Oh, Fransson!

Tokyo Subway Map Update

It sounds like there's a lot of interest in a quilt-along, so I'll get one started.  I'll plan to post a list of supplies tomorrow evening.  Fun!

A lot of you mentioned that you wanted me to "go slow," so I wanted to respond to that.  I think that, while it's nice in theory to think of everyone quilting along at the same pace, my experience with quilt-alongs tells me that it isn't realistic.  For everyone frustrated that the posts are going too quickly, there's someone else e-mailing me to ask when the next one will go up . . . everyone just moves at his or her own pace. 

I feel that it's better to move at a pace some of you may consider to be on the brisk side, because I think it's the best way to accommodate everyone.  People who work quickly aren't stuck waiting, and people who move more slowly can reference the posts whenever they have time.  I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from participating because, truly, there is no reason you need to "keep up."  If it takes you until 2012, it takes you until 2012.  The important thing is that you're working on a project that appeals to you, not how quickly you finish it.

I'll be back tomorrow!

Tokyo Subway Map Redux

 
Remember this quilt? 

 

I wrote up a pattern for a larger version, using 1,600 squares.  Because I don't like the idea of having fusible interfacing under the entire quilt top, I'm going to piece it the "regular" way, into 25 blocks, each 12" x 12".

Is there any interest in quilting along with me?  It would be a very low-key affair.  I just thought it might be fun to do a series of 25 posts with the layouts for each block.  Plus, this is an excellent scrap-buster quilt, since it uses a bunch of 2" squares. 

What do you all think?

I also wanted to thank everyone for your kind words about and encouragement on my applique project.  My husband and I are going to a wedding out of town this weekend, and I have all the remaining pieces fused to the quilt top to work on (finish?!) in the car.  I was telling my mother earlier in the week that I liken this project to eating my vegetables (but vegetables I don't like, like carrots or peas!).  I just feel like it's important for me to master the skill.

Several of you mentioned only catching a couple of threads from the fabric, and that is absolutely the thing I'm having the most trouble with.  I know that I should be doing it.  It just seems not secure enough somehow!  I clearly just need to practice, practice, practice!  I can tell you though, that I am really looking forward to doing some more experimentation with a pieced version of the orange peel block.  I love my sewing machine!  (Please do imagine me saying that like that kid on the Flo-bee infomercial.)

Finally, I wanted to mention the Action Kivu Sewing Room Fundraiser again.  Sew, Mama, Sew is having their regular "Free Fabric Friday" feature on Alissa's blog today, so please check it out!  

Slow Going

 
To say that I am not a master of hand applique is truly an understatement.  My skills, while improving, are nowhere near where they should be.  I'm sure this will look better after pressing and quilting, but I feel like it's kind of a mess right now!

I now have almost 75% finished though!  (The pieces at the top aren't tacked down yet.)

 

ETA: I hope I haven't given anyone the idea that hand applique like this is difficult.  It absolutely isn't, and I really encourage you to try it, if it interests you!  My problem is mainly my attitude! I just find the process a bit tedious and tend to fuss a lot over the way the stitches look and the points match up.  (I feel the same way about English paper piecing and most other handwork.)  I figure that I'll only get better with practice though, so I'm making myself work on some handwork projects.  Thank you for all your words of encouragement!

Action Kivu Fundraiser

Alissa of Handmade by Alissa is having a fundraiser on her blog this week.  The fundraiser is for Action Kivu, a non-profit group in Eastern Congo that Alissa’s twin sister, Cate, is working with.  Action Kivu provides some of the Eastern Congo's victims of violence with the opportunity to rebuild their lives on a foundation of hope, dignity, and economic self-sustenance. Their approach is spearheaded through two programs.  First, they run a sewing workshop that teaches women who are victims of the conflict to sew.  This leads them to be able to support themselves and their families.  Secondly, they pay for children to go to school, which is not free in Congo.  It costs $40 a year, per child.  That's very little money that makes a big impact!

 

 

Check out Alissa’s blog this week for more about the fundraiser.  As an added incentive, donating will put you in the running to win fabulous fabric prizes, including this color wheel bundle put together from my fabric stash, Lightning Bugs fat quarters from Alissa, and a fat eighth bundle of Flea Market Fancy from Jacquie (with help from Heather and Ashley)!

