Honeycomb Quilt

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Sewfrench

I’m not a lot further along than I was this time last week with my Honeycomb Quilt, straight from Malka Dubrawsky’s book Fresh Quilting. I have edited my fabrics down to more lights, solids and neutrals. I think I’ve calmed it down quite a bit. And enlarged it.

A lot.

Malka Dubrowski

I’m looking at queen size+ as opposed to the full/queen Malka made. Pretty sure there will be more fabric shopping in my future. I think I need more blender, midrange colors… Something that unfortunately has to be done in person. First I want to get this large chunk all sewn together making it easier to take with.

As for sewing them together, I am not doing it by hand as with a Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt and I’m not doing Y seams as in a Tumbling Blocks, but instead I sew the top and bottom seams all the way across, then attach the row next to it in a zig zag fashion, going the entire length. It is something I came up with years ago and it’s hard to describe, but gives perfect corners, without holes, like with a traditional Y seam.

How to sew a Y seam

Looking around the web, the closest I can see is how Kay Wood’s does it, check it out and make it work for you.

Then check out what everyone else is working on this week.

Posted in Books, Fabric Tuesday, Quilting, WIP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

So You Think You Can Dance?

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Sewfrench

~Day 52

Show me your best rain dance. Seriously.

We are lucky to have irrigation on our deck and to only be growing for fun. If we hope to put anything up, from the farmers’ markets, this year, the local farmers are going to need some serious rain.

Instead of spending money on flowers, this year, we opted to try container gardening, in pots. Something we’ve done on a smaller scale, for years, but stepping it up a bit, this year. I previously talked about our container gardening experiment here and here.

The garden is out of control in seven weeks! Pictures can’t do it justice so Amanda’s artistic photos will have to suffice.

Looks like it is past time to tie the cauliflower leaves over the heads. Three of the four have heads, one is missing?

This is the second planting on all the lettuces, including this arugula. Each planter/planting has made 12 good-sized salads. Not too shabby for a couple of bucks worth of seeds. We have five planters of salad greens, arugula and spinach.

 

The broccoli has not been a success. It looks more like broccolini. It is very sweet and tender. But it has not made much more than a little snack while watering. The dill is doing great. Should have planted more because we *love* to cook with it!

 

These are the little yellow pear tomatoes that we picked up at Grow Benzie. Aren’t they sweet??? My photographer, sure makes them look good!

And the tomatillo plant is HUGE! It has taken over everything near it! It has developed it’s little paper pouches. Can’t wait to make salsa verde. Last years was a learning experience and still a hit!

 

Peppers, peppers and more peppers. It is time to start harvesting the jalapeno. The sweet bell pepper and red hot chili peppers need a little more time. We’ve eaten several zucchini, maybe six or so. Not bad for a single plant, in a container, I say. There are several zukes that have totally turned yellow but are still quite small. I now see where something has burrowed into the soil near its base. I wonder if it has damaged the roots? Darn chipmunks…

  

Carrots have now been planted.

Radishes are long gone, a big hit.

Eggplants are covered in blooms.

Snap peas need pulled up, they have finished putting on. Peter has requested three times as many next year. Coming from a self-proclaimed pea hater, they were a big winner!

The beets and beet greens have been removed. Neither seemed to thrive. Really pitiful looking. They must not like being *contained*….

The celery and shallot experiments, with planting the kitchen leftover *trimmings*, are still growing and looking great.

The tomatoes are all coming on strong and looking like we’ll have a bumper crop of many varieties.

The green onions still look pitiful. Barely more than strings, but the shallots are busting out of the ground. I think we could plant a planter full of those and garlic, next year.

Eating our first two cucumbers tonight! They smell fresh and dee-licious!

The parsley and cilantro have both done poorly this year, barely keeping us in enough herbs to cook with. It must have to do with the heat. The basil is just now starting to go crazy. The mint, chives and thyme are definitely thriving and healthy!

So all in all it has worked out well to photograph and blog about the containers. I feel like I have a handle on next years plantings.

Now all we need is a good dance and some rain….

Posted in Cottage, Gardening, Landscape, Nature, Photography, View out my window | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Independence Week in Pictures

Posted on July 8, 2012 by Sewfrench

Hopefully you were able to enjoy some family time, too!

 

Two of the chickens Krystal, and Dustin, raised. They were so moist and delicious! Lemon pepper/herb and cajun.

 

A sunset boat cruise. Dustin just couldn’t wait to dive in!

  

Hammock time.
Glad someone turned off the irrigation!

John’s dog, Ollie, likes Amanda.
Or maybe she was the last one left on the deck???

 

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A Friday Finish

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Sewfrench

I was gifted Amy Butler’s Institches book, several years ago. It is full of a variety of simple projects. Pillows, purses, bags, throws, bathrobe, a shower caddy….  I hate to admit that I have only used it for one pattern.

