I’m handquilting the Galactic wall hanging quilt now with Wonderfil Glamour thread, as shown by Tara Faughnan on Instagram. The Galactic quilt is a project in Tara Faughnan’s season 2 online class hosted by Sewtopia (Amy Newbold) . Glamour is a 12-weight rayon thread with a metallic strand.
These are the thread colors I’m using for this project. The orange one was risky—it’s so hard to tell real colors from an internet picture—but it is working out well I think.
I saw a magazine ad for the Tulip sashiko needles and wondered if they would be a good idea for this heavier weight thread in a quilt. I found them online (Fat quarter shop). And, yes, I think these needles are a good idea. However, I did find I needed a learning curve to handle the needle and the fabric to get smaller stitches. This is the THIN coated needle, and you can see the bigger eye helps NOT to fray the thread.
Here, you can see that my stitches started out bigger and gradually begin to get smaller. I don’t mind as there is a certain funkiness about this quilt anyway. And I do like the way the thread shines in the quilt.
Here, you can see the progression starting to go from big stitches to smaller ones. See the bottom rows in this picture. My first rows were…BIG stitches.
Now, look how pretty. I am just keeping the quilting simple—straight lines on a diagonal.
I hand quilt at night while watching tv. Someone thinks it’s time for him to go outside to drop his britches. Afterwards, he will decide that it is time for us to go to bed—all of which involves teasing wallowing on me.
Like many of you, I’ve been spending LOTS of time at home. Ha! But I’ve been deep cleaning, culling “stuff,” repairing broken things, washing winter coats and sweaters, getting out spring clothes and storing winter ones, sewing, spending time connecting with people via internet, and on and on. My life is, actually, pretty full.
Spring is coming in slowly this year. The new raspberry and blueberry plants arrived Thursday. I planted them all yesterday—which was a BIG job made moreso by having to plant the 5 blueberry bushes into soil that had quite a few rocks embedded. It was warm in the sun, and I really enjoyed being outside with some outdoor work to do.
The raspberry canes are in the dark soil—and the box they came in will keep the center weed-free. The cold frame is FULL of delicious looking lettuce. I keep it covered until each day warms, then cover it at night as our temps are still dropping too low at night for tender plants.
These raspberry canes fruit on the second year growth, so the canes will spend this summer getting established and growing new canes.
Here’s the cold frame—taken a few days ago. The lettuce is now filling out the box as the plants are getting much larger.
Here’s where the blueberry bushes went in: 3 varieties that will pollinate with the two bushes I have in the back yard. Research says mixed varieties is a good idea. (You can see our leaves have not yet started to pop out.)
I decided last year some time that the current raspberries on the hill in front of the house were a bad idea: too hard to get to, the whole bed there was a weed-infested mess, etc. So, I dug them out, got some help with the weeding and pruning, and things are looking MUCH better. That hill is just too steep for me to manage safely now.
Here’s where the blueberry bushes went. Each needs about 3 feet of space.
Inside, my sewing has been a bit slower as I’ve had other jobs that needed my attention—to include a daily long outing with my boyfriend, AC Slater.
But, here is the “Elvira” quilt top finished—from a design by Erla Gudrun released by her free for a one-day quilt-along online. I was drawn in by the movement with the slashes, but I’ve never done BIG blocks like this block, and they are really way out of my comfort zone. Still, the project used up a lot of stash and the quilt will be a sturdy, functional lap quilt.
The “Gumdrops” top, designed by Tara Faughnan for Sewtopia’s The Color Collective, is finished. I took this picture with another quilt underneath, so it looks a bit “bumpy” on the design wall.
Papers will come out now, and I’ll layer it. It will be a wall hanging. I’m thinking of matchstick quilting it on the domestic machine up and down with a pale grey thread. Maybe a color here and there? Don’t know… The fabrics will all lay flat with the templates out. (We learned how to make templates with card stock run through a printer for the pattern.)
