Nearly Insane Quilt - Passport Packed!

Before you embark on a journey you need to make your travel arrangements, pack your suitcase with essentials, and arrange for someone to feed the cats.  These are the sort of preparations I have been making before my Nearly Insane Quilt journey.

1.  My guidebook on my Nearly Insane Quilt journey is Liz Lois book which has the templates for each of the 6" blocks, colour pictures of some completed Nearly Insane quilts, and along with some beautiful quilts on the internet, has been the inspiration for the journey in the first place.

Book: Nearly Insane Quilt by Liz Lois

2.  The type of journey I will be going on will be a hand pieced one.  It will largely be English Paper Pieced (EPP), but if there is heavy weather ahead, I am prepared for an alternative route using Foundation piecing.
3.  The flavours I will be tasting will largely be red and cream, with some white fabric.  At the moment I have not made a final decision on the fabric for the sashing and the cornerstones.  At the moment the sashing is probably a cream calico and the cornerstones a solid red.  But like any good quilter, I will try to fit in a few 'fabric shop hops' along the way of my journey, where I hope to find something more appealing.


Red and Cream / White Fabrics for Nearly Insane Quilt

3.  My map on the journey is Electric Quilt 5.  I have already drawn out each block into the software, and set them into the quilt.  I have also scanned all my fabrics in, as a 'Nearly Insane Collection'.  This allows me to print off an accurate block for my paper pieces, and the shapes for cutting out the fabric.  It will also allow me to keep track of my progress, so I know how much of the quilt I have done, and how far I have to go.

Nearly Insane Quilt in Electric Quilt Software

4. To help decide which route I am taking I have set myself up a lucky draw.  I have cut up each block from the Electric Quilt print out of the whole Nearly Insane Quilt, numbered each block, and put them in a lucky dip bowl. For each draw I will randomly select 3 blocks, and 1 edge half block.  This will allow me to prepare the fabrics as I go along in a manageable way, and set them up in portable project bags, so there is always something ready to do on the go.


Nearly Insane Quilt - Lucky Dip Bowl

I think that is about everything for now.  I will be on this journey for quite a while, but I hope to send you all regular postcards!

Red and Cream Fabric Choice - Nearly Insane Quilt

Now that I have decided to embark on the 'Nearly Insane' quilt, I have spent a lot of time preparing for it.  I will be hand piecing it, probably using the English Paper Piecing method, but I can also see a need to some foundation piecing work for the more intricate blocks.  I have put all the blocks into Electric Quilt 5, and I have also now scanned all my red, white and cream fabrics into the package.  Despite having the Electric Quilt software for years, this is the first time I have done this, and it went relatively well.


'Mama Said Sew' by Sweetwater for Moda

The foundations of my colour choice are based on the red and cream colourway in the 'Mama Said Sew' fabric range by Sweetwater for Moda.  As soon as I saw this range, I knew I wanted a piece of it.  Not only is it in a red and cream colourway, but it has an appropriate set of sewing themed fabrics.  I particularly like the little red pinwheels.


Red and White Fabric Charm Squares

I have also gone through all my charm packs, charm squares, and fabric scraps searching for red and cream fabric.  This has included some of the reds from a Bonnie and Camille, 'Bliss' Moda Candy Bar, and some Civil War pre-cut circles I bought at Keepsake Quilting in Meredith, USA, several years ago.  As you can see, nothing is safe - even the tiny little charm squares are in for a shout, especially as a lot of the blocks have very tiny pieces in them.

Red and Cream / White Fabric Stash

Then finally, the red, cream and white fabrics from my stash.  Lots of red and white spots and dots.  With the project probably taking a few years, no doubt my antennae will be up for red and cream fabrics that are within arms length.

Mini Hexagon Mug Rug

A Morris Tapestry, Hexagon Mug Rug

As you would have read in my last post, I have been aching to do some sewing this week, and finally I have managed it. Firstly, thanks to Sarah at Sarah Did It for the gentle nudge and inspiration for this Mini Hexi Project, which has kept me quiet for the past 24 hours. I wanted a little hand piecing project, using the English Paper Piecing method, AND I needed to produce a little birthday gift for this Monday, so this little hexagon Mug Rug fits the bill nicely.

English Paper Piecing Templates in MS Powerpoint

The other night, whilst doing some work on the computer, I quickly popped into MS Powerpoint and drew up some paper templates. I found that the actual 'hexagon' shape in the package did not have equal length sides, so instead combined six equilateral triangles and some lines to make up the hexagons. The sides are 3cm each.


English Paper Piecing Hexagon Templates

I was travelling yesterday and NOT driving, so I seized the moment to start the project. This meant a rather hurried choice of fabric, so I played safe and went for a fabric range I had in my stash.  I was literally cutting out the fabric with my coat on, and the engine running on the car! 

A Morris Tapestry Fabric, MODA,
(L-R) 8172-15, 8177-17, 8176-15, 8171-34) 

The fabric I chose was from 'A Morris Tapestry' by Barbara Brackman for Moda. They are reproductions of some William Morris (Arts and Crafts Movement) prints from about the 1890's, featuring the Strawberry Thief and a pretty Daffodil print. I thought this was appropriate because, it was a lovely sunny day here today and a chance to see the progress of the Spring DaffodiI bulbs - little way to go yet!  

Daffodil Bulbs - February 2013

During the hour I had in the car, I was surprised to see that I had covered all my paper templates and that they were ready for stitching together.  I tend to use cheap tacking thread in a contrasting colour and stitch right through the paper.  It is the way I have always done it.  I like this method, as you never know how long it will be before you actually are going to stitch it together when you are hand piecing, so they can sit there for years without a worry.

But this project had to be done today. After a little thought, I decided that the easiest way to construct the little Mug Rug was to do it in columns, this avoided any awkward seams, and you can see here the different stages.

With only tiny pieces, it did not take long to piece together, and in no time at all it was time to take the paper out.  This is a picture of the reverse of the mug rug, after it was stitched together, but with the paper still in place.  I tend to give  projects like this a good press whilst the papers are still in place - I find it helps to keep their structure.


Hexagon English Paper Piecing - Reverse

With the papers removed, I pressed out the seam, and made up a quilt sandwich from some scrap wadding, and some fabric for the reverse.  I just did some simple hand quilting, outlining the shapes. If I am hand piecing and hand quilting an item, I usually like to keep the integrity of the piece by banning ALL machine stitching, but lately, once the top is quilted, I have started to machine stitch the edge, to stay stitch the quilt sandwich, which will then be hidden in the binding. I used a straight edge binding.  Again, for this little project I did use the machine to sew on the binding, and then hand stitched it on the reverse. 


Hexi-Puzzle Mug Rug - English Paper Piecing

The good news is that the gift is completed in time, and that I still have the rest of the day to do some stiching!  If you enjoy hand piecing, especially Hexagons, Sarah Did It has a special Hexi Link Up on the 17th of each month - do be sure to join in!
Today I am linking up with Connie at Freemotion By The River and Crazy Mom Quilts.



Virtual Sewing Progress

This week I have spent more time thinking about sewing than actual doing any.  I have been working all day, as well as evenings this week, and sewing just has not had a look in. My journeys to work in the car have been spent dreaming of projects I want to do, of fabric I would need to buy for them, and lamenting the lack of time I have had in my sewing room.  Since Suzi became an 'internet sensation' by winning the Feline Friday giveaway at the Sarah Did It Blog, she has behaved like a winner of X Factor, but even she is missing the special time we share in the sewing room.

When life gets too hectic for sewing, there are places on the internet that I always seem to head off to for an instant fix.  The Fat Quarter Shop, to review their What's New section, to Green Fairy Quilts, to marvel at the incredible long arm quilting skills of Judi Madsen, and the list of bloggers that I follow.  Are there places that you head to for some virtual sewing?
 
Thank heavens for Blogland.
 
1. I have been posting my blog for just a little over two months, and this week I reached 21 Followers.  This means that Damsel Creations, the kind-hearted blogger who was the first Fabadashery Follower, has been moved to a second page. Just to say thank you for leading the way - you are not forgotten!

2. This week a blogger, Zipje and Zopje from the Netherlands, got in touch to regarding my Butterfly Quilt, as her sewing bee group are just about to start the same quilt.  Do visit to watch their progress.  It is a great quilt to make.

3. Sarah at Sarah Did It has been posting the progress of a lovely hand pieced Hexagon project, and kindly suggested a 'Mini Hexi Puzzle' for those of us who were jealous in need of a quick fix of hexies. By Thursday night I had cut out the papers ... 

4. Finally, too much time spent on the Internet has introduced me to projects that I never knew I needed to do, and they are posted here on my Pinterest page.  The one that has been dominating my mind is the 'Nearly Insane', Salinda Rupp quilt, published in a book by Liz Lois.  I am pretty much sure that this is the next major hand piecing project I am doing, confirmed that I ordered the book from the USA over a week ago - it arrived this morning.

 



Pies and Tarts Quilt - English Paper Piecing

Pies and Tart Quilt

Along with piecing my Easy Street Mystery Quilt over the holidays, I have also managed to complete the quilt top for my Pies and Tarts quilt.  This has been a hand piecing project for the past few years, started in February 2011.  The last few bits should have only taken about half a day to do, but Easy Street has rather taken over. When you are hand piecing, completing the top is a major milestone, so I thought I would share this with you.

I was also trying to use my stash and create a scrappy quilt, so I made up some slightly larger cardboard pies and tarts templates from cereal packets, adding on for the seam allowance, for the pies and smaller tarts to draw around for my fabric shapes.  I did a whole 'Pie' and some different sized slices to accommodate some fussy cutting and to use smaller scraps.  I found that a 5" charm square was the perfect size to fit the fabric template for a 'tart'.  As a result of all this circular cutting, a quick sift through my current stash will find fat quarters with awkward round holes in them - no neat strips for this project!

Because I only had a limited number of paper patchwork templates, I tended to cut the fabric in batches, pairing up colour schemes for each circle as I went along.  With a little bag of paper templates, some colourful fabrics scraps, and a needle and cotton, I was on my way.  It travelled with me everywhere, and gradually the Pies and Tarts quilt accumulated.  There are a variety of textured background navy fabrics used in this quilt.


Pies and Tarts Quilt Detail

The construction of each block roughly went a bit like this
1. Tack fabric around paper templates
2. Select two sets of four coordinating 'slices'
3. Sew up four pairs of the two colours, overstitching them together
4. Sew the four pairs to make a circle or 'pie'
4. Press the completed circle to ensure a smooth circular edge
5. Applique circle onto a 8" square of navy fabric, removing paper templates as you go.



Pies and Tarts Quilt Top Completed

It was only once four blocks were pieced together (by hand, of course!) that it was possible to apply the smaller tart in the middle.  With the verticals and horizontals of the blocks, it was easy to place the circles in the same direction, which adds a diagonal pattern to the whole quilt as well.  I have added half circles to the edge, and to finish the edge I will be adding a very narrow navy border.

At this stage I am joining up with Finish It Up Friday  and HeLP for Hexiaholics - the next stage is to put it away for a while whilst I decide on the quilting pattern I will use, and it waits its turn to be hand quilted ....



Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt

One of the Christmas gifts I received was the book 'The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt' by Laurie Aaron Hird. OK, so I had made some heavy hints - but Santa delivered.

I am keen to start up a new hand piecing project, and think that this will be the long-term marathon that I usually enjoy. But then I paused, as I realised that there were several other sampler quilts out there, such as the 'Dear Jane', 1863 Jane A Stickle, 'Sylvia's Bridal Sampler Quilt' by Jennifer Chiaverini, and no doubt a host of others. Here are some basic facts - the numbers, to get you thinking.

'Dear Jane' = 225 blocks

'Farmer's Wife' = 111 blocks

'Sylvia's Bridal' = 140 blocks

What are the other differences? Do you have a preference?

I am guessing there a a very few brave souls who have tackled all three, but I would love to hear about other quilter's experiences of any of these quilts, and what the positive and negatives are. I would be doing it by hand - probably English paper piecing, I would also probably move away from the traditional colour scheme also.

Let me know.

A Quiet Evening with my Pies and Tarts Quilt

Final Stages of the Pies and Tarts Quilt

 

This evening I managed to get back to my English piecing project, my Pies and Tarts Quilt.
The top of this is almost complete, I just have to sew on the 36 half circles to the edge of the quilt.  I dithered over whether they would be necessary, but have decided to go for a more modern look edge to edge quilt.  I have manged about half of these this evening whilst watching the television, and I hope to get the top finished over the holiday period.
Having hosted several parties in the past few weeks, it feels good to be having a quiet Christmas.  I hope everyone has been good, and Santa comes tonight.

Merry Christmas!

#4 Butterfly Quilt - What did I learn from this Quilt?

Each quilt I make, I tend to learn something new.  With the Butterflies Quilt being my first large project, over a long period of time, it was perhaps my steepest learning curve with regard to patchwork and quilting.  Looking back, I realise how naïve I was, and how this project really opened the doors to the quilting world for me.


Butterfly Quilt on the Bed

English Paper Piecing is Great!
As long as the paper is cut to the right size, you can get away with rough cutting fabric, and along with hand sewing , you have much greater control of what is going on with your quilt - this is why I love working with the English Paper Piecing method. Also, cutting out the paper for quilts reminds me of cutting out dresses for paper dolls when I was a child.  I used to love this.  It is a quiet, peaceful pastime.  Sometimes I like to be on the machine, but when you have no choice in order to get a project done, it can feel like you are chained to it, and you really have to find a block of time to get the job done - not easy when you work full-time.  In the two years it took to complete the Butterflies quilt, I never once got frustrated with it.  It is portable.  You can fit it in to small gaps of time.  Just make sure you have it with you all the time!

Go With the Scraps
For this quilt project, the only fabric I bought was the cream calico and the fabric for the butterfly bodies.  Otherwise, I kept to what scrap fabric I had.  This led to, what felt like, some heavily compromised colour combinations, which made me wince as I sewed them together.  However, once the quilt was together, it looked perfect.  Go with the scraps, in general, they know what they are doing.

Thread
I used an off-white cotton to sew my pieces together, which worked for the majority of the quilt, but not so well on the coloured fabric.  As it travelled around with me  A LOT, just having to worry about one reel of thread, made it easier, however, with the quilts I have done since I have taken more care to match the thread to the fabric.

Quilting
This quilt needs more quilting.  I look at it every day and think this, but part of me is happy to keep it as it is, as a reminder that there is a ‘tipping point’ of too little, or too much quilting on a quilt.  I am still working on the balance of this.

#3 Butterfly Quilt - Showing the Butterfly Quilt

#2 Butterfly Quilt - Techniques and Construction

#1 Butterfly Quilt - Inspiration Behind the Quilt

#3 Butterfly Quilt - Showing the Butterfly Quilt

It was great to eventually see my Butterflies Quilt hung up at the NEC Festival of Quilts in Birmingham.  It was also lovely to hear the kind comments that visitors made about my work.  Because of its size, I had previously had nowhere to display it where I could stand back and have a good look at it myself.  This was a great opportunity.  At the time, I lived in a three storey house, and the only place large enough to lie it out was in the garden, and then to run upstairs and look at it out of the top window.  Not entirely satisfactory.


'Butterflies on the Move' Quilts UK 2007

This was the first quilt I entered into a show. The NEC Festival of Quilts is the biggest show in the UK, has a vast array of styles, and the quilts are well displayed (not to mention the shopping!).  It attracts visitors from all over Europe, mainly because Birmingham International Airport is on its doorstep, and you can literally walk into the exhibition centre from there.  I enjoy showing my quilts, especially when you have spent so much of your time on them.  

The following year I entered it into the Quilts UK Show at Malvern, and was fortunate to be awarded a Judges Choice Award, from the quilter Carolyn Forster, and to win the 2007 South West Quilters Award for Traditional Quilts, which can be seen here on their website .  It also won First Prize in 2007 at the Great Northern Quilt Show, in Harrogate, in the category ‘My First Bed Quilt’.

#2 Butterfly Quilt - Techniques and Construction

#1 Butterfly Quilt - Inspiration Behind the Quilt

West Country Quilt Show

Today I visited the first ever West Country Quilt Show.  It was at the Bath and West Showground, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset. 
The traders had some lovely fabric, which I found hard to resist, especially with Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt, Easy Street, currently at the forefront of my mind.   The Laughing Hedgehog , normally based in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, stocked the Kansas Troubles fabric from Moda, which I am using for my 'background', so I was able to stock up on that, as I had realised that with the scraps I am using, I will not have enough for the whole quilt.  I also managed to get some of the 'Seasonal Little Gatherings' by Primitive Gatherings for Moda, from Sew Enchanting, based in Ashburton, Devon.  The Cross-Patch had a lovely display of the Lynette Anderson Designs, with a good selection of the fabrics, buttons and threads. There were so many other lovely stalls there, I had to pull myself away.


Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt - Boutique by Chez Moi

I only heard about it a few weeks ago, and saw that the deadine had not closed for entering quilts.  With nothing to display myself, I encouraged my sister to enter her Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt, which she made using a range called Boutique by Chez Moi for Moda Jelly Roll.  It was Hand stitched using the English Paper Piecing method, and hand quilted.  I was her first quilt.  She got the pattern from a Mystery Block of Month published on the blog of The Quilt Room, Dorking, which started in March 2010.  The pattern is now published in their book 'Jelly Roll Sampler Quilts' (Pam and Nicky Lintott).

Pies and Tarts Quilt - Final Slices

Pies and Tarts Quilt - Final Slices

At the weekend I had a lazy Sunday afternoon, sitting in front of the television watching the final race of the Formula 1 2012 Season from Brazil, with Sparky the cat on my lap, hand sewing the last slices of my Pies and Tarts quilt together. I started English paper piecing my Pies and Tarts Quilt in February 2011, so this marks the end of an era.  These are the small 'tarts', which will be appliqued up to the edge of the quilt.
What does this mean?  It means that I do not have a hand piecing project on the go at the moment.  This is probably a good thing, as it means I will have to concentrate on hand quilting some of the quilt sandwiches that are waiting for my attention.