Butterfly Strings

Oh, the finishes are coming fast now. Strange how that happens. I'm excited to share this one: my second finish from my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks from 2019. If you want to see the blocks as I made them, you can click on the RSC19 or Butterfly Quilt labels on the right sidebar or at the bottom of this post. 

This quilt was just so much fun. It's the third quilt I've made from the Dancing Butterflies Mini Pattern by Ellis and Higgs. The quilt in the pattern is just four butterflies and is 15 1/2 inches square. I've made the equivalent of 40 mini quilts (plus one butterfly) or 161 butterflies. So far. Because I wouldn't be surprised if I make another butterfly quilt someday. Or more. If you want to see my other butterfly quilts from this pattern, click on that Butterfly Quilt label. I've made slight variations in each. For this quilt, I made the wing parts with strings from my scraps, the upper wings from lighter scraps and the lower wings from darker. I made the brown bodies when brown came up as the color of the month. I know I messed around with the color of the month a bit throughout the year. I skipped red. When you take a closer look, you will see that the background has little yellow-green dots. The layout only took a few minutes. I knew that I wanted a rainbow progression diagonally across the quilt. 

We were under stay-at-home orders when it was time to pick out a background fabric. I often piece my background from what I have on-hand, but I didn't have enough big chunks to make that practical or fun, so I went online and found a fabulous Splotch Dropcloth (by Whistler Studios) wide back at Backside Fabrics. Their service was wonderful at a time when mail was usually turtle-slow. My only regret was that I didn't buy a whole lot more of this. I love it. I do have a little left, so it will sneak into another quilt someday.

Isn't it interesting how wholecloth pieces take on a different pattern when viewed from far away? Here's a close-up:

I love how it picks up almost all of the colors of the butterflies on the other side--and it's like a butterfly's view of a flower garden.

Let's go back to the front. Close up.

Yes, that's my signature "Piedmont" quilting--wavy lines across the quilt diagonally, and then perpendicular to that section across the rest of the quilt. It goes so fast, is easy on my shoulder, and makes such a luscious texture. For this quilt, I spaced the lines about 3/4 inch apart, extending my guide on my walking foot with a taped-on paper clip to try to keep the spacing even, but there are wobbles, and I don't care. Butterflies can fly however they want to.

Here's the edge. I used excess fabric from the backing for the binding. This narrow, it's kind of delicate looking, but I like it. It lets the butterflies take all the attention. 

This photo is after washing, so the light is different.

And it doesn't really show at all on the back.

While I was sewing the binding on, I looked up and noticed in the mirror behind my machine (I quilt in front of a dresser that holds my quilt) that my top matched the quilt, so of course I had to stop for a photo. Good quilting tip, right? For extreme happiness, match your outfit to your quilt.

Here's a view of my initials and the date before washing. I love using a washable marker that I can trace. So much easier than the tracing paper I used to sew through. 

After washing, I'll be the only one, probably, to know they are there. But it does serve as documentation of a sort, and a way to identify the quilt should it (perish the thought) get lost along the way. Sometimes my thread contrasts a little more, but I don't mind if the initials don't show.

Here's an indoor view:

Here are the stats:

Pattern: Dancing Butterfly Mini by Ellis and Higgs times 14. I trimmed my blocks to 8 inches for a 7 1/2 inch finished block. There's ample leeway in this pattern to adjust size.
Fabrics:  Scraps from my supply going back more than 40 years. I don't know who makes the dotted background fabric. The backing as noted above is Splotch Dropcloth from Whistler Studios. 

Batting: Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 

Thread: Superior-- Masterpiece in Granite for piecing; King Tut in Temple for quilting;Treasure in Old Lace for handstitching on binding. 

Binding: 2 1/2 inches cut, double layer, machine sewn to front and hand stitched on back.cut 
Finished Size: 53 inches by 60 1/2 inches pieced; 52 1/4 by 59 3/4 inches after quilting; 49 1/4 by 56 after washing. 

Machines: Singer Featherweight for piecing; Singer Treadle 115 for walking foot quilting.

And now, my favorite photos in the evening light after washing.

My link-ups this week:

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop

Angela at So Scrappy for Scraphappy Saturday

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap

I hope quilting is a bright spot in your week, and if you have RSC or scrap blocks lying around, I hope they are becoming quilts.

Let's close with one more photo, because you know, butterfly. This is from our bike ride this week--a brand new monarch strengthening its wings:

Take care and stay safe.

(Just a reminder: I'm not affiliated with any company, so when I mention products, services, or stores I'm just documenting what I used or liked.) 

