SF Giants Baseball Quilt Finishes with the Regular Season

A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.

~Humphrey Bogart

Quilting

I pushed and finished the quilting, the signature, and the binding of the SF Giants baseball quilt. Hooray. I began thinking about it when the season began in April and now there are only six more games in the regular season. The Giants already have a spot in the post season but need five more to win the division. 

My husband is thrilled to finally get his own baseball quilt and thinks it’s bringing the team good luck. No one is more superstitious than baseball fans. 

The colors and the black and white fabrics make it very graphic and the variety of greens set off the skin colors of the various players. Plus, they add more interest. Most of my quilts have many more fabrics than this. 

 

SF Giants baseball quilt

Changing all the threads took more time - a couple of weeks more. And burying threads is one of my least favorite tasks, even with Sench self-threading needles. These have a side slit instead of a closed eye and they make it easier to make a single stitch such as thread-burying. They aren't for multiple stitches. Mel Beach introduced me to them. Read what she says here. 

We have more favorite players than can be fielded so I didn't add their numbers. Lefties and righties are included...

Left and right-handed Giants baseball players

along with players wearing knickers instead of long pants. Kaja informed me that word means underwear in the UK rather than America’s definition as “men’s pants that end at the knee and usually worn by boys.” Years ago I read an article about divergence of a common language in different regions. Here’s some evidence supporting the thesis.

Giants baseball players in long pants and knickers

My last minute decision to add a catcher in his chest protector livened the quilt up some more.  Can you see that he's throwing the ball?

SF Giants catcher

Watching baseball is DH's idea of bliss... and mine, too. We've been fortunate to have seen many in person over the years. I enjoy watching on TV, too, because they replay events frequently and use multiple views. I don't, however, enjoy seeing players spit on TV. TMI with a high definition TV. Yuck.

Back of the SF Giants baseball quilt

After making a long list of possible phrases for the back, I chose to modify the 7th inning song. The back has the alternate {leftover} diamonds from the front. I made some adjustments to match the length of the back to the front but still needed some additional fabric for the sides. Hence the grunge black. The diamonds don't match up point to point with the front and the thread changes are more visible here. 

One of the ballplayers in knickers is visible underneath the capital T. 

My only regret is that I wish I'd made one for me, too.

 

Quilt Specifics

Size: 71" x 71"

Design: Original

Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Premium Natural Cotton

Thread: Superior 50/3 green and white cotton thread, Gutermann orange cotton thread

Quilting: FMQ

Approximate yardage: 16.5yds

Previous posts:

1. Starting Another Baseball Quilt
2. Playing in Knickers
3. Adding a Catcher
4. Sashing and Bordering the Giants Baseball quilt
5. Words on Back
6. Wordy Decisions
7. Giants Baseball quilt back
8. Phillies quilt

Reading

A Quilter's Practical Guide to Color
by Becky Goldsmith

Becky Goldsmith's Quilter's Practical Guide to Color was available at the library. Somehow I'd missed it when it first came out. I admire her work and enjoyed learning about her ideas for using fabric. As the title says, it's practical but also enjoyable and readable.

Monthly FUR (Fabric Use Rate) 

Two finishes this month and one is this lovely baseball quilt DH has been patiently waiting for several years. September = 24 yds. YTD = 124.375 yards. 

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

SF Giants Baseball Quilt Back

Close doesn't count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades.

~Frank Robinson

Quilting

The back is sewn. At last. There was enough orange for all the words but not quite enough for the entire back. I planned to add some dark fabrics then realized all the leftover diamonds were in the scrap bag. These are the alternate rows that were cut so the front has perfect diamonds. All the tips here are cut off but who cares. It looks good. In fact, I think it looks better than good. The sharp black and white sets off the rest beautifully making a very graphic design.

There's only a tiny remnant of the diamond fabric left. 

Not just the words but the fabric choices make this a graphic quilt. I rarely use black and white because they don't look good with my color choices but they look great here. I need to reconsider them for future quilts, too. Isn't it wonderful to find something new that you enjoy! Just open your mind and try.

