Last August, the Chicago Tribune noted the drastic decline of monarch butterflies in 2016. Their migration starts this month. Please add milkweed and nectar plants to your garden. Chris Clarke of KCET wrote an article about the benefits of gardening with native plants.
Cathy posted a fun and easy looking butterfly block on her blog. I think I'll have to try it. I want to make a butterfly quilt this year.
Yep, the Coins have been deposited at my niece's house. Here's the finished Chinese Coins after a quick wash and dry.
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| Improvisational Chinese Coins quilt |
Since Spiderweb is mainly free-motion quilting, I decided on a simpler walking-foot design for this time: parallel lines. I started them across the quilt about 1 to 1.5-inches apart.
Then I returned and added a quilting line between every other set. This maintained the look of the parallel lines, increased the quilting density (which might help reduce the strain on those long seam lines, and added a bit of textural variety.
Spiderweb quilting has been a bugaboo but this was quick and easy. It only took two days to quilt. I need to quilt like this more often.
The middle column contains only three fabrics: blue, yellow and a floral Marimekko. I was able to include the informational text on one of the coins because it was printed far enough away from the selvedge.
A bright blue binding added more color. I think it needed the pop.
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| Beginning parallel quilting lines about 1-1.5" apart |
Then I returned and added a quilting line between every other set. This maintained the look of the parallel lines, increased the quilting density (which might help reduce the strain on those long seam lines, and added a bit of textural variety.
Spiderweb quilting has been a bugaboo but this was quick and easy. It only took two days to quilt. I need to quilt like this more often.
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| Filling in with an additional line between every other pair |
The middle column contains only three fabrics: blue, yellow and a floral Marimekko. I was able to include the informational text on one of the coins because it was printed far enough away from the selvedge.
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| Detail of Marimekko informational text |
A bright blue binding added more color. I think it needed the pop.
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| Chinese Coins binding and quilting details |
Now this quilt graces its new home in Pflugerville. Don't know where that is? Many songs are written about beautiful cities around the world but Pflugerville is a small, farming community north of Austin. Here's video of one by the Austin Lounge Lizards.
Here are stats about Pflugerville's Chinese Coins.
Other sights in the area include Cele's BBQ restaurant (pronounced Seal.) It's been used as a location of several movies including Second Hand Lions {which I've seen} and Texas Chainsaw Massacre {which I have no plans to see.} Great barbeque beef, ribs and sausage but you have to bring your own sides. Really.
Here are stats about Pflugerville's Chinese Coins.
Quilt Details
Size: 57" x 75"
Design: Improvisational Chinese Coins
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100%cotton
Thread: Gutermann cotton, light blue
Quilting: Parallel lines with walking foot on domestic machine
Other sights in the area include Cele's BBQ restaurant (pronounced Seal.) It's been used as a location of several movies including Second Hand Lions {which I've seen} and Texas Chainsaw Massacre {which I have no plans to see.} Great barbeque beef, ribs and sausage but you have to bring your own sides. Really.
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| Cele Community Center and BBQ restaurant |
Another day we drove over to The Oasis on Lake Travis where you can see some of the most gorgeous sunsets in the world. I haven't eaten there in years - before it burned. Still gorgeous views although we were there at midday rather than sunset.
There's more art than I remember, including this piece.
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| View of Lake Travis from The Oasis |
There's more art than I remember, including this piece.
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| Spaceship Oasis art installation at The Oasis |
Artwork abounds throughout the region. This mural decorates the wall of Google Fiber Austin.
There's still time to link up with AHIQ, too. Share your progress with Chinese Coins or another improvisational or utility quilting here.
Enjoy the day, Ann
InLinkz removed because it was hacked.
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| Mural at Google Fiber Austin |
There's still time to link up with AHIQ, too. Share your progress with Chinese Coins or another improvisational or utility quilting here.
Enjoy the day, Ann
InLinkz removed because it was hacked.
