If you keep track of these things — and I do — I just wanted to pass on that Kim McLean’s latest quilt pattern, Roseville Album, should be available on Sunday is available NOW over at Glorious Color. That’s the word on the street from Liza via Pam. Maybe I can ease up my number of routine visits over there. Ah, probably not….there are more patterns coming. 🙂
Archive for June, 2010
What we did on Friday
Well, I tried out the new Rowan thread in some machine quilting:
I stitched with Deep Violet (color 0366) from Kaffe’s Circus color grouping (on the right).
I used a size 80/12 Microtex needle (my standard for piecing and 50 wt. thread in general). I am very pleased with the results. The thread behaved beautifully and I like the stitch definition. This is a small piece of quilting that will be used as part of a little bag, so I have no real concerns about the thread being able to stand up to wear and tear — it really shouldn’t get much stress in a little bag. I’m very pleased. Of course, the color — LOVELY! It goes really well here with one of the new Philip Jacobs prints (might I add, yum).
In sum, two thumbs way up on the quality as well as the colors! I like it so much, I may have ordered the Stones color set… ahem. Well, I have a pastel-y Kaffe quilt planned. I have a few more little quiltings to do for bags and I’m looking forward to using some of the other colors.
If you hurry on over to Jackie’s shop, she has both the Circus set and the Stones set. Yes, I left you one of the Stones sets.
“We” also did this today:
Owl mania continues. I saw the sock owl tutorial over at the Stash Books blog. In the hoot of an owl, someone was digging in my recycle-able sock bin and we began cutting. And then I finished the cutting since we only had ONE of these precious polka dotted socks and couldn’t risk going awry with the scissors. So then we started sewing, and, well, somehow there were some tangled overcast stitches. So I finished part of the sewing. And then someone packed off and went to the lake for the weekend. And I sat still and finished the sock owl (all hand stitched using yesterday’s lovely Molnlycke thread, dontcha know). Now the owl can fly along to the lake for a visit while I stay here and work. Say, this all doesn’t quite sound right to me. Does it to you?
Anyway.
Hey, have you seen Felicity Miller’s new fabric? Gypsy:
Be still, my heart! I saw a little flyer for it, was quite intrigued and, what do you know, it’s available now. Gosh, it’s wonderful — funky, eclectic. The yellow and green is killing me, er, um, you can’t see them very well in that pic though…
But I do so love this little gem:
I realized that I have some duplicate prints in the fat quarter packs I ordered. Methinks I need to track down the “missing” pieces so my little collection is complete. And then I’ll think about what to do with it. I can certainly dream in the meantime though.
I hope you have something to swoon over this weekend!
I was kind of a fan of the old schedule
Summer F.U.N.K. This summer out-of-schoolness has hit me up-side the head and I was not ready. Clearly. There is a mental recalibration that seems like it’s happening about as fast as turning a big ship. Not ready. But the end of school arrived, ready or not. I may not be able to call in sick on these days, but I have been calling in crabby. But, I think we may be headed in the right direction with compromises in hand.
Some people seem to be actively working to uplift my mood.
First, I’ll mention the new Kaffe fabric has landed over at Glorious Color. Happy!
Namely, Sarah, for one.
A parcel/extravaganza arrived. See, my birthday wasn’t over! There was a smashing Dollies Online quilt:
Little Trees! If you’re looking for something different to try this summer and you’re not already a Dollies Online member, keep an eye out for the individual pattern for this quilt — Sarah has lovely advice for changing up your fabrics with doodles! Take a gander at just some of her ideas:
There is a piece of Nicey Jane fabric — the one with the bubbly big polka dots — that I want to doodle upon.
There was also a SUMPTUOUS scarf:
Oh dear heavens! Isn’t it beautiful. No, you can’t have it, but I wish you could feel it. The base is the drape-iest wool I have ever felt. EVER. Gads, it’s gorgeous!
