Tool Tip

I was watching a piecing tutorial.  It was a simple bit about piecing, geared to beginners. (I am not a beginner, but I like watching tuts, never know what little morsel of information one might find.)  This tutorial suggested sewers
put their finger underneath the pieces being sewn together to check and assist with the seams, so they do not flip.  This is good advice.... don't want the seams going the wrong way.  DON'T use your finger.


 Please acquire an awl, stiletto, long tweezers, or perhaps a bamboo

stick used for kebabs.  My favourite is the bamboo stick but as you can see I use/ have them all. The tool at the bottom of the picture is a recycled dental tool found at a surplus/discount style store.)  Using a long thin tool to hold the fabric secure is really much easier (once the habit is acquired of course)  and is not nearly as awkward (especially if you have fat fingers, or old arthritic gnarly ones) nor will you bump, stab, or sew your digit.  Use it to keep seams lined up, and your sewing going straight off the end of a piece. (My Thanks to Jo, who taught me this.)
Happy Monday,
gudrun

Another finish

Quality control on this quilt was challenging. It wasn't LM's piecing,(she's good :)) the quilt was and is flat and square. The fabrics are painted, and this was the issue. Needle holes are so not easy to get rid of...and knots are created when I speed up the stitching....not keen on going real slow, then things look wobbly.

One can see the heavy paint here, how the thread looks as it it is just lying on top in places.
But as you know when one is this close to the stitching none of it looks very impressive  :))

I am off to work on a couple of my items for a few days.  After all there is a family wedding in

August for which I must prepare things....TGIF.

Happy Friday,

Gudrun

Not finished

The Birthday Block Quilt is pieced to the first border. I am starting to like this one. I see some really intricate quilting in those big white spots.

Too breezy a day on to get a really good picture, I am liking this new camera.

IT needs to be bigger, there are some additions to made. A solid white surround  or  a few dozen flying geese maybe or both  :)
 Any suggestions any one?
Happy Thursday,
gudrun

The Design Wall...uh Bed

I have a design wall, but after certain decisions about a quilt are made, I use the bed. These are swap blocks from a group of Canadian quilters. The blocks have languished in a drawer for a couple of years. These are colours that I like, so I don't know what fear has been holding me back from making a quilt out of them. Finally I have started.  The first challenge was to make them all the same size.  Interesting how there are so many variations on a 12.5 inch square  :)) After that was done the blocks are 17" square
The  next challenge I found was to tie the various colours together.

String blocks are doing the job of holding the various colours together

Sew there it is ....a work in progress.  It is finished to and including the first border, made from the strings as well.  No picture....camera died on our Saturday afternoon outing. However, online purchasing is amazing, new camera enroute already.

The next challenge is to make it bigger.  Just cuz.  

Happy Monday,

gudrun

ps.  picture of my current crop of t-shirts freshly laundered sitting on the new quilt 

  I  can sure choose colours, eh!

A Happy Yellow Quilt

This quilt is right up my alley. I believe it is the piecer's first adventure away from a commercial pattern. She picked an array of fabric she liked and made a quilt. Liberated piecing. My favourite way to piece. But not so the quilting, a pantograph, an open feathery swirl design,  which shows well on a  white on white back, sewn in a bright yellow thread.  The thing is, she said this quilt is to live at the family cottage....I couldn't take that adventure with such a light coloured quilt, not cottage living the way we do it  :))

a view of a bit of the back

I know it's too big at over 100 ' square, but I 'd like it to hang out on my deck for star watching. 

On another note, I recently did a practice piece with an all white back.  It is good to really look at the back of a quilt, from a technical view point...quality control so to speak.  (No picture of the piece, as it still needs binding) 

I hope everyone has 

been blessed with some lovely weather which takes them outdoors.  I have had family here for the longer weekend and have managed some great outside time. 

Happy Tuedsday,

gudrun

An Ugly Finish

A few years ago I made this quilt top.  It was a design exercise that failed miserably.  Can't throw it out.  So, what if I just quilt it?  And while quilting I  tried " a quilt as u go" technique for long armers.

The part hanging down was added on the machine. So  now this ugly thing is quilted.

It still wasn't getting any positive reviews in my mind.  The wool batt made it soft, the colours are engaging if you like blue....it was too long and too narrow too weird.  So What if  I cut it  and make two generous snuggle quilts one for me and one for some one else.  

Machine binding, trying out stitch #120

 Lazy girl label.

And that's what happened.

A young feller who's family had a house fire got the other half  of this.

Yeah!

Happy Monday,

gudrun