The Final Squares

Poets are like baseball pitchers. Both have their moments. The intervals are the tough things.

~Robert Frost

Quilting

Perhaps that quote applies to quilters, too. Ideas wax and wane. Abilities increase but also decrease with the passing years. 

After all those quilts, there are still some squares and blocks remaining. How is it that the more we use our scraps, the more appear? It's very hard to use them all up... especially when they seem to regenerate nightly.

This little quilt combines most of the leftovers. I liked the look of the larger postage stamp quilt so I tried it again here. Not many blues or greens left; this top reflects desert colors - red rocks, golden dirt, and sage brush. The few bits of blue could be the midday sky or the bright oranges could be a sunset. 

The back is a yard of cactus print lengthened with some leftover greens. The fabrics blend well with the front.  Perhaps the greens should have been added in the middle of the cactus rather than at the bottom. I can never make up my mind about positioning the little bits needed to lengthen a back.

Here's a look at the front and back together. 

All my leftover green binding scraps made the binding for this quilt. 

Quilt Specifics

Size: 40" x 40"

Design: Scrappy Trip Around the World

Batting: Hobbs cotton

Thread: Superior 50/3 green cotton thread

Quilting: walking foot grid

Approximate yardage: 6 yds

When I took it to my DIL, she knew immediately who could use this gift. A friend of hers loves cactus. Perfect.

Reading

Since I enjoyed the first two books in her Joanna Brady series, I decided to try Until Proven Guilty which began her J.P. Beaumont series. I didn't care for it much as it reminded me of those 1950's macho detective stories. Perhaps it will grow on me but I much prefer the Brady books. 

Enjoy the day, Ann

A Scrappy Trip Lap Quilt for a Friend

There are only two ways to live your life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.

Quilting

A friend requested a lap quilt with some blues last year and this is the first time I have to work on it. Since there are still loads of squares, I combined some of them and pulled some blue fabrics from my stash to emphasize the color he wants. The scrappy variety of fabrics works well. There's not enough of any to run across the entire quilt. Instead, the colors add a twinkling aspect as they values change position. {At least, that's my story.}

Here's what I have after a week.

I'm not sure if this is a postage stamp quilt or just a one-block design. 

The Giants baseball quilt is coming along. Binding is all that's left so it should be finished next week.

Reading

Science journalist Chelsea Wald spent several years studying sanitation world-wide. Pipe Dreams amalgamates the history of toiletry throughout human development and looks unflinchingly at the lack of sanitation in countries without sufficient water or infrastructure as well as rural areas in developed countries that lack equal access. She discusses how we waste resources - including water, energy, and nutrients - by continuing to use technology that developed over one hundred years ago. 

She begins the book in Amsterdam where much of the country lies below sea level. Current western toilets depend on gravity to move waste. That's often not possible here. Additionally, they are working innovatively to keep their water clean.

One interesting chapter told of a company creating jet fuel from human waste. At the very least, methane escaping form current waste water treatment plants contributes to air pollution and global climate change. 

As Chelsea points out, there is a huge yuck factor discussing the issue but avoiding something everyone does doesn't make it go away or improve.

I mentioned this book to my niece and found out she it installing a compost toilet to the RV she is building. We had a great discussion about how her toilet works and about details of this book. Have I mentioned how talented she is? No sewing but she can make almost anything.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Scrappy Trip Finished

Too often the people complain they have done nothing with their lives 

and then they wait for somebody to tell them that isn't so.

~Charles Bukowski

Quilting

This was a quick baby quilt and is still pretty. I enjoy using all my sister's scraps {and a few of my own.} So many nice fabrics. It's always fun to find new ways to combine the colors.

Scrappy Trip Around the World baby quilt

With sixteen blocks, the quilt finishes a bit larger than a baby quilt so it will be ready for an older sibling who didn't get a quilt originally. We want these little children to feel included and important when the new baby arrives. 

No large pieces for the back. It's simply some green remnants. I planned to simply cobble them together but then got the brilliant idea of piecing narrow strips of dark brown between them. So much better than the first layout. I'll remember this idea and use it again. 

Quilt back of green blocks outlined with dark brown

It's too hot to spend much time quilting so this is simply a grid with the walking foot. The binding came from my binding remnants and the excess after trimming the back. 

Scrappy Trip Around the World folded

Here are the details.

