All Cut Up

Some quilters like to cut fabric.  I have a friend who does.  It gives her satisfaction. (To which I say, huh.)  I’m not like that.  For someone who loves quilting, it’s a bit amazing how many parts I find a little tedious (sometimes a lot tedious).  So, I’m not big on cutting.  One of the things I love about all my miniatures?  Not so much on the slice and dice!  But here is the fabric for Jeff’s quilt, all cut up:

Pretty fabrics in strips of color: black, brown, burgundy, pink, and cream.  Quite lovely, really.  The whole quilt is built off of 2 1/2” strips.  It promises to be easy to assemble, so we’ll see. 

This is very much a “not me” kind of quilt.  With my bigger quilt projects, I tend towards heavily scrappy quilts with a whole lot of different fabrics and, more often than not, a whole lot of shades and colors as well.  Even my minis tend toward that style for the most part.  So a quilt like this?  Definitely outside my box.  Which, actually, I rather enjoy.

How about you?  Do you enjoy lots of scrappy or something more restrained and controlled such as this?

Pretty in Pink

My husband doesn’t ask me to make a quilt very often, so when he does – as long as it’s one I think I’m liable to finish in this lifetime – I say yes.  Which is how this latest project came home with me.  Last week we were in a quilt shop when he saw a lap quilt, stopped, and gazed yearningly. 

DB (for Dearly Beloved): I really like that.

Me:  You do?

DB:  Oh, yeah.  I really like the colors.

Me (clearing throat):  But, honey, it’s got pink in it.

DB:  I know.

Me: You don’t like pink.

DB:  I like it in this.  I think it would look good in our living room.

Me (clearing throat) (again): Our living room walls are orange.

DB:  It will blend.  I really like the way the colors go together in this.

Okay, then.  One pink quilt coming up. 

The fabrics really are lovely together, aren’t they?  (There are times a kit makes life so much easier).

One of the things I love about having been married for so long is how my own true love can still surprise me.  A pink quilt.  Who knew?

More Fun – Trivets and Bookmarks

So, what exactly is the difference between a trivet and a hot pad?  My husband asked and I don’t know.  Are these trivets or hot pads?  Inquiring minds want to know.

In either case, these were a bit of a learning process.  I made the two circles and decided they weren’t quite interesting enough with just the monochromatic thing going: I cut them up and interchanged circles.  Seemed like a good idea at the time, only I hadn’t added the decorative stitching yet.  (Oops, the First).  Fused them onto another piece of batiste and then stitched.  Then did the satin stitching on the center circles.  Hmmm.  Wishing I had chosen another color thread, but not awful, so moving on.

I wanted to add a layer of Insul-Brite to these and that meant I couldn’t manage quite as simple a Fast2Fuse iron and hold.  Got a little off in my stacking and needed to trim which is why the bottom one pictured looks like it’s about to get a flat.  (Oops, the Second).

So, what I learned: it’s best to layer them all and then stitch just inside the outer edge of the top layer, then trim the under layers (bottom fabric, Fast2Fuse, Insul-Brite) to match – which is why the shape on the top one is better.

In either case, these are very pretty, but I’m not in love.  What I would do differently: I don’t think I’d do those cut out circles that then need to be satin-stitched together.  Instead, I’d see what would happen if I just use the fabric snippets to create a design.  Since I had a bunch of little pieces left over after making the trivets (and/or hot pads – inquiring minds, remember), I went ahead and made another set of bookmarks. 

I used the snippets to create a wave of color and I really, really love how these came out.  I wish the color in the photo was better (I really did try) because, even though it isn’t at all modest of me, I’m just going to say – these are really gorgeous up close and personal.

Meanwhile, I really need to get a life and do some other things.  But these have been so much fun, and I keep getting ideas for other applications.  So right now I’m thinking that this might be a cool technique to try with Pink Penguin’s basket pattern (the one that I have a Miniatures in Minutes version of on my projects page).  And after all, Christmas is coming up.  I already have plans that require creating more bookmarks. 

And, for anyone that’s just joining in, I have tutorials on making the bookmarks and a set of coasters in previous blog entries.