Back in Business!

Our power went out in the storm on Monday evening and we did not have it back until last night (Thursday) - 3 full days without lights, heat, or internet, but I'm not complaining as it could have been much worse.  Many in our area still don't have power and there is devastation everywhere in NJ but we were almost unscathed.  The wind was absolutely ferocious,bringing down tree branches and whole trees, which in turn pulled down power lines.  Utility poles toppled over as well. Our block of Main Street was closed to traffic until Thursday afternoon because downed power lines were lying in the street.  But we did not have flooding in our area.  We are some miles inland from the shore, the rain was not that heavy, and the ground was not already saturated (unlike last year's storm).  Most of the areas that experienced floods were hit by surging water from the ocean or up the Hudson River.  My sister-in-law's house on Long Island, one block from the bay, was flooded on the first floor, with water up to the roof of the car parked in the driveway (the family was on a trip to Toronto at the time of the storm so all are safe). 

In our case, we just experienced first world problems under post-storm third world conditions - how to keep our cell phones and e-readers charged, the monotony of meal after meal composed of peanut butter sandwiches and Halloween candy, and the anxiety of trying to get Miss Main Street's early decision college application due Nov. 1 sent on Oct. 31 without internet service.  Wow, I needed something stronger than a Diet Coke after that process!  The worst was the cold; by Thursday morning the temperature in our house had dropped to 52 degrees (F) and it's a real downer when you feel cold all the time.  Fortunately we have a lot of quilts to wrap up in.

Speaking of quilts, I got some binding done during daylight hours (which are surprisingly short this time of year), and here is my latest finish:

 

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember my project I called Magic Eight Square from back in May.  My tutorial for the block made from layer cake squares is here.   I made this quilt from a layer cake of Lately Arrived From London by Barbara Brackman for Moda, a 19th century reproduction collection, along with some yardage for border and binding. 

I had the quilt long arm quilted with a pantograph design and it was only as I was putting on the binding that I noticed my mistake.  Did you notice?  The two blocks in the upper right corner are reversed.  Too late to fix now and fortunately, it does not totally ruin the quilt.  In fact, if I don't call attention to it, maybe no one will notice. 

I could name this quilt Numbskull, but I think I will go with Humility, after the Amish concept of the humility block (because only God is perfect).  Also, the name Humility fits the Victorian look of the fabric prints. 

I did more than finish Humility during this adventure.  I'll be back in a couple of days with more to show you.

Hey Sandy!

We've done a lot to prepare for your visit but you won't hurt our feelings if you cancel.  The bottled water and D batteries we've laid in for your arrival won't go to waste.  I'm sure we can use them when one of your rowdier fraternity brothers drops in sometime.

***************

I live in Central New Jersey and they say Hurricane Sandy will arrive sometime late Monday or early Tuesday.  Sandy is supposed to be a storm of "epic" proportions, though we had the "storm of the century" last year - what is going on!  Anyway, we've been told to expect the worst and are reasonably prepared.

 

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, August, 2011. 

Photo taken three blocks from my house.  Yes, that is a submerged car.

 



So if you don't hear from me for a while, it's not because I don't have anything quilty to say.  We are probably without power or internet service but I will return. 

Christmas Stars - Finished!

Christmas Stars is bound and labeled at last!

I started this quilt in July, 2011, as part of my Christmas in July project, but did not get it quilted and bound until this fall. 

 

Hard to see but the binding is the same red tone-on-tone fabric used for the sashing.  The finished quilt is 66" by 78"; it is being held up by a couple of my helpers here but even then, I had trouble getting a good photo of the entire quilt. 

 

I used a variation of the Ohio Star block for this quilt.  It is not as complicated as it looks.  My tutorial for this block is one of my most popular posts and you can find it here.  I used a variety of red and green fabrics in the star blocks  with a consistent creamy white background and a red tone-on-tone for the sashing and binding. 

 

 

Christmas Stars was quilted by Linda Hrcka of The Quilted Pineapple.  The quilting is absolutely fabulous and makes the quilt very special.  You can see more photos and read about the quilting techniques on Linda's blog post. 

 

I agonized over which fabric to use for the border.  I had originally planned to use a print and auditioned several before deciding that the background fabric repeated in the border would set the star blocks off best.  I'm glad I made that decision because I'm so happy with the way this quilt turned out.  

 

Here is a photo of the border quilted, before I applied the binding.  The quilting has a lot of dimension because Linda used two layers of batting, which made the quilting look almost like trapunto.  As a result, the quilt is heavier than most but that's all for the good because it will be used in the winter.  

 

 

 

I chose Christmas Stars to be my entry in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival.  Go visit Amy then travel on to all the participants.  BQF is always loads of fun and inspiration.

 

 

 

I think Christmas Stars fits best in the Favorite Bed Quilt and Favorite Professionally Quilted Quilt categories.

 

 

Binding Quilts

My post about my Spools quilt, Keep Calm and Sew On, elicited some comments about the different types of binding. 

I nearly always use double-fold bias binding on my quilts.  The fabric is cut at a 45 degree angle to the selvages.  The strips are sewn together, then folded in half length-wise to create two layers of fabric before sewing along the quilt edge.  Bias binding stretches a little so it is a must on any curved edge.   The downside is that some quilters find bias binding tends to pull out of shape on straight edges and may even stretch the edge of quilt, creating ripples.   In theory, double-fold bias binding is the most durable type of binding because the fibers in the binding are not aligned with the edge of the quilt.  A straight binding cut exactly on grain will have one thread running right along the edge of the quilt and this thread will get a lot of wear and stress, so the binding could eventually split right along this thread.  However, the reality is that straight grain binding is rarely exactly on grain and will be even more "off" after sewing, so it is not likely that one single fiber will run along the edge. 