Quilt Specifics

Size: 48" x 48"

Design: Scrappy Trip Around the World

Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Premium Natural Cotton

Thread: Superior 50/3 green cotton thread

Quilting: walking foot grid

Approximate yardage: 7.5 yds

The SF Giants baseball quilt is pin basted and quilting has started. When there is narrow sashing I prefer to start with that and get it straight. Wobbles are definitely emphasized here so it's easier to handle when it goes first.  Is it visible in the photo that the stitching goes up and down on the white stripes? 

The ball players are on fields of green and I'm stipple quilting those now. 

A few pieces, such as the cap and shoes, are so small I'm undecided how to secure those. They could be quilted across them or along the seams. 

Then the ballplayers and the borders will need to be finished. My nose will be stuck to the grindstone even though it's still hot outside.

Reading

Leah Franqui's Mother Land is one of the best novels I've read in a while. Rachel marries Dhruv in NYC then they quickly move to Mumbai for a three-year assignment. Within a few weeks, her mother-in-law, Swati, arrives saying she's left her husband and moves in with no plan to leave. Next, Dhruv is sent to his home town, Kolkata, for a month leaving Swati and Rachel to work things out.

The book is written from the alternating points of view of the two women. Each of them thinks about the same events but from different sides. And eventually, they begin to understand each other.  

Nann at With Strings Attached recommended this book in an email to me. We seem to have some similar reading habits and I always note what she's suggests on her blog.

We moved all the lighter weight pots and doodads into the garage to keep them from blowing around. A quick trip to the store for final supplies just beat the first rain bands. Now we are hunkered down waiting for TS Nicholas to pass. This will be a nice evening to watch the Giants. If they win tonight, they ensure a place in the playoffs. Good luck, guys!

Post Script: I took the Scrappy Trip quilt to my son's house intending it to be a gift to an {unspecified} toddler friend but once G3 saw it, she reminded me green and blue are her favorite colors. Could she please have it? So it did go to a toddler and our family  acquired another funny story.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Another Scrappy Baby Quilt

Wear a mask. It’s much more comfortable than the ventilator.

~Nicole Zeisig, M.D.

Quilting

There's still a bunch more squares. Remember, the shoe box was full. So this time I'm making a Scrappy Trip although every square is laid out instead of making the blocks from strips. Funny. The box holds lots of bright green but very few reds. 

Scrappy Trip Around the World toddler quilt

Plus my sister sent me a few bits this spring. She was cleaning out her house for a remodel and my house was the "recycling bin." Haha. We often prefer different colors so this gave me a wider set of scraps.

My first arrangements were a mess. Sorry; no photos. Then it hit me that not every color goes next to every other… but many can be linked by the other choices we make. Does anyone else remember Jinny Beyer’s color studies? She created runs of different colors to connect her “main choices.” As she originally explained her process, each quilter developed her own fabric runs. Eventually, she partnered with a company to print many of her fabrics and sold a tool with a fan of most of them. Once that idea resurfaced, it was much easier to create groupings. 

This one pairs many of my sister’s scraps, like the magentas, with some almost virulently bright greens I purchased for some strange reason. We both had a range of turquoise as well as cream, white, grey, yellow, and softer greens. Some purples found a home. And a smidge of peaches fit in as well. Using colors out of my comfort zone and planning workable combinations was both enjoyable and a good exercise. Perhaps we should trade scraps with others occasionally to keep us sharp.

Reading

Beloved Beasts
by Michelle Nijhuis

Beloved Beasts traces the history of animal conservation and preservation from the late 19th century thru today. The movement started with taxidermy and often killed off species as it collected them. Many of the original groups were founded for sport and tried to keep poorer people from hunting. By highlighting pivotal scientists, Michelle explains the development of our current efforts to preserve the environment and our planet.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Scrappy Trip Quilt Gifted and Lady Liberty

The orange peel quilting is finished and the binding is on so this little quilt was washed, dried, and delivered to the Boy Who Likes Green.

Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt

Three pieces of green fabric were used on the back.

Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt back

Gayle gifted me the green for the binding. She was tired of it; there was just enough for this small quilt.

Detail of binding on Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt

Here's a closeup of the quilting. Not bad.

