Open Jar PIVOT | Perspective

The word 'pivot' was rolling around in my thoughts for weeks before I actually pulled out some scraps to see what they wanted to say. I'd been thinking about pivot meaning  'change in direction,' or 'turning.' So with the initial fabric pull, I played with changing the orientation of the several striped fabrics, expanding out from the HST, which was my starting point, having found it already pieced in the scrap basket.

Then, this block - which I loved - hung on the design wall for several days, while I debated where to go from there. I really didn't want to make more of the same block, mainly because I didn't have much left of any of the fabrics. So when I finally faced it, I decided to trim those corners and add to the overall design, keeping the piece relatively small.

I decided, since the month was quickly nearing its end, and the Open Jar PIVOT prompt would soon be replaced with something else, that I was happy with this, even at just 10" x 12", and would move on to quilting. Since my JUKI was at the spa, the serpentine stitch on my brother was very accessible, and it seemed to 'fit' with the overall design, especially that curvy lined blue print.

So I sized the stitch down a bit from what I'd use on a full-size quilt, and quilted pretty dense vertical 'lines' with two colors of Aurifil 40wt thread - 2730 [Delft Blue] in the upper half and 1148 [Light Jade] in the lower half. 

One feature of the piece I really like is how each outer 'point' of the design kind of runs off the page so to speak.

Anyway, I finished this little one off with a simple backing and multi-stripe binding made of scraps. It's small, but I think the making of it served its purpose, and sometimes that's enough.

Fairfax Sling

I was already thinking about making a new bag/purse when I saw a sneak peek of Svetlana Sotak's @sotakhandmade new Fairfax Sling pattern a few weeks ago, and I've been impatiently waiting for it to be released.  Finally, last week it was, and I began gathering supplies.

I used all fabrics from my stash - Anna Graham's Riverbend Big Sur Canvas Loops in Sienna for the exterior; Carolyn Friedlander's Kept Abstract Ovals in Eggshell for the lining; and a Carolyn Friedlander Harriot Scallop in Roasted Pecan for the interior pocket lining and bias tape. For the two zippers, I used #5 nylon coil zipper tape in what I think is Stripe Khaki Silver, as well as fun zipper pulls, from Sullivans Trim.

The pattern itself is unique and the construction very unlike any bag I've made before. But as always, it was easy to follow, and Svetlana even provides a video, which unfortunately I forgot about until I was nearly done. I made the small version, and there are just a few things I want to remember in case there's a next time:

• use matching thread even for construction; with the canvas, there's a place or two where a stitch actually shows 
• not sure why, but the handmade bias tape was a little wide for my seams, so consider making it slightly smaller next time
• really make sure all the seams are lined up well in the tab area during final piecing; I had one place I had to unstitch and resew to get it right (maker error!)
• trim seams in tab area a little closer to make a neater finish when turned right-side out

All in all, though, the bag went together easily, and I'm definitely looking forward to using it this spring and summer. I tried it out this morning, and it felt just right.

Vertices

Begun solely as a way to explore a design and use scraps to do so, Vertices ended up being a little more challenging than I expected. Not difficult, really, but not as enjoyable to piece as I expected. Still, I like the finish, and am glad to have tried it. Originally inspired by "Four-Corner Block," a quilt by Florine Taylor in 1987 shown in Roderick Kiracofe's Unconventional & Unexpected. My version is much more chaotic but there are still some similarities, and the inspiration definitely began there.

My goal at the start was to use all my blue scraps, then I added in black and dark gray. Turned out, I didn't have as many as I thought I would in a reasonable size. Same with the lime-ish strings; for those, I actually cut into Konas Acid Lime and Key Lime yardage when I ran out of usable scraps. The quilt finished at 41" x 55", with a back pieced from stashed yardage and matched binding using Acid Lime and Key Lime again.

So yay for a May quilt finish, even though it took most of the month for me to struggle through it. In the end, I'm really quite fond of it.

