SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

fabric

::Modern Snippets Improvisational Coin Quilt::

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I added a coin quilt class to my teaching schedule and needed a sample for those that choose to go with a more modern or improvisational design.  An improvisational design will give students a chance to practice free piecing, angle piecing, strip piecing and design layout.

I still have a place in my heart for traditional design when it comes to this quilt and am going to raid my scrap bins to recreate my Colorway quilt too, but first things first.

I wanted to show you my original fabric picks for this quilt.  I think it’s important to audition snippets of fabric on your design wall when planning a quilt and I can’t think of a time when all the prints I pick in the beginning work their way into a finished project.

I actually cut into my fabrics and stand back from my design wall to see how they are mingling.  This is especially easy when working with one solid background color, I simply pin that up first.

If they don’t work the bits go into the scrap bin and I go back to my stash to try to find something new.  As I’m digging in my stash I think about leaning a bit more toward one color or another, eliminating distracting prints, do I need larger or smaller pieces to make the print work, or whether I have the values I need to create more or less contrast.  Then I cut some more.

In this instance only the elephants stayed and I went with a different color way of the spiral.  Sometimes I even sew up a block and end up with the rotary cutter or seam ripper.

As far as the design…that generally just evolves.

Don’t be scared to jump in and experiment!

That’s how this quilt came to be.

Little loops and circles meander along the quilt.  I let it develop rather organically and filled in where needed.

For the binding I went with a subtle print that reads solid from a distance.  I’ve had it in my stash for a while and since it is a sock monkey textured look it seemed to fit the elephant theme.

I loaded up on the Alexander Henry Entertaining Elephants from an Etsy seller at $5/yard for backings and easy whole cloth quilts.

Of course with improvisational piecing you general have some leftovers.

Those are nice for adding some interest to the back.

Yeah!  It’s so happy.  Off it goes to the shop as the sample.

I hope your day is sunny.  I’ve got a friend coming over for a visit to sew and going to try to quilt this quilt.

Happy Tuesday!

::Snippet Improvisational Coin Quilt::

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FYI, yesterday was National Kissing Day, so if you didn’t get your kiss on I believe today is the day to make it up.

Anyway, with all the family around there hasn’t been much time for quilting.

I managed to fill the calendar with classes though, one of which is a modern improvisational or traditional coin quilt.  With that needing to be done as a sample I did manage to get it basted today.

I’ve been in love with these little elephants snippeted in here since I first laid eyes on them.  I bought enough for the backing too.  I think I’ll just go loop-d-loop for the quilting.

I’ve made plenty of more traditional coin quilts, though not stacked coins.  In fact they were some of the first quilts I ever made and a good choice because of the simplicity of their construction.

I wanted the class to have the option of traditional or improvisational designs.  I think I’ll remake this one that I called the Colorway Quilt with my current fabrics for the traditional quilt sample.

I’ve made some where I fussy cut the fabrics, I guess you would considered it an I-Spy quilt.  I love any scrappy quilt that allows you to showcase your fabric stash.

Perhaps the easiest is the strip pieced method.  I prefer the fabrics all be different, but this technique is quick!

Now I’m thinking I might need a stacked coin example too.  Might be a cute use for those Heather Ross fabrics I’ve been stashing.

Hope you all had a great fourth!  I went shopping in my pajamas.

Check out the bounty from Pink Chalk Fabrics.

And speaking of Pink Chalk Fabrics, look what fun Kathy has whipped up for us all?  Click the button and see!

::Good-Bye Junuary::

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First day of Summer and the sun has finally made an appearance in Seattle.

I did make it outside to work in the yard a bit and opened up the doors to mop so I could baste my appropriately named Dreamin’ of Summer Quilt.  Although it is made of flannel so maybe I should stick the word Seattle in its name somehow.

The blocks are left overs as I am trying hard to stick it out on finishing up dropped projects around here.  I think I’m done though, my brain is bubbling with too many new ideas.

Effervescent bubbles were suggested as quilting and I think I might start bigger at the bottom and go smaller as they raise and blow away.  That’s theory though, so don’t quote me.

Seeing as last day of school is today, sewing will take a back seat and slow down.

I loaded up the classes however, cause a girl has got to get out.

Hope you’re all getting some sewing time too.

 

::Solstice Quilt Done::

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I had a cramp in my right calf for two days after quilting the Solstice Quilt, seriously.

It seemed I spent as much time ripping out quilting as putting it in.  Either it was the free-motion design I didn’t like or the color of thread, but it is D-O-N-E and ready for its first picnic, parade or beach run.

I was thinking simple and then went crazy with the quilting.  I free-motioned squares onto the postage stamp blocks.

