What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Another month gone?? It definitely feels like late fall/early winter. It’s hard to believe we’re rolling into the holiday season already. A week ago we were outside in shirt sleeves.

I finished one project in October, my sister’s scarf.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Gather & Give Thanks, pattern by Diane Arthurs of Imaginating. I’m making better progress now that I’m not crocheting too.

Project 2 (Original): I ...

No change in the numbers.

I am heavy into working on the next challenge piece, which I think of as “Dot”. A creative space is a messy space.

I had hoped to be a little further along by now. Maybe this week I’ll gain some ground.

It’s not looking good to hit positive numbers this year. For all the time these challenge quilts take, they don’t use much fabric.

Fabric In: 29.3 yards

Fabric out: 8.875 yards

Net Fabric In: 20.425 yards

How did you do this week?

No change in the numbers.

I finished my sister’s scarf, which doesn’t help the fabric numbers but has me working on one less project.

I also reworked the challenge design, keeping the basic idea but changing the format. The background fabric didn’t survive the change. It will find its way into another project.

Fabric In: 29.3 yards

Fabric out: 8.875 yards

Net Fabric In: 20.425 yards

How did you do this week?

Here’s what’s on the go in the sewing room this week.

The top half of Remember Me is basted, and I am auditioning quilting designs.

I pressed fabric for the background of the challenge piece.

I’m pulling together the bits and bobs I think I want to add. I may need a larger background to fit everything. Time will tell.

I may also need to step away from Remember Me while I work on the challenge. I find it easier to figure out one project at a time. I can do two at once, but I lose ...

No change in the numbers, although projects continue to move forward.

I basted Remember Me yesterday. No idea how I’ll quilt it.

I also pulled fabrics for the challenge background.

I’m not sold yet, but it’s a place to start.

Fabric In: 29.3 yards

Fabric out: 8.875 yards

Net Fabric In: 20.425 yards

How did you do this week?

Lots of projects got attention this week.

I sewed a few more Traffic Jam blocks. The quilt will have either 20 or 24 blocks total, depending on how wide I make the sashing.

I also pressed the backing and top for Remember Me, with a goal of basting it this week.

Then I sketched a rough plan for the next challenge quilt. Sometimes the final quilt looks like the sketch,and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ll audition background fabrics and go from there. I’ve got it in my head that painting the background fabric could work better. That ...

Although the days are getting shorter, it doesn’t feel like Fall – yet. I’m looking forward to more time in the sewing room as I spend less time outside.

I finished two things in September, Still Life and my great nephew’s afghan. It’s a long list even with the finishes.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Gather & Give Thanks, pattern by Diane Arthurs of Imaginating.

Project 2 (Original): I’m on ...

My September OMG was to finish the challenge quilt, which I called Still Life. The photo doesn’t do justice to the background fabric.

Except for the veins in the leaves, I either dyed or painted all the fabrics. I learned the free form piecing technique at a class I took at Guild several years ago. The quilt is the size of a cutting mat.

The inspiration for the next challenge is hanging on my design wall, where I can listen to what it has to say.

Visit Stories From the Sewing Room for all the other OMG finishes.

I finished the challenge quilt, now named Still Life, for some fabric out. It’s always a relief to get those quilts finished on time.

I won’t get the next challenge until the 26^th, which leaves time to do something else. With lots going on between now and then, a handful of small projects makes the most sense.

I pulled fabric to make pillowcases. A lot of bedding made its way into the rag bin this year, and we need replacements.

My sister’s quilt needs a label.

I would also like to frame Words of Joy Tree ...

No change in the numbers.

I’m stitching facing on the challenge piece, which means a finish soon.

I mentioned last week I’m using a Robison-Anton rayon for the quilting, a thread I’d not tried before. It stitched fine, no tangles or breaks. It doesn’t have the sheen of some of the other rayons, but more of a flat finish. There is a bit of a twist to the thread that reminds me of a buttonhole twist. The line also contains many solid and variegated colors.

It’s a thread I’ll keep in mind if I ...

August was a calmer month, but we attended a lot of weekend events that took advantage of the last of summer. I finished two projects, my sister’s quilt and Words of Joy Tree.

