Is The Suspense Killing You?!

I didn't mean to keep you in suspense!  In my last post I shared the third baby quilt I made using the last of my hand dyed scraps (Depleted :: Bye Bye Hand Dyed).  I kept you on the hook long enough! 

The first baby quilt I made when I decided to cut the heck out of my hand dyed fabrics, was this one:

32" x 39"

Since the blocks were only 4.5" unfinished, I was able to cram a lot of HST's in this one.  I kept like colors semi contained when I pieced four blocks together.  It's kind of hard to see, but I really did! There are so many colors exploding in this one, your brain goes into over load!



The blue border (1 3/4") is a good way to contain all the chaos...otherwise it might feel like there was a virus out break!  I'm not complaining, really I'm not!  The more color the better.

The quilting is a combination of 3/4" and 1/2" lines.  Some going this way, some that way.  I like the look of different widths, vertical and horizontal...total mix up!  And is there anything better than 'a pile of quilt'?  



As you have guessed by now, I had a lot of HST's to use!  Quilt #2 feels very traditional to me. Traditional in the sense, that there are squares, sashing and setting squares.

Again, I was able to match up the centers with matching colors.  After a few twist and turns, hemming and hawing, yes-ing and no-ing, I added 1" borders around each block in the same color, and finished with a 1 1/2" in light grey.

Medium grey was used for the final sashing and for the borders.  It's amazing how far you can stretch a stack of blocks just by adding borders and sashing.

31" x 45"

This was the perfect chance to get my geometric thinking cap on for quilting.  I don't think I really had a choice on this one...it felt like it was predetermined!  It had to be!

  

It was also destined to be that I used matching thread for each block color.  My hera marker was put to the test as I marked each line from one corner and radiating to the edges.  



I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  The back always tells the story!



Each of the three quilts has the same basic design.  A four patch of half square triangles with the same color in the center.  

This quilt shows that off the best I think.  Probably because each block is self contained and your brain doesn't go cuckoo staring at it!



While taking pictures of these quilts, I set the camera down while I moved the quilt around. As I was getting up to grab the camera I looked at the display screen and saw the coolest shot!  I don't think I could ever have set the stage for a photo like this.  I like the close up of the rotary cutter and everything else out of focus.  Good stuff!

Thank goodness for digital cameras! Can you imagine what it would be like if we didn't have them?  

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Finished or Not Friday

Depleted :: Bye Bye Hand Dyed

This in no way means I'm not going to hand dye fabric again!!  I love the process, I love seeing all the unique colors and textures.  That being said, I decided it was time to cut what I had on hand and figure out what to do with them.  This way I can start with a fresh batch when the weather warms up!

It's no secret that my favorite design for hand dyed fabrics is the ever popular Half Square Triangle (HST).  I can pack in every conceivable color and color combination and it always looks good to me.

31" x 42"

Normally I make large HST's blocks (6"-7"), but since I was using the end of my stash I had to go smaller.  Technically you could say I was using scraps.  In the end I was able to make all my HST's 4 1/2" unfinished.  I cut up everything!  Everything!

Believe it or not, I ended up with three baby quilts!  This one happens to be the last one I pieced. I was bound and determined to use every single HST...and I did too!

 

I twisted and turned until I had large orange, yellow and blue squares.  Then figured out I could make a couple small squares in pink and purple and one blue flying geese.  Now that's what I call by the skin of my teeth!



With three different quilts, I decided different quilting all each one was important.  It's been a while since I have done concentric circle quilting and thought this would be a good choice for this one. 



If you haven't tried concentric circles...you should!  I traced a circle in the center for my starting point.  The first few I went very slow.  But after that it was pedal to the metal!  I used the edge of my walking foot as my guide and it gave me just the right amount of space between the circles.

I couldn't imagine doing a large quilt, although I'm sure it would be very doable.  If you are thinking about trying concentric circles, I would recommend trying it with smaller quilts first!

 

I love, love, love the effect!  Even if you get a little wonky here and there, it still looks good. And as we all know, washing and drying hides just about any little error!



The grey is one of my favorite shades ever:  Kona Shadow.  That color is so perfect for just about everything!  I wanted to take a risk (for me) with the binding, so I used Moda Saffron. It makes for a very nice frame!



Hand dying more fabric will be determined by the weather.  I really am not a fan of cold and basements are cold!  I think there is just enough room left down there for my little dying station!



Here is the lovely stack of baby quilts all scrap inspired, all hand dyed and all different!  I'll share the other two in case you were curious!

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Oh Scrap!

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The Mountain Top :: Moon Glow

Another hand quilting project done!  Hand quilting has been a saving grace for me in the evenings.  I love keeping my hands busy, and having another option is always nice.

