.

I have TWO leader/ender projects on the design wall; each is endlessly fun and are using up the solid scraps. The tree block is inspired by a quilt by Crazy Mom Quilts, and the striped quilt is inspired by a quilt by Tara Faughnan.

AND, in the relatively clean quilt room, I will now wade into the first Color Collective project as the white background fabric I ordered arrived this week.

People taking the class are showing their completed blocks now in the online social media groups (FB and Instagram), and their different color choices are so fun and so inspiring to see.

The Penultimate Sugaridoo QAL Row

Turkey Tracks: September 27, 2020

The Penultimate Sugaridoo QAL Row

One more row to go! And that row will combine with a row already finished and not yet attached. These two rows will come at the green end of the quilt and are in the aqua blue family.

This penultimate row is the funky log cabin pink row, the second from the pink top. On the solid version, I followed Sugaridoo’s method—which I found to be more difficult than was needed. So, on the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star version, I tried another method, and I liked it far better. See below.

Sugaridoo’s method makes a long strip where the strands are placed and sewn on a 45-degree angle and from which the 6-inch square of strips is cut. But it is very hard to keep the 45-degree angle consistent—so the strip can get wonky really fast. Plus, it requires a lot of sewing to even get to the point where you can cut the first block. I was sure I was going to run out of the pink fabric that came in the kit before I got all 8 blocks done. And it was darn close, I can tell you.

So for the second version, I cut out 6-inch blocks from very thin paper (old phone book pages or newsprint), drew a random 45-degree angle and sewed down strips that way. This method means you can use all the short pieces that form as you sew toward each corner. The 45-degree angles are easy to maintain, and the block is easy to trim up when you’ve covered the paper.

I do like this block a lot and think I’ll end up using it again down my quilty road.

Sugaridoo QAL: Part 9

Turkey Tracks: July 18, 2020

Sugaridoo QAL: Part 9

My solid row looks just like it should, so I didn’t take a picture of my own developing solid rainbow quilt. The deep rose color of this block/row is so luscious. And I love the big X block we made—with it’s secondary bloc that forms such a nice pattern between the big X’s.

This picture is the mock-up that Sugaridoo’s Irene gives us each month—with each new row added. I am enjoying the very graphic nature of this quilt. And, there are so many cool methods in this Quilt Along; so many terrific blocks. The blank rows are the remaining three left to do.

I am also making the quilt in my Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics—which I’d like to whittle down a bit. It’s been fun trying to come close to the rainbow colors of the solids Sugaridoo chose.

Somehow I didn’t get the line of the butterflies centered just right on the accent block. Even though I wasn’t happy with it, I sewed the strip together. The next morning I took it apart and redid the long butterfly piece. Now I’m happy. It was an easy fix when I wasn’t tired, and I learned how to handle this problem with the freezer paper method along the way.

I’m pretty sure the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics are breeding in their bins. They don’t seem to be going down with use. Of course, I keep adding to them!!!

The green row above the big Delta row—Mowed Lawn—is an improv method that lends itself to all kinds of uses. I’ve loved the many blocks with tree trunks cut into them that one sees around and about today. One of them is Bright Birch Trees by Crazy Mom Quilts. Beth Guntner Jones posted a picture on the Sugaridoo FB page and others identified the Bright Birch Trees pattern.

Oh boy, I found myself making some stripped fabrics from the off-cuts on a table I keep near my sewing machine, cutting them into one-inch slices, and digging into my solid stash for some bright colors.

Now I can’t stop making them, so I have TWO leader/ender projects going on. My “trees” are on smaller blocks than I think Crazy Mom’s pattern uses. I cut at 8 1/2 inch and trimmed to 8 inches, which will finish at 7 1/2 inches. I tried this method once before but got frustrated. After the Sugaridoo improv row, Mowed Lawn, it was easy.

BUT, one hint: when you cut your solid block, number your slices from left to right on the RIGHT SIDE of your fabric. Otherwise, it’s just way too easy to get the pieces mixed up.

Now I want to vary the trunk widths a bit…

And I’ve started “Bedrock” from The Color Collective, designed by Tara Faughnan. Pics likely to follow in a few days.

Turkey Tracks: Sugaridoo QAL: Row 9, Delta

Turkey Tracks:  March 5, 2020

Sugaridoo QAL:  Row 9, Delta

I am making two versions of this QAL:  one in the solid rainbow fabrics (Kona) and one in, hopefully, Cotton+Steel from the fabrics I have on hand.

For the solid version, I printed out patterns on newsprint and foundation pieced the blocks, which then got sewed into the row.  The block is BIG, so sections needed to be taped to make the pattern.  And, afterwards, the paper had to be pulled out, which is always a pain.  But the blocks are perfect—with sewing room above all the points.

The printed fabric row I made with the freezer paper method, which I love.  BUT, I think I am not sewing quite close enough to the folded line and that might account for some points being a bit close to the edge.

I also moved the highlight piece (grey, blue) away from the right hand edge, partial block to the block next to it.  Given the overall schema, this position will not impact other highlighted blocks in the quilt.

April will be here before I know it.