DOUBLE HERRINGBONE BOOK

 This month's Handmade Book Club's Book of the Month is this Double Herringbone binding and a leather cover.

I finally got mine done!  I had ordered this pink leather lacing and have been waiting for it to arrive so I could finish.  I was a little worried when it got here that it was too thick.  But I went with it and I love how it turned out.  I'm very happy.

I had found a vintage metal cloissone button, with green letters, in my Grandma Jennie's button jar.  It is perfect for this.  It was scary making the holes for the lacing and the button, but I did it. 

MADE A THING

 I made this little pin cushion today.

I wanted a small one just for my Spiral-Eye needle that I use when quilting on the longarm.  I use it to help tie and bury threads sometimes.

She says her name is Freydis.  She's made of wool, wool stuffing and a few beads.

WEEK 34

 I made time today to catch up on the Quilters Playcation 2024 improv block.  

SOLITUDE BLOCK

 I finished the block I started yesterday.  This is the Solitude block of the Solstice Sampler 2023.

18" by 18"

FOUNDATION PAPER PIECING

 I got out an old project and worked a bit on it today.

I did the Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) on one of the blocks from the Solstice Sampler 2023 kit I bought last year.  I'll finish the block tomorrow.

I kind of love just pushing waste onto the floor.

LOADED PEGASUS/BARS ON LONGARM

I loaded the Pegasus/Bars quilt onto the longarm even though I'm going to tie it.  I figured it would be easier to do that there instead of on a table or the floor.  (I'm too old to get down on the floor anymore).

So this is an all wool top, wool batting and a cotton backing.  I'm going to use Wonderfil Eleganza Perle cotton #8 thread, doubled, to tie it.  I made a little template to try to keep the stitching even and straight.  After sewing a few rows by hand I began to think I'm spacing the lines too close!  This is going to take a while.

It looks like I won't have enough of that color, so I'm going to use several different colors.  And, my hand is tired.

P.S. This Pegasus/Bars quilt is my take on the quilt shown in Roderick Kiracofe's book Unconventional and Unexpected: Quilts Below the Radar.

 

SNAKE QUILT DONE

 I trimmed the excess backing and batting from the freshly quilted Snake quilt.

Then picked a fabric for the binding.  I thought Kona Juniper, a dark green, would be perfect, but I had less than the half yard which I needed for the binding.  So, I added the little bit of Kona Pesto, a lighter shade of green.

I got the binding made and sewn on, it's done!

NO MORE SNAKE ON THE MACHINE

 I finished the last of the quilting on the Snake quilt.  It's done and it's off the machine.

Yay!

COLLAGE WITH SARAH

 Today was month 5 of the Quiltfolk BOM for 2024 - Break the Rules!

This month's guest was Sarah Hibbert.  She showed us step-by-step how she makes paper collages that she sometimes turns into quilts.

I was ready with my colored papers and paper scissors and followed along.

I'm so happy with this!

It's about 5.5" by 8.5"  It could be a quilt.

TERRIBLE TUESDAY

 I'm still working on quilting the Snake quilt.  I ran into a few problems so shut it down a little earlier than I wanted.  Maybe things will be better tomorrow.

But, it's Tuesday, so it was Cheryl Arkison's Quilters Playcation 2024.  I thought, no problem, I can do this.  But, I have to change her instructions for a square block into some for a rectangular block like I'm making.  I pride myself on know quilt math.  But, I really blew it today.  I cut the parts too small and was so mad at myself.  I steamed for a while and then decided to do something to use those parts anyway.

I had to add spacers in the middle.  It turned out okay - but, it wasn't what I started out to make. So, I still a bit disappointed with myself.

STILL IN LACONNER

 I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Burlington - a few miles from LaConner.  It was a nice room, quiet and a comfy bed - great shower!

In the morning I went downstairs and took advantage of the inclusive breakfast.  It was not good.  There's mostly gluten and sugary things to choose from.  The only fruit were bananas.  I got some scrambled eggs and a couple of dried up sausages.  Oh, well.

While I was 'enjoying' my breakfast I sketched some of the other folks having breakfast.

Since it was still too early to go to the workshop, I went into LaConner and sketched this cute little building, the Ice Cream Tower.

Then it was back to work making gelli prints in the workshop.  After lunch, about 2:30 I ran out of steam.  It's been a great weekend.  I've learned a lot and made some great prints.

