PEPPERED COTTONS progress.......

So far I’m very happy with my quilt using the new Peppered Cottons (shot cottons).  So much in fact that I had to share the progress.  The top is done, and now……drum roll please…..I’m busy doing the machine quilting. 

These closeups show the different warp and weft yarns quite nicely.  Stay tuned for the finished project……sometime mid October likely as I'll finish binding at retreat.

Happy Quilting!

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, MY ONLY SUNSHINE.........You make me happy when skies are gray

Back in July I posted about the death of family members Sue and Bob in a motorcycle accident.  Since then we helped their boys with estate matters, including getting their home ready to sell.  We spent hours helping clean and whatever they needed, including work the estate sale which was a very difficult thing to do.

I had to keep reminding myself this was no longer their home, it was just a house now, their lives were no longer present.  Going thru their things was very sad and difficult and…..well, simply uncomfortable.  But it had to be done.

I came across a huge bowl filled with happy yellow sunflowers.  Sue was very proud of this, and had paid a good deal of money for it.  Our stitch-n-bitch group loved this centerpiece…..we all had sunflower envy and had many fun conversations about it.  So much in fact our friend Sandy went out and bought one exactly like it.

At our last stitch I was so happy to learn that another sister in law bought this arrangement at the end of estate sale.  I should have, but didn't.  We reminisced about how Sue loved it, how sunny and happy it was, and how they made us think of her.  I went home feeling relieved a stranger didn’t have it; it had stayed with our family.

 

But I also felt sort of sad, that I had missed out on the sunflowers to remind me of her.  Later that day I saw Michaels was having a 50% off sale on all fall stems the following week.  A few days later I stopped in and snapped up enough stems and floral supplies to make my own, using a very large Rowe Salt Glazed Pottery bowl as the base.  It’s not the original, but all the same I’m very pleased how it came out, and most importantly I think of Susie every time I walk by and see those happy leaves of sunshine…. I’m sure she would be proud. 

Here’s to you Sue!

Fatherly Wisdom - if you had time to do it twice, you had time to do it right the first time

I follow a lot of blogs from fabric manufacturers and notions to see what’s coming, and to track color and design trends.  Besides being a lot of fun (and sometimes I get lost in it like hours on Pinterest), they share lots of useful tips to improve my skills.  I like learning if there is an easier or better way to do things. 

Today MODA’s blog post TIPS and TIDBITS had some wonderful refresher tips for seasoned and novice quilters alike.  Now that fall is here and the days cooler our thoughts naturally draw us to our quilting so I thought I’d share a few.  No doubt we can find one or two good reminders.

Measure twice, cut once – pretty basic tip even woodworkers use, but it can make all the difference in our results, which translates to our happiness factor.  I need to be more vigilant on this one even when doing intuitive piecing.

Know your seam allowance – I posted about this recently, how a quarter inch seam is not always a quarter inch seam, with lots of contributing factors.  Most of us only see this problem with block exchanges.  But it’s still wise to verify this from time to time.  The blog states “a wonderful teacher showed me my seam allowance was actually a thread or two bigger than ¼” which resulted in some of my piecing being just a bit off (those 1/16” variations can really add up in a big quilt)! So measure your seam allowance periodically to make sure you’re on track.  You can adjust your needle to the right of left if necessary, obtain a ¼” seam guide, or use painters tape to mark the true ¼” line on your machine.”  Amen sister!  I’m rechecking as soon as this post is done.

Keep it together: Pin and Mark – no, these aren’t my two brothers.  They are smart tips that have received bad press over time.  Pinning isn’t always necessary, but we quilters instinctively know where we should pin to improve our quality.  And don’t be afraid to mark, whether a pencil or chalk or disappearing quilting pen.  I’d rather take the time now than rip out a seam that doesn’t match.  As my dear father always use to say….”if you had time to do it twice, you had time to do it right the first time”.  Who knew he was talking about quilting?!

Fabric Prep – always a hotly debated topic, to wash or not to wash; if I don’t wash do I need to press; and if I press should I steam or starch?  I struggle with this since I just want to get busy sewing.  Knock on wood….I use color catchers with success. I guess I’m not always one that ‘enjoys the journey’…..I’m the ‘prefer the destination’ kind of gal and I know I need to work on that so I’m listening to MODA.  According to MODA steam can help avoid shrinkage later, especially important when using lots of pieces, especially small ones……so this will improve accuracy….again.  Are we hearing a reoccurring theme here?!

