Month: August 2018

Blushing Peonies – II

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I’ve just finished laying out the elements for the quilt top – sort of. The area adjacent the top left large block has been pieced – the rest is on the floor waiting to be stitched. I need to walk around this layout more – I need another 4″ row (at the moment sitting, partially filled in, at the bottom of the photo) which will be inserted horizontally between the bottom two large panels but that’s going to want moving those panels laterally some more. And then I want to look at the photo to see where there are clashes I don’t like. It’s all too busy right now to make final decisions.

Quilt Top Laid Out – Sort of

Nevertheless, I’ll keep stitching elements together in small sections that I can keep moving around until I’m satisfied with the arrangement. Need to cut a few more 2.5″ blocks to finish that 4″ row.

I’ll do that tomorrow. It’s over to the US Open Tennis this afternoon.

2, 4, 8, 16 Quilt

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Some time ago I did a quilt based on 2.5, 4.5, 8.5, and 16.5″ blocks. What I was after in that quilt was to establish a pleasing colour flow using blocks of these varying, but proportional sizes.

Lap Quilt 2,4,8,16

Sometime this past year I purchased pieces of the Moda “Blushing Peonies” fabric. My shop didn’t have all in the collection (and many I wouldn’t have wanted to use, anyway) so I went hunting for complementary fabrics. I ended up with 14.

I wanted to do something similar with the Blushing Peonies showcasing the large print with beautiful flowers and fill in with the complementary fabrics in the smaller sizes.

Here’s where I have so far:

2, 4, 8, 16 Bushing Peonies

Unlike the original quilt, I don’t want the large peony blocks in the corners, but indented. The large, framed panel will finish at 16″. To fill in around it, I developed 4″ rows of 2″ and 4″ blocks to fill in below and on one side of the large block that will be in the lower right corner. I also want a 4″ row between this block and the next one which will be offset closer to the center. That means assembling more blocks that will create that row and a combination of 8″, 4″ and 2″ blocks to fill in above this first block and the offset second one.

Cut Fabrics

This is an improvisation – I should have enough blocks cut to assemble a quilt top. I’ve done enough for today. I’ll work on this quilt top again tomorrow.

Ironing A Shirt

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I’ve posted this before but it’s worth posting again. The topic came up yesterday with a sewing friend visiting from Toronto. I had to do some looking around to find the video. Once found, I mailed myself the URL so I could find it once again. Click here to watch this guy iron a shirt in three minutes flat!

Ironing A Shirt (in 3 minutes)

Not kidding – he makes the whole process understandable and very easy to do. Pay particular attention to how he does the collar/collar stand. The way he does it eliminates the ends of the collar sticking out.

Seriously, check out the video then try it out. I have lots of shirts I’ve made for myself. I’m about to make another couple using some wonderful Liberty cotton I bought at Britex in San Francisco a couple of years ago. I no longer avoid wearing and washing my shirts because I know how to iron them easily.

Wandering Geese Quilt – Finished

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Just finished quilting and stitching the binding on this “Wandering Geese” quilt. I’m happy with how it has turned out. My decision to use a narrow dark border was a good one – the points of the triangles are intact and not hidden beneath the binding.

The back has more piecing than I usually do, but I had so many half-square triangles as a result of the way I constructed the flying geese I thought I should use as many as I could.

Just need to hand stitch the label on the back.

“Nova Scotia Tartan” Socks

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Two weeks ago I started knitting this pair of socks – had a solid blue for cuffs, heels, and toes that blended nicely. I didn’t think anything in particular about the colour combination until I was knitting in the group last Friday afternoon and someone commented they looked like Nova Scotia tartan. Since then several people have remarked on these “Nova Scotia Tartan” socks.

Similar colours for sure: the royal blue and yellow with hints of white. The tartan has both medium and dark green along with a fine red stripe. But I guess you could say the socks do have the flavour of the NS tartan.

Nova Scotia Tartan

Anyway, the socks are now finished and in the sock stash. I have lots of blue socks in my drawer so these will be passed on to a deserving recipient for a birthday or holiday gift.

Started the next pair, immediately, as usual.

Testing The Lounge Chair

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I have an amusing story to share. Last week I happened to visit the new Structube furniture store that opened not far from where I live. I bought some furniture from the Dartmouth Crossing shop when I moved into the apartment and I’ve been happy with it.

I wasn’t looking for anything, just schmoozing, really, when I spotted this lounge chair. I hate the lazy boy chair in my bedroom – my legs aren’t comfortable, the seat is just a wee bit too high, my neck wakes me if I choose to snooze, my head is in the wrong position to see out of the distance portion of my multifocal glasses when looking over my knitting to watch TV….

