An Ode to Straight Lines

 Okay, maybe this won't exactly be an "ode" but as I was quilting this Mississippi Mud over the past couple weeks, I found myself expressing gratitude to my brain for finally coming up with a good quilting strategy for this pattern.  

How many of these have I made?  

How many of these have I convinced other quilters to make?  

How many hours have I struggled to meander quilt Mississippi Mud with consistent spacing and scale?

"Straight lines" or almost straight lines is what enabled me to quilt 21 tops in 2021!

Remember all those quilts that moved off the "to be finished"?

Click HERE to revisit my parade of finishes.

About half of them were quilted with straight lines or straight meanders.

And many more have recieved the same treatment since then.

I can do either on my big APQS George or my standard Bernina with a walking foot.

Not only is it easier to do, it's become easier to figure out how to do it!

So reconsider the straight line and quilt one of those tops in your stash this month!!

I've prepped a scrappy binding from my 2 1/2" strip box -- there's another idea that just dawned on me?!?

How many scrappy bindings have I made and never thought to dig through that box?

I layered up the second one of these Mississippi Mud lap robes yesterday and began the machine quilting this morning.

While you are here, type Mississippi Mud into the search bar (right side near the top) and see all the variations over the years of my pattern -- many are from students.   Quilting these two tops has another idea brewing in my head for a variation of it - if it happens, I'll share it.

And you can purchase a copy of the pattern HERE -- downloadable PDF so you can start a new project right away!?!  

Finally, I'm going to break one of my personal rules and make a current affairs statement.

If you are concerned about the Supreme Court ruling about "presidential immunity" this past week and the potential danger of this distortion of the Founding Fathers' intention for balanced government -- I urge you to write to your federal legislator's and express your concerns.

I saw on Instagram this morning that the ACLU is urging us to take action.  

As one commentator said last week, we the people need to act for the good of our descendants.

We elect presidents not kings and that's what set the United States apart 248 years ago.

This isn't about political parties -- this is about democracy.

Don't ignore this.

Respectfully,

Mary

Quilting Reflections

The quilting is well underway -- 30 to 45 minutes a day so I don't ruin my neck and shoulders and back for the remainder of the day.  I'd like to work longer since the project is going so well but I've learned  that steady does it better.  I'm close to the halfway point and have worked out all the design decisions needed.

I started with the plain square in the center and while a fancy feather circle might have fit the square nicely, in my opinion it didn't suit the simple style of the quilt.  A pumpkin seed flower which is easy for me -- a series of arcs which are well within my comfort zone is all that is needed.

Not only is it a simple motif for me to machine quilt, it influenced the designs for other blocks because repetition in design is a good strategy visually. It also saves mental energy for me -- fewer ideas to sort through in my mind because I can focus on how to fit that design element into the blocks.

I try my ideas out with a chalk wheel -- drawing directly on the fabric to help my brain make a quicker decision about a design idea.  I've long abandoned the idea that I should be able to "visualize" -- I need to see it.  That saves me so much mental energy (which seems to be in shorter supply as I age).

Each of these blocks is repeated four times throughout the quilt so after the first block is quilted, it's easy to quilt the remaining blocks because all the hard thinking work is done.

I'm quilting the balance of the quilt with a diagonal grid.  It's simple so fits the style of the patchwork and besides, I was totally intimidated by the idea of trying to develop a design that would "reinforce" the graphic lines of the patchwork.  

Looking at antique quilt photos, I was reminded that the simple grid is a solid solution.

The trickiest part of planning a grid over patchwork is getting the spacing between the lines sorted out.  I used the chalk wheel to plan the spacing but when the reality of slight block size differences started to "mess up" my plan, I found that quilting a line from corner to corner  (which you can barely see on the right side of this picture) and then spacing the three lines (fairly) evenly between is working best.  

On the left side, you see inconsistent spacing that is the result of this strategy, but when the quilt is finished and laying out across a bed, those will just blend into the overall appearance of the quilt. 

Since I don't listen or watch "content" while I'm piecing or quilting, I get pretty reflective.