Hurricane season arrived with a vengeance. What havoc the storms are wreaking across the country. Places that don't usually see such problems and aren't prepared for the devastation as well as others that are struck repeatedly.

Reading

The Invisible Bridge 
by Julie Orringer

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer opens in pre-war Hungary where Andras Levi has won a scholarship to study architecture in Paris. There he meets and falls in love with Klara who runs a ballet school. I've read many books about WWII but none featuring Hungarians who were part of the Axis. Well written and well researched. 

Monthly FUR (Fabric Use Rate) 

Only one quilt finished this month so August = 6 yds. YTD =  100.375 yards. 

Happy Labor Day. We'll be watching Giants baseball. What about you?

Enjoy the day, Ann

Wordy Decisions

Progress always involves risk. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.

~Frederick B. Wilcox

Quilting

Taking things slower helped me find the correct words for the back. Some of my ideas were listed here. It was important to me that it relate to the Giants so Babe Ruth and League of Their Own didn't make the cut. Yes, Yes, Yes was a Giants slogan in 2015 and 16. But when I realized how well the Giants fit into the 7th inning stretch song, that decided things. 

That three yards of orange batik is coming in handy here. My first thought was using different background fabrics but Cathy's post changed my mind.  I want this to be highly visible... so everyone can read it without their glasses. 😊A consistent background will help.

Filling between letters, words, and rows takes time... and may take every scrap of this orange. At every step, I put it back on the floor to check the spacing. It's all improvisationally pieced. No measuring although it is cut with a ruler.

My solid black remnant was used up for the team name. I considered purchasing more, then realized the name would stand out if the other words used a print and a smaller font. So that was another easy choice... and used more stuff lurking in my stash. Hooray.

Reading

For several years I've intended to read This Book is Overdue by Marilyn Johnson and finally did this summer. 

Each chapter illuminates how librarians adapt to the digital age. Marilyn celebrates their service to truth, free speech, and inclusion. Very well written but I wish I'd read it when it first came out. Things move so quickly now that many tools are out of date already. I will look for more books by her.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Words on Back

Worrying about things you can't control is a waste both on the baseball field and in life..

~Tom Swyers

Quilting

Like the Phillies quilt, no one should be in doubt which team is represented. I appliqued Phillies on the front last time but the border is already busy enough so the Giants name must go on back. Large enough for to read from the opposite side of the park.

This is the last of the solid black fabric. I could buy more but trolling through my stash brought two black prints to the surface. The team name will be strongest because it's the greatest contrast.  

And speaking of buying fabric, I purchased three yards of the orange batik seen here. Why did I think I'd need it? It turned out great for the writing on the back. There should be enough for whatever else gets written. I just need to decide. I don't want DH's name, or mine, or the year. It needs to be about baseball.

Here's some of the phrases under consideration:

1. Bye, bye, baby.
2. That ball is outta here.
3. Adios, pelota!
4. Don't stop believing.
5. Yes! Yes! Yes!
6. World Champions 2010, 2012, 2014
7. There's no crying in baseball. {OK. This has nothing to do with the Giants but it certainly is funny.}
8. Splash hit.
9. Stare out the window and wait for spring. {Part of a quote by Rogers Hornsby, a one-year NY Giant.}
10. Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. ~Babe Ruth {not a Giant}
11. Take me out to the ballgame.

It's time to make up my mind so the back gets finish.

Reading

Can you believe I found a new series just as it was published? Nev March debuted Murder in Old Bombay last year. The historical mystery is based on a report from her childhood about two young women who fell to their deaths from a university clock tower. Nev's story introduces Captain Jim Agnihotri, an injured Anglo-Indian soldier who reads about the deaths in hospital. Adi Framji, the widower and brother of the victims, hires him to look into events. 

A good introduction to issues in colonial India. And I kept my maps handy to track the movements of the characters.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Sashing and Bordering the Giants Baseball Quilt Top

There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.

~Tommy LaSorda

Quilting

The red and white stripe worked so well on the Wheel quilt so once I realized I didn't want wide sashing, this black and white became the hands down choice. Orange and black are Giants colors plus the black and white reminds me of umpires... although baseball umpires wear solid colors. Plus the stripe goes so well with the border fabric, I piece I've held for many years not knowing where to use it.