But I have used that one pattern three times.

Sort of.

I rarely use a pattern, or recipe for that matter, as written. I love these lounge pants, especially once I cut the front waist down about two inches, the back about an inch and seamed the sides in about two on each side. It’s almost as if the pattern is written for someone 5′ 10″ and shapelier that I!

With this super warm weather, you dress for hot weather but come time to go in and cook dinner, the house starts to feel too cool for the tanks and shorts. Slipping into a pair of lounge pants is the perfect answer.

Lotta Jansdotter Echo

I picked up this Lotta Jansdotter Echo, Scattered Blooms in Navy, way back in the winter. I am so in love with this fabric, I didn’t want to cut into it. It’s a little heavier than your usual quilting fabric. Heavy enough that I made a shift back in February, out of one of her other colors and have since worn the tail off of it. I finally broke down and decided to cut into this piece. I added contrasting bands at the hem, Woven in Navy, because I could. And who can resist a 2″ elastic combined with a drawstring waist? Not I.

Crystal Lake, MI

They are great for early morning coffee, at the lake, too.

I love them. I’m so glad I have finally altered the pattern to where I can make them without trying them on 12 times. I am so happy I finally took this fabric out of hiding, where I can enjoy it more often.

You should try it. Get that favorite fabric that you are saving for “something” out and enjoy it, now!

You know there will always be a new favorite and it may even be sooner than you can imagine!

   

Posted in A Sttitch in Time, Books, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, fabric, Sewing, TGIFF | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

It’s like peeking in windows

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Sewfrench

only legal! And the exact window you want to peek in to, too!!

Oh, this is going to be a fun blog hop/tour to follow. I love getting to sneak a peek inside other people’s spaces.

Not to mention there are prizes, too! Who wouldn’t love a Pink Chalk gift certificate?? Check it out!

Squeal!!!!!
My Liberty of London fabric arrived yesterday!! UPS said it wouldn’t arrive until the 6th and it came on the 2nd. How about that for a nice surprise outside my front door?!

This is the fabric for the Liberty Charm Swap I recently talked about.

I’ve never owned Liberty of London fabric and as I previously said, the only time I have seen it was in ready-made clothes. JCrew, one of my favorites, uses it almost seasonally, But they rarely make it to the sale rack, in my size…. The weave it so tight, it is slippery, almost like a polyester. But with such a lovely hand to it. It is so gorgeous I’m not sure I even want to cut into it!!

Seriously.

But I will…. Hopefully I can get my charms in the mail today, before the holiday.

Posted in fabric, Fabric Tuesday, Sewing, studio, Where I Sew, Where I Sew | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What I’m working on…

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Sewfrench

I have joined a new group and am very excited that they are also on Facebook. It’s a very convenient way to keep tabs on the slower paced world of hand quilting. If you enjoy hand quilting or maybe are just curious you should check the group out. Looks like a place to get all your questions answered by some mighty fine experts!

Last week I picked up Malka Dubrawsky’s latest book Fresh*Quilting. I’ve followed her blog for years and am fascinated with all her hand dying techniques and fabrics. So this book was a no brainer. What I was totally not expecting, to find, was her Honeycomb Quilt. Yum, yum! A fabulous, oversized hexagon variation of a Grandmother’s Flower Garden. With the blocks no longer laid out in a flower pattern, I love how she still kept the connection to the garden. It was love at first site. I  headed straight to my nearest LQS, Interquilten,  and had the talented women there help me pick fabrics. Then I sped downstate to see what else I had to add to it.

I put in an Etsy order for some of Malka’s fabric, because I could not get it local. Actually, I had a tough time finding the yardages I wanted from any one seller! But Lily Rose Quilts had me covered!

I know I’ll be adding in cream or off white, maybe 5-10% of the overall blocks, to lighten it up. I may even add in some pale yellows and tans that I have of Kona. I’m wondering if Malka’s charms I show, in the photo below, are going to be too bold. My first thoughts were that this would be a very light, airy colored quilt, but my fabric choices don’t seem to be taking me that way! I know Malka used these in her quilt, so maybe I should just go for it?

Any thoughts?

Posted in Books, Celebrate Hand Quilting, fabric, Fabric Tuesday, Sewing, WIP | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Prince Charming

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Sewfrench

We’ve been sprucing up around here, flowers planted, weeds pulled, cleaning out the pond, getting ready for a house full of company. But I have been struggling with the little pond we put in, out front, several years ago. It’s a teeny, tiny pond, really, but it fits the spot and is fun to watch come back to life each spring. It doesn’t get much sun, other than the morning, so it’s a pretty big deal when the plants finally begin to flower. It’s got several little goldfish in it that we like to keep an eye on. I’ve seen a mink out there fishing, something else swoops down and picks out their dinner….

