Sunshine - a finshed quilt

This quilt is made from 15 1/2 sun blocks that I won from Block Lotto a year ago. I was determined to finish it before the year was up and I have achieved my goal. I won the blocks in June last year and they started to arrive during July. As I recall the weather was cold and grey, so these blocks were a sunny addition to the design wall.

I started out by making an additional 1/2 sun block so that I had 8 pairs to match up. I made the large center sun by enlarging a pattern that I found here.

Then I was a bit stuck and couldn't decide what to do in the corners. I was too lazy to make 8 more of the 1/2 sun blocks, so I ended up making an enlarged and simplified 1/4 sun using another pattern from the same site that I used for the center.

I had debated doing quilting around all of the detail, but I know that this takes me a lot longer and I wanted to do something quick. So, I designed a geometric spiral pattern to use for the quilting that would create a kind of grid of spirals connected with lines. I had also picked out a very fine aqua polyester thread - it's the same thread that I always use in the bobbin for quilting and I thought I'd try using it on the top as well. It's so fine it practically disappears and I thought this was a good idea. But, it was not to be.

I had a lot of trouble with breakages and also decided that my spiral grid was ugly and uneven. So out came the seam ripper. I might add that it is not easy to unpick stitches while a quilt is mounted on a frame, but I persevered and it took me a few weeks to undo the 1/2 row that I had completed.

When I finally started again with a new design and new thread, it was all smooth running and I finished it in one day. I always swear by Superior threads - I use King Tut a lot, but this one was done with Magnifico in white and it was magnificent to work with. Too bad I have to order the big spools from the US, but it's always worth it.

The design is a meandering spiral, sun-rays, and bouncy echo combo that I came up with on paper. It's a variation of something I've done before and it was really quick and well-suited to using the frame. I also think that the all-over design slightly softens the bright colors and doesn't detract from the graphic suns.

I tried a new method for the binding using instructions that I found here for a piped binding. This proved to be a good solution because I didn't have enough of either color to bind it, but I had enough to create this two color binding. I like the effect, but need to practice my stitch in the ditch (probably why I like organic quilting and rarely use straight lines).

How the Block Lotto has changed my (quilting) life

blocklotto.com

A couple of months ago I was lamenting that I had not participated in the Block Lotto in February and I was debating if I should make a block in March. Maybe it was just bad timing - I'm busy and these recent blocks did not appeal.

Ever since I started playing in December 2010, I have made at least one block each month. Back then I had just started getting into quilting and was looking for ideas and inspiration when I found the site. I was attracted by the variety and the possibility of sending and receiving blocks to and from around the world. Each month Sophie came up with something new and interesting and even those blocks made with colours or fabrics that weren't my cup of tea taught me something.

Here are a few favourites:

I started thinking about the projects that I have on the go right now and realised that each one was influenced by the Block Lotto, some directly and others in more subtle ways. I realised that even if I am no longer making every block that comes along each month, I am carrying the spirit of the Block Lotto in the work that I do and I am thankful of the community and what it has given me. So, it's time to share that thanks.

My green and white quilt has been years in the making and it's almost done. Believe it or not, it started out with some bonus triangles trimmed off of this block that the Block Lotto did in April 2011. I think I had about 12 HST units in green and cream and I just started playing with them.

They eventually turned into 1,600 HST units in a mix of greens, greys, whites, and creams. I am currently putting on the binding so it should be done soon.

My next current project is more obviously from the Block lotto - this quilt is made up of 15 sunrise blocks I won in June 2014. It's ready to start quilting (this weekend I hope).

My most recent quilt is my pink cat quilt. This started with a cute cat fabric that was gifted to me by Jude when she sent me her sunrise blocks (centre of bottom right block). I thought that it was so sweet that I had to buy some more cat fabrics and design/make a quilt. After I designed the block, I used Sophie's instructions for 8-at-a-time HST blocks and the no-waste flying geese method, also using Sophie's instructions. I've done 11 of the 25 blocks, so it's coming along well.

I have won blocks three times all together and these have resulted in 3 finished quilts (and one in progress). I also used one of the block patterns from December 2012 to make a wedding gift for some friends.

I'm sure there's more that I could tell you about, but I think you get the idea. So, even when I'm not thrilled with a block one month, I am still thankful that I have been involved with the Block Lotto and hope that I can continue to be inspired by its leader Sophie and all of the other wonderful quilters who contribute each month.

More sunshine

I finally managed to do a concentrated burst of sewing to move this project forward. I really ran into a creative wall when I finished the center medallion because I couldn't quite work out what to do with the corners. Sometimes putting a project away for a while is the best approach.

