Tag: BAMQG

Machine Quilting on Zoom

We had a guild meeting on Saturday. Our speaker was Christina Cameli. She is a machine quilter and I wasn’t that excited, but I really loved the presentation and her.

She had the guild send photos of several people’s quilts. People sent quilts where they needed help with the quilting. I was amazed and impressed with her suggestions.

I liked her because she was very calm and listened to the people engaged with her. The presentation seemed to be about the quilt and not about her. She used Adobe Draw to write/draw on the images. This was an effective way to show what she was thinking.

I really liked her suggestions for Gerre’s quilt. Christina asked what Gerre was thinking and what kind of quilting she enjoyed, such as FMQ, walking foot, straight line, etc. This is a quilt Gerre started in the Jen Carlton Bailly class. I love the bold prints she used. Christina suggested putting leaves and flowers in the curved pieces. I thought that was brilliant and Gerre liked the idea, too. I thought the idea was really innovative, but fit in with the spirit of the design.

Melinda R's scrapbuster quilt
Melinda R’s scrapbuster quilt

Melinda showed a scrapbuster quilt. Melinda talked a little about her thoughts. Christina shared that she felt like the brown vertical strips were bars and she suggested wavy lines to soften them. I thought the brown lines were quite dominant so this suggestion was a good idea. I couldn’t get over the thought that this was the back of a quilt and not the front. Of course, it isn’t my quilt, so my opinion means nothing.

Maria's Radiate quilt
Maria’s Radiate quilt

I am not sure how Maria felt about these suggestions. I am not a fan, though I think the vertical lines in the upper left are effective.

Pati's Graphic Black & White
Pati’s Graphic Black & White

Pati had a bold, graphic quilt to show. I thought the lines following the stair step piecing what what I would do. I really like the diagonal lines Christina suggested. They are unexpected, after seeing the stair step quilting, but fit in with the implied diagonal on the checkerboards.

Christina really thought outside of the box, but not in a weird way. The quilting designs she suggested were in line with what the quilt needed.Ii was very impressed.

You can find Christina on Instagram at @afewscraps.  I was impressed with the four books she has written, the multiple online classes and television demos before I knew she was also a nurse-midwife and the single mom of two kids. I am even more impressed with her now. Her books are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blue Improv Good News -Bad News

Blue Improv Donation Top - Finished
Blue Improv Donation Top – Finished

The good news is that I have finished the Blue Improv donation top. The bad news is that it isn’t going to end up as a donation top.

My SIL came over on the weekend and when I showed her this top in progress, she examined it minutely. Then she said that if this were pillows, it would look great on her sofa. Why not? I really like this top and would love to see it  on a regular basis. I am going to make the top into pillows. They will be about 20×20. I was thinking of making 4 of them, but I may make two and have both sides be improv pieced.

I’ll have to make it up to the guild.

Most of the Traffic Jam #2

I have all of the Traffic Jam #2 blocks done. That doesn’t mean I am able to show you them all, but most are available for viewing. Somehow I am missing 5 of the blocks

Now I need to find some sashing fabric and put the top together. I think I’d like to try making one of these tops with a darker background. Not necessarily black, but with a color rather than just white.

First Catch All Caddy

This post should have really been the first one I wrote about the Catch All  Caddy class. I should have posted it before the Baseball Catch All Caddy post. I realized that my mom, to whom I planned to gift it, reads my blog and I wanted it to be a surprise.

Paint Tube Catch All Caddy
Paint Tube Catch All Caddy

As mentioned in the Baseball Catch All Caddy, this was the project from my first Zoom class and I really liked the pattern. Lynette taught the class and she did a great job. I was impressed with her overhead camera set up (she used her iPad on a tripod). I need to figure out that kind of setup for when I teach. Things take time.

I used the color scheme of the original, because I really like that slate grey. I used a Cotton Couture solid from Michael Miller. It was easy to work with, though I didn’t like the fact that the holes where the basting stitches had been showed even after I took them out.

Instead of making a scrappy border for the pocket, I used one piece of fabric. It is the paint tube fabric that goes with the set of bags and holders I am making for my mom. I was actually glad to add this one to the group, because I am running out of useful bags to make for her. She really liked t he bag and thought she might use it to carry a project between her recliner and her sewing room

Paint Tube Catch All Caddy
Paint Tube Catch All Caddy

The bag went together pretty easily, which was why I could make two in one day, though I did cut the fabric for this one the day before the class.