That created spots for new things on the list.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Gather & Give Thanks, pattern by Diane Arthurs of Imaginating. I started it last night.

Project 2 (UFO): I’m quilting the next challenge, due this ...

No fabric in this week.

I used 1/4 yard of fabric for a quilt binding.

Once that quilt was finished I returned to working on the challenge quilt. The top is together and I’m totally underwhelmed. I have big hopes that the quilting and some embellishment will liven it up.

I had questions last week about the brand of thread I bought. It’s a Robison-Anton rayon in the color Sky Blue. I’m not sure on the weight, but it looks thinner than Sulky. I plan to use it on this quilt, but that could change. Quilting ...

A lot of life happened here in July, but I managed to finish two projects. One wasn’t on the list and I forgot to post it. The other was Wallflower (the challenge quilt).

The list isn’t changing much for August.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Words of Joy Tree, pattern by Ursula Michael. I’m stitching this on red 14 count aida with DMC white, all from stash.

Project 2 (UFO ...

My July OMG was to finish the challenge quilt, which I eventually named Wallflower. The challenge was to use a quilt made by another member of the group as inspiration. I chose the background fabric from the inspiration quilt as the basis for my quilt.

Here is my quilt.

The larger motifs are made from pellon non-fusible interfacing. The smaller motifs are lace cut from a vintage tablecloth that had large enough holes to make it unusable. I painted both with fabric paint, inks and airbrush paint.

In hindsight, I would have done some things differently, but I’m happy ...

I finished the challenge quilt this week, which I have now named Wallflower. For all the time I spent on it, it didn’t use much fabric. Every little bit out helps though.

I will post more info on Wallflower after the reveal at Tuesday’s meeting. For now I have a sneak peak.

The painted lace motif is 2.5 inches across.

I did not add any fabric this week.

Fabric In: 28.625 yards

Fabric out: 5.75 yards

Net Fabric In: 22.875 yards

How did you do this week?

June was a productive month. I finished two stitches, Floral Butterfly and the star ornament. The ornament wasn’t on my June list.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Words of Joy Tree, pattern by Ursula Michael. I’m stitching this on red 14 count aida with DMC white, all from stash.

Project 2 (UFO): The membership quilt. The two sections are complete and ready to quilt.

Project 3 (original): The challenge due in ...

When painting fabric, I gravitate toward blues and purples because they are my faves. I know those paints, how they mix and play with each other. We are besties.

The inspiration for the challenge quilt due in July has a much warmer palette, filled with yellow, pink and orange. I am less familiar with those paints, although the stash contains many of them. The deadline doesn’t leave time for a lot of trial and error. I needed to understand the warmer paint colors.

The solution was creating a paint chip palette in my sketchbook.

In hindsight, I wish I ...

If you are a regular reader, you know that my art quilt group (Art2Quilt) has an ongoing challenge where the members make quilts inspired by the quilt of another member. We finished round one in May, and round two is due near the end of July.

I won’t show the inspiration quilt because it doesn’t belong to me and I don’t have permission, but I will show what inspired my design.

This is the background fabric in a portrait quilt. It reminds me of the 1960s.

This round will involve paint and creating motifs with Pellon 830 ...

Another month for the record books. I finished two things in April, Peacock River and the stitching on the Tiny Modernist SAL.

I started The Short List many years ago to create goals to work toward and a way to focus. I change things up as my goals and interests change.

Project 1 (stitching): Floral Butterfly embroidery kit by Bucilla. I have a little over a week on this one and expect to finish it this month. It came with framing materials.

Project 2 (UFO): The membership quilt. The two sections are complete and ready to quilt.

Project 3 (original ...

My goal for May was to finish the “pass one” challenge quilt.

Another member of the group (Art 2 Quilt) made a quilt (of a peacock), and I had to make a quilt inspired by her quilt. This fabric was the peacock’s body (my inspiration).

And this is my quilt.

I bought some darning net at the thrift and wove fabric strips and yarn through it. I cut it into piece to make the diamond shapes. The woven cloth is sewn onto the background fabric along the edge of the weaving.

I learned a lot making this quilt. I ...