Mini Quilts Are It

A couple few more finishes from last year only required quilting.  Of course, it was something I put off until the last minute and had to cram them in to make my deadline.  I made the deadline and couldn't be more happy about that!  I suppose technically they are considered last years projects, but I'm not sure that really matters too much.

GEOMETRIC BEE
10" X 10"

Geometric paper piecing is one of Kristy Lea's (Quiet Play) specialties!  Lucky for us she shares so many of her designs.  This Geometric Bee was part of her Quiet Play Pattern Club 2019.  

I bided my time until I could make this one!   Several months ago I made a few 'precut' projects that I put in baggies.  That way they were ready for whenever I had spare time to play.  By 'precut' I actually mean I pulled all the different shades of pink, black for the body and the background fabric, and of course...the printed templates for the design.



I used 12 different shades of pink for the wings.  I know, since when do bees have pink wings?!  Creative license is always welcome when quilting!  I thrive on it!  So it only seemed natural and right to go with my favorite color for this bee.



Not to be full of myself, but I actually...actually free motion quilted the entire thing!  I'm laughing here because of course it's obvious if you look closely!  I decided to go for it, not give a care and just have fun.  Which is exactly what happened.  Also because it's only 10" square I was confident I could handle and knock it out in no time!!   



As you can see on the back, I used black thread for the body, two shades of pink for the wings and a neutral for the stippling of the background.

To finish it off I added hanging corners and a scrappy binding.  My husband cut the wooden slat and drilled a hole in the center for me.  And with that I happily cleared a project from my stack and mind!

BLUE WAVE MINI
16 3/4" X 19"

This one has actually been hanging around for quite some time.  After I finished my 
'Blue Wave' quilt using my Textured Twist technique, I was left with extra 'twist' pieces.  I couldn't see myself tossing them in the trash or putting them aside for too long, so I decided I'd make a smaller version of the original quilt with the leftovers.  



This one is about a quarter of the size as the original quilt.  But I kept many things the same, such as:  the curve aspect for continuous flow, Kona White between the twists, and the quilting.  



There isn't a lot of options when it comes to quilting this type of quilt, so it wasn't like I had a choice!!



One thing that is different from the original is the binding.  The original has a faced or knife edge binding and this had the traditional binding.  I'm good with both.  As far as I'm concerned either one works!

What's next?!  A few more last minute quilting projects to share.  A couple scrap busting/stash busting quilts and lord help me...I've got to write a pattern or two and tutorial to boot!

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING 
MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF ● WHOOP WHOOP FRIDAY

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY

Textured Twist Revisited

Ever since I made my first large quilt using my Textured Twist technique (Louver), I've been subconsciously working on a design for my next quilt.  Eventually a plan started forming and I knew what I had to do.  

Doing the Textured Twists technique isn't a fast process.  It takes perseverance and you have to be in it for the long haul!  That being said, I was ready to take it on knowing there would be no turning back.  Full force ahead!

38" x 53" 

I had to be all in when I started this quilt.  This kind of quilt is better appreciated when you see it in person or see close up photos.  That most likely puts me in the 'crazy' category, but I've been there before!  Deep down I was doubting myself and wondering if all this work is worth it.  If you can't share the full impact...what's the point?!  Determination to keep my technique in the forefront, dedication to making the design come alive and refusal to fail motivated me!



The starting point of quilting always begins with the fabric.  Choosing and then cutting.  I grabbed my stack of blues and developed my 'ombre' plan ending up with 32 different shades of blue.  That's a lot!  Thankfully I have yardage and fat quarters to round out my plan.  

The second step is to press, starch and cut the strips.  With yardage I cut my 3/4" strips and then cut them in half, and with fat quarters I cut double that along the longest side.  After cutting each color I placed them on a board to keep the gradient in order.

Step three is cutting the 1" strips that sandwich the 3/4" folded strips, in this case I was using Kona White.  Again cutting off the fold to make the strips manageable.