And? Matches the Little Trees quilt, dontcha know:
I’ll have to wear them together in public.
And she sent chocolate (sorrrrry, no photo, you understand). And one of a kind fabric:
And more fabric:
I know it’s a lot of goodies for one person, but I’m really old. And really crabby.
Thank you, dear Sarah!
Stephanie is also boosting my mood:
She sent me a LOVELY stash of Molnlycke fabric that belonged to her mom. This is the brand that was recommended by my home ec teacher in junior high. The quality is amazing and I’m thrilled to own it. She also sent along that lovely rayon in the front. Yum yum! THANK YOU, Stephanie! The Molnlycke is following a Swedish theme since I have decided to read Stieg Larsson mystery trilogy this summer.
Right when school ended, I also got these thank you flowers from Dear Daughter and Dad:
The flowers were for packing lunches and such. Awwwww. Yes, weepiness ensued. Followed shortly by unappreciative crabbiness. 🙂
Other than that, I’m trying to make headway on the to do list. I also needed to face the trimming of these:
Remember my off cuts from the Kaffe quilt-along stripes? I sewed them together a while back. Keeping them in a semblance of order is kind of challenging. That’s mainly why I thought I’d better get busy on them. Use them or lose them. Literally.
They are currently being monitored by Squidley Dudley:
He’s fresh back from monitoring the oil spill in the Gulf, I think.
And then there’s a new Dollies Online quilt to work on:
Oh, the math.
I’ll end with some gratuitous photos of flowers. I’ve been taking their pics in the mornings because I know they won’t last. In fact, the sweet peas have entirely faded after hitting their stride just last week. Sad, that.
Well, if all that can’t lift a mood… I’m in deep, deep trouble.
May your mood be bright!
Say it isn’t so!
Ack! There’s far to much to do in the amount of time left before school’s out for summer. Ack!
So I’m trying to motor right along:
Botanica by Lourdes Sanchez, Rear Window by Blue Underground Studio
Dill pickle green — actually the green in the quilt is called “poison.” Perfect! Well, dill pickle would have been perfect.
Have you seen that Rowan now has 100% cotton premium thread collections?
I was pretty excited when I found out. In person, the threads do not disappoint!
On the left is Amy Butler’s Love thread collection. On the right is Kaffe Fassett’s Circus thread collection. The colors are fantastic! The thread is extra long Mercerized Egyptian Giza Cotton in size 50. I haven’t sewn with it yet but it feels smooth and wonderful. This thread will be great for my purposes — I already love sewing with these colors so the threads will be a nice match. And I don’t have a good selection of solid cotton threads I could use for top stitching or for more decorative, color-specific quilting — while the lighter weight cottons I have fill in in a pinch, I think these will work better. Oooooh, wouldn’t these be PRETTY on top of some shot cottons?!?! Is this a trick question?
I’ll let you know as soon as I give it a whir through the machine but I have a feeling it won’t disappoint. These thread collections should start showing up in your local stores very soon. Thanks to Sarah for sending out these little treasures!
Ack, now there’s even less time left before school is out! Back to work!
Didn’t I just make a basket quilt?
Um, yes.
This is what happens when things get a little off-track. When momentum on other things gets interrupted.
After you see something lovely like this:
“Basket of Daisies” by Akemi Matsuyama
So, then you do this instead of what you’re supposed to be doing:
Magically, there is only one piece that required insetting as I put vague quadrants together.
The baskets are just fused down. I’ll “finish” the edges with some straight stitching primarily in black when it’s time to quilt. Which really ought to be soon because the fusible is starting to give way.
Guilty as charged.
Butterfly block tutorial
So wrapped up am I in butterfly mania. Since I first saw this wonderful block on Sarah’s blog (did you know she works at MO? I can only plead that I was struck dumb by the butterflies and did not realize this), I asked if she would mind if I posted a tutorial. She wants everyone to have a good time too (thanks, Sarah!), so here is how I made these slightly wonky blocks.
