Pretty Pictures

I have had some pictures to share for awhile now, and since I don't have any really awesome stuff to show you from my sewing room, I figured today would be a good time to bring you a few non-quilting pictures of various goings-on around my world.

Most morning DH and I drive over to Frankfort and walk on the very well-maintained bike path. We started going in May very regularly, and have gone from just over 2 miles each time, to 3 miles, and occasionally 4 miles. I like to stay around 3 miles; that seems like just enough, and I don't feel completely wiped out like I do when we do 4 miles. DH is a runner, so he walks with me for a bit and then runs a portion of his routine.

Anyway, the picture above is of a cornfield that we pass. I notice on exceptionally bright mornings that the sun glistens off the corn, giving off an almost twinkling, gleaming appearance. It is quite a pretty sight, and it made me think of the way the sun glistens on the ocean. So I went back through pictures from our June Myrtle Beach trip to bring a sunny, glistening picture of the Atlantic.

Now, not all of our walks occur on the Frankfort bike path. Over this past weekend, to change things up a bit, we drove to Chillicothe where there is a very nice flood wall along the Scioto River. We had no plans for going over 5 miles, but since we were there, and it'd been ages since we'd been to the end of the path, we went for it. Five and-almost-a-half-miles later, totally exhausted, I collapsed into the car. Here is a picture DH took of the scenic Scioto River.

He used the panoramic view to take the picture, but in translating it to Blogger, I've lost some of the effect. Still pretty, however.

Finally, I will show you a cute little school house we found tucked away on Lake Erie's Put In Bay Island -- we visited there about 2 weeks ago for a quick getaway.

I do get out of the sewing room, and I do see some pretty sights. Nothing terribly awe-inspiring, but I hope these were as appealing to you as they were to me.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Let's Check on Claudia

It has been awhile since I've shared anything from Claudia, the very willing and increasingly skilled student I had last year. She and her new Bernina appear to be just as happy as can be together, stitching up all sorts of loveliness.

When we last had a student-teacher get together, she wanted to get the basics for making a quilt for which she'd recently purchased a pattern. I wrote about it; so click here if you want the details.

A more vibrant quilt could not be had! I love that Claudia is using the most basic blocks - the plain square, the 3-row bar, and the 9-patch. These pieces work so well and afford such variety. Setting them on point just adds to the impressiveness of the effort.

Isn't she doing a great job? Her intersections are spot-on, and each block looks even and square. Well done!

Here's one more project she recently shared with me - not so much sewing as it was gluing and folding.

This box for electronic devices keeps them all corralled and in neat order near their chargers.

Keep up the great work, Claudia! And keep those pictures coming, too!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello Cabbage Patch

Back about 2 weeks, if you recall, Sharon, Kay and I celebrated summer and Kaffe Fassett by coming together to make our own versions of his pattern Floral Columns. You can refresh your memory here.

In the days following that, I made a second version for the backing, which will make it a reversible quilt. However, knowing that one has to be larger than the other, I needed to add one more column. I did that last week.

My tubs of KF fabric were still sitting out, and so I began sorting through looking for something suitable. Cabbage Patch, above, seemed a perfect addition to the springier side of my quilt.

And here is a picture with the additional column. I like it next to the yellow column. The first version ended with that yellow column and I just added that Cabbage Patch fabric right onto it and I like it better as the edge. Happy. Happy.

Did you notice a different bed in my guest room? This is my grandmother's bed, which I've had sitting in our garage for about 3 months. DH and I finally switched out the old bed last week. We moved up the matching dressers and night stand soon after we got them, so now the room is complete. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Change Of Pace

I think my continual posting about the gray quilt I'm doing for Elisa is leaving readers/viewers wanting something different. And I didn't have to look far to find it.

Sharon was here for sewing last Tuesday and continued work on her Lorraine quilt. It is going to look spectacular. Click here to read some history on it, if you like. Here's an even earlier one.

These colors are just so fantastic; it would not matter what pattern a quilter used with fabric so gorgeous, but this hourglass block and the surrounding sashing is sure looking mighty fine.

I have done a bit of stitching on my own Lorraine quilt. I will try to get some good pics to share in the coming days.

