Rocky Road to Kansas, and Orphan Blocks

I'm playing with strings, sewing them down to phone book pages.  This is going to be Rocky Road to Kansas, inspired by Eleanor Burns, Egg Money Quilts.  This particular pattern has 2 cardstock templates which are provided in her book. Thanks Eleanor!  I've made it before and it turned out great.

First, I rough cut the phone book pages to wedge size, then sewed on all the strings.  There is no measuring, so this part goes FAST.  I already had strings, and used most of my 1 1/2 in. pieces, but added wider and narrower for interest, mostly in the blue range.

I drew around the wedge template on the back of the string units, then trimmed with rotary cutter.  The center pieces start as squares, cut in half, sewed on the widest part of the wedge, and trimmed.  They are consistent for the entire project.

This will be 30, 12 inch blocks, 5 x 6, and I'll probably add a border.

I sewed the 4 wedges together, with that triangle attached and ended up with a star thingy, points flapping in the breeze.  (I forgot to photo the white template piece used for the 4 sides, provided as well.)  I marked with pencil the center of that white triangle/pivot point and pinned it to the inside pivot point of the star, started sewing at the outside star point to that pivot point, needle down, and wrangled it around (used a stiletto) and sewed down the other side to the next point.  One would not think it would work but it DID! I bit of pressing and voila!  After the first one, I discovered I should remove the paper from that pivot point for a sharper pivot.  First one is OK.  8-))  NO puckers!

 

Below are several 6 inch orphan blocks made into potholders.  I used one layer of cotton batting, then one layer of Insulbrite.  I found that turning them was not neat and tidy for my first ones (had forgotten how to do this simple task - note the flying geese points all caught in the thick seams!).  Then I remembered how to do it better!  Add a small sashing so the points wouldn't get lost, and for the backing. put a seam in the middle of the backing, but leave a few inches for turning.  For me, it's impossible to turn that item neatly leaving a side seam open, but if you sew a seam in the backing, and leave a few inches for turning, sew all 4 sides, it turns so much neater, then simply hand stitch the backing seam closed.  I machine quilted a few seams to finish it off.  I don't hang my potholders, so no tab.  AND no fussy binding. 

Jamestown Landing (My Way)

The center of my Jamestown Landing is all quilted here.  I want to find another name for this project - something about remembering Mom and Grandma telling me about their extraordinary methods they tried to make a little pocket change during the Great Depression - all during this quilt construction, I heard Mom over my shoulder, reminding me to "Make do".  I wish she was here to see it now -- Mom never knew me as a quilter unfortunately.

If you have not seen this quilt previously, I used plain blue fabric instead of the suggested strings, inspired by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.

(The hanging flower basket was given to me by Sydney, after I had mailed her a quilt that had her name written all over it, a quilt called "RED".  )

 Below is a close up of my favorite quilting design that works well as an overall design, and that fits well with the space on my DSM.

 Also, a favorite free-form design for an inner border.  I like to finish my designs with a circular spiral, just for fun? 

A final version, all the chunks of fabric on the wide border are quilted in a variety of designs - most I like, some, not so much, but they are good practice and good examples. Binding is done as well.  I LOVE those beautiful shadows!!

Home Improvements

This past week was the beginning of a major home improvement - this was our back yard and the alley behind, below was our front yard.  Remember how hot is was last summer? - so hot that I actually MOVED my sewing and much of my existance downstairs to the basement.  Our old A.C. unit was inadequate for that extraordinary heat.  Additionally, our old behemoth of a furnace that was over 50 years old, wile still functioning, it had definitely seen better days, and was terribly inefficient, compared to new models.  We bit the bullet and "called the man".   (Should I say his mother is a quilter?) 

We were shocked at the cost of upgrading our electrical service -- double to our guesstimate.   That job was done the previous week with 3 guys.  All this work was accompanied lots of noise, hammering, ladders, up and down on the roof, in and out of the house, up and down stairs, Building Inspection, but was eventually ready for installation of the HVAC system.

Removing the old furnace equipment from the house was an astonishing production.  I was shocked at the amount of old junky, dirty stuff that came out of the furnace room.  The old firebox itself must have weighed over 500 lbs - that was scarey to know that monstrosity had been working as well as it did!  There were 5-6 young guys in and out of our house for most of 4 days - I lost track of trips in and out.  They had put down plastic over the carpet, and took as much care as possible - they were the best -- polite, courteous, hard-working, skilled, professional and considerate.  I wish I had a dollar for every trip up or down stairs!  Yikes, such energy.  They also were in and out, up and down, in the ceiling putting in new "runs", making things, taking apart things, dumping old stuff, unpacking new stuff, pounding, coming and going, sawing holes in the carpet/floor for new registers!  So much activity wore us both out - we had to miss our naps for 4 DAYS!

Some of stuff coming IN - only a fraction of the total!  (I liked the poppies in the background!)

Ahhhh, the new A.C. condenser!  Happy Day!

Of course, all is computer-everything!  A person can't just "fix" things any more!  The digital inside thermostat is another computer - can be connected to a smart phone, if I get  a modem.  I could actually be far from home and adjust the home thermostat digitally so the house is warmed to the right temp when I walk in the door.  Oh Good Grief!!!