Handle with care – whether bias or on grain, loose weave or tight, too much tugging and pulling can stretch and distort our seams and cause our quilts not to lay flat.  Most of us have experienced wavy quilts at one time.  We should press, not iron (yes, there is a difference folks!).  As our local quilt shop so aptly named says “Pressing Matters”. Just handle with care for better results.

And this one final tip is probably the most important……. “Enjoy yourself while you are sewing and quilting”.  The time we spend doing this is a gift we give ourselves, it’s like a mini vacation. It nourishes our souls.  It’s about the doing something with our hands, the crafting of something from nothing, so enjoy!  Remember….the reason for this blog?

I hope you found a tip or two that may help you today! And remember…..the worst day quilting is better than the best day at the office!  J

PEPPERED COTTON, aka shot cotton.......

Recently I discovered ‘shot cotton’, specifically PEPPERED COTTONS by Pepper Cory for StudioE.  So what’s so great about shot cottons? Well, pretty much everything if you like working with solid colors, such as Kona, Bella, or Free Spirit Solids which I do.  Except shot cotton give you more bang for your design buck.  The nearest quilt shop carrying the line is Erica’s in South Bend, so a road trip was in order last week with a couple Quilting BFF’s.  I snapped up a nice pre-packaged group of fat quarters, and filled in with a few additional colors for a project I’ve had swirling around in my mind for some time.  Aren’t these yummy, so earthy and textural?!

 

Shot cottons give the sense of solid color with additional texture and surface interest.  According to Pepper Cory they are “100% shot cotton fabrics that almost fall into the solid color category.  The term ‘shot’ means that the weft is “shot through” the warp, but uses a discernibly different color thread. Because the warp (lengthwise threads) and the weft (side to side threads) are different colors, the resulting shades are muted and variable combinations of the original colors. For instance, a black warp thread plus a blue weft thread woven together makes for a very dark blue such as Ink color# 45. When a fabric like Ink is viewed from different angles, the blues and blacks produce subtly different visual effects. Above all, shot cottons have a tactile hand-woven quality and display deep colors well since all threads are dyed prior to weaving. There is no wrong or right side to shot cottons--a plus for quilt-makers."  

If you pull a few threads from the side you'll see the warp and weft colors are different.  Hopefully you can see the effect in this photo of scraps.  Once woven, shot cottons are then washed, dried, and finally 'calendared' which is essentially adding heat, or pressing which gives the finish a nice subtle sheen until you wash again.  The fabrics have a lovely soft hand which should be nice for hand quilting whereas solids can be a bit thick and cumbersome for handwork.  

 

Different color and different content such as poly warp and cotton warps and wefts are not new in the textile world.  Woven fabrics for apparel, residential, contract office, healthcare, hospitality and specialty-innovative fabrics have been woven this way forever. For the quilter it opens up a whole new world of surface design since most quilting fabrics are printed on solid white cotton, or solids that are piece dyed after weaving.  We are lucky to have these design options.  I'm busy working on a new project....stay tuned for an update later.

Attitude

A friend just sent this to me, and it is so good I couldn’t wait to post it.  And it has absolutely nothing to do with quilting, sewing, painting, cooking, nothing to do with hand crafted anything…..only our head, inside and out. Enjoy!

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,

and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.'

So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.'

So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and notices

that she had only one hair on her head.

'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail.

So she did, and she had a fun-filled day!

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and
noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

'YAY!' she exclaimed.

'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary,

for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,

Love generously,

Care deeply,

Speak kindly,

and pray continually.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.

     It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Quilters Dilemma!

Freaky Friday Question of the day - Why is 12.5" sometimes 12.75" or 12.25"???

Have you ever done a block exchange or round robin and been frustrated when all your blocks don't measure the correct size?  Did you have trouble making the math work trying to connect them?  Did you give your quilty friends a nasty judgmental glance wondering why the heck they don't know how to measure and cut correctly after all these years, and wonder why they were so sloppy making your block?

If you answered YES! to any of these questions, you’re not alone. No doubt we have much more critical things to worry about, nothing seems to get our quilting undies in a bunch quicker than inaccurate block sizes.  This summer I inadvertently stumbled across contributing reasons why.  Actually, if my theories are true and I think they are, then I have to ask why the quilting world, specifically all the 'how to' videos, books, TV programs and magazines don't address this from time to time since it's sure a bone of contention within most quilting circles I've been around. You hear it in bees, circles, and guilds all the time.  Every time a block exchange or round robin comes around you hear people buzzing about someone's blocks being "off". 

