Projects for the Week

   

   Monday our craft group met to learn and make a few quilted postcards.  I shared my process and examples I received years past in a swap.  The 4 by 6” face of the postcard can be constructed many ways.  You can piece or applique.  You can also use a theme fabric whole cloth, quilt or thread paint, plus embellish with flat items.

Steps:

• Place the top fabric on a layer of batting and quilt.
• Fuse to top side of Timtex or heavy stabilizer.
• Fuse muslin to the back side.
• Retrim to 4 by 6”
• Zigzag or satin stitch around the edges or stitch ribbon folded over the edges as binding.
• Use permanent marking pen to divide back and label as postcard. 

Here are some I recently made.

   

 At church quilt group Wednesday we got so much done.  Our member who passed suddenly last week had 2 quilts in progress.  She had almost finished the quilting on this one so I added a little more and sewed on the binding.  We plan to give it to her family especially because her grandson visited out group during the summer to watch her sewing it together.  I hope it will hold special memories for him. 

She had a jelly roll top pieced.  A member sewed on the border and started quilting it.  Sorry I did not take a photo.

     I pulled backing and pieced 2 backs.  Then we sandwiched 2 other lap quilts which I brought home to quilt so I have plenty to do.  I have not worked recently on quilting my Strips and Curve quilt. I hope to get some done today because I will not have time the rest of the weekend.

Hope you make time to enjoy some sewing and quilting.

How the Week Went

      This week has flown by.  I did spend some downtime thinking about a quilting friend who passed suddenly Tuesday evening.  We will miss her. 

    I quilted one day on my Strips and Strings quilt. So far I have quilted some darker areas with dark green thread. I have much more to quilt.

 

I prefer to quilt when I am fresh in the morning. With 2 mornings this week taken up with an appointment and guild and an afternoon lost to appointment that only left a couple of afternoons to sew. 

   I pulled out this paper-piecing UFO and made good progress.  All the paper-pieced units are finished.

    That is it for this week. Hope you enjoy a great weekend and also find time to enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

Watercolor Block Play and Finishes

   Several years ago a church quilt friend passed and our group was given 4 yards of fusible grid interfacing that can be used for watercolor quilts.  I offered to demo the method for others.  I precut interfacing blocks and made up kits for the others to make a block or 2.  A few in the group did a block a few years ago.  Here is the quilt from 2016.

Today we were reminded of the importance of value as we laid out the blocks. 

    

        

Hope someone will be interested in doing more since we still have several yards of the fusible grid interfacing.

    A friend asked me to make a Quilt of Valor for his best friend who served during the Vietnam War.  It is finished. 

I hope it will be presented to him soon, but I don’t know when.

    When I made the border blocks, I also made two sets so another QOV can have the same border.

    In my efforts to finish up projects, I made 2 more placemats to go with 2 made a couple of years ago.  Now the 4 will make a nice gift along with a blue wrapped coil basket.

  

With our very warm weather now is a great time to stay inside and sew.  Hope you get to enjoy some time sewing or quilting.

I have linked up with Alycia for Finished or Not Friday and 
Sarah for Whoop Whoop Friday.  Check out the fun projects  others are working on. 

Dye Using the Microwave

     I’m still clearing some unfinished projects and finding all kinds.  At the NC Quilt Symposium in the summer of 2010, I took Velda Newman’s class on “Texture and Form”. (Don’t think she teaches anymore.)  Yesterday I found the incomplete projects from the class.  I find it VERY difficult to throw the pieces away. I expect it is the way I was brought up by parents who grew up during The Great Depression. Instead, I want to do something with them. At least I can make a placemat, table topper or wall-hanging.

     I refreshed my memory on how to dye with Rit Dye in the microwave.  You can find the instructions here. 

 Here are my pieces before dye: 

melon shape –texture was created by stitching with a layer of batting on the back and cheese cloth on top of the main fabric.

Basket shape- texture was created by stitching contour lines with a layer of batting on the back of the main fabric. 

Here they are after the dye process: 

 I can image the melon with a vine and leaves. 

 I plan to add some highlights and shading with fabric markers or paint.   Velda did multiple empty baskets but I think mine needs some flowers. 

     

What do you do with incomplete projects and orphan blocks?

Hope you enjoy time sewing or quilting.