Five Shadows

Here is my Mr. Juggler all stitched up.

I’m having just a bit of an issue with my new Janome for free motion quilting. My stitches are a bit jerky. You can see how they are out of whack on the back of this piece:

I’ve got to fiddle with the machine’s tension, maybe get a Supreme Slider, and practice! Even so, I do love Mr. Juggler. He is an illustration by Pam Holland used in the workshop I took from her June 21st at Cotton Corner in Shipshewanna, IN. He might be turning in to a pillow, not sure yet. I’m thinking prairie points and pompoms would suit him.

Last week’s quilt show in Shipshewanna was a blast! What a fun get away with several friends!

This week I have to get to that bridesmaid dress and hem for my daughter. That, and playing with some new purchases from the quilt show is all I’m putting on my To-Do Tuesday list.

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

Sunday, I had the privilege to take a Pam Holland  class. The workshop was held at Cotton Corner in Shipshewanna, IN.

It was a lovely day and an even better experience. Pam is an excellent instructor. Pam showed tons of her lovely thread painting quilts and what she calls ‘drappliqué’. Drappliqué is drawing and appliqué combined that is stitched over with thread.

Pam has a self-published book The Adventures of the Amazing Alphabet, which is a story she wrote for her grandchildren and also a quilt book sharing her drappliqué technique. Patterns included for each letter of the alphabet.

At the workshop, Pam provided a copy of her letters ‘A’ and ‘J’ for her students to use to work through her techniques. I selected the letter ‘J’.

My Mr. Juggler is not yet complete. I still have lots of thread stitching to do. But I was so excited about this project, I just had to show you, and encourage you to take a Pam Holland workshop if you can!

This week’s to-do list includes going to the Shipshewanna Quilt Show for a couple of days with some dear friends! Sewing might happen over the weekend.

I’m linking to Linky Tuesday and To-Do Tuesday.

Today was the kick off for the Row by Row Experience. All 50 US States and Canada have quilt shops particapating in this fun Shop Hop. The theme is H2O.

Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke is one of 58 shops particapating from Indiana!

Here is Fabrics and Friends Row that I had the privilege to design along with co-worker Vicki.

My feet could use a cool dip in a refreshing stream right about now!

Each quilt shop provides a free pattern for their Row. All you have to do is stop in between June 21 and September 8, 2015 and ask for the Row by Row Pattern! Some shops are also offering kits for their Rows at a reasonable price.

I happened to be at a quilt shop today for a Lock-In (more about that later in another post) and remembered to ask for their Row by Row. I’m hoping to get to several new-to-me shops this summer!

I’ve been trying some new-to-me quilting techniques while working on this little Paper Pieced Flower Pot.

I signed up for Cindy Needham’s Design It, Quilt It class on Craftsy. She recommends ditch stitching ESS Every Stinking Seam. She also recommends using Superior’s Bottom Line 60 wt thread for ESS. After all the seams are ditched, then she does her free motion quilting (FMQ) design.

I bought a sample pack of thread from Superior Threads last year, but never opened it up.

Today, I got it out and there are several of the types and weights of threads Cindy is using in the class. I filled a bobbin with Bottom Line #637 which just happened to be a great match for the back of the quilt. I used MonoPoly a Monofilament thread (Not recommended by Cindy, but I had it, so why not play with it?) in the Titanium Coated Topstitch needle #70/10 that also came in the sample pack. Superior says these needles last much long than standard needles. I’ll be happy to test that out!

To do ESS I switched out the 1/4″ presser foot for my new Acu Feed Stitch-in-the-Ditch Foot.

Following Cindy’s advice, I stitched in every single seam. It was easy with the seam guide on the Acu Feed foot and this project was not that large. I think I’m going to love the Bottom Line thread. I’ve never sewn with 60 wt thread before, it is so thin.

Next up was the free motion quilting. I kept the Bottom Line in the bobbin but used Master Piece in the needle. Superior says it is for PIECING but hey, the color was right, so I went for it. There was a bright green #128 in the sample pack that I thought would look good, but only did a tiny bit of FMQ. I’m just not sure how to quilt this little potted succulent. I moved on to some decorative stitching along the leaves, and the Master Piece 50 wt was good for that too.

The small wall hanging (20″ wide 31″ long)  was finished with yet another new-to-me technique. I used a Flat Felled Foot to attach the binding.