Went loopy on all the sashing around the postage stamps.

On the black sashing I free-motioned triangles.  Where they cross created a cool secondary design.

I hadn’t really given thought to what the back would look like with all the different stitching and I gotta say it’s a little crazy, but what-ever, it’s about to eat urban dirt anyway.

We have the family represented, Aquarius, Gemini and Cancer.

I did add pockets to the back corners to weight it down with stones as instructed by Erin at House on Hill Road.

I just love all the color.

A BIG thanks to my Cottage Quilting Bee friends for bringing it together for me!

I apologize if you don’t see your block.  Some where hidden under some fabric I was cutting for sashing and I sadly sliced right through them.

And in case that isn’t enough photos for you, then there’s the pulled from the dryer quilt love.

I added a little rainbow edge to the binding too.

Do you think it goes with its Solstice Parade inspiration?  Our neighborhood parade is right around the corner.

This quilt will see a ton of use before the end of summer for sure.  Now we just need some good weather in Seattle or I’m going to be wearing this quilt more then sitting on it.

I’ll hang it up tomorrow for a better shot.

::Solstice Quilt Progress::

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So the Little Blue Cottage Quilting Bee Blocks finally have a home in my Solstice Quilt.  Finished up piecing the blocks together Wednesday, the back yesterday and basted today.

I just have to say that this is my favorite ugly quilt ever.  Like one of those dogs you see, or the old, “only a mother could love” kinda thing.

It is so not me, but so fits its Solstice Parade inspiration don’t you think?

It will get dirty.

It will get LOVED.

It will not fear picnic, parade, fireworks or beach.

Especially since it’s back is DARK DARK DARK too.

Aquarius, Gemini and Cancer, that’s us.

Quilting this weekend and then bind.

Darker Purple thread, but not sure how.  I’ll dwell on that tonight.

Have a good weekend.  Suppose to break 70 here!

::Quilting Inspiration::

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A little dose of quilting inspiration for your day, one click away.

I’ve just learned of this site when they featured my HST Love quilt yesterday.

Big thanks!

This class is coming up!  Learn half-square-triangles and how value affects design.

::Solstice Quilt::

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Roan was born on Solstice weekend.  Around my neighborhood, which is home to the Fremont Arts Council, that means he gets a parade for his birthday, naked body painted bicyclists and all.

We always brunch and then walk to the end of the street to find our spot.

We’ve needed a Solstice Parade/Picnic quilt for ages now to stake out our territory.  So yesterday I pulled out the bee blocks from my Little Blue Cottage Bee and started sashing them.

In the evening I placed them on top of the black cross-hatch with some darker edging and called it a night.

This morning I decided that the Alexander Henry Heath fabric lost the drama of the squares.  I need more contrast.  Black it is.

For some unknown reason my brain says, “Go square.” on the finished size of the quilt. Not something I’m usually into.

I’ve got two backings in mind, both Alexander Henry of course.

I’m leaning towards the Star Sign though.  I wanna be able to put this down on a city street or a grassy lawn.  This one’s dark and fun.

The Star Sign is also one of Roan’s favorites.

I like the direction it took and it’s fitting bright colors, just like the parade.

At some point I’d like to make some postage stamp blocks with the traditional layout of all sewn together with no being or end.  I like the idea of on-point and cutting some into triangles to complete the square.

Because these were made by so many different people they just wouldn’t fit together properly and that just wouldn’t work for this perfectionist.

Do you all have dreams of a picnic quilt?

EDIT:

Three short of the finish with the black sashing.  Excuse to go buy fabric in the wash as I type.  I also might pull that red block with the yellow sashing and recut it.  It looks out of place.

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upcoming classes-zip pouches and quilt finishing

destash

::You Gotta Know::

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When to hold them and when to fold them, and I’m folding on the Anything Goes Quilt for awhile.

All that work on this with the extra blocks and I just couldn’t force the inspiration.  I came back full circle to what I started with.  I might just eventually off-set it and make it into a baby quilt.

I felt I needed to stick to my unfinished project list.

It’s neatly stored…again.

I have another I’m going to give a go on.  These are the blocks from my Ten make Two bee that haven’t seen the light of day in awhile.

Each came to me a different size.  Which forces me to think outside the block I guess.  I have a few ideas and this might become the picnic quilt I’ve been wanting.

And thanks for all the kind words about my HST Love Quilt.  I love it too!

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classes

destash

::HST LOVE Done::

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I’m so in LOVE with this quilt.  Perfect for my half-square triangle class and value class coming up in a couple weeks.

One of my favorite quilts E-V-E-R for sure.  Maybe a hair behind Split Decision.

