Sewing Borders on the Shadow Star Quilt

Sisters are the perfect best friend.

Quilting

Unraveling on the edges of the completed borders drove me to attach the first three before finishing the fourth side. Here's the first side sewn.

First Vase and Vine border on Shadow Stars quilt

The next step was to sew the opposite side then to sew the third side, longer to accommodate the width of those border sides. An additional vine helps fill the space. 

Adding third Vase and Vine border
to Shadow Stars quilt

But there's a small problem. Someone stretched this side when creating the sketch. {I wonder who that could be?} It's not just that the seam allowances were forgotten. So... I'll be moving the final flower and perhaps a couple of leaves. 

Testing adjustment of flower to fit side of quilt

With a petal from the fourth side, I tested the needed movement. This will take a couple of days. 

Reading

I finished several books in the past few weeks.

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg relates the life of Doris Alm in flashbacks as she pages through her old address book. Born in Sweden, she became a maid in Madame Serafin's house upon the untimely death of her father. Madame took her to Paris where... Well, read the book for more. The vignettes are short; some characters repeat. Although her life spans 96 years the story only brushes world history.

Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues have long interested me. Gretchen has the same interest bet she created her own set of virtues to guide her through a school year in Happier at Home. Like the quote from Ursula LeGuin's Left Hand of Darkness, Gretchen sees both sides of the coin can increase our happiness (or discontent.} So collecting and purging, staying home and going out, limiting time and taking all the time are all included in this book.

I'm much older than she but found some thoughtful ideas in her mix of "memoir, science, philosophy, and experimentation." 

My Bed by Salley Mavor is a permanent part of my collection of children's books. Salley illustrates her books with tiny, meticulous hand stitched 3D bas-reliefs of children sleeping around the world. As a maker I adore her work. As a grandmother I love the inclusion of world cultures to raise my grandchildren's awareness and appreciation of others.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Finally Adding Flowers

People overestimate what they can do in a single day and 

underestimate what they can do in their whole lives.

~unknown but possibly Bill Gates

Quilting

With the vines and leaves finally sewn, it's time to sew the flowers. There have been several iterations as you can see by the "cut and paste" of the template under this border. After recopying the entire swag once, I wore out and simply cut the old flower out and taped a new version in. Why? Because the petals extended too far and ended at the edges of the border fabric. 

The flower base that covers the vine end was simplified, too. It's now a unique three lobed shape without specific leaf structures.

One tulip version had three separate petals that were too difficult to deal with. And I don't think they used less fabric than this simple bowl. It's definitely easier to sew this one that fits over the base easily. Since hand-quilting is not planned, the extra thickness shouldn't matter.  

Lining up the tulip petals

Then a teardrop petal was appliquéd on top. After looking at several placements, I matched the base of the teardrop with the base of the cup but the three petal points are lined up with the drawing underneath.

Pinning the final tulip petal

Here are two of the vines extending from the center vase. The quiet speckled green print was a gift from my friend, Gayle. Thank you. There wouldn't have been enough leaves without that addition. 

Vine and leaf detail

And here's one side of the shorter border. Wow, that pink stands out. 

Half of a vessel and vine border

Do you see the rabbit in the vase print? I'm still considering re-applying the base of the vase. That curve is off a smidge.

QS gifted me some owl fabric at Christmas. Ever since college, my sisters notice and send any and all owls they encounter. This heavier linen blend made a simple, useful tote.

Tote with brown owl print and yellow

Monthly FUR (Fabric Use Rate) 

A kawandi placemat and the tote were finished in January. We are in the middle of home repairs so sewing slowed significantly. YTD = 2 yards.

Electric Socket Shock QAL

The first post is next week. Are you ready? I can't wait to see what everyone does with this basic block.  

Did you see it? The Iowa Quilt Museum has a new exhibit, String Theory, about... {wait for it}... string quilts. How timely is that? Works from the ten quilters and collectors in the show include my friends Sujata Shah, Fern Royce, and Rod Kiracofe.  

Curator Linzee McCray defines string quilts as "thin lengths of fabric sewn onto a foundation." They are usually considered utilitarian as evidenced by the random foundation papers on the backs of unfinished tops. The technique lends itself to "happy accidents and intricately planned designs alike." 

The first Zoom meeting was last week and featured Rod with Siobahn Furguson discussing their quilts.  More meetings are planned on Tuesdays at noon CST. You can sign up on the museum's website. {I'd link it here but it's not https. Doggone it. So look up their name.} They also plan a gallery walk online for $6 - the regular admission price. I can't wait and only wish I could attend in person!

Enjoy the day, Ann