Kaleidoscopes, and Vintage Quilt Tops.

These are two vintage quilts given to me.  I foolishly thought I'd get them both hand quilted but ... a friend, who is wonderful at finding vintage quilts and getting them quilted, agreed to take this one above, and get it DONE.  Both are combos of hand and machine sewing.  One down, one to go.

Blue Kaleidoscope - the circles do not appear as clearly as I had hoped.  There will be yet another  6 in. border on each side.  Since I am quilting this on a DSM I decided to reduce some of the overall bulk and will quilt the last borders separately, and add them later, ala quilt-as-you-go.

Below - Apparently I'm on a Kaleidoscope kick so started another .  This design/pattern is so easy - no pins, I can make about 12-15 at one sitting.  I did ALL finger pressing except for the final press, which saves enormous time, and is perfectly effective.  All seams go clockwise, and the center is "spun" nicely.  I need about 220, 6 inch blocks  for queen size.  No color chosen for the corners of the blocks yet, and for now, I am just laying them on the floor - no arrangement of colors yet.  You can clearly see the circles will be more visible.  Fabrics on corners will be lights.   Most of my colors are kinda drab, soft, my plan.   No brights in this one, and no border planned at this point.  All fabrics are from stash.

BTW, if you have never learned the lesson, be sure to ALWAYS use the same ruler per project.  8-(   I started the project with a well-used, reliable 45 degree Marilyn Doheney ruler, then changed to a ruler meant for another type of 45 degree project - didn't double check, and sadly had to trim down the newly made 15 blocks made on the second ruler.   

New project, old strings

December 30, 2014

 



I'm trying to use my strings - have you noticed that over time, the strings left in the bin gets uglier and uglier???

 

I added a few better looking strips and strings to my recipe and decided to make a version of a Kaleidoscope Quilt.  Because my bits were of various lengths, I sewed them to a phone book paper foundation.  The paper was cut casually, to a triangular size.  I sew on the various bits, press between each new string, the trim clean with a ruler.  These are 45 degrees wedges, and 6.5 inches in height.   One reason I like the paper cut almost to size is that there is no measuring of the strips - this saves a LOT of time.  Just lay them on, sew (smaller stitch) then cut carelessly at the end. and start again until I run out of the string.  I'm trying to stick with foresty, darkish, rich woodsy colors, adding an occasional "sparkle."  

 

Ok, what background??

 

I have several yards of this one ... it's a good piece of fabric,  3 yards, but kinda blah.

Below is a pretty piece - those dots add some character, I don't have enough but my LQS usually keeps it in stock.  But, it still doesn't have the "zing" I am wanting.

 

 

I think I found just the right one!  I need 2 yards more, but it's a MODA and my LQS should have it in stock.  8-))  

My resolution this year was to be less judgmental, in addition to my last year resolution, "with purpose" which means to concentrate on what I plan.  People who are artistic, if that's what I lean towards, tend to let a lot of things get them off main track. 

Fairy Quilt, WIP -

What's not to love about that texture? It looks like snails trails, doesn't it? Totally in keeping with the "Fairy Ring" theme of this kaleidoscope.

This is for a great niece, Meggie. We just received their Annual Christmas Letter, along with photos, and by gosh, that little girl is growing too fast -- I had better get this project done and in the mail! Quilt dimensions are about 70 x 70 inches, and little Meggie WAS 3 1/2 when she asked for it last July!

Halleluja - don't have to cook tonight (leftovers, yum!) and I can work on this project several times today. I'm being careful to do exercises between short machine quilting periods.

(If you are wanting to learn to do MQ on your DSM, please give it a good try, and practice. Yes, it's a bit of a nuisance to layer and baste it, but that doesn't cost anything, and there is real pleasure in sitting down and turning a 'plain' quilt top into a lovely thing with your own machine.)

Couldn't help it!

Hmmmmm ... now how do I want to spend my time? Listening to the TV, with yet another news disaster, or a story about Hollywood and/or financial excessiveness, or how we're going to be taxed more, or the sordid too-personal details of ....

Or ?????? ... should I spend my energies creating something like this?????
You've seen two of these before, but a third (Joan's, left) has been added to the mix - DH and I both thought this array looked like candy or like those Italian glass paperweights. Joan's is especially "valuable", meaning she was immensely successful in blending VALUES, in addition to blending her many colors. We both took the same class by M'liss Rae Hawley last October at QuiltNebraska in Chadron. The variety of fabrics in her Kaleidoscope is amazing!

This is a photo collage for a workshop I'm presenting in September that is already filled! How nice is that?

Thank you to my friends Sue, for filling in during my absence, and to Joan, for your amazing talent!

Should I mention that early this morning I finished another K quilt top and it's ready for sandwiching? (On good, another trip to the LQS for batting.) 8-))

Kaleidoscope Quilts, and Rulers

One of my first specialty rulers, a Kaleidoscope, 45 degree ruler, by Marilyn Dohaney. This even came with great instructions, resulting in a quilt with seams pressed oppposite directions and neat intersections. Easy, despite what it looks like. I bought this ruler in 1989, and went wild with it for a time, probably due to the included instructions. I marked the back with masking tape (ugh) to help keep everything in line, and later learned about using painter's tape, a vast improvement. Masking tape left icky residue.


This is another favorite ruler but I found the lines hard to see, resulting in eye strain and error - hence the bright orange marking product. This product comes several strips to a package, they are reusable, and can be cut. No residue. I found if I licked the back of the product (oh yeah, quilt-y germs and all) it would stay put.


This was my first quilt I made using the Kaleidoscope Ruler - now, there are many similar products, but I still like my first. It is machine quilted using a rainbow type invisible thread, and two of the borders are done in a cable, using blue thread and a walking foot. I was new to this machine quilting stuff back them! The outside border is done with invisible thread, straight line stitching jogging between the white moons.

I purposely left my DH's stocking feet in the photo, as well as the lovely blue spring sky. We quilters should have a special commemorative day for willing "Quilt Holders."

Close up of the lovely crinkles and wrinkles, etc.

If you are new to quilting, be sure you understand the difference between a 45 degree ruler and a 60 degree ruler and a "Peaky and Spike" type set of rulers. Yep, a lot of us (uhhh ... me ...) have forgotten until we make the dreaded mistake!

You know, just pulling this quilt out of the closet, taking photos, etc., and I get all gung ho to make yet another! Arrrghhh - there is no end to what MORE we MUST make!