The Last Britt Quilt :: Bittersweet

This finally happened!  I finished every single WIP my daughter Britt started that somehow managed to land in my lap.  She had some beauties that were long overdue to be finished, each one more than worthy of taking the time to do so too!

Now that I finished, I'm left with feelings of happiness, joy and sadness.  In case you don't know this, Britt was the one who introduced me to quilting...reluctantly at first.  She guided me through everything in the beginning.  Which blocks to try, fabric knowledge, tricks and techniques and color combinations.  We would collaborate on quilts, design quilts, make quilts together.  Eventually her interests changed leaving me carrying the quilting bag!  

I miss the days we spent together sewing.  Two machines humming along on the dining room table, fabric flying, steam from the iron blasting, laughing and being together.  So while I'm excited and relieved that this last quilt is finally finished, it also leaves me feeling sad that this is it...the last quilt!  We've made a quilt of two together in recent years, mostly she says I have an idea, would you make it?!  The progression of life!

BRITT'S QUILT
57.5" x 57.5"

She pieced, pinned and started quilting and then it was in limbo hanging on my quilt ladder for a couple few years...literally!  I pulled it out a few times and quilted a few places, but it always ended up hanging on the ladder.  

I was more interested in the scraps from this quilt!  In January 2016 I made a small version and a mini with them in what I called 'Take Two & Three'.  

The fabrics are a combination of Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton, Gees Bend Solids and the print is Anna Maria Horner.  I don't think I could have come up with the color palette, that was all Britt!

The four center squares were free motion quilted with pebbles and lines before I took it over.  I added FMQ  zig zag, funky triangles and kept the pebbles for the remaining square-in-a-square blocks before it ended up back on the ladder.



The next go around of quilting ended with 1/2" straight lines in the solid stripes (or logs, I guess), more zig zags and ending with loops around the border.  



I could have done something more interesting with the quilting, but at this point having it finished was more important. 



The backing is woven stripes and it's glaringly clear that it is not straight!  I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that it's woven stripes, it's been hanging pinned for years and not pinned as good as it should have been and the batting is silk, bamboo or a combination.

The good news is this quilt will be staying in the family and no one will have to know! 



The quilting detail in all it's glory!  Tiny pebbles take center stage in this one!



All I did was fill in with any design that was quick, easy and painless!  When I look back at quilts I've made through the years, I see so many more imperfections than I did at the time. Some are more glaring than others, but it shows growth.  

I don't think it would be very fun or rewarding if every single quilt was perfect.  Imagine if that were true.  Isn't half the fun of quilting learning, growing, experimenting and testing the waters?    



Once this quilt is washed it will be perfect!  I might be a little sad that this is the last Britt quilt, but I'm more happy that I've finally reached the end.  The monkey is off my back and I get to concentrate on other projects now!     

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And He Ruled The World :: Bowser

According to an almost five-year-old, Bowser is the best!  

Last week I had the pleasure of caring for Vincent and his sister all day.  His parents needed help and I was more than happy to give them a helping hand.  Plus, I just love these kids!  My little surrogate Grand kids!  Many might think that would be pure lunacy, but it wasn't.  I will say I was exhausted that night!

With no prompting what so ever, Vincent confirmed that his favorite character was Bowser.  I was relieved to hear that since his quilt was completely finished.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have freaked if he said something different since kids usually say something different every time you ask.  For now we're on the same page and I'm going with it!

BOWSER
50" x 63"

In the last post 'WOWzer Bowser :: Pixelated Lunacy', I was considering my quilting options.  All over quilting, diagonal quilting or in the ditch.  The last is not my favorite ever so I was able to rule that out pretty quickly.

  

I ended up going with diagonal lines.  Keeping it simple was the right thing to do for this type of quilt.  Plus, it should hold up to an active child and plenty of washing!  I did add additional diagonal lines in Bowsers shell which ended up being 1" squares.  A little texture isn't a bad thing at all!  



