I hope that you will check out my video on moving into to strange new frontiers (to me) in combining colors. I had a 20% Hancock's coupon, and I wanted to get some solids from their Kaufman Kona Solid Mystery Packs. I received many strange and wonderful colors. Some would seam unusable UNTIL I started delving into my fat quarter stash.
With my LeMoyne Star compound diamonds, a little bit of strange color can go a very long way when paired with print that includes the color.
Over the weekend I finished the above Hunter's Star Quilt. I moved it from my "Quilting" column to "Done". The next move is to gift. I'm gifting this to a friend of mine. I did a post on this quilt which you can find here. I've made two of these quilts (one a baby sized), and I will definitely make more. I just love it.
I bound it using the August Wren Madras Plaid in greens, dark grey and teal. It was a perfect marriage of the front material and the back material. The front material was a closeout of batiks for 2.50 a yard. It was a Leah Day collection. It was high quality and the blue and green were prints I used in many quilts. The back is
I did NOT do my usual good job with the binding.....but let me regress.
I partially quilted the quilt top testing out QuiltMaven Dave's technique of affixing the top to the backing and quilting. It was a great way to lessen bulk through my small machine space (7.5"). I had long ago finished that, but I had not finished the backing, then I lost the backing (it is somewhere), so I elected to swap out my pieced backing (where are you?) with a whole cloth back.
Here was a perfect opportunity to try out my Juki Kirei with some straight line quilting. I used the Juki Smart Feed which was easy. I did not need a walking foot for any of it. I felt like I had moved from a camper to a mansion in terms of the bed space. While this quilt is not that big, it would have seemed so on the Bernina. It flowed through the machine beautifully. In fact, I did not need to use my quilts suspension system. I just stitched in the ditch. It was VERY easy to sew straight with the Smart Feed System. I did not have an interest in doing anything fancy--straight stitching was a perfect way to set off the lovely piecing on this quilt. And frankly, there is NO ONE in my life who would appreciate fancy quilting.
I used the blind hem foot for the binding. That was a total mistake as I did not have a great line of view. Total user error. I would have been better off with another foot.
The one thing that I absolutely HATE about this machine is the chicken-shit feet. They are cheap. Look cheap. Act cheap. Feel cheap.The quarter inch gated foot is useless. Not my best effort...but I'm not selling the quilt, I'm gifting it (and really sort of covet it for myself).
But there are so many things to love. Even doing something so simple as straight stitching to have it run straight and true through the machine was a joy. Having the automatic thread cutter made moving to the next row easy. No tension problems. The bobbin had regular 50wt cotton thread, and I had 80 wt Decobob in the top. I've not tried Decobob in top and bottom. On both my Bernina and my Kenmore, I had to tinker with the bobbin adjustment to achieve the perfect stitch. Will look to see how this performs. (P. S. I did look at this, and magically there were NO tension issues--I expected to see some). I also note that the regular 1/4" foot works just fine.
So my disappointment with my presser feet is eclipsed by these useful features and huge real estate. I have perfect feet and machines to do my piecing. And it felt very good to get a quilt top finished.
Overall First Impressions:
My first impressions is that the quality of the needle lift and bar are not at the same level as my Bernina. Of course, you pay for that quality. Same can be said for the and crank, foot controls. This observation is not a criticism. The same can be said in comparing any European brand to a Japanese brand whether it be cars, motorcycles or sewing machines. It is how you get great features at an affordable price.
First Sewing Impressions:
Conclusions:
My objective was to spend less and get more. This machine will be perfectly serviceable for my intended use, and I will be more comfortable in my FMQ. I still havf
First, I want to start with an aphorism I heard from "Aunt Em" of Aunt Ems Quilts:
Worry is a waste of imagination
You gotta love that.
I am currently experiencing a backlog in quilt tops that I need to quilt. Though my quilt suspension system helps a great deal in distributing the weight of the quilt, I still have to foist it though 7.5" of throat space on my Bernina B 530. And while it has a BSR, it still is just 7.5" of work room which is not much. The quilt suspension system helped, but.....
I've daydreamed a bit about getting a sit down long arm. But the truth of the matter, becoming a FMQ diva is not in my game plan. My goal is simply to have a more comfortable experience on a domestic v purchasing a machine dedicated only to quilting. Plus, I'm just don't want to make that level of investment for the latter.