Sashing the Giants baseball quilt

But the sashing is still too wide. So I trimmed the interior sashing down by half an inch. On to the next problem.

Despite yards and yards of the border fabric, my decision to highlight the white diamonds left me with too little to fill the corners of the quilt. Grr.  OTOH, DH purchased several Giants decals when I made the first {Phillies} baseball quilt for one of my son's friends. They will fit into these corners if I choose the right base. Solid black sounds best.

Still, here are two black and white print possibilities just to make sure all my choices are covered.

Two border post choices

And yes, solid black it will be.

Now to sew these long seams and start thinking about the back.

Reading

My father, who enjoyed native art and western stories, introduced me to Tony Hillerman's Navaho detective series. I loved reading each and discussing them with him. Now I'm re-reading. The Blessing Way opens with anthropology professors arriving on the reservation. One is an old friend of Joe Leaphorn who wants to research Navaho witches.  A young man is killed, livestock go missing, and the Navaho hold an Enemy Way ceremony to get rid of the problems. 

Tony is a wonderful writer with excellent knowledge of Navaho culture and history. 

Monthly FUR (Fabric Use Rate) 

One finished quilt this month. June = 3.75 yds. YTD =  81.875 yards.

Happy Fourth of July! 

Enjoy the day, Ann

Adding a Catcher to the Baseball Quilt

The first and last duty of the lover of the game of baseball, whether in the stands or on the field, is the same as that of the lover of life itself: to pay attention to it. When it comes to the position of catcher, as all but fools and shortstops will freely acknowledge, this solemn requirement is doubled.

~Michael Chabon

Quilting

Nine men out and they mostly look alike. Who on the field looks different? The catcher. His shin guards extend over the top of his knees and his chest protector covers shoulders to waist. Redrafting the shoulders to create the chest protector actually makes the sewing easier. 

Baseball catcher

This was the busiest green background but it had to be included because of the orange eyes. Finding a skin tone that showed up against it was tough. This is the only solid I used because even the "tone on tones" faded into the busy green print. He should have a face mask but I couldn't get one to work. It always looked like he had long hair. I gave him a ball instead although it doesn't show up well against the light skin tone. 

Working out these three players has been an enjoyable exercise. The minor variations should make the quilt more engaging. 

Now for a few southpaws.

Reading

Some days I wonder about myself. It's hard to keep track of book series I like, especially when I find them from the beginning. That just means you have to wait a year or more for each new installment.  So it is with Katherine Hall Page. The last I recall reading was The Body in the Bog so I started by re-reading it. Faith finds children's preschool teacher crying in the arms of Tom, her minister husband. Someone has been harassing her. Then someone turns up dead... in the bog. It's good to get back in the game. And this time technology helps me remember my reading history. 

Enjoy the day, Ann

Playing in Knickers

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; 

the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. 

Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

~George Bernard Shaw

Quilting

Ballplayers wear uniforms on the field so it can be hard to differentiate them but I wanted to try. Several recent {and many past} Giants players wear knickers. The top half is the same but I redrafted the legs. The pieces are casually set on the background but don't they look delightfully alive. I love the casual way he's standing but it would require appliqué and I'm piecing this. 

Baseball player in knickers

Here's a right-handed baseball player in knickers. Pieced and ready to go.

Baseball player in knickers sewn

This is so much fun! What else can I do with nine men out?

It is so hot. We had a couple of weeks of rain but now it's terribly hot and dry. The weeds grow but the plants we purchased wilt if they aren't watered daily. Watering and weeding takes lots of time so I haven't been quilting as much. We are having salads and iced drinks every meal to keep the heat out of the house.

Reading

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney) is another writer I've enjoyed in the past but haven't kept current. With so much time on my hands, I'm restarting the Hamish Macbeth series with Death of a Gossip. which concerns the death of an extremely unpleasant woman during a week of salmon fishing  classes in Scotland.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Starting Another Baseball Quilt

The greatest accomplishment is not in never failing, but in rising again after you fall.

