finished: roy g. zig quilt

Tags

finished quilts, roy g. zig, scrap attack string fever

A few photos to prove that I’ve finished this beast, yes?

 

At 64” x 84”, if this isn’t the biggest quilt I’ve ever shoved through the Janome, it’s definitely close.

 

You can see the straight-line quilting a bit better here. I chose to follow the pattern of some of the zigs, rather than just go up and down the quilt. It turned out okay, but there was some teeth-gnashing as I turned those corners, and got folds of fabric caught under the walking foot filling in middle spaces.

 

And good news for my husband, who has to move all these quilts this winter (we ARE moving out of this tiny apartment, no matter what!): I am giving this one away.

 

Yep. My professor friends who live in Phoenix have only a very small throw-size quilt that I made in my early quilting days (completely hand-pieced and hand-quilted, hand-sewn binding and all). He is very tall, and I felt so sorry when they sent me a photo of him trying to nap under the little quilt. He definitely needed a bigger one. And they needed one that both of them could snuggle under! Their anniversary was ten days ago, and her birthday is two days from now, so a perfect excuse.

 

I backed the quilt in scraps. The spirit of a scrap quilt is “buy nothing new,” yes? I tried to carry the rainbow idea onto the back. The other side is sky, sun, grass, earth.

 

The quilt is bound in the white Memoir print from Violet Craft’s Madrona Road, which I have now stashed and re-stashed. Now I need to re-re-stash it. Ha!

(P.S. If this is the first time you’re reading about this quilt, please know that I used Rachel @ Stitched in Color’s Ziggy Strings tutorial to construct the blocks, and just laid out the blocks differently. Easy peasy!)

Thanks again for putting up with so many photos of this one. I’m proud of it–but I’m MORE than ready to bundle it into the mail and move on to the next thing! Onward!

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let’s get acquainted link up

Tags

let's get aquainted

Hi there! Welcome to the Monday Link Up, organized by Beth at Plum and June and guest-hosted this week by me. I’m Laura C, here at littleandlots. I’m so happy to have you-all here.

Besides being an incredibly talented and creative quilter, I think that what Beth brings to the blogging community is just that–a real sense of community. She works really hard to bring all of us new bloggers together, and does a great job getting the conversation started with the Monday Link Up. Before I get to the Link Up, I just want to run a short commercial for another one of her amazing meet-other-new-bloggers projects.

It’s the 2013 Let’s Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop!

I’m thrilled to be participating this summer. The list of this year’s participants includes some of my VERY favorite quilting blogs–blogs that I’d never believe were “new” if they hadn’t joined up! There is some serious talent in this year’s cohort of New Blog Hoppers. Join along with me and visit them all!

This week I finished the quilt I am most proud of so far. It’s my best quilt yet, no joke. I’ve been quilting for three years, modern quilting for two (yes, you’ll see repro fabrics in my latest quilt–I try my level best to use ALL of my stash and not throw anything out), and blogging for one. Never did I think I was capable of making something I love this much!

Especially considering that last year, this is where I was at:

From the ill-lit indoor photo to the clutter of toddler books, to the unmodified 30’s design–this is not my proudest moment. I’m still fond of this quilt, an applique fan quilt using Violet Craft’s Peacock Lane. But oh, what I could have done differently!

This is my latest, most-proud of quilt:

I used Rachel @ Stitched in Color’s Ziggy Strings tutorial to construct the blocks, but I laid them out in a broken rainbow pattern, red in the center to low-volume along the bottom edge. Determined to use every bit of fabric I’ve got, even the repros, I used only scrap strings (with some Kona Bone, technically scrap from a project last fall) to make this quilt.

I can’t believe the same person made both of these quilts!

Now…’fess up! Link up, BUT…it’s time to share some things you’re trying to keep secret!

1. Link up any recent sewing/quilting post.

2. In your post or on your blog, please include either a text link or a button letting people know about this link up and link it back to this post.

3. Visit at least the two bloggers who link up before you and everyone who visits you from this post.

4. When the link tool asks for a CAPTION or description, tell me a quilty skeleton in your closet. It can be a mistake you learned too late that you were making, fabric you can’t believe you bought, an early quilt you can’t believe you made, a “modern” quilt you can’t believe you ever pooh-pooh-ed. I KNOW you have one. (I think we all do.)

See you next week on the blog hop!

