PQ 17.6 Prep Tart

 It is the last challenge of Project Quilting Season 17.  (Wow that is a big number, since I've been playing since at least season 3.)  Trish went out of her way to let me know that this one was a double dog dare.  Or something like that.  The challenge was Handful.  I had thoughts.  I had lots of thoughts.  

One was to mess with the size of the hand  I really thought about doing that.  Particularly since this had was quilted in and of itself.  (It was a prop Spud 2 rescued from his high school production of Suessical.)  

Then I thought about pushing the size of what a hand could hold.  I mean, seriously, a hand can hold a garbage bag and a really big quilt can fit in a garbage bag.  But, alas, my time is never my own at the end of a PQ season.  It is when activities for my organization pick up.  It is also when my paying job rears its whimsical head and I have to start prepping seriously for shows.  So....  I decided to multi-task. 

I'd been playing around with making more play foods.  I have been playing around with the idea of making more bag charms.  So, I made a Prep Tart.  Ya.... I am old enough.  AND my shirt was almost exactly that color.  Of course I could barely afford one so I certainly didn't pop the collar on more than one.  I wasn't six shirt Sam (why in the world did that man not sweat?  Probably something in the preppy genes or maybe a deep secret buried in the handbook.  I wasn't that fancy.)  

A guy I knew by the name of Fred had an alligator shirt.  I met him before I knew what preppy was.  Before my midwestern soul had ever heard of East Coast Money.  Before I knew what a brand name was.  I mean if it wasn't Sears, Penny's or Simplicity via good ole me....   

Well, anyway Fred had a pink one.  I really liked the alligator.  I didn't think so much about Fred.  I'm quite sure he wasn't too impressed by my middle class midwestern vibe.  But I still liked that shirt.  

A year later, I happened across a blue alligator shirt in my size in some sort of discount store in Texas.  Ya, yer girl gets around.  I think I spent $20 of my own hard earned money on it.  That was a LOT.  I wore the heck out of that shirt.  I wore it even after Preppy became a guidebook and pink and green plaid were the rage.  'Cause a $20 shirt was still a $20 shirt and I still liked that alligator.  

So.... back to the issue at hand.  How in the world is breakfast toaster pastry plushie a quilt?  Well.  The RULZ say that the project has to be made using one or more of three things, patchwork, applique or three layers stitched together.   This clearly has an applique.  It has three layers and it is stitched together.  I was gonna patchwork together some batting pieces for the filling but I really don't like stitching over naked batting.  Let alone batting that has been pieced and has extra threads and edges to catch and ruin my day.  So I left that out.  Although, like Mr Schrodinger's cat, it could be there.  It is both there and not there.  So.... who's to say, really.  

This little guy is just shy of 4" long and about 3 inches wide.  It is made from fleece, fluff and thread.  So, yeah, he fits in my hand.  You may see him in one of my shows soon.  Maybe a pink version.  Most likely some other variations of breakfast toaster pastries.  It is intended to be a bag charm.  That is kind of like a coozie for your bag, right?  

And Trish... hope this is suitably RULZ averse and coozie friendly for you!   

 

 

PQ 15.6 A Busy Bee Week

I knew when I saw the challenge that there was no way I was going to actually finish my project this time.  I love Irish Chain quilts.  I have made several.  They are probably pretty close to my favorite block.  I really wanted to try making a double or a triple Irish chain. I pulled the fabric for one.  But good sense got in the way of a grand plan.  

So I grabbed this busy bee fabric that the Mr made me buy a whole bolt of.  And I grabbed my favorite white solid that I buy by the bolt and I used my handy strip ruler to cut it all out.  I discovered... OK... I finally completely convinced myself that my ruler with attached cutter is finally crap and must be replaced.  So I used the strip ruler for cutting the whole thing.  Even with the nerve-wracking make the folds perfectly parallel or it with smile... and not in a good way...  it worked great.  

I know from my long experience as a bench scientist that if you use a different instrument you introduce a variable and can get a different result.  Imagine... that works in quilting too.  Use the same ruler in all directions.  Use the same thread.  Use the same sewing machine.  AND your corners actually will meet mostly.  This is the squarest neatest quilt I've managed to make.