See the little hook type thing on the front left of the foot? It slips under the binding to guide it in place for stitching.

Above, the binding feeds over the ‘hook’ for nice even stitching.

I saw the technique on A Woman A Day blog: Happy Feet Quilt Binding by Lisa Yarost. Hmmm, maybe I saw it first on Pinterest. This was my first time to use the Flat Felled Foot and the results are not perfect, but I do like the method and will use it again. I didn’t read her article carefully and actually sewed the binding back to front instead of front to back, as she suggests. I was glad I switched it because the stitching is kind of off in places on the back. Which would have been the front, which I would not have been too happy about. On the back, it is ok as it is not as noticeable.

This was a paper piecing project from the book Paper-Pieced Flower Pot Quilts by Anja Townrow.

Critique: Cute designs, nice-ish directions for the paper piecing, but there are no instructions for how to put your potted plant into a quilt. Even though Anja shows each pot in several quilts, for some reason she didn’t include any yardage or piecing instructions for the little quilts in the book. Maybe I’m missing something?  I just winged it. Only attempt these projects if you are confident in paper piecing and like to play with settings!

How about you? Have you made anything with paper piecing? Do you have a favorite method?

Next up is hemming a bridesmaid dress for my daughter, and helping her make wine bottle bags for an upcoming bachelorette party.

I’m linking to To-Do Tuesday and Linky Tuesday.

I’ll be doing a demo at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe in Roanoke, IN Saturday, June 20th on paper piecing.

I pulled out a quilt that fell by the wayside last Fall. The pattern is Metro Hoops by Sew Kind of Wonderful. I used Best Day Ever, Designed by April Rosenthal,  Jelly Roll by Moda.

Piles of pieces just cut, and waiting for the next step.

One block complete. I think it is going to look great!

Last week’s paper piecing needs borders. I have to get more fabric. Sigh, another trip to the quilt shop. Just kidding! I love going to the local quilt shop! Fabrics and Friends in Roanoke, IN. I’ll post a photo next week. I just watched a video today on a technique called No Tear Paper Piecing that uses freezer paper. I want to try that out and can see modifying how I paper piece in the future. Thanks Quilt N Bee Quilt Shop!

This week I hope to finish both the paper piecing and Metro Hoops.

I’m linking up to Linky Tuesday and To-Do Tuesday.

Happy Sewing!

Finally! 3 finished tops this week! They have been a long time coming!

Dance of the Dragonflies, a Southwind Designs pattern. This was made for Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe owner, Deb Roehm. I’m hoping to show the technique as a demo sometime in the future at the shop. Perhaps a quilt from the Southwind Designs line could even be a future class at Fabrics and Friends.

The block is sewn together using squares and rectangles and dimensional squares folded diagonally and stitched into the seams. Once all pieced, you go back and fold the dimensional pieces and stitch the curves in place. The technique is a bit time consuming, but gives a nice finish affect!

This is Dot to Dot, a pattern using the Quick Curve ruler from Sew Kind Of Wonderful. I have to tell you, I love that ruler! This is the third of four quilt tops I have completed with the Quick Curve ruler. Plus I’ve sewn up several other blocks from their pattern line for demos at Fabrics and Friends Quilt Shoppe, Roanoke, IN. I used Moda’s Horizon by Kate Spain Layer Cake for the prints. I’ve made one for the shop and will be making one for me too! The top is 56″ square. You only need 18 – 10″ print squares for this size top, so that means 2 from one Layer Cake, plus pieces left over to use for demos.

This quilt top started from another Sew Kind of Wonderful pattern called Two-Step Topper that I more than quadrupled in size. The original pattern was a 30″ square but designed with no sashing. I went sash happy, dividing the Drunkard’s Path type units with a tone on tone white with a pop of teal in the center. Then I sashed those blocks with a gray linen. The top is now 70″ x 80″ and is going with my daughter to college in the Fall. She picked out  Follie, a lovely white, black, and teal  print by Lotta Jandotter for Wyndham Fabrics for the back.  And she wants a black binding.

Close up of the fabrics.

I’ll be linking to Linky Tuesday and To-Do Tuesday if the links are still open.

I’m also linking to Vicki’s UFO Busting Link Up.

Next up is a paper piecing project.