Back To Hand Quilting

I've about hit my limit on hand stitching bindings on pot holders.  So, its time to get back to a little hand quilting.  The weather is becoming crisp in the evenings, the leaves are turning and falling by the bucket loads and snuggling up under a quilt with a small hand quilting project is calling my name.  

When I found this piece tucked away in my closet, I knew then and there it would be a fun project to hand quilt.

The possibilities were there!  I just needed the time and a free evening to get started with it.



The goal is not to go overboard and quilt it in to submission, just quilt it enough to enhance what is already there.  



I started with the mountains using the usual big stitch.  I often think one day I will try a new stitch...the same thing I say when I FMQ...until then, this is my stitch of choice!



Texture Happens!!  The further you get into it, the more stitches you do, the more the texture shows itself.



Hand quilting doesn't have to be perfect.  The stitches can vary.  Size isn't important. Perfection isn't the goal.  The end results are what matters.

That last part is how I think about hand quilting!  I don't know what the 'gold standard' is, I only know what I like.  It's more about the process.  

 

The back stitching I've heard, is suppose to look just like the front.  I try!  It never quite hits that mark!

I'm hoping to work on this more over the next couple days, maybe even finish it?!  Since I'll be laid up a couple days...  

Today I'm getting my wisdom teeth out.  Yes, it's true!  All four will be yoinked from my mouth today and frankly I'm not looking forward to it at all.  It seems a bit unfair that after all these years (and years and years) I have to part with them now!  There's a shift of power in my mouth...that is not going my way!  Hopefully once they are gone I'll finally be able to chew again, stop grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw.  Bring on the pain meds!  

LINKING:

Let's Bee Social

Sew Cute

Needle & Thread

Reclaimed Improv

New rule.  When you make something for someone and they don't use it within two years...it automatically reverts back to the original owner!  I mean really!

This raggedy piece of improv was originally intended for a laptop sleeve in 2013.  My daughter requested a specific size of improv, in a very specific color scheme for a specific laptop bag, for specifically herself.  

I wasn't going to make it for her, for we all know I'm extremely challenged in that department. I was sure she would take this 'work of love' and seriously do something with it. Seriously, I did. She didn't.  I reclaimed it.  You snooze, you lose!

It wasn't hard to figure out what I should make it into.  Mini quilts...all the rage!  Plus, I could really play with the quilting on this.

Much of the fabrics are from Britt's hand dyed stash, and the rest is my favorite...shot cottons. The combination of the two is one I use very often.  I've never had any issues or problems mixing the two together.

I knew I would quilt the heck out of this!  And I pretty much did just that!  Dense matchstick quilting.  Just exactly what I wanted to do...and  do a lot of it!

I used a blue grey thread for the majority of the lines, and for fun I added chartreuse and orange.  I knew it would be fine in the end, I just didn't know how fine it would be.  

If it were a song, perhaps it would be these lyrics ' Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind'.  It might be just me, but I was blown away with the quilting!

Truth:  I used Coats & Clark thread.  The colors matched perfect!

An idea hit me after the vertical lines were finished.  Why not keep going and funk it up a bit?!

And that's when the curves started.  It had to be.  I couldn't stop quilting once I started.

I'm not sure there is anything more fun than putting your pedal to the metal when machine quilting!  With no concern about making it perfect, it felt empowering to let it fly!  Seriously, so much fun!

The grey back shows the colors of the thread and the crazy line detail.  It makes me want to do it again! 

I used my go to method for hanging this mini.  The triangles and twill ribbon loops hold the narrow board against the piece and the hole in the center of the board makes hanging a piece of cake.

16 1/2" x 22"

LINKING:

TGIFF

Can I Get A Whoop Whoop

Fabric Frenzy Friday

Scrap It Out

I've been playing around with my hand dyed scraps the past couple days. Trying to think of something spectacular to make.  Or just something. Until I can get back to the dye pots (hopefully mid-June), I've made it my mission to whittle down the scraps pile before I let myself have fun. 

Here is part of the scraps.  They don't look very impressive, pretty dull picture really.  I should have staged it and pulled the bright ones out!  

First, I have to start with something.  It's taken me days to get a couple ideas together and made.  There has been little time to work through the ideas.  

My husband and I decided it was time to cut down and dig out the bushes in the front of the house.  There is a total of six and they are the size of a mini cooper car!  The years have been good to them, but they have been having issues.  We weren't sure how awful it was going to be...so we took a chance. 

The first day we muscled one out and got a pretty good feel for the project.  In the process I got stung by a bee on my chin.  It was fine until yesterday.  All of the sudden it decided to swell up and itch. Honestly I feel like Dudley Do Right ~ although it doesn't look that bad! Just feels that bad!

Yesterday we got two pulled out.  I thought I made it through without injury only to hit myself in the shin with the shovel!  I bruise so easy and you can imagine the colors appearing right before my eyes, along with a sweet knot.  Visual:  think of Olive Oyl with goosebumps. (someone remembers, right?)

Today another two came out and I survived!  Just a blister and a few scratches!  Last day will be tomorrow!

Back to scraps...

I scraped together enough large pieces for a triangle baby quilt.  It will be layered and quilted at a later date!

I had pieces left from the edges of the triangles and many from previous triangle projects. Why not sew them together?  Make some Half Rectangles Triangles and see what sticks!

I ended up with several different sizes.  Seriously I haven't a clue what I'm making then or now!  But its fun and challenging!  

I could do something like this.

Or maybe even this.  This would involve partial seams though.  Do I want to go there again? You bet I do!  (at least to try it out)

Tried, easy and not too shabby!  I will make a tutorial for this one!  Still waiting for that brainstorm to hit ~ I'm leaning towards a sampler type quilt.

