The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The "good" - I've a few more rows made - I have always loved this design  It is so simple, yet gives the visual illusion if the rows are arranged correctly!  This is called Pinwheels and 4-Patches.  There are many versions from many places.  I think this is the 5th I've made.  Great stash user.  IMHO, my choice of fabrics worked best then the colors were of similar value.  However, every single time I make a blanket statement as if I know what I'm talking about, someone shows me a quilt that is totally opposite what I had just suggested, and the new version is stunning!!!

The "bad", after 10 inches of heavy wet snow.  They WERE beautiful!!!

 Snow gone already, but tulips are fairly bedraggled

 A mess of poppies - unaffected by snow ... they grow so thick, few weeks can get thru.

For weeks we've been watching a dove nest, then a chick, right over the front porch, watching it from in the living room.  this morning -- uuhhhh, those white things?? not snow, not all dandelions - this is the "Ugly" ..... feathers.  ...not a good sign.  
 

 

Another not good sign - this is the fledgling - looking for cover?   

 

 The "Ugly" .. that's a hawk right in the front yard - I never saw one so close, so aggressive - it was not even scared of me.  I don't know what kind it is - not a big bird.  The robins and other doves were hollering and making a big commotion, trying to scare it away. 

I always thought when I saw a pile of feathers in the yard, it was signs of a cat's attack.  Not so.  Sorry about that, cats.  

I did what I could and moved the fledgling to another branch - I could not reach the nest. 

More of the "Ugly" ... in the end, the chick disappeared.  8-(     Everyone's gotta eat.   8-(

QOV Quilting - Pinwheels and 4-Patches





Machine quilting -  I started with one overall design, and it morphed into another, and then another and then another - no self-discipline!  There are lots of curves, spirals, banana-type fill-ins, and then I got really crazy and started making sun rays erupting from paisleys -- they are my favorite!   All of this quilting is done with the original quilting foot that came with my Janome 6500 MC, a standard DSM.

 

However, a surprise occurred near the end of this project.  On a whim, I again tried to use/learn to use the 3 combination feet for a low shank Janome.  I made up a practice sandwich, and didn't experiment on my nice QOV.  Until today, I have had NO success using these feet, and was totally disgusted with that purchase.  The only thing I've done differently today, is that I used Sewer's Aid on my thread, and tried the feet for at least the 6th time, and voila!!!!  HOOOORRRAYYYY!  I've had to do some eating CROW following this happy surprise.  I MQ'd 2 of the borders on the QOV with no problems at all. Go figure!   

 

The quilting toned down my backing stripes a bit.  I LIKE it and didn't purchase anything more. 

 They look good together. 

Pinwheels and 4-Patches, DONE

This lovely Pinwheels & 4-Patches is completed.  I LOVE the "glow" that happened with the pale melon and blue.  It has a "foresty" kind of feeling -- my favorite -- doesn't it?  I once had a quilt-in-process that needed some "zip" and another blogger (thanks Marla) suggested adding a few pale pastels to the background - it worked -- great tip!

Two sides of the border were quilted with leafy viney motifs, and why I did that -- who knows?  Seemed like a good idea at the time, but immediately was not thrilled.  Why I continued to a second side was ludicrous!!! -- not good.  My quilting was OK, my thread was OK, but the overall design was NOT.  The curvy vine, pointy leafy structures did not "fit" with the stripey design, and I spent 2 long days taking it all out.  I replaced it with stitch in the ditch, invisible thread (clear, and then smoke) and I'm much more happy with it.  The little stitch holes are still visible and will disappear with steam or a gentle washing. 

Below is the quilting design, from http://www.patsythompsondesigns.com/.  Her design and DVDs were my inspiration, I certainly have used her designs so many times that my version is now dissimilar to hers.  8-)))   If you are struggling with wanting to learn machine quilting DESIGNS on your domestic sewing machine (DSM) you might look into her excellent video demos on her site. 