I did remove some of my first quilting and went with horizontal lines at 1.25″ apart.

It really allows the design to shine.  And while we are on the subject of design, I’ve been asked about the layout for this quilt.  There was no plan, seriously.  Make your half-square-triangles and then put them up on the design wall.  Don’t over think it.

However, if you want to play with value you could come up with some stellar designs.

I think I’ve found my go-to wedding gift for sure and already have a bevy of color combos nestled on my pin-board.

I was happy I used the Lush print for the back, it added a softness that can disappear with denser line quilting.  I finished it off with binding made from the same purple shot cotton that forms some of the triangles on the front.

Pretty plain Jane and pretty pretty.

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.   Don’t spend all your money on fabric sales.

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destash

quilting and sewing classes

::Yes::

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Yes to horizontal line quilting.  It was looking like a ‘maybe.’

All other quilting designs just seemed too busy and the piecing lost its luster.  I’m setting HST Love aside for couch/sew down binding time and a date with the fourth season of Dexter.

Time to piece together Everything Goes.

Apparently I’m also saying yes to purple and green.

Monday’s looking good.

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destash

classes

::hst love::

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I wanted to diverge from the traditional half square triangle with one solid and one print for my half square triangle class.

Ara Jane  came along to guild with her hst quilt and I was hooked.

On my last trip to the island I stacked some bolts at Pink Chalk Fabrics.  Most are Kona with one shot cotton thrown in.  Purples, teal, light blue, light green, gray and white.  They play off one another perfectly.

If you are in the market for solids, Kathy Mack is my one stop shop.

I also scored this Lush for backing at half off.

After consulting my quilting expert (hee hee) I have a quilting plan.

I mopped and scheduled in some back/knee injury time,

also known as basting.

After removing the table from the kitchen for the process I’m also realizing that I need to schedule some repaint the baseboards and sew new curtains to replace those that are beyond faded.

One task will go on the honey-do list and the other will give me an excuse to buy fabric.

I hope I love the quilting as much as I adore the top!

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destash

classes

::Sheets of Rain Quilt::

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Ever since Crazy Mom Quilt’s Ticker Tape Quilt I’ve had a quilt idea in my head.  A quilt with “ticker taped’ raindrops.  So appropriate for Seattle.

However, over the year or so the quilt idea has evolved from a ‘quilt as you go’ quilt with appliqued raindrops to a free motion quilt with a continuous raindrop stitch AND raindrop appliques.

My plan is to not go through all three layers of the quilt when ladder stitching the raindrops down, so that the continuous raindrop stitching is all that shows through on the back.

The raindrop stitches are complete and the binding is stitched down, all that’s left are the appliqued raindrops.  I’m thinking mostly primary color here.

It’s like a thunder storm on the front (which rarely occur here in Seattle and I miss them) and a sunny day on the back.

So today I made the raindrops.  Sorted through the scrap bins, picking out the favorites.

My Mom taught me how to make appliqued shapes with templates so you don’t have raw edges (which just didn’t seem practical for a baby quilt needing to be washed often).

If you haven’t done this before, draw your shape on paper or wax paper and glue it or iron it (if you use wax paper) to cardboard.  Cut it as cleanly as you can.  Use a nail file to smooth edges if needed.

Cut around your raindrop or other curved shape giving yourself about a 1/4″ seam, or trace around the shape on the wrong side of your fabric and cut a 1/4″ away from the line.

Baste stitch around your shape about an 1/8″ from the cut edge, starting and ending your thread tails on the curved end AND on the same side of fabric.

Pull on the strings.  I didn’t do it, but if you place the basting closer to the template when ironing it will help create a smoother curve (so “they” say).

I starch both sides and iron as I’m pulling those strings.  I give the strings one wrap around a finger when I pull so it’s taunt.  If you’ve glued paper on to your template then you might want to face it down or it mucks all off with the starch.

Traditionally or by what I’ve been taught at least, you iron the top tip or a point down the middle first and than cross over the sides…make sense?

As you can see, I don’t do that.  I just do a straight cross over.  I occasionally clip some of the fabric out to reduce bulk.

Whatever, they look fine.

Pull out the template and give them a final press right side up, giving a tuck to anything that’s come out of wack when removing the template.

Aren’t they delicious?

Then clip the threads and pin that sucker down.

I actually have a use for those pins that will make you blind.

When free motioning I would try to correct a raindrop ‘gone bad’ by adding an echo, but if that didn’t go so well I looked for those spots to add a raindrop applique.

Uh oh, looks like this quilt might have a load of raindrops.  It’s kinda been one of those rainy years.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

P.S.  The sun shone today.

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out of print destash

upcoming classes