"Forest Canopy"

Hello! It feels like a long time since I've blogged. As you know, this time of year tends to be on the busy side. We had a wonderful Christmas spent with friends and family (with, of course, much feasting!). I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season as well!

There was a fair amount of handmade gifting this year. I gave my mother-in-law the Blossom Bag I made, and my sister-in-law received the Fringed Hobo Bag. In addition, I made a pair of nifty pajama pants for my husband (more on those later-- I'm still hoping to get some pictures of him actually wearing them!). And, finally, completed just in time for Christmas:


Woo! It took three-and-a-half years, but my Prairie Pinwheels quilt (which has now been officially titled "Forest Canopy") is finally finished. As I technically gave it to my father-in-law two years ago (via an IOYAQ (I Owe You A Quilt) card), it was definitely time. The pattern is from the July/August 2008 issue of McCall's Quilting. It is a large quilt measuring 85 1/2" x 109 1/2" (making it very difficult to take good pictures of it-- so many thanks to my intrepid quilt-holding volunteers!).


Ahhh.... *happy sigh* I just love this pieced back. And I love how well the quilting shows all over.


Quilting it was a slow process. I started by stitching-in-the-ditch to stabilize the layers and then did all of the free-motion work. Since all of my quilting designs were independent motifs, it involved a LOT of starting and stopping. Slooow process.


I did the cream-colored areas first using a King Tut 40/3 variegated thread, "Sands of Time" (#920). I love how the weight of the thread really makes the quilting pop.


Then I completed all of the green areas, including the outside border, using Aurifil Mako Cotton 50/2 (in dark green, #4026). As much as I loved quilting with it, I'm not thrilled with how subtle it is. The lighter weight really blends in with the background and the quilting is nigh invisible. For all of the effort I put into it, I really kind of wish I had used a heavier weight thread that showed a little better.


As it was getting down to the wire, I decided on a machine binding. I'm glad I did! I've had enough practice now that it looks good and I was able to accomplish it in about two-and-a-half hours. I do my machine binding using Red Pepper Quilts' method. It took a little practice, and it maybe isn't as fast as other methods, but I love the finished look (invisible from the front, as a hand-stitched binding would be), it works for me, and it allowed me to finish the quilt in time for gift-giving. (Yay!)


On the label, I repeated the wreath quilting motif I used throughout the center and in the outside border. The motif was designed with the idea of a tree's canopy-- how you stand below and look up and see the outline of the edges of the canopy, and it all looks kind of connected and of one piece with the light filtering through it and putting the canopy itself in shadow... you don't see individual leaves, but rather the outline of it all.


Not only was the quilt completed in time to give it to my father-in-law for Christmas, but it was also kitty approved!

Quilting "Forest Canopy" - Phase 1

I've finally decided on a name for the "Prairie Pinwheels" quilt I've been working on: "Forest Canopy." Not only that-- but I've also finally started quilting it! Yay!

A few years ago, I took a machine quilting class from Sue Nickels. She suggested quilting any long, straight lines first, so as to help stabilize the quilt and make detail work go more smoothly. Because of the size of this quilt, that seemed like an especially good idea to me! So here is my quilting plan, updated to show the straight lines I am quilting (in green):


It is pretty slow going, not only because the quilt is huge and difficult to maneuver, but also because quilting in the ditch is hard. I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job though, and it is a big confidence booster. In the picture below, you can see some of my ditch-quilting.


It's not wildly exciting (heck, when I do it right, you can't even see it!), but I think doing this is going to make the next phase (when I start freemotioning) easier. So it is definitely worth it.

Perpetually behind

Yep. That's me. Always a little behind. Of course, I have no one to blame but myself.

Could I have finished my father-in-law's quilt by now? Probably. If I had gone with my original plan to just do an all-over quilting design on it. And I was going to do just that. But then I was looking at the quilt and was really feeling all those hours I spent in piecing the top. And I just couldn't do it. I've decided that I really need to do it "right"-- a design specifically for this quilt in hopes of truly enhancing all the piecing in it.

Unfortunately, this decision has put me rather behind schedule. I haven't even started quilting yet. But-- now I have a plan!


I made a printout of one of my photos and tried out ideas by penciling in the lines. Of the options I thought of, I like this one the best.

My husband has next week off from work, so I am hopeful that I can take some time and focus on the quilting. I'm kind of excited because I think it is going to be really cool!

