A Round-Up of Finishes

As I may have mentioned, I didn't make that many new quilts while I was on hiatus from blogging this past year, but I did finish up a few.  I'll show you those today.  And in a future post, I'll bring you up to speed on the couple of new quilts I've made since then.

Back in January 2019, I had gotten this small quilt to the flimsy stage.  I'm calling it Get Happy, because the hubs thought the colors and shapes were reminiscent of the Partridge Family television show intro from the 1970s.  Since it has a little bluebird (of happiness?) on the top, I thought why not.  So Get Happy it is.

I did some wavy quilting in the mostly white horizontal strips using one of the decorative stitches on the Brother.  Then I did a dense meander in the black areas...with black thread...which had me straining to see where I was going and where I had been with the quilting.  Had to take my glasses off and get real up close and personal with what was happening under the needle.  I am pleased to report no facial features were harmed in the process.  What a relief, because I would hate to have had to change the name of the quilt (Get Stitches just doesn't sound as nice)!

For the bluebird, I practiced doodling on paper a way to quilt the bird with a continuous stitch from eyeball to tail feather to wing.  It worked out pretty much like I'd planned, although not on the first attempt.  But that's why they make seam rippers. 

By the time I got to the leaves (or petals), my previously doodled idea for those went out the window and I did a more straightforward kind of thing in pastel multicolored thread and called it a day.

Late last fall, I finished up this plaid lattice quilt top with a simple meander.  

The top is from thrifted plaid shirts, and I pieced the backing out of a couple other fabrics I'd found on previous thrifting adventures.  It turned out pretty cozy.  I gifted it to a friend who was moving away. 

I've also gotten a couple of quilts back from my longarm quilter in the past few months. 

In February of this year, I finished up the Carolina Chain quilt and gifted it to my niece Krystal.  (My plan is to give each of my nieces and nephews a quilt, and I have several more to go.)

Last month, I got the Blooming String Baskets quilt back.  I put the binding on it right away so this one's officially done, too. 

Not sure if I will gift this one or keep it.  I'm leaning towards the latter, but we'll see.  I really like it!

I think that about brings things up to speed with the flimsies finished since 2019.  I've got one more quilt top at the longarmer, the Friendship 360 which began as a quilt-along in 2016.  I'm looking forward to getting that one wrapped up as well, hopefully soon!

Blooming String Baskets Quilt Flimsy

I think this is it, friends.  This is the string basket flimsy ("Blooming String Baskets") as of today. 

I was going to add a narrow stop border and a six-inch outer border, but for the life of me, I couldn't see it working.  I pondered this, that, and the other thing.  Auditioned various fabric combinations, but nothing seemed quite right. 
Then I got out the tape measure, and as is, it's a respectable 65x85 (-ish), which I am content with.  Why add more fabric and more weight for me to fling off in the middle of the night, mid-hot flash?  (Keeping it real.)

Now I could see, perhaps, some fun applique in those tan setting triangles.  But right now, as far as a vision on that, I've got nothin'.  Maybe something will occur to me (or not) while this one waits in the quilting queue.  I'm open for suggestions.

(Mama Mallard on the neighbor's roof this morning.)

As far as the layout of this quilt, I considered a few options and put them in a Facebook post for people to weigh in on.  

The consensus seemed to be the one with the baskets oriented vertically (an on-point setting--the third one above), so that's how it went together.

And then, halfway through sewing it together, I decided that setting the entire thing with Kona Snow was way too much...Snow.  Which is how I've felt about late winter/early spring in general, coincidentally.

So I took apart half the quilt and recut the setting triangles in a straw basket-colored fabric (yes, that's the way my brain worked it out).  The new version, I think, contains the flower baskets as a central theme, instead of having them sitting in a drift of Snow.

My favorite thing about this quilt was piecing the string baskets themselves.  (I talked a bit about how I did that in THIS post.)  

The inspiration came from the "American Picnic" quilt in the book Simply Strings by Rana Heredia.

Piecing, in general, is what I like most about making a quilt.  Do you have a favorite part of the process?

Linking to:  
Humble Quilts:  Linky Up! String Quilt Progress!
Confessions of a Fabric Addict:  Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?

Out of the Den

Wow, almost six weeks have passed since the last post.  Hold on a sec while I swipe the cobwebs and blow the dust off the old blog.  

(Reflection of backyard trees in the lid of a candle.)

Okay.  So where were we?  Looking back, there was the string baskets project, which has been in limbo, pretty much, since then.  I did receive a super nice squishy of solid scraps from Kevin the Quilter and made three more baskets with some pretty purples.

Other than that, though, the basket quilt has been temporarily sidelined.  I need to give some thought to layout (and I know I've been saying that but...squirrel!).  I'll get back to it soon, promise.

Meanwhile, around St. Patty's Day in March, I made a couple of four-leaf clover mug rugs as thank-you gifts.  And then, because they were just too cute and fun, I made one for myself!

The tutorial I followed can be found HERE.  Love the string pieced green leaves!