20 comments:
Your Chinese Coin quilt turned out wonderful! I do like the Marimekko selvage! I still have to do research to find out if deer eat milkweed. I email that monarch organization but they never got back to me.
Thanks, Patty. I know milkweed has a noxious taste. Monarch larvae who eat it then taste bad to predators. Why don't you contact your regional ag extension office for an answer?
I love how bright and cheerful your coin quilt is. Blues and yellows together never fail to be a happy combo.
Another lovely finish with so many fun fabrics included in the mix. Sad that I did not get to see in person but know it will be cherished by your niece.
Thanks, Louise. The colors in the close ups are better than those in the full photo. The best thing is that it perfectly matches her decor. They are happy and so am I.
I wish I'd had time to share but the opportunity to take it to her personally was too great to delay.
Those Marimekko selvedges are gorgeous -- I actually couldn't bring myself to cut them off, and left them on the back of some curtains I made. And I love that little spaceship!
You really zoomed through the quilting on the Chinese Coins! It is the perfect approach for that quilt, and a very satisfying finish, too. :D
We do think alike; what a kick to leave the selvedge on curtains. I wanted to climb in the spaceship. Without kids I had no excuse. Walking foot on the. Ions was quick and easy. Also, the out of town visit spurred me on. In contrast, spiderweb is slower than molasses in January. Keeping my ego in check. ;-)
I like your coins quilts - very pretty - the pics of your area are amazing. I love the Cele one!
It makes me unreasonably happy to see you leaving that selvedge on. I also like the brighter blue of the binding a lot - just gives a little extra lift and pulls everything together nicely.You finished so fast too!
Beautiful finish, I'm sure your quilt will be loved and put to good use.
We lived in Pflugerville, TX, wonderful town. Cele's bar-b-que serves up the best atmosphere and bar-b-que anywhere.
Thanks for writing, Alycia. It was certainly a beautiful weekend to spend around Austin and always fun to catch up with this branch of the family.
Thanks, Kaja. I like that bit of selvedge way out of proportion to its area. I'm glad you agree about the blue binding. This quilt seemed to need a strong outer line. I machine sew the binding on most quilts I give away because I figure they will get heavier handling. So it only takes a couple of hours to attach. And for change, this was a very simple quilting design, too. So I finished before we had to leave.
The owners were delightful and the barbecue was fantastic. It's still out in the middle of farmland but I fear will soon be surrounded by subdivisions.
After a look at the images of your beautiful quilts Ann, the very first thing I noticed was the stack of Chinese Coins on the top facade of the community centre, haha! Your quilt turned out just perfect and I think you made an inspired decision with the colour of the binding. I feel a little envious of your niece! x Catch up with you again later today, got to get on my bike now!
I love your Chinese Coins quilt! Great job.
Thanks, Diane.
Stephie, I missed this note somehow. Sorry. Once we notice a shape or shade, it's funny how it pops up everywhere. I see Coins all over the place, usually called something else. I've been following your hikes on Instagram and think you have had a fabulous (and healthy) summer.
You have such a great collection of coin quilts on your blog! I've looked at all of them. I am planning my first larger than a baby quilt and want to do similar coins. The different column widths appeal to me, but I can't figure out how to decide how to vary them. Do you plan it ahead of time? I don't want it to look too symmetrical but it's hard to "plan" something to look "organic."
I plan the overall size (LxW) of the finished quilt because it helps me determine when I have enough columns and when to stop sewing onto a column. Believe me, column length is difficult to eyeball. I put pins on my design wall but you could masking tape your carpet or use floor tiles as a guide. Just something concrete to refer to.
Sew the widest column(s) you want first because you will run out of strings. Just look at your outlined quilt size and consider what width looks "right" remembering you will trim and seam about an inch off the column.
When that/those columns are finished, look at the strings that remain to figure your next column width. There are rarely enough for more columns that wide.
I usually have enough tiny bits left at the end for one or two very narrow columns.
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