Weekly Report 2014 - 03/21

Detail of the backside of Tumbling Blocks

Tips, Thoughts and Techniques:

I have been piecing Tumbling Blocks this week. Each block (cube, hexagon) finishes at 2 3/8" and is made up of two diamonds and two triangles. In other words there are lots of tiny pieces and the back of the top is nearly obscured by the seams that I have pressed open. Usually I use my Rowenta iron to open seams and press the back side flat. However, it just won't do with so many overlapping and nearby seams. It is so easy to shift a seam in the wrong direction, creating unwanted lumps in the quilt top. Instead I am opening the seams on the back with my Clover Iron and then flipping the top over and flattening the seam again, but with my Rowenta. If only I had thought of this method years ago.

The Tumbling Block
quilt after Tuesday's
piecing session

With my ironing method resolved I could get to work in the studio. This is what I did:

1) Continue piecing Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30) - Done

I am getting a good rhythm down now that I am a 2/3 of the way through piecing Tumbling Blocks. All the time piecing gives me time to think about how I am going to quilt it and if I should add borders. 

2) Leah Day projects.

Jagged Flames is done in turquoise.

a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.

b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson. - Done

This week's motif was Jagged Flame. It is the section that I quilted in turquoise. I continue to struggle more with straight line quilting than curves. This motif is worth the struggle, though. I like the primitive feel to it.


3) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments. - Done

Family connections made after
viewing Finnabair's lesson.

Our teacher this week is known as Finnabair. Her work is lush, layered and captivating. I highly recommend you drop by her on-line gallery and check it out for yourself. The theme for the month is connections. No surprise I opted to do another piece based on being an adoptee who just found her birthmother and discovered she had two half sisters. The face is my birthmother's face. The three flowers dangling from the ladder like yarn represent me and my two half sisters.


4) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) - a commissioned quilt - On hold until quilts with earlier deadlines are completed. 

Start piecing the quilt.

5) Tickling the Ivories 

a) Make the label - Not yet.

b) Attach the sleeve and label. - The sleeve but not the label is attached.

Next week will look much the same as this week, as I am in the home stretch of piecing Tumbling Blocks. Here are my plans:

1) Finish piecing Tumbling Blocks I (Due April 30) 

2) Leah Day projects.

a) Baste the face, torso and arms to Express Your Love II. - On hold until the quilts with deadlines are completed.

b) Do Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting lesson.

3) LifeBook 2014 - Do the assignments.

4) Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fall (Due August 3) - a commissioned quilt - On hold until quilts with earlier deadlines are completed. 

Start piecing the quilt.

5) Tickling the Ivories - make and attach the label.


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.