 

I DID completely finish piecing the entire top.  It is 70 x 98.  However, there is a LOT of white space and very little time.  The quilting is really going to stand out on this one.  So I decided to wait until I have the time to do it right.  

 

Thus I present you the pillow coozie of last resort.  One of the leftover blocks with an envelope back and a machine stitched binding  

It is 14 x 14 inches.  Imagine it with a pillow form. 

And that is the end of the first season I have finished all 6 projects in a very long time.  Thank you Kim and Trish for a wonderful, motivating season. 

PQ 15.4 Time Enough 2

This little quilt is reprise of a swap quilt I made a bajillion years ago.  I was so excited that the original ended up in the collection of one of the big name quilters in the group.  But I have also been kind of sad that I had give it away.  So I tried again.  It isn't the same.  They never are.

I had to work quickly because I don't have much time this week.  So this quilt does break the prime directive.... Make it structurally sound.  This one is even on the edge for the art quilt exemption.  The background is scraps randomly stuck to embroidery stabilizer.  I intended to tear it away but there were some pretty thin seams and a few tiny holes.  So rather than try an patch or beef it up, I decided to leave the stabilizer attached.  

 

It is echo quilted.  I added fast finish triangles to the corners to hang it.  The lace is scraps from other projects... many ones done for or as a result of Project Quilting.  

Project Quilting 15.2 Kansas Sky

So, I've been known to complain about the challenges that dear Trish comes up with each week during Project Quilting.  This week, was no exception.  The headline on the challenge was colors of the sky.  Immediately, I was thrilled.  I have a pent up desire to make a blue and white quilt.  I was going to do it.  YAY!  It would even be a traditional quilt.  No stretching the rules at all.  

But then, I read the fine print.  No blue.  Harumph!!!  I openly declared that I was going to make a quilt that was puke green Kansas tornado sky.  That seemed to strike a chord.  Down in the comments, Robyn Wimmer said "Don't forget the flying monkeys."

Oooooooo......  I got it! I'm going to make a monkey quilt!  You might think that the background color is a pretty jungle green.  However, it includes that puke green Kansas tornado sky.

 

I didn't have any puke green, or the appropriate shades of brown in my stash.  So I ended up getting the proper colors of grunge fabric.  It has a frankenbatting stitched together from scraps.  Remarkably the backing is a VERY old piece of flannel from my stash.  I mean very old.  It is at least 10 years old and probably a whole lot more than that.  

Because it is basically a baby quilt, I decided to tie it with embroidery floss rather than FMQ.  I rounded the corners (it has been a while since I've done that).  It finished at 40 x 40".P

PQ 14.2 An Effort Was Made

 I should have known when I was pulling fabrics a noon on Saturday that I would probably not finish.  However, I was determined not to make a cozy of last resort. Yep.  Week 2 of Project Quilting.  

 

I didn't finish, but I did get the top finished, the back pieced and the binding cut.  The hold up was the unfortunate reminder that one of the spuds stole  asked for the soundproofing boards in the basement.  One of which, I was using to make my quilt sandwiches.  It was about the size of a 4x8 sheet of plywood, but made of something much lighter.  It was upholstered in a gray woven furniture grade fabric.  That fabric grabbed onto the quilt backing and held it tight.  I didn't even need to pins or tape or anything.  And I could put it on a table so I didn't have to crawl around on the floor.  I completely stalled out on finishing when I realized I would have to go back to plan A.  I couldn't even.... By the time I got over my snit, I no longer had the time or energy to make the sandwich.

But then I remembered that the way I easily did my free motion quilting on my last several quilts was by renting time on the sit down long arm at the LQS.  And, would you believe it, they don't stay open all hours on Saturday night for my convenience.  So...  Another project gets added to my WIP pile.  The only benefit is that this one doesn't require any special skill or problem solving to move to the done pile.  It just requires a little less whining and little more enthusiasm.  