Working on this quilt has led to some 2023 planning reflection. If you've followed my musings here for several years, you know that I'm into BIG annual quilt making goals.  There was the year I set out to use 212 yards of my stash.  And that massive 2021 goal to quilt 21 quilt tops by the end of the year.

Those goals keep me motivated even though I'm only accountable to myself.  And I'm learning to be a bit flexible about reaching the goals.  For example, this year I wanted to finish 24 UFO's and eliminate 12 UFO's.  I'm not going to make the finishing goal (but I'll get to 20 which is very satisfying) but I have already exceeded the eliminating goal with 18 projects (no projects were harmed in this quest to "get real" -- sold, canceled, repurposed, or abbreviated).

Plus striving for each of those goals has impacted my skill set in very positive ways!

Shopping in my stash first is so easy because I made myself do it for an entire year.

Eliminating projects and focusing on pieces I "really" want to do has reduced the mental burden of all those old UFO's which no longer interest me on any level.  (So huge!!)

And this week, I'm realizing that all that machine quilting in 2021 has made the process of finishing a quilt top into a quilt much easier and very satisfying with lots less procrastination.

If you are in the habit of rambling around your quilt making or your knitting or whatever craft you practice, consider setting a goal to maintain more focus, build skills, and garner more satisfaction in your work.  Start by taking "inventory" of the stuff.

Then determine a priority.

That priority will help you set a goal.

And the timeline doesn't need to be an entire year if you don't think you can stay focused that long 

(but trying to might just surprise you).

A six month or three month goal can be just as motivating.  Even a month.

I'm just starting my annual "inventory" and there are two areas I'm considering.

One is the pile of antique quilt tops -- there are nine and I know they will be a problem for my heirs to disperse.  If there is any provenance, I know it but they won't.  The top my mother set together with blocks made for her by an aunt needs to stay in the family.  There are a couple that were given to me because people didn't know what to do (except not thrown them away).  There is one I could not resist at a flea market.  If I go with this as a goal, dealing with one a month could accomplish it easily and I would have 3 months to lose focus??

The other is the stack of quilt patterns I want "to make". 

Well, that's what makes quilting fun isn't it?  Starting a new project!

So perhaps picking the top four would be stimulating (but of course, I would want to finish each one in 2023 so as not to grow new UFO piles)?

And of course, there are still UFO's lurking in the corners --- argghhh?!?

The pondering continues!

I hope you are getting into some holiday frivolity this month after a couple years of so much less -- baking or going out to lunch with a friend or caroling or enjoying the winter lights.

Talk soon!

Mary

 

Checking In

 So how is your January stitching coming along?  This past weekend, I traded my messy desk and cluttered studio for a cabin in a snowy central Ohio state park where a friend and I hung out stitching and talking.  It was so cold we didn't even leave the cabin except to check out the geese on the river flowing past the back porch.  It was a very pleasant break!

Of course, I took more than I could reasonably expect to work on but I made sure what I did do would push a couple projects forward in a significant way . . .  but nothing finished.

Over the past week, I've been slowly getting this piece quilted.  The simplest approach would have been a grid or straight lines but neither seemed right.  I wanted to emphasize the swirling feel I get from the blocks. 

After looking at it for a couple days and drawing design ideas on the quilt with a chalk wheel I settled on this modified "continuous curve" idea.  I like the way it makes the blocks whirl visually. 

To emphasize the overall shape, I outlined the outer edges of each block 1/4" from the seams with a muted shade of green thread.

That left me with a weird shaped background section.  )-: ?

While doodling a circular spiral idea, I experimented with rotating a modified "Baptist fan" motif to form a circular design.  It was easy and by maintaining five "arcs" to each quarter, it enabled me to complete the entire design with just one start and stop.

Second quarter and two more to go.  Much easier than trying to maintain a good looking spiral, too!!  If you go back up and look at the large picture of the quilt again, you can see my funky spinning motifs.

Of course, now I'm stuck again for design inspiration for the area surrounding the center of the quilt and the border.  There have been a couple glimmers but not in a rush at this point so just letting it simmer.

My 2022 goals have emerged and solidified over the past week, too.  Ready?

