Guild Leaders & Enders Demo

I did a demo at the guild meeting with sewing machine and everything. I created a handout, which might be useful to some of you. I didn’t do a video, but there are some on the web already.

Bonnie Hunter is the leaders and enders queen. She has a number of books on the subject and also writes about the subject frequently on her blog. She also writes a column for Quiltmaker magazine on scraps. Her blog and shop can be found at http://www.quiltville.com

The basic concept is: instead of just stitching over a scrap at the end of a seam, you insert piecing from another project. So each time you start or end a seam and you are ready to snip the thread and press, you sew some component of another project. (Color Girl Quilts blog)

Keys for me:

  • Designate, at least in your mind, a primary and secondary project. I like to have them completely different. Different shapes or different colors or something so I don’t get confused.
  • Work small. Once the project gets too large, it is difficult to keep it in the subordinate position.
  • Keep patches/units ready to go near your sewing machine.
  • I find it easier to work on two completely different projects. Anything with a ¼” seam allowance will work.
  • Having shorter bits of thread between pieces keeps the thread trash to a minimum on the finished quilt. While this might be picky and odd, I sincerely dislike a lot of thread ends handing around a finished quilt.

The point of leaders and enders has little to do with using thread bunnies regularly, but to get more done. Using the leaders and enders method, I get a lot more community quilts finished.

Resources:

Books:

White Donation Strip Quilt Progresses

White Strip Donation Quilts - November 2019
White Strip Donation Quilts – November 2019

It is a slow process, but I am making progress. I have all the sashing cut and placed. I have also started to sew the sashing to the blocks.

It is hard to see because of the color, but I think you can make out the blocks.

 

Raffle Mega Pinnie

Raffle Mega Pinnie
Raffle Mega Pinnie

I made another Mega Pinnie and decided to use it as a raffle prize sometime down the road.

I started it as a gift for a friend, but it didn’t turn out to be suitable. I think someone who attends a guild meeting will like it. I still might use the mini Pinnie for my friend and make a new one for this one.

For the raffle, I can also put the tools into the pockets.

Trolling around the web, I saw a post by the designer who showed a number of different versions of the Mega Pinnie. She taught a class and the examples were from those students. Take a look. The post has a lot of fun photos showing different ways to use the Mega Pinnie.

More Raffle Prizes

Mary's Raffle Prizes
Mary’s Raffle Prizes

As I mentioned yesterday, Sew Day was Saturday. I was pleased and surprised when Mary came up to me and showed me the items she made for the raffle baskets!

Mary made some wonderful origami type bags. Enlarge the photo, because they look very intricate when closely inspected.

Cord Keeper by Mary
Cord Keeper by Mary

The little things on the bottom are cord keepers. They look like a little tube. You open up the Velcro closure and contain your folded cord with one. These are probably perfect for smaller cords like cell phones and irons and things. I don’t know that they are large enough for laptops or appliances with bulkier cords.

I have never seen a pattern for one of these and am thrilled!

I didn’t even know she was making them. I am so pleased.

 

White Strip Donation Quilt

White Strip Donation top progress
White Strip Donation top progress

After writing about the improv donation quilt yesterday, I decided I had better update you on the strip version.

I am making progress. It is hard to tell because of the white blocks on the white design wall. I have cut a few pieces of sashing and am slowly cutting more. I used making the pouch as an excuse to cut sashing. This makes no sense of course, but somehow it worked. I supposed I was alternating tasks.

I am using a couple of different dot fabrics as the sashing. I tried some lavender and grey and neither looked quite right. I still haven’t decided what to use for cornerstones. Something that fits with the other fabrics, but is distinctive.

White Improv Donation Quilt

White Improv Donation Quilt start
White Improv Donation Quilt start

No, I am not finished with the White Improv Strip Donation quilt, but I needed some leaders and enders, so I started sewing bits of white fabrics together to start the improv version in my series.

Some of the bits were not used for the strip blocks and some were long enough to be added as the shard grew.

Persimmon Pouch

Persimmon Pouch
Persimmon Pouch

A few weeks ago, I cut out some pouches. I used the Persimmon Dumpling Pouch pattern, a free pattern, from Sew Sweetness for two of them. The pattern has three sizes, small, medium and large, included. This is the small version.

Persimmon Pouch: open
Persimmon Pouch: open

I LOVE this pattern. It went together really quickly after I sat down and just worked on it. It has about 5 seams and the pouch is together. My first try took me awhile, but after finishing it, I thought of a couple of ways I could make this project go faster.

It is so interesting how this pouch opens almost all the way flat. I suppose that could be a problem if the owner had a lot of small items inside.

I have seen this made with two zippers that come together in the middle. Doing that is a skill I have not yet mastered – or even tried. I doubt it is difficult. I’ll put it on the list.

The pattern uses strips to make the exterior. It would be a great pattern to use with some improv piecing, but I just used one piece of fabric for this one and the one I have not yet completely sewed. There is a lot of scope for imaginative fabric use in this pouch pattern (and most, I suppose).

I made this one for the raffle baskets as a test to see if I would want to keep making these as gifts. I think it will be a great pouch to hold all the little gifts. Of course, I have other patterns I can and want to try as well.

Persimmon Pouch: zipper ends
Persimmon Pouch: zipper ends

It also has a great way of finishing the ends of the zippers. There is no cutting off the zipper ends or making new stops. The ends are tucked into the bottom seam and hidden between the lining and exterior.

I was thinking I would like to add a leash and a lobster clip to this pouch, but since there are side seams, I am not sure if it is possible. I have another one cut out, so I will think about it some more as I make the next one.

Stay tuned for more! If you try this pattern, let me know what you think.

White Donation Quilt Options

I have enough of the white scrap donation blocks now to make a quilt. This set of blocks has seemed to take forever, though I know it probably has not been as forever as I think.

