mastering geese for a swoon

so, i started something new a little while ago. no surprise there! when i get the urge or the itch, i just dive into something. this time i decided to join the IG #swoonalong. in celebration of her 10th year anniversary in the quilting business, camille rosskelly started a quilt along of her most popular pattern, swoon. i've had the pattern as part of her craftsy.com class i purchased a few years back, and it's been on my "to do" list for ages. it's on everyone's "to do" list because it's so awesome. when the swoonalong came up, i resisted for a little while before being sucked in.

i'm eyeball deep in projects, so i wanted a quick version of swoon. i decided to make a swoon variation of my stella grande quilt pattern: one giant swoon block with a top and bottom border. i'm using heather bailey's floral picnic bouquet in gold as my main fabric, sandi henderson's meadowdot in mint as the secondary fabric, and essex linen from robert kauffman as my background.

i decided if i'm going to make the ultimate quilt, one of the fabrics better be my ultimate favorite: meadowdot, of course. i picked the floral to compiliment it. and i've always wanted to try linen. it seemed a good time to do that, too.

i started cutting away on the floral. and did it wrong. the swoon pattern i have is for a 24"block, but i wanted a 60" block. so i had to do some math. and i did some wrong. then i decided after reading up on quilting with linen that i should use a 1/2" seam allowance rather than the standard 1/4". so i did some more math and re-cut my floral center square.

at this point i realized i was not going to have enough of the floral for the quilt, even before i made my cutting error. so i had to visit etsy and ebay to hunt down that out-of-print fabric i was committed to using in my quilt. lucky me, i found 3 yards of it, so i'm safely stocked again.

and then i ran out of essex linen in flax. i went to my new local shop and go more, but thought it seemed to look a little different than the piece i had picked up earlier in the week. after washing it was still a different color! i talked to the shop owener and found out it was the wrong one. stalled again. whew!

while i was waiting on fabrics, i was also following the #swoonalong progress on instagram. i noticed some of the pieces in the pattern that were originally composed of hsts (like the pattern i have) were being made with flying geese instead. that makes for less seams and a more composed look, so i decided to just figure that out, too.

basically, i've rewritten the entire pattern myself.

i'd love to share all of it here, but that would be giving away a copyrighted pattern. sorry. can't do it.

i had to experiment with the geese to figure out the technique and math for those, too. with some trial and error, i got it down. i had some extra squares of linen not yet used that i paired with some solid scraps,

  the upper left-hand corner of linen is a failed attempt at getting the corner the right size. i tried just cutting a triangle and sewing it on. it came out wrong. i don't even remember what size it was. i think i probably used the leftover piece cut off some of the other bits i'd already done.

i read up on making geese a little and decided to go with stitch-and-flip rather than trying to just sew a corner on.

the geese i need are 12.5" x 6.5" unfinished. i think what i used was a 7" square for the corners.

after stitching both a 1/2" and a 1/4" seam allowance (for reinforcement), i clipped the corners off, per the flip-and-stitch method.

 the linen doesn't behave exactly the same as cotton, so i found i needed to sew a scanter seam so it would reach where it needed to be to line up with the block.

in the end, i completely nailed my tip for my flying goose (singular). it's exactly perfect. which is what i'm going for with this quilt. i've found that when working with large scale patterns, all the little flaws are much more noticeable. since there aren't that many pieces for this quilt top, i think it's worth the time and effort to get them right.

i now have most of the geese units completed, so it's on to the corner units. only i've turned back to the other projects i had going. my grande swoon is in the wip pile for the moment. when i do get back to it, i'm ready for a fast finish and i've got the tricks to getting it right down pat.

if only i remember them . . .

gypsying along, learning as i go

bordered dbl sq-in-a-sq (economy) block and kitty in the corner, block 1

i've been inspired to pull out the old gypsy wife lately. maybe it's because liz (mostly)finished her top (but decided to add a border to fit her bed), sarah's blocks are killing me on instagram (@sarahscraw), and megan is working on hers again. maybe it's because i really just like it and i'm mad at my other wips at the moment.

i've given up on the quilt along schedule. partly because it's over and partly because i like the idea of going at it section by section better. i was beginning to worry my colors wouldn't be spread out evenly enough over the quilt if i didn't see what went next to what. besides, getting one little section sewn would look like an actual quilt as opposed to the piles of blocks i've got.

however, although i completed all the blocks for section 1, i don't have all the strips ready for it! so i've hit another temporary snag and just kept making whatever blocks i liked for the next two sections. i do have lots of strips cut, but i've been cutting from the fabrics i'm using as i go. consequently, all the strips i have cut are the same fabrics in the blocks i was hoping to sew together. i need to cut other strips so i don't have identical fabrics in the blocks and strips for each section.

the bird block on the left is a bit of an improvisation on my part. first of all, i wanted to use that bird in a specific location in the quilt, so i had to switch two blocks around. i have two other animal blocks, the elephant and the goat. i wanted the animals spread out over the quilt but the bird was going to be next to the elephant, so i had to find a different block of a similar size so i could switch them. i found a bordered sq in a sq/econ block in a different section that i could trade, but the center was the wrong size for the bird so i just made up my own block altogether. maybe this block has been made before or maybe i invented a new one. i shall name it "bird in a cage" and leave future generations to guess at what it has to do with a bird like i wonder over "kitty in a corner", which doesn't even seem to have a corner for the kitty to be in.

so i made up my own block to feature the heather bailey bird from her up parasol collection. it was just going to be a multi bordered sq in a sq/econ block, but then, i used some scraps for the red-and-aqua eiffel tower second square border. i had just fussy cut an eiffel tower and had four hsts on hand, which i liked with the bird, so i used them.

unfortunately, they weren't all quite big enough. i did a stitch-and-flip to add some red triangles to the tips to ensure at least the corners were right.  the sides i could make up for in the seam allowance.

in the spots where the seam allowance was really lacking i simply sewed right next to the seam three or four times to strengthen the area. i'm fairly certain this will work. even though it's under 3/8" i don't see it unravelling with all that stitching over it.

then i had outer boarder troubles. originally, i used the icy blue boarder you see on the butterfly block (on instagram for anyone interested), but it seemed to make the block sort of fade out when i wanted it to have a really strong outer edge against the surrounding strips. also, the red corners looked weird and totally out of place. i took it off and put the red on instead. i like it much better now. my bird is well contained.

old maid's puzzle and perishing blocks

each of these blocks has a been a mini exercise in technique and fabric placement as i deal with bare-bones instructions in the pattern and think about each little piece and layer of the block, how it plays against or interacts with it's neighbors. it's like a lot of individual projects that will add up to one eventually.

i've been going a bit crazy with the lack of directions in the pattern but it's also forcing me to figure a lot of it out on my own, which makes for more memorable learning. thank goodness for rachel's angled class so i have some clues about triangles and how they interact! this was incredibly helpful when it came to the old maid's puzzle and the perishing block.

i'd been hung up by the perishing block for months. it was the next big block i was supposed to do for the quilt along (and maybe the reason i fell off the wagon) but i kept hearing how difficult it was. having done enough economy blocks now, i was ready to tackle it. (i was going to talk all about what i've learned about sq in sq/econ blocks, but i think i'll just make a separate post. that'll be easier. since i have many a sq in sq/econ block to go for this quilt, there will be lots of opportunities to talk about them coming up.) with the fabrics i selected,the perishing block is not my favorite but i like it well enough and am so glad to have it done! i didn't put a lot of thought into each fabric but i did pay attention to value when selecting them, which really helps the individual layers either blend or stand out. value-wise, i'm please with my results.

the old maid's puzzle i basically had to figure out all on my own with little help other than a diagram and inaccurate measurements in the pattern. i'll be writing a separate post on that process, too, in case anyone else needs some help. i really liked all the fabrics going into it but the results feel quite flat and dull to me. however, the quilt could use some quiet places so it will remain as is. there is another one of these blocks in the quilt so i have a second chance to jazz it up on round 2.

i knew this quilt would push my skills, and my oh my, has it ever. i now feel like i can take on anything with a straight line. (curves coming up soon!) i'm getting less upset when i make a mistake or something goes wrong because these just become opportunities to learn or to improve, to do something even better.

and when i have completed this lady, i will feel i can absolutely, with out a doubt, call myself a real quilter.

linking up with lee's wip wednesday at freshly pieced

eye of the storm

well, it was clean . . .

 

i have had one over-the-top busy week. there is a local special event going on and we have hosted friends and family nearly every day, including cooking dinner for large groups of people 3 different nights. it's been exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. having over 30 people to dinner necessitated that i pack away most of my sewing supplies in an attempt to convert the room back to a dining/entertaining space for guests. well, that attempt failed. i did get it well cleaned and organized, but i ran out of time to complete the reversion to dining table. when i moved my sewing stuff in that room, it was with the idea that it was supposed to be quickly and easily converted when needed. however, we haven't entertained enough people in ages, so i never put that theory to the test until this week. and i failed miserably. the best i got done was to have the table free of everything but my sewing machine and i pulled out the dining chairs to the front of the room as a barricade/seating spot. good thing it wasn't a formal meal! by the time the last event was over last night, i had pulled out a bunch of fabrics so my sister-in-law could make selections for her new baby's quilt and the room was starting to look pretty much like it always does (see above).

 

in the middle of all this chaos, i did miraculously find some spots of time here and there to sew. i made all the mini blocks for my february sugar block:



first, i made a few extra blocks for the back - which means i messed up on a couple by making them the wrong size. as relaxing as i can find it to work on complex sewing at the end of a long day, i usually make mistakes because my brain is so tired.

when making the block, i used two of the same fabrics from january's block and some of the same prints in different colors. i like all the fabrics, but when i was done with the block, i realized i hadn't placed fabrics well. those red corners are just too loud and proud, drawing all the attention away from the star in the center. i haven't sewn them together because i'm undecided whether to make 4 new blocks with quieter centers or just live and learn with it the way it is.

on the one hand, i am using this monthly block to focus on precision a little at a time. on the other hand, i don't want to get hung up with every little detail as i'm learning. if only i knew i could use these blocks elsewhere in the top, i would happily make new ones. but the rest of the top is a mystery, so i'm wavering. also, those red corners might be just fine when mixed in with the whole top. there's just no way to know right now.

saturday was one of my in between days where i carved out some time to sew in the middle of all the prep chores. i just needed to get going on gypsy wife! but it seemed the world was conspiring against me. the 5 yr old was begging to go to the park, and when i said to her, "but mommy wants to sew," i immediately knew it was not the right response. give up one of our precious spring days at the park with my daughter to sew? hearing those words come out of my mouth brought that quickly in perspective. 5 year olds and spring days are both fleeting and precious.

however, the mr decided to go to the park with the kids, so i was dismissed. i probably should have gone anyway. but the 11 yr old didn't go and wanted to spend time with me. so i sent her to my stash to select fabrics for a baby quilt she's going to make for a fund raiser. i thought it would be a good way to use up some of the older fat quarters i'm not so crazy about anymore. however, she didn't dig to the back of the stack, she brought out this lovely bundle from the front:

some of my heather bailey "nicey jane"! ouch. i'm still not sure i can let her have these because i know this is all i have of the two floral prints. at least i can say her taste in fabric has improved drastically. perhaps what i'll have to do is buy the quilt myself, which i rather want to do since it will be her first quilt project.

we got the fabrics pressed and squared, then i had to run to Costco before it closed. on the way there i witnessed a pedestrian/vehicle accident where i actually saw the car sitting on top of the victim. the two pedestrians hit are, thankfully, alive, but in critical condition. seeing something so tragic occur before my very eyes left me quite shaken up. i mindlessly did my shopping then came home to collapse on the couch. my husband kindly took over all dinner duties and let me rest.

after dinner, he let me just sew for a while. i must say working on my colour wheel block for gypsy wife focused me in a way that really calmed me down. my faith is always the thing that gets me through stressful situations or intense time periods, but the meditative act of piecing and sewing is an additional way for me to cope. in fact, i am often able to think over what's troubling me or about how my faith applies to my situation while i'm sewing. as long as i don't let the sewing take over my time or muddle my priorities, it can be very helpful.

i got everything done to the point where the block is ready for assembly. it's pretty bold and loud, but i like it. i think the soft floral will give the crazy colors enough buffer room in the top.

two almost-assembled blocks might not seem like much sewing for one week, but it's certainly a lot more than i expected to get done considering all we had scheduled. we have an equally busy week ahead of us. i'm curious to see if i'm able to fit any more sewing in.

we've worked the kids hard this week, getting them involved in all the cleaning and cooking, but we gave them some good down time, too. the latest creative craze for my girls has been producing their own lego mini figure movies. they set up the individual scenes for each frame shot to tell a short story in about 60 seconds. of course the creation part takes a lot longer than the final product but it is keeping them engrossed and entertained. i love when they become so involved in a project that stretches their imaginations and minds.

january's intention

 finished just in time for the next block to arrive in my inbox tomorrow morning, i have completed "intentions," my first block for the sugar block club 2014 bom series from amy at stitchery dickory dock.

being part of a bom series and making this block was a new experience for me in many ways. i've never done a traditional block before, mainly because they have been too complicated for my skill set. both the hourglass mini block and the 3-triangle mini blocks (official name?) were new to me. i surprised myself by working well with so many triangles.



because there is a low time commitment with only one block each month and because there are so many pieces/chances to throw off the size to each block, i focused on precision more than i normally do with this block. there were a few redo's for me, but not too many. in general i shocked myself with some pretty precise piecing. not perfect, mind you, but definitely personal progress.

i've never purposefully made blocks over-sized and then trimmed down, but i gave it a go this time and was converted. i did find one block that i either had to trim slightly off center or remake, and i let that go (notice the way the pink and blue point is slightly off in the upper left of the photo). however, when trimming up the mini blocks to assemble the larger one, i accidentally trimmed one 1/4" too small. arg. but i just whipped up another one.

also, when my hourglass block was a tad too small, even after repeat pressing, i just made another one (which is still slightly imperfect if you look at the bottom points). so i have a few spare parts now, but this doesn't bother me a bit. they'll just get worked into my backing when the time comes.

spare parts for the backing

with this series, each block is a surprise each month. i was a tiny uncomfortable with this at first because i wanted to know where the series was going when i made fabric selections. i wanted a color palette to start with but didn't know how many different fabrics might be required. however, i got over that and gave into the fun of working with continual surprises. despite wanting to break into my liberty fabrics, i knew they were too precious for a skill-building experience. instead, i picked over my stash to find some prints that have a sort of farmhouse and playful vintage feel to them. but i'm obviously also working in some modern prints with that comma circles print. i'm just going to take it month by month with the decision making.

all in all, this was a fun little project; a great exercise in skill building and comfort-zone busting. i look forward to the February block tomorrow.