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washi dress ii: strawberry edition

Tags

mom's washi, strawberry washi, washi dress

 

A huge distracter photo. (Of the growing TBR pile on my bedside table that will probably literally kill me in my sleep one day.) MOM: if you’re reading this, just don’t. Spoilers. Ha!

Now that she’s gone, I’d like to share a couple of photos of the Washi Dress I made for my mom’s birthday gift. Because it’s for my mom, I basically tried everything not to have to put on this dress and sweat in it.

I stood in the bathtub.

 

 

Bleh.

So I put it on, and was all, I’ll stand reeal still and take some bathroom selfies, and I won’t put my arms down so I don’t get deodorant on the dark fabric.

 

Not a lot better.

I gave in and dragged out the tripod, huffing and sweating. I figure she’s my mom, she won’t mind if I put on her dress for just a little while to show it off.

 

And then the photo was blurry. But! I think you get the picture.

I bought the fabric from Pink Castle Fabrics‘s Skinny Sale, their Memorial Day Weekend sale. It’s Kokka! A strawberry print from Trefle. Basically I don’t even want to admit what a great deal I got on 3 yards of this, because it feels kind of immoral. Like I stole it. 

I made a size L, for my mom. As you can see on me (I’m on the small side of M, or the large side of S?), this dress is just cut so well that even if it’s too big, it still looks totally cute. Maybe that will motivate some chickens to try it, eh? Even if you pick the wrong size…it’ll probably still be cute. 

Now, I’m just hoping that the strawberries aren’t too juvenile for my mom. I chose the print because, well, Kokka + deal = win, but also, my mom always chooses strawberry shortcake as her birthday cake, every year. In her teenage years she had a thing for Strawberry Shortcake, and I remember reading Lois Lenski’s Strawberry Girl many times with her growing up. Strawberries just make me think of my mom! I think the scale and the navy background help the print read grown-up and not little-girl.

Linking up over at the Pink Castle Fabrics Blog, in their Made With Pink Castle Fabrics monthly giveaway! Head over and check out the other cute makes. The pool grows every month!

finished: moth mo cardi (and two knitting wips)

Tags

finished knit, knitting, lucy low tide cardi, moth mo cardi, whisper wrap

I waffled for a long time (six weeks?) about whether or not I should post photos of this finished object.

 

This is the spring cardi that I cast on in March, with the first shipment of my madelinetosh Magnolia Society yarn (yes, fancy yarn–they were smart to open subscriptions during a major snowstorm in February. I ordered so much fabric and yarn that weekend when we had 30” of snow!). This is tosh mo light in the club colorway moth.

 

I used Veera Välimäki’s Celery Cardigan pattern. This is my first finished sweater project. I’m fairly frustrated by the silly mistakes I made (more in a moment)

but it turns out that I wear this little cardigan often. It’s the perfect light layer for New England–the fabric is soft, with a bit of soft halo, and because I knit it myself (hey hey) I was able to make the sleeves just so.

 

I also love the color, which wears well with navy blue. I own a lot of navy blue clothes!

OK, rookie mistake confession time. Ever heard of twisted stockinette? Me neither. Until.

 

I picked up the sleeves to knit them in the round and I was all, why do my in-the-round stitches look so different? I google around and found out:

I WAS WRAPPING ALL OF MY PURL STITCHES INCORRECTLY.

Each purl stitch, since the dawn of my knitting, I had wrapped clockwise, not counterclockwise. How could I not have noticed? Well, I knit most of my things in the round, and the mistake just didn’t show in the round.

I’m doing it right now, it’s all cool, but I’ll always have this sweater to remind me of self-taught-beginner-knitter mistakes. That’s a doozie!

Quick peeks of wips:

 

A bit of Lucy’s Low Tide Cardigan, knit in The Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering in Frostbitten, which I executed perfectly (Kitchener stitch and all) until I messed up the sleeves. Failed to read the pattern while I was gossiping with my grandma. I just duplicated the mistake on the second sleeve and shrugged it off–they’re there, they don’t look awful, and it’s for a two-year-old. I need to sew on buttons, crochet the button loops, and wash/block this, and it’ll be done!

 

And this is my long-term wip, the Purl Bee Whisper Wrap in Tosh Prairie, colorway Antique Lace. It’s going to take me forever to knit a large laceweight wrap, but I so desperately desire the finished object (so soft and versatile!) that I’ll stick with it.