So I sat in the lounger, and thought “This might work!” But no point in buying without REALLY testing it out. I need a comfortable chair for knitting, reading, watching TV, and snoozing. I have to be comfortable doing all four before it’s worth thinking about buying.

Lounge Chair For My Bedroom

I went back two days ago ready to give this chair a serious workout – I brought my knitting, my book was on my phone, there was a TV on a wall at an appropriate height near the chair, and I had a pillow for under my neck. I settled in for a couple of hours of try-out. The store manager thought it was a good idea when I explained what I was doing, “We’re open until 9” she told me; so no rush to cut this testing session short.

I knit for an hour finishing the heel turn on a sock and beginning the gusset, glancing from time to time at the TV nearby – that worked fine. My arms were comfortable, my head position good. I tried reading – that was comfortable, too, with my pillow in the small of my back. Snoozing I found was best done without any support behind my head and neck; the shape of the lounger was just right.

As I was knitting away, eyes on the TV, didn’t a friend of mine come by with a huge grin on her face. She said she’d come into the store and thought – what a good idea to have a mannequin to display the furniture – when she looked more closely and saw me knitting. We had a good laugh about what I was doing. But no point, I told her, in investing in the lounger without knowing it was better than the lazy boy I owned.

After another twenty minutes I packed up and headed to chat with the store manager about buying the chair. I’m expecting it to arrive in town in about a week. Looking forward to knitting and reading and watching TV and snoozing in comfort, finally!

Couldn’t Resist These Faces

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A friend just sent me this photo. She also finds faces (pareidolia) everywhere as I do! I loved this one!

Suspicious Pants

This one is pretty good, too. I bet if I look at the banana sitting on my kitchen counter I will find an unhappy face (it’s been sitting out too long – gotta eat it today or else).

Unhappy Face

Find out if you’re prone to seeing faces.

“Women seem to be more prone to seeing faces where there are none. This may be linked to the fact that they have a better ability to recognise emotions through deciphering facial expressions.”

“Whoever you are, whatever you’re doing, you can experience pareidolia. Don’t let it shock you, it’s just your ancient survival instincts kicking in.”

Once faces are drawn to your attention you may find yourself starting to see them, too. So keep your eyes open.

Another Quilt To A New Home

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I gave away another quilt this morning. It’s going to a new home and I’m happy for it. I know it will be used well and appreciated.

Quilt Top – Convergence Quilt

I need to draw up a list of friends who would appreciate receiving a quilt and give more away. I have three which I’ve put out to use myself and some of the rest in that closet need to move on.

I’ve given away about half of the quilts I’ve produced since I began quilting 15 years ago. If I have them hanging around too long I grow attached to them and it becomes harder to send them on their way. I like keeping particular ones on hand as examples for classes but I have photos of every quilt I have made (front and back) and, you know what, that will have to be enough.

 

Moved On

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My sister and niece were here from Toronto last weekend to visit the boys attending summer camp not far from the city. I was able to spend time with each of them at the apartment and to my delight two quilts have found a new home.

My niece fell in love with this “Double Vision” quilt which I completed in 2017. She has new light furniture in her family room and this quilt will be a bright addition to the room.

Finished Quilt Top

My sister came over a few days later – I showed her the quilt I wanted her to take back to Toronto for my niece. She loved the red. I mentioned there were more red quilts in my closet. In the end she chose the Shadow Quilt I made in 2016 to complement her new grey furniture. I love how the red blocks seem to float above the background – that, of course, is the effect of having a drop shadow on an image, it creates the illusion of depth.

That gives me room to make two new quilts. I have to go through what I have in the collection and see if I can find homes for a few more of them.

Wandering Geese Quilt

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Just finished pinning this quilt together. The quilt started with a “Jolly Bar” of “Fragile” fabrics by Zen Chic (Moda). Turns out this 5″ x 10″ size is practically useless. In order to construct flying geese I had to trim down the size, and trim away triangles from the corners – a wasteful way of doing this quilt block. However, I saved the triangles and created half-square triangles from the remains and used about half of them on the back.

Quilt Top

The original collection of fabrics had hints of turquoise in several of the colour ways but no predominantly turquoise fabrics. I decided to add several to brighten the overall appearance of the finished quilt. I had enough turquoise fabrics in my stash (dark and light) that I didn’t have to go looking for more. I also added in some light fabric since I didn’t have enough lights from the jolly bar to complete the flying geese blocks. I’m pleased with the modern layout and the overall feel of the top.

The quilt is pinned ready for quilting. I’ve set up an 8″x8″ embroidery design which will fill each block and give me an overall quilting that should work reasonably well with the flying geese. Just trying to decide what colour thread to use for the machine quilting.

Quilt Back

I plan on binding the quilt with the dark grey I’ve used on the back, with a small amount of contrast inserted in one side.