SECOND LETTER

 Here is my some of my process of making the next letter in this project.  As in the first letter, I'm using the original freezer paper pattern.  I divided this letter up into parts and made the individual parts and then sewed them all together.  Here I show just my process for just one part.

I take the pattern of the part I'm making from tracing paper and use tailor's chalk to mark the sewing lines onto the fabrics.

Then add a 1/4" seam allowance and cut the pieces out.

I pin the beginning corners together to line them up exactly.

I use an awl to keep the edges of the fabrics lined up.

With this method I can get pretty close to the pattern.

Then I cut the curve on the opposite side.

This curve wasn't laying flat.  I pressed it to show how it should have lined up, then re-sew in the crease. This will make it flat.

I pin the pattern and then trim. Starting with oversized pieces allows for some adjustments before trimming.

I didn't get the curve sewn perfectly on the line.  However it isn't that important in this project.  What is important is that the black is the correct width where it will line up with the section next to it so the line will look like one continuous line.

All of this oversized parts sewn together that now need to be trimmed.

I pressed the original freezer paper pattern onto it, lining up the important lines.

Then I trimmed a 1/4" seam allowance on the two sides.  I'll still leave the top and bottom until the whole piece is together.

MARKING QUILT TOP

 I have hesitantly decided to hand quilt the Hourglass quilt, Carpe Diem.  

So I set about pre-marking the top before I baste it all together.

I'm using my acrylic template set of circles to create a Baptist Fan quilting design using a water-soluble marking pen.

HOMEMADE TEMPLATES

 Darrell and I drew up some templates I wanted for a 14" Snake Block.  Well, I told him the sizes and he drew it up in his CAD program.

Today, he cut them out on his CNC.

Making the blocks will now be so easy!

The 1/8" acrylic being held on the CNC with double-backed tape.

I made two blocks, trying out the templates.

CUTTING ORANGE PEELS

 I spent the morning cutting the 'orange peel' shapes from the black with white 2-patches for the Crushing It quilt.  It was slow and monotonous work and I had to pay attention to the accuracy of my cutting, too.  I'm glad that's over with.

Today was a meeting of the Brave Patch Finish It Friday group.  I worked a bit on my DWTW2 that's been on the design wall all week.  I did make one block and got some great ideas.  But, I had to take it all down because tomorrow I'll need the wall for a workshop.

BOOK CLUB SUNDAY

 The Brave Patch Book Club met today to talk about the book we've been reading (looking at, because there's more pictures than words), Woman House.  

As usual, there was a lively, lovely discussion.

After, I sewed together some of the white with black squares for the Crushing It quilt I had stacked up. I cut them into their new shape.  That was fun.  Lots more to go though.

Just for fun I took the parts I had cut out and sewed them together.  No, I don't know what I'll do with them, but they will make interesting seeds for some new project.

AS WE GO

I've been working on cutting up these strip sets and turning them into Quarter Circle Arcs and parts.

It's fun.  But, I'm not sure if the colors are working, so I added some pizzaz.

 

CUT 'EM UP!

 Because I wasn't happy with some strip sets I made a while back from the scraps from my 23/24 bin.

I put them away in August and brought them back out today - to cut them up.  I got a set of 12" quarter circle arcs from WarmFolk that I thought would be perfect for them.

So I cut them up.

But of course, I had to add some other fabrics.  

SHALL WE CALL THEM THORNS?

 Another 'row' on the petals.  I made these 'thorns', but I can't sew everything together yet.  I need to start working on the background that will be pieced in between them.

MORE SCRAPS AND MORE

 Cutting out all of these curves and strange shapes produces a lot of scraps.

And trying and rejecting different colors does too.

Here's how it ended today.  The last few rows are not sewn on yet.

MAKING TEMPLATES

 I finally got around to making the freezer paper templates for my upcoming project (no name yet).  It's a design I saw on Instagram made by graphic designer, Matt W. Moore.  He has given me permission to make a quilt from it.

Darrell made the file which I sent to a printer who printed it out very large.

First, I traced the design onto freezer paper.

Then I marked all of the parts and pieces with orientation, registration marks and which color fabric it should be.

LONG DISTANCE WORKSHOP

I took a workshop, this morning, with PapperSaxSten, Jenny Haynes.  She was broadcasting from the UK and there were participants from all around the globe.  Some had to rise very very early, some were participating in their evenings.  I was lucky in that it started at 9am for me.

She was teaching us how to make her Floating Stairs quilt.  She discussed drafting the pattern, and different variations.  She showed us how to use freezer paper for paper piecing and talked about sewing curves.

It was a very informative class and I really appreciated her expertise and willingness to share.

I haven't started my project yet, but soon, I hope.

SUNDAY

 I worked a bit on quilting Ribbons.

I finished the backing for the Pegasus quilt, one from Joe's Quilt Freedom Workshop.   I love it.  Still need to put a label on it.

And, to top off the day, I made another silly doodle sketch with watercolor.

PI SLICES

I finished off the Alphabet block I had started yesterday.

Then I got serious about the Pi quilt.  I cut lots of strips.  Now I just need to cut out 2400 + parts and sew them back together.  

I had printed out a circle divided into twelve sections and drew 4" and 5" squares on it, because I hadn't decided what size I was going with until now. They are going to be 4" squares.   I made templates from this.  I only need a "one" and a "two".  The "one" works for 4, 7, and 10 also. The "two" makes up the 2, 5, 8 and 11.  

From the big pile of strips I cut, I used those templates to cut out parts for the  177 blocks needed.

And sewed them together.

I trimmed those squares down using the Drunkard's Path templates I got from BettyCrockerass.  I marked the 'one' and 'two' lines on this quarter circle using the 'clock' printout above.  I used a pigma pen to make the lines, but they still were rubbing off, so I put transparent tape over them.  

What I really like about these templates are the holes used for marking.  When I trim, I also mark the center with a small pencil dot.

WORKED ON THREE TODAY

I got up to the studio earlier than normal, before my morning walk.  I got the 'Nashville' block, that I had started yesterday up on the wall, then took the dogs to the park.

We woke up in a cloud this morning.  No, really.  This part of the world is completely engulfed in a cloud.   Everything is very wet, and it's only raining under the trees.

Back at it, I pieced the arc of the 'Dome' block and half of the yellow around it.  I'm not sure about the color of the 'melon' piece, so I just stuck it up on the wall to see how it looks with everything else.

Then, amazingly, I still had time to work on the next one, 'Ceiling'.

TWO MORE

Saw this on my morning walk at Lincoln Park:

October Love

I got two more of the Carolinas quilt blocks cut out today.

First, the 'Harness' block, was an easy one with big pieces.

I was hesitant to start the next one, 'Carriage Ride' - it has little round pieces, which I knew were going to be difficult.  But, I can't avoid it forever, so I jumped in.

I went ahead and pieced together one of the circles to see how it would work.

It turned out all right!  I hand stitched the pieces together first, with contrasting thread, then sewed it on the machine and picked out the basting thread.  

Here's the block so far.

I had to finish up for the day.  I got most of the pieces pinned to the template and up on the wall.

After staring at it for a while, I made some changes.  The dark purple on the Turret block bothered me, so I changed it out to 'Gumdrop' a light purple.