White Donation Blocks - late October 2019
White Donation Blocks – late October 2019

In looking at this set, I am not sure I want to alternate the blocks with plain blocks. I get the sense that those plain blocks can overwhelm delicate piecing. On the other hand,a plain block, might set off the piecing. Hhhhmmm.

I am also not sure I want to add skinny sashing. It would be difficult to piece and keep straight because of the all the seams and layers in the block. I am unwilling to go on an amazing design journey with these blocks so I have decided that I have three options.

First, is alternating my pieced blocks with plain blocks. Second is a skinny sashing with (or possibly without) cornerstones and, third, is a slightly larger width sashing with  cornerstones. I’d like to have a top ready for Sew Day or the November meeting. I am leaning towards the last option.

My next problem is the sashing color. I would default to light, but that would blend in with the blocks. Perhaps some dots?

Mega Pinnie

I saw the Mega Pinnie pattern in an older issue (issue 6, 2016) of Today’s Quilter. It caught my attention, partially, because I have some squares leftover from the Jen Carlton Bailly workshop and they were on my mind. It turns out they are slightly larger than I need for the Pinnie, but worked just fine. I was also looking for something that would be interesting for a swap gift.

I like this magazine as it has practical and interesting articles that teach people something. I have found good projects, like my favorite pincushion, in Today’s Quilter sister publication, Love of Patchwork and Quilting, but this is the first time I have made something from TQ.

This pattern caught my attention as something different, but also useful. I decided to make it as a swap gift. It is essentially a giant pincushion with pockets for other tools. It will work well for someone who wants to keep a few things together at Sew Day.

Mega Pinnie - ready to sew together
Mega Pinnie – ready to sew together

While I am not quite finished, the project doesn’t take very long to make. I am almost done after working on it Sunday in between other projects. One of the sites I found said it took her two hours. I didn’t keep exact track of my hours, but this sounds about right.

Pinnie pockets in progress
Pinnie pockets in progress

In the pattern, the pockets are pieced. They look kind of fun pieced, but I also want to try them not pieced. The project will go faster and will be just as interesting. I also think I can add a placket for WonderClips, as in the pincushion that I have made as gifts.

I found a version of the pattern at the Stitch Gathering website.

I am ridiculously delighted by this concept. I want make a couple more as gifts and I can’t wait to sew this one together!

 

Resources and Inspiration:

More White Donation Blocks

I have been sewing – sewing – sewing and never getting anywhere with these blocks. The other day I finally was able to cut some new blocks out of the piecing I had been working on.

These blocks are less about strips than about chunks. I have some strips in the white drawer, but mostly weird shapes. I have about 24 blocks now and haven’t even made a dent in the scraps in this drawer.

Sew Day Saturday

Sew Day was small and I got there late, but I did accomplish something. The Mondo Bag is looking like a project that will never die. I work on it at Sew Day in September, but I started it at Craft Night back in March! I didn’t think it had been laying around THAT long, but the blog doesn’t lie.

I arrived at Sew Day after 2pm, because I was enticed to go to CQFA first. The enticement was lunch with Julie afterwards. I didn’t have much in my bag, but the Mondo Bag project pieces and the stuff to cut out another Running with Scissors tote.

I decided to work on the Mondo Bag, so I laid it out and looked at the layout of the squares on the fusible. I rearranged and replaced some of them. Finally, I was happy. Fortunately Amy was there. She had everything including a mini iron, so I was able to fuse the squares to the interfacing.

Mondo Bag pieces on fusible and sewed
Mondo Bag pieces on fusible and sewed

When I got home, DH was watching football, so I was able to sew the squares together.

I am really glad I spent so much time arranging and rearranging the squares. I think the layout looks really good. I am not done by any stretch, but I did make progress. I am thrilled.

Another Guild Project: Bag-a-Long

I talked about the Ultimate Carry All Bag the other day. After that, Lynette and I got together and decided to lead a Bag-a-Long for the guild. We both want to make the bag and we want to lead other guild members over to the dark side. 😉

We rolled out the project on Saturday. We aren’t completely prepared, but prepared enough and we really only have to stay ahead of the rest of the group.

I was gratified that 20 people are participating. I did a group order for the pattern and sent 19 of them off to the participants.

Lynette is creating a cutting layout and I am going through the pattern and creating a list of what fabrics are needed for which piece. If you are creating a pattern, take the time to give your patterns a label and be consistent about referring to that label.

I don’t know that I will do a Bag-a-Long on the blog. Natalie, the designer has a series of mini how-to videos and you can buy a full length how-to video on Bluprint.

Raffle Baskets

I volunteered to take over for Lynette creating raffle baskets for the monthly giveaway. I was a winner a few months ago and was blown away by the amazing array of things in the bag. Lynetee is amazing and I am not sure I can live up to her standards. I recruited a team

Sue's Raffle Basket
Sue’s Raffle Basket

Sue S. was the winner at the meeting on Saturday. I love the pouch. It has a handle/leash on it (not sure you can see it), which is really fun. I took a picture so I would have another data point.

I already have a plan and some supplies to make Persimmon Pouches, a free pattern by Sew Sweetness’ Sara Lawson. That will ensure there is something handmade in the basket/bag. I also found 4 books at Tuesday Morning for $4 each! They are great books for quiltmakers and I am pleased with that find. There is definitely some shopping that will need to be done.

If you win a prize at a quilt show or guild meeting, what do you like to win?

More Donation Blocks in White-ish

White donation blocks are probably not the best idea. I am thinking dirt. Still, I have a lot of white scraps and something has to be done with them. The first two are from a chunk that was large so they look very similar, if not the same.

These, once in a quilt, will fit with the others in the series.