With only 4 pins remaining

...basting is complete! When I started, that pin bucket was more than half-full. There were a lot of pins. It took four hours (but that also includes a long baby feed break in the middle). Bedtime was 2 AM.

So sleepy.

And now I just have to quilt it!

Basting the behemoth

The top is 86" x 110". Since I don't have a space near big enough to lay it all out, I'm having to baste it in sections. Wish me luck on that!


Fortunately, it's too late for me to chicken out because it is currently laid out across my bedroom. So now I have to finish it before I go to bed. Unfortunately, it is already 10 pm. Methinks it is going to be a late night. And my back is probably not going to thank me in the morning. But-- I'll have a basted quilt!

Now with borders!

...and it only took 10 months to put them on!

I am determined to get this quilt finished in time for Christmas. Since it was already "given" last year (in the form of a coupon), I think it would be wonderful to be able to put the actual quilt under the tree this year.

Next up: piecing together the back!

Prioritizing

So many projects, so little time! I think it is a plight among all the quilters I know. For my part, I sometimes get so wrapped up in the project-of-the-moment, that I lose sight of all of the other things I'm working on. So I'm going to take a little time here to lay out my current projects and attempt to prioritize them. Hopefully, this will help me focus my energies in a more effective manner (and help get some of those lingering projects done!).

1. Snip.Sew.Send. block for Anne-- sigh... I already missed the proverbial boat on this one as it was supposed to be done in June. But I am making progress on it. Hopefully I can get it finished soon. (I'm so sorry I'm late, Anne!)


2. Greenpiece-- I want to try and stay on top of this BOM. I have 3 applique blocks and 2 pieced blocks I'd like to finish before the end of July.


3. Pinwheel Party-- I want to get this one finished for baby Abigail by the beginning of August. This one is currently hanging on my design wall.
   
   
   The top is nearing completion! (Yay, progress!)


4. Prairie Pinwheels-- The center is together. It needs two borders and then quilting. In my fantasy world, this will happen before the end of August, as my father-in-law's birthday is in the middle of the month. But it is a big quilt. We'll just have to wait and see.


5. Autumn House-- This has been basted since February, I think. It still needs to be quilted.


6. My Snip.Sew.Send. quilt-- I have all of the beautiful blocks made by my Snip.Sew.Send. virtual quilt bee friends. It's time to make that quilt for my baby boy! I plan to start once I finish one of the above.


7. Jane Stickle Quilt-- We're nearing the end on this one. In addition to just keeping up with That Quilt, I really want to start focusing on getting sections put together.


8. Paintbox Quilt Along-- All of my blocks are done. Now I just need to get them all put together. As this isn't for anyone specific, I'm not feeling rushed.


9. Playtime Quilt-- I tend to work on this one when I'm feeling inspired to do so. Currently, this is at the bottom of the list. Not because I don't love it. But because the projects above are just higher priority.

The list above is not all-inclusive. There are a few UFOs that I'm just ignoring for the time being and so didn't include on the list. And there are other projects I want to do as well, including summer hats for the boys and I, a new diaper bag, and another pair of pants for BB. These are smaller projects that I'm hoping I can kind of fit in between the big ones above. And don't get me started on all of the various new quilt projects I want to jump into... Focus, Robin, focus!!!

Slowing down

Soooo tired! That's been my week so far. Not a lot of craftiness thus far. Just a lot of sitting about with no energy. But, I'm hopeful that this is just a temporary setback and I'll be back on the productivity bandwagon soon. (Because baby is coming, and I have a lot to get done before that happens!)

The one thing I have managed to accomplish:


I've stitched all the blocks into rows in the Prairie Pinwheels quilt. Now I just need to put those together, stick some borders on, and I'll have a top! (If only it would go together as easily/quickly as that sounds!)

Quilt retreat!

This last weekend, Evelyn and I (along with 60 other ladies) spent three days at the Falls Creek Conference Center for a quilt retreat hosted by Karen Snyder.

It was awesome!!! So awesome that I failed to take any time out to take pictures. But, I can tell you that the retreat center was beautiful (albeit a little stormy), the food was plentiful (and tasty), the ladies were all welcoming and friendly and fabulous, and having nearly 3 days to just sit and sew was amazing.

Evelyn finally reminded me that pictures were pretty nice for blogs, and helped me take a couple at the very end so that I can at least show you what I managed to accomplish.