First Quilt Finish 2020

Yup. You read that title right. It's what, July something? I've lost track. This is just how the year has gone. And more than half is gone. Which, now that I think of it is maybe a good thing. At first I stressed out over not seeming to accomplish much this year. But I did do some things. That sail boat project for one. And a pillow project with my granddaughter way long ago before we closed down. And I have been doing a relaxed-pace online workshop. And I have a couple of projects that are slowly getting there. And I've finally made peace with the slower pace. I'm not pushing myself, but I'm enjoying doing just a little something each day. I don't worry about whether I have something to share. And wow, it's all coming together! At the beginning of last week, I had 4 (!) tops ready to quilt. Now, the timing is not great. We have entered the dog days of summer (never mind that Google tells me they don't start until July 22), and quilting in 90+ degree weather is not ideal in the warmest room of our house (with the AC on).  But I have been limiting myself to just a bit of quilting each day, and I have a finish!!

This is from blocks I made during the Rainbow Scrap Challenge of 2019. If you want to see close ups of all the blocks, you can click on the RSC19 label on the sidebar or at the bottom of this post. It's been so long, I'm not even sure which colors are ones that were officially part of RSC and which I subbed in. I know that I did not use purple. I focused on the colors in the background fabric which I had purchased before the year started. There was purple in the fabric, but I did not have enough of the kinds of purple I wanted to use. I can't recall if black was part of the colors for the year, but there were black dots in the background so I used it. Most of my photos are post-washing because my pre-washing photos were off-color. They are better anyway, as there was no breeze!

Closer:

Signature (with washable marker before washing--bad lighting)

After washing (marker all gone--love it), and I will probably be the only one to know my signature is there:

And here's the back. More dotty paisley.

Close up.

 I had to piece the backing, but I had enough to sew three pieces together with matched seams!! Probably not necessary, but it was fun to do. Do you see them?

So let's just back up for a minute, and then I'll show you some yard "glamour" shots--the best I could do since we aren't going anywhere much these days. Before I could put this quilt together I had to trim the crumb blocks. I wasn't really sure how big I wanted to make them, and during the course of last year, they tended to get a bit bigger. My final plan was to have the blocks finish at 5 inches. Here's the pretty pile of trimmings.

Then I had to figure out a layout. (Sorry, the picture rotated, but you get the idea. I didn't over think the layout. Just sprinkled the colors around.

All basted and ready to go.

And then, the quilting. But what to do? I decided to let the quilt tell me what to do. Well, either I didn't listen or didn't hear it correctly. I thought it wanted wavy lines with some crisscrossing. I started with the sashings with two lines that wobbled back and forth crossing each other. Then I began on the crumb blocks, making two REALLY wavy lines that crossed over somewhere in the block. It needed more quilting than that, so I made some less wavy lines along side of those. I wasn't sure of the first set, but listened to neither the quilt nor myself and doggedly (it's the dog days of summer, remember?) kept quilting in the same pattern. And soon I was done. 

But. I didn't like it. At all. I waited until the next day to see if I'd like it any better. Nope. Instead of making me feel all cozy, it made me uncomfortable. And if it was doing that to me, I couldn't give it to someone else and make that person uncomfortable. 

So I spent two afternoons picking out stitches on 16 lines of quilting--those really wavy lines that cross each other. I (weirdly, maybe?) sort of enjoy ripping out quilt lines. Maybe it helped that it was 90 degrees out and humid so staying in was appealing. I enjoyed some home renovation shows on TV and picked away. I replaced those two lines with one less wavy line, and all was right. Aah. It just goes to show, if something bothers you with your quilt, it's probably worth it to undo and redo. Just compare that photo with some of the close-ups farther up the page and see if you agree with me.

 

Now that that little confession is out of the way, let's see a few "glamour" shots. In the evening sun--please ignore anemic grass. It rained today, and that's all greened up again. These are pre-washing.

Another angle:

Front and back:

And a swirl shot. (I need some practice.)

Some stats:

Fabrics  A variety of scraps from more than 40 years of quilting. The background is Mexicali Fresh Beaded Paisley from Benartex.

Batting Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 

Thread Superior-- Masterpiece in Granite for piecing; King Tut in Temple for quilting; Treasure in Old Lace for handstitching on binding. 

Binding 2 1/2 inches cut, double layer, machine sewn to front and hand stitched on back; scrap pieced.
Size Pieced: 46 1/2 by 60 1/2 inches; Quilted: 46 by 59 1/2 inches; Washed: 43 by 55 1/4 inches.

Machines: Singer Featherweight for piecing; Singer Treadle 115 for walking foot quilting.

 

How about a porch photo?

And finally, a deck photo:

In a normal year, this would have been donated through the Hands2Help Challenge. My year had a shaky start, and I never signed up. I will probably donate this quilt to my favorite "local" organization: The Mother and Baby program through Margaret's Hope Chest, except that I haven't checked to see if they are accepting quilts right now in this different world we're living in. Perhaps I'll hold onto it until I have a batch of quilts to send. We'll see. It will go somewhere sometime.