So I was cruising through models, thinking about benefits and trade offs. I saw that Juki had a sit down quilting machine--and it was affordable but still an investment at $6,000. I found the Juki Kirei (HZL-NX7). It is a top of the line Juki offering (though I think that it is been eclipsed by the Kokochi in the QVP line). Kirei is currently selling for $$3,000, down from the $4600 retail. I negotiated 1500 for my purchase.
What was attractive to me was getting this at 1/2 off the current offering (though used) from a dealer that took it as a trade in. Yes, there is some risk with that, but there is a 30 day return.. It has 12" of space to the right of the needle which I am confident will give me more comfort in my quilt sewing.
My UPS text states that it will be here today.
It has many, many features in addition to the 12". It has built in even feed, mega stitches, thread cutter. Also, the advanced foot control with the pivot function (with automatic foot raise) has some real advantages. Now this whole purchase is a bust if it does not FMQ very well. So even though it has SO Many features, I'm still just buying bed space. And I SURELY don't mind just straight stitching my quilting (grid) and having the space to do it.
So when my machine arrives, I'll be putting it through the paces, and I'll return it if need be.
Above is my Youtube video of my LeMoyne Star on Point that I just finished. Those compound Lemoyne Stars are very time consuming. I pieced the insets traditionally. But the design possibilities are endless. I had original planned to have these on point with alternating dark/light. My eye did not like that so well. I elected to use the square in square. My blocks finished at 9.5". I calculated the CST's for the squares cut on diagonal. To do this, I used the following (slightly oversized for trim down)
The real math is this: Finished Block/1.414 + .875 = size of the square to be cut on diagonal.
The mere mortal math is this: FB/1.414 + 1.5 = size of the square to be cut on diagonal for NO MORE TEARS trim down
I learned early on that bias = wonk. Accordingly, anytime I have bias in a block I employ slightly oversizing with trim down.
In addition to pleasingly framing the blocks it amplified the size of my 9.5" blocks to 13.5".
💡Setting a complicated block on point is an easy way to (1) showcase the block and (2) get a larger footprint.Most of my blocks are different, but I happened to cluster a few of the same together. I could have avoided that. Sniff.
💡Hint: Use your phone's view finder if you cannot get back far enough from your design wall. While I did not spy the "eye jolts" on my design wall, I saw it the instant I looked through my phone to take a picture. I wasn't going to unpick any seams. This is for my son, and neither he nor anyone else would notice.
I likely could spend the rest of my quilting life making these interesting compound LeMoyne Star clocks. There is something delicate and elegant about them. To my eye anyway.
I have several quilt tops that I need to get basted and quilted. I really enjoyed making this quilt top and experimenting with the many intricate ways to make these blocks while just using a few fabrics.
Note to self: If you think that you are going to remember when you started something.... you won't.
I'm on day ? of my sourdough starter project. (Grumbles to self per above). (Well, I'm a full week in at least given I tarried on writing this post).
My home is so fricken cold (by choice) that things that need a balmy environment will be disappointed. Not having a reliable warm place, I had to make one. I took my crockpot liner and set it on heating pad set on the lowest setting. It was perfect. My sourdough starter, which I started with whole wheat flour and fed with AP flour seems healthy a bubbly.
If there is one good thing that came from COVID it was that people came to understand the domestic arts and the importance of having the simple reliance on their own skills to eat. Further, many many talented folks began videos. In fact the quality and variety of videos on how to do stuff is amazing to me. I surely rely on such.
That bread is so endemic to thousands of years of agrarian heritage--when what was first cultivated--yet so mysterious is a a wonderful paradox. Sourdough in particular has become lifted from a simple artisanal endeavor to something elevated to sublime.
Perhaps in search of the perfect "anything" is akin to chasing unicorns and pots of gold at the end of a rainbow. The essence of being human is to achieve perfection--or at least codify the steps to achieving such an impossibility and cultivating guilt and frustration along the way.
However, it is this very quality (and I believe it a quality as opposed to some of our other, lesser traits), that creates the rich field of sharing knowledge, creating social connections on similarly minded.