To make the quilt a bit more special, I decided to add his name on the back.  There will never be any doubt who this quilt belongs to!  It was fun!  

I often add strips to the back of quilts.  Sometimes to use up extra blocks, create visual interest or most often because I'm just a little bit short with my backing.  



Deciding on the binding is sometimes a challenge.  I think grey would have made it look unfinished and green is just not my color of choice.  Black is another matter!  It defines the quilt, contains the image and is the perfect frame...that's what I think!

You can always spruce the binding up though!  I randomly added 1 1/2" sections in grey, green and orange.  It's a nice detail and simple to do.



They say 'the devils in the details'!  The final detail I added was a label.  I know this isn't a beautiful embroidered label, but for a 5-year-old who is getting a life sized favorite Mario character and for his 5th birthday...I think he will not only love it (when he's older), but will think it's perfection!

Here's the thing, I'm sure you are wondering what the heck is this 'Lady Jayne' thing.  I don't require people to call me that, but if they do who am I to correct them?!  Vincent's Dad first started calling me Lady Jayne years and years ago.  It has been passed down to Vincent and honestly there is nothing cuter than hearing him say 'Excuse Me Wady Jayne'!  Heart melting, right?!  Please don't think you have to start calling me that...I'm far from royalty!

I'm very happy with this quilt and cannot wait for Vincent to see it in person.  However, knowing how kids like to mess with our minds...I'm not going to get to excited about his reaction knowing he most likely will have a toy or two that floats his boat more than a 'quilt'!

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Super Sized Evening Star :: Improv

Usually I make a quilt and then for the fun of it I'll make a mini.  This time the mini came before the quilt!

I was asked if I could make a quilt like the Evening Star Mini I made last year.   For the mini, I made the center block and increased the size with borders of improv piecing for a finished quilt that was 18 1/2" square.  Easily done.  I needed to increase everything to a lap quilt size, approximately 50" x 65".  Could I do it?!
   

I thought about it for a day or so and decided it was something that could be done.  The hardest part would be super sizing the star.  It's easy to reduce the size of a pattern, but increasing a pattern to the size I needed would be a bit more complicated!

My star was going to be 32" square!  Huge compared to the original block!  I knew trying to increase the original from the pattern would be nearly impossible and probably take a tank of ink and a ream of paper, not to mention an enormous amount of time.  I decided the best option was draw the star in EQ8.  That way I could easily increase the size for printing.

The star has eight sections.  Four of one block and four of another.  My plan was to print one of each section, tape it together and then trace it onto a large sheet of freezer paper.  Mission accomplished!  When paper piecing with freezer paper you don't actually stitch on the lines on the front, you fold the paper back and stitch very closely to the fold.  After which you fold the paper back and iron the freezer paper so that it sticks to your fabric.  One bonus of using freezer paper is you can reuse the templates.  That was the main reason I decided to use it for this project.

This method worked better than I could have imagined!  I was easily able to manage the large pieces, reuse templates and sew the sections together for the perfect star!

If you aren't familiar with freezer paper piecing Google is your friend!  There are a lot of very good tutorials online.  Bryan House Quilts has a tutorial that walks you through the process.

With the star in the bag, it was time to tackle the improv portion of the quilt.  I divided up the quilt so I knew how many inches of improv was needed for the sides, top and bottom.  And then I got in the zone and made improv blocks of all shapes and sizes.  I kept plugging away over the course of a few days until I thought I had enough of the plain pieces.  

Then I tackled the colored triangles that would border the center star.  There needed to be enough to go around the quilt and look cohesive, but didn't need to be perfectly spaced.  Another mission accomplished.  There was a bit of math involved...and we all know that isn't my strong suit. 

 

Once the first round of improv blocks were added to the star, the triangle pieces were increased to the size needed by adding more background pieces and placed around the quilt.   

That led to adding more improv sections in between the triangle blocks and eventually sewing it all together.

