Another Finish

Good Morning!  Hopefully, I won't become a cranky blogger by the end of this post!?!  The new "format" for creating a post is making me a bit crazy.  When will young computer nerds get that old folks who are trying to be part of the "modern" culture just have so much brain energy in a given day and once we learn how to use something, changing it all around makes it exhausting for us to adapt!!

Venting done . . . . I think?

So this week, I've finished the second of three big bed quilts for my triplet grands!

I've chosen similar color schemes for the girls' quilts assuming that for at least a while they will share a bedroom.  This one began as teaching demos for my Set-In Piecing Simplified workshops using Marti Michell's Kite and Crown template sets to piece these "rose star" blocks.

It began as a fat quarter stack for a collection (name forgotten) which I rounded out with fabrics from my stash.

I started quilting it mid-May working in sections so it would be easier to manipulate under the machine as I wanted to quilt each block individually.  This picture was taken after the two main sections were done and I was preparing to join them together.

The backing and batting are wider than these sections, extending out far enough on each side to add the borders.  This post (CLICK HERE) gives close-ups of some of the quilting.

The following three pictures show how the block quilting evolved.  I stitched "in the ditch" through all the stars which outlined the six main points and the large central hexagons before adding the flower in the center hexagon.

As I looked at the blocks, I decided I wanted more quilting and so did a double line - first in the ditch and then 1/4" outside to lift up the overall shape of the rose motif.

Finally, I added a line 1/4" inside the central hexagon -- this is the finished rose!

After joining the two sections together and quilting that center area of the quilt, I was ready to add the long side borders.  They are stitched through all the layers and then flipped out over the batting and backing.  Because I use a flat cotton batting, I don't have as much shrinkage in the center of the quilt so adding the borders this way works out fine.  It would not work so well with thick or puffy batting because of the shrinkage during the quilting process.

(Read THIS POST to see more details on the process of joining quilted sections.)

Once the two borders were laid in place, I measured the distance between the edges all the way down the length of the quilt adjusting as needed to be sure the two borders were parallel to each other.

This is a trick I learned from Mary Ellen Hopkins that is very effective.

In spite of the fact that I assembled this quilt during the quilting process it is square!!

Yesterday, I arrived at that triumphant part of making a quilt -- the binding!

It's strips of assorted yellows to match the inner border.

More stash busting!!

This quick picture was taken last evening before the rain arrived!

The backing features a big hunk of the print I colored for Kings Road back in the 1990's and is the only fabric that the two girls' quilts have in common.

I'm continuing to educate myself this week about white privilege and racism.  I started working through Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad -- it's an eye-opener and that gal can ask some tough questions!!  She might send me back to my desk to contemplate deeper answers to her questions but I'm grateful for the viewpoint she is providing.  

While "procrastinating" answering one of the questions the other day, I started wandering around and found my way to Ms. Saad's Good Ancestor podcasts -- check it out HERE.

This series of podcasts done over the past couple years are conversations with a variety of trend setters discussing "being a good ancestor".  While listening to a couple and I realize, I've never had a conversation with anyone of color about anything other than "how to quilt" (picture - me doing all the talking).  So my current "action" is to listen to more of these podcasts to expand my view and understanding so the next time I have an opportunity to have a conversation, it will be a conversation between equals with me listening as well as talking!

I'm getting the hang of the new blogger tools (argh) so let's finish up with some grand kids pics!!

This is the loud one with his auntie.

This is the silly one with her dad.

And this is the serious one with her grandma -- she'll hate this one at her graduation party!?!

I'll close for this week by encouraging you to stay busy 

-- walking, gardening, stitching, reading, listening, cooking, what ever lifts you up -- 

and resist the urge to go back out into the world too soon.

  I want all of us to stay healthy so we can use up our stash!!

Mary

Facing the Music

When I was growing up, occasionally I was told I needed "to face the music".

I had acted out, hurt someone or their feelings, disobeyed in some way and there were consequences.

It was never enjoyable but once it was over, it was over and hopefully I remembered the lessons my parents felt I needed to learn.

Now here I am in my mid-70's "facing the music" but it's my choice this time.

Of course, you know what I'm talking about -- racism in America.

The temptation for me is "well, I'm 73, what can I do about any of this"?