I have more recently come across folks stating overtly what I have said many times: most any type of endeavor engages not only our mind but our senses. Cooking certainly engages all of the senses. Sewing...not so much the need to smell unless you are ensuring your iron isn't setting your sewing area on fire or you have a cat that has made a naughty in your stash. But you get what I mean. And any of the engaged senses (however many or few) have to be taught/trained/refined.
I am happily doing something new in the kitchen (not that!). Making pasta. My maiden voyage fared extremely well. I then moved to making spinach fettuccini. It was magnificent though I had a moment doubt.
Here's my Captain's Log for this week:
By the end of the week, I'll have a chance to make some sourdough break.
Chris Rock made a tasteless joke at the expense of Will Smith's wife Will Smith responded with a slap. The news cycle fattens with continued coverage and responses. He later resigns for the Academy prior to their ousting him.
Putin invades Ukraine. He remains on United Nations Security Council.
The paradox is jarring.
I'm intrepid in the kitchen. I like to try all manner of things. Most recently, I began making potato gnocchi, not because we ate a lot of it in the past. In fact, I don't think I had eaten it at all prior to my finding a recipe that called for it that I wanted to try. That lead to my curious mind moving to the "how would I?" moment on wondering how I would make it from scratch. I generally make all my baked goods from scratch. I don't recall buying a boxed cake mix in decades.
Thanks to all of the excellent ethersphere contributors, I found a successful method of making the gnocchi. It was easy, delicious, and I enjoyed doing it.
Switch to a different genre: pasta. I love pasta. We eat it weekly. But I've never tried to make it from scratch. I again had one of those "How would I?" moments. Again, the ethersphere did not disappoint. In fact, there are probably so many pasta making videos out there that I could watch them for the rest of my life.
I tend to be pretty objective about my approach to things. I embrace my inner nerd. I like to know the optimum way to make things--not how the hillbilly kitchen or the Italian grandmother makes it. Enter Helen Rennie. Helen Rennie is a cooking instructor. I stumbled upon her videos, and I like her approach. Below is the video that I used for my maiden voyage.
I ordered a set of pasta rollers for my Kitchen Aide. I found them on markdown and bought them at a nice discount. However, they are still an investment at > $200. I always look for these types of items when I can find them. I would not make this were it not for the convenience of the roller and cutter attachments.
The attachments couldn't be easier to manage as I soon learned in making the batch last night. Though HR says that it is unlikely that your eggs will weigh more than 185g...my eggs and yolks clocked in over 200 grams. I just whisked, I pulled off the excess. I found that I needed a little more than 185g of liquid to my flour. And I measured my flour on the scale with grams.
The hardest part was kneading the dough. It is not like any dough I've worked before. Again, her instructions were clear and concise.
My family REALLY enjoyed the fettuccine that I made as a side dish. I made a cheddar sauce to go with them as my Parmesan stores were too small to do anything but put it in a soup pot--the little nub that I had. It was so much more flavorful and delightfully toothsome. (I used bread flour as she recommends, and the texture and taste were superb).
Her video makes the sensible approach of focusing on common mistakes. I like knowing where the "risks" are and how to mitigate them--in all things.
So was it worth the time and effort? Indeed it was. To be sure, it was not nearly as convenient as opening a box. But it was no more difficult nor time consuming than making gnocchi.
If pasta is something that you enjoy AND you enjoy the process, take a look at the video and consider giving it a try.
My Breville Toaste Oven, which is an MVP in my kitchen died. First, the convection fan failed. Then, the unit failed to power. At a replacement cost of $270. Of course you know that I scoured the internet and YouTube in particular to find videos on how to fix. I was reay. Heck, I even bought the fuse for it.
I then headed over to ebay. I found a used one, free shipping, and I made an offer on it. The pictures showed that it was cleaner than the one I have (~10yrs old). So I saved a couple of hundred dollars (so long as I'm not disappointed with the condition.
I've generally had good luck on Ebay. I have only had to ask for credit twice. Once because a pair of binoculars I bought were stated as "like new" when in fact the lenses had striations from improper cleaning. Optics were fine, but it was not "like new". The seller and I worked it out. The second time was something that was packaged so poorly it had a sensitive end sticking out (phone video holder) that was broken and unusable. The seller offered me a generous credit without my naming a dollar amount.
I love that Breville Toaster Oven. It is the first Breville appliance I have ever owned. It is smartly designed, pleasing to the eye and has many useful features...all of which I use. Because it is a larger size, you can easily cook a smaller meal without heating up the big oven.