I spent the majority of my time (all but about 3 hours!) working on my version of the "Prairie Pinwheels" quilt (from McCall's Quilting, August 2008). I managed to complete 33 blocks, which means I now have all of the 48 blocks required to make the quilt. Woo hoo! Evelyn took this picture of me standing in front my blocks. The design wall wasn't big enough to hang all of them, so there are also few sitting in the chair nearby. I hadn't planned on working on this quilt the entire time, but I just found myself wanting to get the blocks DONE. So I kept going until they were all completed. Hopefully, I'll be able to start putting them together soon.

Needing a little break from the pinwheel blocks, I took a time-out to participate in a retreat project that Karen put together. She requested that we each bring two half-yard pieces of ugly fabric. She took them all and then randomly drew names. We each received a bag pattern and got to go up and choose two pieces from the pile that we could use to make our "ugly bags".


This is my completed bag. It took me just a little more than an hour to put together, and was a nice respite from the grind of pinwheels. And the bag isn't bad at all!

More pinwheels followed. Finally, on Sunday morning, the last pinwheels was complete. With only a couple of hours left before we planned to head home, I decided to get a start on the "My Friend Maisy" quilt.


It was a huge joy to be working on these after spending the entire weekend on pinwheel blocks. And they were so quick in comparison! This is going to be a very happy quilt.

On the way home from retreat, we made a stop at Sisters Fabric Shop in Chehalis. They had a lot of fabric packed into that little store! It was actually a little overwhelming. But, I managed to come away with a little something:


The brown is going to be for binding Felix's quilt (assuming I ever get it started!), the peachy floral is for my last Autumn House block (so I can make it match its mis-cut opposite block), and the green is for my Jane quilt (because I just couldn't resist!).

I also wanted to show you this:


The day before I left for the retreat, I took a little time and made a portable ironing station for myself, a la the fabulous twiddletails. I bought a TV tray at Target for about $9 and transformed it following Anina's instructions. It was a super-quick project (less than an hour!), and I was wildly grateful that I had it at retreat. I was able to just stay at my spot and do all the pressing I needed right there. I cannot even contemplate how much time it saved me to not have to get up and go to an ironing station every time I needed to press. And I think it will be just as helpful at home.

My first-ever retreat was amazing fun! Though I wasn't as productive as I had hoped (those pinwheels took a lot longer than I had hoped!), I feel like I really got a lot done. I got to hang out with my friend and meet some amazing ladies. I got to sew. And I can't wait until I can do it all again!

Frenetic packing

Tomorrow, Evelyn and I head out for our three day quilt retreat! Woo hoo! I've spent the last couple days frantically trying to put together everything I need/want to take with me. Making lists, checking things off, stacking stuff in a corner... and finally (I think!), all is ready to pack in the car tomorrow morning.

Here are the projects I've decided to bring along:

• Prairie Pinwheels-- What was to be a Christmas gift last year is coming out from the closet in hopes of becoming a gift this year. We'll see how it goes.


• Felix's Baby Quilt-- I can't believe he's already 6 weeks old! I gotta get this baby quilt going!


• Parallel Paths-- this is a Project Linus quilt that I've had cut for a couple of months, but haven't started.


• Jane Stickle Quilt-- I'm bringing along a bag of blocks. Who knows? Maybe some of them will have some sashing by the end of the weekend.


• Maisy Quilt-- I have yet to make a quilt for my son. (I know... bad, mama, bad!!!) He loves Maisy the Mouse. When I saw that Andover Fabrics had a new collection featuring Maisy, and that the Fat Quarter Shop actually had a kit featuring all of the fabrics, it just seemed like fate and I immediately ordered one. Tonight I cut it all out and I hope to get the top put together this weekend. This one is my priority project, I think.

With all that, I suspect I'll have plenty to keep me busy this weekend. And who knows? Maybe I'll even get some stuff done!

Crafting away...

I know I haven't been posting much in the way of crafty progress lately, but its not for lack of doing. I have been stitching away at stuff, including Dear Jane, Prairie Pinwheels (which I've given up hope on completing before Christmas, but I'm working on it nonetheless—15 of 48 blocks done so far!), and some holiday gifty things. Also, I've nearly completed another block for my Grandma's Country Album II:


This one is called "Tethered Twigs." The trickiest part was the little bow. Those pieces were narrow! I completed most of it using needleturn applique with freezer paper on top. The only bits left to do are the embroidered stems for all the little buds. But my big discovery in this block: Roxanne's Basting Glue. That stuff is awesome!!! I used it to set the stems in place, and I am just so excited about how well it worked. I'm thinking that my next block, I might try the freezer paper on bottom method where you prep all the pieces and turn under the seams before stitching down, thus giving me the chance to really try the basting glue out. But there are a lot of pieces in the next block (ergo, a lot of prep work), so I'm not sure if I'll have the patience for that or not. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I'm stitching up gifts for our toddler friends in my son's PEPS group. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share soon!

