pinwheel problems

making pinwheels for my "groovy liberty" quilt, the newest liberty + chambray chapel lap quilt. i tried three iterations of this fabric combination, switching pieces in and out until i figured out which one i actually liked. you can't always tell how the fabrics will look together in the block until you try them.

the first combo up there on the left felt unbalanced because the two colorful prints on the right blended together once sewn in the block, leaving the other two to look like christmas on the other side.

i switched out the larger-scaled print for a yellow june's meadow. this brought more contrast and color to the block, which i liked. but something was still off. maybe because there were now three prints with a similar smaller scale. i was mising that big, bold print.

so i swapped that out for the smaller scaled floral. and that’s where i stayed. this block feels fun and balanced, too. 

first problem solved.

  

i started sewing together block pieces from the first fabrics i cut from scraps before i did my maths for the quilt and knew how many i needed for each fabric. not a great idea if i do more than a handful. i had a lot of this mitsi print in hot pink and sewed them all up, only to discover later i had done too many. 

time to unpick.

as i was counting how many i'd made, i found that these two blocks had the chambray flipped. the difference between wrong and right sides of the chambray are harder to see in this photo, but they are noticeable in person. well, i already had to unpick some anyway. this made the choice which to unpick easier.

this one is hard to tell in the photo, but it's mitsi that's flipped wrong side out this time. 

another unpick.

now can you tell what i did? the two bolder, high-value prints (on left) are supposed to be opposite each other. there are a lot of blocks in this quilt and this small switch might not be noticeable in one block. but it feels off to me when i had them balanced the way i like already. 

unpick.

i’m putting my cute bohin rabbit/hare snips to good use. i don't use an official seam ripper. i find the tips of my snips fit in the stitches well enough, so i use those. one less tool to have around, store, and find. i like that they multitask this way. in fact, i probably use my snips for unpicking more than for anything else.

by this point in my sewing time i wasn't even batting an eye when i had to unpick about one in four seams. i just wanted to get the blocks right. it made me think of repentance. i used to hate the idea of repentance as much as i did unpicking. they're the same, in a way. repentance used to feel like being forced to apologize. now i see it as an opportunity to self-correct and start over. no big deal. 

same with the unpicking. once apon a time, when i had to fight hard for any sewing time, having to unpick felt like the worst thing i could be wasting my time doing. it felt like a big setback, a lost opportunity. now i look at the need for unpicking as the way to get my quilt how i want it. sometimes i need some course correction and thank goodness i can do that! both in my life and in my sewing.

in the end, i got my set of pinwheels complete. somehow i didn't get the fabrics set exactly the same in all of them, but this is a minor "mistake" unworthy of unpicking. not everything needs correcting, after all. 

i have five more sets of pinwheels to make. i've sorted the fabrics i pulled into sets, but i'm still waiting on the last couple i ordered to arrive. hopefully the rest go quickly enough, with minimal mistakes. 

but if i do need to unpick, i'll get snipping. because i can and i will.

i've shared an inordinate amount of mistakes lately. do any of you other quilters feel like i'm just a hot mess or is this typical for you, too? it does seem i've made more than my normal share, but i can't tell for sure. either way, i'm just going to keep on keeping on.

i make a lot of mistakes, but i also make quilts in the end.

sugar sweet pinwheel quilt, a finish

i recently remembered i had this long-term wip pinwheel quilt all the way to the binding stage before i abandoned it again. i'm really not sure why i hadn't picked it up. but once i recalled it was close to a finish, i pulled it out and got it done.

the littlest one started binding her quilt right alongside me, which made for a pleasant sunday afternoon together.

there wasn't much to do, and i quickly had a finish. while i was completing the quilt, i also finally realized what i wanted to do with it. i was waffling between sending it to the cabin and sending it to a certain aunt. then i got a new idea completely and it feel absolutely right.

 

the little bit of a look you can see on my daughter's face kind of sums up us trying to snap a quick finish photo of the "sugar sweet pinwheel quilt." she was certainly willing to help me, but we had some issues. for one, she couldn't hold it up straight and still hide her face.

and then the dogs got involved.

one second she is holding the quilt up in front of her while the dogs circle her feet, and the next she has whisked it quickly to the side. "what are you doing?!," i asked in exasperation. "pan was trying to pee on the quilt!," she responded. "oh, come on. really? he wouldn't do that."

but when i looked at the photo i had snapped just as she tore the quilt away, the full evidence was right there. naughty little puppy boy! he is pretty notorious for trying to mark everything (which is why he's an outdoor dog), and i guess he liked the quilt and wanted it for himself.

at that point i gave up on the photos and threw the quilt in the wash. i don't think pan hit his mark, but i wanted to wash it anyway since it was complete.

there is a lot of red in this quilt, and i had recently read an account of a quilter who had used an older red fabric which bled on her quilt despite using color catchers. i always use color catchers and have never had any problems with bleeding, but i was feeling nervous because these were 10 years old.

i put 3 color catchers in, and although they came out bright pink, there is no bleeding anywhere on the quilt. yay! they certainly did their job, didn't they?

this quilt is made from a fat quarter set of lecien flower sugar fabrics from 2010 that i purchased in my earliest fabric buying frenzy days. a number of years ago, longer than it seems it was, i saw a pinwheel quilt on ig and decided these would make a nice valentine's day quilt. i think partially because i intended this for a holiday quilt and partly because i wasn't super hyped about it, i usually worked on it in january hoping for a holiday finish, and then put it away each year. i was a much slower quilter back then. 

the background is a couple of different whites, which gives a tiny bit of movement and bit of a make-do look to the quilt. i think i used moda charm squares for the white portions.

i had it to the binding phase by 2019, and started binding it during my mother's final days after i completed the penny patch quilt i was binding at that time. and i took it to the cabin that summer, which is when i thought maybe it would make a good cabin quilt. but it got put in a basket and sat untouched after that.

the quilting was done in a dogwood/citrus peel pattern in the pinwheels, which meant i didn't have to mark them. the binding is scraps leftover from the fat quarters.

the backing is a few more fat quarter scraps, a large piece of flower sugar from a different year, and the coordinating blue floral from a tanya whelan line.by the time i got around to making a backing, the original fabrics weren't available anymore and i had to make do with what i could find that was similar. i managed to work the selvage in on the blue piece, a touch i like if i can make it happen. 

one last look at how good the crinkle got once it was out of the dryer.

i'm looking in to ordering a custom label i can add to this quilt because i really would like to add those to the quilts i gift. once i have that squared away, this quilt will be off to its home.

spinning elizabeths, a start

recently, i pulled out a few of my quilting books to peruse for ideas and inspiration. that's what they're for, right? i've invested in these books, i should make use of them. jolene at blue elephant stitches was considering a "sew the book" project again and i got curious which book i would choose to sew all (or most) of the quilts from. 

i was looking over one of my favorites, quilt lovely by jen kingwell, and remembered again how much i like the "spinning around" quilt with it's 3 columns of pinwheels and subtly-striped fabric in between.

a few days later an order i had placed for some newer anna maria horner fabrics arrived, including yardage of the brilliant "social climber" print in the newer pink and green colorways. somewhere along the way i started thinking those columns of roses could make a pretty background column to go between the pinwheel columns in a "spinning around" quilt. i got out the print and pulled all the warm/red/pink amh prints i had to coordinate, plus other blenders, to use for pinwheels.

i decided i didn't really want to do three different pinwheels, but to use one type of pinwheel three times. that would simplify the making a whole lot.

now, i don't need any new quilt starts. just look at my wip page - there's something like 25 projects i have in the works. BUT, i had reasons to start this one right away. namely, i was going to get a good chunk of sewing time over a four day period and i thought i could knock this project out into a top in that time. i'm also going to have a similar amount of time in a few weeks, at which time i would work in batch mode to get all my tops sandwiched, and all my sandwiches quilted. why not have one more top to add to the pile?

and so ...

i made several pairings of 4 fabrics and got to work making the double pinwheel blocks.

the color palette i chose is pinks and reds from the "social climber" print, khaki greens, navy blue, deep and mauvy purples, a range of gold-tone and cinnamon browns.

i selected a lot of vintage, antique-type blenders, like the kind denyse schmidt is really good at.

each fabric pairing makes two double pinwheel blocks, so i made three sets (6 total) from each pairing, one pair per column.

i didn't realize when i started just how many hsts i would be making and trimming.

a lot.

there are four double hsts per block. times 37 blocks per column, times three columns.

a lot.

i've never had a trimmings pile this big before, and this was only half way through.

for anyone making double pinwheel blocks, here are my tips:

1. cut your starting strips a smidge (like, 1/16th of an inch) larger than called for in length and width. it will give you more wiggle room when trimming in case something is off. then your center squares have a better chance of matching up.

2. pay very close attention to how your strip blocks are oriented BEFORE you cut on the diagonal to create your triangles. it really matters.

i did not pay close attention to my diagonal cuts the first few times and got some interesting results, and had to make a few additional sets in some cases. see the photo below, the two mixed-up pinwheels in the center, bottom.

and one time (above), i accidentally sewed some triangles together in a mismatched fashion. it was hurting my brain so bad to figure out how i did that and how to undo it! lol. i was about to just sew them together as they were and let them be a fun feature in the quilt, when i realized what i had done and unpicked it to correct. this was the only unpick in hours of sewing and from nearly a hundred blocks, so i'd say i did pretty well.

at first i played around with pairings of fabrics to come up with different configurations. but eventually i decided that going for highest contrast between the pairings was best as it made the pinwheels the most visible and discernable, and i just stuck to one configuration.

looking back, i should have used more low-volume blenders and a few more bright colors.

friday mornings the grandbaby comes to spend time with granna while his mom goes to the gym. he was quite interested in this quilt.

i think he wanted to rearrange them for me.

halfway through the morning, i realized we were wearing matching outfits: we both had denim blue shirts and black leggings on.

let's talk about how this quilt is looking.

i definitely nailed a very specific aesthetic - the scrappy, sort of retro vibe that i see in a lot of australian quilts - in a very fall-feeling palette.

the question is: do i like it?

hmm. 

i'm actually not sure.

this is one super wild quilt.

i learned a long time ago that blenders matter. don't just use all focal fabrics. you need those quiet, more subtle pretties to make your loud ones stand out and shine.

also, go for contrast in scale and color. mix geometrics with the florals.

some tips i picked up on from dana of old red barn co. for scrappy quilts that guided me here:

1. use more fabrics, the more the better

2. choose a color palette and make sure all your fabrics are in it. lots of colors is fine.

some helpful things i have realized while studying the quilts of jen kingwell:

1. lots of dots; polka dots of all sizes and styles are great.

2. make use of what i call "jen kingwell neutrals" to get her vibe. i see a smattering of these vintage-looking, cream- and gold- and tan-toned blenders in a lot of her quilts. i've started collecting them myself. i was looking at some civil war era reproduction prints the other day and i think that's one category where you can find this type i'm talking about.

these are some in my stash. they aren't the type of fabric print i would have selected before, but i do now.

one thing i decided for sure now that most of the blocks are done - i'm not using "social climber" as my background column fabric. it's just way too busy and the pinwheels get lost against it. i did not spend hours and days making pinwheels for them not to be seen. so i'm on the hunt for a good background.

this quilt is definitely in the "hot mess, what-have-i-done" phase. maybe when i have it put together with a good background i will like it. 

it was certainly fun to make; no regrets there.

oh. "what about that name?," you ask.

well, most of the time i was working on this quilt i had a niece here with my daughter. they're best friend cousins and always have been. both of their middle names are elizabeth. i'm considering giving this quilt to cousin elizabeth if i determine she actually really likes it. so "spinning around" plus the elizabeths present made for "spinning elizabeths."

Stacks of sweets

It’s January, so of course I’ve pulled out my “sugar sweet pinwheel” blocks again, hoping for a Valentine’s Day finish. I noticed when I attempted to stack them in a pile that those 8 intersecting seams in the middle really add up and distort the pile a lot. It’s better to stack them with the seams alternating in place, but still not an ideal way to store them if I want them to lay flat until I can sew them together. 

I also realized I have far too many blocks for one moderately sized lap quilt, which is what I was aiming for. I don’t want a behemoth valentines quilt to wrangle through the quilting stage.  It’s not the worst problem to have, but it has slowed down finishing the project because now I need to decide if I’m going to make two quilts instead, which involves a whole other slew of decisions to be made.

To top it all off, I like this project well enough, but really it was all about using up fabrics I purchased a loooong time ago that I don’t really love anymore, if I ever did. When my quilting time is low and I am dying to work on other more exciting projects, it’s hard to keep myself going on this one. However, I am being uncharacteristically steadfast and plugging away at it whenever I can. I really just might have not one but two Valentine’s Day quilts for the family room this year. 

PS - this is the first post I’ve ever attempted from my phone! Here’s hoping that works. It feels like Blogger should have a mobile version of the blog for posting, but I don’t see one. I’ve had to use the regular site on my phone, which involves a whole lot of scrolling, etc. Does anyone know of a mobile version or app for an iPhone that allows for easier posting from the phone?

love in a spin - lecien flower sugar pinwheel quilt plans

for a little over a year now, i've had these pinwheel blocks sitting quietly on the backburner, coming out to play occasionally when i needed a break from other projects. i'm in no rush on this one. it'll likely be a holiday quilt, only out on special occasions, so i'm not feeling pressured to finish it quickly. especially since it's intended holiday has already passed for the year.

A photo posted by Hannah Siebach Woodbury (@riseandshinequilts) on Feb 12, 2015 at 1:57pm PST

i originally saw this lovely photo on instagram last year and fell in love with the simple pinwheel patchwork in sweet colors. (i know, more hsts in a basic patchwork layout. what can i say? they really appeal to me!) the fabrics reminded me of a stack i had sitting in my stash. it was a fat quarter bunch i had acquired from the quilted castle very early on in my "brand new quilter, must build a stash, frantically buy anything and everything" days. like most everything i bought at the time, it was fabric that appealed to me on some level, but didn't really fit my evolving quilting style.

it contained exactly the kind of romantic, blowsy, english floral prints i loved in high school and college, which is probably what attracted me to it. however, some of the prints are a bit too bold for my current taste, so it's been sitting on the shelf for over 5 years now. when i saw that pinwheel quilt, i figured it would be a good setting for the sugar flower fat quarter set. sure, it's loud and very sweet, but i think i can handle it as a valentine's quilt that makes an appearance for about a month every year. there's room in my life for all kinds of quilt and fabric styles.

and i do really like some of the prints.
i'm still a sap for big rose prints in pretty colors.
so a sugar-sweet valentine's quilt it will be.

when i showed a peek of the project previously, there were some commenter questions about the fabric line i was using, so i'm sharing a bit about that now.

it's a "flower sugar" collection circa 2010, from the japanese fabric company, lecien. from what i can gather, lecien produces a new "flower sugar" collection each year, maybe even seasonally. the fall 2015 collection, the most recent on the lecien site at this posting, has colors (sans yellows) close to the same as my stack, and incorporates similar florals and dots, as well as lace and gingham prints. the "flower princess" line is very similar, but in a softer, low-volume palette. an internet search of "lecien flower sugar fabric" will yield links to all sorts of pieces from past collections, too. if you add a year in there, you'll get more specific feedback. for lots of images of past collections and prints, visit kit newlin's lecien flower sugar pintrest board. if you want to buy, not just look, check out what's available on etsy.

as for my quilt, i have completed somewhere around 20 blocks. thanks to my floppy book/flat block pressing technique, they are all staying nice and flat in their pile while they wait for the rest of their block friends to come play. i have yet to decide on quilt dimensions, but i'll likely use a 7 block x 9 row layout, like i did for my "dreaming easy" quilt. this means i'll need about 40 more blocks before i'm ready to assemble the top. i'd like to add a coordinating solid or two to the mix, to tone down the happy madness.

but i've got until at least next january. so no sugar rushing here.