The Breville is dead. Long live the Breville. May it come soon.
My serendipitous "designing " of my son's quilt was done with a big fat crayon in the beginning. Well, it started with a gear shift first. I had planned to make the modified Betwixt and do the quilt in just 2 colors. Then I thought it important do codify, via video, my LeMoyne Star process on You Tube hoping that it might help one person have better success at tackling this block. In the process of doing that, I had a "HMMMM" moment and self musing, "Why not use these blocks in this blue/gray colorway into my son's quilt?" (He's an adult male). After getting an enthusiastic response on the colors and some of the more dramatic blocks, I realized I had settled on the shape of that project.
My blocks are simply "maker's choice" designs which has given me a chance to skill build on making these compound diamonds. I was inspired by seeing a scrappy LeMoyne Star which I think was from Six White Horses but not attributed as such...it was just on the Pinterest. I stumbled upon Six White Horses blog site and it appeared to my eye that was the style of the star, though I did not see a photo of it. Her stars were paper pieced. That is a good option for any who don't want to fuss with Y seams or buy Rapid Fire ruler.
Nevertheless, I hadn't considered making a star that way, basically because I was perfecting my construction techniques. I don't know how many stars I have made now, but I I'm pretty sure that it is approaching 200--and that makes me a CONFIDENT and CONFIDENT piecer of these beautiful blocks. I'm sharing with others my trials and tribulations. And maybe I'm a slow learner or poor technician to have to do so many to become proficient. But I really like the 8 seams less block than pieced seams to avoid Y-seams. And having researched, adopted, modified techniques to sew off the corner of these units, I'm really not doing anything that any other could easily do--but all of that time paid off. I have a real understanding of this block that goes to my core. Plus, I can make these on autopilot.
I'll not lie, these stars take time to do--but they are brilliantly beautiful to my eye, and allow you to use so many different fabrics--its a great stash buster, but not an easy one. The only constant is that my alternating blocks are Kona Snow background and Timeless Treasures Soho Sail. I think Sail is one of the prettiest colors I've ever seen. It is blue/gray with purple undertone and goes fantastically with so many things in my dragon den of fabric.
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| Madras Melange LeMoyne Star |
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| LeMoyne Star White Light Background |
Above are just a few of the stars. I've been able to use fabric in my stash to create some really pretty (to my eye anyway!) stars. Not all have turned out as planned--but each are stars in their own right and have helped me solidify my skill in making this star.
Construction notes: (1) For these compound diamonds, I elected to press the inset seam towards the star. I had experimented pressing toward the inset--the advantage that it pushes the seam to the least resistance. However, I pushed it to the diamond with as good results. I think that the only way to do this is to press along the way--and most of the best teachers admonish against this (not Shar Jorgenson though). I have found NO issues with dry pressing and using a pressing sheet. I also have an older, heavier, hot-as-hell iron, and I think that helps.
(2) I inset the square first, and like a mechanic putting on lugnuts, I went to the opposite side installing two polarities of squares and then the second polarity. I think this gives you the advantage of not pulling the block too far out of line if you join all of the diamonds first as I do. Do the same with the triangle insets. Again, any of it is YOUR preference. I'm one of those nebbish folks that will try all ways and settle (objectively) on a method that makes the most sense to me and yields excellent results.
I have 49 of the stars to make, and I'm about 2/3rds through, and I've spent a ton of time on this! Even so, I'm not bored with it. This block has reminded me of the importance of keeping a notebook on construction methods (given that my brain seems to be calcified!). For example, I made two stars, and trimming to the correct size meant that I had lost my points (not 1/4" clearance). I looked at my machine and had a DOH! moment: I had forgotten to adjust from scant to full 1/4" for my insets. You need a full 1/4" to lap your ends when sewing any point. Until you review and investigate surprising outcomes, you will not have a fully immersive learning (cursing) experience.
As I documented my progress to date on this quilt, to include finalizing the size and block count/size, I decided that I should codify my construction techniques. To wit:
Watching the nest of an apex predator can be jarring to more delicate sensibilities. However, watching the tenderness as seen above as well as the sheer necessity of providing for a growing youngster(s) gives one an appreciation for the need for efficient hunting. I call that "the perniciousness of life" .