1. Finish at least two UFO's each month (there are lots of small ones so this is more doable than it might seem).

2. Eliminate one "un-started" project each month -- put the fabric back into the stash and dispose of the pattern (shocking but some have been waiting for me for years and it will clear the deck for something more interesting and compelling!).

3.  Give away quilted pieces every month -- I could give one away every week and still have plenty.  We'll see how this one goes -- I get pretty attached to my finishes but so far this year, I've given one away every week -- 4 for 4!?!  So we'll see.

I think we need to end with a triplet picture!!  It was our delayed Christmas gathering.  They explored the house completely as it was only their second visit since learning to walk and there was a cat upstairs?!?  Very exciting!!

I have a quiet week ahead -- one appointment, babysitting this gang, and a few native plants and insect webinars, a little cleaning, and lots of stitching!

I love being retired!!

Hope your week is pleasant and you stay healthy!

Mary

Prepping for the Fall Quilting Push

As I began to write this post, it occurred to me that every September (at least in the northern hemisphere), quilters begin to make "fall" sewing plans as the weather starts to close in and summer activities wind down.  This year seems a bit different to me -- thanks Covid 19??  

But perhaps it's a bit early, too?  And I still have my #quilt21in2021 goal to reach!

I've finished the quilting on #13 - a small top using sweet 30's reproduction prints and the "gem" shape from the hexie family.  It was perhaps a teaching sample -- not really sure at this point?

I used my default hexie quilting plan to get it started -- in the ditch between the gem pieces

 and through the centers of the white hexagons to create a grid

that looked like this.  I could have left it at that -- the batting would have weathered  washing just fine with so little quilting but I decided to perk it up a bit.

So I went back and quilted a circle of "hearts" around the center of each motif.  There was some trial and error experimenting because it was a spontaneous idea -- typical!?!

After the first couple, it occurred to me to draw a "marker" hexagon in the center of each motif to enable me to stitch a more uniform circle of hearts.  You can see the yellow chalk lines.  

I began at a chalk line on a seam (as below)

and arc'd up into the gem as though drawing the left lobe of a heart, down to the line at the center of the gem and back up and down to where the chalk line intercepted the next seam.

If you use this idea, experiment to decide if you get better results working clockwise or counter clockwise -- it might make a difference!

I think the circles of hearts ramped up the sweetness factor significantly!!

A heart shape is actually an easy free motion design because it's a shape we all learned to draw in our childhood so if you are self conscious about your free motion quilting ability, try using hearts.  

My other tip to you is to adopt a positive description of your quilting style!

A long time ago, when trying to cope with the frustration of "perfecting" my machine quilting skills I was up against a deadline to have a quilt finished for a show.  I had put a lot of time and energy into the piecing and it looked great.  I was inhibited about quilting it because I was of course sure that I would ruin the quilt.  In the middle of some curly tendrils (was I crazy to try that?), I realized or decided that my quilting style is "whimsical".  And if people (i.e., judges) don't get that from looking at my work, their loss!!

[There will now be a one week break while I ponder the borders.]

The cute green gingham-style plaid cried out for something more than my go-to straight lines.

How about some (whimsical) flowers using heart petals (to repeat a shape used in the body of the quilt -- always a good design choice) spaced along the length?

Good idea!

And for a change, I practiced first to determine the layout and scale.

By doing this, I was able to decide how many flower petals would work, if echo-ing enhanced the flower (it did!), and how large to make the flower.

I found a tool in my drawer to mark out a circle to keep the flowers fairly consistent.

I was off again -- I stitched out a couple flowers, whimsically, of course!

But what about all that space between?

Curvy lines with leaves?

Straight lines?

And is there a way to stitch the design in such a way as to eliminate starts and stops?

I won't take you through the entire (agonizing) process but in the end I decided on straight lines and was able to stitch a flower, then add the straight lines between it and the previous flower so that there was just one start and one stop for that section of the border.

Basically, I worked around the borders counter-clockwise.  I stitched out a flower making sure I ended on the lower left edge of it.  Then using a straight line ruler, I stitched two sets of parallel lines back and forth to the previous flower with (fairly) consistent spacing. 

