2015 BOM: A little paper-pieced celebration

March already!

And not in 2015... I must confess I'm taking a big break from the 2015 BOM; it has been a fantastic learning experience, but I needed to get back to other style of quilting that would allow me to enjoy more the process, rather than just following instructions.

Please, don't get me wrong... As a self-taught quilter, I appreciate every learning opportunity, but I just don't want to end up hating this beautiful quilt.

If you seen my Instagram or Facebook posts lately, you know that I've been working on two modern quilts and on an improvisational piece. I will soon be blogging about those creations. I must also confess that, without this 2015 Craftsy BOM, I would not have been able to follow other instructions. It almost as if I can feel how I've grown up in quilting... I know, it sounds silly, but there are technical aspects that I now understand and enjoy. Without this challenging process, I would never have got there...

And to celebrate, I would like to share what feels like a HUGE celebration... Four beautiful paper-pieced flowers that are patiently waiting for a bit of TLC.

Have a blessed week,

Yiya

When things fail... Go Quilt!

Finding words to start this post is proving a tad difficult. In short, today was not the best day. Unexpected and inaccurate things will hopefully become interesting obstacles that will be in the past soon.

So... When things fail... Go Quilt! Go make something! Go do something useful! Go and enjoy the blessings God has given you! Go and hug your husband! Go enjoy your family! Go and put yourself back together for you, for them and for your purpose!

You know how it goes... If life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

And in the midst of trying to find my way back to some kind of normalcy, I kept starting at the pile of scraps on my dining crafting table.

Somehow, my old friends, Scrappy Improv Blocks, Extra Half-Square Triangles and Strip-pieced Blocks all made their appearance and, after about an hour or so of finding ways to fit each piece to each other, along with prayers that sometimes seemed to get stuck inside, a beautiful Improv piece had taken the uncertainty away and reminded me that, whatever happens, God is good.

It is my wish that you can enjoy the blessings that surround you and that your life be full of joy and hope.

Stay blessed,

Yiya.

What did you do on the weekend?

Weather is starting to change, and I feel I'm finally making some progress in my quilting. I about decided to dedicate some time to it at least three times a week, so that things get going. And yes, this post will have to count as one of those three times this week.

I feel like there were two major things accomplished that feel like a huge advance in my quilting projects.

I think I don't actually realize that things wear and get old... After attempting to cut fabric twice unsuccessfully, I finally took a long, good look at my poor cutting mat... No wonder why things were not working!  

I ended up turning the mat and using an indelible marker to mark 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... inches where I had 24, 23, 22... Hey, I'm good for ingenuity that keeps me going without so much effort! It felt like I was cutting butter after doing this - I just can't believe I waited so long to get it done. I can just begin to imagine how far ahead it will let me go with fast and accurate cutting.

Another major step are these little guys. 

The fusible web had been on the fabric for a while; Kathy came and visited about two weeks ago, and I finished cutting all the pieces. They are now anxiously waiting to get to their final destination in the gorgeous baskets... I hope!

So, not a long post, but excited about going forward.

How did you go forward this weekend?

Stay blessed,

Yiya

March BOM - Fruit Basket

Oh! The joys of the creative process!  

The March BOM brought new techniques and things to learn, but the main thing is that I was finally able to enjoy every step.

The main new challenge for this block was the handle. Yup! Another first time for me... applique on a quilt block. I took as long as I could and decided to be extra careful to enjoy every part of the process, stitch by stitch...  

It is amazing what a bias cut can do! It was almost as if the fabric laid on top of the triangle by itself.  And yes, I thought that a picture with a bunch of pins would look cute... lol

I had fun making this block! Finally! FUN with this 2015 BOM that has pushed me to quilting limits I didn't know existed...

You know I use my machine to sew, but let's admit it - there is something quite special about hand sewing. To be honest, I'm probably so excited because it's only one handle and not the whole quilt! 

Tada! Handle attached and pointy triangles!  :)

By this point, I was already happy dancing... All of those points, matching seams and intersections matching made me feel like a quilting "big girl." LOL

After so many ups and downs with the previous blocks, I was elated to complete one without questioning every single step (and understanding what I was supposed to do), and my first bias fabric applique on a quilt block. I love it! Ah! The marvels of the learning process!

With a picture that feels like a diploma, here are the first four blocks:

It's interesting; I feel this... feeling (lol...) that could be described more as a big sense of accomplishment wrapping around me while leaning back on the chair, with my hands behind my back and legs stretched out! Nice! Just that... Smile...

Stay blessed,

Yiya.

Reservations, reservations, reservations and a Fruit Basket.

For some weird reason, I don't read instructions. My head believes that manuals and even recipes are there to find out stuff when there is an extra nut, or if the whatever I'm working with is not doing what I was expecting it to do.

Well... Remember the beautiful fabric kit I got last month?

It turns out that the instructions included guidelines for reservations... Yes, RESERVATIONS and I had already cut fabric and finished a block!!

