Flying Geese Swap Report and Update

Flying Geese Exchange - November 2015
Flying Geese Exchange – November 2015

I have another batch of Flying Geese blocks to show. In light of my post on inspiration for this project, I also spent some time on Pinterest looking at Flying Geese quilts. I finally feel ready to start thinking about a layout. I am not sure I want to sew a quilt, but looking at designs is finally fun.

This group of blocks looks much more Autumn-ish than previous groups.

Flying Geese Inspiration

Moda Flying Geese Blocks
Moda Flying Geese Blocks

TFQ recently sent me a link to block that I really like made from Flying Geese. It was on the Moda Instagram feed and I can’t tell if it is a historic block or if the maker added another FG to a Dutchman’s Puzzle block.

We have been doing the Flying Geese Exchange, which I highly recommend, BTW, and I have started to look around for interesting design in which to use the Flying Geese. I have begun to start thinking about something interesting to do with the blocks. TFQ is clearly on the same page.

The blocks above are from the Moda Instagram feed. I have always liked the Dutchman’s Puzzle block and actually made one for my first Sampler quilt. This block puts a little twist on the idea, but it might be just enough to keep me interested.

Mary Fons posted a link to a block she made, which I originally thought would be great for our Flying Geese. After looking at it again, I don’t think it will work. I still like it, but there is an extra color that exaggerates the motion in the block. Our Flying Geese do not have that extra color. Of course, we could still put the block together, but  we would miss out on the motion.

Love of Patchwork and Quilting had a block made from Flying Geese (Issue 24, Darling Dorothy) that is mildly appealing. I don’t think it will work for me for a whole quilt.

So you can see where my head is with these Flying Geese. Any ideas? Any interesting ideas?

Good Progress – Fun Progress

I spent almost the whole day last Saturday working on the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks and the Red and Black Improv quilt.

I was really struggling with the Improv quilt and it was taking up space on my design wall so I wanted to get it done and off. Done and off the wall meant making more blocks. Somehow making more blocks has lost their appeal.

3 Carpenter's Wheels + a Stepping Stone
3 Carpenter’s Wheels + a Stepping Stone

I decided as I worked on the Carpenter’s Wheel blocks that I would intersperse pieces and parts for the Improv quilt and make some progress at least. I am so pleased with the progress I made! And I had fun.

The Carpenter’s Wheels are very cheerful and that makes them fun to make. I sewed the second block together (top left) on Saturday and am enjoying looking at the two blocks together while the third block is in process.

Improv Quilt - Late October
Improv Quilt – Late October

 

 

 

I had started out on these blocks, but the Improv quilt was nagging at the back of my mind, so, as I said, I pulled out some black and red strips and started to work on an Improv block in between working on the second Carpenter’s Wheel block. When I finally pulled my nose away from the needle and assessed my day’s work, I found that I had completed a whole side of the quilt! I only have three blocks more to make to finish the top!

This quilt is a monster, which should surprise nobody, which makes it hard to photograph, but you should be able to see some of the work and the progress. There will be no border and sewing the blocks together should be a challenge, but not so much of a challenge that I can’t do it. The seams will be long, but over quickly, I think.

I was doing such good work that I was angry that I had to leave on Sunday for a work trip. I was looking forward to the work trip, but it just came at an inconvenient time and I was hoping I wouldn’t lose my momentum, especially with the Improv quilt.

Design Wall Monday – mid October

I haven’t posted a Design Wall Monday for awhile, because there is no point in posting a boring design wall. I don’t think you should look at a boring design wall.

Design Wall Monday -10/19/2015
Design Wall Monday -10/19/2015
  1. Flying Geese – these are the most recent Flying Geese from my exchange with TFQ.

2. Stepping Stone block. I just put it up there for inspiration and because I like these blocks.

3. Most recent FOTY patches

4. Newest donation blocks

5. 3rd Carpenter’s Wheel block

6. 1st Carpenter’s Wheel block, which looks more like a quatrefoil

7. 2d Carpenter’s Wheel block

8. Donation blocks in process

I think my design wall looks quite cheerful at the moment and that pleases me. What project is on your design wall? Leave a comment with a link to a picture of your design wall.