To get from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line, I traced along the edge of the flower.

When all the lines I needed were stitched, I ended and buried the thread.  Doing each section like that took about ten minutes per section and so it took about four (of my 30 to 45 minutes) work sessions to finish the borders.

Ta-Da!!

It's ready to bind on the next rainy afternoon!!

Quilt #14 is going out to a professional machine quilter but first I need to add borders and make the backing.  That's my focus for this week.  It will be gifted to friends' 8 year old daughter who is a bright and perky little imp.

This morning I pulled out the quilt tops that are left on the list.  My goal was to decide which of these I'll have a pro do for me and which of these I'll do next.  I put the lavender/green one on the bottom of the pile -- it will be a simple job and make a good ending project for the year.

I'm the most intimidated by the brown baskets so I'm thinking that one will be the pro-job.

I left the other four laying out to see what ideas pop into my head -- first quilt top that "speaks" to me is up next for laying and quilting!!

The itch to piece something is growing but I must remain as focused as I can on reaching my goal of finishing all these quilt tops into quilts.  Working on the borders has helped and I'll admit there are three piecing projects close at hand to use as sew-offs here and there.  

 

A Third of the Way!!!

 Spring is progressing here and so is my drive to #quilt21in2021!!   I just finished binding the 7th quilt and that puts me one third of the way to achieving my ambitious goal!  Its in the washing machine now for a final tidy-up as the top has been sitting on a shelf for at least fifteen years.

I think it's the best job I've done so far using the Baptist fan quilting -- it's very consistent -- not like a computer version, but good for a human guidance system!  I used one of my plexiglass tools to make the first arc on every fan.  Usually I just do the first arc in a row and then wing it the rest of the way across.

With the first arc marked and stitched, I used the 3/4" Ruler Foot Echo Guide to trace each previous arc and stitch the next one.  I shared more detail about stitching out this pattern in a blogpost a couple years ago and you can revisit it HERE.  

The last row is never a full row but I treat it like one, marking the first arc and maintaining the same spacing as you can see below.

There was some serious thread-chicken happening with this quilting!?!

I lost with the top thread (on the right) and had to hunt down something to blend in, but I won with the bobbin thread (on the left).  

I incorporated a bit of the selvage into the backing and this quilt is destined for my oldest grandson.  I hope the fact that I set up the colors for the print and got my name on the selvage will overshadow the floral aspect of the print!!

I'm always delighted to find a good binding fabric without leaving the studio!  How about you?  Another half yard used reduces my guilt about having so much more than I need!!

No, I don't press my binding in half before applying it to the quilt and yes, I drop the pile of it on the floor to the right side of my chair since it has absolutely no impact on the finished quality.

I also finished knitting the cool hat designed by Hunter Hammersen -- can't decide if I'll gift it or keep it.  The diagonal color bands are such a happy coincidence!  This skein has been sitting in my yarn stash for a couple years and I'll be happy to have it on someone's head next winter.

Now I need to turn my attention to finishing a pair of socks I tried to knit in one week early in March - made a good start but still need to knit the foot of the second sock!

We've had a unusually warm spell for Northeast Ohio last week.  The local toads gathered for an orgy in my little pond and a frenzied 48 hours later, everyone left and now all I have to do is keep the pond full for next two months so some of the thousand or more eggs they left make it to tiny little toads.

The yard is gorgeous with ALL the spring flowers in bloom at the same time but it's going to look dull for the month of May while I wait for the next wave of bloom.  It will be cooler this week and I hope this pot of tulips will last longer!

My birding gang is finally all vaccinated so we walked a local park together on Sunday for the first time in six months.  Feels so good to have my bubble expand a bit and to talk with my nerdy friends face-to-face.  As we enjoyed the beginning of  bird migration, I am reminded of how important it is for me and those around me to keep doing the stuff I do.

It would be easier for that little 3-ounce bird to stay in the tropics with all that food instead of flying 1500 miles.  But if she didn't leave for the breeding grounds when it was time, her species would suffer.  She needs to go north, find a mate, build a nest, and have a brood.