But that doesn't really fly -- I'm still alive and I can do something!

Like many, I have no idea of what to do in face of the current need to change my attitudes.

What to read? 

Who to listen to? 

Who to talk with?

A good first step for me is focusing on understanding with the expectation that it will trigger action in the future.

I have created this peaceful space for myself but when I want to go someplace, I just go!

So the story of Christian Cooper birding in Central Park and becoming embroiled in a controversy really upset me.  In reading interviews in the New York Times, I was stunned to learn black birders and naturalists who enjoy spending time in nature as I do don't feel safe or welcome in public open spaces.

I do think about where I go when heading out for a birding morning or a long walk but it has to do with staying in an area where I can get help easily if needed now that I'm getting older.

I'm not planning to fall or have a stroke but it could happen and I don't want to be 2 miles down a long narrow ravine anymore.

But to worry about people hassling me about why I'm there and what am I doing with those binoculars - that would be devastating for me.

So I've started listening to what black birders and naturalists are saying and sharing on Instagram. My favorite discovery so far is a young family @blackkidsdohike because I love the positive way they are teaching their three boys to explore the outdoors!

Some where I stumbled across the recommendation to read a book, White Fragility by Robin Diangelo.  Perhaps you've made the same discovery?  I'm just about finished and feel it's been an eye opening read.  If you are puzzled about racism, I've found Diangelo's views helpful in understanding it's existence.  Reading this book has been a non-threatening activity -- I can feel embarrassed about my position without having to defend myself and therefore focus on undestanding this viewpoint.  Diangelo's career as a diversity facilitator gives her credibility with me -- she understands how we white folks react to this word.   As I learned from several long periods of grief counseling to combat depression, 

understanding is an important key to moving forward.

 

It might be hard to find it in a library right now, but it's available as a Kindle book for those of you who use a reading device.

For those of us who were young adults during the 1960's, part of our history includes the Civil Rights movement in the USA.  Last week, I borrowed (via Hoopla) and watched I Am Not Your Negro, a film based on the writings of James Baldwin, an author and friend of key players in the movement.  Oh my!  I see now that the way I remember that decade is a narrow view from "up here in the North" and there was so much more to it. I came away from watching that thinking "why didn't we finish the job" that was started over fifty years ago -- the goals haven't changed and while some things have improved, so much more is needed!

Read more about James Baldwin HERE.

I know most of you are quilters, but knitters as a group seem to be ahead of us in the area of diversity.  For several years, they've been expanding recognition of diverse designers and indie dyers representing a broader spectrum of lifestyles and traditions.

One of my favorite knitting resources is highly regarded for their daily "letters" and connecting folks.  Within less than a week of the first demonstrations, Ann and Kay changed their business name from Mason-Dixon Knitting to Modern Daily Knitting -- no hesitation, just did it! 

Last week in one of their daily letters, they connected their readers to an interview panel organized and hosted by Oprah Winfrey -- Where Do We Go From Here.

More eye opening!

Planning to listen to it again!

HERE is a link to their letter which you can use to listen for yourself.

Finally, while I'm not the "demonstrator" kind of gal, I am taking on the (intimidating) task of sharing these resources with my children in the hopes that they will do a better job of raising people that are not afflicted by racism and all the pernicious aspects of that viewpoint. 

Every resource I've shared here today, I've shared with my adult children and I pray that they are exploring them as well.  I said to them, "if I had understood this better when I was a young mom, I would have taught you differently".

 That's the best I can do and I hope it works!

What we are experiencing today in my opinion is the result of not listening.

If we don't listen to what folks are trying to tell us, we can hardly expect them to listen to anything we say?

I hope there is a next step for me -- I just don't know what it is at this point.

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Tips for Piecing Mississippi Mud Blocks

"Are you in" as they say?

If you don't want to start a new quilt, give my assembly technique a try using 16 squares, any size.

(Think potholder?)  If you are just going to experiment, you can skip "piecing the star points".

Let's go!! 

Piecing the star points -- you will need eight star point units for the main block.

The instructions on how to piece these are at the top of page 5 in the pattern if this technique is new to you.  Just do eight for now because as I piece a block, I make the star point units for the next block as my "leader and enders" while chain piecing.