Here’s the quilt underneath—a mini Galactic block with which I’m playing.
I have no idea what shape this quilt will take. I have lots of fabric from the big Galactic project (which is layered and ready to hand quilt now), so will just see where this idea goes…
I am RESISTING starting anything else new until I clean up the ongoing projects: there are 2 dresses cut out, a knit top pattern copied and ready to use up some leftover knit fabric, four quilts now ready to quilt, and pieces for an improv quilt prepped and ready to make. And, Sugaridoo’s row 7 to make before row 8 arrives in May.
I am doing fine. Here are some recent pics from recent days.
I finished these two knit tops—the fabric was bought last spring and has been sitting in the garment pile. The brown sweater is the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater, version 2. I made several tops from an earlier Simplicity pattern, 8529, that is this same idea. Sew House, though, incorporated some really nice finishing touches, which makes the “boat” top much nicer. The sleeve is more sleek in that it does not have a cuff. BUT, the brown version was not as long as the Simplicity, and I liked that longer length. So, I made the blue version longer and dramatically longer in the back. It fits like a dream.
This knit dress is next in line and ready to go. It’s the Caroline Out and About Knit dress from Sew Caroline. My first version was made in a grey jersey—and I did some altering where the bodice meets the skirt. I’ve incorporated that knowledge into the pattern—along with raising the location of the pockets. We’ll see how this goes. I love the grey dress, so suspect I’ll love this one too.
If the above project goes well, then I’ll cut into this EXPENSIVE organic cotton and repeat the dress there.
Finishing the olive knit dress will leave one more garment to make. A summer rayon batik dress. Then I WILL BE CAUGHT UP on purchased garment fabrics. I am wondering if I can get a summer knit top with leftovers from the brown or blue strips. But…that will be play.
Here are quilts all ready to be quilted. The box of thread is Wonderfil’s GalMour, which is a rayon metallic thread that should just be wonderful in the top quilt, Galactic. I started down that path after seeing what this quilt’s designer used—Tara Faughnan for The Color Collective.
Here’s the design wall at the moment. The right hand project is Gudrun Erla’s quilt project, Elvira. I’ve never made a quilt with BIG pieces of fabric, and I have no idea if I will like or dislike or finish this one. There is something catchy about it though, and it is certainly a stash buster. Bonnie Hunter did a version which you can see on her blog. Getting the diagonal line installed was easy after all the 60 degree long cabin blocks I’ve been making with The Color Collective projects, as in the smaller ones on the left of the design wall. The middle project is “Gumdrops” from The Color Collective, an English Paper Piecing project.
AC and I have been out every day. Here are some recent videos of a walk in some nearby woods. Listen for the wind in the trees—it was just roaring yesterday.
I am social distancing. AC and I go every possible day to the woods, to the beach, and to the grocery store as needed. I am connected to friends and family a good chunk of each day via technology. Except for worrying about getting the virus in a serious way, about family or friends getting it and not faring well, and about my seriously diminishing stock portfolio, I am peaceful. I am enjoying all my sewing projects. It’s good to see ongoing planned projects getting finished. And working with my hands is, as always, soothing.
I am reminded that life is what it is, that we have to take it as it comes, and we can do that with joy and purpose and some laughter, or we can just let it all overwhelm us. That’s a spectrum, of course. I’m sure I hit the highs and lows of it every day, but mostly I’m…ok.
Here are some of my ongoing sewing projects:
The Galactic wall hanging top is finished, layered, pinned, and waiting for obtaining some Wonderfil GlaMour thread—a rayon with a metallic strand—that designer Tara Faughnan used and loved. Marge Hallowell at Mainely Sewing is going to carry this thread. I am hoping she can mail me some. I LOVE this quilt and this pattern. Tara Faughnan designed it and curated the fabrics in THE COLOR COLLECTIVE online class by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia.
