Challenge Results - Week 2

The week has been a very busy one. I did have a chance to spend some quality "me" time but it wasn't necessarily spent quilting or sewing.

On Sunday, I finally got around to sewing my daughter a DIY Kimono from a lovely scarf. It came out ok, if you don't examine it too closely :-) When I finished it, I told myself that I wouldn't make another one, but since then I've been thinking that if I were to sew the front and collar by hand, it might be less trouble and look better. Here's the post.

Batik 5 inch squares

On Monday, I was so tired after work that there was no way I was going to be able to do any type of difficult blocks or FMQ. So, I found some lovely 5 inch Tonga batik mini squares in my stash. Since they were a great price, I had bought 3 packages. That was a great idea. Now I have enough to make at least a throw. The colours are beautiful - from dark blue, to pale blue, yellows and oranges. It's very rich looking.

I've worked on it for a couple of days. Here is the result to date. Once again, it's taken a photo of my project to see that I've made an error - it looks like I've messed up the pattern of the yellow squares in the top left corner. I guess I'll have to fix that up. It's amazing how you "see" so much better when looking at a photo instead of the real thing!

On Tuesday I went to the Common Thread Quilt Guild meeting. The presenter did a trunk show - she had some amazing pieces. When I went to look at her work up close during the break, I realised that I was able to recognize the FMQ that she had done. That's the first time it's happened to me. That's a sign that I'm learning my patterns. I was quite happy.

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

On Thursday, I went to my second class - I'm taking a Canadian art appreciation course. It's held at the National Gallery of Canada. What an amazing adventure. I get to look at great Canadian paintings in an amazing building while listening to our extremely knowledgeable and interesting professor - and the bonus... no homework. What a joy!

In last week's post, I realised that if I wanted to sew every day, I should probably bring a small embroidery project to work so that I could do my half hour during my lunch break. I brought my project to the office and I worked on it for the first time today.
This is a project that I started a couple of years ago. It's from the book Applique Inside the Lines by Carol Armstrong. I've done a couple of projects previously (here they are). This one is a set of three leaves. I've finished the red leaf and started working on the yellow and orange leaf. You start by embroidering the outline and then appliqueing the fabric within the lines. These are great projects for learning to hand applique.

Applique Inside the Lines

Happy Villages by Karen Eckmeier

Tomorrow I'm going to take a quilting class offered by our Guild. We are making our own Happy Village, based on the book Happy Villages by Karen Eckmeier. This should be a lot of fun. I'm bringing a postcard of the Almafi Coast in Italy. It looks a lot like some of the villages. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to make it look a little like it. It was such a wonderful area and we had a great time. It would be fun to remember our trip through a quilt.

What I learned:

• Sometimes I feel bad that I have so many projects on the go but then I'm very grateful when I can choose to work on the project I want, based on my energy level. I guess it's not such a bad thing. At least I do get back to most of them....eventually.
• I didn't think I had accomplished much this week, but as I was writing my post, I realise that I've been productive. I may not have worked on my challenge projects, but I did have a good week!

Sewing up a DIY Kimono

My daughter loves to watch YouTube videos - makeup, fashion, book reviews, etc.

She asked me a few weeks ago if I could help her (aka sew for her) a kimono made from a scarf. Here's the link to DIY: Easy Kimono.

Jeannine's new DIY kimono from a scarf

Since she didn't have a large scarf to try it with, we found some fabric that we thought might do the trick. The technique was sound, but the fabric we chose was too heavy. Don't worry, I can re-use the fabric :-)

She then bought a lovely scarf to use for the project.  This is the result. It looks pretty good if you don't examine it too closely. The fabric was extremely flimsy. I was probably using the wrong needle. Anyway the inside seams are fine but the collar and front seams are pretty bunched up, but as I said, it doesn't look bad - it could be called a design element!

What I learned:

• It was a great idea to do a first attempt. I suspected that the fabric would be too stiff. It did give me a chance to see that the neck area would have to be adjusted a little bit to fit properly, even with a flimsy fabric.
• I really should have tried out a couple of needles first. I tend to get too impatient with getting it done to figure those things out first. I was probably in a lousy mood because I wasn't working with cotton (that's one of the reasons I quilt - no more nasty flimsy fabric!!!)

Challenge Results - Week 1

I did a lot of free motion quilting this week.  Most days it was longer than 30 minutes - and only on one day, where I had things to do in the evening, did I not quilt or sew. For next week, I plan to bring an appliqué project to work so that I can appliqué during my lunch on the days that I have no sewing time in the evening.

Quilted blocks

My free motion quilting (FMQ) did improve with daily practice, until I got over confident and started making mistakes. I love free motion quilting but it requires a lot of concentration. It's a great way to improve those "mindfulness" muscles!

