Effervescence Quilt Top

Ever since January, I've been getting block assignments every other week from Yvonne @quiltingjetgirl, as I participate in the Effervescence Quilt Along. Thankfully, it's been easy to keep up, and finally, I have a quilt top!

At 56" x 72", it's a great size for a lap quilt. Though Yvonne will soon be sharing directions for a bonus quilt using HSTs created during the Effervescence piecing process, all along I've planned to use my leftover HSTs as I make a pieced backing. I have plenty of yardage left from my original fabric pull to make that happen, and hopefully for a binding too. 

I'm already mulling over a quilting design and thread choice, so I'll hopefully be back before too long to share what I've decided. Meanwhile, I'm pretty excited to be moving forward with a completed top!

The Puzzling of Ode to Joy

Years ago, I took The Process Pledge. Rossie @rossiecrafts posted the pledge on her (now inactive) blog on May 14, 2010, and I was #768 to sign it late in 2011. Here's what the pledge said: "The goal of the process pledge is to create a new sensibility in quilting blogs where we don’t just show finishes or occasionally confess about our moments of indecision, but chat openly and often about our works in progress, our inspirations, and our moments of decision."

So a lot of the quilt bloggers I knew during that time and years since, adhered to that pledge, and I have always thought that sharing the process was just what one did. So you may not have realized that it was an intentional commitment on my (and others) part, but it is. Thus I'm sharing a crucial junction in the life of the Ode to Joy quilt - that when I have all the blocks from my bee mates, and I'm starting in on puzzling a quilt top together!

After much debating and mocking up, I decided on a background design and fabric colors, as well as an orientation for my blocks. Not one that's used to doing this with computer software, I taped graph paper together, cut up post-it notes, and went the old-fashioned route. But at least now I have a 'map' to follow.

I can't say that having a map makes things simple, but I'm getting there. I'm finding it especially tricky when the different background colors meet.

And a wider view....

And then a more recent view as I got a little more progress over the weekend....

Besides white, I'm using Konas Black and Raisin for the background. And I've loosely grouped the blocks into categories. I'm liking where it's headed, though it is time-consuming. Hopefully slow but sure will get me there.

Embrace

It was Émilie's @mili.tra turn to choose the BeeSewcial prompt this month, and unsurprisingly, she asked us to focus on color by using the Zorn Palette and the overarching theme of Embrace.

The palette, named after Swedish painter Anders Zorn (1860-1920), "is a limited palette created by the use of only 4 base colors: white, black, ochre and vermillion. This palette is mostly used for portraits, as it can recreate every skin tone. It is also a great way, by limiting the colors, to focus on value. So the goal is not to use only 4 colors. But to create a palette by mixing those colors. Yes, I know, we cannot really "mix" colors, but we can train our eyes to select colors that are derived from the mix of those pigments." Émilie provided several photos to use as reference. She also provided the photo below of her own fabric pull.

Wow! After checking my stash, I was able to pull a more limited selection of approved fabrics.



Another important aspect of Émilie's request was that we should create "blocks" that were not square or rectangular, but rather "blocks" that didn't have any sharp dents or concavity. The sides could be curved or straight. Here is her visual for us.

And finally, Émilie provided a pin board of inspiration images for the Embrace theme. Let's just say I was feeling very uncertain as I grabbed my fabric and rotary cutter.

My first block measured 14" x 15" at its largest dimensions, definitely improv, yet maybe too structured? Simply said, I was imagining the striped half 'embracing' the solid half.

So I tried again! Using some of the same fabrics, yet adding in more, I created this blob, which measures 12" x 14". It definitely felt softer, with just a bit of the stripe element from the previous block repeated. And I tried in a more curvy way to illustrate the two 'halves' reaching out to each other.

Émilie had requested a minimum of three blocks, and considering the shapes and sizes of the first two, another definitely seemed in order. The third was smaller at 7" x 8", and I tried to make it feel related to the previous two.

Gotta say, I found this prompt very challenging! I have no doubt though, that Émilie will bring all our blocks together in a beautiful way.

Ooh Lucky Baby Log Cabin

When I received an invitation to a baby shower for my goddaughter, I kinda knew I'd need to go shopping for fabric. I definitely wanted something girly. In a perfect world, I would have ordered some mermaid-themed fabric, but time was short, so I chose from what my local brick-and-mortar had in stock. Luckily, it was some very fun stuff. Here's what I brought home:

• Alexia Abegg's Ooh Lucky Lucky Mini Dot in Lucky Pink 
• Plus Alexia's Ooh Lucky Lucky Good Luck in Lucky Pink 
• Miniatures I Heart You from Love Letter by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics
• Tula Pink's True Colors Tent Stripe in Poppy
• Kitty Litter in Watermelon by Pammie Jane

Once home, I added in some Kona Carnation from stash, since the pattern I was using called for six fabrics. The pattern, Quilt As You Go Log Cabin by Jera Brandvig @quiltingintherain for Pellon, is one I've made before, though this time I made a couple of changes. 1) I did not do QAYG because I knew I wanted to quilt it with a serpentine stitch; and 2) I made it just a bit larger by adding two more strips, for a final size of 38" x 42". Regarding the focus fabric, the Good Luck print with multiple 'charms?'.... I loved that it had a pig on it! My goddaughter has always loved pigs and even has a pet pig, so that was a fun connection. AND the fabric was perfect for leading the pink theme.