18 1/2" x 21"

I was bound and determined to use restraint on this piece.  It's so easy to throw the kitchen sink in the hand quilting mix, this time I kept it simple.  But...I wanted to take it over the top!



Big stitch quilting is rewarding, especially if you don't stress on making it perfect.  Perfect. What exactly is that?!  My perfect may not be others perfect, and others imperfection may be perfect to others!



My favorite part of this?  The moon!  It was the one section that I had to, actually couldn't help myself, quilt to death!  The densely packed stitches put me over the top!  Initially I was done with the moon after the neutral tan thread.  I tried.  Then I wondered what if.  What if I added an autumn orange?  Moon glow.  That's a thing, right?!   The moon and the sides of the mountains were 'glowed' for effect. 



The quilting in the sky is a dark blue, it looks royal blue against the muted blue/grey fabric.  I tried to create a flowing current of wind and clouds with the lines.  A few swirls added here and there remind me that the winds and currents aren't always wispy soft.  Turbulence is there hidden and always a factor.



There is nothing better than a solid backing to show the quilting detail!   A glittery moon and the craggy, erosion filled valleys on the mountains.

The moon stitches were intentionally made to be inconsistent, more than usual.  A few rounds I made tiny stitches easing into bigger stitches.  

I could envision seeing a mountain top in the distance with the sun setting casting a glow on the peaks and valleys.  I'm not sure I captured the vibe I was feeling, but I do like it!

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Crazy Mom Quilts

Over The Moon

Isn't it exciting when you finish a quilt?!  The long hours have come to an end and if we are lucky, every single second, minute and hour was worth it.  Besides the thrill of the finish, there is always that moment of sadness.  Sad that it's over.  This doesn't happen with every quilt, but there are those projects that you have enjoyed so much you want to keep going!

'Over The Moon' was mine!  

OVER THE MOON
15" x 15 1/2"

The size had a lot to do with it, and of course, the hand quilting.  I found myself looking forward to the moment when I could sit and pick up where I left off.  Hurry eat dinner, take the dog for a walk...quilting time!!  

   
There is hardly a spot untouched with quilting!  Over kill?  Over done?  Over the top?  I'll say over the moon and leave it at that!



I love the big stitches!  The more the merrier!  In each circle I tried to do a different quilt design. Some needed more stitches and some needed very little.  That might be the only part where I held back.



The right side I kept it super simple.  Vertical stitches and nothing more.  I'll admit, I wanted to do circles everywhere, but somewhere deep down inside of me wouldn't allow it.



I don't know for sure if the quilting on the back is suppose to look exactly like the quilting on the front.  Mine sort of does.  I know just enough to go all in, not enough to know right from wrong! 

Sometimes I think if I take the time to learn something the proper way, it'll take all the fun out of it! I know!  That's totally lame and maybe even a cop out!  But some truth in it for me.



I guess there was room for more quilting after all!  After machine stitching the binding on, I couldn't help but continue the circles into the binding.  I was going to do just a little, but before I knew it...there was stitching everywhere!

My first plan for the binding was to do a wide binding.  It's something I have wanted to do, but hadn't had a project to try it on.  I thought this would be the perfect test piece for it until I realized the circles would be compromised in the process.  Another time perhaps!



Since my binding situation changed, I had to go with a pieced binding.  Remember when I said the circles were a test and I used a piece of scrap linen for the background?  Turns out I had just enough left over after the circles for three sides of binding.  The blue side is a piece left over from my backing.  

I'm loving the texture not just on the front, the back is so cool!  It shows exactly why I wanted to try hand quilting! 

What I learned is, trying new is good...using scraps is always good.  Even though you are testing a new technique or tutorial, it just may turn out better than you think and becomes a really good 'thing'.   



You can check out the tutorial for the Six Minute Circle, the starting point for this quilt.  There will be more in my future!



This will be the next hand quilting project.  My daughter made this panel, a dye discharge technique using thiox.  I don't know what it means, it's what she told me and I'll take her word for it!  And you can bet I'll try to restrain myself with over doing it with the quilting.  I'll try, but no promises!

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Finished or Not Friday

Oh Scrap!

Crop Circles and Hand Quilting

When I made my first Six Minute Circle (here), I had a hard time stopping with just one. Even though I was only trying it out, and had nothing in mind when making them, one became two and soon after nine were laying on my table!  

Maybe deep down I did have something in mind.  After all, I used hand dyed Shibori fabric for them all.  Same story, one thing led to another and soon there was this finished piece of cloth.  

I found a stray piece of linen for the background thinking it would be fine for this practice piece that wasn't suppose to turn into anything.  Maybe the wrong color, but it was too late to change now!   

After I settled on the layout with the circles, I strategically (by the seat of my pants) added a strip here and there to make three rows of circles.  Which led to the skinny strip on the left between the circle rows.  I didn't feel quite right, so I added a few more elements.  

