But since it’s been ages since I posted a freebie here on the blog, I thought folks with little boys would enjoy this pirate plate.  It’s picture smocked, with embroidered details like a skull and crossbones, an ‘x’ to mark the spot and some lovely bunches of coconuts  You can download the smocking plate by clicking here.  It prints to an 8 1/2 x 14″ sheet.

Directions:

Pleat 14 rows (12+2).  This design is worked over 170 pleats.  Count and tie off the pleats and mark the centre valley before starting the smocking.

1.  Backsmock rows 2-9 and 11, plus both holding rows with two strands floss.

2.  Beginning with a under cable, work a row of cable stitch across row 1 using three strands of floss.   Repeat an identical row of cables across row 10.  Work a mirror image row of cables across row 12.

3.  To make the waves, come up at pleat 4 a needle width above row 1, and work a three stitch combination (under, over, under) across the row, leaving two pleats between each combination.  Repeat on rows 10 and 12, referring to the plate for the starting placement on each row.

4.  Follow the chart for the picture smocked elements.  All of the picture smocking uses 5 strands of floss.  The hull of the pirate ship begins 27 pleats to the left of the centre valley using 869.  Horizontal colour changes like the portholes and the skull can be worked in either a multi-needle technique or a block technique, depending on your preference.

5.  To stitch the large sail, work down from row 2 1/4 to 3 3/4 in White.   When you reach the cross bone details, be alert for the single stitch details and half stitches that form the skull. The arms of the cross bones and the skull’s face will be embroidered after the smocking is complete.  Once you have completed the skull, complete the rest of the large sail in white and then stitch the small front sail.

6.  The island on the right side begins 11 pleats to the left of the ship.  The island on the left side begins 13 pleats from the left edge.  Work the sandy bases first using five strands of 822.  Then refer to the chart to work the palm fronds in 704 and 905.

7.  The mast is worked in satin stitch over two pleats using three strands of 422.

8.  Work a 30-35 wrap bullion for the prow of the ship, using two strands of 869.  If necessary, tack the bullion to prevent it from moving with one strand of matching floss.

9.  The skull’s face is made up of two french knots and a single detached chain for the nose, all using two strands of floss.  The arms of the crossbones are stem stitch in 310.

10.  The coconuts are three 8 wrap bullions in 869.  Work the centre bullion first and then the two bullions on either side.

11.  The trunks of the palm trees are worked in chain stitch with two strands of 869 and 1 strand of 422, blended.

12.  The ‘X’ in the bottom border is worked between rows 10 1/2 and 11 1/2 using three strands of 817.  Beginning 18 pleats from the right edge on row 10 1/2, work an over, six trellis stitches and an under.    Return to the 18th pleat and beginning on row 11 1/2, work an under cable, six trellises up and a down cable to complete the figure.

13.  Work a row of undulating running stitches between rows 10 1/2 and 11 1/2.  Each stitch should cover one pleat

14.  Remove gathering threads.  Block and insert completed piece into your garment according to pattern directions.

As always, you are welcome to share this design with friends but please credit my website and do not repost it or use it for commercial purposes.  Enjoy!

***

As a longarm quilter I use the internet frequently; I receive orders and instructions from my customers, I download pantograph patterns, I buy useful gadgets for my chosen occupation,  I read forums that bring me the latest on quilting in general and long-arming specifically, and sometimes I even get paid for my services through the internet.

Creativity is variously defined as the ability to come up with something new, something which has some value.  So how do we define the ‘new’, and how do we assign a ‘value’, and where do people like me fit in?

I have maintained for many years that I have only the faintest creative ‘vision’; that is , I look around and feel if not down-right intimidated, certainly lacking in the appropriate amount of creativity. This has never been more apparent than in this age of the internet. On a daily basis I feel swamped by the incredible talents of folks I’ve never met and likely never will…it’s overwhelming what’s out there…it’s also totally overwhelming when you think about the body of collected work from all humankind…is there really anything that is ‘new’…and who defines ‘useful’?

Many with an even greater capacity to grasp conceptual thought processes than I have said; in all likelihood if you thought of it, someone else probably already has. How do we continue to put notes of music, words of text, and scraps of fabric together and still make creativity a part of our lives, and not infringe on others’ right to do the same?

Recently on the internet we have seen some nasty arguments over copyright issues, and intellectual property, some of it even spilling over into the traditionally serene (picture your white haired granny and her friends at the quilting frame here) and genteel world of quilting.

Much of the work I’ve done over the past few years, though important and useful to its owner probably does not warrant the kind of attention the internet can spawn. Truthfully time and lack of equipment have also played a part in the lack of a cohesive ‘body of work’ up until the present time. Time and resources can fix that.