And the final step is pressing the starched blue strips in half.  That's right!  The 3/4" folded strips in half is 3/8", factor in 1/4" seam allowance and the 'twist' becomes 1/8".  That's where the magic happens.  That's how you get the texture, the detail and the illusion.

I learned after the last quilt that pressing the strips in half becomes super painful after a while!  I wanted to dip my fingers in a jar of aloe for relief!  The steam from the iron is crucial to get a good fold, but it also scorches your fingers.  

A few months ago I saw something that I thought might be the solution to that. 



Thermal Thimbles!  I had never heard of such a thing!  Willing to take a chance I ordered a package and tucked them away until now.  They were quite inexpensive too!  Thank you Dritz for making my life easier!  Time to test them out....



Stylin' the blue!



And you know what?  They work!  Holy heck!  A tool that works and will make my life easier is always worth the money!  

I used one on my thumb and one on my index finger.  The only problem, and it really wasn't a problem, was you can't feel the fabric.  My solution was to use my middle finger to start the fold and my protected fingers for the iron part.  I highly recommend these Thermal Thimbles to anyone who does a lot of ironing.  You'll thank me I promise!

With that out of the way, I pieced together my sections of twists working on one wave at a time.  



I was fully aware of where the lighter sections were being placed because that was all a part of the plan.  



The twist illusion starts with one side of the twists sewn in the seam one way, and the opposite side in the other direction.  That's the texture part.

The illusion part is achieved by ironing and the angle you view the quilt.  It never disappoints for me!

Another way to get the full effect of the ombre and all the detail involved in making a quilt like this is the back of the top.   Of course, you'll never see that part after the quilt is finished.  But it's worth a look!

I know what some of you are thinking...the back might be better than the front!  Or maybe even...are you crazy!  Crazy, yes.  The back is gorgeous, but many quilt top backs are.  And I'm pretty sure that the majority of us are not going to flip a seam laden back and make it the front.  It's just part of quilting!



Anytime I can make my husband think I'm crazy is always a plus!  He insists I was inspired from our recent trip to the beach, but he is so wrong!  Something like this takes months and months of planning!  Not so much on paper, but it's a process that has to simmer in my mind for a time until I'm ready to fully commit!

Next up will be the quilting, which is really a no brainer.  Dense organic horizontal curves.  The last thing you want to do is quilt over the Textured Twists!

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF ● WHOOP WHOOP FRIDAY

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY

  

Look Into My Eyes :: Hypnotize

Look into my eyes, you are getting sleepy...

I'm thinking Hypnotize might be a good name for this quilt, it seems so obvious!  One  definition of hypnotize is:  capture the whole attention of someone; fascinate.   

I can not get enough of my 'textured twists' these days!  The idea of a black and white quilt with twists had been brewing for a while in the back of my mind.  I wondered and experimented for a couple weeks before settling on this design.  The hardest part was getting the perfect half circles.  Persistence!

HYPNOTIZED
34" x 37"

I've made textured twists in panels, squares, curvy curves.  What else could I do?  Half circles seemed like the next logical shape to tackle.   



The trick was getting the curve just right.  There needed to be enough space at the top and bottom so that the twists didn't get lost in the seam, and with the bulk of the seams with the twist there had to be enough space on the sides...but not too much...just exactly enough! 

Trial and error played a big part in mastering the half circle block.  I made long panels that I cut the curves from using a cardboard template.  It made the cutting process go a little bit faster and while each block isn't exactly the same, they are about as exact as they could get.  What's that saying?  Done is better than perfect?!



The next step was the layout.  I had an idea on the layout before I started, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't change it along the way at least once.  My husband played a part in the final design and I'm thankful for his input.  But wouldn't you know after the first couple of rows were together he comes to me with a different idea!  He must know by now that once I get an idea in my head I'm not going to stop until it's finished! 

6 3/4" x 5"
Finished Block

I knew I could easily become confused on which side was up and which was down with the twists, and it really does make a difference in the overall effect especially with it being in black and white.  So I pressed all the blocks with the twists pressed in the right direction before sewing the outside on the half circle.  



I was shocked to see how much black dust came from the fabric after each sewing session.  I fine layer was all over my sewing space and I was compelled to clean each time I finished for the day.  I used Kona White and Black for this quilt.  If you have use a black other than Kona, I'd be interested to know if it does the same thing.



The quilting was intentionally kept simple.  Straight lines between each twist and 1/4" curved lines around each half circle.  In black thread of course!  Even though it's just black and white, there is plenty going on without overwhelming it with quilting detail.  



One other thing about this quilt, the visual effect is all in the pressing of the twists.  I wanted to get photos taken so I haphazardly pressed the blocks.  Now that I look at, I'm not sure I like the angles of the pressing.  I can easily change that with a hot iron!  What other block can you change the look of by pressing it differently?!  I'm not sure there is one!

You know cutting curves leaves you with a lot of scraps, so don't be surprised if you see another black and white combination one day soon!

My second entry for the Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy at Amy's Creative Side.  If your looking for inspiration or new blogs to follow, you will certainly find it here!

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING ●  LINKY TUESDAY 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD  ● TGIFF 

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES

Feisty Fiesta :: Taming the Twists

I have to say I was more than a little bit worried about this quilt after I finished piecing the top.  ('Let's Do The Twist')  After adding more and more stripes, the top became out of shape and I wasn't sure I'd be able to whip it back into shape.

  I decided I'd use basting spray, only the second time I've done that, hoping it would help aid in the effort.  There wasn't any do overs or going back at this point.  Which meant I may as well quilt it and hope for the best.

FEISTY FIESTA
44" X 45"

As you can see I conquered the wonk!!  For the most part!  I don't know if I should admit this, but it was the first time I ever blocked a quilt.  It's true.  Lots of people do it, I just never felt the need to until this one.  

After the quilting was finished I trimmed around the quilt leaving a little excess batting and backing around the edges.  Then zig zag stitched the edges of the fabric so when I tossed it in the wash it wouldn't fray.  Choosing the hand wash cycle on my washing machine, I tossed it in and let it work its magic.  When it was finished and still wet, I pinned it to the floor carefully adjusting until it appeared to be relatively square and left it to dry.  

When it came time to pull the pins I was hoping it would keep it's shape, everyone says it will, and low and behold!  It did!  Whew!  Makes me want to block another one...one day!

Certainly there are many blocking tutorials out there that will walk you through the steps needed.  I knew enough to give it a try, but full disclosure, I don't know if it was proper or not!



I was determined to use on color of thread for all the quilting when I started...and then, I couldn't help myself.  I raided the thread rack!  As long as it had a bobbin with thread on it, I grabbed it.  Which mind you, happens to be a great way to use up partially wound bobbins.



How could I have a Fiesta celebration without lots of colors?!  The answer is...you can't!  I couldn't wimp out now!



In the twisted blocks, I simply quilted a curve line in between each twist and stitched in the ditch around each block.  The plain log cabin blocks received spiral quilting.  

  

All the quilting on this quilt was never intended to be straight.  I intentionally quilted organic/natural lines in all different widths.  Considering the nature of shot cottons and the issue I had with it being distorted, I felt it was the best solution to handle the imperfections.  



I pieced the back for a little more party pizazz!  Plus it also gives you a better picture of the quilting.

Color, texture...that usually equals fun in my book!

The 'textured twists' after washing didn't hold their shape, but I knew that from the get go.  Shot cottons are a lighter weight fabric so that wasn't a surprise.  Spray starch is a great tool to get crisp distinctive twists, but doesn't hold up to water!



All things consider, I'm going to call this one a success!  I love the colors, the design, the quilting, the technique.  



And yes, I do have more ideas in the works.  More 'textured twists' mayhem!  I guess I may as well go with it until I can go no more!

Since I'm not a regular at the quilt blocking game, do you block your quilts?  Was there something I should have done differently?

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING ●  LINKY TUESDAY 
LETS BEE SOCIAL  

MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD  ● TGIFF ● CAN I GET A WHOOP WHOOP