WINTER IS FINALLY DONE

I put in approximate 7 hours and 40 minutes to hand sew down the binding onto the back of the quilt.  Yeah, I was surprised it took that long, too.  But, it's always a very relaxing and gratifying chore.

I finish a quilt with a touch of satisfaction and a touch of sadness.  It's over, I won't be working on it anymore.  Time to move on.

TURNING A TOP INTO A QUILT

I finally got around to finishing the back for my Connecticut Winter Quilt and last Saturday I pinned the three layers together.  As per my usual method, I clear out the tables and stuff from the studio, clean the floor and tape the back taunt to the floor, spread out the batting and smooth down the top then start putting safety pins all over 2-3" apart to hold all three layers together:

Bentley helped

sorta....

I've been putting off starting the quilting because I haven't made up my mind how to quilt it.  I always get stuck here.  The problem is the quilt is big, which makes it difficult  to get through the machine.  I was thinking about doing a 'fan' pattern.  I've done that before on another quilt that was all squares and it really turned out nice.  It's a lot of marking the quilt, stopping and tying off, and making sure the pattern stays square with the quilt.  I decided against it because the quilt is just so darn big.  Which leaves me limited to easy patterns using the walking foot.  So that's what I did - I took the easy way out...because it's just a quilt for using, it's not a show winner.

I just followed the outside line of the 'fiddlestick' in each block, making it up where it was going the other direction.  

This is pretty easy since you can go from side to side.  Once I got one direction done I turned it and started in the other direction.

close-up of the quilting on the back on my hand-dyed fabric

a bigger section of the back

I should have it all quilted by tomorrow, then I'll start on the binding.  

LAST ROWS ON WINTER QUILT

As I started putting the last blocks up on the wall, I realized I didn't have enough variety.

Arrrrgh.  It was back to making more blocks.

I hate going backwards, but I only needed a few and I had lots of parts, and it only was a short set-back.

Having a few extra blocks to pick from really made a big difference in how it looks anyway.

I started the day so excited about getting it finished, but it seemed like there was set-back after set-back.  Just little things, like breaking a thread, spilling water all over everything....you know, annoying little things, and I think I'm still tired from the big push yesterday.   And, I'm tired of being in the house all the time - I need a good walk!

Enough whining.

Here it is, too big to fit on my work wall, so it's flowing down onto the floor.

This is Connecticut Winter Quilt:  (the top)

I really am liking how it turned out.


Hours today sewing were only 3.5, and 1.5 hours dyeing some fabrics for the back.  That brings the grand total to date to:


drum roll, please...


76 hours!


Turns out, the sun came out this afternoon, and Lucy and I were able to get to the park for a very nice walk.  Boy, did I need it.  Lucy wasn't too happy about the snow and ice, and her muddy belly.

SECOND AND THIRD ROWS

Back at it, after finishing up Victoria's projects.


Here's the next couple of borders.

I got the second side, opposite the last one.  Then I flipped it sideways, so it would fit on my work wall, and added the third row.

1/19 trimming - 0.5 hours
1/20 piecing - 3.0 hours
1/20 piecing - 3.0 hours
1/20 dyeing - 0.50


I'm tired.


Total hours so far - 71.0 hours.    Almost there!

ICE DYEING ON A SNOW DAY

Wednesday, this week, we got 5-6 inches of snow here at our house.  The Seattle-Tacoma area was slammed with 5 to 12" of the cold white stuff.  It brings this town to a standstill.  Since it was treacherous to go out and I didn't need to, I made good use of the time, spending it up in my studio, sewing.

Then on Thursday, we got freezing rain on top of it.  

Since I'm working on my Connecticut Winter Quilt, and I'm getting close to finishing the top, I naturally started thinking about the back.  I knew I didn't want to use the leftover fabrics - then the back would be too much like the front.  And, I really don't want to buy fabric for it, because all of these fabrics were purchased while on our trip to Connecticut last winter.  That leaves just one option - dye my own!  I love this idea.

As my mind wandered while piecing the many blocks into rows, I thought remembered ice dyeing.