I am linking up with the Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara.

October To Do List

Yes, this is the week of lists.

To Do List:

  1. Quilt Christmas table runner
  2. Wash fabric AKA The Great Unwashed-I washed more loads in September. I washed all the fabric I bought during the Great College Travel Adventure and have used a number of piece. Now I have a huge pile of the Great Unironed
  3. Make stiff bucket or box for TP in main bath
  4. Anna Maria Horner Multi-tasker tote (gift-due Holiday 2013- sigh. Missed 2014 deadline as well)
  5. Cut out 3 notepad covers for gifts
  6. Finish cutting out Day in the Park backpack variation
  7. Finish cutting out 3rd Petrillo bag
  8. Sew Bon Appetit apron
  9. Fix button on DH’s California shirt – he decided it was fine
  10. Art supplies Sew Together Bag
  11. Art supplies pincushion
  12. Purple Sew Together Bag
  13. Purple pincushion
  14. **More Christmas Pillowcases
  15. **Thanksgiving tablerunner #1
  16. **Thanksgiving tablerunner #2
  17. **Thanksgiving tablerunner #3
  18. **Thanksgiving table mat
  19. **ATCs for CQFA October meeting

To see the 26 Projects Lists, which list quilt WIPS, visit the October 26 Projects update. August’s To Do List has a couple of changes, which is heartening.

**New this time

Done in 2015:

  • Make stiff bucket or box for TP in second bath
  • Christmas pillowcases
  • ATCs for CQFA April Meeting
  • 3 Christmas pillowcases (from May list)
  • ATCs for CQFA January Meeting
  • Make binding for Pink T Quilt
  • Make two bags for gifts (January list)

 

Carpenter’s Wheel

Carpenter's Wheel drawing
Carpenter’s Wheel drawing

The other day I watched a Fons & Porter episode that had been saved on my Tivo. Deb Tucker was the guest and she was making the Carpenter’s Wheel block (quilt project is called Country Fair). She has updated the pattern to make quicker work of the piecing. I stopped the recording and gathered up pen and paper, drawing out the design as the show went on. I do that sometimes as much for the opportunity to draw as to remember a pattern I might want to make. I think the stars and lots of pieces made this block catch my attention.

The top drawing has a lot of mistakes, so I made the bottom drawing as the final, even though it is much smaller.

I really like Deb Tucker. She is smart, sensible, confident, excited about quiltmaking and doesn’t simper. I have her Flying Geese ruler and like the way it works. I haven’t watched any, but she has a lot of videos on her website. I may have to go watch a few. TQS has a recent episode with her that I’ll have to watch as well.

On the show, they use a ruler called the Square2 ruler, which Deb Tucker designed. They use it to make the Diamond Square units. I didn’t really want to buy the ruler before I could make the block*. I really just wanted to see what the block was about, thus the drawings.

Deb Tucker's Carpenter's Wheel on Fons & Porter
Deb Tucker’s Carpenter’s Wheel on Fons & Porter

I also took a photo of the block off of the TV. I didn’t think it would come out as well as it did. It is a good reference and they don’t have a good photo on the F&P website.

I am not a really big fan of the fabrics used, The look of the piecing offered enough interest for me to soldier on and fabrics are easy to change.

If you look at the block and break it down, it is not that difficult. There are squares, HSTs and Flying Geese. Change that Diamond square unit into two Flying Geese and there is absolutely no scariness.

It occurred to me that I could make one block and have it be part of the low volume challenge at BAMQG. I could make the one block into a cushion cover or something. I decided to try out one block. Not sure what, but something grabbed me and I wanted to make this block. Not a quilt. One block.

By my estimation it had 82 pieces and, once sewed, turned into about a 16″ block when finished. I decided to use the low volume mini-charm packs I bought at Quiltwork Patches in Corvallis, Oregon. I got a pang of fear and that fearful voice in my head started whispering “what if you need them for something else??” I ignored the voice, opened the packet and began to lay out the block.

There is JOY is using something right away or nearly right away. I am not sure there is joy in saving things for later. I’ll have to think about that and report back later.

My "Carpenter's Wheel"
My “Carpenter’s Wheel”

On Saturday, I made it. I reveled in the the piecing. I ended up making a version of what I saw and drew. I forgot some HSTs.

As I said, there are a lot of pieces in this block and, thus, there was a lot of cutting I had to do. I used some of the 2.5″ squares I have been cutting for the Goodnight, Irene pattern I plan on making, but haven’t started. There is always more fabric to cut, right? I used the opportunity of using the Flying Geese units instead of Diamond Square units to mix up the fabrics even further.

So, it is a version. I like it, but I forgot those HSTs. I am not bothered by my mistake as I like what came out. I like the cheerfulness and the scrappiness. I just want to see the block as Deb Tucker made it, but in my fabrics with the low volume background. That means I am making another. Just one more block. Perhaps another cushion cover?

A couple of worries: do I have the low volume concept down? Is it ok to have a low volume background and a bright and cheerful foreground?

and

The mini-charms aren’t washed. I didn’t smell anything when I pressed the parts as I made the block, which was good. I don’t have a rash, which was also good.

 

 

 

*It looks like Deb Tucker will have a booth at PIQF, so I’ll have a chance to check out the ruler sometime at the show.

 

Flying Geese Exchange

Flying Geese Swap - October 2015
Flying Geese Swap – October 2015

TFQ and I are still working on the Flying Geese exchange. We will through the end of the year, at least. I think for both of us this swap is keeping our heads in or keeping us on track.

It is nice to have something to do every week.

The FGs shown in this post are a combination of my contributions and TFQs. I think they go really well together. This group is very bright and cheerful.

I am not sure what I want to do with them. I have been looking at different layouts for all of these FGs and haven’t found one that I like yet. It is early yet.

More Improv Progress

Saturday and Sunday, when I wasn’t working on Michelle’s IRR piece, I was working on the Improv Quilt. I know both are Improv projects.

Improv Progress, September 2015
Improv Progress, September 2015

The last time I made any progress on this piece was over a month ago. That progress felt forced and unsatisfying even though I didn’t know it at the time. I had the piece up on my design, which meant I had to look at it and that frustrated me. Frustrated me, because I wasn’t happy with the work as well as frustrated because it was taking up my design wall. I need to learn to make smaller quilts.

This weekend’s progress felt good. It was fast and intuitive and right. The piece is starting to look like something I won’t hate looking at.

I am not sure the blocks will end up where they are placed now, but there is a good bet some will stay where they are.

Improv Corner Block
Improv Corner Block

One thing that happened to jolt me ahead in the process was that I laid in bed one night, trying to get to sleep. I spent the time thinking about this piece and made a plan. I decided I would cut a big piece of red to use as a start to make some corner blocks.

I wasn’t completely on board with making ‘B’ blocks for the corners, so I made corner blocks, which are similar to the ‘A’ blocks. I did what I thought would look good. I can always make something different, right?

I like the corner block shown at left, but I wish I had varied the length of the neutral strips more. I did a bit, but not enough. It will be fine once the rest of the quilt is done and I am not going to worry about it right now. I do reserve the right to change it if the design needs it later.

New 'B' Blocks
New ‘B’ Blocks

I did sort of learn from this block and the first two ‘B’ blocks. I didn’t want all the ‘B’ blocks to be heavy, so I varied the length of the strips to give them less weight — or less perceived weight. I also made the centers a bit more interesting. I want people to be interested in looking at the piece.

I have about 7 more blocks to make on this monster. I have some slim hope I can finish it by next week and take it to be quilted. I am laughing, but you can stop. 😉 I know it is a pipe dream, but I would like to move this project along.

Octagon 9 Patch Returns

After whining a bit about this project, I got back in the saddle and sewed a few 9 patches. I had to cut more grey, but that was easy enough and I took the opportunity to cut some grey for the Flying Geese swap as well.

19 9 Patches
19 9 Patches

Once you start, it is hard to stop. The good part was that I needed leaders and enders for the FOTY 2014 project and these were handy and required. I scavenged leftover foreground squares and made these 9 patches. I don’t know how many I will need to complete the Octagon 9 Patch top, but these will certainly help.

They also helped complete the FOTY top. Yes, it is done. I still need to do a few things, which will need to be done this weekend, but between the donation blocks and these 9 patches, I had plenty of leaders and enders.

I am in view of being able to put this project back on the design wall and I can’t wait to see it up there again and decide on next steps.

The O9P Hump

Math is a problem.

Well, math is a problem for me. I try to avoid it where possible, but as a quiltmaker, I clearly can’t avoid it all the time. I do have strategies. If my blocks are on the design wall, I can count them and don’t have to do actual math. I live with brilliant math geniuses to whom i explain my math problem and they figure it out. Usually, they say, “oh you just have to factor this number into….” then I am back sitting in 7th grade math class the horror that I could not understand the teacher dawning afresh. As a purely self preservation tactic, I start drifting off into color and visuals land while they sound like the teacher on Charlie Brown cartoon (WAH WAH WAH) in the background. I drift back when they give me the answer and everyone is happy. Well, at least I am happy. I don’t think the boys really care or not. They know they will have to explain the same concept to me again at some future date.

O9P Not on the Design Wall
O9P Not on the Design Wall

The problem really comes in when my blocks are not on the design wall and I can’t get a sense of where I need to go. I believe the last time I worked on this was sometime around the end of April. I think I got it off the design wall so I could work on Field Day Zipper and the Food Quilt #2. I don’t really remember.

It is pretty easy to just sew 9 patch, except for the hump. I need more foreground/colored squares. The problem is I don’t know how many I should cut so that I can finish the 9 patches I need and not have too many leftover. This means math and I have been avoiding it. Or I could just cut a strip off each piece of yardage and not worry about the leftovers. Isn’t as though there is a shortage of fabric in my house.

Lots of humps in my life at the moment.

This would be a great project to move forward on as I stitch the FOTY 2014 pairs together, so perhaps I should do some math?

FOTY 2014: Over the Hump

Sometimes a little whining goes a long way. I got down to business after my last FOTY 2014 post and am now sewing the piece together. Yes, the piece is arranged to my satisfaction and I am on to the sewing part.

My driving force: I need all the pieces to be on the design wall. At the moment the very top and very bottom row are hanging off. I also want the whole thing off the design wall and in the hands of Colleen. I need to move on to other projects. I need the design wall for other projects.

Is the piece perfect?

No.

Will I ever make a perfect piece in this series?

Probably not.

Will I keep trying?

Yes.

FOTY 2014: Final Layout
FOTY 2014: Final Layout

Before I started sewing, this photo shows the piece as it was laid out in the configuration in which I decided to piece it.

I worked on the layout for hours yesterday and then after I started making dinner, I deliberately did not look at it.

When I got back to my workroom the following day, I decided to look at it and rearrange the patches.

These quilts will never have a perfect gradation. The nature of the fabric, the color combinations in the fabrics and the motifs as well as contrast make perfect gradation difficult. Still, I have done a good job with the parameters of my challenge and I am pretty happy with the layout.

Some process photos. You have to look carefully to see the differences because they are subtle, but that is part of the process:

FOTY 2014 Frustration

I have almost had enough of this piece. Something drastic has to happen.

FOTY 2014 -Early September
FOTY 2014 -Early September

I had a couple of choices on projects to work on and FOTY 2014 was one of them. I took this picture on Thursday as a baseline for the weekend.

The piece has looked like this for a long time and it isn’t a bad look, but it isn’t finished either.

The red and pink look pretty good. The green area needs a lot of work and the purple is simply missing.

I decided to do one small thing as one small thing often leads to larger things, so I counted up all the patches, then I worked on figuring out how large the piece needed to be. I *think* the piece needs to be 16 rows tall by 26 rows wide. At the moment the piece is 15 rows tall by 24 rows wide. Easy to add two more rows?

No.

Some FOTY 2014 Work - early Sept.
Some FOTY 2014 Work – early Sept.

I got busy and started moving things around until I got to this point. The whole piece is filled in, which is a good thing. The green area still looks terrible, but it could be worse. The bad part is that there are 40+ patches on the floor. I have crammed some into the bottom rows, which is fine, but also not fine. I had to face reality that 26 x16 rows does not fit on this does wall and I need to do something else.

I really need all the pieces on the design wall in order to arrange the pieces the way I want them. I can’t just put the pieces up on the wall and sew them together and have a piece that I like.

I don’t seem to be able to think of very many options except to trim all the piece. The rectangles are large (5″x3″) and if I trim a 1/4″ off each side that will cut the size down and, perhaps, enable me to get all the pieces on the wall. I cut the rectangles that size to have them be 4.5″ x 2.5″ once sewn together and I kind of want them to be that size. I could cut them down to squares and forget my rectangle idea all together. I did squares for FOTY 2013 and I don’t think I want to do them again another year in a row.

Sigh.

Improv Progress

I am still feeling like I am in some weird in between place with my projects. There are projects where I am at a strange point that seems to be stopping me. I have to count up all of the FOTY squares and figure out how big I need to make the quilt. I need to cut some more squares for the Octagon Nine Patch, which has been languishing for, what feels like, a long time.

Improv Top in Progress
Improv Top in Progress

I decided to work on the Improv quilt again and get that project farther along.I finished a second ‘B’ and decided to sew it, along with the first ‘B’ block on to the quilt. I like what is happening and I can see where I go next, to a certain extent, but I think those 2 blocks look heavy. I might put them on the bottom, but I will see if I can lighten them up with more red on the three sides.

One idea I had from looking at the photo above is to make sure some red meets the red on the bottom and continues over almost to the corner. That will mean making that part of that corner side block last and making sure I remember. I think if I do that, there will have to be a bit of one of the black and white prints in the corner – or a strip of red alternated with black and white prints.

Improve top - turned
Improve top – turned

I also thought of making those blocks the bottom. Heaviness works on the bottom. The photo (left) is the same one as above, just turned so you don’t have to turn your head.

It looks ok, but I remembered that there will be other blocks on each side of those new ‘B’ blocks.

Yes, all the blocks are sewn together. I just wanted them sewn.

More Tuffet

Tuffet in process (3/4 view)
Tuffet in process (3/4 view)

I was so nervous about the fabric selection, but I am so pleased about how it turned out. I hope it will fit well with my living and dining room. My dining room is a rich red and my living room is a butter yellow, so this piece isn’t a perfect match, but it is an interesting combination of motifs.

My issue from the other day was seam allowance. You know that I have hard time actually reading directions and understanding them and the Tuffet directions were no different (all me, not Robin). I always assume a 1/4″ seam allowance, which, as a quiltmaker, is normal. As a real sewist it is absolutely not normal. In this case, the pattern had the seam line on it or I could use a 3/4″ seam allowance.

I had to unpick all the stitching that held the tuffet top together, but when I resewed, it looked like Robin’s description of how it should look.

Tuffet Button Cover
Tuffet Button Cover

I was running up and down the stairs, doing as much as I could while chatting with my Mom as she cooked (she was cooking the Y.M.’s last meal with her and the Big Guy and preparing a meal for us for later in the week. She is awesome!). One of the things I was able to do was make the button cover.

I fussy cut some flowers out of one of the Flea Market Fancy prints. The button blends in, which I might not do again, but I kind of like it.

I was thinking that Robin should print the patterns at Spoonflower and then people could just buy them without having to make the foundations as part of the class. I do think that there is an element of “becoming one with the pattern” that you get from drawing out the pattern, but printing them off of Spoonflower would be much easier and it might be less expensive than some of the other pattern choices Robin described.

I am thinking that I will make another so both DH and I have one to put our feet on. We will see since the class is tomorrow and I have to see how it goes.

FOTY 2014 Progress

FOTY 2014 - August 2015
FOTY 2014 – August 2015

The end of July has come and gone, which means that I didn’t make my original deadline. Still, I got back to the design wall over the weekend and worked on this piece. I decided to move all of the reds down towards the bottom, which meant touching almost every piece as I shifted the rectangles clockwise.

The biggest problem I have now is that I have a stack of blues that don’t fit on the design wall. I need to add them to the 9 o’clock position and there are many more than the 10 or so that look like they will fit. I need all of the pieces on the design wall so I can work with them all at once.

I may do some overlapping, but I definitely have to count the patches I have and figure out the size of quilt I need to make. Then I can figure out what I need to add to my design wall to design this quilt.