I put together the corner pieces on the weekend after making an emergency run to the fabric store - it seemed like I had only small pieces in the colors that I wanted to use. I made each corner different because the 1/2 sun blocks came from a variety of contributors and the colors and fabrics are all different.

I started sashing last night. I have 2 blue solids that are similar but different. Every other block around the edge will be bordered with one fabric, the others will be bordered with the second fabric. I was struggling with the strange sizes of the blocks and didn't want 6" sashing which is what would be needed to have evenly separated them. By using two blue solids it (hopefully) won't appear like there is uneven sashing, but instead a distinct border around each smaller block.

I'm hoping to get the top pieced by this weekend. Then it's in queue for quilting because my green/white HST quilt is still on the frame and about 2/3 finished.

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

Let the sun shine in

The weather in Auckland has been pretty patchy this week - I woke to hail this morning. But, my day off yesterday was filled with sunshine - at least in my sewing room.

I won 15 sunrise blocks (7" x 14") from Block Lotto in June and a while ago I started piecing a giant sun to go in the center of a quilt to be surrounded by smaller ones. The half-sun blocks needed to be paired up to make full suns - and this was no easy task. It is always a compromise when you are working with elements in a quilt that were made by a variety of people.

I thought I would share my experience trying to put together some of these blocks. My goal is not to criticize any of the lovely quilters who contributed blocks - but there are challenges, and since this is the fifth quilt I've made from blocks that others have contributed, I have learned some lessons on how to best deal with some problems that come up.

I think that this block especially was at risk of being inconsistent. Different methods were offered for piecing (by hand or foundation paper pieced) and some people (including me) had trouble convincing their printers not to re-scale the patterns that were provided. A lesson to any of us creating a pattern for others: include dimensions on the pattern in both horizontal and vertical directions. My printout seemed correct in one direction, but I realized (luckily, not too late) that it was not correct in the other direction.

In my case, the variation of the width of the suns among the 15 blocks was almost an inch. Most were within 1/4 inch of each other. The sizes of the center half circles also varied, although not as much. My usual approach is to come up with a layout that obscures these differences - either with sashing or offsetting the blocks. But, some block designs are made to be interlinked and can often form intriguing secondary designs between them. For this project, I really wanted round suns, so I had to get creative.

I had three background colors to work with, so I grouped the blocks by background (blue, white, and yellow). Then I matched them up into pairs fitting them together as much as possible. Two blue ones were much bigger than the others and one of those was the biggest of the lot. For this one, I took in the large curved seam, especially at the edges by sewing outside the original stitching. This did slightly distort the block, but I knew I would trim them all square once they were paired up.

I needed to make one more half sun block so that I could have 8 pairs, so I made one with a yellow background to match the orphan that I had left. I admit that no pair is perfectly matched, but I don't mind. Now that they are all squared and trimmed, they look quite good on the design wall. I'm glad I kept every one that was sent to me and didn't give up on any of them by judging them too difficult to save. I can't imagine putting together 16 of these blocks myself - so I have 9 other quilters to thank. I made four of these blocks and they were pretty tricky. Three of them are in this quilt and the fourth (and best one) was sent to another winner.

The blocks were designed to finish at 14" and I've trimmed them down to finish at 13". The big center square will be a 32", so I'll need some sashing so that I can put two small suns on each side edge of the center. I also don't know what I will do in the corners. I guess I'll figure that out once I finish the two other quarters of the center sun.

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

A sunny Block Lotto win

June's Block Lotto was a 14 x 7 sunrise in aqua, turquoise, yellow, and white. I was so pleased to win because the block was challenging and I can't imagine making enough of them to put together a quilt. I was also happy to win so that I could keep two of the three blocks that I made. I was not pleased with how they came out and was wondering if they were not good enough to send to someone else. Luckily, as a winner I can choose to keep some or all that I made. So, I sent on the best of the three and kept the other 2 for myself.

I will receive 15 more making a total of 17. I'm not sure how I will arrange them or if I need to make a few more.

I made mine using different methods. For one (bottom one in photo), I paper pieced the sun rays, machine appliqued the center circle, and machine pieced the background onto the semi-circular sun. The problems with this one were with the scaling of the printed pattern, which I realized too late was wrong. It did turn out close to correct, but was not perfect.

The second one was entirely hand pieced (middle in photo). I made it while I was moving in to my new house and thought I could do it sitting by the TV in the evening. I don't think I've ever hand pieced something like this. I think the worst part was marking out the pieces. I also had some inconsistent seam allowances. Like the first, it was close to right, but not quite.