As many of you know, the Hands2Help Comfort Quilt Challenge is again in full swing.  I was inspired by Sarah's On-Line quilt and decided it would be the perfect quilt to make while simultaneously knocking down some of the scrap piles accumulating on flat surfaces in the sewing room.  Oh, all right, they're in drawers and bins, too.  Who am I kidding?

(Trimmings from On-Line)

Well, we quilters know how THAT goes!  Somehow, scraps and strings beget more scraps and strings.  I know I've made some headway, though, hard as it is to see visual proof in the scrap piles.  But there is visual proof of the resulting quilt top!  At 60 x 72, I have to have made a good dent, right?

(On-Line quilt top)

It's crazy how all those disparate strings can look just fine together when all is said and done.  I've banged together a backing as well, so this one is ready to baste and finish soon.

While sifting through the scrap piles, I unearthed some orphan blocks from a quilt-along that I petered out on last year.  Several sampler blocks in, the proposed layout was made available, and let's just say my fabric choices didn't seem to play well next to each other so much anymore.  And with that, my desire to finish the quilt-along fizzled.  Wah-wah-wah.

(Baby Quilt 1 from orphan blocks)

But looking at the orphan blocks in a new light this past week, I was able to assemble two decent baby quilts that I'll donate to one or more of the Hands2Help charities.  Woot!

(Baby Quilt 2 from a large orphan block, pin basted)

I'm in the process of quilting and binding them right now.  I'll post pics of the finishes shortly.

Friends, it's been a long, cold, and cruddy winter, and I feel like I'm coming out of hibernation here. This was our deck a few days after the last rain/ice/sleet/wind/snow/thunder/lightning storm (all within 24 hours).  The ice was blowing off the trees into millions of little shards on the snow.

(Buh-bye snow.  It's been real.)

Now the snow has melted and the robins are back.  I've been for more walks outside, versus the basement treadmill, and bike season is just around the corner.  I see the first new growth of green things, my chives, poking up in the flower bed.  

What has you excited for spring?

Linking to:  
Humble Quilts String-Along 
Confessions of a Fabric Addict Can I Get a Whoop-Whoop? 

Progress and Thrift Finds

Work on the string basket blocks has continued, amounting to a total of 17 so far.  Here they all are on the design wall.

I may make a few more.  I have enough string basket bases cut for at least three more blocks (and there are a lot more shirt strings where those came from), but I'm running low on many of the solid scraps.  For each block, I used three different variations on that color scheme (three oranges, three pinks, etc.).  For the last aqua/blue block, though, I had to sub in a periwinkle solid.  It seems to have worked out.

I'm going to let the project sit for a bit, and we'll see where it goes eventually.  Still not sure if I'll end up setting them like this, or with some kind of sashing between, or turned completely differently.  To be determined...

Meanwhile, I cleaned up the string mess (you know how that can just take over a sewing space, right?), and I got back around to finishing up another quilt top.  Also made with thrifted shirts.

This was tricky to photograph in the house on this dreary winter day.  It's one of those quilts that's cozier feeling in real life and less—what's the word—discombobulated? 

I do like how it's turned out and am working on making the backing for it now.  That will also be from thrifted fabric, as it happens.  Not shirts, though. 

Speaking of that, we got out of the house yesterday (it's been a wild, wild winter lately; cabin fever is real, y'all).  We took a short drive to a neighboring town and hit the St. Vinny's there.

While I perused the fabric and craft section of the store, Norm wandered off and picked up a beautiful cougar!

She was super cheap (three bucks!), so of course we brought her home.  :)

She needs a little bath (the glass and frame), but with a tiny bit of TLC, she'll be good to go.  Or stay, as it were. 

I've got quite a collection of vintage paint-by-numbers, but it's still a thrill to find one, especially if it's well done, when we're out thrifting.  We've noticed we don't see them nearly as often as we used to.  I just checked eBay to see what the online market is like for these lately, and it looks like they have an identical cougar paint-by-number currently for $79.99.  Note to anyone who may have to clean out someone's attic, basement or garage:  Don't throw these in the dumpster thinking they're junk.  At least drive them to the thrift store where they can be joyfully found by the next PBN collector or nostalgic lover of kitsch!

Meanwhile, back in the fabric and crafts section, I had found a half yard of fabric and a nice hardcover quilt book from the mid-1990s.

Just look at these sweet quilts!

This Birds in the Air pattern really has a vintage vibe to it, doesn't it?  Love it.

And Sunflowers, yellow and blue is such a classic combination.

It's always a great day when you can go shopping with a ten dollar bill and come home with such fun finds and $4 in change!

More String Baskets

I've been plugging along on the string basket blocks.  As of this past weekend, I had eight finished.  Here they are on the design wall (which is reverse flannel side of a vinyl gingham print tablecloth; if you notice the hint of a checked pattern behind the blocks, that's why).

I've got another four in the works right now, in various stages of being put together.  I'm running low on some of the solid colors.  I thought about maybe introducing purple and/or a different blue or green, but since I don't have enough (or any) of those in the solid scraps box, it's not really an option.  While I could make a trip to the fabric store, the whole idea was to utilize my scraps, so that's that.  When what I have is gone, I'm done with the blocks. 

They are quite large, about 13 inches square, unfinished.  So I'm sure, depending on how I decide to set them, there will be enough for a decent sized quilt.

While I was in the sewing room this week—which also happens to be a storage area for a lot of other stuff, including papers and keepsakes from my late mom and dad—I happened upon an old cassette tape.  I popped it in an old boombox and heard my grandmother's voice.  On the other side of the tape was my aunt's voice.  Both were recorded in March 1982.

My grandmother was losing her eyesight due to macular degeneration, and reading and writing letters had become difficult for her.  Instead, she exchanged cassette tapes with her daughters who lived out of state (we lived in Wisconsin), wherein they shared family news and other happenings.  These were the days before email and cell phones, of course.  When long distance telephone rates were high (a one-hour phone call could cost as much as a tank of gas), but postage to mail a cassette tape was cheap.

So there was Grandma, maybe sitting out on her porch (from the sound of traffic passing) on a spring day in the deep south, talking about a cousin's wedding she'd recently attended, her azaleas in bloom, and other things.  On Side B was my aunt in Texas, talking about similar things in her "letter" to Grandma, about her roses and what else she was planning to do in her flower beds, etc.

I wanted to transfer this tape digitally, both to preserve it before the tape broke or degraded further, as well as share it with my siblings and cousins.  So that was my other project this past week.

Thankfully, I'd pinned a tutorial on this subject that I'd run across a few months ago.  I followed the instructions, bought a patch cord for $7.99, and using free Audacity software, was able to transfer the tape to my computer and save it digitally.  

Source:  Bespoke Genealogy

Instead of burn the new audio file to a CD, I uploaded the MP3 file to my (free) account on SoundCloud and shared the link with my cousins, etc.  Got some nice feedback.  One cousin said it brought tears to her eyes to hear Grandma's voice again.  Both Grandma and my aunt passed away in the 1990s. 

As much as they communicated this way over several years, I don't think many of these tapes survived.  Wouldn't it be neat, though, if some day, someone finds one of my mother talking to Grandma with our family news at the time?

Basket of Strings to String Basket

Isn't that a lovely, tidy phrase: Basket of Strings to String Basket?  One can almost picture the Quilt Fairy waving a magic wand, and when the harp sounds diminish and the sparkly fairy dust settles—POOF!—there it is!

It sounds so much better than: To deal with the piles of scraps that couldn't be crammed into overflowing drawers, I sewed them together with no real plan, and eventually decided to make a basket block.

Guess which one is the more accurate description of how it went down this week?  

Hint:  Some people have cute baskets of fabric in their sewing rooms.  I am not one of those people.

Hint #2:  There was no magic wand involved.  Unless you count this gadget.

Yes, friends, I have piles (not that kind, thankfully).  Piles of scraps, piles of strings.  One rather large pile, in particular, of shirt strings.  Leftovers I've dangled above the trash but just couldn't let go. 

So I started sewing them end to end into slabs this week.  After making a few slabs, I thought maybe they might end up as a stacked coins quilt.  Which, come to think of it, is another variation on piles.  (Not that that's a bad thing; I do like coin quilts.)

Then somehow I got to looking at basket quilts on Pinterest.  I have long admired them, especially string baskets.  Haven't made one yet, though.  I also thumbed through a few string quilt books (also in a pile on the sewing table).  I saw a cute basket quilt in the same book, Simply Strings, that inspired the happy little quilt in the previous post.

Could I cut the baskets in the right size from from the slabs of shirt strings I had been randomly piecing?  Yes.  Yes, I could.

And so I did.  I tried one block.  Unfortunately, the first one was off in size (my error), so I had to take it apart.  I tried another.  It worked!

Now I'm on a roll.  I don't know if I'll follow the layout for the quilt in the book or do something else.  But I'm aiming for at least 12 blocks and will go from there.

I'm using some solid scraps for the "flower" parts, the HSTs above the string basket.  My box of solid scraps is overflowing; the hope is that I'll at least be able to close the lid on it once I've used some of them for this project.

A couple tips I've gleaned from making other string quilts:  First, freezer paper.  I tear off a large sheet and lightly press it, shiny side down, onto my ironing board.  This protects the ironing board cover from the next step, which is spray starch.  Starching the string slab helps stabilize it and keeps the pieces from shifting or stretching as you work with them.

I also made a template for the triangular shape of the basket out of freezer paper (cut a square, then cut on the diagonal, which gives you two triangular templates).  I press those onto the string slab and then take it over to the cutting mat to cut out the triangles, using the freezer paper template as my guide.  After you peel off the paper, you can reuse it several times.

Are you making something with strings? 

Linking to:  Confessions of a Fabric Addict - Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?