I am also playing with a two-round smaller version with the extra fabrics I have. I have no idea where this project is going. Play without a goal is important too.
Here is Gumdrops—another Tara Faughnan project from The Color Collective. The blocks are English Paper Pieced, and we learned how to use a cardstock that one’s printer would take to make the six different patterns. I’m making a wall hanging with this one too—probably about 30 wide by 30-40 long, with three staggered rows. I will, of course, move blocks around a whole lot more as each combo gets finished. I hand sew at night while watching tv.
I’ll be layering and pinning the solid scrappy trip/granny quilt from Then Came June (Checkered Garden) today. I want to diagonal grid quilt it on a domestic, but will pin it on the longarm. I loved Then Came June’s version and thought it would be a good use for the solid scraps I have. It’s bright and wild. And maybe that’s it’s name?
I cleaned and oiled my serger over the holidays—and replaced the knives. There’s a blog post on that project. It’s running like a dream. But I’ve been having so much fun with quilty projects that I have not circled back to making garments. There is a pile of knits to be used. I cut out two tops this week. Here is the Linden Sweatshirt from Grainline. I made this top a while back and wear it a lot, so will enjoy this one as well. This top can be hacked to make other interesting tops. There is a short-sleeved version as well. I wear it both layered with a high-neck t-shirt and all by itself when the weather is a bit warmer. This particular jersey knit is so, so, so soft on the skin.
And this quilt got mailed last Monday and is now in the hands of the bride, who lives in Colorado.
Tara Faughnan of Sewtopia’s The Color Collective online class designed the block and curated the fabrics. I added more greens as I had them on hand. The quilt is called “Stacks.” I think it looks a bit like a modern, graphic version of stacked mountains. And I love the lines of triangles that form between the rows. I freehand quilted in a medium grey. I wanted lots and lots of movement—like winds blowing and moving air currents.
I knew thia fabric was my backing fabric the moment I saw it.
Yummy!
And here it is, in the hands of the bride, where I hope it will hug and cuddle and warm this special couple.
Coastal Quilters (Camden, Maine) president Tori Manzi got a call from the Camden Public Library asking if we could mount a quilt show in February since the “show” for that month had cancelled, leaving the library with no show to hang in their Picker Room.
Tori stepped up, with help from president of the Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild (Camden, Maine) Lynn Vermeulen, and many quilters from both groups, many of whom belong to both groups. Special thanks to Sarahann Smith, who has hung many shows and knows what to do.
I contributed my “Radiating Log Cabin” quilt from Season 1 of The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold of Sewtopia. Tara Faughnan designed the block and chose the color palette. The rest was up to each individual quilter.
I could not get a picture of the whole room as about 6 people were setting up for an event.
I did try to take pictures of the two traveling quilts that we did in Mt. Battie Modern last year.
Here is Lynn Vermeulen’s:
I did the top/right border, the word “joy,” and the little churn dash blocks over the word joy. I also sewed the bottom third of top together, connecting remaining blocks to the top 2/3, and that arrangement remained as I came near the end of the “traveling.”
Here is Becca Babb-Brott’s traveling quilt, though I could not get the bottom due to the tables being set up. Becca’s “saying” was “The more I wonder, the more I love.” I think that came from THE COLOR PURPLE novel. Becca did the words—as we all did—so we “travelers” worked in lots of motifs, etc. I did some stars, the fabrics under the first “the,” some flying geese (on the left), and near the “I” at the bottom, the girl figure—which copied that motif from a quilt Becca made some years back.
Here is my traveling quilt, which I did not hang in this show, but which I love so much.
This quilt basically copies Tara Faughnan’s “Small World” design, which is the first project of Season 2 of The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia.
I fell in love with this design the moment I saw it. AND, it’s made with the freezer paper method, which I really like to use.