With my new found love of paper piecing, I wanted to try double geese.  These went together pretty quickly!

Medallion quilt?!  

Don't you love indecision?!  It is sometimes hard to have a concrete, solid plan. Being bound and determined to 'Scrap It Out' has its downside or up side?!  Depends on how you look at it.  Right now I'm playing and playing is good!  I'm on the up side today!

Who likes to 'Scrap It Out'?  Do you have a serious plan before starting?  

LINKING:

TGIFF

Crazy Mom Quilts
Sew Cute Tuesday

Gifts For The Family!

Busy time of the year, right?!  It happens every holiday.  Same time every year.  Sneaky, sneaky holidays ready to bite you in the butt!  I usually don't make many gifts for the holidays, just enough to put me in a slight panic!

Yesterday while sitting around wondering what I should do, I decided I wanted to make a Mini Quilt for my Mom.  Something sweet and pretty.  She lives in Minnesota and can't get around very well.  Damn age (that sneaks up on you too)!  I thought a 'little pretty' with color for those cold winter days was in order.  Plus, she would think of me and how much I love her every time she sees it!!  Win, Win! 

Last year I received a gift from my daughter Britt's best friend since kindergarten, Anne.  I blogged about it here:  A Sweet Surprise.  What better than a heart full of color and love?!

16" x 16"

I used all hand dyed fabrics, including the gray linen border.  I love the variations of color. Love the straight line quilting.  This is a quick project to make.  I think it may have taken me a couple hours.

The formula is simple.  Decide on fabric for the heart, and fabric for the background.  

20 ~ 2 1/2" squares for the heart
10 ~ HST's half background, half heart fabric
6 ~ 2 1/2" squares background fabric        

2 1/2" border strips

I'm pretty sure she will love it.  If nothing else it will make a wonderful LARGE mug rug!

This is the one Anne made for me!

Last minute gift ideas and gift giving runs in our family.  My husband is the same way. Last year a couple of weeks before Christmas he blurts out that he wished he had thought about it earlier to have me make place mats for his Mom & Step Dad.  It just was not going to happen at that time!  This year I surprised him and made a set!  Yep!  I'm thinking ahead this time!

12" x 18"

Paper pieced Hummingbird blocks (AKA Periwinkle Star).  I used this tutorial from Rita at Red Pepper Quilts.  I was so happy to have found this tutorial!  

I enlarged the pattern so the blocks would be large enough to make place mats and not have to add a border.  

I love how these seams meet!  So very cool to me!  I'm pretty easily amused, I suppose! 

It's time to get back to quilting!  I have a twin size HST quilt and my Vice Versa BOM waiting in line.  

I have another project that needs to be quilted, but I can't share it yet!  It's a Secret Santa gift for a Music City Modern Quilt Guild member.  I would hate to ruin the surprise if she should see a blog post before!  But I cannot wait to share it!  And make another something, something like it!

How is your holiday gift making coming along?  Are you ahead of the game, behind the eight ball or right on target?

LINKING:

Let's Bee Social

WIP Wednesday
Anything Goes Mondays
Tuesday Archives

Itajime Cross Body Bag

Itajime Shibori.  What?!  Itajime Shibori is a shape-resist technique.  The cloth is sandwiched between two pieces of wood or plexiglass shapes and clamped together very tightly.  The shapes prevent dye from penetrating the fabric, creating some amazing designs. 

I received this Itajime fabric from my daughter, Britt.  When she was first starting her Fiber Education she was required to try many different techniques.  This was not her favorite, but she came out of the class with some pretty gorgeous pieces of fabric.  This piece has been sitting around for way too long!  

10" x 10"

I mustered up the courage to attempt a new purse.  I am not known for making bags and frankly, I'm not comfortable making them.  They never turn out right!

So, I decided yesterday to kill two birds with one stone...use this fabric and make myself a small bag. You can't get any simpler than this one!  But could I pull it off?! 

The piece of fabric was not large.  I had to work with the width and that was fine.  I wanted smallish.  One piece for the outside, solid for the lining, fusible fleece...oh, and a little pocket too!  I lightly quilted the outside, but I didn't want to go overboard.  

For some reason I decided to square the corners.  Which I'm fine with.  A long skinny handle was the final decision.  Super easy, super fast and in all honesty...I had fun, I like it and plan on using it!

I will admit that it took me awhile to figure out how to assemble this!  I know, like I said I am 'bag challenged'!  I looked several patterns from bags to buckets!  Seriously!  I got this! Give me simple!

LINKING:

ANYTHING GOES MONDAYS

LET'S BEE SOCIAL

Not To Be Redundant

I sometimes feel like I keep doing and showing the same thing.  Over and over again! While they may be the same design~using hand dyed fabrics with all the wonderful textures and variations, creates a different feel to each finished quilt.  In my opinion.  At least that is what I keep telling myself.  

Since my last two half square triangle quilts sold (huge thrill and shock to me), it made me determined to do it again!  

Without further ado~I bring you take #2!

HST Lap Quilt.  This one is 45"x61".  I did use smaller HST and added a border.  The same, yet different!

I do love the border an the bright green backing.  Machine quilted with straight lines.

Sweet baby!  Perhaps one of my favorite design of late!  This one measures 32"x43". Perfect size for a sweet baby or to hang on your wall!

And there it is.  Take #2.  I have a feeling I will be revisiting this design again.  And again!

Do you have a 'go to' design that you use on a regular basis?  I would love to hear what it is!

Linking to:

SEW SOLID SUNDAY ~ Esch House Quilts

ANYTHING GOES Monday