Once the top was finished I could sit back with a sigh of relief!  It all came together much easier than I thought it would.  From the redrawing of the star, to the improv piecing to the placement of the triangles!  It looks like it was a quilt planned from the start, but we all know that isn't the way I work!  I like to take on an idea and work out the details as I go.  That's normal, right?!

Next up will be quilting.  I plan on quilting something similar to the mini quilt, but on a larger scale.  Wish me luck...the center free motion quilting is going to be a wild ride!

If you are interested in making the star block, the  paper pieced block is available here:  Evening Star.

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Fun With Bonus HST's

Half square triangles are just plain fun, but bonus half square triangles are perhaps even better!  I make a lot of quilts with HST's because they can be used to make so many different patterns.  The possibilities are endless!

After making a massive amount of Flying Geese blocks, I was left with an option.  Bonus HST's or toss them in the trash.  If you know me, you know I'd never toss something that could possibly be sewn together and used.  I don't believe its in my DNA!

BONUS HST's
43" x 63"

It was on retreat back in February where I started making flying geese, and it was April 1st that I decided to sew a quilt with the bonus HST's (Bonus HST's For The Win).  I was left with three sizes of blocks that were trimmed to 1 1/2", 2 1/2" and 3 1/2".  After some fiddling around, I settled on a design I was happy with and promptly pieced it together.



The top was finished and has been pinned together waiting for the end game...quilting.  Putting off quilting has been my practice these days!  I've gotten in the habit of having two, three or four ready to quilt before I actually will sit down and do it.



The three squares were quilted in the ditch on the diagonal creating a grid design.  Three different HST's, three different grid sizes. 



It was finished with 1" horizontal lines across the top two squares on each side and vertical lines for the largest square.  



Grids and lines!  I had one spool of thread that was the closest to the background (Kona Celestial) as I could find in my thread stash.  I had exactly enough to quilt the entire quilt!  Phew!  I was sweating bullets when the spool ran out, but my bobbin was full enough to split and complete the job!  There is nothing more frustrating than running out of thread!



My mind is always thinking about what else could I do?!  Adding a few scraps of color here and there around the binding happens to be one of my favorite things to do.  I picked a few colors from the prints and randomly popped them in.



And of course there is always the back.  There are many times when I don't have enough backing.  I've adapted to those situations by adding scraps by making a vertical or horizontal strip.  It's also the best way to use the bits and pieces of fabric scraps accumulated from the quilt top.  I really don't like to let them sit around! 



You know when you buy the same color of fabric on separate occasions and when you put them together and there is a noticeable difference in color?  I'll add a strip of some sort on the back separating the fabrics and viola! you'd never know the difference!



For those who make flying geese (and other blocks), here is a diagram for sewing bonus HST's before cutting them off of the original block.

With a square aligned on your rectangle for Flying Geese, stitch from corner to corner, sew another line 1/2" from the original line.  Grab your rotary cutter and ruler, and cut between the stitch lines.  Now you have a bonus HST ready to rock and roll whenever you are!

I like to sew the extra line before cutting weather I'm using the bonus pieces right away or not.  If I'm not going to use them immediately at least they are sewn together for the future!

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Louver :: The Finish

The moment we've all been waiting for!  I feel like all the hype leading up to this 'unveiling' might be a big fat let down!  And with the last two blog posts about this technique...I may be walking the line on too much all at once!

The truth is, I was having a heck of a time getting photos of this quilt.  Either the Kona Ice Frappe was too washed out or I couldn't get good shots of the texture.  I believe this might be a quilt that needs to be seen in person in order to get the full effect of the texture, how the 'twists' change depending on the angle you are looking at it and how it feels to the hand.  My hope is to enter it for QuiltCon 2019.  Even then there is no guarantee it'll get accepted!  

Without any further 'hype' and build up...here she is!

LOUVER
35 1/2" X 45 1/2"

'Louver' is so named because it reminds me of the slats of a venetian blind.  By changing the angle of the slats it changes the amount of light that gets in.  While my quilt isn't letting anything get in, it does change from different angles.