Every time I look out there, lately, there is a potted plant knocked over. Go out, set it back up, settle it in…. Look out or walk past, down again… These are pretty mature plants and when we sunk them we added rocks on top, which is what you do, like we do every year. We’ve never had a problem keeping them upright, no matter the visitors. Until now.

Apparently this fat little guy likes to jump on top of the plants and down they go….

No need to sneak up on him, he’s pretty arrogant. Just who does he think he is???

Theories pass. The frog remains. ~Jean Rostand

I guess I need to get out there and try something different…

Back at it…

Posted in Cottage, Landscape, Nature, Quotes | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Sunlight in the Gray Forest

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Sewfrench

…is finished!

Pearl set forth, at a great pace, and, as Hester smiled to perceive, did actually catch the sunshine, and stood laughing in the midst of it, all brightened by its splendor, and scintillating with the vivacity excited by rapid motion. The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate… ~The Scarlet Letter: Chapter 16: A Forest Walk

I want to thank everyone who had opinions when I asked for help to Name That Quilt. I really liked Matchsticks, suggested by Debbie, but something about a baby quilt and fire didn’t sit well, with me…. I was actually thinking along the lines Melissa was when she said Symmetrical Forest? Grayed Trees? (not sure why I’m seeing trees here!) lol Thanks Melissa for forcing me down that path of thinking harder!

And the back. I cut the selvage off, to remember the name, and now it is nowhere to be found. But I did do some pretty extensive searching, before I put it in a safe place, and didn’t find it anywhere on-line. I *love* this fabric!

I searched for a long time before finding this one at my, new to me, local quilt store, Attic Window. I had been in this store 10 years ago, or more, and they mostly carried Civil War reproduction fabrics. I decided to run out there again, because I can NOT believe Grand Rapids does not have any more quilting stores than the few I know about! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! It was bought out, several years ago, and while they still have all the repro fabric they also have all the newest lines, too! Many things I had only seen online. I got to fondle and leave my finger prints all over so many pretties! I have to let my credit card cool off before I can go back!

I couldn’t have been happier with the hand drawn leaves of this print I found near the register! I think it goes perfectly with the tree feeling of the front.

Now for the details….

Crinkled in at 41″ x 38″.

The quilt face fabrics are Kona solids. Don’t quote me, but I am pretty sure they are Ash, Coal and Butter. I do not have my Kona card with me, to double-check, but I will confirm and correct when I get a chance!

The splashes of color and binding is Pinfeathers by Carina Gardner for Northcott. Looking at it up close you can see that it mimics the Butter Kona.

Quilted with Aurifil, in a light gray. I am not sure how to read their colors, yet! My first time using this thread. I have to say it was all I had read and more. It is beautiful to work with. I’ve already picked it up in a creamy off white for my next project!

1/4 – 3/4″ organic freehand quilting using my walking foot took an hour and 10 minutes. Much faster than hand quilting, I do have to admit. I made up what I call miles and miles of continuous bias binding using one square yard of fabric. Elizabeth and I use the same method. I then stitched it on by machine and hand stitched it on to the back. You can never convince me I need to machine stitch my bindings, LOL! It only took about 30 minutes.

Batting: Organic rayon and bamboo blend by Fairfield, another first. Not cheap, but I did get it at 50% off. Still not cheap. A lovely hand to this and how fitting a choice for this quilt.

Organic, organic, organic… quilting, batting…. How appropriate for a tree quilt!

It seemed a little stiff after quilting. Well of course, you say. There is a LOT of quilting on this baby! After washing, it relaxed and crinkled to 41″ x 38″. It lays perfectly flat and I couldn’t be happier with the experience of machine quilting it.

Thanks for everyone’s design help! It wouldn’t be the same without it!

Linking up with:

Show Off Friday

Go be inspired!

Stay cool and make it a great weekend, everyone!

Posted in 2012 completes, A Sttitch in Time, machine quilting, Quilting, Sew and Tell Friday, Sewing, Show it off Friday, Show it off Fridays, TGIFF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Anyone up for a Liberty charm swap?

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Sewfrench

I have to admit, I have never been involved in a fabric swap. Heck I have only been involved in one quilt a long, and not when it was happening live, LOL! So when I came across someone thinking about putting together a Round 3, Liberty of London Charm Swap, I decided to be brave, pull up my big girl panties and get connected with other quilters. I have adored these fabrics forever, but could never make up my mind on which one I wanted to make a piece of clothing out of, so I never bought any. Actually over the winter I discovered that Brooks Brothers clothing store actually had quite a few pieces made from Liberty fabrics. I might have even drug my better half into a store, or two, to fondle them. So to say I am excited, about this, is an understatement!

