Wonky Quilt

Literally!

I don't know how the "Monk" in me allowed me to make this quilt.  I'll explain how it came about, but I first must post this

WARNING:

What follows may horrify quilters everywhere.

As you read, please keep in mind that I never pay attention to quilting "rules"...never.  Sometimes they make sense, but, mostly not.  I think most "rules" were created prior to the creation of the walking foot.

First of all I needed to make one more "whole cloth" quilt.  And I fell in love with these fabrics. 

I love the colors, the wonky flower blocks and the plaid stripe.  It will be horrifying to some to learn that I found these fabrics at JoAnn's.  They aren't a bad quality but they are printed wonky.  This I didn't see until I set out to cut the top to size.  This was so disappointing.  

Eventually I wondered if I cut the design straight if it would show that the quilt would not be "squared".  Horrifying that I would even consider cutting a quilt out of square, isn't it?!  It's an optical illusion.  The eye is fooled.  Well,  my eye is fooled.

These fabrics are on the narrow side, so my next decision was to not cut off the selvages...more horrification!  They are actually nice and flat.  They don't pull inward on the edges.  And being wacky as I am,  I hoped they would add some curiosity to the quilt.

But now the back.  I hoped with the stripe going up and down that the eye would continue to be fooled.  Nope!  With it being a plaid stripe with lines going vertical and horizontal, it was obvious that I cut the ends at an angle to match the top piece.  Even more disappointment!

And then my boundless determination set in.  I wondered if I could save this quilt by creating an optical illusion on the back to once again fool the eye.  Now I find myself working on the quilt from hell.  And wondering about myself, why do I have to be this way?!!!

The quilt back was about 1/2 an inch narrower than the top.  Why not!  Why should coordinating fabrics be the same width?!  So, a strip of wonky flower blocks was added to extend the width. 

 Now the tricky part.  I stitched flower blocks at various levels along the top and bottom so the eye can't easily follow the stripe/plaid lines, therefore not easily noticing the wonky angle.

I think it worked.  So I sandwiched it and started quilting it.  I'm sure it's horrifying but I started at a bottom corner and worked my way across and up the quilt.  And horror of horrors, I also did not leave much for extra batting or backing behind the front for quilting.  I have found that nothing really moves that much during quilting, so I've stopped wasting so much batting and backing fabric for the quilting stage.

I bound it with the plaid stripe backing fabric.

This is only quilt #5 for me.  Probably because of all the challenges presented by this fabric that I feel I conquered, this is actually my favorite quilt so far.  It's a small lap quilt measuring 42" X 64" but just right for lying around watching TV.  And I am horrifyingly thrilled with it's conniving bit of wonkyness.

I had some wonky flower blocks left over and a chunk of the plaid stripe, so I made this small quiltie.  Now here's the real shocker for me...

...if I made that lap quilt for you, do you think your little doggie would like the quiltie?  Yep, I made her little doggie a matching little quiltie.  I cannot believe I did that!  Really, I cannot believe a made a quilt for a dog!

Well, there you have it...proof that miracles never cease to happen!

Annie

Into the unknown I go. 

Michele of Quilts From My Crayon Box blog is hosting a Modern Mini Mystery Round Robin.  I've always felt drawn to try a round robin but the quilts were always bed sized.  That's a size that doesn't interest me.  So when I saw Michele had thunk up a small scale wall quilt, I jumped in.

I only have until the 18th to come up with my center block.  I'm not a fast thinker upper so I had to get started immediately.  Good thing cause I made rejects!

First reject block is this one...

  I like the block, but I decided it was too busy for this project.  It most likely will soon be a fun potholder.

My next reject block is this one...

These are four 3" log cabin blocks.  (They aren't actually sewn together yet)  I liked them and thought I'd make some more with mixed colors.  That plan didn't go so well so I moved onward.

This is the next block I tried...

This one could be fun to play with.  It could have more colors added or it could even go in a Fall or even a Halloween direction.  But I'm still not quite happy with the simplicity of it to be my focal point.

This post published without me due to constant Internet connection interruptions this entire week.  Because of that I concentrated on sewing instead and then this post published this morning without me...so, to finish.....

This is the block I've decided on...

A bit dull and boring looking here all by itself, but I actually have a plan for it when it comes back to me in December.  Well, of course depending on what my border partners add to it.  Possibly their border decisions will change my plan in the end.  I'll just have to wait and see.

I do love a good mystery.....

Annie

Look!

A Mini Round Robin 

Michele from Quilts From My Crayon Box blog  

is hosting a modern mini mystery round robin.

It really sounds fun and since it is small scale it actually is doable for me.  I'm joining in...how about you?  Oh, come on...be brave!

I gotta go decide on my center block now....

Round and Round we go,

Annie

Twister Tool Twist

(This is blogger's orange?!!)

When I first got my Little Twister Tool I really "needed" to give it a try.  I did not want to sew squares together, I wanted to try it on something I already had.  I'm a very patient sort wouldn't you say? The only thing I already had was some strips sewn together, so I lined it up on one seam and cut.  And then sewed those blocks together.  I also cut the opposite "waste" blocks for another one.  I then framed them in a green, bordered them with an orange  stripe, quilted and bound them, and now I have a couple of new Fall potholders!

I'm always "what ifing" and on the lookout for how a tool can be used for other than it's intended purpose...'cause I like different.  And I so like what came from this "what if".  Especially since this little bugger cost me $10 I'm real happy to have an alternative design for it.  I've even found some inspiration while putting together this post.....ooo what if...................

Happy Twisting

Annie

A Bird & Blooms

It looked much better in my mind than it does in reality.

  I'm going to re-visit this idea in the future to try to get closer to what I visualise in the ole noggin.

I printed off some fabric pieces and pulled some selvages.

One of the fabrics is a purchased print, the others are all printed with my printer.

I wanted a black and white background with subtle colors smattered throughout.  I think some of the printed fabrics are a bit too dark for my thread painted swirl flowers. I thought my selvages would work well for the smattering of color part and for the most part I am happy with that bit...with some improvement next time.

I sewed strips of the background fabrics and added selvages here and there and did fusible raw edge applique for my bird.

Then some thread painting for my swirl flowers.

This piece was to go into a frame that Dad made a while back, so I just stay-stitched the edges.

Oh for goodness sake, don't I ever dust my walking foot?!

That's a bit better.  I'm always telling myself I'll clean everything after this project.  Then I just start sending the new project through....I forget.

Anyway, for now and until I get a chance to play with this thought again, it is what it is.

Get ta stitchin'!

Annie

Our Blog Followers

Several comments about blogger's word verification included comments regarding our followers and whether or not the number of followers really means anything.

The number of followers/members can be a psychological belief that that many people are actually following our blog and it can make us happy to "think" that many people read our blog.  It can work psychologically in another direction as well.  When we go to someone's blog that has hundreds and thousands of followers, and that can make us think that we must be missing out on something really big at this blog. 

It's only a number, but it seems to be a number we all want to attain on our blogs whether it be a true following or not.

Personally I have about maybe 20 - 30 actual followers.  That would be my guess.  Of my 280some followers, 260 of them joined my site in order to have a chance to win a prize on another blog, Sew We Quilt.  They were extremely nice prizes.  I would also have to credit 15 - 25 of you actually following me found me by way of Sew We Quilt.  Because I only had 3 flickr friends when I started blogging.

I have an attraction to collage.  And all those little squares of followers up there make up a really fun collage.  But I do not in any way kid myself by thinking that many people are reading my blog.  They just wanted to win a prize.  A handful even returned after the contest and removed themselves from my following.

I guess I would rather have a collage of true followers up there, but I haven't figured out how to delete the prize chasers or even if that is possible.  In any case, I enjoy the collage, and I know that my new followers and my very first few followers are my "real" followers.  After my guest appearance and the prizes were distributed, I began to watch you join my blog as a follower (It must be because you want to follow) and I always go and check out your blog in return (if you have one).

It's your blogs there to the right that I love to check in on most because you're checking in on me too.  Some of you don't have a blog...yet.  But I keep checking so I know when you do start blogging!  I so appreciate all my true followers and thank you for all your generous and kind comments.

So, does the number of followers mean anything to you?

Now here's a fun one too...our

List of Blogs

that we follow.

Everybody wants to be at the top of everyone else's blog list. So, very soon now we no longer will need to know our alphabetical order...we'll need to know the order of importance for punctuation marks.

! * & " + ! * & " +

Who's winning on your blog?

Happy blogging!
Annie

Four Leaf Clovers?

A funny thing happened on the way to Pillow #4.

It didn't become a pillow.  It was too big.  I don't want any pillows that are larger than 18".  But that isn't the funny thing. 

You see that "Rocket" fabric outside the twisted pinwheels?...when I bought that fabric I saw black and white and I saw that luscious green and I saw numbers and not a once did I see a rocket!  Not a one!  There's a rocket every 2" all over this fabric piece!  <~~That's the funny thing.  What?...you were expecting hilarious?

Well, now what am I going to do with this stupid piece of fabric that I'm now mad at for having stupid rockets on it!  And it's been in my way and laughing at me and haunting me ever since!

Noticing it, I pulled it out thinking, oh, what a fun piece to border these pinwheels with...that I decided I would call four leaf clovers for a March, St. Patrick's Day theme.  Then I saw the stupid rockets and was reminded all over again how I hate this piece of fabric!

Then I took another look at it.  This design made with the Little Twister tool is called twisted pinwheels.  I see them as whirligigs.  And I visualise them spinning around in the air.  Which is where a rocket goes...up in the air.  I decided the rockets, the count-down numbers and the green words "blast off" all fits nicely with whirligigs.  See how nicely I forced this hated fabric to go with my twisted design...it's how my twisted mind works.  I'm awfully determined sometimes.  Yep, the four leaf clovers don't work into this scenario any more.

Now, yay!...I'm using this fabric...getting it out of my stash.  this project is still a pillow at this stage, so I'm already planning ahead for the back of the pillow.  I'll make an extra whirligig and I'll fussy cut the words "blast off".......you guessed it...I didn't have enough fabric left to get those large "blast off" words for the pillow back!!!  I hate this fabric again

In the end, the piece was too large for a pillow so it's a table mat.  I just couldn't know what size it would come out to once it was chopped up and resewn.  And I did my best to use up the rest of the rocket fabric on the back...I kind of like how the back looks.  That hated fabric makes an interesting design pattern.  I just keep shaking my head...rockets...

The whirligig centers needed a little something I thought, and these tiny buttons worked out the best of everything I tried.
There are only 25 buttons.  A mere sampling compared to Carol..*snicker*
They don't really seem to be the answer now that they're on, but I haven't had anything else come to mind yet.  I'll just wait.

I'm not calling this one a success but I'm so glad I finally got to play with the Little Twister tool I bought ages ago.  I love this twisted design but I didn't think it was fun cutting out the twisted blocks so I'll most likely never make anything larger than a pillow or table mat in this design.  But I'm glad I've made it at least once...so far.

Have a fun blogging day!

Annie

Robot Proof 

We'd all like to avoid spam within all of our electronic communications.  I see this attempt of avoidance mostly in blogland.  Personally, my blog is not a popular blog and I have not experienced much spam in comments.  At least not enough to make your visit here too annoying to leave a comment if you choose to do so.

I try to visit and comment on as many blogs as I can fit into a variety of time frames.  The inspiration is irresistible and I hate to miss anything!  But proving that I'm not a robot is becoming so time consuming.  I see now that many blogs have two words we must type in to prove we are not robots.  One of those words is extremely difficult to read.  I've just guessed at them. 

I already don't bother with comments if I have to type a user ID and my email address and I don't know what all else after that because I just don't have that kind of time.  So I close the blog, don't leave my comment and go on to the next one that I want to read.  I feel like I'll have to start skipping comments on those two words proofs as well if they are going to become numerous. 

Some of my most favorite blogs have huge followings and get lots of comments and I can leave my comment without the added time of proving myself.  How do they do it?  It doesn't quite make sense that they don't need this robot proof system, yet a small followed blog with a few comments has a fancy system to avoid spam.

Blogland is growing ever larger and we find more and more inspiration available to us.  But a 24 hour day never adds hours.  So many of us already feel we spend too much time on our computers.  So, spending extra time at a blog to prove who I am in order to leave a comment?  I'm sorry, I just don't have that kind of time to spend on one blog.

Is there really no better solution to the problem of spam?  Is it possible that this is a concern that blogger will be correcting come March 1st?  I wish it could all go back to simple because I'd love nothing better than to tell people I love their creativity...I wish I had the time to continue that but, well, you know...

I know no one will miss my one comment on their blog, but what if a lot of people are finding it too time consuming?  I wonder if I'm alone in my musings on this.  It's possible.

Annie

I'm sitting here thinking about 

Starch

 

I admit that ... I don't get it.  I can't understand nor imagine why anyone would want to gunk up their fabric with starch. Unless maybe you don't have a walking foot, then I am able to make some sense out of it.

When I was young (prior to permanent press) we starched shirts while ironing and I remember being glad that they weren't my shirts and that I wasn't going to have to wear them. 

Luckily, "To each his own".

I sew 99% of everything I sew with a walking foot.  It's the best $150. I've ever saved and spent and when it gives out, I will buy another.  But I just can't even think about starch.  Yuk.  But am I missing something here?

So, if you starch and you have a walking foot, I'd love for you to explain to me why starch your fabric too?...cause I'd love to be able to say, "oh, I get it now".

Starchless in California

Annie

Pillow #3

My personal Pillow A Month Challenge

Flower Collage

One of my Flickr contacts, Krista Withers, lolablueocean, does a lot of free piecing and improv stitching.  She created wonderful flowers that I immediately fell in love with.  You can see her flowers and improv here .

I just had to make some for myself.  I can't even imagine free piecing them, so I drew up a paper piecing pattern for mine.

I ran a test as a postcard before starting in on the pillow top.

I've mentioned before that my process of a creation is starting with an idea and from there, making it up as I go along. Very seldom do I start out with an entire plan.

It turned out that the piecing process I used to make the flowers allowed me to create a bit of a different look for each one. That was a fun surprise.  The background for the flowers actually is free pieced and improv as well as some applique.  Doing the background this way was a big challenge for me.  This was my first time playing around with that.  Some of the background fabrics I made myself (you can see how I made the fabrics here)  and others are purchased fabrics.

I quilted with meandering straight line angles (for lack of a better description).  I'm 50/50 on whether it's over quilted or not.  I like it to look quilted but I do not like it when the quilting over powers the fabrics and design.

This pillow front sat for more than a week before I finally decided on the binding and the back.  I'm very stingy with my text fabrics and didn't want to "waste" a big chunk on that back side.  Feeling wild I decided to include the zipper as part of the design.

Me and my seam ripper became more than just good friends during this pillow creation, but I'm real happy with the way it turned out. 
It's my fave so far!

Thanks Krista for your awesome inspirational improv!

Annie

 

This pillow project is linked to Fabric Fascination's 12-Months Linking Party Check out all the fab creations!