I was able to FMQ the three blocks that I had marked in my Quilt-Along Project as well as the final four blocks. Then I'll be starting on the sashing and border. That will probably take me longer to quilt than all of the blocks put together. There are a lot of "piano keys" along that border! If I don't get too cocky, I could be pretty good by the end of this quilt.

I also completed two more blocks from my Frog Work quilt. I had a lot of problems with these blocks - I think that it's from cutting and piecing when I'm too tired. Considering the amount of re-doing I did, the blocks came out well.

Two more Frog Work blocks

One of the great by-products of joining the challenge is getting to read everyone else's posts. It's so enjoyable finding ideas and tips on the internet. Quilters are so generous with their ideas and their learning.

What I learned:

• Overconfidence leads to mistakes - humility and mindfulness are key!
• To actually quilt or sew 30 minutes a day requires some planning - like having a project to pick up at lunch time when the evening isn't available.
• I do have to be careful what I sew when I'm tired. Re-doing blocks is not at all fun or efficient!

Joining the 30/30 Sewing Challenge

I love joining challenges that help me complete projects and not make me start more :-)  The 30/30 Sewing Challenge is hosted by Berry Barn Designs.

For the month of March (30 days) we have to spend 30 minutes per day sewing, quilting etc. Today may be March 4th, but I've been spending at least that much time quilting for the last 3 days.

We also have to make a list of the projects that we will be working on during the month. There sure is no shortage of that!!! Here they are:

• I'll be finishing my Quilt-Along project using Dot-to-dot FMQ (free motion quilting);
• I will also be working on my frog quilt. My objective is to get the quilt top finished.
• I will be working on my Grandmother's Choice quilt.  My objective is to get 10 more blocks finished and blog about them (that takes the longest time since I usually research the Canadian facts about each issue.)

I'm sure that I'll get other odds and ends done, but I think that this is ambitious enough.

The other great thing is we'll be reporting on our progress and getting to see everyone else's blogs. It'll be a blast. I'll include the link to the weekly accomplishments page so that you can have a look at the other participants' projects.

Quilting Dot-to-Dot on my Quilt-Along Project

Looking back at my blogs, I realised that I started the Beginners' Quilt-Along well over a year and a half ago. Time sure does fly! My last post was in August 2012. By then, I had eleven of the blocks made. The entire quilt was made of 13 squares. I thought I would use an on-point layout, but changed my mind, so I ended up using only 12 squares. I discarded the black and white square, since technically they are not the same colour. All of the other squares are monochromatic. I was a lot of fun finding (and buying) the fabrics. Thank goodness for fat quarters!

Quilt-Along quilt in progress

I think I put the squares together in the winter of 2013 during a guild quilting retreat. I remember making the piano keys for the border. I really like how it worked out. Here's a partial view of the quilt-in-progress.

I wanted to wait to quilt this until I was able to do some free-motion quilting. Since I now have more experience and have learned various free motion techniques, it's time to practice on my Beginners' Quilt-Along quilt. The technique I decided to use is called Dot-to-Dot quilting with Angela Walters through Craftsy. I've really enjoyed Angela's class. There are three main quilting patterns and then tons of variations that you can create.

Orange block

I now have 5 of the blocks quilted and 3 of them marked, ready for quilting. That leaves 4 more blocks after that, plus the sashing and the piano keys border. I've been able to use the three main patterns and many of the variations on these blocks. It's coming along very well. Here are some of the quilted blocks.

First quilted block without marking - Yikes!

Purple block

This gold block to the left was the first one that I quilted after spending about 30 minutes practicing. It's pretty awful if you consider that most of those lines are supposed to be straight! After that block, I've been marking all of the others before quilting them. Since they are all straight lines that can be done with a ruler, it's really not that time consuming. For the result, I think that it's well worth the time spent.

Yellow block

Pink block

Marked lilac block

Marked green block

Here are the 3 marked blocks that I'll be quilting soon. I've been able to mark all of these squares with a pen that disappears when you iron the fabric. I didn't bother marking all of the lilac square since I'll just be following the lines of the windmill design .

Marked lime green block

What I learned:

• I will probably be marking these for a while. Of course the more I practice, the better I'll get.
• Marking is really not that time consuming since it's only with a ruler and not a template.
• Marking also lets me figure out what I want to quilt. If I don't like it, I just iron the marking off!
• It's also helping me get better at quilting on the line. It's more difficult than you might think!

Embroidering Frog Panels Completed

I joined the &Stitches Finish-Along! a little over a month ago.  Here's my original blog.

I had posted a picture of a couple of the embroidered frog panels that make up this quilt. I thought I had finished those, but when I looked at the pattern more closely, I realised that I hadn't satin stitched the eyes nor added the french knots to the cattails.

Completed embroidered frog panels

Here are the completed embroidered panels. They do look much better with the satin stitched eyes.

I've gathered the beige and green fabrics that I'll be using in the quilt. That's one of my favourite parts of making a quilt! The pattern calls for 6 beige and 6 green fabrics but I couldn't bring myself to just choose 6, so there will probably be 8 fabrics of each.

