Preliminary Layout Sugar Block Club 2013 Quilt

The Sugar Block Club blocks are finished and I am ready to start putting them into a layout for a quilt top.  I have a small design wall in my sewing room, so this will not be the final layout by any stretch.  It does give me an initial feel for what will be going on here.  I am too heavy with the grays in the lower right corner so I will move that block and swap it out with the one in the upper left corner.  Then I think I will be happy.  I have some connecting blocks that will go in to this as well.  The blocks will not overlap when the top is finished, the entire set will be expanded outward and filled in inbetween with additional design work.  I want to leave a lot of white space to be quilted at a later date.  I have two white on white fabrics to use in completing this top, one is white with white dragonflies, the other is a white on white pin stripe.  

I bought two books used this past week, I was hoping they would come for my class but they did not arrive in time.  They are both on setting your quilt blocks and are good examples of breaking out of the "square" mold.  

The first one is Smashing Sets by Margaret J. Miller which I purchased on Amazon.com

The second one is Sensational Settings by Joan Hanson also purchased on Amazon.com

I like to purchase books used on Amazon.com, you can often pick up older titles for very little, just a couple dollars.  Nice to add to your library.  I also enjoy their downloads to my android through Kindle.

You can see that my setting resembles the cover photo of the Sensational Settings book, but it will be expanded and contain more elements like some that are in the Smashing Sets book.  Fun!

My husband John, now with his new glasses! and I went on a weekend tour, looking at longarms!  Wheee!  So much fun, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am able to get the one I would really love to have.  So, I didn't get a lot of sewing done.   It was great fun though, we stopped in Squaw Valley and picked up my son Andrew and both he and John stitched on the longarm!  Yes they did!  And loved it!!!  More to be revealed!

Burning Man 2013 Video - After The Blaze

Burning Man 2013 is over but never fear my chickens...you can relive all the wonder by watching Jason and Jennifer Phipps incredible time lapse video!  It will whisk you right back; ah the playa dust blowing through your dread locks, the searing heat, the spectacle of lights, the frenzied hive like activity!

Jason and Jennifer hike way up to the top of a near by mountain, set up their cameras and you are witness to the amazing results of their efforts!  Enjoy!!!

Perfect Paper Piecing - The Setting

We will be meeting this Friday, September 20, 2013 as usual at 9am.  At this meeting you can finish up any blocks you wish or work on what ever you want!

We will be discussing possible settings for your blocks.  Last year we finished our quilts with sashing on the square.  I will have some other setting ideas for you to explore.  Doesn't mean you have to do it this way, you do what pleases you!  Maybe you are making a table runner and place mats with your blocks...maybe you are making a quilt...what ever you decide to do with them is fine!

Table runner above from:  http://daphnegreig.blogspot.com/2013/07/online-learning-ripless-paper-piecing.html

Table runner above from:  http://quiltingal.blogspot.com/p/patternsbooks.html

Your setting is how your blocks are joined together to make your quilt.

Here are some examples of quilts from Connecting Threads website: http://www.connectingthreads.com/kits/quilting_kits.html

This shows how a quilt might look with alternating a solid block with your pieced blocks.  It gives space for the eye to rest and has a light feel about it.

This one, the blocks are touching each other, it's a more dense feeling but still very attractive and you can see a small secondary pattern formed by using the same block over and over.

This quilt has sashing, again giving the eye some rest and and interesting border which draws your eye around the quilt.  Maybe you want a sashing with corner stones?

Alternating a simple block can change up the look completely.  This example is from http://blog.shopmartingale.com/quilting-sewing/52-quilting-tutorials/

Here is another example of a simple block alternated with your pieced blocks to give a very crisp look.  This is from http://virtualquilter.wordpress.com/series-start-ups/from-block-to-quilt-set/

What happens if you turn your blocks on point and alternate with a simple block?  This

from

http://quilting.about.com/od/blockofthemonth/ss/premium_star_4.htm

Here is a wonkie setting.

http://funthreads.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-set-blocks-on-wonky-tilt.html

Here is another dynamic option from http://circleofninequilts.com/

Here is another link that can give you some ideas: http://www.kathkwilts.com/lessons/lesson7.html

You can see that there is a wide variety of possibilities and we haven't even touched the surface. These are pretty tame possibilities, very conservative.   Examples to expand your mind a little.  Go online and google quilt block settings.  See what possibilites you come up with.  Dare to be different!  See you all Friday!  

The Fall Harvest Festival will be on Saturday, October 26th, starting at 4pm.  There will be games for the children, dinner at 5pm and "Trunk or Treat" starting at 6pm.  We will again be exhibiting our quilting, if you have something that you would like to show please contact me and we will display it.  Last years contributions were well received and I would love to have several items to show for this year as well.  