Thanks for bearing with me for a knitting sidebar. I’m finding that my summer run-around-everywhere lifestyle is much more conducive to knitting than sewing. I always have a project on the needles in my tote bag!

and all I got was this pile of scraps

Stuff is happening here.

I’m hoping to share some more pictures of good stuff soon. A finished quilt (that you’re probably tired of looking at–I’m about there, myself!); a passel of knits that have been backing up since I went on vacation in April; a few new projects I want to start.

But for now all I have is scraps (and, don’t look, an unfinished Lucy sweater in a Ziplock bag, on the left)

 

and a pile of THANKS for you-all. I won the Festival of Strings contest, hosted by Rachel @ Stitched in Color. And there were some miiighty good quilts in that hundred-or-so entries. (Some miiighty good quilts that I’m dying to copycat, with ample credit where it is due of course, too.) Many thanks to everyone who voted for my rainbow quilt, and to Rachel, and the MOST thanks to the Warm Company, for the roll of batting they’re sending my way!

I also got an email from Joanne at Rose and Dahlia that I won a copy of the Roly Poly Pinafore pattern, by Rachael at imagine gnats. Lucy needs a few of these, for sure! I’m busily sifting through imagined fabric combos for this pattern. I love, love that the contrast fabric that you choose actually shows!

Stick around. More than scraps coming soon.

 

I’m the weener.

Tags

echino swap, indian summer round robin, smqg, spiderweb blocks

Not of the batting! No, I left quilt guild this morning feeling like THE WEENER. (My husband’s family says this, like “I’m the winner,” only, “weener.” ahem.)

Back in October, I joined the Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild. I wasn’t quite sold on the idea of a guild–doesn’t the quilt blog community provide enough–well, community? I’m so, so glad I joined! Turns out, it’s much more exciting and inspiring to pet real quilts and coo over fabrics with real live people. True story!

If you haven’t yet joined your local branch of the MQG, please seriously consider it. Even if you’re a wallflower. (Surprise! I think most quilters really are wallflowers.)

Because after some meetings, you leave feeling like THE WEENER.

Ahem.

Here are the two spiderweb blocks I made for this month’s block lottery. One of our guild members selects a block and a color scheme every month. Bring a buck, and a block, and each block/buck you get earns you an entry in the raffle. We’re putting our proceeds towards our guild’s entry fee to the national MQG. I think we’ve raised about $40 so far, which is not insignificant. This month…

 

I won the blocks! There are 16 so far. I’m thinking that means I need to make 14 or 15 more and make a big ol’ spiderweb quilt.

I also went home with this pile of gorgeous:

 

That’s Indian Summer by Sarah Watson for Art Gallery Fabrics, with some coordinating Kona solids chosen and donated by Peg from Sew Fresh Fabrics. Sarah Watson donated the fabric bundles to our guild for us to use in charity quilts. We split the pile and are going to make four baby quilts, round-robin style. I get to start by making the center medallion! I’m so excited to work with these materials, they are gorgeous.

And then, Echino Christmas.

 

The same member of our guild who’s organizing the block lottery also pulled together an Echino fabrics swap. Eight people each bought one print. We cut fat quarters or eighths and swapped. Now I have this gorgeous pile, all for me. I’ve never had any Echino before, it’s always seemed too expensive for me. Now, to cut and not be paralyzed by the “special.”

Are you in a guild? Do you love it? What kinds of fun swaps/bees/round robins/other fabric fun does your guild do?

the business

Shameless self-promotion time:

I’m a finalist in Rachel @ Stitched in Color’s Festival of Strings!

I know. I’m tickled. I’m very proud of this quilt top (by now, as you can see, it’s definitely progressed to unfinished quilt–this is a snap someone got of me showing it off at Guild this morning), and I’m thrilled to be in the top five.

I wouldn’t mind a bit if you head on over and VOTE for me! (I’m the Roy G. Zig quilt). I’m neck and neck with another quilt for the top prize, a roll of batting…!

Secondly, the inimitable Beth over at Plum and June is hosting another New Blogger Blog Hop! I’m thrilled to be taking part this year. I just love to hit the “subscribe” button on a new-to-me blog, and I’m positive I’ll find dozens to add to my growing list. Maybe you will, too?

Finally, a huge THANK YOU to all of you for your kind words on my Sunday Morning quilt and my Roy G. Zig quilt. Last year at this time I felt I was quilting into a void–it’s so wonderful to have found a community to fuss over and be fussed over.

A post with (slightly) more content coming right up!