Each block is made in both 6 and 9 inches. Here is a photo of the first set of completed blocks.

First set of blocks for the quilt

Frog Work Pattern

What I've learned:

• I "see" the blocks better when I photograph them than when they are in front of me. Did you notice the mistake in the large block above? I hadn't noticed until I started working with the photo. The small block is correct. Notice that the dark blocks and the light blocks form a diagonal line. In the large block, I inverted the bottom piece. Oh well, back to the sewing machine it will go!
• I like the fabrics of the large block, but I'm not sure if the gold leaf fabric will go with the swamp look. I've decided to keep it for now. If it doesn't look right within the quilt, I can always make another block with different fabrics!

Grandmother's Choice Project Continues

I started doing this Block of the week quilt in the fall, after buying many pretty purple, green and gold fabric in Philadelphia. Now that Christmas and winter projects are over for another year, I'm back at it! Here the link to my original post in November. As you will soon notice, I'm not doing these blocks in any particular order. Most of the background info is taken from Barbara Brackman's amazing blog, Grandmother's Choice. I only want to give you a glimpse of her stories. You should check out the link to her blog if you're at all interested. It's full of stories, pictures etc. Whenever possible, I've added some Canadian content.

Block 6. Aunt Eliza's Star: Child Custody

Block 6 Aunt Eliza's Star

This block commemorates child custody rights for women. The story is about Eliza Custis, Martha Washington's eldest granddaughter. At the time, Eliza was seen as an American princess, heir to a fortune and bride of the richest man in Washington.

Her husband, Thomas Law, was a "developer" and had a mistress. Mrs Eliza Law left her husband but wasn't allowed to take her daughter. Mr. Law was also supposed to pay her a yearly annuity, as per a prenuptial agreement, but rarely did. Eliza paid a very dear price for her freedom. If this could happen to an American princess, think of all the other women it probably happened to! Child custody rights were very slow in coming for women.

Block 9 Brick Pavement

Block 9. Brick Pavement: March on Washington

On  March 3, 1913, five thousand women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, in Washington. They were led by Inez Milholland Boissevain who was astride a white horse - it must have been quite the sight.

The march wasn't without incident. They met a blockade of men. The police refused to clear the path and as a result, some of the women were verbally and physically abused. It's estimated that 300 women were injured.


Block 13. Everybody's Favorite: Universal Suffrage

Universal suffrage was an ideal in Canada until recently. In 1920, Canada (excluding Quebec until 1940) enacted suffrage for both sexes. However, First Nations (of either sex) were not allowed to vote until 1960. (Wikipedia)

Section 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Block 9 Everyone's Favorite

Universal suffrage is still not universal.
Here's Section 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.

Bride's Know: Invisible Women

Block 14. Bride's Knot: Invisible Women

Barbara Leigh Bodichon was one of the women who fought to change English law. In 1870, The Married Women's Property Act permitted women to maintain rights to their inheritance, wages, investments, real estate and personal property through marriage, widowhood, divorce and death. Before this, generally everything they had when they married went to their husband. Since this was British law, it also applied to Canada. (Canadian Encyclopedia)

Block 18. Cheyenne: Wyoming Firsts

Wyoming was the first U.S. territory and subsequently the first state to legislate women full rights to vote and hold office in 1869. Cheyenne is Wyoming's capitol.

Women's suffrage was adopted in the west first. It's thought that since they were pioneers, people may have been more  are more open to change. There were also fewer women so it's possible that their voting was seen less less as a threat. Wyoming also hoped to attract more female settlers.

Cheyenne: Wyoming Firsts

The story in Canada is similar, with the west adopting women's suffrage on a provincial level first. It did, however occur much later than in Wyoming. "Prairie women gained provincial rights largely on their record in helping to settle and build the country.On 28 January 1916, Manitoba women became the first in Canada to win the rights to vote and to hold provincial office. They were followed by Saskatchewan on 14 March and Alberta on 19 April. British Columbia approved women's suffrage on 5 April 1917, and Ontario suffragists, after many years of struggle, celebrated their hard-won victory one week later on 12 April."  In Canada, women got the right to vote in federal elections in 1918. Canadian Encyclopedia

What I learned:

• As I took this project back up, I was very pleased to see that I had left it with some pretty good notes and had cut these blocks. I was very happy with myself! It made taking up the project much easier.
• Since it worked so well, I'm following the same process for the next batch of blocks. I print out or write out notes for the next batch of blocks I want to do next; decide on the fabrics to use for each block and attach these to my notes. When I'm in the mood, like last night, I spend some time cutting the fabric for each block. I've improved my process by assembling the block on my cutting table and taking a picture so that I know where everything goes.  I'll post one of my pre-picture next time. 
• I've also improved the pictures of my blocks by using "perspective" when cropping the photos in Photoshop. Wow - what a great feature!