Detail of Orange peel quilting

Quilt Details

Size: 43"" x 43"

Design: Scrappy Trip Around the World

Batting: Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon100% cotton

Thread: grey Aurifil cotton 50/2 thread

Quilting: Orange peel with walking foot

Personally, Mountain Mist is one of my favorites but the batt does shrink with the first wash. {About two-inches in this case but it's been as much as four inches.} I like the crinkled effect on the quilting, the very light weight, and prefer these 100% cotton batts.

Previous posts:

1. Finding the fabric
2. Trip in progress
3. Top finished

The other Scrappy Trip was mailed, too, but in the rush to get to the post office I forgot to take a photo. Here's the top. These quilts were made sequentially so have similar fabrics although this second one has more pinks. The back is pink, too.

The second Scrappy Trip has pinks and reds on the main diagonal

Until the previous post went live I didn't realize it was all about "man" quilts - either for men or made by men. War and Pieced is at the American Folk Art Museum in NYC until January 7. It moves to the International Study Center at the University of Lincoln-Nebraska on May 25 and runs till September 16, 2018. Hopefully you will be able to see it at one of these museums.


Lady Liberty
I was finally able to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Tickets to these sites sell out well in advance; there was only one left when we found out we were going to NYC. I took it and planned everything else around it. The overcast day made great photos.

The Statue of Liberty

Sculpted by Frederic Bartholdi, the statue is a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. I knew the pedestal was built by the people of the US but didn't know the statue languished in storage for eight years until Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian immigrant, created a unique fundraising concept. Every person who donated at least a penny had their name published on the front page of his paper. He raised $100,000 in five months from 125,000 Americans and new arrivals. An immigrant with a newspaper.

"Immigrants. We get the job done."

I also didn't know Gustav Eiffel built the infrastructure of the statue. A wrought iron central pylon with a framework for cross-braced iron angle bar looks a bit like the Eiffel Tower. Flat iron bars connect the skin support system to the frame and act like springs allowing the skin to adjust to temperature and wind changes. Spectacular.

Model cutaway of the Statue of Liberty showing the framework

The pedestal sits on Fort Wood, an eleven-point star fort built in 1808. The design came from French engineers so, of course, it reminds me of Fort Ticonderoga (which you remember was built by the French.)

The Statue of Liberty

New Yorkers are the kindest people. They helped with my large bag on the subway and stopped to give directions. I so appreciated their friendly assistance. Thanks, New York!

Enjoy the day, Ann

Quilting TATW

Trip Around the World quilts are simply grids - like those we can mark for fancy quilting. At two-inches, they are just a bit larger than usual. So I decided to quilt orange peel on this one. I don't have to mark, it's a change from the diagonal grid I often use, and I want to see what it looks like at this scale.

Gentle curves with walking foot create Orange Peel design

I used the regular straight stitch with a walking foot and turned on the half-speed button. I'm a pedal-to-the-metal kinda gal. Actually I turned it on by accident and found it really helped the curves. Starting at a four-corner intersection, I angled the foot left while counting to two slowly, then center for another two, then right for two back to the next intersection. {That's lots more than two stitches. It just helped me keep a symmetrical arc.)

Once the serpentines were completed in one direction, I rotated the quilt ninety degrees and sewed the same curves on the other side of the blocks.

Quilting curves on all sides to finish the squares

They are not perfect but they are improving. Another nice surprise is how quickly this top becomes a quilt. Since I mostly make large quilts, it's a pleasant change to imagine a finish in the next few days.

If  you want more walking foot quilting ideas from an approachable, enthusiastic teacher check out Mel Beach at Piece, Love & Happiness. She always has a new tidbit to share.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Second Scrappy Trip with Vintage Fabric

Still using those vintage strips but this time the quilt includes some pinks. It's a Grandmother Quilt for my college roommate. She says it reminds her of our junior year in college. {I'm not sure why that year in particular but she has a much better memory than I.} And she thinks stains won't show on this quilt very much. Ha!

Green Scrappy Trip with Red and Pink

A Grandmother Quilt is a way to celebrate. There's no way I could keep up with quilts for each grandchild of my friends. {Especially when I couldn't keep up with quilts for their children.} The grandmother or grandfather gets one on the birth of the first grandchild. They keep it and use it at their house. Or whatever. But no more quilts.

I'm still using my own method to make these blocks. Three blocks from each strip set. I prefer not having the same repeat on each side of the main diagonal. But look at that left side block with white on both sides of red/black. I like lots of green on both sides but wish I hadn't put white on both sides. Just need to pay attention to the sets and what is sewn next to what.