…so now back to the internet, I have toyed with the need for or the desire for an internet presence…web-site, blog, social media outlets, on-line picture album, some of the above? All of the above?  I know above-all that I need to do something, but what? And in view of the tempest in a teapot that is the on-line quilting world; do I REALLY want to?

When it comes to the internet I’m no newbie, and certainly no Luddite; but coming to grips with the ever-present and ever-changing landscape that is the internet is /can be scary… a grind…a challenge…and, certainly when a friend innocently shares a link to my on-line album… exhilarating.

Happy creating!!

If I do embroider, it’s often in conjunction with my smocked projects – bullions, feather stitch, that sort of thing.  But last winter, I fell in love with the most gorgeous embroidered jacket from a back issue of Inspirations #12 (1996) called ‘Enigma’.    The knit jacket features the most glorious band of embroidered flowers round its hem and I knew I had to make it.  Isn’t the cover delightful?

Only one problem.  I can knit.  I’m not bad.  My tension is good and I can follow fairly sophisticated patterns.  But I don’t *like* to knit and I’m slow.  So the idea of first knitting the jacket (and sizing it up, to boot, since the pattern in the magazine was for a 6mth old) and then embroidering it didn’t appeal.

But when I found a deep navy wool coating on a trip to Lens Mill recently, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

To start, I found a pattern with similar details as the knit sample – round yoke, full hem, straight sleeves.  I’m making a swing coat from the Fall, 2008 issue of Ottobre in a size 98cm.  I’ve made before in corduroy.  It’s perfect and I knew it would fit.

Next problem, how to get the design onto the thick, dark fabric.  Tracing was out.  The pattern suggested waste canvas but seriously, the idea of pulling all those teeny-weeny canvas threads out after I was done was *not* appealing.   I could have pricked and pounced (Mary Corbet has some great ideas for transferring embroidery designs, btw) but I was really looking for easy.  Painting my lines on with water colours doesn’t scream easy.   So I went another (far less traditional) method and used water soluble stabilizer instead because that’s what I had on hand.

As a result of my experiences embroidering this jacket, I will definitely use this method again.   The stabilizer is clear and thin; I was easily able to trace the design.  Here you can faintly see my pen markings, as I complete this hollyhock.

It was a breeze to stitch through.   To hold it in place, I simply basted it down around the perimeter.  Typically, I stitched stems and leaves, then blooms.  The only exceptions were the daisies (french knots first) and the agapanthus, which I found were much easier to complete if I stitched the yellow round of french knots first.  Last but not least came the grass, which I’m still finishing up.

Now that I’m nearing the finish, the excess simply tears away and all the small bits caught under my stitching dissolve in a cold bowl of water.

And because I’m always interested in seeing the backs of things, here are a few shots of the wrong side, liberally adorned with white cat hair.  (Note to self: Don’t start a dark navy project and lay it over the back of the sofa whilst the calico is in the process of shedding winter coat.  Very visible results )

I did shape the embroidery because the swing coat has quite a pronounced curve but it won’t be nearly so evident on the finished coat.  It will look straight, trust me.  But in the meantime, look at all these scrumptious flowers, though.

Hollyhocks and daisies.

Queen Anne’s lace (btw, I took out this grass that you can see in this picture and the one above – it was too vibrant for the rest of the colours and drew attention to itself.  I’ve since replaced it with a WDW overdyed floss – much nicer)

Lavender and canterbury bells.

Two agapanthus.  Or is it agapanthi?

Aren’t the flowers delightful?  I really do love the way this project is turning out.   I did change my threads – the original is worked in crewel wool, but I used DMC embroidery floss, since it would have cost a significant amount to buy all of the required shades for a one off project and I  just don’t do enough stitching with wool to justify it.  In my next post, I’ll be sure to show you the embroidery when it’s free of the stabilizer and then show you some of the construction details of the coat itself.

I moaned.  I procrastinated.  I knashed my teeth and wailed.

So guess what I started on this week?

Another quilt

Yeah, yeah, I know but even if chain piecing will never fill my heart with rainbows and butterflies, I love the look of quilts. That means if I want to enjoy, I have to sew them.

This time, I’m doing a far simpler quilt from the Winter issue of “Simple Quilts and Sewing” called ‘Plaid Stars’.

It’s a nice quilt, with lots of rich colours, but not overly busy or scrappy.  I’m thinking of making this for a friend of ours.  He’s older, and I wanted something classic and masculine but not fuddy-duddy or fussy.