I'll be linking this post with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop, with Angela at So Scrappy for Scrap Happy Saturday, because, you know, RSC (even though I'm not participating in this year's round), and with Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap on Sunday.

And stay tuned. I finished quilting another RSC quilt this week and did the machine part of the binding today, so there will be another finish to share next week. 

Please, please, please stay safe, and if you live in the U.S., keep wearing a mask, wash your hands, physically distance, and do whatever else you can to turn this country's viral mess around. And keep seeking justice. And keep quilting, but that generally goes without saying. (The other things have to be said a LOT.)

(Just a reminder: I'm not affiliated with any company, so when I mention products, services, or stores I'm just documenting what I used or liked.) 

Putzing Along

How everything has changed since my last blog post. It's hard to concentrate on anything for very long. Some days have been consumed with concerns about family members or with planning for basic necessities, or if I am honest, lots of negativity about the current state of our union as states and central government. There are lots of other emotions, too. I'm sure you can relate.

But I have been doing some sewing, putzing along. (There is some mask making, a necessary task, but not one I really want to document). Aside from a project that I'm not ready to share (it's going slowly anyway, and now I have literally set it aside for a bit until I figure out the next step), I have been doing just a bit of quilt-related sewing thanks to a book I had ordered to celebrate my birthday a long, long time ago. Here's what I've made so far:

 Here is the book:

For six months, author Rachel Hauser is leading us online through chapters of the book, encouraging us to complete two or three challenge tasks a month to learn about using color in quilts. I've completed three challenges so far, sharing them on Instagram, but I want to document them here, too. And this is a good way to keep myself writing a bit. The block suggested in the book is Bear Paw, which is a quick sew and fun to make.The book contains a set of card stock swatches to explore color along with suggestions for translating the swatches into fabric. 

The first challenge was working with Temperature (warm and cool colors). I found myself confusing temperature and value, so I made pairs of warm and cool greens and purples in lighter and darker values. Once I made that decision, the exercise was easier for me. 
Here are the color swatches I chose:

and the interpretations in fabric:

The second challenge was working with Seasons. The first step was to choose eight swatches for each season. Here are mine:

                          From left to right: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter

For Spring, I thought of all the colors I see in my yard--the softening blue of the sky, yellow-green of the leaves, purple hyacinths, yellow daffodils, and colorful tulips. My swatch choices: Sky, Rose, Chartreuse, Milk, Lemon, Iris, Strawberry, Orange. 

For Autumn, I again pictured nature: vivid skies, colorful leaves, dried foliage and late blooming perennials. Swatch choices: Sapphire, Chili Pepper, Hunter, Cinnamon, Goldfish, Mulberry, Ruby, Flame. 

My winter palette is perhaps a bit unusual: snow. We usually think of snow as white, but if you look at photos or paintings of snow, you see that it is really many colors from reflections and shadows, so I tried to choose pale versions of the eight colors in the lesson. My swatch choices were cloud, ballet, seafoam, ice, cornmeal violet, primrose and buff. 

Although nature was my inspiration for those three seasons, Summer made me think of beach accessories--flip flops, beach balls, umbrellas--so I chose bright, sunny colors. Swatch choices: Turquoise, Flamingo, Emerald, White, Pineapple, Blackberry, Autumn, and Tiger.

Translating color swatches into fabrics was more challenging. At first, I was trying to find fabrics that would coordinate with the blocks I had made for the Temperature challenge. Once I got rid of that idea and treated each block as it's own exercise--not part of a quilt, I felt freer to do whatever worked to interpret my swatches. For the Spring block, I focused on the purple hyacinths (they are the first flowers to bloom in our yard), the sky, and the new leaves. 

Next, I worked on the Winter block. I had a scrap of a Kaffe Fassett print that had a version of the colors I was thinking of.

But when I laid it out, it seemed more vivid than I wanted. So I turned it over, for a paler version and paired it with a pale blue and an icy white. The result is really low volume, but it does seem a bit like snow drifts, I think.

I feel like I kind of cheated on the Autumn block. I had the perfect batik that had all of the colors in it as well as the right print. I just had to use it paired with a lively, clear autumn sky and the color of already-dried leaves on the ground.

I dithered over the Summer block for awhile. I had a wonderful tropical print that would have been fun, but it had some colors that weren't quite like the ones in my swatches. I had another print that reminded me of beach balls. It also had a few additional colors, but they weren't as noticeable and still had all the feels. Thinking of the color blocks in beach balls and umbrellas, I chose bright solids for the rest of the block. Fun, fun, fun.

Disregard those wrinkles. Long-crunched-up fabric pressed with a dry iron.