Like those late night ads say, "But wait. There's still more." Perhaps enough for two more small quilts. I'll leave those for another day. Definitely maybe this year. Ha.

We noticed this quote painted on a wall in San Francisco: "There's a loophole for that." So many places to apply it.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Repurposing

While I'd like to work on some entirely new quilts {as well as a few new shirts}, I committed to resolving my UFOs. They need some new time in the light to determine whether they should be finished or donated. Tastes and interests change over the years. In January it seemed easy to say I'd get through this process within the year. After all, none of them were hidden. Haha. No; they're simply lost in the closet. Like this one.

Half these strips were originally cut to make a coat with Seminole piecing. It's hard to make a coat when it was never worked on after the class. Eventually these bits ended up in an old box of clothing patterns. That's one of the reasons I switched to clear boxes a few years ago - easier to see what's in them.

The colors are still some of my favorites and I know a young man who likes green so it was easy to repurpose the strips. Sixteen blocks make a good toddler sized quilt. No border. Notice they all have reds on the main diagonal. {Even though some were sewn into blocks already, I avoided the pinks for this top. Cherry picking.}

Green Scrappy Trip Around the World top with red

 It's interesting how the block boundaries are hidden in this quilt. But... Where did purple come from? The printed fabric below had some chartreuse mixed with purples and blue. Then I looked in the scrap bag and found two more tiny bits of purple so it wouldn't be so lonesome. And this is how I never make a two-color quilt.

Vintage and newer fabrics create these Scrappy Trip blocks

There are seventeen vintage versus eleven newer fabrics in the photo above. Good way to use up older stuff while updating, too. There are still a bunch of strips so I'll be making at least one more top. This wasn't exactly my plan for the month but I'm glad to keep the fabric moving.

In the evenings I'm still binding the Strippy Nine Patch. Finally on the last side. {Late night photo so the color is way off.}

Sewing the binding 

Lastly, we're enjoying the birthday roses. I only wish my thumb was green like Maureen's.

Birthday Roses

Enjoy the day, Ann

Trip Progress

Even though a stack of tops is building, it's too hot to quilt this week. Instead I arranged Scrappy Trips using fabric was originally intended for a long jacket/short coat. These were cut for Seminole piecing inserts and there wasn't much color variation. Basically medium to dark green, red to hot pink-red, and tan to brown, a few black strips. Mostly green. Very funky green.

Ready to create Mini Trips

I added some chartreuse and creamy whites to brighten the blocks. With  2.5" strips it only takes six to make a block. Funny. I'm so accustomed to using eight that it was difficult to limit each set.

No idea how this will turn out. Hopefully the limited color palette will evoke Audrey's beautiful Blue Plumes. That will be a trick! I admire two- and three-color quilts greatly but have never been able to actually make one.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Penultimate Great Debater Quilt

Simple quilting with the walking foot on the diagonals. There are two ways to do this: sew each diagonal alone or turn at the edge. Guess which one I chose? The quilt turned time and again as long as the "lesser" amount was to the right. Like my grandson I've turned in circles until I'm about to fall down. Now that the quilting is done I'm dizzy.

Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt

Yellow binding kept it from competing with the multicolored top. All the yellow bits in the leftover binding bin were used.

Scrappy yellow binding on Scrappy Trip

A quick wash and dry shrunk the batting enough to crinkle the surface. It's my favorite look although the quilt becomes smaller. Keeping it out of the dryer and blocking the quilt after washing will both reduce shrinkage, at times almost to nil.

After this, only one quilt remains for the Great Debaters.

Quilt Details
Size: 68" x 78"
Design: Scrappy Trip Around the World
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100%cotton
Thread: Presencia cotton
Quilting: Walking foot 

Continuing our vacation, we drove by the Pinnacles near the Black Canyon. Both are great destinations but that wasn't where we were headed.  

The Pinnacles, Gunnison CO

This site on the Dolores River shows the arid environment and geologic outcrops that mark this region. Played out gold and uranium mines dot this region. Occasionally, the deeds have been purchased to rework the tailings but production here halted by the 1950s. 

Hanging Flume hangs above the Dolores River

We stopped to admire the Hanging Flume near Uravan, CO. This thirteen-mile hydraulic flume was built for a gold mining operation. The last five miles clings to cliff faces and is visible in both photos. Fantastic engineering feat but unfortunately, the gold was not recoverable. 