The third that I sent away was a combination of the two methods - paper pieced rays, hand appliqued centre, and hand pieced background. This turned out to be the best of both worlds and definitely the approach I will take if I make a few more.

I've received three so far and am eagerly awaiting the rest. It's so fun checking the mail!

Finished wedding quilt

I finished the quilt for my friend's wedding which was on Saturday. I almost forgot to put a label on it, so with only a couple of hours to spare I was sewing it on the back.

I'm very happy with the end result and almost wish I could keep it for myself. Sometimes I think I like quilts that I make for others - they are better planned than ones I make for myself (not to mention the fact that they get finished quickly). There are several mistakes on this quilt, but it does take some looking at to see them. No handmade thing is perfect - isn't that kind of the point?

I don't have a good way to get photos of big quilts. I really need to figure something out. So here is the "Hey you guys, hold this for me" picture.

I did the quilting using my Swiftquilter frame and Juki TL-98P machine. After it was pinned and ready to go, I would guess it took me 4-6 hours to do the quilting. I admit that I tend towards dense quilting, so a more open pattern would have been faster. I used a free-hand spiral turned flower petal motif. It was easy to do and required no starts/stops and little concentration.

I had some soft sandy-colored variegated King Tut thread. There is no question that this is my very best favorite thread to use for quilting. This particular color just melted into the quilt. I used some pre-wound bobbins of Superior's bottom line in a pale grey. I've never used the pre-wound ones before and they were super convenient. Given the 8 bobbins that I used, it's nice to grab one from the bag and drop it in.

I can't be sure that they were 100% trouble free. I noticed on the back a few minor flaws and I suspect that the bobbin might have been the culprit. However, I also found that the bobbin case tension was too loose because some fluff was caught up in it and this too may have been the cause.

Of course none of this is important to the recipients of the quilt. All I hope is that they have many years shared together snuggling under its warmth.

WIPs and more

As usual I have a few things on the go. Although I have condensed my workspace and been away, I still seem to get things done.

I've continued to make blocks each month for the Block Lotto. This year's modern modular blocks have been great (although I have not won any yet) - I continue to be inspired by them. In fact, my latest quilt is made from blocks that we did in December 2012. I liked these so much and I've been waiting for an opportunity to use this pattern.

Some friends are getting married in June and I intended to make them a quilt to celebrate the event. Unfortunately, I am off to a late start and was having difficulty determining what to do for them. I had asked about colors and styles, but that's not always easy for a non-quilter to answer. Finally, I had a chance to speak to the bride-to-be and show her some fabrics from my stash to get inspiration. So, my design brief is: neutrals, green-blues (or is it blue-greens?), and traditional blocks.

I've ordered some new fabrics, but have made two blocks from my stash to get started. The narrow strips will be made with jade/peacock/teal and also some darker grays to mix it up. The block finishes at 8 inches, I'm not sure how big the quilt will be - I suspect it will be as big as it gets when I run out of time!

My tea towel quilt is progressing along (more here). I decided to do mostly stitch-in-the-ditch around the piecing and added some semicircles to the white border to echo the pieced semicircles on the first border. I am planning to hand quilt the center panel (my tea towel), but have not managed to get started on that.

The Monday Modern group that I belong to is doing a block lotto as well. Originally, we did bee blocks making them for each member using her own fabric and specifications. These blocks are specified by someone each month, made using fabric from our stashes, and then we draw names for a winner. So far, we have done three including these for May (eek, May almost).

I have also had another stab at my green HST quilt. I've made 32/36 of the blocks plus 8/24 of the 2-square-wide edge rectangles. This is taking me a long time (a really long, long time) but I am motivated to get it put together. More about this one from some old posts - the first one dated July 2011 (really?)

I'll be linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced when it turns Wednesday in her neck of the woods.

How I started quilting

Each month on Block Lotto Sophie suggests a topic or question for the weekend update. This month's question is "How did you start quilting?"

I suspect I am like many who drifted in and out of quilting without actually creating a quilt. My mother is a quilter and I can distinctly recall many quilts that she started but not many that she finished. I still go into her studio and dig out the blue fan blocks that she started piecing by hand out of Laura Ashley prints - I think I was 7 when she started that one.

My story is much the same. I have always sewn and done crafts since I was taught to use a sewing machine at age 9. I had a part time job at Joanne's while in university and made many of my clothes. I started my first quilt when I went to stay with my parents while they were living in Cyprus - this was when I was 21. I was bored out of my mind and thought it would be a good activity to make a quilt (between getting sunburned at the beach and hanging out with the Marine guards from the embassy). I drafted a block using graph paper and cut out the templates using plastic. I bought some fabric locally and stole some from my mother's stash. I chose yellow and blue - I seemed to find a lot of them and they were my university colours.