If you are using one fabric for all the stars, piece eight star point units using the small squares you've cut and eight different "background" squares.

If you want to use two different star fabrics, piece four of each color on different "background" squares.

If you want to use lots of different star fabrics, piece four points of one color, two of a second color and one of a third and fourth color.

Layout a block as below next to your machine -- if this is the beginning of a quilt, try to use fourteen different "background" prints in the block.  The star points in the upper right corner and lower left corner will complete stars in adjacent blocks as you set the blocks together.  If you are using two star fabrics, both of those corners and the partial star in the lower right corner will be fabric #2 while the complete star will be fabric #1.

TIP:  Laying the complete star out first is the quickest way to begin -- and double check that all the star points are angled as in this photo.  It's easy to get one rotated 90 degrees (wrong!!) so stop and look before you start to sew.

I always hung a sample block in front of my classroom when teaching this quilt so students could look up and quickly check the star points positions!

Assembling a block -- Flip the squares in the second vertical row (from the left side of the photo) right side down on top of the first row squares.

This sets up each pair of squares with the seam edge on the same side as you will stitch, so no need to twist or rotate the pair as you align the edges.

Chain piece the four sets starting with the top set and working down to the bottom set. 

Don't cut anything apart yet!!

Before clipping off this string of squares, piece a star point unit for the next block as your "ender". 

This star point unit will stay under your needle and you'll clip the complete chain off the back of it and head to the ironing board.

No clipping of the thread chains yet!!

Lay it on the ironing board with each pair's open side facing toward you.

Clip off that star point unit (which was my "leader) and set it aside.   The "ender" is still under the needle at my machine!

Flip the second and fourth units (counting from the right) up.

Press the seams flat to set the stitching. 

Then work along the chain and flip the top piece up (away from yourself), press the seam to one side.

Flip the second one down (towards yourself) and press the seam to one side.

Continue alternating along the chain. 

I know lots of quilters these days are pressing seams open but I prefer pressing to one side for a couple reasons.  The most important reason to me is that when the seams oppose each other, 

I can feel when they are matching up more accurately.  

To understand this better -- lay two pairs right sides together.

Manipulate the seams back and forth between your fingers and feel the alignment.

If you feel a gap or a lump where the seams lines intersect, it's not quite right yet.

It should feel smooth on both sides of the stitching line when the seams are snug against each other.

I also believe the quilt top is weaker when the seams are pressed open plus it's just too much work to press them open.  

(I've tried the open seam approach and frankly my matching stinks when I do it.)

Repeat the process for the third/fourth vertical rows remembering to start at the top of the block and work down.  At first this may not seem intuitive to you but it's a common mistake during workshops.  If you start at the bottom and work up -- everything gets twisted around and you'll get frustrated.

Don't forget to "ender" with another star point.

Now you have eight pairs of squares. 

At this point, I clip the thread chain between the second and third pairs in each column. 

Flip the top pair face down on the lower pair

until you have four sets as below. 

The sewing begins with the upper left pair -- still chain piecing -- and move to the 

 upper right pair, then the lower left pair, then the lower right pair.

Do another star point unit as your "ender".

Back to the ironing board with the complete chain in tact -- see that "leader" on the left? 

The pressing is the same -- first set down, second set up, third set down, fourth set up. 

Head back to the machine, layout the block, cutting the thread chains as needed -- 

the block is now four 4-patch units. 

Flip the right side units onto the left side units and chain piece to assemble. 

One reason I leave the thread chains is that it makes it easier to be sure which edges I want to stitch together -- it there is a chain, I know to seam those two edges together.

No chain, no stitching! 

Last trip to the ironing board -- I forgot to take a picture of the second part of this step but again, the first one on the right stays down and the left one is flipped up before pressing the seams to one side.

Two halves, ready for the final seam!! 

As you prepare to stitch the two halves together,  notice this is the first time you've had more than one seam intersection to match!   In the previous step when I laid one 4-patch on top of the other to sew the seam, I actually matched the seams all the way around so the two units are centered on top of each other -- then when I stitched the seam, I measured the 1/4" from the raw edge of the largest 4-patch, consistently.

What this achieves is that any slight size variations are adjusted consistently so when I put the two halves together, all three seam intersections align correctly. 