In a frenesi, I set up to cut fabric, and after a deep, deep, DEEP breath, I go ahead and slash...

Scary moment and scary sight - the beautiful border print in different pieces and even scraps, after the rotary cutter visited it last month... I guess this will be another lesson learned... READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!! 

Well, here are my reserved cuts; well, the ones that would fit on the table... And just in case, I decided to label them for future reference, in case I get cutter-happy.

And, just because I was in the cutting train, I ended up cutting fabric for the first February BOM, A Fruit Basket.

I was a bit concerned to be working with the units and bias edges, so I tried to be extra careful with placement and sewing order.

A happy sight! Matching seams!

Here lies the secret... Pins everywhere! I used to hate pinning, but when it comes to matching seams, they are like my best friends.  I even pin away from the seam line, to make sure that fabric won't shift (see the pin to the left, securing the tip of the triangle?).

Looks good!

I pressed all seams open to reduce bulk, and when I flipped the piece, I was really excited that even the seams in the back showed the matches! Woohoo!!

I went ahead and continued with the rest of the patches...

And here (next picture) WERE all the pieces ready to be put together... 

Yes... WERE...  See the basket rim? Man! I swear that templates and I don't understand each other. I checked the printing settings, the needle, the ruler, the template, and everything seemed to be OK. Even after checking the other patches, it was evident that they would fit, were it not for a funky, shorter basket rim... 

At this point, I'm better at cutting fabric directly, so with a little voice in my head reminding me that I've got a kit, that the fabric in front of me is not endless, that I just reserved, reserved, reserved... (Big bravery displayed) I went ahead and cut a second rim.

Oh, and by the way... Did you notice that I sewed all the HST wrong? Major disappointment - I was not smart enough to sew the patches in the right direction... 

Soooo... after ripping, sewing, more ripping, more sewing and figuring out a way of squaring this little basket, I reserve it's right to be pictured on the carpet!

Ha! I feel like I threw a huge tantrum, but the low battery in the camera helped me decide... I guess it was just a life moment. I'm not completely happy with the results, particularly because of the top rim.  I like the points. At least, I got those down... 

Alas! This was supposed to be a learning experience, right? So, I'd better remember this and get an extra dose of patience for the second February block, an Ash Basket. I must confess I'm dreading a bit all of those bias edges, but I won't run away from a good challenge. Pins and starch are good friends, and something tells me I'm getting too attached to those.

The best thing though is that I've learned that my face wears my quilting experience... My husband just used the last three minutes or so and went on and on about what I was typing. He nailed it, lol  

"And yes, quilting makes me grumpy! Ripping makes me grumpy! And now I want to blog all about it because I'm grumpy!" He is pacing up and down the playroom and using a funny voice to say the above... I love him to pieces! He is able to make me smile - always on time, always unexpectedly, and always when needed.

Well, a new block, a new lesson and a smile! And smiles have no reservations!

Blessings,

Yiya.

Addie's quilt: Floating corners

Little Miss Addie has been alive for a tad over a week... She is such a cute little girl! Grammie is all excited about helping new mommy out and I'm pretty sure they all had a wonderful long weekend.

It sometimes seems quite extraordinary that Addie's quilt is finished and is no longer in my dining-room-turned-sewing-room. I look at the pictures of the process and must confess end up in a mixture of rejoicing and nostalgia.  Addie's is my first baby quilt ever, and I'm so grateful that her Grammie gave me a creative green light...  It was a blessing to work on her quilt, and I hope she enjoys it for many years to come.

So... here is a floating corner:

So, why is it called a "floating" corner?  Weeeeeell, I really don't know... I know that sometimes, a little splash of color is added to a quilt by inserting a small piece of fabric in an otherwise even background.  In Addie's quilt, these strips are really not connected to any other block; it is as if they were "floating" in the corners...

I thought that strips going in different directions would break up the evenness and give the whole quilt an interesting movement.  What do you think?

And just a little parenthesis...  I added the floating corners because I only had 11 diamonds, so I would have to at least deal with a different corner.  In the end, I went for two floating corners and used the 11th diamond in the back of the quilt.

But just before going to the corners, and in case you would like to know, for the diamonds section, I only added a 2.5" strip to one side of each block.  I then used longer strips of the same width to make rows. That is how the diamonds came together - just one note: only the two central columns (in the picture above) were finished this way.

And here is another view of the same process...

Now for the columns on the sides (remember the pic with the finished top?), I used the scraps that were leftover from cutting the squares. For a quick reference, click here to visit my tutorial on Easy Strip Diamond Blocks, and check out where the scraps came from!  :)

The first step was to add strips of background fabric to each end of the scrap strips, like so:

Notice that the length of the background fabric varies. I was not going for matching edges, so I double checked that the distance between the edge of the scraps and the edge of the background strip were all different.

Even though the scraps are the same size, the uneven effect can be done with varying the length of the background strips.