All this work was done in 4 days.  Since installation, we've had some cool weather - the furnace works great!  Now we're waiting for hot weather, to see how the A.C. works.  8-)))  Naturally, we had to "play" with the computer thermostat!  It's a relief to know this big job is done, and done well. Funny thing - when we bought the house 15 years ago, this was going to be the first improvement!  LOL

Oh yes, one more good thing - there was so much activity, we couldn't waste time watching the danged news on the TV, so DH finished HIS boat project and I finished MY quilt project!  That will be another post!

How much throat space is needed for Machine Quilting on a DSM?

Today, I basted!!!  Had to bring the 2 large tables in the house -- too cold outside!  I have PVC legs to put on the table legs to bring up the surface to my height - no bending over!!!  But the job is done, all mess put away, and I am ready to MQ this MOUNTAIN of Jamestown Landing (my way)!  I say "My Way" because I didn't make the strings for the HSTs, just used large blue triangles instead.  Thank you Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com for her continued inspiration!  

I machine quilt on my domestic sewing machine (DSM), a Janome MC6500.  This machine has never had a problem with thread - I've NEVER fussed with tension other than the transition from regular sewing to machine quilting.  It has been a workhorse.  It is 7 years old with not one bit of trouble and I've never had it serviced.

How much space does a person need to MQ this one?  There is a fuzzy photo, you might see that I have 8 7/8 inch from the housing to the needle, and my quilt is 87" x 104".  This is the largest I've quilted - it will work, with some fiddling, and patience needed near the center.  I will work perhaps 2 hours a day, not longer because I don't want to strain neck and shoulder muscles. 

Below is my favorite quilting pattern, a kind of paisley I learned from PatsyThompsonDesigns.com. I now use Schmetz Microtex needles for quilting, but Schmetz regular quilting needles are good as well.  The Microtex seem to last longer and I use them for regular sewing well beyond one quilt.  The thread I'm using is variegated cotton (YLI) with soft shades of pastels which add some sparkle to the mostly all-blue quilt.  I feel brilliant with this choice of the subtle added color, AND I alrelady HAD some on hand!  

I have also learned that setting my machine to a certain speed  - not too fast, not too slow, and then flooring the foot pedal gives me the best control and most even stitches.  I use my left foot on the foot pedal and my right knee on the knee lift - so glad I learned that efficient technique!

I pile my quilt around the needle - definitely NO ROLLING - and keep adjusting, futzing, moving, plumping.  My sewing table/surface is flat, and opens up wide.  However, having that extra space means I have a tendency to pile UFOs, etc., on the surface. Bad me!  Occasionally, I've quilted a stray block or bits of fabric onto the back of my quilting project!  One time I quilted my Machinger onto the back.  Duhhhh! 

One thing leads to another ...

A friend surprised me with this beautiful hanging basket chock full of flowers.  It looked so cheerful, I added a decorative birdhouse, usually kept inside the house.  THAT looked even more cheerful and I added the church, and then added the quilty Jim Shore birdhouse, that no self-respecting bird would EVER move into.  Never-the-less, the end result looks a little like a Christmas Tree - all very cheerful and happy .  On the shepherd's hook almost out of sight is yet another birdfeeder, another BARN.  Unfortunately, with the owl occasionally living in our little back yard, we seldom see other birds, so the cheerful bird houses will have to do!  Look at that GREEEEEEN grass - hooorayy!

Below, the purple/red batik, is probably the last of my practicing of making cosmetics bags.  I have that tab (left of the zipper) on the zipper figured out.  I still need guidance on zippers and will check with my local gals - there are so many versions - I don't remember having problems waaaaay back 35 years ago!  LOL.  These cosmetics bags called for fusible batting - I think next time, I'll try fusible interfacing - it may be less bulky.  This one turned out pretty good!

Buttons, and Practice

 Today I vowed to "practice" regular sewing, and relearn long-forgotten dressmaking techniques.  I used to be reasonably competent, before quilting took over my life.  Yikes, fumble fingers, what foot???, where is the right foot???, where is my instruction book???, what thread??? change this and that, up and down, "how do I...?", "I forgot something", etc.  The item on the left is a nearly finished zippered pouch, and called for fusible batting, and scraps.  My zipper was an old one with metal teeth - uhhhh, not a great idea.  And the buttons for a little pizzazz?  I have a half-gallon jar full of possibilities, but didn't find many that added "pizzazz".  There seems to be an art to using them effectively.  Why do we save them for 50 years???  LOL  I"ll give myself a "C-" for the finished project, and an "A" for effort.  I'll try again, and do better on the zipper ends which remain crumpled at each end, not sharp and neat.

DH has fashioned a few old wood thread spools into doo-dad-type-buttons by cutting them in half lengthwise, and drilling out sewing holes.  I have a small spool supply as you see in the photo - that should last me another 50 years!  LOL  

What about you?  Do you USE your carefully saved buttons?  

Practicing 3 little bags  

First one, brown batiks --  I didn't know how to resolve the issue at the end of the zippers with that fold thing.  Crumpled corners are not attractive.   This was my "C-".  Arranging buttons artfully is not as carefree as we think!

Second one (blue) looks great, but upon inspection when FINISHED, a seam on the zipper was not deep enough and pulled away.  I "fixed" it with hand stitching - looks terrible (not shown).  This is a "B-"

Third one, (red/black)  is good all way around - an "A"!  I added a bit of grosgrain ribbon to the zipper pull.

Practice is good!