~Vince Lombardi

Quilting

Rarely has my dear husband (DH) been as excited about a quilt as he was about the Phillies baseball quilt I made a few years ago. He insisted it had to have decals on it. I demurred but he ordered them anyway. One was not enough. He purchased four. And... he purchased several Giants decals, too, then looked at me with his sweet blue eyes. Because, of course, he'd love a Giants quilt. 

And I love him. I intended to make it immediately after the Phillies quilt but family emergencies intervened. So I bundled a collection of fabric and set it aside. Now is the time to get this one done. Except, the templates can't be found. 

Looking at the first quilt, I was sure it could be improved. Here's my first baseball player, a right-hander. The socks are gone; his trousers reach his shoes. His legs are shorter; still longer than his torso but the block is now square. 

RHP baseball player

And here's the second one. Including skin tones of all the players required different greens for the background. A couple of days were spent moving the fabrics around until everyone shows up reasonably well. 

Learning from my first foray, the caps and shoes the same color. Teams have limited colors and it's a faux pas to use any others. When caps are a different color than the shoes, one of them tends to fade into the {future} sashing.

Stay tuned for more players. 

Our lilies are blooming. The first is as bright an orange as Giants shirts but I've forgotten what type it is.

Reading

The Crowded Grave is my next book in Martin Walker's Bruno series. As Bruno is drawn into preparations for a summit between France and Spain, archeologists looking for Neanderthals instead turns up a skeleton with a Swatch. Martin’s love of this region is evident in every page and makes me wish I could visit for a year or two also.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Phillies Baseball Quilt, Soldier Quilts and AHIQ 26

Perfect timing. The World Series starts tonight between the Houston Astros and LA Dodgers. Neither FO’s Phillies nor my Giants made post-season appearances but his quilt is bound, washed, and gifted. This is the final quilt for the Great Debaters. Remember those adorable friends of my youngest who wrangled over who should have received a graduation quilt?

Front
I alternated left- and right-handed ball players. On my first attempt I turned the templates over but between front and back of fabrics and templates got myself turned around. It was easier to make two template sets: one for lefties and the other for righties.

The gloves were originally drawn with curves but I quickly found that unnecessary. Simpler is better. Sashing color seemed a difficult choice since the team colors were covered by the red shoes and blue caps. Happily this two fabric choice worked wonders. The true whites strengthen the quilt by pushing the value range. The outer border might be a bit wide. I simply cut the fabric into four equal lengths and didn’t want to trim it off in the end. After all, FO is a grown man. He needs the size.

Making the field of different greens added life to the top. Still, this quilt uses far fewer fabrics than most of mine.

What fun to design and sew! But... I've created a bit of a monster: every guy in my family wants one celebrating his team and several people have written asking for the pattern. There aren't many patterns of guys. Mostly we buy camping fabric or plaids and call it a guy quilt. Not that hearts and flowers are only for girls but this one has struck a chord with many people. I'm going to try to write up a pattern formally. After the holidays. Stay tuned. And thanks for the encouragement. :-)

Phillies Baseball quilt 

DH thought team patches would be the cherry on the top. He insisted until I agreed he could buy one. He bought four. Plus four more for the Giants quilt he wants. {Someone doesn't want me to forget my promise.} One is the Philly Fanatic, probably the best mascot in all sports. He alone is worth the trip to a Phillies home game. Another celebrates their 2008 World Championship.

Back
FO's name is behind the red-bordered box. Next is his university and graduation year. {Yep, this has been in the works for quite a while but he says it was worth the wait.} My son came up with the third line. Philadelphia is home to the Liberty Bell so the screen flashes, "Ring the Bell!" after home game home runs. The final four lines are a quote by Aaron Rowand.

The white and beige background fabrics include stripes, plaids, spiders, power poles and lines, and boat building plans.

Phillies Baseball quilt back, owner's name whited out in photo

Quilting
Detailed quilting might have showcased each section with a different designs but this quilt will be used heavily and {hopefully} washed frequently. After stitching in the ditch along the sashing, a curving, allover design will be the sturdiest choice.