I had done a little of that a while ago - and the fabrics where beautiful.

I started some fabric heating in some soda ash mixture.

Then I let it drip dry for a short while.

I got out a large tray and over that I put an old window screen, where I arrange the folded prepared fabric.  I was thinking about using it as binding, so I folded it into strips, thinking that when cut on the diagonal for binding it would look very nice.

And then I headed out to get some of the 'local' ice.

  Brrrrr.  With bucket in hand, I smashed through the thick ice crust and broke some up and brought it in.

I had to break it up into even smaller pieces - it was soooo cold  - and arrange it over the fabric.

Then sprinkle the dye over the ice...

And wait, and watch as it melts.....

....and drips dye onto the fabric beneath....

...and does weird and magical stuff....

...it is so beautiful to watch as it slowly melts....

Then, the next morning, the ice is all melted into the tray below and the fabric has absorbed the dyes.

The dye-design on the fabric is like none you'd get in a conventional way...

Here's some close-ups...

Beautiful and strange and so much fun.

SNOWED IN

Well, the storm came and we are officially snowed-in.  I should say we choose to be snowed-in.  There's no school (in the whole state I heard), I don't have to work this week, Darrell works right outside the backdoor.  So, there's no reason for anyone to go anywhere - which is good, because when we get 5-6 inches of snow like this the roads are impassable.

I spent my morning adding another row to the quilt, and the afternoon working on a sewing project with the granddaughter, Victoria.

It's getting bigger...

Only 2.75 hours today.  Bringing the total hours to 64.

SECOND SET OF ROWS

Another day back at it.  I'm really liking how it's turning out.

Today I spent 3.25 hours piecing rows and trimming blocks.


Total altogether - 61.25 hours

WORKING ON WINTER QUILT

It's going to snow!

The city is planning for a big snow storm, and I'm on fire to get my Connecticut Winter Quilt finished.

How appropriate to be working on my Winter quilt in the snow, huh?

I pieced the middle lights and added the three medium rows.

Then I had to stop and trim some more blocks

Total hours today - 4.25 hours

TRIMMING THE BLOCKS

I pieced all 700-something of these blocks over-sized so that I could re-cut the blocks so that the center slash through them would be on an angle.  (It would have been way too difficult to cut and piece all those weird angles - this way used more fabric, but probably doesn't take any longer, even figuring in all the trimming, and at this point I'm all about using as much fabric as possible).

I did this at work on the weekend, when it's really slow, in my spare time - but don't tell my boss.

I went out and specially bought this little rotating cutting mat.  I opted for the least expensive one, because I figured I'd only need it rarely.  The Olfa mat was like $40, and had ball-bearings, I think.  This one, I won't say what brand, just rotates on another mat below it.  Doesn't work very well at all.  In fact, I didn't use the rotating feature.  I needed to cut all the way around this 4" ruler, so I just stood up over the table and was able to cut all the way around without moving the mat or ruler (wasted money on the mat).

I ended up having a really difficult time cutting because of the seams in the middle of the block.  The ruler wanted to rock, and it shifted easily.  I had to be very careful.

When I got home Saturday night, my husband Darrell gave me some sticky-backed sandpaper and I put some little squares on each corner and it was a lot easier on Sunday.  Sunday, the weather was bad - it was snowing here and there and we got very little business.  Most everyone was sitting around doing nothing (in my office).

I got all of the lights, and most of the mediums cut out over the weekend.

January 14 - 3.00 hours total

January 15 - 4 00 hours total (in little fits and spurts)

Total hours up to now - 53.75 hours

FINISHED THE BLOCKS!

Finally, in a flurry of piecing, I managed to get all of the blocks pieced for my Connecticut Winter Quilt.

I need 675 blocks for the quilt top - I made extras.

January 2 - 3.25 hours

Total hours - 46.75

Now there's a lot of trimming to be done.

PIECING MEDIUM COLORED BLOCKS

Here I am back on the Connecticut Winter Quilt, keeping track of the hours as I go.