I kind of like the simplicity of the bag and the opportunity to highlight favorite fabrics or scraps on the pocket border. I was thinking that I could use ribbon as well. I have some of that Renaissance Ribbon and this project would be a good way to highlight some of it.

I had some trouble with the lining, but was able to fix it when I closed the turning hole. I don’t think Mom will mind.

Blue Improv Donation Top Progress

Blue Improv Donation Top in process
Blue Improv Donation Top in process

I made good  progress during the week on this top. It is a lot of sewing since the scraps are mostly pretty small. I have only gotten it up to 30×35 inches, which isn’t large enough for a baby quilt and on the small side of what I like to donate. I went through the scraps  on my cutting table (a big pile I really need to deal with) and found more blues. I am hoping I have enough to make one more 5 inch strip so the top will be 35×35 inches. I can think about whether to put a border on it after that.

Somehow the title of “My Mind on COVID” is the way I have started to think about this top. There is some cohesion because of the colors. Beyond that, the piece looks fairly chaotic. My mind isn’t chaotic all the time, but the unknown of the future does bring a sense of chaos to my mind.

Aside from getting a top out of the process, I am also doing a good job of cleaning out my blue scrap drawer I can see the bottom of it!

Blue Improv Donation Top Returns

Blue Improv Donation Top - early October 2020
Blue Improv Donation Top – early October 2020

After several weeks of not working on this project, I got back to it during the guild’s Community Quilt Sew Day on Saturday. The top is now 22.75 x 24.5.

I have some large chunks that I worked on which are not yet attached. Working on two donation tops at once is difficult. I don’t feel like I am making progress on either. I need to finish one up so I can focus on the other.

Traffic Jam Continues

Traffic Jam 2- Block #2
Traffic Jam 2- Block #2

I am feeling guilty about the Blue Improv Donation quilt, but somehow I can’t seem to get back to it. My reasoning for working on the Traffic Jam blocks is that I need to get rid of the 2.5″ squares that are preventing me from closing my bin of donation squares.

I’ll get back to the improv quilt eventually. In the meantime, I am using up squares from various Bonnie and Camille lines, mostly.

Traffic Jam 2- Block #3
Traffic Jam 2- Block #3

I have been making 4 patches and all of a sudden I am able to put several blocks together. I am going to make at least 9 of these blocks, but perhaps 16, to make a donation quilt. It depends on how many squares I have. I am already running out of red, so I may need to augment that stash a bit. My foot is healing so I may be able to climb upin my fabric closet again. We’ll see.

Traffic Jam #2

Traffic Jam 2- Block #1
Traffic Jam 2- Block #1

First, I started sewing more 16 patch donation blocks with the leftovers from the last Stepping Stones n.2 quilt I made last year. Then I looked at the two most recent 16-patch donation blocks I made and realized that the group of fabrics would make another great Traffic Jam donation quilt.

I made a number of 4 patches and just let them pile up. After awhile, as I was sewing other things, I finally started putting the blocks together. As I may have mentioned, Tim already quilted the last one and this is such a great pattern that I did want to do it again. I wasn’t planning to do it so soon, but here we are.

The leftover 2.5 inch squares from the Stepping Stones n.2 quilt plus some dots are looking fresh and bright. This will have to be another girl quilt, I think, as it doesn’t look very boyish.

Baseball Catch All Caddy: Finished!

I took my first video/Zoom class on Saturday and I learned a lot. I had to come late as I had a presentation at 10, but worked ahead, so was almost at the point of the rest of the class when I joined in.

Baseball Catch All Caddy
Baseball Catch All Caddy

After class, I decided to make another Catch All Caddy for my DH to put his stuff in. We both accumulate stuff on the dining room table. I made his first first, though I plan to make one for me, too, because I had baseball fabric out from my rummage through my backing fabrics a few weeks ago.

I did a couple of things different on this one. The pockets are made with tubes to so I left a little of the pocket fabric showing above the border fabric (dots). I thought that was an interesting idea and I wanted to try it.