Right now as long as I can be with my family, make the quilts and the bread, work in my garden,  and learn the history -- it's enough.

If I'm never able to do more, I am grateful for the experiences I've had and for the skills that I have shared.  This new season of life wasn't in my "plan" but it is important to move through it with as much grace as I can muster.

Wishing you a week of blessings!

Mary

Less + Contentment = Better

Number six of twenty-one is finished!!

Doesn't a finish always make you eager to shout out -- "look what I did"!!

The breeze (okay, wind) was just as excited as I was -- couldn't stop flappin' it around for all the neighbors to see.  

The quilting isn't even close to my original idea of how to do it - just simple vertical straight lines.  In the end, I was inspired by the quilting on two previous quilts that come out every spring.

The upper three fourths of the quilt is covered with horizontal breezy quilting -- free motion curves billowing from edge to edge with the occasional little swirl.  I used my favorite yellow Aurifil  thread on the top and white FineLine in the bobbin.

The little hexie flowers were each jazzed up by extending their flower petals . . . . 

and then vines and leaves climbing up the fence posts reaching for the breeze!

A green binding finishes the quilt off perfectly and it will be hanging in my living room for the month of June, my birthday month.  The center of the quilt is a temperature quilt for the first year of  my life.

It was too small to be useful so in a happy series of coincidences, I added blocks which turned out to represent some of the passions of my long life -- big beautiful tree, birds, picket fences, and flowers with lots of insects buzzing around the background fabrics.

Continuing with the spontaneity of this quilt, I chose this cheerful piece of hoarded fabric that is too wonderful to cut apart for the backing -- not quite enough for the backing but borders fixed that.

Now I'm ready to tackle number seven!!  It's another top made 20 years ago using one of the colorways from my brief foray into the fabric designing business.  This will go to one of my grandchildren and the quilting plan is Baptist fan.  I made the backing over the weekend and layering could happen today!!

I've been knitting this new hat pattern, Semblance by Hunter Hammerson.  I was captivated by the stitch pattern when she released it a couple weeks ago so bought it right away.  My determination to use stash yarn forced me to step out a bit -- it's not the same weight as she used or a monochromatic colorway. If you've worked with her knitting patterns, you know she forces one to figure out the needle size yourself which means one has to check gauge before starting -- something I don't enjoy.  

I want to get right into a project -- are you like that?  

But after reading the introductory instructions and wrangling with the helpful sizing chart, I determined the correct needle size for my yarn and the correct number of stitches to cast on given my personal private gauge (PPG).  I did rip it back to the ribbing twice because I failed to read a couple details -- just skipped right over them -- but now I'm on track and loving the results.  Yesterday as I put it down, I realized my yarn has serendipitously knit out in diagonal bands of color!!

HERE IS A LINK to her pattern. 

I have a big garden project -- removing English ivy and myrtle out of a 200 square foot bed -- 30 minutes at a time.  The other day while working out there for the 15th day in a row and determining there is about 3 more weeks of work to get to the end, I thought "this is atypical for me"  I usually lose interest midway in any project and I realized that one of the aspects of the pandemic isolation that I'm okay with is being able to do less.  

Why, you ask?

Well, I'm noticing that I'm more engaged with projects because of the "less".  Big tasks that take time are okay because the results will be good.  

It will likely take me through the end of the year to finish this big hand quilting project (it's one of the twenty-one).  

It will be so exciting to be able to replant this bed with native shrubs and plants and watch the biodiversity of my backyard wildlife expand.  

It will be so good to have an empty shelf where all those quilt tops have been stashed.

Having less to do means doing fewer things better and learning to enjoy the simplicity of less.

I have time to bake sourdough bread and I have time to start garden plants this year.

My genealogy work is more focused and accurate and less frenetic. 

I have time to binge watch gardening and pollinator webinars and learn more about a native environment.

It doesn't hurt that I'm completely vaccinated at this point, either!!

What a relief!!

I am eager to carry this contented state of mind forward and be happy doing less.

How about you?  

What have you learned about yourself and what will you carry forward? 

Mary