Our final meeting for this year will be on Friday, October 18th at 9am.  We will again have a pot luck brunch.  We can spend the morning sewing and I have some special little gifts for each of you!

Our Final Block of This Year's Perfect Paper Piecing Group

This is a little late getting up, but here we go!  Woven Star, our final block this year.

The Woven Star.  The beautiful block pictured above, featuring Kaffe Fassett fabrics, was created by one of my students, Sandy Simester.

Now there are some tips to make this block easy.  Get yourself a box of color crayons or colored pencils.  You want to be able to identify where your fabrics will be placed in your block.  Trust me, this is an important step with this block.  It looks easy, particularly after some of the other blocks that we have made, but there is no room for messing up on this one.

You will need to print out 4 copies of the blocks.  Now the blocks are too large to print on one sheet, so you will need to match them up, tape them and then use them to paper piece as we normally do.

If you have access to legal paper and a printer, tape one copy together and print them out as needed on your copy machine.

If not, you will be making 4 copies of each piece and taping them together to form 4 triangle components that will form your block.

As we have done before, please trim the excess paper, leaving about a 1/2 inch extra all the way around.  Remove your thread from your machine, including the bobbin thread.  Stitch all your lines to pre-perforate your paper pattern, making it easier to see where your fabric will go, easier to fold and eventually easier to remove.

Lay your pieces out as shown above, this is how they will form your block once they are trimmed down.  Select your fabrics, match up a color crayon and mark each of the areas of your block with the corresponding color.  Looking at the block above, you see the pink color in the small #1 triangle, looking to the right, moving counter clockwise, you can see that pink again on the next component block in the triangle #4...I want that area of both of those blocks to be the same color.  Study the block at the beginning of this blog and you can see how the colors move around the block.  If you do not mark your pattern pieces and carefully assemble them, you will not be happy with your results.  Take your time.  Check and double check that you have your pieces in the right place.  As you can see, it's not a difficult block to sew at all, it's only complicated by the placement of the colors.  Here is another example below.  Think about your colors, your textures, what you want to express in your block.  You might select your background fabric and then weave 4 other folded fabrics together and lay them on top to audition them.

Before you stitch your 4 component blocks together, Trim the excess fabric and lay them out on your mat to make sure that you have everything where you want it.  Stitch 2 of the component block together, and do the same for the other two, press your seams in opposite directions and then nestle your center seams as we have done in class before.  Stitch the 2 halves together and press your seam open to reduce the bulk.

Here is what this block might look like replicated in a quilt top.  I have put a link at the top of this blog to the patterns and there is one at the side as well.  Have fun and be sure to share what you make!  Remember, the block will finish up at 12.5"

UPDATE: Kaffe Fassett, Philip Jacobs And A Storm At Sea!

Top Finished, ready for quilting

Philip Jacobs Lavinia on the cutting board

I woke up yesterday and pulled out my stash of Kaffe Fassett, Philip Jacobs and some random batiks and knew exactly what I wanted to make!  Last year a friend recommended that I purchase the Fast2Cut Template by Wendy Mathson.  So I did.  I have been sitting on it mentally hatching a quilt and finally decided to do something about it this weekend!  

I decided to get Wendy's book which was also recommended.  I have read it cover to cover several times.  You can get a copy at your local quilt store or online at Amazon.com  I can recommend it to you!

I decided to make the quilt that she is showing on the cover...but I want different colors than what she had selected...so here goes!

Cutting out the bits and labeling them.

Sewing the first sub component.  The ruler does all the work for you, it's so easy!  I had to pay attention the first couple times and then it's like magic!

The first two rounds are up on the design wall.

Adding the third round

Half way though the fourth round I realized that I was short on the light green Philip Jacob Lavinia that I was using...EEEK!   Why didn't I buy the whole bolt when I had the chance???   Honey!  We have to go down the hill, I have to go to the fabric store...I'll buy you lunch!  Down the hill we go...lunch eaten...fabric store closed?  REALLY???  Okay, calm down.  Honey?!  We have to drive to Rocklin to Beverly's to see if they have any.  Down the hill still further we go.  The traffic is horrendous!  They don't have it!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  Back home, dejected, sorting through the piles of fabric on my table...wait, what is this?  Is it?  It is!!!  One single strip left, just wide enough, if I am careful, to get out the bits I need!!!!!  Oh Happy Day!!!  Oh Happy Day!!!

Thanks Honey for being so patient and sweet.

Adding the fourth round, there are two more to go before I am ready to stitch all the sub blocks together.  Looks very different from the book cover doesn't it?

I am loving me some jewel tone fabrics right now...back to the sewing table...You will have to check back to see how this finishes up!