The 'textured twists' also have an optical illusion associated with them.  One side of the piping is sewn up and one down.  You can change the illusion depending how you iron it.  I've pressed different curves into each panel giving it a wave effect.



Where the twist happens it becomes darker and stands out in a very interesting way.  With this quilt and the two mini quilts (Huge Progress #1, Blue Wave #2). 



I've been imagining other ways to use this technique.  I love to explore and experiment!  Pushing the envelope is nothing new in quilting, and it certainly has been a driving force in many of my quilts throughout the years.   Right now, this is my 'thing', my obsession!



I used Aurifil Mint Ice thread (#2800) for the quilting.  Mint Ice is a very light, light green.  It's almost looks light grey.  The 'textured twists' being what they are, quilting over them would be a disaster and ruin the effect.  It was super difficult to line up each color across the quilt.  You know how easy being a scant off on any seam adds up throughout a quilt and throws off lining up blocks.   It was no different with this quilt!

 

I dealt with that issue by quilting organic curve lines.  It was the perfect way to cover up any issues with the lines being off and it frankly, I love how it turned out!  I happen to be a big fan of dense quilting!



I probably took a hundred pictures of this darn quilt!  I kept thinking I could do better, capture the detail, let you could touch it with your eyes.  Whether or not I succeeded...it was fun for the first fifty photos!    



It's a simple design.  Basic rectangle panels divided with sashing.  Hopefully I elevated the simplicity by the detail.  



I can't stop running my hands across the twists!  Clean hands are required!  And I continually walk around it and grab a peek from different angles.  

It has become much more than I thought it would be when I started this adventure.  There have been times when an idea falls flat.  In fact, I had one of those moments yesterday!  When it works, it's magical!  

I hope all the hype was worth the wait!  

I know there have been so many of bloggers affected by not getting notifications when someone makes a comment on their blog.  Rumor has it the problem is solved.  Here is the link to that claim:  Blogger Help Forum

I have tried and when I comment I get not one by two notifications.  My concern is, and I don't know how to check it to be certain, when someone comments they are asked to subscribe.  I don't want you to have to subscribe to leave a comment.  It's ridiculous!  If that happens to you....Please, email me and let me know!  

You can reach me here: jaynebug {at} comcast {dot} net

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Blue Wave :: Scrap Mini #2

I haven't had a chance to photograph the large quilt yet, so I thought I'd go the 'scraps before the original' quilt route this time.

BLUE WAVE MINI QUILT
16 1/2" X 17"

For this quilt I went with improv wave strips and a dark blue background using Kona Nightfall.  The trick here was to get a good curve and still allowing the 'textured twist' to show.



Except for the strips on the left and right, it worked.  The outside strips ended up having one straight edge and one that was curved.  Yet again, they became scraps from scraps.  You just can't let it go can you Jayne?!  (no...I cannot)



I am shocked that I didn't have a dark blue thread in my stash!  I ended up using Aurifil Delft Blue (#2730) which I don't hate!  



I quilted curvy lines from top to bottom.  Some areas were left open, some areas were super dense by the time I finished. 



If you haven't tried organic curves or even straight lines, I would encourage you to give it a try.  It's a nice change from perfection, but I'd argue that it is still perfection just in a different way!



The back highlights the quilting in a completely different way!  As you can see, I didn't quilt at all in the textured twist strips.  It didn't really need it.

By the time I show you the original project, you'll be so sick and tired of it you may not even look!  Sorry about that!  If you know me, you know I latch on to a project and keep going until every scrap is gone.  That could mean 2 quilts, 3 quilts or more!!

JUST FOR FUN

If you are on Instagram, you know about 'stories'.  Did you know you can do polls with stories?  I bought this fun little rainbow flower pinwheel and asked in my poll 'Do You Love Rainbows'?  I was surprised to see there were 14% of the people who did not...What?!  How can you not love rainbows, love color...but, the good news is 86% do love rainbows!  

So I will informally ask you...Do You Love Rainbows? 🌈 

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