Here are the four blocks together. It would be challenging to put them all together in one quilt, but now that I'm not thinking that way, it's okay. 

The third challenge was color as Emotion. I have a confession to make. I started with fabric instead of swatches for this one. I had some prints that I love that make me feel various ways, and I think that the prints as well as the colors are what evoke the emotions. In fact, after I pulled the prints and was reading the chapter, I saw that Rachel does talk about the types of prints that might be used in this challenge. So it's all okay. Choosing the swatches was fairly easy then, and when I looked at them away from the fabrics, they still conveyed the emotions to me. How interesting. And now I know that were I to choose more solid or tone-on-tone fabrics, the interpretation might be the same. Something to explore further after this workshop is over.

So, the emotions. I have a lot of emotions right now. None of them are ones that I'd be likely to interpret in a quilt. I have a feeling that when this virus that has gripped our whole world is more of a memory, many quilters will have made quilts that commemorate this time period in one way or another. I would imagine that the ones that show our true feelings will be art quilts--not quilts that give snuggly comfort. What colors are anger, irritation, sorrow, despair, anxiety, fear... need I go on? I know there are other more positive emotions associated with thankfulness, gratitude, and admiration for all those workers that persist in helping others, and there will likely be quilts that commemorate those emotions, too. I couldn't deal with any of the negative emotions right now. I wanted to make blocks that might actually go into a quilt that would give someone positive feelings, because those are the kinds of quilts I like to make. Here are what I chose instead. 

Contentment 

No surprise to me, this fabric also reminds me of beautiful days at Lake Michigan--the sky, the water, grass and foliage, and sunshine. Contentment. Just breathe. Relax. Take in the view. Be at peace. Aah. There is a tiny bit of pinkish-red in that fabric that I could have included in the swatches, but the four other colors represent the feeling to me the best. Swatch choices: Gold, Apple Green, Bahama, Denim.

Nostalgia

I've had that print fabric for quite awhile. If you look closely, it is has an intentionally faded look. It makes me think of a "simpler" time, which yes, I know was not really all that simple, but that's how nostalgia works, right? The peachy background fabric is from a very old set of fabrics I have that were based on the marbled paper or cloth that used to be used as linings of book covers. I loved those fabrics long ago, and that makes me nostalgic right there. Fabric pattern affects how these colors make me feel, but the swatches do it, too. Swatch choices: Peach, Malachite, Olive, Shell.

Sense of mystery

When I first saw this fabric, I thought "mysterious." But I wasn't sure if that qualified as an emotion. So I looked it up. Well, there is so much out there about labeling emotions. There are the usual 5 basic ones (only one positive one, by the way), but there are lots of expansions of them, and one I found was "sense of mystery," the feeling that makes us seek out certain thrilling books or movies. So okay, let's go with that. I chose 5 swatches for this one because it really needed the silver to complete the theme. Yup, looks mysterious to me. Swatch choices: Black, Mauve, Wine, Jungle, Silver.

Here are the three blocks together. 

Of the three challenges, I enjoyed this last one the most. Maybe that's because of those fabrics that already suggested emotions to me. I certainly did look at colors in a new way. But I think I learned something from all of the challenges so far, and I know that these will help me expand my ideas for future quilts. I had intended to use the challenges in this book to expand my quilt stash with newly purchased fat quarters. Now that I'm sheltering at home, I'm somewhat limited by what I have on hand. I do not have many fabrics that both match my swatch choices and are large enough to cut a 4 1/2 inch square for the paw parts of the blocks. But I'm going to make this work. It's been a good way to keep me going when I often have little or no energy for creativity. Once I get myself involved in a challenge I can almost feel like life is normal for a little while. 

These little blocks take some time to plan every two weeks but very little time to sew. So, now that I've set aside my secret project, I'm going to go back to the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks I made during the past year. I've already trimmed some blocks and have sashing strips ready to sew to them. 

There you have it: my second post of this year. I don't want 2020 to slip away without documenting my projects. Thanks to Rachel for her book and her online workshop to keep me quilting in the time of Corona. There will be more posts as I complete the rest of the challenges.

I hope you are all staying safe and well. I know many have concerns that can't even be articulated right now. Let's all work together in whatever way we can. For some, that means risking their lives to serve others, and we need to be forever grateful to them. For others, it is just being--staying in isolation. The line of a poem by John Milton keeps running through my head: "They also serve who only stand and wait." [Update: I originally attributed this line to William Blake. I guess my brain is putzing along, too, because it just occurred to me that I was wrong.]

Do take care.

I'm linking up this week with Kellie at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday, Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop, and with Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap. Thanks to all these women who keep us going with quilting projects and social contact. 

(Just a reminder: I'm not affiliated with any company, so when I mention products, services, or stores I'm just documenting what I used or liked.)