December 10 - .75 hours piecing
December 11 - 1 hours piecing

Total hours - 43.50 hours

ON TO THE MEDIUMS

I finished piecing the light blocks and have moved on to the medium colored blocks on my Connecticut Winter Quilt.

November 27 - 1.5 hours to finish the lights
November 27 - .5 hours cutting and sorting
November 27 - .5 hours starting on the mediums

Total up to date -  41.75 hours

PIECING THE LIGHT BLOCKS

It's been a while since I worked on my Connecticut Winter Quilt.

I'm piecing the light colored blocks.

November 13 - 2 hours

A COUPLE MORE HOURS

Still keeping track of hours on my Connecticut Winter Quilt ...

August 2 - 2 hours piecing
August 3 - .75 hours piecing

Total so far - 37.25 hours (but who's counting?)

MORE HOURS

Still keeping track of my Connecticut Winter Quilt hours - 


May 10 - 1.5 hours 
May 11 - .75 hours

Total hours to date - 34.50 hours

CAMP HUSTON RETREAT

I packed up all my sewing stuff - my machine and tools, packed up the stuff for my Snitzels and my Connecticut Winter Quilt and headed north to spend a few days with the Snitzel gals at Camp Huston.

There's a large room where everyone set up their 'stuff' and set about working on Snitzels, quilts and whatever, long into the night (and in my case, early in the morning).

I mostly worked on my quilt - put a lot of hours in.

Everyone spread out their stuff and got busy working

There were even demos

My space over by the window

I couldn't sit and sew all day, so I went out for walks in the beautiful surrounding woods (rain forest).

April 27 - piecing 1 hour


April 28 - piecing 2.5 hours
April 28 - piecing 2.25 hours
April 28 - piecing 2  hours


April 29 - piecing 1 hour
April 29 - piecing 6.5 hours
April 29 - piecing 1 hour

Oh, my aching butt...


Total hours, so far - 32.25 hours (still making lots of little blocks)

KEEPING TRACK OF HOURS

Cutting fabric and sewing on my Connecticut Winter Quilt and keeping track of the hours...

April 16 - cutting 5.5 hours

April 22 - sewing 1 hour

April 25 - sorting and cutting 1.5 hours

April 26 - piecing 1.5 hours

Total all together so far - 16 hours

CUTTING MORE FABRIC

I cut the rest of the fabric up.  The next step is to sew some of it together.  Then I'll re-cut the blocks.

Time today - 1.5 hours

Total hours - 12 hours

CONNECTICUT WINTER QUILT STARTS

I'm starting on a new quilt and this time I'm going to keep track of how many hours I put in.  People are always asking me how long it takes to make a quilt, and I never have an answer.  So, now maybe we'll get some idea.  I know a lot depends on the complexity and size.  But, I think this quilt is pretty average for what I usually do.

So far, I've got about a day into buying fabrics.  Should we count that?  If I was in this to make money, I'd have to factor it in, as my time is worth money.

I've got receipts for the fabric - do I want to know the total I spent?  Should I put it out here where everyone can see what I spent?  Okay, here it is:  I managed to spend $328.42 in the six quilt shops I went to in Connecticut.  You can see my Connecticut Shopping Spree at http://terrypeart.blogspot.com/2011/03/shopping-spree-in-connecticut.html

I've got pretty near 30 yards of fabric, so I'll have some leftovers.  But, I also will need fabric for the backing, and I'll need batting.  I'll use some of the leftovers for the back, but I don't want the back to be all the same fabrics as the front.

I've been thinking about what pattern to use off and on for months and one pattern kept coming back up over and over.  So, I'm going with it.  I spent about a half hour doing some drawing and figuring and then started cutting.  I cut fabric for four hours, then I had to stop because it was dog-dinner time and Lucy was insistent that we go in the house.  And besides, my arm was getting very tired.  

Hours at this point:

Shopping 6 hours

Figuring .5 hours

Cutting  4 hours

Total 10.5 hours and counting.

SHOPPING SPREE IN CONNECTICUT

We went to Boston and then Manchester, Connecticut.  Darrell was teaching a class in Manchester (Boston was the vacation part of the trip). While he was busy making money (that paid for the trip) I was on my own for two days.  So, I went fabric shopping with the intent being to make a quilt commemorating the trip.  

