Quilt in progress 12-11-21

I am still TRYING to create something, but it goes sooo slowly.  Lack of concentration, ennui, needing a nap almost every day.  I don't know what is the cause - pandemic syndrome?  old age?  need more vitamins?   Whatever.  I know it would help if I did exercises every single day and maybe even twice a day!  But I don't seem to be able to force myself to do that.  Self control is not one of my strong points!  However, I have been working on several projects, switching off when I can't continue on one.  This is a small (18"W X 40"L) wall quilt composed of 1-1/2" squares that I have cut over the last 40 years or so.  I have a box of light and a box of dark that I paw through when needed.  I posted about this piece on 11-16-21 when I was still selecting squares.  Now I am machine quilting it and wish I had been more precise about lining up the little squares.  Oh, well - it isn't going to be a masterpiece!  

I have quilted vertically about 1/8th inch from the edges of the squares and will also do the horizontal.   I couldn't find a thread I thought would look good with all the different fabrics, so I am using mono-filament as the top thread and a lime green cotton on the back.  So far it is looking okay. 

I belong to Canyon Quilters in San Diego, but find it hard to do the two hour drive home after the meetings end around 9pm.  ZOOM has been a big help and I do attend most meetings that way.  They also have a "Sit and Sew" twice a month and I have enjoyed that.  There are usually fewer than 20 members attending, and once there were only four of us!  But it is a chance to become acquainted with some of the members.  There is not a lot of visiting going on, most are intent on their own work, but someone will bring uo a subject and we can all chime in or just listen.  I enjoy it and today finished up the vertical quilting lines on this little quilt. 

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Scraps - continuing 11-16-21

A long post.... In the 40s and 50s quilts were mostly made from scraps, so I am rather addicted to them and cut various squares and triangles to store for when I need them. When my late husband was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor I could not seem to concentrate on anything else but his illness and needs. I started sewing 1 1/2" scraps into squares - 100 scraps equals a ten inch block and continue. It was mindless. A box of dark and a box of light, pull one from each box and sew them together into a string of ten sets, then add another light or dark to each row. 

Like I said, mindless, but something to occupy my hands.  The only choice I made was to include red in every ten inch block.

Ultimately the blocks were sashed with red and made into quilts for philanthropy. In the past 30+ years I have continued to make my scraps into squares and triangles  and I have learned to use Wonder Under and other fusibles. I wondered what I could do with the squares and the fusible, so as part of my SAQA 100 day project I started a panel. 

Choosing a backing of plaid  to try to keep the rows even and ironing a layer of fusible to the wrong side to provide a neutral background in case any showed through, I just started laying out colors. It is rather addicting so that whenever I walked past the table I would stop and try to put in few more pieces; like having a jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table.

I didn't start this until August 31st and the 100 days ended last week, but I haven't finished the panel. I rediscovered my propensity for using fabrics that appear as one or two colors and I don't seem to use much blue and almost no pink. It is an eye opener. It has been a 100 days of trying to corral my thoughts and get back to being creative and I would like to be part of the next 100 day project starting in January. I think I have learned how to make use of the opportunity and the time.  Some participants even finished an original design quilt, something to aspire to!

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Sewing 06-30-21

I was on a roll with the background ready to go and decided to add a tree.  Also decided to keep going to finish a piece for the SAQA auction.  The deadline was today!  So, I added the tree, quilted that, put in some birds, zigzagged the edge, put on a label and two rings for hanging.  Finally shipped it late yesterday via FedEx.  I hope someone likes it and buys it on October at the online auction.  

I don't know how to make pictures the correct color.  The pink here is rather washed out while in actuality it is mostly very bright pink.  

"Pink Tree"  Del Thomas (California) 2021  12" X 12"  

Cotton Fabric Scraps, Cotton thread, Poly thread, Cotton batting

Fused, machine quilted.  

There are three birds because there is always at least one bird on each of my quilts. 

In-a-hurry label.  There are two plastic rings on back for hanging.   Somehow I forgot to take a picture of the back, something I usually do.  Sorry. 

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Sewing 06-28-21

I took a large box of scraps to SDiego with me to turn into Salvation Army for their fabric resale project - they sell them to manufacture things like carpet padding.  But the drop-off station was closed by the time i got there, so I passed them off to a SDiego friend who will turn them in for me.  I did look to see what was in the box and it was easier to part with them when I discovered that some were from at least forty years ago.  Some poly, some rayon, but mostly cottons.  I closed the lid and let them go to a good cause!  

I have more boxes, baskets, bags, and Baggies full of scraps and will continue making backgrounds with no idea what will go on the backgrounds.  The latest one I used scraps other than the squaring up pieces which make just strips.  These scraps were in a bag together with some light flowery fabrics.  I vaguely recall they were left over from a desert scene some time in years gone by.   

Here are the scraps arranged on a backing with a layer of WonderUnder.  The white dots are white glass headed pins which just blend in on the top half.   The pins hold the pieces to the thick cardboard so I can move the piece to the ironing area where I fuse everything in place. 

Then to the sewing machine where I sew around the edges of each piece.  Now it is ready for something to be fused/appliqued on top.  

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Still isolating 05-24-20

I have completed 66 Little House blocks and set three aside to provide space for the palm trees.  I still think two more trees are needed.  Although they are displayed here in a horizonal arrangement the finished piece will be vertical. And there will probably be a minimal border.  I am moving the blocks around to get a better distribution of color. 

Little Striped Houses - in progress. 

With the bag of scraps open on the floor by the cutting table I couldn't help but notice all the green pieces and I was inspired to create a fused background for some future quilt. It is only 14" square and I am picturing a spreading tree fused to the background.   The method I use is to cut a backing piece of fabric and fuse on a layer of WonderUnder.  I peel off the paper and lay the strips on the fusible, pinning as necessary to keep them in place.  After a few rows I heat up the dry iron and fuse what I have done, then continue to add pieces and fusing sections until all the backing piece is covered.  There are some very skinny pieces to cover what might show of the backing fabric.   It is sort of like doing a jigsaw puzzle and since it is on my cutting table which I pass whenever I go to the bathroom I can't help but stop and add a piece or two.  It is very addicting for me.  

Yesterday I met a friend in Oceanside for lunch!!  It was a momentous occasion since neither of us has been out for lunch since the Virus appeared in February.  We went to the Rosewood on Mission just west of Ditmer.  They are not seating inside, but have an area fenced off in front with tables and chairs.  Our food came in takeout boxes, but was just a delicious as the last time we ate there - inside on actual plates.   I recommend this for a lunch in Oceanside.  

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/Yellow scrap quilt progress 02-17-20

At the end of 2019 I was haunted by all the yellow scraps I had in the scrap trash bag and then I watched a tutorial about using scraps.  I saved the video, but now I can't find it.  If someone recognizes something like this please let me know who did the video.  Of course, my work doesn't look anything like hers, which was wonderful.  

So, I dumped out the scraps and pulled out what I thought I might use.  Strange, I still have a big pile - do they really propagate themselves in the dark?  And when I had the time and was in the mood I put together five panels.  Here are four of them, the fifth doesn't work with these.  I don't know what will happen next, but I have them pinned up so I can see them every day.  Right now I have some deadlines to meet, so I won't be scrapping any more for a while.  

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Still playing with scraps 01-25-20

I know I have sewing I MUST do, but am finding it fun to play with the scrap pieces.  I'm sticking to the yellow, red, and some blue color scheme.  Since I recently cut strips from those colors I have lots of long straight end cuts to use.  

I have to go past my cutting table to use the bathroom so I just stop on the way out and lay on a couple strips.  Of course, sometimes I have to stop to rearrange, but by the end of the day I have a piece laid out.  Then to sit at the machine to sew things down.  KoKo is a big help with this.  Someday he is going to get his ear sewn into something. 

I have no plan on what to do with these pieces.  Probably add them to the piles of UFOs I have already!!

Yellow Scrap pieces #2 and #1. 

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Sewing ahead of myself 12-05-19

Well, there are at least five projects I need to work on or finish by a certain day and here I am messing with triangles!  They just keep calling me back, even after I put them in a basket so I would be seeing them all the time!   So I sewed twenty together, just to see what they might look like. 

Sewn in a chain.

Pressed in a chain.

And even though they aren't trimmed it is

TIME TO PLAY!

I wonder how many designs can be made using only half square triangles.  Surely someone has researched this.  

To be continued...………...

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More discoveries 11-23-19

You know when you have something to do that doesn't excite you very much so you find a zillion other things to do instead?  I do a lot of that in my life and blame it on old age.  Today I was looking for something in the garage and noticed a box sitting on a shelf, sort of behind other things. 

When I thought about it I remembered that it was part of a donation from a lady who was moving and had to downsize her fabric library.   The yardage and a bunch of other stuff went to philanthropy projects, but I saved the triangles so I could "whip up" a quilt to donate.  And I never did.  The fabrics come from the 90s when I was still trying to get my life in some sort of order after my husband died in 1990.

Today I laid out the triangles to see what I have, some piles are just one of a fabric and some are 18 -20.  Only a half dozen reds which are badly needed to cheer things up.  I went through my scraps, but all the reds are bright cherry or tomato.  So, I got out my oldest box of reds to find something from the 1990s, sort of cranberry, I guess. 

If you have been quilting for 30 years or so, you will recognize some of these fabrics.  Quite a few from Jenny Beyer and, from the feel, some from JoAnn.  No green or brown!

I'll cut some triangles from these to mix in with what I have and sit down to sew them together two by two.  Since I didn't pick any colors except the reds I wonder what it will look like sewn together.  Might have to do some sashing or something. Another WIP.  

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