Here are the first three strips ready to go floating to the quilt!  Make sure that the length is just a tad larger than the length of the corner (basically, one diamond block and 2" more in the background fabric - remember the outer columns in the quilt picture?)

Also, notice that the edge of the scrappy strips don't match at either end.

The next step is adding background strips in between the strips.

 If you end with something that looks like this:

...just trim a little bit in order to have a straight edge and make the rest of the block construction easier.

When you are done, you will have something that looks like this:

Just trim the edges and make sure the final measurements match that of the quilt block:

And here you have it! Floating stripes ready to go into Addie's quilt!  :)

This technique is very easy to use and has a touch of improvisation...  Ultimately, you are making sure that all the leftover fabric is used and it introduces a fun and unexpected element to the composition.  

I hope that you had a wonderful Independence weekend!  

Stay blessed!  :)

Yiya

Addie's Quilt takes shape

Hello again!!  Addie is about to make her sounding arrival, so I'd better go back to sharing the story of her quilt!  :)

Here is where we left of in the previous post:

A little stack of scrappy units ready to be turned into diamond blocks.

After putting the diamonds together, I had thirteen pieces - which basically meant I had an "empty square" on the batting. I don't have a design wall -YET- and I generally use the floor to work with composition.  

I was trying to decide how to organize the units, but the corner of my eye caught those fabulous treasures called scraps... Perfect for making some kind of improv block in that empty space.  However, I was not satisfied.  I wanted some kind of balance.  Away goes the thirteenth block and in comes a second improv area!  It worked pretty well, and my quilty bug was happier with this option.

Here is a close-up. You know my crafty bone and quilting preferences... If edges don't match, that's all right!  So I was really took my time with different arrangements, always aiming for an uneven edge...

Here is another option:

At one point, I just had to get over those corners and started adding sashing to the sides of the diamonds.

After all the sides were done, I had four long rows; I put them together just by sewing long strips between each row.  

Now, see the two corners with the "floating" strips?  Those are a matter of a future post!  :)

To be continued...  :)

Cheery Mellow: In the Garden

When Blogger automatically comes up with a picture like the one above, it makes choosing words difficult...  It is a really cool effect!  I really don't know how it is done - or maybe I just haven't been aware that I can actually turn the feature on and off... Who knows!  But it gives a little je-ne-sais-quoi to this beautiful block.  

Simple and interesting, it is a perfect composition to showcase different fabrics.  I almost feel like making a whole quilt out of this block; can you picture a tile effect?  Maybe - and just maybe - there's an "I spy" quilt looming...  :)

Cheery Mellow is slowly taking shape, and I am enjoying all the new techniques. This block was also inspired by a block in Shape Workshop for Quilters, a book by Fat Quarterly.  Its name is "Courtyard Garden" and it was designed by John Adams.  

Here is the fabric, already cut and waiting to be sewn together!  This time, I followed the instructions to the T - which is unusual for me; not the "Yiya" style, you know...  Anyway, I did not make any major modifications to the information in the book, so I decided to share only the process.  I mean, how would you feel if you were the designer and someone else shared your work?

Ready?

Place one of the smaller, white squares on top of one of the print square, like so:

Note that I drew a line from corner to corner, just to indicate the seam line. 

You may wonder why I pin, even though we are working with small units; well, it is really frustrating when things do not end up the size they should, just because the fabric shifts. I'm not that big fan of pinning, but if it makes the final block precise - hey, I'm game for it!

Repeat with the other four print squares and sew right on top of the diagonal line. And this is where my personal touch comes in...

I went the extra step and Cut Corners to get extra Half Square Triangles, the ones on the top right corner of each square. If you are wondering what I mean by this, click on this link to see a tutorial so that you can find out what all this is about!  :)

You will have something that looks like this:

Instead of "discard the extra fabric," just put the extra half-square triangles aside and use them in a future block!  :) 

Now, sew two shorter rectangles to each side (either left and right OR up and down - it doesn't matter how you start off) of the new print squares, like this...

Then, sew two longer rectangles to each of the remaining sides.  You will have four squares with a "frame."

The next step is placing the smaller, print square on top of each block, right on the corner with background fabric.

I also Cut Corners to get extra Half Square Triangles from this step. Remember, this is optional, but you will get a bunch of extra pieces to use in a future block or project... How cool is that!  :)

Again, I like pinning to keep the fabric from shifting and messing up the final measures; but that's just me!  Feel free to use the method that you like best!

After Cutting Corners, you will have four more Extra Half Square Triangles from this last step, if you sewed the two seams - the optional step described in this tutorial.

At this point, you only need to decide on the layout and where you like the prints best.

Once you've decided about placement, sew the squares in rows, making sure that the tips of the inner diamond match.

Then, sew the two rows, or columns - however you decide to call them; again, make sure that the points of the inner diamond match.

And here you have it, In the Garden, ready for Cheery Mellow!

I hope you give it a try and have as much fun making it as I did. 

Stay blessed!