I managed to make about 4 of these blocks and the fabrics, templates, and finished blocks followed me back to the USA, around the country, and eventually to New Zealand.

Meanwhile, I had started and finished my first quilt in 2010. This one for my bedroom to go with the new wallpaper that I had put on the panels behind my bed. Although this is my first finished quilt, it is not the first I started, so it only half counts as my first.

At about the same time, a week before my cousin was coming to visit, I tried to clear out the closet of the guest room. I found 5 unfinished quilts - some of them baby quilts for children ready to go off to college. I vowed to get them all finished in the year.

November 2010 was when I finished that first started quilt. I thought the colour scheme was ghastly, so I added some green to the mix. Those first blocks were terrible too, but I was determined to keep them. The finished quilt is queen sized and is made up of 25 12" blocks. I did not know how to speed piece the HST so each triangle was cut and sewn in a pair (I have learned much since then).

The one pink star was to introduce the pink from the backing fabric.

Although my tastes have changed, I love this quilt. It lives at our beach house and I am happy to see it every time we are there. Must be time for another visit (if this horrible rain ever stops).

Plaid quilt #2 finished (a while ago)

I finished this quilt quite a few weeks ago, but never managed to post it. Then, I discovered where I hadn't quite caught the binding and then I spilled tea on it. So, I finally fixed the binding, put it into the wash, and now it's ready for prime time.

This is the second quilt that I made using the 48 blocks I won from Block Lotto last April. The first quilt has a more traditional setting with sashing and borders. This one I set on point with offset rows. It was an experiment on how different I could make them, and I think I succeeded. Here's a comparison of the two quilts.

I backed this one with two bright fabrics that I picked up on sale. I like that I can use almost anything on the back of a scrappy quilt and it still matches.

The quilting was done on my Swiftquilter with a Juki TL98P machine. It was my first quilt using this setup and my first using feathers. I'm pleased with the results and found that the allover pattern was quick and painless.

This one finished up at 53" square which makes a generous lap quilt. Thank you again all of the lovely ladies who participate in Block Lotto who made this quilt possible.

Plaid #2 almost done

I almost finished the quilting on this quilt over the weekend EXCEPT...when I got to the final edge I realised that the backing was about 1 inch too small. It's amazing how often this happens to me. I guess I am just stingy with my backings and always lose when I gamble.

So, I had to pull it off the frame with a 6 inch section left to quilt, add a strip to the back, and them FMQ the last bit. I'm pleased with the quilting - an all over feathery meander. This was my first quilt using the Swiftquilter and I do admit that it went much faster than my usual FMQ.

It's a great option for doing all over designs, but like any method, there are some limitations. For me, I have to get used to quilting in a linear back-and-forth fashion. And, I have to get used to a narrower work area. My stitches are also a bit on the big side. The machine can go much faster, but I always get panicky when it's running too fast. But, I am happy.

I was planning a scrappy binding, but laziness took over and I pulled a random pink and orange stripe from my drawer. I'm about halfway through hand stitching the binding onto the back.

I'm linking up to Freshly Pieced WIP. In the past I've listed all of my WIPs, but I confess that it is a daunting list right now and writing it down would mean coming to terms with it.

Quilting feathers on plaid

A few months ago I finished the first plaid quilt from blocks I won on Block Lotto last April. After piecing the second one a while ago, I have pulled it out as my first victim to quilt using my Swiftquilter.

Inspired by Angela Waters' Craftsy class, I have leaped in and started quilting some feathers as a random meander on this quilt. Here's the quilt set up and ready to go.

I actually tried to start it last night, but could not get enough light. This morning it was much better - even between rain showers the natural light is so much better. Unfortunately, we are on the shortest day of the year, but with some fast work, I'm almost done and probably have 45 minutes left before I can't see any more.

I'm planning a scrappy binding, which I will hopefully get started on tonight.

What am I up to?

Somehow weeks have gone by without me noticing. Lots of excuses, but do you really want to know them all?

I have been busy - first, my husband and I have a new business as the agents for JUKI home sewing machines. Although they are the largest manufacturer of sewing machines in the world, they are mostly know for their industrial machines. Initially, we will be selling select models direct through quilt/craft shows and online. Watch this space.

Since my last post, I have rescued my string hearts quilt from the disastrous quilting experience that I had with the Handi Quilter. I have not given up on the idea of using this approach but this was just not the right setup for me (part of the new business will also include the SwiftQuilter - a NZ manufactured table-top frame).