The Baptist Fans come courtesy of Quilt Diva Julie who generously shared pointers. I couldn't have done it without her help. The only other time I sewed fans they were a disaster - misshapen, missized, mistaken. With Julie's encouragement and advice these worked so well I used them on the border as well as the players. {Why miss another place to practice?}

Phillies Baseball quilt, quilting details from back

Quilt Details

Size: 86" x 92"

Pattern: Original design

Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton

Thread: YLI nylon monofilament with white Gutermann and Presencia 50 wt grey cotton 

Quilting: Walking foot straight line and free motion Baptist Fans

There are quite a few previous posts about this quilt:

1. An idea to celebrate baseball
2. Field of Dreams
3. Appliqueing Phillies in cursive
4. Free-hand piecing letters for the back
5. Making sentences
6. Applique numbers
7. Sewing the back together
8. Baptist fan quilting

NYC
DH had an unexpected meeting in NYC. Guess who tagged along? So many things to see and places to go. First up.

War and Pieced: Quilts from Military Fabrics at the American Folk Art Museum showcases Soldier Quilts created 19th century British soldiers who served in Crimea, India, and South Africa. Calling them quilts is a courtesy classification as these are only one layer and frequently intended as wallhangings or gaming boards.

Soldier quilt with elaborate borders, India c. 1855-1875

British military uniforms were made from milled wool broadcloth which was also felted to produce a raised nap. Since the fabric could be cut without fraying, tailors and soldiers could cut it into complex pieces without seam allowances and hide the overstitching in the nap. Except for the embellishments on the front, they look the same from the front or the back. It's believed the fancy-cut fabrics were ejected from buttonhole punches or created with special die.

Detail of the elaborate border. Fabric may have been ejected from buttonhole punches.

Facings were dyed in regimental colors which included black, white, blue, buff, green, purple, and orange. Although many of the soldier-makers remain unknown, the theater they served in can be identified by the colors used in their quilts. For example, the mid-blues in the quilt above were only used by British regiments in India.

Did you know that different dyes were used for different ranks? The uniforms of common soldiers were dyed with madder and could turn purple or pink over time. NCOs, sergeants, and volunteer corps got "mock scarlet" created from a variety of dyes while true scarlet from cochineal dyes was reserved for officers.

Bright fabrics from military uniform facings

With longer periods of inactivity during Indian service, soldier quilts from that continent were brighter, more complex, and - inspired by that ancient Indian art - often included beading. Several are thought to have been made by orderlies who were frequently Indian tailors.

Quilting was promoted as a healthy antidote to the "canteen culture" of war and to provide employment to wounded soldiers. Who knew quilting keeps alcoholism at bay?

The simpler construction and limited color palette of the quilt below suggest it was made by a convalescing soldier. The four crosses at the bottom may mark graves of fallen comrades.

Soldier's Quilt: Square within a Square

; Crimea, India or UK; c. 1850-1880

The final two photos below reminded me of Fort Ticonderoga. The blue design on the left looks like a star fort to me. On the right, the visible white threads are exactly what the soldier-guied used to sew uniforms at the Fort. I noticed all the threads that showed or mended these quilts were white.

Two examples of the Soldier Quilt exhibit that reminded me of Fort Ticonderoga

The book Wartime Quilts: Appliqued and Geometric Masterpieces from Military Fabrics accompanies the exhibit and includes many more quilts. I had it shipped home to save luggage space. The Magazine Antiques posted an article last month explaining current understanding of these masterpieces. It has great photos, too.


Fourth Quarter AHIQ Invitation
We've all been busy. At first I thought it was summer vacation, then back-to-school but now realize we are all overcommitted for the year. Hardly anyone has time to comment. Perhaps we are disheartened by world politics which seem to focus on war and rumors of war. Fortunately, this vacation as it helped me realize I need to slow down, breathe, and reevaluate.

We considered another invitation but decided now is not a good time. Check Kaja's post for details. It's just what we all need.

What have you quilted this month? We could use something pretty to look at with details to enlighten.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.