AHIQ25: Use Your Words

Today's the last day for this invitation to use your words on quilts but it won't be my last time to use this technique. Summer vacations put quilting on hold but hopefully you had some time to work on a project or at least to think about a future project. There are so many ways to incorporate words and letters: applique or pieced, free-hand or accurately.

I've been focusing more on the mechanical "how" of adding words but what you choose to add is even more important. What moves you to creativity? A poem, a family scene, a political commentary? There is no ambiguity about your meaning when it's written.


Phillies Quilt Back

This is becoming a two-sided quilt. I made the words into sentences, added a new phrase, and now need to fit them all into a back. It must be large enough yet not cut any words off so I pieced it with the top underneath.

Pulling all my neutrals, I first placed smaller bits where they might best fill in. I'm finding I like the effect of turning the corner with the same fabric. Look at the white above and to the right of Phillies for an example. Odd, because my original idea was to NOT sew same fabrics together.

Arranging sentences to fill a quilt back

Probably because they were left-adjusted on the wall, that arrangement became my favorite. Except the "for who" line was too long. I considered right adjusting the answering line but... No, that's too much trouble.

There was one puzzle piece, the stripe below "my teammates" which required partial seams. Not too hard. Fortunately, I had switched to ruler use and squaring the fabric as soon as the words were together. It was easy to determine the size of that rectangular bit.

At this point, the back is still too small by about ten-inches lengthwise and fifteen-inches widthwise. Since I've never been very interested in matching front and back (and don't want to risk cutting off any letters) I intend to frame the sentences. Here are three fabrics I considered for for a border. While I like the black and white best, I don't want anything to compete with the words. The red might disguise the beginning letters too much. What's left? White.

Choosing fabrics to frame the quilt back

Unfortunately there wasn't quite enough white so the lower right has the last bit of that white-and-blue from the sashing plus two shirting remnants. I know one is from a trip to NYC but have no idea where there other came from.

Finished back for Phillies quilt

Yes, I'm deliberately cutting off the top line again to give the recipient privacy. Above his name is a band of white. The top and back are ready to go and the back is larger than the front by at least two-inches on each side. Hopefully this will make basting a breeze.

What does the front look like? Here it is, covering the design wall.

Philadelphia Phillies quilt

Woo hoo. I'm ready to baste and quilt!

PS: I know there are two sixes on the shirts. One is for a Phillies player while the other played at LSU (Louisiana State University) when the FO was there. {Actually, three of these numbers represent LSU players.}

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Piecing Sentences

Still working on the Phillies quilt but I have progressed to the back where I'm adding pieced words. And it's so much fun. Why did I hesitate so long before trying it?

After piecing his name one letter at a time, I totaled each remaining letter and sewed batches. It worked well until the m's. There are two, right next to each other. For some reason I pieced them exactly the same. It looks a little dorky. Oh, well. Dorky is good.

Each freehand pieced letter should be slightly different, especially when they are sewn sequentially.

Of course, adding these sentences to the back is a major point but, as importantly, the back needs to be filled. So why cut fabric from the sentence below when I'll just sew more back onto it? Instead, I simply straightened the seam line between the two words and squared up the perimeter.

I thought this would be enough but it still needs something else. One more sentence or phrase.

The "For who?" quotes Aaron Rowand who played fearlessly for the Phillies until signing with the Giants in 2008 and helping them win the 2010 World Series. {Yes. I searched until I found a great quote that has a link to the Giants. Even if they are in the cellar this year.}

Enjoy the day, Ann

Piecing Words

The Phillies top may be done. I'm letting it marinate while I start on the quilt back. These free-pieced words don't seem to match the cursive team name on the front. And besides it's turned out that there are many more words than will fit on the front. So I decided to fill the back with them.

Piecing letters is so much fun. Why did I wait so long to try it? Some are quite easy: r  o  f

Piecing r, o and f

Of course, there are letters that eat my lunch. Like W.

Drafted w's and one attempt to piece it

After several iterations on graph paper, I thought I had a plan - until I kept slicing the wrong section or cutting the wrong direction. I finally have enough but they are much larger than the others. Ah, well. It adds a whimsical feel. {That's my story and I'm sticking to it.}

I pieced the FO's name first. {To respect his privacy, no photos of that.} I didn't know what I was doing but it came out okay. Next was his college with graduation date {The 2 was tough.} Now I've started a couple of sayings.

Piecing words for a quilt back

What have I learned so far?

1. It's hard to free piece and stay uniform in size. {No, they aren't supposed to be completely uniform but look at how the word Phillies grew. The s is as large as the h. Mrs. Davis, my second grade teacher, would not approve.}
2. It's hard to be a "little bit" wonky. {It's kind of like "a little bit pregnant."}
3. A quick graph of each letter helps keep track - of the direction and width of lines as well as width of open spaces. 
4. Typesetters have letter blocks with identical heights for a reason. 
5. It helps to mix making each letter the same height with sewing a couple of short letters together and then adding the height.
6. One-inch finished width "brushstroke" is too wide for a three-inch tall letter.
7. It's easier to  cut a larger background square and then subcut it for the letter. (See the r above.)

Fortunately, we are not in Houston this week but we are certainly keeping an eye on Hurricane Harvey. Our neighbors say they are prepared.

Enjoy the day, Ann