Beginning A Quilt: First Steps

It's been quite a while since I started a new quilt.  Though I often buy yardage with the vague notion that it will be the inspiration for a quilt, I think that is really just an excuse for buying fabric!  Recently, I bought some Cotton + Steel prints at Quilting Connection in Ames and realized that I still had some of my very favorite typewriter fabric from Melody Miller's Ruby Star Rising collection in my stash.  I had a hunch that her new C + S prints would work perfectly with the older prints and guess what?  I was right.

How very thoughtful of Miss Miller to coordinate her collections!  I was also thrilled that she did those typewriters in black and white.  Because as we all know, one can simply never have enough typewriter fabric.....

When I saw the bright magenta & metallic silver print I thought I would just use the pink typewriters with them; but the green and pink together in the letter print on the left would work with both the aqua and the pink typewriters.  Serendipity.

I dug through my cubbies of fabric to unearth my cherished pink & aqua typewriters and delightedly piled them on my cutting table.  I am very good at making piles of fabric.  Not always so good at following through with the actual sewing!  This morning I took the time to make a "starter" quilt block and a few notes so I wouldn't forget my ideas.  Here's the block:

I tend to get tired of making the same block over and over, which is why many of my quilts are created with the improv-piecing method.  Also, I think many modern fabrics are too gorgeous to be cut up into little tiny pieces.  But these prints work well in blocks and this block is simple so they'll be quick to make. Once I start on a quilt, I do like to finish it sooner rather than later!

Putting the pink and aqua typewriters together on the cutting table brought back fond memories of one of the first quilts I made in 2013, and I don't think I ever got around to sharing it here before.  It was also one of the first quilts that I sold, but I did have a couple pictures left of the top:

I was, and still am, proud of this one.  Simple but sweet.  Really helped me hone my quarter-inch seam allowance skills--very important in making a quilt!  My quarter-inch piecing foot helps a lot with that too--but this quilt was made without one so it was more of a challenge for me as a newbie quilter.

I'll try to post the progress of this quilt as more blocks get made.

Black & White & Type All Over

I started summer break with a quilt finish. 

A few months ago I decided to challenge myself by making a black and white quilt.  No colors, just black and white.  The only other stipulation I set for myself was no floral prints.  It was a bit of a challenge to find a good variety of prints that weren't florals, but I kept scouting for fabric until I had enough of what I wanted.  I guess you could call this quilt a sampler--each block is different; I just created them as I went along (who needs patterns?).  Here's a closer look:

Notice the typewriters.  That fabric is by Robert Kaufman.  I just couldn't resist.  (Yes, this is the third quilt I've made featuring typewriters.  Weird, I know.  That's me!) Here's a closer look at the typewriters, which are so very vintage charming:

The back of the quilt was pieced using large pieces of leftover fabric from the quilt top:

Originally I'd thought I would send this quilt out to be long-armed, but then I changed my mind and decided to quilt it myself.  So the quilting is very basic, just wonky horizontal lines.  I used Aurifil thread in Graphite, variegated gray and black.  This quilt measures 56" by 75"--just perfect for snuggling up on the couch with a good book. 

I made this quilt before I put together the rainbow solids quilt for Jacob--after all this black and white, I was ready for colors again.  I liked having a set framework to work within; there were plenty of wonderful B & W prints to choose from that I didn't feel limited. 

Mid-Century Margins modern quilt

Last week I finished a quilt that I made this past fall, right before the craziness of the holiday show season started:

The typewriter you see here is my mom's, which I grew up wanting to play with and eventually she let me use it a little.  I've always thought it was so beautiful.  Last year when I stumbled across the "Type" fabric line, I immediately ordered some and then got some more when I stumbled across it during a visit to Quilter's Cupboard in Ankeny.  Then I waited patiently until I was sure exactly what I wanted to do with it.  It's hard for me to be patient, especially when it comes to super-awesome fabric but the flip side of that is I didn't want to mess it up.  Especially when said super-awesome fabric is no longer in production.   My design plan was to keep it simple and focus on the prints in a modern, uncluttered way.  Nothing too fussy.  Also, I admit that I do get bored sometimes making the same quilt block over and over.  Here's a closer view of those adorable prints:

The gray fabric (also from Quilter's Cupboard) was the perfect solid (even though it's actually a subtle print) to go with the Type fabrics.  I definitely have a thing for gray fabric!  This quilt was pieced and quilted (my typical wonky lines) with gray Aurifil.  I haven't washed it yet--once it crinkles up it will be even better. 

If you'd like to check this quilt out in person, I will have it with me in 2 weeks at my first show of 2014, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Varied Industries building on Feb. 21, 22, 23.  The show opens Friday evening (5 to 9 p.m.), and is open all day Saturday (9 to 5) and Sunday (10 to 4).  Come out and say hello!  (Yes, the concession stand will be open so you can buy a bucket of chocolate chip cookies.) 

Around here in the new year.

Around here, the New Year arrived rather harshly with sub-zero temperatures and a sickness that hit our house pretty hard for a few days.  I think we have recovered and hopefully the deep-cleaning I gave our house got rid  of any lingering sick germs.

January is a time to relax a bit and enjoy trying out some new ideas without the deadline of any craft shows--although I confess I do feel just a little bit lost without any shows on my schedule at present. Here are a few things I've been working on lately:

I couldn't resist buying this sewing-theme fabric.  Bought it without a clear plan of just how I'd use it, knowing that eventually inspiration would strike.  Love how it looks as a background for this collage piece.  Fabric isn't just for quilting!  I found a whole bunch of those yellow letter tiles while digging through piles of books and other random junk a few weeks ago....I'd totally forgotten about them!  That happens a lot, actually.  Because I do have rather a lot of stuff in my studio. 

Most of the vintage patterns in my stash are from the 60s & 70s; those seem to be the most abundant.  However, a year or so ago I did find several from the 30s & 40s.  I think they are absolutely beautiful and a piece of art just on their own.  I used most of them for journal covers, but this one was pretty tattered so I held on to it.  I used it in this collage protected by a clear transparency (I just happen to have a box of overhead projector sheets) to protect it.  You can't really tell in this photo, but the burlap that serves as the background in this collage has images of vintage sewing machines and notions printed on it, and is pretty darn awesome. 

And, last but not least: I had to make another Nancy Drew quilt.  Just had to.  It's not finished yet, but the top is complete.  And I might just have enough Nancy fabric to make another one.  For Christmas, I bought myself some fabric.  I scoured the internet for Nancy Drew charm packs and more of this:

 

The typewriter fabric is from Melody Miller's Ruby Star collection from 2012 and is getting a little harder to locate.  This photo above is a wall quilt I made in the fall and sold last month at What a Load of Craft! in Iowa City.  I was happy to part with it because I know the gal who bought it truly loved it as I do--she told me she is a writer, and loves typewriters, and in fact, she actually had a typewriter in the trunk of her car that very day!  But I knew that when this quilt was gone, I would miss it and so when I got home that evening I got online and ordered more of this fabric.  And then maybe just a little more a couple days later.  Because obviously, one can never be too rich or too thin or have too much fabric.  I have a good idea of what I will do with my precious stash of typewriter fabric, and will. 

Lots of making to look forward to in 2014.  I'm looking forward to trying new things, learning new skills, and playing with new materials. 

And also to cleaning up my very messy studio and finding more stuff that I've forgotten about! 

Happy New Year!