Week in Review 2013 - 06/07

Tips, Techniques and Thoughts:

My newest work in progress, “Oyster Shard’s” background was free form curved pieced. I used a method similar to the one Alicia Merrett’s demonstrates.  The first thing I do is press and starch my fabric BEFORE I cut it. I prefer to pin my fabric before sewing. To match the seam I flip the two pieces of fabric to be seamed wrong side up and lay them out, as they will be sewn. Then I mark the tops, bottoms and halfway points of each curve on both fabrics. These marks are where I will place my pins. I prefer to use an 1/8” seam allowance for curves. As you can see in the detail photo, I am able to achieve a smooth seam allowance.

Detail from "Oyster Shards" highlighting the curved piecing.

It has been a busy week in my studio. There is something very heady about starting something new. Just as there is something energizing about clearing out the clutter from prior projects. I did both. I even caught up on my Leah Day assignments. Here is how the week played out.

1) Adoration

a) Attach the sleeve – Done!

b) Make and attach the label – Printed but not attached.

c) Add to my website – Not yet.

2) “Oyster Shards” (deadline 8/20/2013)

a) Piece the three (oops four) background strips – Done!

The background for "Oyster Shards" is pieced. When
finished the quilt will be ~ 24" H x 36" W

b) Create the oyster shell template – Partially done. I have the image printed out. I still need to transfer it to freezer paper.

Tight close-up of "Oyster Shards" to show the sea foam strip.

I created the sea foam by laying from bottom up, sea fabric, white tulle that already had imbedded glitter, eyelash yarn and a second layer of tulle. I then quilted the layers together with small, medium and large circles. I travel stitched around the larger circles three times to build up thread.

3) Leah Day

a) Express Your Love

         i) Square up quilt - Done!

         ii) Make binding – I have decided to face this quilt, not bind it.

         iii) Attach binding – No longer applicable.

         iv) Make and attach label – Printed, but not attached.

b) Finish last week's assignment from Leah Day. – Done!

I am having a lot of fun creating tableaux with the assignments Leah is handing out.

The turquoise and white threads are stitched using Ribbon Stage.
I created the red flaming sun with Inside the Sun. I varied Leah's
motif by finishing the sky with small spirals.

c) Do whatever assignment Leah comes up with next. – Done!

As soon as I saw Leah's motif, Cobblestones, I knew I wanted to stitch a formal garden using Cobblestones for the path. In one of those moments of synchronicity the very next pattern to learn was Permed Fern. Note I purposefully built up the thread along the path's edges to give a feeling of curbing. The cobblestones are stitched with a variegated 35 lb. weight thread. It is predominately gray and blue-gray, with a very occasional brick segment.

"Fantasy Garden" is approximately 10" square.

4) Signature experimentation

a) Design a new signature motif. – Not done.

5) Pictorial Painting

a) Watch the lesson that demos how to quilt the Canyon piece. – Not yet.

b) Quilt "Canyon." – Not yet.

6) Bonus Project – Cleaned up my studio, replacing fabric on the shelf and clearing off my design wall of all reference and sample materials from completed quilts.

I have two large pieces of non-studio business to attend to in the week ending June 14. I don’t expect to accomplish everything on my list. However, this is the game plan for all the projects I have coming up.

1) Adoration

a) Attach the label

b) Add to my website

2) “Oyster Shards” (deadline 8/20/2013)

a) Create the oyster shell template

b) Make an oyster shell to be appliqued to the background.

3) Leah Day

a) Express Your Love

         i) Cut facing strips.

         ii) Stich facing strips to the quilt.

         iii) Hand stitch the facing in place.

         iv) Attach the label.

b) Do whatever assignment Leah comes up with next.

4) Signature experimentation

a) Design a new signature motif.

5) Pictorial Painting

a) Watch the lesson that demos how to quilt the Canyon piece.

b) Quilt "Canyon."

I am now linking up to two blogs on Friday's. The first is Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project and the second is Nina Marie's Off the Wall Fridays.