For the backing, I used the Tula Pink stripe, and for the binding, the mini dot.

Such a simple but satisfying pattern. Of course, I needed to make a fabric gift bag to put it in, but forgot to take a photo. Oh well, the quilt was very much appreciated, and I loved to be able to make it and gift it to welcome a sweet new baby girl.... also, my first quilt finish with my new Janome.

Minimal Shapes Blocks

So I have a bit of unfinished business to face in the weeks (months?) ahead. All of my Minimal Shapes blocks from last year's prompt have come in from my Bee Sewcial beemates, and as usual, things are looking good! I always love to see how each one interprets the prompt, and before long, I'll be seriously debating layouts, always the toughest part for me. I kind of had a plan when I started out, but we'll see what I come up with when I get right down to it.

Here are my original inspiration blocks - organic, but reminiscent of geometric shapes in an orange, purple, brown, and gray palette.

And here are all the blocks I received from my beemates....

Irene @hixsonir

Jen @jen.broemel

Karen @capitolaquilter

Leanne @shecanquilt

Stephanie @spontaneousthreads

Felicity @felicityquilts

M-R @quiltmatters

Whether or not this one waits until after my Ode to Joy quilt remains to be seen. (I think it will.) Either way, I'm excited to move forward on it.

Stash Jazz

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to attend any Seattle MQG giving quilt sew-ins, and finally I decided to just go ahead and make a quilt for them to donate. Some time before her passing last year, Carole Lyles Shaw gave permission for the guild to use her Stash Jazz pattern for giving quilts. I opted to make the 55" x 62" Small Lap Quilt version, though mine actually came out 55" x 58" due to the amount of border fabrics I had. 

The pieced blocks were made totally of scraps; then the solid blocks and borders were from stash.

Honestly, piecing the scrappy slabs was time consuming! I had grabbed my blue and yellow/orange scrap baskets, thinking the quilt top would be primarily blues and oranges. Come to find out, I had more yellow than orange, so that's what ended up happening.

Still, when it was time to cut the solid slabs for each block, I still went with blue and orange - Kona Riviera and Orangeade. Except I didn't have quite what I needed, so the blue corners are actually Kona Ocean, and the orange corner is obviously a print. I think it works, especially since the quilt top is definitely focused on the scraps.

For the back, I started by piecing the leftovers, and added stash prints and solids to bring it up to size.

Early on I knew I wanted to do a grid for quilting, and when I remembered I had a cone of Aurifil 50wt 2225 [Salmon] - thank you Aurifil! - it felt like kismet. And gotta say, quilting went so nicely with my new machine. It gave me a lot of joy to have the quilting go so smoothly.

I had originally planned for a scrappy binding, but once I was trimming the quilt, scrappy didn't feel right. Or at least not with the scraps I had left. Happily, I happened across random pieces of original Cotton + Steel Mesa by Alexa Marcelle Abegg from back in 2014(!!). And I think it's a fun addition.

So thanks to perfect timing, our guild meeting is tonight, and I'll be able to deliver both the Pixie Stix quilt I bound and this Stash Jazz to the Giving Committee for donation. Pretty sure it will go to either Kenmore Senior Women’s Shelter or YWCA Pathways for Women. Perfect.

Linking up with Quilting Jetgirl's Favorite Finish {June 2025}.

Hello Janome MC 6700P

For a while now, I've been mulling over trading in my brother Innovis QC1000 that I've had since 2010. Pretty much replaced by my JUKI  TL-2010Q in 2016, I've mostly used it for sew-ins, as a back-up, or when I wanted to quilt with its serpentine stitch. It's been ages since I've been 100% happy with it, thus the JUKI purchase. Honestly, though I've been happy with so much about the JUKI, lately I haven't been completely content with the quilting. Or is it my quilting? Not sure. All I know is stitches aren't always consistent, and feeding of the fabric layers isn't even. 

Long story, short, last Monday when I was picking up my JUKI from service, I took time to check out the Janome Memory Craft 6700P. Several years ago, I had sewn on a friend's Janome all through an out of town retreat and thought it sewed like butter. And though that particular machine is no longer made (and way more than I needed), the clerk when I dropped JUKI off the week before suggested the 6700, so I'd been researching it. What I was really interested in was that AcuFeed Flex Layered Fabric Feeding System. With a 10" throat space (larger than both the JUKI and brother), the Janome also had three areas of lighting, the necessary (to me) needle-threader, two different quarter-inch feet, an independent bobbin-winder (similar to the brother) and that serpentine stitch I like. I was tempted.