I headed out around 4pm and drove right into traffic - it took about 2 hours to go the 54 miles to home.  But, it's nice to be back home.

GELLI JUBILEE IN LACONNER

 I left for LaConner first thing this morning.  I'm taking a Gelli printing workshop called Gelli Jubilee at the Gail Harker Center for the Arts.  I've got all of my supplies packed and in the car - gelli plates, papers, paints and various other things - two boxes full.

We got busy learning the basics and making simple prints.

We learned about different ways to make texture in the paints.  I took pictures of some of the ways that caught my attention and I can make at home.  

 

Daubers

Paper towels

I had lunch at the Thai restaurant across the street.

I had Red Curry Chicken with Rice and sketched the people sitting out on the deck.

BOX OF COLOR

 The next installment of the Color Box of Windham Artisan Cottons came.

FACING ON TRACTOR BEAM

 My poor Tractor Beam quilt has been languishing for almost a year.  I got it quilted, then folded it up and it's been waiting to be finished.  I got it out and trimmed it and cut some facing from the leftover backing and sewed it on yesterday.  I took it into the house and handsewed it down onto the backing yesterday evening, but didn't finish.

I continued working on it in between setting up the longarm to quilt on the Snake quilt today.  It needs to be done before Friday morning because I'm taking it to Puyallup to be in the Fair - along with a few other quilts.

I got it all sewn down by 4pm then took the lint brush to it and got the dog hair and stray threads off of it.  I think it is ready!  

And, I got the second row of the Snake quilt quilted.  A good day.

SNAKE FILLER

 I found some quilting patterns to use in the bowtie and quarter circle parts of the Snake quilt.

I adjusted them to fit and got busy quilting.

I got the first row finished.

BLOCK 33

I joined Cheryl Arkison at 1pm for this week's improv block, number 33 of 49.

 

QUILTING THE SNAKES

 I drafted a template to mark where I should quilt the arcs and then quilted the first row of snakes.

Then I spent most of afternoon trying to figure out how to quilt the other parts of the blocks.

LOADED SNAKE ONTO LONGARM

 I loaded the Snake quilt onto Erik the Longarm.

I decided to experiment and baste the whole thing before I started quilting.  The blocks are all the same size, so I straightened them and used a one inch baste and finished for the day.

FINISHED THE QUILTING OF SUNRISE

 I've been working on the quilting of the Sunrise quilt the last few days.  And, today I got it finished.

I noticed after it was done that I had won the thread-chicken game.  There was only a few feet of the top quilting thread left on the spool.

 Yea me!

HALF WAY?

 I got the last of the fussy, tiny pieced blocks made and sewn on.

It looks like I'm half done with the Dalek.  But, alas, not so.  There are still some of those parts that are not sewn into place.  But, I am very close.

THE REAL BLOCK 31

 Well, I was wrong about the block I made yesterday being number 31.  This week's block is the real 31.  Cheryl Arkison came on Instagram today to make up for missing yesterday.  She said she completely forgot!  

This week's is a leaf block made from mostly scraps.

I worked on the Dalek, too.  I'm not as enthused as I have been.  I pieced a small bit this morning, got frustrated and chucked it and started over.  That feels like I wasted half the morning.  But, I believe the second attempt is much better.  So, I guess that's something.  Once I get this half of the block done.  I will be through with the tricky bits.  Mostly.

The overlay becomes quite useful to make sure everything is where it should be.
This makes it easier to line up with the surrounding blocks.

BLOCK 31 MAYBE

 Cheryl didn't show up today for Quilter's Playcation 2024.  But, I did make the block from last week finally.

I think this is week 31, block 31.  I've lost count and she wasn't here to tell me.

FINISHED THE NEXT BLOCK

 I made the rest of the pieces for the Dalek block I started yesterday.  It's just a half block.  The ones below this need to be thought out and redrawn.

One more tricky part to do.

ON TO THE NEXT

 Making parts and pieces for the next block of the Dalek.

DALEK JOY

 I got this block finished today and put it up on the wall with the rest.

And its looking great!

But, can't stop now.  It's on to making parts for the next block.

These tracing paper overlays are a great help.

NEXT BLOCK STARTED

 I started putting together the next block.  This one might even be easier and faster.  There are less parts and pieces to this block, too.

Sewing tiny circle

This is going to be difficult.  I'll do it tomorrow,