Finished February Quilt

 
I'm excited to have finished my first ever bee quilt.  The blocks in this quilt were made by the members of the Bee-autiful Quilting Bee back in February.  I can't thank you all enough for making me such fabulous blocks! 

 
Here's a shot of the front, which is sashed in Kona Pale Flesh.

Because the top and back started out roughly the same size, I was concerned about sandwiching and quilting this.  It was actually pretty uneventful though.  The unconventional layout gave me a lot of flexibility in terms of trimming the edges to match.

Lots and lots of seam allowances and blocks on both sides meant that the quilting took a bit longer than usual, but I think it turned out alright in the end.

I chose my quilting thread to match the lightest value in my composition which, in this case, was the Pale Flesh Kona.  I just feel like the light color shows up less on the dark solid than a dark thread would on the light solid.  (I purposely avoided using a mid value that wouldn't have matched either side exactly.) 

 
Here's the red side (aka the back).  I think the Kona Deep Red is strong enough to outshine the lighter quilting stitches!

 
I used Kona Bright Pink (also used in the blocks) for the binding, but pieced random print scraps between each binding strip.

 
The finished quilt is somewhere around 60" x 72".  If you want to see more photos, I've posted some on Flickr.    

Thank you again to my bee partners for making these awesome blocks!

February Quilt Back

 
Here's the other side of the quilt I posted about yesterday.

 
As with the light pink side, the placement of the blocks may look random, but it isn't.  I placed them on my design wall in exactly the locations I wanted and then just sashed around them, marking the placement of the blocks with pins when I had to take them off the wall.

 
Because I made both sides the same way, they're roughly the same size.  It remains to be seen whether I can make this work with the quilt sandwich.  If not, I have some strips of the red solid that I can sew onto the back to make it a little bigger.  I'll keep you posted!

Oh, and thanks for all your nice thoughts about the garden.  A lot of you asked about the hydrangeas, and I fear I don't have any answers.  Our yard is maintained by the neighborhood association, so I don't know what's being done to them outside.  The wall vases are from CB2. 

Hydrangeas seem to do well in this area though.  I remember having a giant hydrangea in our backyard when I was a child.  (We used to pretend it was Nellie Oleson, because nobody wanted to be her when we played Little House on the Prairie.)  

Garden Update

Thank you all for your good wishes and suggestions about my container garden!  It seems to be doing well and has actually grown quite a bit since last week! 

My squash is flowering.

Teeny tiny beans are starting to form.

Tomatoes are changing color, and new ones are growing.  And, the tomato Margaret gave me has just about doubled in size!

The peppers seem to love the heat we've been having.  You can't really tell in the photo, but there are 8-10 more little peppers on their way.

You all were right about the mint!  It seems to be coming back nicely.

 
The lavender and basil love it out here, but my other herbs are not doing as well.  I'm going to have to try something new with them!

 
Oh, and we have lots of beautiful hydrangeas right now, so I brought some into the house.  (These vases up on the wall are one of the only places I can put flowers without fear of cat attack!)

February Quilt Top Done

February 2010 was "my month" for the Bee-autiful Quilting Bee.  Read about the blocks here, and my initial post about the process of making this quilt here.  Not sure what all this quilting bee stuff is about?  Check out this post for more information.

 
I finally managed to get one half of this quilt sewn together!  I've been thinking of it as the quilt top, because I finished it first, but the back will be pieced in exactly the same way, but with a red ground.

 
I had originally planned to piece each of the blocks into an 18" square and then sew the squares together but, when I started laying them out, I didn't like the way it looked.  Even with the variation in block size, the arrangement was just too regimented for these blocks.

I ended up marking the basic shape of the quilt top (now about 60" x 72") on my design wall with blue painter's tape and just sticking the blocks on where I thought they looked good.  I intentionally placed several of the blocks right on the edge. 

 

Once the layout was planned, I went back and filled in all of the background fabric.

 
Et, voila!  One half is finished. 

Introducing Project Modern

Are you looking for a new quilting challenge? 

Do you want a chance to win a fabulous Janome Horizon sewing machine?

Check out The Modern Quilt Guild's site today to find out how you can do both!

Birthday Cake Fabric Winner

The winner of the Birthday Cake Fat Quarter Bundle is Kate Y.  Thank you all for entering and thank you to Fabricworm for another wonderful giveaway! 

 

I also wanted to mention that there are a couple of spots left in my Freestyle Quilting Class at Modern Domestic this Saturday.  You can read more about it here.