Hanging Flume

Our campsite was in the Uncompahgre National Forest. Colorado is open range which means the ranchers don't fence their cattle in; you fence their cattle out. This doesn't apply to any other livestock; i.e., goats, sheep, horses, llama, etc. Three cows grazed by the gate until I started to pull my camera out. Then they ambled off although one is still visible in the distance. 

Cattle through the gate

Lots of flowers such as wild rose and columbine bloomed despite the heat.

Wild rose and Columbine,
Uncompahgre National Forest, CO

This old mailbox has been repurposed as a book drop for the Nucla Library. Love the lively painting which should encourage anyone to read.

Book drop, Nucla, CO

Enjoy the day,  Ann

Quilting Scrappy Trip

Nothing will show on this bright quilt so I chose a diagonal grid. Simple. I thought it would be fast but for some reason has taken longer than planned.

People have asked what fabrics I use and this is a good representation. Lots of prints {some quite large scale}, a few tone on tone, some batik, some uglies, plaids when I find them.

Crosshatch quilting detail on Scrappy Trip

We visited Coors Field in Denver for a baseball series. It was hot, 90+, although that was typical nationwide. Hat, shorts, sunscreen required.

Coors Field, Denver

The Denver Art Museum had an exhibit of Pacific Islands bark cloth from the mid 1800s to 1900s.

Pacific Islands Barkcloth,
Denver Art Museum collection

It was used as clothing, ceremonial masks, room dividers, bed coverings, and mosquito protection. Chiefs gave yards of this cloth as gifts to important visitors.

Pacific Islands Barkcloth,
Denver Art Museum collection

This one reminded me of some of our two-block quilt examples. It resembles striped blocks with applique.

Pacific Islands Barkcloth,
Denver Art Museum collection

Several of these remind me of Hawaiian applique, too. Such beautiful designs.

Pacific Islands Barkcloth,
Denver Art Museum collection

Not only did they design pinwheels, their painted repeating styles remind me of Seminole patchwork. 

Pacific Islands Barkcloth,
Denver Art Museum collection

Happy Fourth of July to my American friends.

Enjoy the day,  Ann

Enlarged Mini Trip Around the World

Twelve more blocks finished and the top sewn together. The quilt will be six by seven blocks or approximately 72" by 84". Here it is.

Here was the planned layout on the floor. Somehow the blocks became reversed while sewing. {Who did that?} It still looks good; one of the joys of scrap quilts. The colors are a bit brighter in this photo than the previous. The real colors are somewhere between these two.

Enlarged Mini Trip Around the World 

When I last laid these out, the blocks seemed a bit too bright/dark. So for the final twelve I used fewer dark and bright strips. Just to tone it down a bit.

Finishing this quilt doesn't take long when many of the blocks are strip pieced. I also learned some finer points from this exercise. For example, since I like strong diagonals I made sure a red/orange/yellow strip occurred every seventh or eighth strip. Then I opened the tube at that fabric so they made most of the main diagonals.

Note: If you strictly make your preferred color on the main diagonal, you'll have a larger "square" where four blocks meet at the corners. If you alternate seventh and eighth locations you get more of an Irish Chain style. Does this make sense?

Of course, you can be completely random, too.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies 16

My mother and I spent the day at the Dallas Arboretum. It was a bit early for many flowers and a hard rain and wind storm knocked the petals off the tulips. But we saw these moths busily mating.

Moths at the Dallas Arboretum

Monica at Lakeview Stitching says it's good luck when you see a white butterfly first in the spring. Do moths count? She's also making a charming Moth in the Window quilt. Take a look.

The Red Maple Rill is always gorgeous. Here's a view from the back side with the little waterfall and creek.

Waterfall near Maple Rill, Dallas Arboretum

This funny old woody was covered in flowers. Everyone lined up to have their pictures made with it. Peace out.

Flower Powered, Dallas Arboretum

Another scrappy Mini Trip Around the World in my perpetual attempt to reduce the scrap bag. And another Debater needs a quilt. Here's what I have so far. These blocks were made in a different way than I've seen others use. Most were made with expanded strips sets {directions here} but a few were individually pieced with leftover squares.

Scrappy Mini Trip Around the World blocks

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.