For each 6″ finished block, you’ll need:
• 2 – 3 1/8″ x 6 1/2″ butterfly wings
• 4 – 2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ background pieces (in this case, black)
• 1 – 1 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ butterfly body piece
Take one butterfly wing right side up and angle across it one background piece (right side down):
This can be a gentle angle or as “severe” as 45 degrees. I like a bit of wonkiness to my blocks, so I made sure to vary this angle ever so slightly each time.
Make sure the background seam allowance extends approximately evenly beyond the butterfly wing fabric:
Using 1/4″ seam allowance, stitch the background piece to the butterfly wing:
Repeat with second butterfly wing:
Lay a second background piece (right side down) on a butterfly wing — angle the background in the other direction as shown:
Using 1/4″ seam allowance, stitch in place and repeat with second butterfly wing fabric:
Trim butterfly wing fabric even with background fabric as shown:
Press background fabric out (I haven’t sewn any blocks together to be able to advise whether to press the seam allowance toward the background or toward the butterfly wing fabric — I’m thinking it will be better to press the seam allowance toward the butterfly wing to help decrease bulk later on).
Lay a 6 1/2″ ruler on top of one butterfly/background section making sure to center the ruler so that you have approximately equal widths of background showing at the top (in this photo):
Detail:
Trim the wing/background section to be 6 1/2″ wide:
Now it’s time to trim the inside and outside of the block section.
First, lay a ruler so that it is even with the raw edge of the INSIDE of the butterfly wing as shown — the inside shows a narrower band of wing and wider pieces of background:
Trim the background fabric even with the butterfly wing fabric:
Next, lay the ruler so that the ruler’s 3″ mark is even with the edge you just trimmed. You’ll have a little bit of wing fabric to trim off too, but it will result in a nice, even, clean edge:
Now it’s time to add the butterfly body to the wing/background sections. Stitch using 1/4″ seam and press seam allowances toward the center.
Voila.
This approach is a little wasteful when it comes to background:
Sarah said that Kathy (the Queen of Rulers) recommended the Nifty Notions Bias Triangle and Nifty Notions Half Rectangle rulers for these blocks. I am certain that there would be little if any background waste if you use these rulers. I am flying by the seat of my wasteful pants but I may order these rulers for future reference.
Because I have a feeling there is going to be future reference…
Now, do you see butterflies? Or do you see spools? Mary Jo mentioned that these are referred to as spools. I dug out issue 76 of Quiltmania to see Yoko Goto’s Spools of Thread and Flowers quilt — same block. Then Mary Jo let me borrow an old issue of Quilts Japan (no. 9 from 1999) that has this block in a special section on spool quilts. What fantastic examples there are!
This one has no center strip:
I like this little cutie pie:
Cute examples on these bags:
I don’t know if you can see it, but there are four of these wonky little blocks inside each more traditional spool:
Don’t you love that?
Finally, I like the layout of this quilt too:
So, maybe I am making spools? Kind of a butterfly meets klosjes meets Japanese quilt goodness by way of Australia? Whatever the name, it’s an international love affair.
Off you go. Have fun. Hope this is helpful! I’d love to see what you make. Thanks again to Sarah for the inspiration!
This is only a test…
Once you get your work done, who’s to say you can’t fiddle around a little bit?
Late last week, I saw something I couldn’t get out of my mind. You know how that happens around the interweb…. It was on Sarah’s Choccybangles blog. Go on, have a look, I’ll wait here.
I KNOW!
Could barely contain myself.
So, I got my work done:
And thought to myself, I’ll just make a quick test block now that my work is done.
Here’s my test block:
Oops.
I hope Sarah doesn’t mind that I am blatantly lifting this idea. Can I blame the sewing machine? And the iron? And the rotary cutter? Or just the utter sweetness of the block?
Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts 