EGAD, body posture! and Machine Quilting Pinwheels and 4-Patches

I often visit Youtube.com for sewing videos. While watching one machine quilting video, I was shocked at the body posture of the young quilter - a talented young quilter from whom we've probably all learned.  She said she'd been complaining of headaches, shoulder and eye issues.  Then she mentioned her own shock at seeing her own video, noticing how awkward and poorly balanced her neck/shoulders were.  Because I also have neck/shoulder issues (unknown origin) I notice these things as well!  I reviewed some of my Fons and Porter videos, taking note of the body posture of these quilters/sewers, and have noticed something important.   They often use different machines, and  sometimes they also are hunkering their head down into shoulders to "see" the needle.   No one tells us these things when we buy a new machine.  It's not always the posture of the quilter/sewer that causes discomfort and problems, it might be the shape of the sewing machine!  Some machine have a very large, boxy front that holds your tension rings, needle threader, etc., that protrodes so far forward that it reduces your vision to the needle, leaving the sewist's line of vision hunkered down into her shoulders!  Other machines are low across the arm of the machine, leaving the user with the same hunkered position.  Even with a proper chair, and proper posture, and proper desk/table height, the shape of your machine might be causing YOU issues -- check yours out, especially if you spend hours at your machine.   Many of us quilters are past the age of "Youth" and poor body position can cause serious spinal problems later on - you won't know it until it might be too late.   Personally, I'd really like a TALL machine, and maybe there are available, I was only aware of this issue.

I've asked my husband to check on my own posture periodically -- it is different when I'm piecing, than when I'm machine quilting.   Yikes!

On a more pleasant subject, here are 3 machine (DSM) quilting photos on my Pinwheels and 4-Patches.  (This is the quilt where I learned about cording and piping.)   This  quilting thread is called "Sand", from King Tut and blends well with all the various values.   I sandwiched the quilt in the garage (warm weather!) Saturday and have about half of the top quilted.  The finished quilt is approximately 68" x 84".  DH was kind enough (!!!!!!!!!!) to show me a "humility block" when it was too late for repairs.

(I just discovered that Blogger does NOT like the "ampersand" and my photos did not appear as expected -- I'll try again!)

Lesson Learned, after the Fact - Piping and Miters

Here's the entire top, finished.

...and here are photos of 2 of the problem corners, where I needed patience getting a nice inner corner.  I learned my lesson.  Next time I will add the piping to the quilt TOP and criss-cross the corners, possibly pulling out a bit of the cording.  But I was stubborn and didn't know, and sewed the Piping to the border strip.  Since those stripes really HAD to be mitered. I caused myself complications with the piping.  

Despite the problems, they turned out not-too-badly!  The piping kinda turned into itself -- I'm not re-doing it. 

Now I know better.  Thanks to all you helpers out there, who remembered their garment sewing days.   



My Current Problem Child, Mitering Piping on Border

Is there a better way?  This is close, and it will probably quilt out, but I spent waaaay to much time on getting this piping mitered.  I never have "regular" mitering issues, but that piping kept getting in the way.  This piping is sewn to the border strip, not the quilt top.

1. Perhaps I just wasn't neat enough? 
2. Should I remove some of the cording out of the piping in the last 3/4 inch? 
3. Or, should I have sewn the piping on the quilt top, and NOT the border strips?  ... sigh ... I will next time ... but in the meantime ...

I am a terrible "I'll do-it-myself" person (stubborn, I know) and should have sought help before struggling for more than an hour on just one miter. 

Piping - Use the right foot

Today I re-learned lessons I KNEW when I was 20 but haven't used in ...uhhhh a long time.  I am adding a line of piping between my quilt and the border -- it needed just a teeny bit of something.  My friend Jody (Goddess) gave me some tips, and indeed it is not hard, but takes time, but the end result is so snazzy! Thanks Jody.  (BTW, I call her "Goddess" because she's so danged good at so many things!)  8-))

First thing, get the RIGHT foot!!  I was told my zipper foot would work - NOT!  My zipper foot is flat on the bottom, by design, whereas the piping foot is rounded underneath.  The right foot makes all the difference in the world.  ($10.99).  Sewing is almost done by itself -- I just had to fold the fabric over the piping.  There are 2 rounded grooves - I haven't figured out what the right one is for.  My machine is a Janome 6500. 
Here is my pile of cording and piping, all sewn together.  I cut my fabric strips at 1 1/4 in., and for this use, straight of grain.  This process goes easily. 