So I initiated conversation about the price and maintenance plan, and contrary to what I'd been told the week before, it was now 1/3 off due to the shop's moving sale. No more consideration was necessary. That elusive 'better' quilting quality made me want to try it. So I've had it a week, and I like it very very much. I've made a baby quilt, and the quilting (and piecing and binding) quality met my hopeful standards. Obviously I need more time on it - and larger quilts - to share a valid opinion, so I'll be back at some point with more of a review. And I'm not saying goodbye to my JUKI, especially for piecing and bags (and ??), but I'm going to spend a little time getting to know the Janome, and then we'll see.

Mended Lucky Stars

So I started in on mending Lucky Stars for my daughter and son-in-law mid-April, and finally am done and delivered it back to them yesterday. The project included three components:

1. making and stitching (appliquéing?) 30+ fabric patches over worn areas, ranging in size from 2" x 2" finished to about 4" x 8"
2. removing all 390" of the original binding, which was still securely stitched on, but worn through along the edges; and rebinding with new (thrice-prewashed) Prisma Dyes Artisan Batik in Marine
3. hand-quilting over the patches

At 90" x 105", the quilt was big, and even though worn a little thin from 20 years of loving use, heavy! Sewing on the patches was the most challenging part. There were no holes per se, but some fabrics just did not wear well. Below is one of the worst examples.

Some of the patches I was able to place exactly over a previous quilt piece; some, due to the wear, needed to overlap original seam lines or placed irregularly. Shown below are several of the patches to give you an idea. Note that I had none of the original fabric on hand, but used a coordinating batik Zinfandel Bali Pop, so fabric patches did not match at all, yet retained the quilt's original 'look.'

You may have noticed that the quilt was hand-quilted.... 20 years ago, that was all I knew to do. I moved away from that in more recent years, so it's always a joy to see one of my early hand-quilted quilts.

I had heard that when repairing a vintage quilt, it was important to quilt the new patches. So even in areas like the star below, where the points weren't originally quilted, I quilted anyway. 

As I mentioned, the quilt is big and heavy, so the best photo I got, it was spread on the floor of my studio, taking up most of the open floor space. This was right before I added the last few patches, so if you zoom in, you may see them pinned to the quilt. At any rate, I'm glad I was able to give this sentimental quilt some new life.

Giving Quilt

I've held off sharing this quilt hoping I'd find out more about the maker and design, but several weeks have gone by and I've learned nothing, so since it was something I used stashed fabric on, and counted in May's Fabric Usage, I figured I might as well go ahead and share it. 

The quilt top was rescued off the Seattle MQG retreat free table by Amber @greenamberdawn, then longarm quilted by Jana @janalroyal. Besides to these two guild members, credit also goes to guild Giving Quilt chair Linda Teri, who passed the quilt off to me for binding, suggesting "contrast would be good."

Perfect! I was free to choose binding fabric from my own stash, and used a fun pink on pink dot to finish the quilt, which measured 60" x 72". I'll return the quilt to Linda at our June meeting for labeling and donating. This year, the guild is donating to Kenmore Senior Women’s Shelter, YWCA Pathways for Women, and Westside Baby, so the quilt will go to one of those organizations. Glad I could help make it happen.

ETA: THANK YOU to Wanda @exuberantcolor for identifying the quilt pattern for me! It's Pixie Stix from Strip Your Stash by Gudrun Erla @gedesignsgudrun. Whew. One piece of the puzzle solved.

Floral Stitches Year II - Echinacea + A GIVEAWAY!

Just having completed Year I of the Floral Stitches sampler series, I didn't really mean to go for another round. Until I saw the Echinacea. I really really wanted to stitch it. So I signed up for the initial three months at least. Chances are, I'll do the whole series, just because I've enjoyed them so much.

I asked Rebecca, proprietress of Dropcloth Embroidery @dropcloth, if I could share her 'pre-stitched' picture of the sampler here, and she happily agreed. This way you can see what the sampler looked like before I started stitching. Lots of color already, right?

And here's my finished sampler!

I had so much fun stitching this one! Any chance you'd want to stitch one too?? Rebecca has generously offered for me to give away a six month subscription of the Floral Stitches Subscription Series here on the blog! The subscription includes never-before-released hand-drawn and hand-painted embroidery patterns made by Rebecca Ringquist in her Portland, Oregon studio. Each floral sampler is 4 inches across.

If you'd like a chance to win, just leave your name and email in a comment on this post before midnight PDT on Saturday, June 7. After, I'll choose a random winner and let Rebecca know who that lucky person is.  The giveaway is now closed. Thank you!

So good luck in the giveaway. If you have some embroidery-loving friends, let them know; or if you want to get back into embroidery or even try it for the first time, this is a great place to start. The Dropcloth site even has Stitch Diagrams if a new stitcher needs a little encouragement, and all the supplies one might need.