So double-fold, straight grain binding works well on straight edges.  It was the perfect choice for Keep Calm and Sew On, where I wanted the stripes to be straight, not bias, plus wear along the edge is not a big issue for a wall hanging. 

I have a few books I frequently refer to for bindings and other edge treatments. A Fine Finish, by Cody Mazuran, is an excellent resource for how to do anything above and beyond the most basic binding.  This book is out-of-print but used copies are available on Amazon.com.  It covers putting binding on a curved edge (like a double wedding ring quilt), using piping along the edge with and without binding, and other decorative treatments.  It is a worthwhile addition to your quilting library.

Borders, Bindings, & Edges, by Sally Collins, is another good resource.  While this book covers binding techniques, it includes unusual border treatments, especially pieced borders. 

Darlene Zimmerman's book, The Quilter's Edge, is another good resource for borders, bindings, and finishing techniques.  If you've been wondering how to do prairie points on a quilt, you will find out how in this book. 

 

Well, I have lots of binding to attend to.  Better get cracking!

 

 

Seasonal Changes

With the temperatures getting colder, I thought it was time for some decorating changes to warm us up here on Main Street.  So Cobwebs (2011) is up in the kitchen.

 

And Hidden Meadows is in the bedroom. 

 

Reggie is happy!

What photo editing software do you use?  I've been using Kodak Easyshare, because that is what came with my camera, but Kodak has stopped supporting it and my copy seems to have gone bad.  It stopped working over the weekend.  Fortunately, all my photos are saved on my hard drive and backed  up to another drive so that is not a problem.  I just need another way to import them from the camera and edit them.  There is always Windows Live Photo Gallery, but if you are happy with something else that is not too complicated, please let me know with a comment or email message.

McCall's Quilting Nov/Dec 2012 - A Review

Over the weekend, I picked up the new edition of McCall's Quilting (Nov/Dec 2012).  The Nov/Dec issue is usually one of my favorites, so I bought this one despite the despicable practice of poly-bagging the magazine so you can't browse the contents before purchase.  Still, the cover shot was attractive and promised a few Christmas-y projects, as usual for this time of year.

 

I don't think anything in this particular issue is going on my quilting to-do list.  It was a little disappointing.  But I'll provide a glimpse of the contents here.  We don't all like all the same things and you may see something here that captures your interest.  (Note, these are just a few of the projecs in this issue which also comes with a CD with six additional small projects - hence the reason for the polybag.)

 

First up is Cadeaux de Noel (Christmas present in French), a roughly twin bed size quilt.  I rather like this block and the multiple border treatment, but am not drawn to the red background.  This was designed by Susan Guzman, a frequent McCall's Quilting contributor. 

 

Next is Woolen Welcome, from Deirdre Bond-Abel.  It introduces a reverse applique technique with wool on quilting cotton to make a 27" wall hanging.

 

This is Pinwheel Pines, a woodsy looking throw quilt designed by JoBeth Simons.  This would make a good scrap/stash quilt and could be done in many other color palettes. 

I rather like these holly leaf appliqued placemats, designed by Laurie Tigner.  They are machine appliqued and this section includes directions for the placemats as well as a table runner and hot pad.  Again, a good scrap/stash project.

 

My Signature Color:Red is one of the cover quilts.  The scrappy design, by Lynn Lister (another frequent contributor) makes a generous throw quilt.  Of course, this could be done in colors other than red if your signature color is blue, or purple, or...

 

Crowning Touch makes a 50" square quilt, shown in the photo across a kitchen counter.  It is a novel use of HSTs and I like the border.  This project was designed by Cathy Wierzbicki. 

Like I said above, there are some additional projects in this issue.  Additionally, the ads and tips columns can be as interesting as the main features. 

Pineapple Quilt Block - Foundation Paper or Ruler?

This is where I was a few days ago...

 

 

And this is where I am now. 

 

 

 

I've finished the first eight blocks and they look like pineapple blocks now.  I've been using the Pinapple Rule from Possibilities but this technique is not without its problems.  In fact, though I plan to finish this project using the ruler, if I make another pineapple quilt, I will probably try foundation paper piecing. 

 

I thought the ruler would be less tedious than the foundation papers.  While I quite enjoy the sewing process with foundation paper piecing, I don't like having to remove the paper at the end.  While an alternative is to use muslin or very thin interfacing in place of the paper, I am afraid that will leave me with a quilt that feels heavy and stiff.  

 

The Pineapple Rule is cleverly designed and quite easy to use.  The biggest drawback is that you are always attaching your next round to bias edges.  It is all too easy for the bias edges to get stretched out of alignment.  None of my blocks looks wonky but I doubt they are all exactly the same size.  I have a feeling that sewing the blocks together at the end will be challenging (the blocks you see above are on my design wall, not sewn together yet), but I will address that challenge when I get to it.  After all, tomorrow is another day! (quoting Scarlett O'Hara).

 

 

 

I will be putting this project aside soon (just temporarily) in order to return my sewing room to its other use, the guest room.  My mother is coming for a visit, to see Miss Main Street in what is probably the last theater performance of her high school career.  Mom will be staying with us for a week and I don't think she wants to share the bed with piles of fabric and partially completed quilting projects.  So it is time to put the fabric away.  But this presents an opportunity to send the Bernina for a tune-up and work on some binding.