#QuiltsforCA

At least here on the west coast of the US, we watched in horror on the evening news as earlier this month, California's Camp Fire engulfed an entire town, causing unprecedented harm. It all is awful beyond words.

So when I saw Robert Kaufman post about a quilt drive for those affected, my ears perked up. From what I understand, The Sewing Arts Center in Santa Monica is organizing the community quilt effort, and local folks are dropping quilts off there for distribution. For those who don't live in the area, Robert Kaufman is running a quilt drive from now through the end of the year. The call is for finished quilts (baby/throw or larger) to be sent to:

Robert Kaufman

attn: Elisabeth Hardy

129 W. 132nd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90061 

So my mom, daughter, and I each gathered some quilts from our homes and are together sending a stack down. It's a small gesture really, in the face of such tragedy, but we hope they bring just a little warmth and comfort. #quiltsforCA

Time's Up

About six weeks ago, my latest Bee Sewcial quilt top was completed, and I had high hopes to get it quilted and submitted to QuiltCon. But try as I might, the deadline is just about here and I'm not quite done.

I braced myself as I impovisationally quilted on this one. I've questioned my choice more than once, but every time, I talked myself back into my decision being a good one. In fact, I'm enjoying spending the time, thinking each section through, but the truth is, it's time consuming, especially considering I'm doing it with a walking foot.

All that aside, I'll just keep working on it and maybe attempt to show it publicly another time. I've set it aside for a bit, along with the pressure I was feeling. It's ok. It's a process and this one needs to continue just a little longer.

Singular

As satisfying as last month's Teeny Tiny Trip Around the World progress was, this month was a bit tedious. No real reason. I guess I just wasn't feeling it.

But that doesn't mean I didn't add 104 more little 1 1/2" squares! And with a 'double' row of that dark purple, I'm thinking it's a nice accent and maybe I'll add just a few more rounds to finish things up.

But that's how I feel today, and things can change. For now, I'll just keep sewing.

When Summer Runs Into Fall

It's been exactly two months since I stitched up the last road trip block for my Summer Sampler. And then.... the blocks just sat. It wasn't fair to them at all, as I so enjoyed making every one of them.



Then finally, avoiding another project, I dug into making the filler blocks. Using Kona Titanium, Pewter, Iron, Silver, Shadow, I followed the original Summer Sampler plan for Hourglass blocks.



So now the top is done - all 72" x 72" of it. And what comes next is anyone's guess....

Logo Labels

It took me a while to take The Dutch Label Shop up on their offer to try out their labels, but boy am I glad I finally did! I've used premade labels before but the Woven Logo Labels I designed and ordered from Dutch Label are something pretty special.



There were lots of labels to choose from, with plenty of options once a style was chosen. I knew I wanted something on the larger side with both my brand logo as well as my name. Because of that, I went with the Sew On Center Fold + Taffeta style, so the logo could be on the front, flip it over and there'd be my name, with the taffeta edges tucked into the binding.



I decided to make the labels finish at 1.75" x 2.25" once folded, which is probably a little larger than I needed, but I'm ok with that. To submit my design, I upload a jpg. file that included an image of my blog logo and the text I wanted. There's an option for a photo proof, so I totally took advantage of that and then felt pretty comfortable I was on the right track.



I happened to have read Yvonne/quilting JETgirl's review of labels she created thru Dutch Label, and she'd mentioned choosing the Preserve Light Background considering her design's light background. So I followed her lead along with the Double White vs. Standard option. According to the site, "This option weaves an additional layer of white thread into your label to vibrantly brighten the background color, and prevent shine-through. Choose this option if your label pairs a white or a light background with a dark or bright text, symbol or logo. Adding a second layer of white yarn will prevent the logo from bleeding, or shining through, into the background." So glad that option was available considering all the white-space in my design.



So my labels came over the weekend, just 12 days after submitting my order. Yes, I received them at no cost, courtesy of The Dutch Label Shop. But I can wholeheartedly attest to their quality and recommend them without reservation. I'm a new fan for sure.

The good news for you is that Dutch Label has offered a 15% discount code for my followers. The code is 'aquilterstable15' and is valid for the next 60 days. Ya know, I don't often take companies up on offers like this, but I'm pleased I did this time!

Seattle MQG QuiltCon Charity Quilt: Progress

Since I showed you the beginning of our QuiltCon Charity quilt, I thought you might enjoy seeing where I ended up. Don't get me wrong, the quilt is far from done. But I've pieced the parts I was assigned and I'll be taking it all to my co-chair Louise/@imfeelincrafty at our meeting next week.

Our design has five columns, so I pieced two and a half of them, making hexagon 'blocks' out of the striped slabs our guild-mates made. Louise is piecing the others and will finish up the quilt top before handing it off for quilting.

So it'll be a while before I have more to share, but I have a very strong feeling it will be worth the wait!

Doodles

Usually I need to be in just the right frame of mind and space to face a new Bee Sewcial prompt, and as chance would have it, I found myself there just hours after Leanne/shecanquilt announced her "Doodle" theme. 

She requested bright, saturated colors, and I opted to pull from the scrap basket just to add to the fun. We could use minimal color or more, and I enjoyed using the more this time around. We were also asked to 'frame' our doodles, which was an interesting twist. I had fun with the first one, mitering the corners.

Though I'm not much of a doodler in general, the flat zigzag and wonky spiral are both patterns that I've found myself creating on meeting notes more than once. So it was kind of fun to doodle them in fabric.

This was an entertaining prompt! And I unexpectedly had alot of fun with the framing, though Leanne suggested that, "The goal is for the doodle to be the star of the show." Hopefully I achieved that objective.

Patchwork Potholders

Besides her myriad of excellent patterns, Svetlana/s.o.t.a.k handmade also has quite a selection of free tutorials, many of which I've made. Most recently, her Patchwork Potholder caught my eye!

They start with a randomly pieced block. I made mine logcabin-ish, cutting into a bundle of Anna Graham's Forage. These would be an ideal candidate for scraps, but I'd been wanting to sew with Forage, and I figured with it being made of a cotton-linen blend, it would make especially sturdy potholders.

So I pieced together a pair of coordinating blocks (big! 10"!) and then layered them each with one piece of batting and one of Insul-brite, which from experience I knew to be a winning combination. I spray-basted those all, including a backing, and then slapped on my walking foot for quilting. I was going to quilt denser than 1" apart, but it felt plenty sturdy and I liked the feel of it. Then I then machine-bound them with one of the prints I'd used for my piecing.

I totally copied Sveltana and finished them each with a leather tab and rivet. Love that detail!

So these will be finding their way to a family gift exchange this next weekend where I trust someone will like them as much as I do!