During the construction phase I knew this would get the hand quilting treatment!  I needed more practice and was itching to do more.  

Working a little bit in the evenings, it has been coming together beautifully!  Why did it take so long to give hand quilting a try?!  I'm excited with each stitch, each row, each new element added.  So excited in fact that I had to share it before it was finished!

I was wondering what a wide binding would look like when I'm finished?  I should research that!  

I still haven't gotten a thimble, or the proper needles or more perle cotton thread.  I'm working with what I have since its all trial and error.  Plus, I'm still learning!  

Do you work with what you have when learning a new thing?  Or do you get everything needed and then some before you start?

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Finshed or Not Friday

All Good Things Must End ~ For The Moment!

I get tunnel vision when it comes to some things.  Like my hand dyed fabrics!  I tend to dye a big old stack of every color in the rainbow, cut them in to squares and make a ginormous pile of half square triangles.  There's something about the texture, the subtle variation in colors that never seem to bore me.  Which always leads me to make a quilt, or two or three, until every HST has been carefully sewn in to one big (or small) quilt!  (Here is Quilt #1)

33" x 45"

One of my all time favorite designs, my 'go to' baby quilt, is this one.  I arrange and rearrange the blocks until I get just the right combination.  Pink, yellow, purple, green, blue and orange.  

The key is to pick four different shades of one color for each block.  The half square triangles were trimmed to 7 1/2" and the center squares are 2".  I layout the HST's into color groupings, pick four 2" squares for the centers, mark a diagonal line, sew and trim. 

The block itself is pretty simple, pretty basic.  Maybe its the colors, or the hand dyed fabric, perhaps the borders or quilting?!  I'm going with all of the above...it can pack a punch when it's all said and done!  

I often add an inside border, usually 1 1/2" to 2" and finish it with a 3"  wide border in grey. Quilting is another way to add some punch!  My favorite quilting is straight lines in a geometric design.

This was the first time I used 'wild colors'!  By wild I mean, pink, green and aqua.  I thought it would be a fun twist and something different for a change.  

Once I have divided the quilt into sections, I grab my 24" ruler, my trusty Hera marker and proceed marking 1/2" to 1" lines in each section.  Marking the lines gives me a guide to follow while I'm quilting.  They are rarely perfectly perfect!  I can only imagine how they would look if I didn't mark first!  

   

I like the effect, especially when they converge and make a grid!

The cherry on top is always the magic of a 'wash & dry'!  

That was quilt #2...this is quilt #3:

53" x 77"

This baby is all HST's!  Not randomly placed, there was actually order involved!  

And this is quilt #4:

54" x 79"

When I say I get tunnel vision...I'm seriously not kidding!  I used every single HST I had! And when that wasn't enough, I added grey to the corners.  It made for a nice frame and also, different from my usual!  

Maybe I'm afraid if I don't use all the fabric or HST's all at once, I'll never use them?!  I don't exactly know, I can't figure myself out either!  What's done is done! 

What is your 'go to' 'fail safe' design or block?

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HST Quilt #1

Once you finish squaring up a stack of half square triangles which seems to be the most time consuming part, piecing the top is a welcome departure and goes together pretty quickly!

From this beautiful stack of Hand Dyed fabrics came endless cutting, trimming and even a few quilts.  A virtual rainbow of beauty!

While I love to 'throw' together HST's with very little planning, every so often it's fun to come up with something different.  It still packs a punch in the color department, but it's controlled...what a crazy thought!  

49" x 77"

My idea was to keep the colors grouped together.  Each big block would have two groupings of color with an added bonus of grey to spotlight the hand dyed fabric and colors.

For instance, this block has orange and teal.  It was a little challenging grouping the colors together.  I had to make sure I had the right color combination for the center HST block and then build around that.  It was fun, almost like a puzzle!

I quilted a geometric dot to dot design in each block group using a dark grey Aurifil thread.  I really wanted to quilt it into submission, but I restrained myself and kept it simple.  The sashing and border I used a light grey Aurifil and kept it simply straight lines.

I was at the end of my half square triangle pile, which made it more difficult to get the pairs matched up.

The big blocks with the sashing ended up measuring 20 1/2" square.  Let's just say...I like big blocks and I cannot lie!

The dark grey is Kona Pewter, light grey is Kona Shadow and the backing is Kona Teal.  

Not only did I use hand dyed fabrics, but I nearly always throw in a variety of Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton.  For some reason I love the mix together!  

I don't often use sashing in my quilts, but this time it seemed like a great idea.  And I'm glad I did. I love how the blocks are framed, and did I say I like big blocks?!  

That big stack of hand dyed fabric was whittled down to nearly nothing!  There is still plenty for small HST's or maybe I'll branch out and try a quilt with rectangles.

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