I also used 40 weight thread for the top stitching. It goes through the machine with no problem and you can see it more than regular Aurifil. I don’t know if it is the right shape for DH to use, but we will see.

Catch All Caddy

BAM had its first Zoom workshop the other day and I took it despite some challenges. First, we had to do some prep work, which I did, but I think I went a little beyond, because I had a presentation and wouldn’t be able to join until late.

Catch All Caddy prep-complete
Catch All Caddy prep-complete

The Catch All Caddy was a bag that was given away at the 2013 retreat. I think it was one of the best bags given out when bags were still being made for retreats. Since then people who attended that retreat bring them to Sew Day and workshops, using them to organize tools and carrying their other stuff. Everyone else is envious, thus Lynette decided to teach the rest of us how to make the bag.

I felt good about my progress Friday night when I finished for the evening.

SueG’s Donation Quilt

I am teaching a Sampler Quilt Class/Skillbuilder via Zoom. One of the things I asked my students to do was check their quarter inch seam, then practice sewing and getting the seams to match.

SueG's Donation Quilt September 2020
SueG’s Donation Quilt September 2020

SueG did a GREAT job and made a donation quilt for the guild as practice.

She picked great colors (we had an earlier lesson on color and choosing fabrics) and her seams match up very well. As a bonus, some child will get a wonderful looking quilt!

I am thrilled!

A Few Donation Blocks

I spent a lot of time over the weekend on cleanup projects: making a binding, making a sleeve, tidying, etc. In the process, I decided that some Bonnie and Camille 2.5 inch squares I was saving were going to be donation blocks.I dumped a bunch of squares into the bin I use for donation 2.5 inch squares. The bin overflowed, so I started sewing.

 I made a couple of donation blocks. THEN I realized that I could use those squares to make another Traffic Jam donation quilt, so I started in on making 4 patches instead of 16 patches. I thought about unsewing the two blocks I made, but decided that would be stupid and will just move forward with the unsewn 2.5 inch squares for now.

Of course, this means I am now working on two donation quilts at once, the Traffic Jam and the Blue Improv Donation top. Not sure how I will work that out, but need to go with what is of interest at the moment.

Blue Strip Donation Quilt Finished

Blue Strip Donation Quilt finished
Blue Strip Donation Quilt finished

It wasn’t too long ago that I helped Tim put this quilt on the machine. The other day when I visited, he showed me the finished piece. It was even bound by Sue S! That made it a true group quilt. I was really pleased at how well it came out.

I finished this quilt in March of 2020, right after the shelter-in-place order, so this one is getting done much faster than the Purple Strip Donation quilt I talked about the other day.

Tim said that he doesn’t really like yellow, but this quilt was just cheerful. That comment made me super happy. I really love making cheerful quilts.

The quilting is a lot of swirls, which looks really nice. I am not sure  how he decided what to do, but I like what he usually chooses. Also, Tim is quilting these for free so I am not complaining.

Blue Strip Donation quilt back - finsihed
Blue Strip Donation quilt back – finsihed

The back is pretty basic, nothing fancy in terms of piecing, but it looks good. also, cheerful.

Purple Strip Donation Quilt Redux

Purple Strip Donation Quilt on the longarm
Purple Strip Donation Quilt on the longarm

I visited the Tim the other day. I had some things I wanted to give him (no quilts this time), so I stopped by. While I was there I saw that he had the Purple Strip Donation Quilt on the machine. I finished this top and back in March of 2019, which made me very happy.  I know he’ll finish it soon and I can’t wait to see it.

Traffic Jam Quilted

Traffic Jam Quilt quilted
Traffic Jam Quilt quilted

Tim sent me a text last week showing that he had quilted the Traffic Jam quilt. Yay!

I really like this pattern and it looks great quilted. Looking at it makes me tempted to make one with a red background and fabrics for the foreground that were mostly white with pattern. I don’t know how it would look, but the idea intrigues me. I definitely want to make another one of these quilts.

Traffic Jam Quilt quilted - detail
Traffic Jam Quilt quilted – detail

Tim quilted flames. He said he had an idea which didn’t come out the way he hoped. I think it looks great anyway and these donation quilts are a good place to practice quilting and other skills.