On the home front, it has been raining all day!  Thankfully!  We have the windows open and fresh air is streaming in. I'm sure this is helping with the fire up the road and the one in Yosemite.  Grateful for the relief from the smoke!

Andrew has returned from Burning Man 2013, I have not spoken with him, but I think he had a good time.  Here is his finished costume complete with lighting!  (All they are missing are some trick or treat bags...LOL)

Along with all the costume fun...I decided to start a mug rug swap on Ipernity...so here is a little quick pic of my finished mug rug for my swap partner.  She loved it!

If you would like to join us in our next swap...come on over to www.ipernity.com/group/mugrug and join in the fun!

UPDATE 8-27-12: American Fire Video by Jason Phipps and Kellen Walker

Film by Jason Phipps and Kellen Walker

Pretty amazing video of the fire burning near us.

This is an updated version of the video of the American Fire with footage provided by California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 and Fire-watch Cobra, US Forest Service.

The American Fire, started at approximately 4:30pm on Saturday August 10, 2013, is burning in heavy fuels on extreme slopes about eight miles from the community of Foresthill, California and has grown to 25,000 acres as of August 26, 2013. There are 1,196 dedicated personnel fighting the fire at this time to prevent the fire from reaching populated areas. Many of the previously dedicated personel have relocated to the RIM Fire near Yosemite CA. They have successfully contained the fire American Fire 83% at the time this video was originally posted. Heavy fuels are creating large amounts of smoke, which is a significant issue for the Sierra Foothills, Tahoe area, and Sacramento Valley. The cause of this fire is still under investigation.

A special thanks to Kellen Walker for helping us film under such dangerous conditions, thanks to Karen Marko-Meyer for logistical advice, and Wes Schultz for contributing his amazing photography. And of course, thank you to those firefighting professionals risking their lives in combating this amazing force of nature.

For additional photographs of The American Fire by Wes Schultz visit -http://notnownotever.exposuremanager.



Filmed by Air National Guard

Aireal Fire Fighting of the American Fire



Smoke from the American Fire being forced down into Reno 
from the thunder storms

Video by National Weather Service Reno



Video by Chris Terry

Pics from our PPP Class Yesterday And Ramona's Back!

Sandy Simester's Block featuring Kaffe Fassett and Phillip Jacob fabrics

We had a small turn out yesterday, but much fun was had by all!  Our dear Ramona was back in class and it was so good to see her getting around so well.  She has kept up with the class and brought all her blocks to share!  Well Done!!!

Ramona's Blocks

Her blues are beautiful, she has two more blocks in process right now, but I have no doubt they will be every bit as lovely.  This is going to make a soft and pretty quilt.

I am working out how I am going to get this pattern Woven Star Block, scanned into the computer for you all to enjoy.  It has to be printed out on legal paper to make the 12.5 inch finished block.  My scanner is only letter sized.  Leave a comment if you have any suggestions on the best way to accomplish this.  I was thinking about cutting the pattern in half and posting the PDF with the two halves which you would have to tape together.  And that may be what I do, because I'm thinking that everyone probably has letter size paper to print on and not legal.  I'll get after that this afternoon, check back here for a link to the pattern on our PPP link page.

Ramona and Teri working away

The American Fire has been burning away now for a week up here and we are all choking with smoke, especially in the mornings.  The fire is now up to 10,000+ acres with only 30% containment as of last night.

American Fire photo from Yuba Net

The fire is burning up canyon from us about 10 miles as the crow flies...and as the inversion takes place the smoke drops down the canyons and we wake up to...

Smoke in the mornings

The picture above was taken on the second day of the fire, we are now a week into it and the smoke is much thicker and more choking.

Anyway, back to fabric and sewing fun!  Here are a couple more blocks from class.

Teri's Block

The trick to this block is to have some color crayons with you when you are first laying out what you want to do.  Figure out what colors you want and where you want them.  On the pattern, you will circle the number 1 on one segment of your block with your red color crayon.  Now look to see where the tip of that or the corresponding #4 will fall in the next segment and circle that with your red crayon also.  Now you know, what ever fabric you are putting in #1, will also need to go in #4 on the corresponding segment.  Don't worry, when I post the pattern, I will also post photos of how to do this.

My block, The Woven Star

It's a very easy block with not many pieces but if you don't pay attention while you are sewing it, you will not have the results you want, it can be tricky at first.  I will post hints and tips with the pattern.

You all know by now, that I love to play with the mosaic maker at BigHugeLabs.com  so here are some mock ups of these blocks, so you can see what it might look like in a quilt.

Three completely different looks with the same block, just changing up the fabrics.  Isn't quilting fun!  Well, I have a day of sewing ahead of me, finishing up Andrew's costume, some BOM's I'm working on and I will probably start another project, just because...LOL.