I unpicked some quilting but eventually had to sacrifice a whole row and make more blocks. I had a couple others from the Block Lotto that I used on this row too.

I did the quilting using a combination of straight stitching around the hearts, free-motion flowers in the space between the hearts, and a last-minute addition of decorative stitching down the 'spine' of each heart (mainly to reduce puffiness).

The little quilt is sweet and looks lovely and crinkly out of the dryer. No plans for it - probably will end up on the growing pile in the living room now that the nights are getting colder.

A few months ago the Monday Modern Quilters had a challenge to make a cushion using some curves and using free-motion quilting. I resorted to pulling out my drunkards path templates and made blue polka-dots on a beige background.

The back of the cushion is a piece of fabric that my mother bought me (along with some others, including the binding fabric) that match my living room furniture.

I did quite a bit of quilting on this one and am pleased with the results. I decided to bind it like a quilt and I love the way it looks like piping. Surprisingly someone else in the group did the same thing (honest, it was just a coincidence). I'm hoping to do a few others in similar but different designs.

Trying something new

A couple of months ago one of the Monday Modern girls kindly donated a Handi Quilter frame to anyone who wanted to try it out. I picked it up this weekend thinking that I would give it a go - nobody else seemed interested. I watched the (long) setup instructional video that I found on YouTube. It was a bit daunting. The first thing I realised was that taping this thing to my French oak dining table was not an option, so went to the local hardware super store and purchased a reasonably-priced 6-foot trestle table and a few rolls of clear packing tape.

I had won 38 low-volume string heart blocks from Block Lotto in February. I figured I could piece together a small quilt using these blocks without a huge time investment and use it as my guinea pig project.

The initial setup was easy enough but did take a while. The worst thing was the slight numbness on my finger tips after sticking and unsticking packing tape to them (see Mythbusters 'Duct Tape Island' episode for an extreme case of this type of injury).

The loading of the quilt was a little fussy, but I managed this with the help of a spare pair of hands. I admit it was easier than the usual laying out of the sandwich and pin basting.

With my machine ready to go, I realised that my usual approach to quilting did not work with this method. Basically on a frame you must quilt in long, narrow strips. You can't start in one spot and then move to another like I'm used to when FMQ without a frame. At this point I knew that I had put it on heading in the wrong direction. But, I tried anyway to do a few passes. Lesson: you can only go from one end to another, no 'skipping' sections. So, I pulled it all off and unpicked all of the quilting I had done and started over.

I'll stop here to say that I am not against this approach to quilting. The learning curve for any new skill can be steep. But, my entire living room is dominated by this project, and it was not going well.

After taking a night off, I came back to it and reloaded the quilt facing the other way. It's a little quilt (36" x 54") but it takes the full width of the rack. I'd need 2 tables to do anything bed sized. I then discovered that I can only stitch up to 6" from the end pieces of the frame. So, I'm left with the two edges unreachable.

Moving on...I continue forward. Try a few things. Stop and unpick. Repeat. Unpick. Grr.....

Here's my problem right now: the machine moves quite freely without much resistance so controlling it is difficult. I find myself overshooting all of the time and a 'straight' line seems impossible. It's like using an etch and sketch - the machine moves horizontally and vertically and theoretically you can create any line by combining these, but it's hard.

Did I mention that I broke a needle somewhere in this process?

It was time to try another approach - I am in the process of taking over the Juki domestic sewing machine agency in New Zealand and now had access to another machine. This one with a much bigger opening to work with, so, I swapped machines. A better option, but it sure goes fast (scary fast).

I decided to sacrifice the first row of the quilt and just go at it.

My conclusions (with some male advice and analysis):

• You need some kind of hand control or a machine that you can turn on and off - trying to use the foot pedal is impossible.
• The bigger the space under your machine's arm, the better. Even one more inch makes a huge difference.
• Don't buy a cheap table with a plastic top, it is not smooth and even (also my 80-year old native timber floors don't help). I have read that people mount the frame on a flat hollow door and this can work well.
• Be right handed - I am not, and controlling the machine with my left hand while standing on the 'good' side of the machine was hard.

I have not given up, but will take a break from this approach to quilting until I can resolve some of the issues above. I have a solution for some already, but my left-handedness is not negotiable. I know it's strange to stand on the 'wrong' side, but I might give it a go.

Manwhile - to my lovely friends at Block Lotto - I will sadly be cutting off the row that I demolished with crappy quilting and will use the few blocks I have left and a few more that I will make to recreate a row. I will quilt it using my usual FMQ techniques (and this Juki machine). Stay tuned...