Linking up with Quilting Jetgirl and Favorite Finish {May 2025}.

Another Kind of Stole Project

Recently, I tackled a unique project, and I thought some of you might like to see it. A retired pastor we know has a grandson who is graduating from seminary soon, and the family wanted to give him grandpa's communion kit that he used over the years. But the kit was very worn. So they gave me some of grandpa's stoles from his time in ministry, and I cut one up to recover the inside of the lid and hinge.

Below is a mid-process view, as I forgot to take a photo before I got started. But you can see the staining on the inside of the cover. One of the family will update the inside base with fabric paint, but I think my part turned out pretty good. And just for the record, I used a Fabric Fusion glue pen to affix the new purple fabric in place. For the top lining, I included the interfacing that was in the stole, so it had a little substance to it, but wasn't stiff.

 

I was actually given several stoles, and the other part of this project was to make small banners for the grandpa's six granddaughters out of three of the stoles. 

The length of each set depended on the design and the amount of fabric available. I definitely was figuring it out as I went. We thought we wanted the same amount of space above and below the design, but after making the purple set (same stole as the communion kit lining), I thought it might look better to not count the casing in that calculation. So for the olive green set, I made them a bit longer. 

Then the design was so long on the kelly green set that I just let that dictate the length. On all the stoles, the casings were hemmed and sewn by machine in coordinating thread. For the longest set, since it wasn't finished with fringe, I hand-stitched that bottom hem, which I think looked pretty nice. At any rate, this was an interesting project. I'm glad I could do it for this family, and glad it's done.

The Scraps (and Stash) Have Been Beckoning

Over the last several weeks, I've been digging into my scrap baskets, trying to use some up in a variety of ways. I've posted most of these on Instagram, but though it would be fun to do a little round-up here on the blog.

A fun little surprise for the family at Easter brunch were Mini Fabric Easter Baskets made from charm squares and scraps. For the baskets, I used the tutorial by @craftyforhome. Then I made my own version of 'bows' by cutting them out with my pinking shears. Charm squares and pinking shears.... two things I haven't used for ages but were fun to play with again.

And then I made another back of Quilted Bookmarks, using kraft-tex and my own tutorial. They have all already found new homes - most through our Little Free Library - so I really need to make another batch soon.

Tiny quilts stretched on tiny (3") frames. I pieced the centers with scraps of scraps - those extra small pieces that were actually destined for recycling. Then the backgrounds came from the regular scrap bins; a little hand-stitching was added, then the fabric was wrapped around to the back and stapled. This batch has been gifted and/or shared through a local Free Little Art Gallery, so I'd like to make more and maybe even perfect my finishing technique a bit. Whatever, they were very fun to try making.

Not really made from scraps, but a random use of stash, was this floral drawstring gift bag for my mom on Mother's Day. This is the Artist Bag size from the Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern by Jeni Baker @jenib320, using the Mini Accent variation from her Expansion Pattern.

And finally, for this round-up at least, I made a denim tote bag to use as a gift bag for my daughter's birthday (the first one I'd made had gone home with my oldest granddaughter one day). I used a pair of my worn black jeans, following the free video tutorial from Sotak Handmade @sotakhandmade, Learn How to Turn a Pair of Old Jeans into a Stylish Tote Bag.

Just for fun, I added a new Stick and Stitch Embroidery Design from Dropcloth @dropcloth to the front. I'm anxious to find more uses for these little embroidery designs. Meanwhile, I accomplished a bit of upcycling and gifting handmade, which is always fun.

P.S. I've also been putting a lot of scraps into a quilt top I've been working on. Once I finish the quilt, I'll share more about it. And I hope to keep finding ways to sew through scraps in the coming weeks and months. I already have a couple of ideas brewing....

Floral Stitches XII

Can't say I'm super happy about it, but the final sampler in the 2024-2025 Floral Stitches series from  Dropcloth is done. I've enjoyed stitching the series very much, and this mum is definitely on my list of favorites.