 My blocks are perfect from the right side and fit together well with the rest of my blocks.

 (I never trim blocks to the "correct" size, but that's a sermon for another day.)

Often times, I don't press this final seam until I begin to layout the blocks since I don't know if it should go up or down at this point.  Once I lay the blocks out, I pick up a row of blocks and press all the final seams in the same direction.  The next row is pressed in the opposite direction.

This has saved me lots of annoyed frustration when setting the blocks together.

With this new version, since every block was assigned a specific position in the quilt, I could press that final seam as I made them before adding them to the design wall. 

So here's a basic finished block for the multi-color star version. 

I learned this approach to piecing blocks (it works for setting blocks together, too) from my long time teacher/mentor/friend, Mary Ellen Hopkins almost forty years ago.  She referred to it as working in "twosy/foursy".  And I've been using it and teaching it for just as long.

TIP:  For edge-to-edge quilt settings, all the blocks should pressed identically (except for that last seam) if made from an even number of units (2 by 2, 4 by 4, etc.).    If the block is an odd number of units (5 by 5, etc.), every other block needs to be pressed in the opposite order.  Then when the blocks are set together, the seams will automatically be opposing making the matching simple.

I wish you could sit in a workshop with me and learn this technique face-to-face but hopefully I've been able to explain it clearly with my pictures and text.

And here are my "leader/ender" star point units ready for the next block! 

With both the one color stars and the two color stars versions, you can literally piece blocks and keep them in a box until you are ready to set the blocks together.  With a large variety of "background" prints, there is very little chance of any print ending up next to itself in my experience.

That's what makes it such a great stash busting quilt -- plus it's a great place to use up some of the tired old fabric that you don't want to use but can't throw away.

This variation was different because I pieced it block by block.  I placed each one on the design wall as it was finished.  Originally the background was all white squares, no black "border" squares -- but it just wasn't working for me -- all that light needed a frame.  So I un-stitched the outside edges of the first four blocks I made and changed the outer squares to black print. (Ugh!)

I kept getting bogged down with the color placement decisions for the stars until I realized

 I could "plan" the star colors for the entire next row by simply laying the main square of each star on the design wall -- so much easier!!  I think the seed of this idea was all the "rainbow" style quilts I see on Instagram.

The checkerboard border is the result of cutting too many black squares and not wanting to put them back into the stash.  I auditioned several ideas but settled on this one in the end. 

I went back after all the blocks were pieced with the black border squares and added the checker board squares -- but I included a diagram at the end of the updated pattern showing this variation so you don't have to do that.  You can add the checkerboard squares as you piece the blocks.  It will be so much easier!!

This is the upper left corner block with the extra squares added on the left and upper edges.

I used 40 black squares and 40 white squares for the my laprobe size quilt top but I'm sorry I didn't count how many you need for any of the other sizes.  My guesstimate is that for every block needed to change the length or width of the quilt,  it would change that count by four squares of each color.

So my top is 4 by 5 blocks -- if I want it longer (4 by 6 blocks), I think I would need four more black and four more white squares.  I might be off one or two . . . . let me know!

So my quilt top is finished and currently on the "ready to quilt" shelf.  I stopped assembling  when I got four sections together as you see below -- it will be easier for me to quilt it this way. 

(Check out this recent post for a longer explanation of why.)

Okay, I have written and edited and re-read and edited and proofed and read it again. 

It's as ready as I can make it, but if I've left out something, raise your hand and leave a comment!

Share your test run on Instagram and tag me @hueymary and use the hashtag #mississippimudquilt

-- I want to see what you do!

And if you hesitated to buy the pattern at first, but now you are ready 

HERE's the link to my Etsy shop!!

Still mostly isolating up here in NEOhio -- have a good weekend!

Mary

Mississippi Mud Revisited

If you are familiar with my first pattern, Mississippi Mud (circa 1985), this new version breaks all of my old rules about the fabric selection!  

And how about that checkerboard border?!?

This design is a simplification of the traditional quilt block, Mississippi, which I found in Mary Ellen Hopkins' book, Even More Well Connected.  Mary Ellen introduced her teaching seminar students to a simple-to-piece "connector corner" in the mid 1980's.  It's a common technique today, but thirty-plus years ago, stitching a small square diagonally from corner-to-corner on top of a larger square to make a triangle was revolutionary!!

