Fabric Strips

Years ago, I learned a technique invented by Sharyn Craig. Half log cabin block.

I use her 'old' method. I have seen recently she has a new one, like from a few years ago, where she cuts the strips to the sizes needed.

I guess that was her tweak for her first method. When using her first method some of the blocks come out wonky.

I have figure out a way to use her old method and still get a pretty square block so I am sticking with that.

These are not quilts to put into a juried show. Not all the seams coincide. These are the quilts I make to use up all the strips I have. I guess they become memory quilts because I remember the other patchworks I've made using those fabrics.

I love putting all the colours together. I've made several using this method. Love them.

These are blocks I found while reorganizing the shelving in my studio.

They were already made, just sitting in a shoe box. I think I originally wanted to make this one large which is why they were still in the box...waiting for me to make more.

I decided to sew them up to whatever size it gave me. Turns out it's 40" x 50", or 104 cm x 128 cm approximately.

This one will be quilted in a few days. Then the relaxing part of sewing on the binding- one of my favourite steps in quilt making.

Forever Scraps- yarn and fabric

Back on New Years eve, I made a resolution and gave myself a time limit. No new yarn purchases. The challenge is to end on April 1. I find making several New Year's resolutions that end in a month's time or so, helps me to accomplish them! And also remember what they are...I mean who remembers 6 months in what they decided as a New Year's resolution?

To make this, I selected my colour palette,
pulled out my leftover fabric, paid close attention to value.

YARN: I reorganized the chest of drawers I have for my yarn, placing the thinner weights in the top drawer and the bulky and chunky yarns in the bottom drawer and the in-between weights in the middle.

I put together yarn bits of the same value and am making socks with those. They are so lovely. A little bit of everyone's socks in one pair!

I put aside all the half-knit projects; a sweater that had no sleeves, a sock that had no partner, a shawl too complicated to finish...and decided to make finishing them my goal.

I have been very good at doing that! (so proud). It isn't that hard after all!

FABRIC: I also decided to use up as much of my quilt fabric as possible. I just have lots of fabric and am tired of looking at the same colours and designs. Fabric, like fashion, gets dated. You have to use up your scraps and make room for the contemporary stuff- fun to buy and fun to use!

So I whipped this up.

finished size, approximately 30"x 40"

I posted it on my Instagram account, handle sandrareford if anyone wants to follow me there.

Fabric: batik, men's shirt fabric, recognizable K. Fasset,
quilters cotton from more than 10 years ago,
a cool new yellow...

I got so many "likes"!!

It is really pretty.

I am going to purchase the back fabric, a NEW fabric that's fun and exciting and helps motivate me to quilt it.

Make a goal and go for it!

Simple Shapes

You can make so many nice quilts ...

... using the simple shapes of squares and triangles.

I used this mini quilt (12" x14") as an example in the Binding Class I taught yesterday at Ewe Knit.

Students really enjoyed the class!

Using Fabric Scraps

I love making scrap quilts.

When I teach, I impart the tricks I have learned over the years of experimenting with scraps to the students so they too can make a successful scrap quilt.

But that knowledge is compartmentalized ....in the quilt drawer. Whoever thought I could do the same with yarn!!

I have lots of 20 gram bits after making socks for the past years. Like with fabric, I just didn't want to throw those 'valuable' bits out. I also didn't want to do what many quilters do. That is bring a small piece of fabric (yarn) to the quilt store and buy $200 worth of fabric (yarn) to 'match' it so they can use their scraps! Makes no sense.

So I applied my knowledge of making scrap quilts and what do you know? It worked!

Medium values

I divided the yarn bits into the same VALUE groups- like I do with fabric.

This is the dark value group.
Yes, even the pink ball

Even though there are many values in this ball
 there are many strands that are dark.
I notice that the purple and blue strands are
repeated in the other balls.
I see the orange is light but as a colour
it is complimentary to blue.
There is some orange in another ball in the group.
The purple is visible is several balls. It will work.

I am knitting two rounds with each colour therefore spreading the colours out, exactly how I would piece a scrap quilt. My hand knit socks are looking great!!

Keep in mind that quilter's cotton keeps going up in price. Make an effort to use what you have. It is really rewarding coming up with a solution!!

Baby Steps

That is my secret. Baby steps.

My friend Piera's patchwork. She lives in Verona.
Notice there are two quilts; the one on the right has the stars in a white fabric,
the one on the left has coloured stars.
The pattern is the same though. Also to note: the pieces cut out
for the stars and tumbling blocks are
all the same shape and size.

I do everything one step at a time.

Piera started this in May...maybe June. Yap 3-4 months ago.

I don't think of how overwhelming the job or project is.

Piera is the accountant for a store
 that she and her husband own.
She has many responsibilities there and
with her family yet finds
a few minutes each day to sit outside her shop
and sew two pieces together
while she admires the view of
the Basilica San Zeno from her chair.

I just start it and put one foot in front of the other and keep going (never looking ahead to discourage myself) and all of a sudden I can say, I did it!

I sometimes join her in the late afternoon.

I just don't understand people who say to me, "I don't have time to make a quilt". Neither do I really.
But if you sew 2 pieces of fabric together and the next time you have a second you sew two more, and two more...It might take you a while but eventually you'll have accomplished it.
(Where to find those minutes? That is for another post!)

When I am in Canada she sends me pictures of that view!

Maybe what they mean to say is "I have no interest in making a quilt."

Easy Piecing Christmas Stocking

Every year at this time, I post a quick project to make as a gift. To see past ideas, click here, here, here and here.

This year I have the instructions for a Christmas stocking.  the technique I used is between foundation piecing and quilt-as-you-go, which I L-O-V-E!! It is fast to make and easy!

Finished craft!

Step 1: Fold a piece of thin batting in half and cut out a stocking shape. You will have 2 halves that will make one stocking.

Step 2: Cover the batting with fabric. *place the batting stockings on a table in a mirror image and cover the top part.

In the spirit of reducing my landfill footprint, I have chosen to use selvage strips which normally get thrown out. I have been collecting them for a while. I keep a box near my cutting table and toss them in there for future use.

Start by putting a 2 1/2 inch strip to cover the toe.
It isn't necessary to worry about what angle to put it on.

Lay a selvage strip over the first strip (good side UP) and sew through
the three layers- in this case the green fabric, red fabric and batting.

Use your walking foot for this.
It helps all the layers feed into the machine at the same time.

If you are not sure if you caught the strip below
with your stitches
 simply lift the selvage edge and peek under. 

If you don't have enough selvage strips add a few regular fabric strips.
Here I used a striped fabric measuring 1 1/2 inches wide.
Place good sides facing and sew a regular 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Flip and iron and proceed with selvage strips.

The covered socks should be mirror images of each other 

I had fun choosing the red and green selvage strips and finding fun words from the selvage I wanted to highlight.

Step 3: When the batting is covered in fabric, turn the stocking over and trim the fabric ends that stick out.

Step 4: Use this stocking as a pattern for the lining. Fold a piece of lining fabric in half, good sides facing.

Step 5: Draw the outline of the stocking. Make the top end about 1/2 inch higher. (This piece will be turned over at the end and will show on the outside of the stocking.)

Step 6: Cut out the lining part of the stocking on the inside of the pencil line which will make it slightly smaller than the outside part of the stocking.

Step 7: For the lining, sew using a seam allowance of about 1/8th inch and over a measure of 3 inches  gradually move the stitch line to a generous 1/4 inch seam allowance. Continue sewing all around the sock using the generous 1/4 inch measure until you have 3 inch left on the other side. From there, start angling the seam allowance so it finishes at 1/8 th inch. Do not turn inside out.

Step 8: For the outside of the stocking: If you want a hook for hanging, use a piece of ribbon. Make a small loop and place it in between the stocking halves, about 1 1/2 inch from the top. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew the 2 pieces of the stocking, good sides facing, catching the ribbon. Turn inside out.

This ribbon came tied on a gift from my favourite quilt store.

Step 9: Slip the lining as is inside the stocking.

Step 10: Roll the top of the lining to make a small hem and roll that over onto the front side.

Step 11: Sew the lining overhang by hand using the blind stitch.

And the best part of all.... Fill it with great stuff!!!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Quilt Heirlooms

I am sorting through my children's books. I am packing up the ones we want to donate and setting aside the ones we want to keep.

There are many!

I came across Patricia Polacco's The Keeping Quilt.

It made me wonder about MY quilts.

Three of the latest quilts...
all old tops that were recently machine quilted.

Will they be passed down? Will they be blankets that start a conversation about the great-great-grandmother who made them? Will they be discarded and forgotten and eventually sold at an Antique Quilt Market?

Three more..
T-shirt quilts and simple squares

Right now my children love the quilts we have around the house. Each child has a quilt that I made especially for them. Each one is personal.

I love making quilts.

Follow your passion and you will find your purpose

Ms Emma Designs no more

That wonderful one-of-a-kind store, Ms Emma Designs, is closing!

My latest purchase from Ms Emma Designs
Hand-painted silk

The designer will still be making clothes and selling on-line only. Her site is under construction at the moment.

In the meantime, there is a big sale at the store on Eglinton Avenue in Toronto, Ontario.

Owner and designer, Sofia Verna,
always saved her best scraps for me.
I have been using her fabric bits in my textile art since 2007.

Best call before you visit.

 (Anyone interested in my Umbria trip (end of august, 2016) will be lucky to have a class in hand-painted silk with Sofia Verna at her studios in Italy!)

                      365 Eglinton Avenue West (2 blocks West of Avenue Road)

Grand Closing Sale

Fashion… fixtures… furniture

Great deals on summer and upcoming winter colletion

From $5.00, $10.00, $20.00, $30.00…

Dancing Woman

A 15-minute postcard.

I like it. There is movement.

I can feel her leaning back and swinging the fabric across her body.

I wrote a thank-you on the back and gave it away.

"Dancing Nude"
4" x 6"
fabric scraps, tea bag, thread drawing

Crafting

I am making a few zippered pouches to give away as gifts.

I am using selvage edges to create a piece of fabric. Then I will sew up a zippered bag using that created fabric.

Start in the bottom right corner
of a piece of batting and
cover the batting diagonally with selvage strips.
The frayed edge of the strip gets covered up
with the selvage of the
strip that overlaps.
I sew along the selvage edge
catching the 2 strips.

In the past I have been collecting the selvage strips and sending them to a friend in New Brunswick. Click here to see her blog. She does all her quilts with selvage strips. I love her stuff!

I decided to try it myself and I love doing it! So fun. I now keep an open box near my cutting table where I can cut away the selvage of whatever fabric I am working with and save it for future projects. I also ask my students to contribute theirs!

The whole concept goes with my philosophy of using everything and reducing the garbage I produce.

It looks great!

Antique Quilts

Over the years I have bought a few antique quilts. They are lovely to hold and definitely nice on a bed. The cotton has soften after so many washes.

a log cabin from my collection

The fabric choices are always interesting since no one went out and brought the "right" colours. They repurposed fabrics they had from a  dress or apron and used fabric sample booklets.

I love the hand embroidery added to the
 blue and white gingham. Clever addition!

While I was in Verona last week, I found out Jen Jones will be exhibiting her antique Welsh quilts during Verona Tessile. She will also be giving a lecture.

I like this one but ended up not buying it in the end.

You can watch a video of Jen Jones talking about her collection by clicking here.

This quilt is so soft from all the washings. I like the white tufts from the ties.
I also like the circles that come into view as your eyes scan the quilt.

If you want to join me in Verona for 10 days/9 nights and see her quilts and enjoy the city and the entire textile event (exhibits, classes, tours and great food!) click here for information.