Throughout the entire series of 12 small (4") samplers, I've used Wonderfil size 8 perle cotton, choosing colors and stitches as I went. 

Something about the small size and the freedom of choice has made these especially enjoyable, and I've looked forward to them every month.

And now, I have 12 lovely little samplers stitched, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them. I can imagine them together, matted and framed, if that is even possible. I can also see using them one by one in individual projects. So that all remains to be seen. For now, I'll just bask in this stage of completion.

Like, Totally En Masse

Last Sunday, my friend Louise @imfeelincrafty, her son, and I met up to see the Like, Totally exhibit being held at University Unitarian Church in Seattle. Louise was designer of the Like, Totally design, and host of Seattle MQG's 2024 BOM, and we were really happy to be able to see nine of the quilts made from her pattern exhibited. So here they all are, the first being made by Louise, and the second by me. Then others made by our guild mates. Note that this isn't all of the ones made, as the exhibit only had space for a selection of them.

Like, Totally by Louise Wackerman @imfeelincrafty

Like, Totally by Debbie Jeske @aquilterstable

Is That In the Valley? by Beth Ratzlaff @goodlaffgirl

Ojo de Dios by Margaret Treleven Murphy @margarettrelevenmurphy

Like, Totally by Lynne Shandley @the_yarnivorous

Like, Totally by Noelle Remington @noelleandria

Like, Totally by Aline Cauley @augustdreamsquilts & Marion Lisko @marion7486

Brightness Encircles by Anne Crow @anncrow19

Like, Totally by Elizabeth Gould @eagouldquilt

I couldn't get a photo of all the quilts at once, as Louise's was on one wall, then the others all lined up on another very long wall. But still, so good to see!

April Fabric Usage

April was a good month fabric-wise! And productivity-wise, with my Pantone challenge entry, Brew; catching up with our guild BOM, Cascade Calendar; making a final piece for Block Studies Collective, Abstractions Redux; mini Easter baskets for the family brunch; AND my latest Open Jar response, Birdsong. To be honest, that all felt really good, and I'm excited about moving into a fresh slate of a month.

For fabric intake, there was just two yards of Prisma Dyes Artisan Batiks as possible bindings for the Lucky Stars quilt I am repairing for my daughter. Luckily, the darker fabric works! 

Another reason my fabric numbers look good is that I went through my entire stash and gathered up things I thought someone else could make better use of - 11 yards worth! So I'll be taking that all to the next guild meeting for the free table. Fingers crossed it'll find a better home than mine.

So that all finally put me in the negative for the year - a whopping net -10.67 yards used. That feels good, yes it does.

April Fabric Usage

Used up: 21.8 yards [7.45 projects + 2.46 recycled + 11.89 donated]
Brought in: 2.0 yards
Net: -19.8 yards

Ode to Joy

It's time for a new Bee Sewcial @beesewcial prompt, and it's my turn! The theme is "Ode to Joy," and I want my beemates to think about things that give them joy. What is their bliss? In what do they find a sense of wonder?

Here are my instructions to them....

I'm asking for six to eight 6.5" blocks (untrimmed is ok). Be a minimalist. IE. each 'design' should be constructed in a minimal way. It can be a recognizable thing (like my fork, which represents my love of cooking, trying new recipes, and eating out); or it can be less or non-recognizable (like my 'circle' of family). Either is fine. 

For colors, think black and white - ie. white background and black 'figure'. Various substrates are fine as long as they are washable. A mix of white and off-white (snow) is good, but not much darker, please. For the black, I'd really prefer black-black if you can. Occasionally feel free to use a small/partial colored element instead of black in the figure; but no more that what you see that I've used in a block though. Don't feel like you have to use color beyond the black and white, but you can if you feel inclined to.

I'm planning on making two more blocks, but I've really enjoyed what I've made so far. Of course I can't wait to see what my beemates make!