The deadline for getting your 5″ charms turned in is July 13, so if you hurry you still have time! You need 16 charms in at least 3-4 prints, the seasonal ones were recommended, but you can read all about it over at Flickr. Click on Round 3 Discussion for more information.

I purchased my fabric from Purl Soho. Lots to choose from there!

And now I see that Pink Chalk Fabrics has new Liberty bundles, too.

So what am I up to this week? Besides catching up on housework, yard work, laundry….

Well, have  you poked around here recently? I’ve been busy trying to make my blog a little more presentable. I never realized how much goes into a good-looking blog! Not saying mine is good-looking, but I’m trying to at least get all my links to work, backtracking on tagging, which I didn’t realize how important they were to find specific posts, until recently, and on and on and on… Learning lots of new computer skills by Googling!  If you run across anything else that needs fixed, please do me a favor and point it out!

Several things are beginning to click. Hooking up with the Let’s Get Acquainted Blog Hop has answered a lot of questions and has been immensely helpful!

As for quilting…

Got this puppy quilted. I quilted 1/4″ inside and outside all the sashings and then again 1/4″ outside of those. So 4 rows of stitching on the diagonals using my even feed foot. They fall almost 4″ apart giving this quilt the most beautiful drape of any quilt, I’ve made, in recent years. I am shocked. I am usually an over the top, hand quilter, but this is nice! LOL! And fast! I have to tally up my time and I’ll get back with you when it’s finished. Next up, making the continuous bias binding, put it and and hand stitch it down. Hopefully while watching season 5 of The Sopranos! I’ll be glad to finally get this one washed up and all cuddly feeling.

Jane Austin quilt

Posted in Liberty of London charm swap, machine quilting, Quilting, Sewing, Uncategorized, WIP | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

I accept.

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Sewfrench

Amy, over at Amy’s Creative Side, dared us to show our messes.

I accept and challenge anyone to have more mess going on that I.  It doesn’t always look like this. Really, it doesn’t. Mostly not. Sometimes, but not normally. Okay, I create a lot. I prefer Cindy‘s description as seeds of creativity. Beautiful ring to it, yes?

Before I show you what is going on, know that I am not there now. *And* it’s not all *my* mess. I have a few projects on pause while we spend the summer at the cottage. I happened to be back yesterday, and today, for a couple of doctor appointments, hair cuts and the like (shopping in the big city, LOL) and barely had time to step in there.

I came in to take some pics for Amy while I did a little auditioning, for binding, on my Diamonds are a Girls’ Best Friend quilt. The winner is none of these. I found a round table skirt that was used, for years, about 20 years ago, and am giving it a second chance, at life, in this quilt. It works beautifully. Just wait and see.

Jane Austin quilt

Yes, I got it all quilted this weekend, too. Four rows of freestyle machine stitching along the sashings. Two rows in and two on the outsides. All 1/4″ apart using my walking foot. And yes, that is a stack of Kona left over from the last five(?) quilts, not yet put away. Why bother? Seems there is always another Kona solids quilt up my sleeve!

But to get into my studio, I first had to walk around this unnamed Kona wallhanging.

It’s no where near finished, but needed to find a paint color that would pop with it. Behr’s Chai Latte was the winner. It’s pretty much exactly the color of the darker rusty color, the top row of the lower right block~ish piece…..

Then had to work my way around this.

Artist daughter has been inspired lately and is glad I am not in her way, I am sure. Can’t wait to see the finished product. I am glad to see her out from behind her computer screen job, in her free time, and excited about creating art, in a favorite medium, again. That’s her floral piece, in the background. A Mother’s Day gift 2007. I’m sure their are better pictures around if you need to see it.

And taking up the width of the space between my cutting table and chair is an Amy Butler Kaleidascope quilt which I have been working on, every time, I am back in town. Not sure what I will do with it but I’m pretty sure it’s big enough to say I’m ready to piece it together! Yeah, we’ve been walking all over it, in the mean time… And if a quilt can be walked on now, it can be drug out into the yard for suntanning, or to picnic on or play under, as a tent, or whatever the owner wants to do with it, I say. The test of a well loved quilt, I say.

Amy Butler fabric

You can see I neglected to picture my overflowing trash basket, or selvedge bin, that has that has spilled to the floor, or my, desperately needing to be recovered, ironing board piled high with another prospective project…..

It’s bad.

I know.

I’m glad I’m back at the cottage where I can breathe a little easier, make quilt bindings and get some fresh finishes under my belt without feeling the need to clean, first. LOL!

Thanks, Amy, for giving me the courage to admit, I am a messy creative type and proud of it!!

Posted in Crafting, fabric, organizing, Quilting, Sewing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments