A Peek At My Next Project

These homespun fabrics are part of a foundation pieced quilt that I am working on and have been for some time.  You see in going through my fabric closet I came across this blue box that was a bit heavy as it was stuffed full of these great fabrics.  I knew I had it .... somewhere!  The quilt within  has been waiting to for completion for ... um ... well let's just say for a couple of years.  Okay maybe more than a couple, maybe more like ... oh never mind I can't remember how many years and don't want to think about it!  Anyhow it is seeing some daylight at long last.  A commitment has been made to finish this quilt and I already have plans for the leftovers, how's that?

My husband purchased this group of fat quarters from Keepsake Quilts in New Hampshire as a gift for me one Christmas a number of years ago,  The picture above is only a small portion of the group as part of the group is on the sewing table or in the machine being sewn.  More pictures to be posted in the coming days.  I find it interesting when the "parts" are posted and you can view the progress.  Quilters are not always as patient as one might think (which is probably why they have so many UFO's floating around!) and will move from project to project.  Or is that just all creative people?

Anyhow please come back and have a look at the blocks as they are finished and posted.

'Something Blue' Half Square Triangle Quilt

Out of the UFO pile and into the finished pile!  This small piece, measuring 26.5" by 22", went fairly quickly even though it was a little tedious cutting all the triangles.  I wanted to make a two color quilt and came across this pretty blue fabric with kind of a paisley pattern paired up with a soft blue and white stripe.  I've named it "Something Blue" for lack of any imagination on my part.  If you have a better suggestion I'm open to your comments.

Piece is now part of a private collection.

Aftican Batik

African village and it's inhabitants  batik

A couple of years ago we took a ride to the Deerfield Craft Show.  When this show is going it is quite large and there are many craftsman there trying to sell their wares.  I found this piece along with many others at this vendors table.  He said that his mother makes these along with others in her village.  I have since forgotten his name and where exactly he comes from with his batiks, maybe Kenya, not sure.  I know that I have his card somewhere and I will come across it one day.  When that day comes I will credit him and his mom with this lovely piece.  (Here is a fine example of posting right away, those things that you know you are going to remember can sometimes fool you and you forget.)  If I find out that any of the information regarding this piece is incorrect I will correct it.

This piece depicts villagers and the homes they live in.  It's not a large piece, around 10 inches long and 4 or 5 inches wide.  The colors are vibrant and the lines are clean.  Very skillfully done.  Hope you like it.

Out of UFO Land

Purple Pansy Quilt

Purple Pansy Quilt center, bias binding and backing detail.

A pile of binding after it was measured and cut.

Mitered corners make a neat finish.

   This small lap quilt or wall hanging has been deemed completed and can no longer stay in UFO Land.  It must find another home!  With a center of half square triangles and purple borders it was machine quilted using a variegated purple thread from Coats and Clark 100% mercerized cotton, Size 50.  The fabrics used are all 100% cotton commercially printed from a variety of manufacturers and designers.  You may recognize some of them.  I especially like the outside border and the striped bias edging.  I think I will call it Purple Pansy Quilt. 
    In an earlier post I was playing with a variety of layouts, auditioning them for this quilt and this is where the triangles landed!

Scrap-a-mania!

  Yes it's Scrap-a-mania!  Yipee!  I am making all kinds of lap quilts for kids to enjoy.  Right now I have 3 that are alike that are all done except the binding.  Those are pictured here.

The three quilts are alike with respect to design.  The printed fabrics are placed randomly and all three quilts are bordered all around in white as are each of the blocks.

The quilting was done on my sewing machine in sets of three rows with about an inch and one half between each set.  Here is also shown the backing on two of the quilts.

Here you see the backing on the third quilt - it is a solid yellow- it is what I had on hand, remember I am stash busting!

This shows a portion of the overall design of the three quilts.  These quilts were fast and easy.

   Started are at least 7 others which I will employ half square triangles.  The half square triangle always does a great job because you can play with them endlessly to create a mountain of designs that will please almost any quilt enthusiast.  Color is the secondary consideration with those.  I will be sewing them ALL together before I bind them, that way I can sit at the end of the evening and hand sew the binding on.   I can't wait to see what direction the half square triangles lead me to.  It's very exciting.
  Once the tops are all sewn together it's onto the machine for them and I will do some simple quilting.  What I have not decided to do is quilt in the ditch or do some square stitching to accent the square design that will come out of them.  I will photo them and show when they are completed as well.
  Then I will move on to a different pattern - I think maybe a "braid".  We'll see.
 
   Another year is about to come to an end - the goals that I had set for myself of finishing some of the UFO's that are flying around in my sewing room were met, well at least some of them and I am glad about that.  I also did manage to do some more dyeing than last year.  And also though try as I might I started a few more projects that are now in the near finished stage - NOT the UFO stack.  So for the next couple of days I will be thinking about what goals I will set for myself for this coming year frolicking with fabrics.  What goals are you contemplating for yourself?

Blue Green Line - Spirals, Stripes, Salamanders and Dots

  Now showing the Blue Green Line set of fat quarters hand dyed by yours truly.  Though the colorway is limited and the designs are simple, but the techniques were varied in creating this grouping.  I used mono-printing, stamping (with my own stamps that I designed), painted on thickened dye, dye paste and over-dyeing.   The designs are spirals, stripes, salamanders and dots.  Again I have used fat quarter sized pieces of 100% cotton fabric.  This is an easily managed size to work with, although larger pieces of other designs and colors are in my stash that I have also designed, you just need more room to spread out! Here are a couple of views.  Have a look, hope you like what you see.

 

Some of My New Fabrics

Here are just a few of my newest fabrics.  All are 100 per cent cotton, hand dyed and printed by me!  Hope you like seeing them. 

These are fat quarter size.  They have been dyed at least once, then over dyed for additional texture (fish fabric).  Then each was printed using fabric print medium using my own designs. 

They were very much fun to make.

Watch for more next weekend!

Through the Window

Through the Window is made using all cotton fibers.  The center motif is made using cotton which has been slightly felted so it tears apart rather easily.  "Inside" you see bright colors depicting warmth and comfort,"outside" the night is dark and cold.

This piece was made using a vinegar dye bath and the microwave oven!  The color saturation is intense and the vinegar neutralized any odors that were lingering in the kitchen!  Though this method resulted in brilliant color, I would not use it in a sewn item that might need to be washed at some point as the the color bled out quite a bit.  Seeing as my plans for use were only ornamental no harm done. 

In subsequent experiments I tried other pieces of cotton fabric using more heat, less fabric, more vinegar, less vinegar - the results were pretty much the same.  My thinking there was to leave the fabric in heat longer to set the dye better - well that didn't work very well as the fabric charred (caught on fire) in areas where it had folds.  That left some interesting patterns in the fabric.  Those fabrics did not go to waste though as the blackened areas added some interest and I will find a purpose for them as well at some point.

So be wary when using vinegar dye bath, it does work to dye fabrics -but be cautious what you use that fabric in!