Now, I am trimming it.  My LQS had the neatest gadget/ruler for trimming where the piping slips into the groove in the ruler and then you can easily trim, protecting your fingers from the blade, but I passed that up and used my bias bar.  Kinda dangerous, but it did the job - not nearly as well, but it's done.

Here is the border with the attached piping, on top of the quilt, ready for sewing.  I learned this from a Ricky Tims DVD -- see the crease to the left of the thread?  Use your fingernail on your right hand (I was holding the camera with my right hand) to make a crease very close to the piping.  Somehow that crease gives you another bit of space to sew closer, so no (dark) threads show when you are finished.

The entire side was nearly perfect, with only a few inches in one place that needed a tighter resewing.  Like many new projects, it was easier than I thought!  This is my present Pinwheels and 4-Patches. 

Ta dahhhh!

Pinwheels and 4-Patches, My Second!

This is the second "Pinwheels and 4-Patches" quilt  WIP.  It is simple, simple!!!  I LOVE those graphics!  These are my favorite colors (I call them "foresty") and I DO have a lot of them.  Blocks are 6 inch, finished.  These are bits and pieces in boxes under the bed, under the sewing table, in drawers, stacked in a corner, in plastic carryalls, etc.  I actually started this almost 3 years ago at a Retreat.  My colors are not arranged correctly - that's another project.  Inspiration was from http://www.quiltville.com/, and a Better Homes and Gardens book, and from another book, somewhere around here.   They all had good ideas, color suggestions, layout.

In this layout, every other row of pinwheels changes direction, and also every other row of the 4-patches rotates 90 degrees.  One row starts with a dark square of the 4-patch in the upper left corner,  but the next row it's a light square of the 4-patch.  I've seen this one done without the same layout of the 4-patches, and the design is just fine, but not the same.   The light corner of the 4-patch nestles up next to a light pinwheel part of adjoining blocks, and the dark corner of the 4-patch nestles into the dark portion of the adjoining pinwheel.  (It's easier to SEW them correctly than it is to write this correctly!)  8-)

Here is my previous version -- the one on our bed, in daily use.

See? it looks similar!  The above quilt is trimmed in green and browns.  This newer one will be trimmed in purple or blues, possibly, and will be smaller.  No idea about border yet.
The one above? I struggled with leaving those bright blue/turquoise pinwheels in the quilt, but THEY are the ones that give it some emergy.  (another one of those lessons!)

Washed just fine!

Despite my worries, and some evidence of a maroon fabric bleeding when the quilting lines were spritzed, it was time to wash this big quilt, finished over 2 years ago. Size is about 86" x 104", and I only had my home- made detergent when I got the urge to wash the dang thing! Yes, I know I should use Orvus and with all the horses around here, you'd think I'd have some but no, no Orvus, just plain old homemade laundry detergent.

I had absolutely NO problems washing it, on cool, and even the original bleeding problem disappeared. Drying it (dryer) left it so nice and crinkly - Whew - one less thing to worry about.

Looking at the photo, I see a wrong block, in the lower right on the inside of the border. Funny! Even a wrong block looks kinda interesting.

This is called Pinwheels and 4-Patches, or similar. Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com had one, Better Homes and Gardens had one, Mary Johnson (Heartstrings) made one, and I found one in one of my books, so I don't know who should get the credit. Anyway, if you look closely, the quilt is made in rows, pinwheels and 4 patches (or 16 patches) then the next row the pinwheels go the opposite direction as well as the 4-patches. The 4 patches, have a light in one row, upper left, and the next row is dark in upper left. Can't get much easier, or simpler. Do you see the bright blue? I was hesitant about using it, but when finished, that bright blue, which "doesn't go", gives the quilt spark.