Some reading

Eek! I only just realized that it's been a week since I've posted. I guess I was hoping that my next post would be a completed Star Quilt Along top. Alas, I'm not quite there yet (still working on borders). I have been busy doing stuff, but really there isn't much in the way of excitement to share. I've been working on my hexagon flowers (keeping my hands busy during the Dear Baby Jane break). I've finished cutting out the Prairie Pinwheels fabrics (that took way too long... ugh). Last night I started on the last posted Dear Jane block, H-6. And I've been thinking about quilt tops.

I have a pile of quilt tops in my closet. Most of them have been there for at least 3 years... waiting. One still needs a final border, but the rest are just waiting for quilting. My main reason for not having quilted them is that I spent so long putting these tops together that I was afraid of messing them up in the quilting. I'm finally feeling like I'm confident enough to tackle at least a couple of them. To help myself along, I've been doing some reading.

Machine Quilting by Sue Nickels

In 2005, I took a class from Sue Nickels at the Houston International Quilt Festival. It was eye-opening and really boosted my machine quilting skills and confidence. This book offers much of the same information that she provided in the class, as well as similar practice sampler projects. It's almost like having her with you. She addresses everything from needles and thread to deciding what quilting designs to use on your project. I also appreciate that it includes not just free-motion info, but also valuable wisdom on stitching in the ditch which is often completely glossed over in many machine quilting books (though it sounds so simple, it can in actuality be very challenging). This book is a great resource for anyone interested in growing or enhancing their machine quilting skills

Mastering Quilt Marking by Pepper Cory

A number of the tops I have in the closet are large... I think there are three queen-size, and one king in there right now, and the Star Quilt Along quilt is not small either. Though I like stippling and free-motion meanderings, I also really enjoy traditional patterns like feathers and wreaths. One of the keys to doing those well is getting them marked on the quilt. I bought this book years ago, but only last week picked it up and really looked at it. In fact, I read the whole thing cover-to-cover over the course of a morning. The book focuses on the art of marking the quilt in preparation for quilting. The author discusses the tools, a variety of techniques, when to mark what (before basting or after basting?), and how important marking is. The book does NOT discuss how to quilt a quilt. But it does offer advice on how various styles of quilting have different effects and can serve different purposes.

After spending some time with these books, I'm feeling much less intimidated now, and am anxious to start in on one of my tops. I even have one in mind... now I just have to find somewhere to baste it!

Start-ups and progress

For whatever reason, this last weekend I've been on a starting projects rampage. It's not like I've run out of stuff to work on, or even finished anything lately, but I'm feeling this need to start on new things. Sigh... I'm hopeless, I know.

On Friday evening, I started cutting fabric for a new quilt project. It's going to be a largish queen size. I've only managed to cut about 1/4 of the fabric thus far.


Hopefully, I'll get the rest cut in the next week or two. The pattern is "Prairie Pinwheels" from the August 2008 issue of McCall's Quilting magazine. I'm anxious to start stitching on this one!

Last night, I went on a cutting frenzy and cut out five patterns—all clothing for me! Included are three tops, a pair of pajama pants, and a pajama top.



But it hasn't been completely about the new projects. I managed to complete a Dear Jane block. I also stitched up a few more flowers for my Grandmother's Flower Garden. I'm up to 112 now! (Only 14 more to go!) I've actually started in on pressing my completed flowers as well. I've pressed more than half at this point. (Yay!)


The pile on the left is unpressed, the pile on the right is pressed. The pressed pile actually has more blocks in it. Doing all this pressing is making me appreciate why most people seem to do these quilts by English paper piecing. I suspect they are not only much more accurate, but probably much easier to deal with!

Completely unrelated to my ever-growing list of projects— today I had the pleasure of meeting and having coffee with the fabulous Anina! She's like a quilt celebrity to me at this point. I just love her blog, and so appreciate her guidance and efforts on Dear Baby Jane. She's an amazing quilter and it was much fun meeting her and talking for a bit. She was also so patient with my rampaging toddler—she laughed even as he threw her keys in the fountain. (Fortunately, they were waterproof and easily retrieved!)

Hopefully later today I'll have my Dear Jane block update ready. Also on my afternoon agenda is to prep A-1.