POINT ONE - This journey first started a few months ago when my quilty pal Sally bought a brand new Bernina 750, duly named "Nina".  She broke off a wonderful long relationship with a Viking (named Sven?) and was having a bit of a tussle getting used to the difference in "the quarter inch" presser foot, and how to get a perfect 1/4" seam.  We emailed back and forth a few times with machine set up "selfies" until she mastered the seam accuracy she wanted.  And let me say, Sally is the most accurate piercer I know.  Her seam work is positively perfection.  We quilters dream about her 1/4" seams. If quilts were shown inside out, she would take first place BEST OF SHOW each quilt.  I thought a lot about the variables involved in making the perfect 1/4" since we both use Bernina's and used the same feet.  Their quality control is top notch but we covered this to be sure.  But where we measure from can and DOES affect the accuracy.

POINT TWO - Fast forward to July.  I moved my studio to a new space, which I posted about.  As I settled in my new digs I did a lot of shuffling tools, cutting area and what not trying to organizing my work flow better, trying to LEAN the process for those QA/Engineering types (thank you Janet S.).  At one point I had 3 different cutting mats, 4 different rotary cutter rulers, and 6 different size rotary cutting templates, all various but well known bands.  Overlapping them one on top the other I quickly noticed something - they were off.  Yes, only a tiny bit, perhaps a 1/32 or even a 1/64, but when you are cutting teeny tiny pieces all those variations quickly can add up.  Multiply each tiny variance across the number of seams and you will never match.  It's like trying to dock with the lunar module.....it won't happen. 

POINT THREE - then there is cutting on the mat. Am I placing the blade on the left, right or center of the line?  If you shift in either direction it's going to throw you off.  Am I holding the ruler perfectly steady and still?  Any of these variances will add more variance exponentially.  Got that?  

POINT FOUR - by now you want to turn off your machine because it's hopeless right? If things aren't bad enough now factor in manufacturing variations for each brand of mat, cutter, template, machine/presser foot, varying thread size, plus manufacturing lot.  Now the QA people are running for the hinter lands to prove their process ran “in control"! Grab the calibration charts!!!

POINT FIVE - If I'm working a project I can reduce all these variables by having a more controlled process....i.e. better quality control, better accuracy, etc.  I can be careful to cut in the same mat line position, use the same ruler or template, etc. to ensure a better result. But add ten women’s variations of the above and we should be truly lucky to get anything that resembles matched blocks. 

Okay, so looking at these factors makes quilting sound a lot like heart surgery, or making a six sigma part for the next shuttle.  To us it is.  Seriously?  I can buy clothing spanning three sizes to fit me so maybe we should cut each of our quilty friends a bit more slack on a tiny quarter inch seam.  Perhaps we might want to consider extending the olive branch to our quilty friends on block accuracy.  One thing I'm absolutely sure of is they really do want to do a great job, and the last thing they'd want is for us to be unhappy about a block they put a lot of time, thought and investment in.  Next time we do a block exchange or round robin we might want to show a little more grace and be thankful they did something so nice for us.  I know I plan to.  Seriously....

Remembering 9/11 thirteen years later.....

Many will reflect on the events of 9/11, where we were, what we were doing, and the losses we felt.  We will think about how our safety and security shifted in a few short hours and how that has affected us individually and collectively since.  

A local newscaster visited a classroom yesterday to talk about 9/11.  The 13-14 year old students had no memories of the day, only what they've read about. He said "the farther we get from the actual event, the more isolated we become in our memories".   This is true for any event, how each element of a memory becomes honed, our most important images and thoughts galvanized building barriers in our minds so they don't slip away.  

I know exactly where, what and who I was with 9/11, just like I remember the day President Kennedy was shot even though I was only 9.  Two mostly-French speaking co-workers from our mill in Quebec had flown in for Quality meetings with Steelcase.  I picked them up at their hotel near the airport first thing and headed to our 8:30 AM meeting.  We had been working for some time when someone announced a plane had accidentally flown into the first tower at 8:45 AM, never thinking terrorism.

We continued working. We spent time on the loading docks inspecting several pallets of fabric.  Suddenly we began hearing airplanes making sudden landings at the airport, one right after another.  A bit odd, but still no cause for concern.  A short time later a worker had a radio on, and we heard the second tower had been hit, and the Pentagon, and now a plane was missing.  This was certainly not random, it was deliberate, and we speculated where the plane would attack.  Perhaps Chicago's Sears Tower (now Willis Tower).   Who did this, and why?  What next?  We were under attacked.