The Woven Star will be the last block in our PPP class this year, the meeting next month will be to finish up any blocks that need to be finished and to start your quilt top or what ever you plan to use your blocks for.  Perhaps a table runner with matching place mats???  Your call, your creation.

The October meeting will be a pot luck to see every one's work and enjoy a lovely brunch together!


Check back this evening or tomorrow for the PDF pattern and instructions for our final block, The Woven Star!

PPP Class This Friday! New Block Will Be Posted

This is NOT the block we will make Friday, this is from our last class.  I made this little quilt for the LQSVSG.

This Friday, August 16th will be our Perfect Paper Piecing Class. We will be making a new block this Friday.  I will not post the pattern until late Friday, but it will be available at the class.  For the block we will be making, you will need 4 different fabrics plus a background fabric. 

We will be making the block shown below, The Woven Star.  This example uses only three fabrics, 2 for the star and 1 for the background.  For class we will be using up to 4 for the star and 1 for the background.

Woven Star

This is not a difficult block to make, but you must pay attention to placement as you go along.  We will discuss some tips for making that easier in class and I will post them this weekend along with samples of class work.

So a couple weeks ago, I decided to start a Mug Rug Swap on Ipernity!  I put up this invitation on Flickr, Ipernity and FaceBook 

I've had a great initial response!  We have 17 folks signed up for the first swap!!!  What fun.  Everyone is busy creating their inspirational mosaics.  There are currently 30 folks in the group, some are watching this first round and will jump in on future rounds.  I hope you will come check us out, join the group and have some creative fun with us!!!

Whether you are a veteran quilter or a newbie...everyone is welcome.  The rule of thumb is to make something to the best of your ability, something you would be proud to have your name associated with.  

Our first swap is a Fall/Halloween theme.  The mosaics are fun to look at. There are several great options and directions for people to head in.  It's going to be fun to see what everyone creates!

Come join the Mug Rug Swap at Ipernity!

Link is www.ipernity.com/group/mugrug

Burning Man - Costume Completed, The Update

Burning Man 2013

Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert (also known as "the playa") to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever.

In the 1990's my son attended Burning Man along with about 6000+ other individuals.  He is returning this year but this time, there will be 70,000+ individuals sharing the playa.  This should be an entirely different experience and I am anxious to here about it when he returns.  Part of the immersion into this experience is to express yourself with costume.  Last week, Andrew came down for a visit and we went to Jo-Ann's to make the initial fabric selection for what he has designed.  

We started by making a paper pattern for a "space age collar" and things are evolving from there.

He told me that he would like to have the black sections of the collar, float over the top of the silver sections as he wants to attach some battery operated lighting.  Quickly, the clothesline in my craft closet came to mind.  We cut a strip of fabric and folding it in half over the clothesline, I used the zipper foot to create cording which I will use to separate and create space between the two collars.

The fabric he selected is really fun, I was thinking it might be difficult to sew on, but it's a dream!  90% poly and 10% spandex.

Cording completed!  Check!  Now for the collar bits.

We got some really cheap batting and stitched the collar pieces together with the batting on the bottom.  He wanted dimension and this will give us plenty!

I am leaving the one side open on the silver pieces, they will get run through the serger for a finished edge that he can stitch down to a t-shirt.  The black collars are stitched all around.

The stack of collars are finished with the initial sewing, now the batting must be trimmed and the fabric must be turned right side out.  I carefully pushed out the pointed areas with a large wooden knitting needle.

So here we have the collars ready for top stitching which will create a very metalic look.  Then I will start on the belt and the belt buckle.   I have purposely left a large space in the outside edge for us to insert wire to give this some lift and shape....The collar will be V-shaped front and back with pointed tips at the shoulders that will rise up a bit...let's see if we are successful...more to be revealed!

Pinned up on the design wall.

Well, Andrew was down yesterday and we finished up his costume for Burning Man.  There are other bits that go with it which he has at home, but these are the contributions I helped with:

The Liquid Metal Shirt

After  finishing the collar, Andrew decided that it needed a liquid metal shirt underneath...so, we made this!

The Completed Costume

The collar looks great over the shirt and is held in place by a couple strips of industrial strength velcro, so no worries about it slipping off the shoulders.

The Fur Shirt

And as an after thought, he decided that he also wanted a "fur" shirt for the evening.  It can get cold out there on the Playa...hard to believe, I know.  I was shaking my head (internally) when he told me this and shaking it even more when I saw what he picked out, but you know what?  It actually made up into a really good looking shirt, suitable for wear, post Burning Man.

Great day, spent creating with my son.  Truly a collaborative effort.