I eliminated some of the "connectors" in the original block because they bothered me visually and flipped the color values using lights for the star and darks for the background of the block.  The result was floating stars on a scrappy background that my students loved and they soon nicknamed it Mississippi Mud because of that jumbled assortment of prints used for the background of the first quilt.  It was such a popular workshop for me that I wrote a pattern and it has been a long-time best seller for me.

I've pieced this quilt at least a half dozen times over the years and between my versions and all the quilts my students have made, I know the larger the assortment of prints used, the better the quilt looks.  I would never use less than seventeen different prints.  

This "muckled up" (Mary Ellen's word) approach to the fabrics works best if you have a theme.  Examples include -- a mixture of batiks; or all 30's reproductions; or an analogous colors assortment (side by side colors on the color wheel - purple & blue, etc.); or a monochromatic color assortment (one color family).  I haven't tried using a designer's fat quarter assortment but I think it would work as long as any light background prints were left out.

I've always told students that medium to dark colors in small to medium scale prints make it easier to find a fabric for the stars that will pop against the muckled, scrappy background fabrics.

But when a student showed up with all the wrong fabrics several years ago during a workshop, I began to think differently.

She had lots of large scale prints which made it challenging to chose a fabric for the stars with a good contrast so the stars were obvious -- but after some experimenting, we came up with this effective solution!

At the time, it was just another opportunity to wrangle a contrary student who wasn't following my very clear instructions about fabric selection (are you smiling here?).   However, the seed of this successful variation has been germinating in my head for a while.

Another question that has surfaced on and off over the years is "can you use more than one fabric for the stars".  Well, it's easier if you don't (obviously).  I placated some of those contrarians by "allowing" them to use two different fabrics for the stars -- its easy to set that up so the two fabrics alternate in the finished quilt although I just looked through all my photos and apparently haven't actually done that myself.

So who knows what events led me to make this new version with a completely light background and thirty-two different star fabrics?  I think the "white with black" prints background idea started to develop while I was piecing Jen Kingwell's Long Time Gone sampler a couple years ago.  Then this past year, as I started working on the Kinship Sampler, since I was pulling out lots of prints from my stash, I started to cut pieces for two other scrappy quilts -- a multi-color stars version of Mississippi Mud being one of them.

As I started to piece the quilt top this winter, I had an idea to lead a sew-along with you to make your own version of this quilt.  It would require an edit of my pattern to update the suggested piecing tools and expand the layout options and I've done that!  My plan was to launch April 1 but the Covid19 shutdown interrupted that -- not because I wasn't ready, but everyone was organizing sew-alongs.  And then there is mask making?!?  I felt like launching one more sew-along would just contribute to everyone's state of "overwhelmed" -- I know I want to do them all and you probably do as well?

So here we are two months down the road we didn't know was ahead and I have a finished quilt top and a newly edited pattern uploaded in my Etsy shop HERE.

What shall I do?

Instead, I'm promoting the pattern today if you don't already own it.

(Sorry you missed the party with Mississippi Mud cake when I sold the 500th copy of the pattern.)

 

If you already own the pattern, the edit has been cosmetic for the most part so your copy is good.

The basics are the same -- cutting, assembly, all of it.

Then on Friday, May 29 I'll walk you through my piecing strategy for the blocks.

You can decide it you want to add this quilt to your "to-do" list.  But maybe the design variation ideas or my piecing strategy will give you ideas that relate to your own creative process?

So you decide and you benefit from it either way!

Grab a copy of the pattern HERE -- it's $6 US and a downloadable PDF with only one color picture.

Then pick through your scrap basket over the next few days and cut enough pieces for four blocks so you are ready to follow along next weekend and piece a few blocks to get the feel of my piecing strategy.

If you don't enjoy the process or aren't totally happy with your fabric choices, those four blocks will make a 24" square -- big enough for a nice dog quilt!?!

Fabric advice?  I've simplified my "rules" -- whatever you choose is good just make sure the star fabric contrast suits your eye!

Questions?  Leave them in the comments because someone else wants to know, too!

See you on Friday!

Mary

Linking up with Needle & Thread Thursday!!