Everyone anxious, we decided it was time to conclude our meeting. I returned my co-workers to their hotel to make arrangements to get home, swiftly making my way to pick Aaron up at school.  I made many calls to family and friends that I knew were traveling to be sure they were safe.  My nephew that lived in NYC was safe.  I became very concerned about my coworkers in New York, only blocks from the towers.  They were safe; they could see fire and plumes of smoke, their memories also etched forever.  By this time the office building had ordered an evacuation.  All bridges, subways everything had been halted until authorities could determine it was safe.  Every possibility was considered, and fear escalated.  Many of these workers commuted outside Manhattan so they had to walk hours to get home.  Even those inside Manhattan had to walk long distances.  Nothing moved but slowly.  But they were safe...for now.

Glued to the TV, we watched events unfold, theories of whom, why, and what was yet to come.  The missing plane had crashed in a rural Pennsylvania field. The borders were shut down for the near future, my Canadian coworkers were not going anywhere.  We decided I couldn't leave them alone in Grand Rapids as one could barely speak English, the other at all.  They didn't understand what exactly was happening, so I quickly drove to pick them up.  They would stay at our house until we knew it was safe and they could return home.

On the way I saw gas lines form, and prices shot up dramatically, so I filled up. There was a frenzied feel in the air, tension and fear had begun to build, everyone looking suspiciously at each other.  I remember vividly standing at the gas pump thinking although I had no clear facts of the day’s events I knew the future was changed forever.  A seismic shift had occurred in a few short hours in the minds of most Americans feeling that level of terror for the first time.  Life would change dramatically, and I imagined how the changes would unfold, how our insecurities and vulnerabilities would play out in daily lives.

The next days were filled with anguish and shock at the human loss, and the celebration of the heroes. We watched, but then we couldn't, then we watched again.  My Canadian guests finally arranged their pilgrimage home Friday renting a car in GR to Detroit, walked across the international bridge to Windsor, then a cab to a local car rental where they drove the remainder of the way Quebec City where they were picked up, finally making it home late Sunday….a week later.

We slowly tried to resume normal activity.  But what was normal? What would it look like? I knew whatever it would be, it had little psychological resemblance to my previous life, and I feared what disturbing twists would play in the future.  Little did I know.  

Yes, these are my individual memories.  I think about all the firefighters, first responders, and everyday heroes that sacrificed themselves to help others that day.  I think about the 2,977 people that died, about the last voice mails people left telling someone they loved them.  I think about the last thoughts these souls had before their last breath.  I remember.  And mostly......I think why.

More......QUILT AS YOU GO!

Some of you asked for more details about the ‘quilt as you go’ process.  This technique is new for me too, although I’ve known about it for some time so I’m happy to pass along everything I’ve learned so you can avoid problems. It’s a nice low cost alternative to long-arming, or machine quilting a cumbersome piece in a standard size sewing machine.

Lately I’m in my wonky intuitive piecing mode, a lot of cutting and slashing as one of my friends call it, but basically just easy no fuss creative time.  This piece is called BOXED IN.  We can skip over the piecing steps because you know how to create quilt blocks.  Right?  Right.  Recapping the items I used for this QAYG project:

Quilt blocks

Sashing and backing fabric (see notes below)

Batting (I used Hobbs Heirloom Cotton 80/20 for this)

Long pins

Heat Press Batting Tape (fusible)

Glue sticks (I used Bohn narrow purple glue stick for the narrow sashing)

½” wide bias tape tool (option - my finished strip is very narrow)

Thread (I used a Aurifil Mako 50wt variegated neutral gray)

Long rotary cutter ruler (I used a 24" long)

Large square temple (I used an Omnigrid 14”)

Rotary cutter

Cut your batting 1” larger than your block and your backing 1” larger than your batting.  Center your block, batting and backing, and then press the layers to temporarily fuse.  Pin to secure.  I used a top stitch needle 90/14, Aurifil in the top and bottom, set my stitch length to 3.00.  I used my Bernina #1 standard presser foot, using the edge as my echo quilt guide. Using the triangle edge of any large size temple, I marked a triangle on one side from the corner.  It didn’t go the full length of the side, as I wanted irregular line placement, but that design element is up to you.  Begin stitching from one corner, with the foot down pivot, and continue stitching to the edge.  Once you have the first line, use the edge of your presser foot to position your next stitching line. Continue to echo quilt working towards the edge until you have the entire space filled in.  Draw another triangle from that edge and repeat the steps until your entire surface is filled.  Easy peasy!

You can be creative how you want to machine quilt your blocks but the easiest is echo quilting.  This example was irregularly echo quilted.

You can also echo quilt using the presser foot in circular stitch motion, as shown in these examples.