I love nature--and the fierceness of it is troubling to me. Though I don't consider that I have delicate sensibilities, sometimes I gasp.
There are many hacks floating about regarding using ruler guides for improving accuracy/speed of cutting. Let's face it, cutting fabric for a large project is critical. Read your ruler wrong by a 1/4 or 1/2 inch narrow, and your swath of fabric that you just cut cannot be used unless downstream you have a call for a smaller cut. There are two types of guides:
I'm an incorrigible experimenter, and I set out to find a better alternative. I've never used the painter's tape after trying it once...I don't like to recreate stuff each time I need to do something. Here are some of my experiments:
Double sided tape will attract dirt from being removed--and as it is tacky it will attract fabric particles of the smallest sizes.. Simply pull it off the plastic and affix a new piece.
Here's an inexpensive hack for a thread cutter:
Now the mounting tapes do a phenomenal job of affixing (and removing) "stuff". I attached one of these to my acrylic sewing table AND to the tray on my Bernina. Cheap and effective for thread cutting your chain pieces AFFORDABLY.
The White-throated Sparrows overwinter here yearly. They have pulled up the tent stakes to go to their Canadian breeding grounds. (Updated: NO...husbando birdwatcher misreported observed data. They are still here...updated info on their northern return will be provided). The dark eyed juncos have mostly gone this week as well, though I've spied a laggard still looking for his seed and suet treats. I've not seen the Brown Creeper lately...but he is such a small bird, it is hard to spot him even when I know he his here. His penchant for the large oak trees and his brilliant camouflage means that if you are do not spot him moving, you don't spot him. The Yellow Bellied Sapsucker is also due for a flight north along with my Hermit Thrush. I have a few Yellow Rumped Warblers that overwinter, and spied a couple of them today...they will not be here long.
Feeding the birds gives me such joy. Now that the weather is breaking, they are "getting busy" looking for nesting spots (the Carolina Wrens have to be closely monitored as the grill of the truck is a fav nesting site). I noticed the male bluebird attempting to get friendly with not one but two females, neither of whom were having any of it. I have two blue bird boxes up that I can see. A Chickadee was checking one out. The male Bluebird was sitting atop the other, and I spied the female going into the box. Sometimes they just audition one box, and make a nest in the other. I can see both boxes from my home, so I'm always happy to watch them raise their family.
So here we are with a farewell to winter (it has been a cold one here) and a welcoming of spring...tumultuous weather to be expected
Watching the news is a constant reminder of how fortunate we are in our lives. I rarely complain about "stuff" because it is of little consequence when compared to the burdens of others.
I woke up early yesterday and I was on my computer--I received a message that I was almost out of space on my C drive. Ugh. I have a pretty large and powerful desktop--but it is approaching 7 years age. And I've accumulated lots of "stuff" over the years.
Space is not the problem that it used to be where both memory and disk space were precious commodities. Memory and storage are now cheap, but computing power/speed and video graphics power/speed are what are dear.
I spent the better part of 3 hours moving stuff from C to E. There was much duplication of files that I had moved prior to to the E drive, but I must have only copied them as they were still on C. The way the files show up in the directory sidebar did not illuminate this error.
So my free space of 3% is now free space of 11%. That works. Breathe.
I've been working through my scrappy LeMoyne Stars. From my scrap bin, I starched, ironed and cut strips in 1.5" widths which allowed me to use up some "stuff". The Stripology ruler is a godsend for such work.
I pulled my Betwixt quilt out and sewed all of the blocks together into a quilt top. I moved it on my KanBan board to the "Sandwich" column. I did not well-consider my seam push on these blocks (and no wonder the original design had a banded strip on the Ohio Star. But I wanted the non-banded to get the effect that I wanted. But there's a mass convergence of seams--going unnatural ways. But I got it to work, and I'm not going to fuss about it.
I cut 2 strips of fabric 1.5" wide and sewed them together. These are the plaid and the darker blue/gray
I pressed the strips open (seam pushed to one side). Subcut this with my diamond ruler at 1.5".
I made two stacks of these cuttings.
I cut another strip of fabric at 1.5" (the lighter teal). I placed 1/2 of the units with the gray pointing north and 1/2 with the gray pointing south. (I glue basted them onto the teal strip, stitched, and then pushed seam towards the teal.)
Trimmed the combo unit with my diamond ruler.
You need to leave enough room at the top to make the complete diamond angular cut...otherwise you will find yourself short...(as I did on first pass0.
I just adore this block.
If you want to see my series on YouTube for the LeMoyne Star, you can find it here. I demonstrate (ad nauseum, you may need coffee and Tylenol) how I crafted this block.
My blog has been a great indexer of events/interests in my life. I began my LeMoyne Star Odyssey (LSO) nearly two years ago. I was still a new quilter, and I was having many struggles with producing this block with consistently excellent results. In fact, some of my results went into the trash bin...they looked like wounded birds with the diamonds crooked and puckered. I know that I'm not the only person to find this challenging, because several cheater methods have been created using different methods or ruler aids to assist in the production of this beautiful block.
Why is this block so challenging? It has eight diamonds which means
there are 16 sides of bias in the diamonds, and eight sides of bias in
the insets and eight Y seam insets. All in one block. With bias galore,
seams galore, and insets galore, failure galore is a high probability.
As a natural researcher and avocational mad scientist, I attempted to find and try ALL of the ways to make this block--surely there was a secret sauce out there that would make the traditionally pieced way more accessible. Regrettably, as a newer quilter, I did not have the visual, tactile or technical skill needed to evaluate methods: only my poor results which could have been me, the method or a little of both.
The test of a GREAT method is one where the average person can execute. I was determined to find the holy grail of those methods, and I found one. I just had to glomm it together from the teachings of three great quilters: Shar Jorgenson, Edyta Sitar and Nancy Roelfsema.
These methods provided me with the perfect trifecta to make this block perfectly every time. But let's face it, to make a perfect LeMoyne Star, you have to make lots of failed stars. By embracing your failure (or less happy outcomes), you learn the visual, tactile and
Let's talk about the basics that must be pitch perfect to make this block successful:
In addition to the above, here are some other helpful tips:
Now that I have finished my Flutterby Quilt top, I'm having to cool my jets so that I don't start the piecing of another top without making headway on my currently unfinished projects.
Batting is on sale now. I buy my batting on large rolls (30-40 yd). I get the natural colored batting v. white. I find that Pellon batting offers the best deal, and it meets my needs. I just picked up 120" x 30 yards at Walmart for $145. It is mostly cotton but it has polyester scrim.
Honestly, I've not been quilting long enough to have any firm preferences regarding batting. I typically use 100% cotton or 80/20 cotton/poly. The June Tailor basting spray is washable out of 100% cotton batting, not polyester. Something to be mindful of. I don't make microwave cozies, etc, so the little bit of poly I use is fine for me.
I ordered 15 yards (at 3.99/yd) of Timeless Treasures Soho Sail Blue. It is beautiful. It is going to go fantastically with my William Morris Collection of fabric. And it is a lovely medium blue that will go with so many things.
I plan to make this quilt which is using just a single block from the Betwixt pattern. I will use the Sail blue and a cream (or white). Unsure of that. I'm really captivated by the design.
In the image below, you can see in pink what the actual block is. It reminds me of Turkish tiles. I will not make it using the block, but rather, I will make the little 9 patch blocks,cut rectangles 2 x the width value of the 9 patches. And I'll make economy blocks for the balance. I may use an accent color for the 9 patch. But I rather like this pattern--I love the balance and the symmetry.
So, I'll put this on my Kanban Board under planning. But I will work through my unfinished projects first.
In my real life, I have to solve complex problems--not that mitering boarders is a complex problem. But I rarely put borders on my quilts largely largely because I don't like the way they joins look and mitered corners seemed too complex.
Although I have watched videos in the past (maybe 18 months ago), on my Flutterby quilt I elected to figure out for myself how to miter my corners using my own tools and problem solving approach. While my result was "fine" it was not great. Accordingly, I re-engineered my approach to ensure that I had consistently excellent results. That forced me to consider the anatomy of the miter. I share that approach with you today.
The difference in my method v. other methods is that I am manipulating the borders, not the entire quilt. I happen to find that easier. I represent it as an alternative method, not a better method. It works for me because of the tools and techniques that I'm using. I know that it will be right every single time. Further, it avoids having to do the overly-complicated marking/measuring of the quilt length/width etc to get averages. Simply ensure that you have enough length on any sides to cover the quilt and the two borders with another 2-3 inches for safety. We will work with one corner at a time and trim each to perfection. But we first sew each of our pieces to within 1/4" of each corner.
I use my Creative Grids 45 Degree Diamond Dimensions Ruler because it had exactly the markings that allow to to achieve 4 points of alignment:
My Antler Designs, Simple folded Corners (large) also had the exact visuals that I needed. Most of the rulers do not have this level of markings as these two rulers do. I did not find any other rulers that I would use for this method. Either of these rulers would be a wonderful addition to your sewing tools. I would not be without either. Both enjoy MVP status in my sewing room (lair).
In my video, I demonstrate each of the 4 anchor points to ensure that you get a perfectly mitered corner EXACTLY from your 1/4" sewn points for your border. To make this work, you have to sew a PERFECT 1/4" seam that is not one stitch too short (gap) or 1 stitch too long (pucker). Always use your hand wheel coming to your point, and be mindful if your machine takes an extra stitch when you use your backstitch. Otherwise, you will need to unpick and try again. Another tip is to shorten you seam length which will help you hit the mark perfectly.
Accordingly, you are making the cut without gritting your teeth or shutting your eyes (or both) because the mechanics of this method are such (so long as you follow the alignment instructions) that there is no way that you can go wrong except:
For perfect markings for 1/4" marks regardless of of the angle, please consider investing in Marti Michell's Deluxe Corner Trimmer, or a similar tool. It is an MVP in my sewing room.
If you try this method and find it useful, please let me know.
I have finished my Flutterby Quilt top. I moved it on my KanbanFlow board to "Quilt Sandwich".
I wanted to codify my learnings through the above video and a few comments here.
As an aside, I ran across "Split Personality"designed by Jackie O'Brien of Studio 180. Below is the quilt pattern:
It is similar in its coupling of 4 patch with split rectangles, with a different use of colorways. Another reminder on how the use of color and color values can create strikingly different results...but of course you knew that.
My quilt is 81 x 81 square...larger than I typically make. If I were to make this again, I would make my blocks 1/3 smaller....6" v. 9" finished. And I would make the quilt commensurately smaller too. Here's the block/piece count at a 9":
Am I sorry that I used a 9" block for this size quilt? No! Had I made this at 6" blocks (1/3 smaller), I would have used 1/2 as many pieces...or 1361
You see, then, why I am tenacious in finding time saving ways to execute my quilt blocks in terms of cutting, piecing and trimming. Small changes over many pieces = better efficiencies. My piecing had a 100% success rate due to the construction methods I employed.
Design Board Notes: I have covered my batting-covered design board with my old upholstery cloth--I bought it on a close out for maybe $20 20-30 years ago! I was in a "beige phase". As a protective cover, it is a nice repurposing of something on hand by protecting my design board.
I cover my batting to protect it from spray basting, but also my batting has accumulated many threads, and I don't want those transferring to my new quilt sandwich. Plus, I don't want to cause a bubble on my new project backing because it has grabbed against the batting on the design wall.
I'm not looking toward this sandwiching as a dreaded chore. I resorted to this method after I had "unsquared" my backing on my last project which resulted in my having having an awkward swath of uncovered backing . Thankfully, my quilt back was a dark gray tone on tone, so I cannot even see where I patched it. Never again was I going to fly blind.
Thank you YOUTUBE for helping me find videos on how to do this on the design wall. There are not many videos out there, so I'll add to the knowledge base on that with this effort.
My goal is to get this finished this week. I will probably quilt this simply using my walking foot.
I was sad to see that Melanie Ham had passed on January 12, 2022. She was not yet 36, and had a husband and two children. Such a terrible tragedy to be struck down so young. I so feel for her husband and children.
She was an accomplished maker with a gift and enthusiasm for teaching. Though I was not a regular follower, her videos with her bright beautiful face and smile would show up in my feed. When I did land on her space, I found it enjoyable. It was clear that she was a beautiful person on the inside and out. And she inspired and taught many her various crafts.
From updates that I would see from time to time, she reported her struggles with her cancer diagnosis to include the surgeries and treatments. It was not a battle she could win. Her husband had a picture of her with him. She was unrecognizable, and it was heartbreaking.
My husband lost one of his best friends to cancer last year, and another acquaintance also lost her battle with cancer. Neither were as young as Melanie. But like her, left a family that will feel the ache of that terrible loss.
The internet certainly lost a bright star. Her family lost a solar system.
This weekend, I welcomed
Pine Warbler (though he is here year round, I don't see him often).
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker: Migration in
Yellow Rumped Warblers: They overwinter for about 6 weeks
I'm still waiting for the Brown Creeper. We also have Red Breasted Nuthatches that occasionally visit. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for both.
We have a wintery mix here is central Virginia...so bird activity is high.
Take a moment to see who is visiting your yard over the winter.
As you know, once you click on anything of interest to you, YouTube grabs a content shovel and sends it your way. This video of the Deer Pantry in Brownville Maine showed up. These troughs contain native wild oats and acorns to help sustain the deer population through difficult winters.
I clicked on it, because we help out our local deer population in winters where the acorns between the red/white oaks are off cycle. With the close of deer season in VA, we begin to put corn out.We also keep a salt block to include a dense mineral block.
Living in the the woods with a hardwood swamp behind us means that we have much abundant wildlife. Last year, we witnessed an orphan deer who had attached himself to another deer family. At first, I thought the doe had triplets until she and the larger offspring flattened their ears and attacked him. Nevertheless, he stayed close the to smaller offspring.
I would then see him come up by himself. Sometimes he would lay right atop the pile of food. Other times, he would nestle in the curve of a dead tree surrounded by tall wild grass. I enjoyed looking out my window and seeing him find safety and comfort there.
Other times I would see the big racoon come up (through the help of an infrared spotting scope manned through the kitchen window). He would eat alongside the deer--rubbing the corn between is paws. In other years, I have spied a rabbit eating alongside the deer.
So with the close of hunting season and the opening of our deer pantry we will see what wonders await.
Virginia became a national news treasure this week with the arrival of the season's first snow. It has been unseasonably warm here, but that changed quite quickly. With the snow came the first Juncos (snow birds). Also, I have a gang of White Throated Sparrows that typically over winter here. I had not seen them yet...until this week with the snow. I like to post in my blog for as much as anything it is an easy index of my life. (You can create a personal, private blog to do the same--though you could accomplish the same thing with OneNote.)
I'm still awaiting the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker and the Brown Creeper. My Hermit thrush arrived early. He sits daily on my deck rail.
The White Throated Sparrows are vegetarians; they eat only the suet and the sunflower seeds. The Juncos, the same. The Hermit Thrush, Bluebirds, and Carolina Wrens eat no seeds but devour mealworms + suet. Everyone else eats everything else.
When snow comes, the bird activity is nothing short of frantic. We ensure that the feeders are full and that there is some ground swept clean for the ground feeding birds. Our reward for being a reliable food source, is that we have created an avian neighborhood. My Hermit Thrush has been visiting for the last 5 years. I think it is the same due to the same habits (sitting on the deck rail), and the fact that s/he is not scared of me.
Now that hunting season is over, we will put some corn out for our deer friends. We also keep a salt block out for them.
I created a video after I wrote this post which you can see below.
Here are the particulars of this free pattern:
Marcus Fabrics Winter Botanicals Quilt
Finished quilt size: 87 ½” x 87 ½”
Finished block size:10” x 10”
Backing: 96” x 96” (2 3/4y of 108” wide fabric)
This quilt is now the 3rd quilt that I have found that I wish to make using Laura Berringer's fabrics. In reading the pattern, I wanted to re-engineer some of the techniques to save TIME, FABRIC, and SEAMS while improving accuracy. I want to share these techniques with you.
How do I do this:
The quilt is made with alternating "Ribbon Blocks" (Block A) and Featured Blocks (Block B).
In the above block, there are "ribbon squares" of green/red values that come together in the center to form the pinwheel. The balance of the blocks (2.5"C/2"F) are squares of fabric. Alternating this block in the pattern with the Featured fabric block creates a charming diamond pattern which I love.
💡💡 Adding this ribbon block to any block pattern would provide a beautiful counterpoint to your featured blocks.
Here are the changes that I would undertake in making this block construction to reduce cutting, fabric utilization and seams.
I don't plan to overload my list of resolutions with too much stuff. I can dump my resolutions into the following buckets:
