Asilomar Robins -- The Final Chapter

Back in March, I shared my progress on finishing a piece that I started in a class with Ruth Powers at Empty Spools in Asilomar. I am very slow, but I make up for it by enjoying the process.

1 Original image, highly pixelated

2 Reversed paper templates

3 Auditioning water and reflections

4 Pieced sections

5 Auditioning background

6 Background sections pieced

Its been a while, but I'm finally finished. I spent quite a while cogitating on the quilting, while working (gosh, it gets in the way), and working on other group quilts with my co-workers. Quilting is now done. I decided to finish the edge with a facing rather than binding -- edges are not perfectly straight, but I like the look. It is mounted using a method described by Judy Simmons.

Finished faced and mounted quilt

Detail of quilting, upper left

Detail of robins

Detail of reflection and water quilting

I love how this turned out. Are there things I could have done better? Absolutely! Live and learn. This is only the second quilt top of this type that I have made and the first that I have completely finished. Thank you Ruth for encouragement and guidance. I really love the process. The slow and meticulous nature of the process means that the initial jumping off image really has to speak to me. I'm on the look-out for the next one.

Thanks for reading,
Susan

PS I'm linking up to Amy's bloggers-quilt-festival-spring-2015

Cardiac DNA Completed

In a previous post, I described making a small top using 3/4 inch hexagons to represent DNA. The DNA part was prepped and hand sewn together while looking after my brother during his heart surgery and short convalescence last summer. I appliqued the hand pieced part onto a background and then layered and quilted. The quilting in the background was designed using a big piece of tracing paper and transferred to the top using Transdoodle chalk paper.

Now I have finished the quilting.

Front of Cardiac DNA (21" X 21")

Back of Cardiac DNA. Back is pieced out of pieces of Marcia Derse fabrics

Back is pieced out of  Marcia Derse fabrics I've been collecting. I used Magnifico Thread from Superior, and experimented with using two colors to see how it would change the gray and add to the image. I was going for the impression of layers and I'm not sure that worked very well, but the quilting definitely has a lot of visual texture.

After auditioning a bunch of binding choices I ended up with the same stripe that I used for the 'nucleotides'. Note that the stripe is actually a zigzag, so to get things going around in the same direction, I had to cut strips of the 'zigs' and skip the 'zags'. Double fold binding was sewn on entirely by machine.

The method is as follows: I decide on the seam allowance using a test 'sandwich' to ensure that the fold comes the right distance to the back to cover the first stitching. Then I sew the binding to the front, mitering in the usual way. Then I stitch over the raw edge with an overcast stitch (straight stitch about 1/4 inch from edge + zigzag just over the edge). This firms up the edge and makes it really easy to pull the binding to the back and glue baste, just covering the stitching line. THEN, on the front, I use a really narrow zigzag to couch a coordinating #5 perle cotton thread down, in the ditch next to the binding. I use a regular, open toe foot -- no special foot required. This catches the binding in the back (see photo above and below to see how even this turns out) and secures everything, AND it adds a line of definition, setting off the binding.

Upper left front corner, showing couched thread

Lower right back, showing thin zigzag line and label

I love how this turned out, and after admiring it a bit on my design wall, I will be sending it off to my brother for a birthday present.

I enjoyed this so much, I have a new one in the works -- more complex, with a hint of DNA replication.

Thanks for looking in,

Susan

PS -- I'm entered in Amy Blogger's Quilt Festival for home machine quilted designs.

Cardiac DNA

Earlier this summer my brother had to have heart surgery and since he lives by himself, he needed someone to come help while he was in the hospital and to get him back on his feet. Quilters are always talking about taking along hand projects to do while at the doctor, or waiting for kids at soccer practice. I don't have kids and I don't have that many doctors appointments and even when I do, I don't spend much time waiting, so this never seemed like a very good way to get a project done.

However, the brother's impending heart surgery put a whole new slant on this, and I decided that having something to do with my hands while waiting for the surgery to be completed or in ICU or in cardiac care would be a good thing. Hexagons are certainly popular, so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about. I didn't want to do anything too big -- I needed to be able to finish the hand work during the surgery and convalescence, and I wanted something a little different than the usual flower motif.

EQ7 Mock-up of a DNA Molecule

I used EQ7 to make a plan. This quilty representation of a short segment of DNA, complete with major and minor groove, seemed like a good size (13x24 inch). Hexagons are 3/4 inch on a side and thus nicely fit in a square cut from a 2 1/2 inch jelly roll strip.

I've been following Micky Depre and watched her Pieced Hexies Craftsy class. Even though I did not venture into more complex pieced hexagons, her introduction was very helpful for getting the basics of basting the little hexagons, and sewing the hexagons together. Using her 'hold things flat and sew from the back' assembly method, even my relatively poor hand work looks good.

The day of surgery we arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM, I left him heading towards the OR at about 7:30AM, and I was allowed into ICU as my brother was waking up at about 3 PM. In between, I prepped all the pieces. In the evening, I laid everything out and took a picture on my iPad so I could refer to it later.

Individual pieces laid out -- top of mock-up is left in picture

Then I started assembling the 'molecule' in sections. It is amazing how perfectly everything fit together. This process definitely has potential for other irregular shaped piecing.

DNA partially assembled. Whipstitching is done from the back and does not show at all on the front.

During my Florence Nightingale stint, I got the entire molecule was assembled. Once home, I appliqued the DNA onto a background by machine using a very narrow zigzag and thin Invisifil thread. Finally, the papers were removed by clipping and pulling out the basting threads, and cutting away the background behind the motif, leaving about a 1/4 inch 'seam allowance', and then popping the papers out from the back.

Auditioning backgrounds and placement

Now, how to quilt? This is always a slow, step-wise decision process for me. I usually see how some parts should be done but not other parts. Quilting around the outside of the DNA and down the orange and blue backbones with twisting strands seemed appropriate but the rest took longer.

Tracing paper mock-up of quilting of the DNA

Quilting around the DNA and on top done

I often use a large sheet of tracing paper to sketch and audition different quilting plans.

Tracing paper used to sketch in swooping lines to delineate sections of quilting

Once the plan is decided, I need a few 'guidelines' to delineate the segments. I use a domestic machine and it is very hard (well, for me, impossible) to see the 'big picture' well enough to get smooth sweeping lines that go where I want without having drawn lines to follow. Once the major sections are defined, then free motion designs within a section are easier.

Lines transferred to quilt top

I used big sheets of Transdoodle Chalk paper layered under the drawing and a tracing wheel to transfer the design.

Lines were transferred using Transdoodle Chalk paper

Now I'm working on laying in the section lines and quilting up each section.

Will keep you posted.

Sue

PS Surgery went fine. It was done minimal invasively, and it was amazing. It was still major surgery, but no big chest incision, less than 2 days in ICU and only 4 days in the hospital. A week after the surgery he was driving, walking several miles, and well on the way to better than new.

We Love Pam

One of my colleagues of many years is retiring. She will be sorely missed, and OF COURSE, whenever my group wants to express its concern, shared joy or any other emotion -- what do we do? We make a quilt. Pam loves cross-stitch so that was the theme. We also wanted to express our feeling. The design also had to let lots of people participate, allow some individual self-expression, and not require much skill. With a little quilt cross-stitch inspiration (see  http://blog.pileofabric.com/2014/03/06/cross-stitch-instagram-in-the-studio-2/ ), I 'googled' and looked at a lot of cross-stitched hearts.

Using EQ7, I came up with this design. Each unit in the grid is 2 1/2" finished and the whole quilt is about 40" x 45".

We <3 Pam

Originally, the center was filled in, but that would have required too many cross-stitch blocks. Pam's favorite colors are purple and teal so we assemble a pallette of choices. Final fabric choices and layout of completed components was a team effort. We gave contributors a choice of making cross-stitch blocks, or making fuse-on flowers that would be arranged 'artistically' in bunches on the background.

The cross-stitch blocks are also fused, not sewn. We held several group 'craft' opportunities in a conference room at work. Cross-stitchers got pre-cut background squares, and strips of fusible. They selected colors from a stash of fabrics, cut, fused, and layered and trimmed the squares. If I were going to do this again, I would recommend cutting the color strips on the bias to reduce fraying.

Components for 1 square

Alignment was easiest from be back

Trimming

Finished product

To assemble the top without chopping up the background into itty-bitty squares and sewing it all back together, I made a layout of larger pieces and a map, precut all the pieces, and sewed everything together.

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Finished quilt -- picture is intentionally dark to show quilting texture.

Finally, the quilting -- each 'cross-stitch' was edged-stitched down with a Rainbow polyester. Flowers were edge stitched with a pale Invisifil. Leaves and stems were free-motion stitched with a dark green 30wt rayon, and the background was quilted with a pale off white Invisifil (wavy lines about 1/2" apart leaving words outlined but unquilted in the middle, and a free form feather inside the heart (spine was marked)). My collaborators are split on whether the lettering should stay subtle or be outlined in a darker thread to stand out more.

The binding is a really lovely batik/hand-dye-like railroaded stripe, sewn on the front, pulled to the back and tacked with Roxanne's GlueBaste, and then machine finished by couching down a variegated light-weight cotton yarn 'in the ditch' right next to the fold on the front. This is my new absolute favorite method for binding. Strips are cut 2 1/2". The folded strip is sewn on with a 5/16's" seam allowance (adjusted based on the thickness of the fabric to be able to fold to the back and cover the stitching line). I highly recommend a test run. I love how the couched yarn adds a defining line of color, like a very thin piping (but SO much easier), and sews down the binding on the back in one go.

Love hear what you think,
Susan

Asilomar Robins Continue

We left off with the water in the bird bath. I made two versions and liked the second one with improvisationally pieced strips better.

Over the last week (I work VERY slowly) I've gone on to add the front edge of the bird bath and am now working on the background.The background is essentially all green with light coming from the top and left. Choosing what goes where is very intimidating for a novice like me, especially since the background is supposed to be sort of natural looking. I think this might be easier if the robins and bird bath in the foreground were pulled out and the background was completely different. That is what I did with my previous effort at this type of work (see eggplant).

I don't have the world's largest stash to work with, so I started by pinning little scraps up in places where I thought they might go.

Swatches pinned up to develop the shading.

Although this method is not perfect, it was a good way to get a feel for the shading without cutting entire pieces. In some cases I only have small scraps to work with and a mistake (i.e. cutting a piece and then deciding that the fabric would be better used for a different piece) would be bad. This was also good because I only get to work in short spurts (maybe an hour before bed). Pinning up the scraps was pretty quick and now I have a guide for what to do next.

I also realized that some of the pieces in my original drawing needed to be subdivided. In some cases, I've done that somewhat improvisationally by just folding the template back and sewing on another piece.

Background units made, but not fully assembled

Almost every piece has been 'fussy cut' to try to put light next to light and dark next to dark in order to reduce the appearance of the seams. I've made most of the units, but I haven't sewn them together. I'm still cogitating on some of the choices and can still make some changes pretty easily.

Now that I'm getting close to finishing I'm anxious to see how it comes out and to quilt it. 

All the Best,
Sue

Asilomar Robins

This spring I finally got to attend Empty Spools at Asilomar in Pacific Grove California. Fabulous quilting teachers and classes aside -- what a cool place!

I signed up for a class with Ruth Powers. She does really beautiful 'picture' quilts. You start with a image -- maybe a photograph -- and turn it into a piece-able design. This is definitely NOT for making bed quilts or even lap quilts. This is ART. I have taken a class like this before but there is a lot to learn -- especially about colors, how to break the image up to get the right effect, and tricks to getting it put together.

Some of my fellow students were more experienced, and more ambitious. I chose to make something about 18x24", based on this picture of Robins at the birdbath outside my window. The picture is very fuzzy because it is blown up from a tiny piece of a bigger photo.

Although this is clearly a parent and baby robin, and I love the strong directional lighting, the curve of the birdbath and the reflection, when you get down to actually tracing lines, the picture leaves a lot to the imagination. I went to the week long class armed with a full size enlargement of the photo, and a bunch of robin pictures off the web to use for reference. I also went with a suitcase full of fabric, freezer paper and lots of other tools (rulers, colored pencils, sharpie markers, scissors, etc).

 The first major accomplishment, which took me nearly 2 days, was to create a tracing paper pattern and a freezer paper drawing (reversed) that gets cut up to make the templates for cutting fabrics and sewing everything together.

Freezer paper template -- marked, and numbered.

I took a picture, with my phone, of the freezer paper template, before cutting into it, thinking that it would be a nice reminder of the steps and that I would post the picture here. Thank goodness I did. It also proved VERY useful as a reference to figure out where things came from and where they needed to go back to.

By the end of the week I had the birds basically done. This is not exactly a speed piecing kind of project, and I had to redo one whole section because I didn't like how the colors looked.

End of class picture from Ruth showing finished birds and auditioning birdbath fabrics.

Since coming home, I've been (very slowly) working on the birdbath and the reflection.

Work in progress on the design wall at home.

Although I got some great Marcia Derse fabric for the water (sweet corn swirl), I realized that I didn't have what I needed for the reddish bird reflections. After ordering several possibilities from eQuilter, I found one that is not perfect but seems OK (front right below). In the process, I have nearly used up my fat quarter of 'sweet corn swirl' and turned several other nice pieces of fabric into swiss cheese.

Fabrics for the birdbath water (and rejects)

I have made the water section twice -- once using the original design, and second time using more improvisational piecing to make strips that I sewed together to make a small piece of 'fabric' that I then used to cut out the whole section.

First water version, original pieced design

Second water version, improvisationally pieced

You be the judge, but I'm liking the second one. Next steps  will be to move on to the edge of the bird bath and then the background. I may do some more improvisational 'fabric' construction for parts of the background.

All the best,
Susan

Hands all around

This will be quick, because it was quick. A long-time co-worker retired this week. About 2 weeks ago we got the idea to make a quilt featuring the hands of people she has worked with. In the space of 14 days we collected tracings of 70 people's hands on prefused fabric, arranged everything on the background, ironed in place, free-motion quilted around every single hand, bound it (with a really nice couched on black chenille cord), made a label with everyone's name, and presented it (yesterday). In the spirit of doing it and not worrying about perfect, there was NO ripping out for small bobbles off the line. One slightly noticeable booboo got inked over with white permanent ink.

Hands of the Breast Center: Giving Life to Possible

I guess many hands make light work.

Susan