Next, square up your blocks perfectly, and I mean as accurately as you can, all the same size.  This step is important, the more exact you cut each quilted block the easier it will be to assemble them, with your sashing meeting at the center. Both pictures below shows they are exactly the same top and bottom, the intersections meet perfectly.  You can adjust a little by tugging, but this will affect how flat your quilt hangs so avoid as much as possible. Best to take your time here….

Next I wanted a very narrow sashing this project, barely capturing the blocks.  The finished width is ½”, so I cut 1” strips. Use a pin to nudge the fabric thru the tape maker, then place your iron on top of the strip and carefully pull the fabric thru. For extra-long strips sew them together before making the tape.

Assemble your blocks one row at a time.  Cut enough batting tape strips to secure the entire front and back.  I cut my strips just under ½” so my sashing will cover it.  Start with two blocks face up, make sure the ends meet perfectly and carefully center the batting strips over the center seam, press to fuse. 

Next gently run a line of glue stick the entire seam, and carefully center the sashing tape on top so it covers the batting fusible tape.  Press to set.  Carefully flip over without losing the connection. Repeat the fusible, glue stick, and sashing steps on the backside, then pin to secure.  The photo below shows the sashing strips match top to bottom.

From the top, stitch close to the edge on both edges, then trim ends exactly. Your blocks are now securely connected. Repeat steps until your row is connected.  Make sure the connecting edge is perfectly straight.  Repeat process for all rows.

Align two rows by repeating the batting tape, glue stick and sashing steps, including the sewing.  This is where all the careful cutting and matching pays off.  Trim any edges and finish by adding your sashing.  You’re done!  Feel free to refer back to my August 27, 2014 post for more information.

The beauty is a lovely machine quilted project without sore shoulders and backs, and no expensive long arming.  I’m not saying this is for every project, but I will consider QAYG for all future projects.

Happy QAYG Quilting!

Overcoming Phylloaphobia.....my journey conquering Baklava

Many many years ago I enjoyed my first piece of Baklava. OMG, it was such a wonderful triangle of sweet divine goodness!  There are as many recipe variations as there are legends about its origins many steeped in Muslim and Christian traditions.  I tend to favor the Greek versions. Over the years I dreamt about making it one day.  That didn't happen until finally, yesterday, I took the phyllo dough leap. 

You see, I had become fearful of phyllo, and suffered from phylloaphobia.   I would continue to buy these decadent wedges of gold at fine bakeries and coffee shops.  I came to believe only professional bakers could make this stuff, and handling it was way too stressful, and the end product would not turn out so you'd have a big pan of waste and disappointment.  Why we listen to this stuff in our head I don’t understand.  Why did it take me 40 years to face my phyllo-fears?!?  

Well let me tell you friends, FACE THOSE FEARS!!!  Yes, buttering the phyllo sheet was a bit scary at first but in the end, it was really simple to make, and a great reason never to go vegan (hey, we like butter).  Besides, those super thin phyllo layers bake up just fine even when they tear or break.

Here's what you need to gather........
9" x 13" pan, metal preferred
Pastry brush 
Sharp knife
Damp kitchen towel 
Measuring cups and spoons
Food processor or nut chopper

Ingredients……
1 - 16 ounce package Athens phyllo dough
1 pound/4 heaping cups chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds or pistachios (all or in combination)
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 cup real butter (I used salted)
1 cup water
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

Thaw phyllo dough on counter for one hour (or overnight in refrigerator) before assembling. Carefully unroll dough flat on the plastic sheet in the package, keeping covered with a damp kitchen towel so it doesn't break or dry out. I ran a clean dishtowel in water then squeezed water out until it no longer dripped. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop nuts finely in food processor. Mix in cinnamon, set aside.   Melt butter in small saucepan. Using a pastry brush thoroughly butter bottom and sides of 9 x 13 pan. (Hint....I found a toothpick worked nicely to separate the thin phyllo layers so they didn't tear).  Layer two sheets phyllo dough on bottom pan, then gently butter entire surface. Repeat two more times making a 6 sheets base. Sprinkle 3 T nuts on base. 

Repeat adding two sheets at a time, butter, 3 T nuts until you have 8 sheets left for the top.  You should run out of nuts about then too. Butter the last sheets two at a time.  Using a wet knife gently cut into triangles or squares before baking. Place pan on middle rack and bake for 50 minutes until golden brown.  

Meanwhile, bring sugar and water to a boil to dissolve sugar, reduce heat immediately and add vanilla and honey simmering for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately add honey syrup, carefully soaking each section.

I used a gravy ladle to control over soaking each section.

Don't wait for it to cool as the syrup soaks in best while hot. Cool at least an hour before serving.  Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or coffee for a real treat!