To remind, each month Tara Faughnan gives us a new design AND a 12-piece Bella color palette from which to make the design. I added the darker, fern green, as I had some on hand and felt the need of green. Tara also suggests an additional 12 color Kona choices one could add, and the brighter red/orange was in that secondary set of colors.
I put a hanging sleeve on this quilt, as it really wants to hang. But I don’t have another logical spot in my house at the moment, having already hung a few of these Color Collective projects.
I quilted on my domestic with a 1-inch straight line pattern. I did not want to take anything away from the quilt pattern so kept it simple.
The backing is “Confetti” from the Ruby Star Society, and I liked the soft look of it for the backing.
When I’m stressed, I feel soothed when I am doing something with my hands.
Here’s what happened while the Impeachment process raged:
These blocks were inspired by our Mt. Battie Modern Quilt Guild’s challenge “Bee Inspired”—which itself was inspired by the quilters who make up the “Bee Sewcial” improv project. (You can see their work on Instagram and the blocks for each completed prompt on Mt. Battie MQG projects on Facebook.)
My prompt turn will not come around until next November, but I had a workshop with Amy Friend on foundation piecing curves this fall. And, I have two books which I love and used to play with making these blocks. Nicholas Ball’s INSPIRING IMPROV and Sherri Lynn Wood’s IMPROV HANDBOOK FOR MODERN QUILTERS. I have specified solids with clear colors—though some of the colors above are darker than I specified.
Yesterday I made myself take my sample blocks off the design wall. But between now and November I can’t guarantee that I won’t return to this kind of play again. It is kind of interesting that my prompt does come in November…
I have returned to putting binding on two finished quilts, setting up the Galactic and Gumdrops projects for The Color Collective online class I’m taking, and finishing up making blocks out of extra materials left over from other projects. More on that later.
Here’s what’s on the design wall now: Then Came June’s Checkered Garden Quilt made from leftover solids as a leader/ender project.
The blocks are 14 inches. I don’t know. I think this one needs to be 5 blocks by 6 blocks (70 by 84). Right now it’s 56 by 56. Thinking on this… Hmmm. 4 by 5 would be 56 by 70. That’s a good lap size too. Will try that next.
I’ve been working on this English Paper Piecing project for about a year. It’s the “36-Ring Circus” pattern by Jo Anne Louis.
It has been VERY slow going, and I realized I am avoiding it whenever I can.
Why?
The curves are really hard to manage, especially when sewing a block into the rows of six blocks.
Tara Faughnan in THE COLOR COLLECTIVE, from Sewtopia, to the rescue!
Tara taught in a recent month’s project to use ARTIST TAPE on the FRONT of the block to hold the seam placement firm.
Artist tape is used to mount watercolor art to mats in order to frame them. The tape is heavier and stickier than something like the blue tape one can when painting a room. Though blue tape might also work—but maybe wouldn’t be reuseable???
After one places the tape, one then does a flat back stitch on the back side of the piece—and it works best to just keep that line of stitching very narrow.
Wow! Now this project is going much faster, with much less stress.
And the tape worked well to insert the block into the row as well. Two more blocks, and I’ll have two rows of six done.
Here’s an image of what this quilt will be like when done—though I am attempting to use Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics for the centers and solids for the rest.
I finished this quilt last night and hung it this morning. That’s always a production—to get the rod leveled properly—but all went smoothly today.
This block is the “Radiating Log Cabin” designed by Tara Faughnan for Season 1 of The Color Collective, hosted by Amy Newbold’s Sewtopia. Tara curates a set of solid fabrics for each project; how one combines colors is up to each individual making the block.
I love this quilt! The block is such a handsome block.
The camera is distorting the rod angle below. I just checked. Everything is level in the room.
I hand quilted with size 8 perle cotton—with colors matched to fabric.
The making of this quilt completes all the projects from The Color Collective Season 1. I did a recent blog post on the six projects I made.
I have so, so enjoyed this journey and am enjoying season 2 and am already a month behind. LOL.
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