Hope you're having a great Sunday! We are off to visit DD2 and her boyfriend today. They have a new apartment that we have not yet seen! Should be a great day for a little road trip.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Making Adjustments

Further preparation for all the machine quilting I am beginning involves setting my machine up in such a fashion as to make it as easy as possible to accomplish the job.

I've noticed that with previous quilting projects I've done, it has been difficult to overcome the drag that the weight of the quilt gives me as I guide it through the machine. Now most of my projects are small and don't cause a great problem for me, but I knew that with this upcoming quilting I will be doing, it would definitely cause me some grief.

I put my brain to work trying to figure something out, and here is what I've come up with.

I've always kept a TV tray next to this table. Generally, the sewing machine is on the table (facing the other direction), and the TV tray would be on my left and serves to hold just whatever. When quilting, it holds the weight of the quilt, but because it is shorter, the drag was problematic. I got to thinking about the difference in the heights of each surface. It appeared that the TV tray was shorter than the table at about the same amount as the sewing machine's detachable shelf was from its base.

If the sewing machine were to be turned around and set up on the TV tray and the shelf set up edge-to-edge to the taller table, then I would very likely eliminate the drag. Another benefit is that the lower sewing machine is going to give my shoulders relief as I quilt. I should find myself much more comfortable even after quite a long haul at the machine.

This picture shows just how even the two surfaces are. I am pretty happy to have figured this out. Maybe someday I will get a proper table with a dropped shelf surface for my machine, but until that time, I think this will be an adequate temporary fix.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Now To Begin Quilting

The quilting will soon be commencing on Elisa's big quilt.  To make sure I knew what I was doing, and that all would go as intended, I did a little trial run with some bits cut to a little quilt size.

My plan is to make vertical stitching lines at random widths on each panel. I don't want to mark anything; instead the intent is to "eyeball" the lines, and keep them as vertical as I can. I did mark the first line I stitched, just to make sure I began with a line that would be perpendicular to all the horizontal rows of fabric. The rest is total randomness.

I took several pictures because some of the stitching shows up better on certain fabrics from different angles.

I sent all the pics to Elisa for her opinion, and once again I got a very positive response. I just love how we have been on the same page with this quilt almost from the very beginning.

The backing will be flat sheets. I know. That is like blasphemy to a long-arm quilter. I wasn't so sure I could do it on my little Bernina, either, but above is the backing made of sheeting, and I did not have the slightest trouble with it.

One thing I did before quilting this little quilt was to very heavily spray starch and press both the top and the back. I think my results worked so well because my fabric was so stiff. I plan to do this with the quilt, as well.

Last evening, Elisa and I texted back and forth quite a bit about the loft of the batting I should get. I am going to go with a poly-cotton blend in a loft on the high side. Not totally puffy, but she wants this to look like a bedspread, so I mustn't get one that is too low-loft. I am headed out to make the purchase now!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Custom Design

This week I have finally made some really significant progress on the commissioned quilt for Elisa. One might thing that I'd been ignoring it, but in reality my head has been working overtime on it. Once I finally thought through the entire process for finishing this quilt, I felt better about getting actual, physical work done on it. Click here for a post that includes our inspiration photo.

I finally have all the columns constructed. In previous pictures I've used here on the blog, the columns had been in sections. The pictures here show just three columns, but in actuality there are five. The bed I use for my photographs is a double bed; this quilt will be for a king bed. I will need to use the floor - or better yet, go outside and use the yard - in order to show all five columns fully.

My brain work was mostly focused on how to finish the quilt - the quilting, in particular. I would normally sew all the columns together and then prepare a back, buy a batting and then send the entire business off to my longarm quilting friend for some loose meander-style quilting.

However, Elisa is an artist, and as such has an eye for design. Her thinking is that this very linear quilt needs to have linear quilting done on it. And I have to say I agree with her. So my plan is to quilt it myself.

GULP.

This is the frightening part for me. I think I know how to do it, but the actual doing it is a difficult step to take. Taking the plunge into the unknown is just a bit daunting.

I will do a trial run with some remnant ends of these strips. I think I can construct a little quilt in the 12"x15" range, make my layers, and run it through my machine using the walking foot to quilt it. This will give me a visual of how the larger quilt will look. I am both apprehensive, yet eager, to do it. I've never created something so original - ever!

 DOUBLE GULP.

Happy Quilting, Friends!