As I drove around, from quilt shop to quilt shop, I looked at the scenery and absorbed the colors.  Then while buying fabric, I tried to buy prints and colors that reflected what I saw.

I must say, the GPS machine made my mission so much easier.  I just programmed all of the quilt shop addresses into it, hit the 'optimize' button.  It reorganized them, and then I just drove where it told me to go.  I was on a lot of secondary roads and saw some wonderful scenery.  

When I took these pictures I was trying to capture the colors of the landscape.

First stop, Quilters Dream in Willimantic, CT.  

It was a very nice shop set in an old house on a corner of what appeared to be a main street.  They have a great selection of fabrics, books, lots of patterns and sample quilts on the walls.  This is where I picked my 'focus fabric' - a fabric I would use to take into the other quilt stores and try to pull colors from.  I picked a fabric that was a little vintage looking and I also grabbed a group of 8 fat quarters that are reminiscent of 'Colonial'.  I was thinking I'd try to reflect some of the history of the area also.  Below is the fabric, the large piece across the bottom is the focus fabric.

 Oh, and I'll add that I bought a yard of the focus fabric, everything else will be half yards, except for the set of 'vintage' fabrics, which are fat quarters (on the left).

Next stop was in Glastonbury, Close to Home Sewing Center.

I was a little worried when I saw the outside of this place in a strip mall.  But inside, I was pleasantly surprised.  The front of the store is dedicated to Home Dec and selling blinds.  But, the rear of the store is a wonderful selection of quilting fabrics.  The people working there were very friendly and helpful.  I found a collection of William Morris fabrics that I had a hard time keeping my hands off - but I did find three that fit into the theme.  It is a great store and here is what I bought there:

Next stop didn't fit into the quilt shop category, but when planning this online I took what I found.  I didn't realize until I walked into the store at Rocky Hill.  It is called Affordable Fabrics, and that's probably because everything in the store is only $1.99!  See the sign in the window on the left?

The catch is you have to buy one yard minimum.  They have mostly fashion fabrics, but I did find a few cottons I could live with and one questionable one, but I love the colors, it's the one on the right below.

Next up is Lisa's Clover Hill Quilts in Berlin.  Berlin Connecticut, that is.

Another great quilt store with a very nice selection of fabrics, I had a hard time controlling myself.  She has a great selection of batiks.  I wanted to get more than I did, but I don't know if batiks go with colonial...?  Here's what I limited myself to:

The next stop seemed a little farther off than the rest, it's in Simsbury.  It was a lovely drive out there and there are these fantastic looking huge Sycamore trees lining the street as I got near the shop.  They were so beautiful, silver and white, and majestic. 

The quilt shop, Sew Inspired,  is located inside a small shopping mall which is mostly restaurants.  It's a wonderful store, they have a very fine selection of fabrics.  I think I'm getting farther from 'colonial' and more towards what I like.  

The people were very nice and gave me a shopping bag with the store's name on it.  They said I was the customer that had traveled the farthest that day!  And it's a good thing they did, because there wasn't room in the suitcase for all this fabric and I ended up carrying it all home in the bag!

That was all my travels for Saturday, but Sunday there was one more shop, in Vernon called Quilting By The Yard.

This place was something else.  It has a really fantastic selection of fabrics, but they are all over the place.  They are leaning against the racks, lined up out into the aisle ways, making it hard to maneuver around or see anything for that matter.  They have a huge selection of batiks, but they were all disheveled every which way.  The gal said it was because they were on sale (20% off) and people had been buying them like crazy.  But, all the shelves of the other fabrics were the same way.  While I was there I wanted so badly to start straightening things up!  Old habits, I guess!  I even thought about asking them if I could hang and just put things away, but decided against it - they'd think I was just nuts.  Don't get me wrong - I loved the store and highly recommend it.  It's just quirky.  I think I found more to buy here than anywhere!

Well, that's my fabric frenzied weekend.  Stay tuned for the Connecticut Quilt updates.  Already there are ideas buzzing around my head.