On the plus side, I was able to make this entirely out of my stash AND I was able to use up a couple different fabrics without generating a pile of scraps.  So far (OK, I've made it to week 2) I haven't purchased fabric for PQ.  I think that will be my personal challenge this year.  Well, that and at least attempting to get something made each time. 

PQ8.2 Sad Little Lily

Sometimes the lonely flower blooming in Winter has a tragic tale of heroic efforts to see the light of day. And sometimes it is just a sad little lily who waited too long to bloom and grow.

Tiny Carolina lily block made from scrap cotton. Approximately 8 x 6 inches.

I am definitely off to a slow start.  I'll try to do better next time.   
Persimon Dreams for information about Project Quilting.   


By the way, basting and stitching in opposite directions are good things to do.  I kind of forgot that. 

PQ 7.5 The Bery Scary Topiary

When my youngest was three we worked together to make some Halloween topiary.  We still use them when we decorate for the season. They were styrofoam balls on sticks in flowerpots.  He drew the faces and they are adorable.

The challenge for this week was to use children's art as my inspiration.  I (finally) decided to make a table runner based upon those Bery Scary Topiary. 

 

 The quilt is approximately12 x 30.  It is uneven and has a raw edge instead of a binding.  The topiary are raw edge applique.  They may faces some day but, given that I woke up at 7:30 this morning determined to start and finish a project, and that I was taking pictures by 9....  well, we'll call this one done. 

Project quilting is the brainchild of Kim Lapacek  The challenges are thought up by her evil genius mother-in-law Dianne.  You can check out all of this weeks quilts at Persimon Dreams. 

Georgia's Cabin

  

It is a quilt.  

It has three layers.  

It is held together with stitching.  

 It is made using the red Cherrywood fabric.
It is 20 inches on each side.
It is a log cabin.

It is simple.  I don't particularly like it.  But a finished quilt is always better than a pile of fabric on the shelf.

My sister made me finish it.  She wouldn't let me get out of the car at the beautiful beach until it was done.  The beach was beautiful.  I am very happy to have been able to get out of the car.

This is my entry in the #focusthroughtheprism off-season challenge for Project Quilting.  I could write more but I am tired from a lovely day at the beach and a mad spate of stitching.  Be sure to check out all the really amazing entries at Project Quilting!  Believe me.  They are more than a quilt with three layers stitched together and finished so that the maker could frolic in the waves. 

Oh, and it is called Georgia's Cabin.  I will leave you to puzzle out that reference!

Hayduke's Cabin (PQ FTTP: Challenge Monkey Wrench)

There is an off season challenge for Project Quilting.  PQ, as you may recall is the brainchild of Kim Lapacek and her evil genius Mother-in-Law Diane. Fortunately, the off-season challenges go for an entire month instead of just one week!  This year the dynamic duo has teamed up with Cherrywood Fabrics to drive us all over the quilty edge!  Their plan:  create a batch of rainbow colored hand dyed fabrics and have us choose only one each month.  Then we have to be inspired by the block design they choose. The final quilt must read as one color.  It must be precisely 20 inches on each side.  It must have a hanging sleeve.  And it all has to be done in one month.

When I heard the block for this month was Monkey Wrench, I immediately thought of the slick rock of Canyon Lands.  I had the great fortune the camp and hike there in my youth.  It was the perfect time and place for reading Edward Abbey.  In particular, it was the perfect time for reading "The Monkey Wrench Gang".  It tells the stories of a band of eco warriors (before there was such a thing) led by George Hayduke.  Hayduke is a beer drinking, Jeep driving, wilderness surviving sabateur with grand plans to blow up the Hoover Dam.

Of course, my quilt this month had to be orange, although my stash was more driving into Vegas neon than sunrise on the slick rock orange.  I used the log cabin blocks to represent the order imposed upon the environment by the developers Hayduke so despised.  The quilting is done is straight orderly lines as well.  The monkey wrench block  represents the disruption caused by the Monkey Wrench gang. The blue color represents the water in the rivers that Hayduke wanted to set free.

The quilt measures 20 x 20 inches. It is made of quilter's cotton.  It is machine pieced machine quilted with invisible thread (a new thing for me).  The binding is machine stitched and hand secured.