Almost all of the fabrics are from Connecting Threads.  They were a new to me online fabric company and I have to say, I’m very impressed.   The prices are hugely competitive (some of the prices were under $3/yd).  Shipping to Canada was a breeze, too, which is often not the case and more than reasonable.   I placed my order on a Wednesday and by Monday at lunch, my fabrics were on my front porch. The quality of the fabric is very good, too.   I will definitely be ordering from them again.

The sample quilt was done in flannel but frankly, I don’t find much modern flannel holds up.  It pills and fades.  If I’m going to put the time in, I’d rather use a standard quilting cotton.  I have three shades of burgundy-red, three of olive green, a lovely gold print and a creamy white with a small tan print.

I ended up picking up the few fabric colours I couldn’t get from Connecting Threads locally and despite the fact that I was only getting 2 1/2 yds, they cost me almost as much as the rest of the quilt fabrics put together.

Look at the backing fabric!  It’s really ideal for the colours of the quilt and it was a steal at $4 and change/yd.  It really has all the right tones and even echoes the plaid theme that the front has going on.

I’ve already got the quilt cut.  I strip pieced the green strips over the weekend and have started marking the snowballs and half square triangles.  It’s a much faster quilt than David’s guitar quilt, especially since I’m only making one.   We’ll see how it progresses.   I’ve still got lots of spring projects I want to get done, including an adorable embroidered coat I’ve been working on for the past little while. I’ll show you some of my progress pics of that project soon!

So last weekend, I whipped out my Ottobre’s and traced off a whimsical spring dress called “Petunia” from the Summer 2008 magazine.   Here’s what their version looked like:

As normal for Ottobre, the fit is generous.  I sized the pattern down to a 98cm (size 3) and although the height measurement is correct, it still fits comfortably on Stanley, who’s a 4.    I’m not too worried though, since everything was stash. I picked up the bright red and white floral last year on the discount table, because I’ve long had my eye on this dress (1m for $3) and the gingham is leftover from my shopping trip in Paris last year (I used the rest for a Hallowe’en costume).   I keep promising myself that I’ll cut back on the fabric expenditures and only sew with existing fabric.

Interested By-Stander: And how’s that working out for you, Claire?  Have you stopped buying new fabric?
*crickets chirping*
Claire: Err….If you’d care to direct your attention back to the new dress…

The sleeves are a cute cap sleeve with elastic.  They were super easy – I might be tempted to use them on other patterns because they make a nice change from the usual puffed suspects.  I trimmed the lower edge with bias – I thought I needed a touch more gingham.

There are a series of release tucks around the neck.   I do find they get a bit lost in the business of the fabric.  When I make this dress again, I think I might consider a solid colour so the tucks can be more of a feature.

Rather than extend the bias binding into ties like the sample garment, I chose to make a button loop.  I think it looks neater and I always worry a little about choking otherwise, when you have long ties like that around the neck.

The most interesting feature of this dress is the petticoat and ruffles.  The armscyes are finished using the petticoat.  You sew around the armholes, sandwiching the cap sleeves between, but leave the side seams open.  It’s the same as when you clean finish an a line jumper but simpler because the skirt and the petticoat (or lining) are separate at the bottom you don’t need to leave a hole for turning.   It’s very clean, especially once it’s understitched.

Here’s a shot of the deep gingham ruffle.  Because the two layers are separate from the neckline down, there’s a great deal of loft to the dress – good twirl is so important.  I even tried my hand at bow making.  Nothing too spectacular, mind you, but two little gingham bows with red button centres are now awaiting their clips.   Making the dress was fun and it gave me hope that spring *is* coming, however sporadic that progress may be.

]]> http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?feed=rss2&p=2087 0 http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2079 http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2079#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:09:57 +0000 Claire http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2079 How’s your pleater treating you?

Is it hard to turn, fighting over every revolution? Does it skew the fabric, even when it’s been cut on grain? Create bubbles in the fabric? Miss pleats? Needles snapping left and right?

You may be casting an evil eye towards your needles and wondering if you have to replace them all (and believe me, a new set isn’t cheap). But before you shell out for new supplies or worse, give up pleating all together, let me ask you, when’s the last time you did any maintenance on your pleater?

If you can’t remember (or only know that the ties were much wider and Pierce Brosnan was on T.V in prime time), it’s time to give your hard working helper a day at the spa.  Now, before you guffaw and say “I’m not mechanical”, I promise it’s easy (seriously, 10-15 minutes), and you should have everything you need right at hand.  Really.

To service your pleater, you need:

• your pleater (I have a Read 47 row Maxi; your pleater may be slightly different depending on the model and age)
• a screwdriver that fits the screws on the bottom of your pleater (probably a Phillips or a star, but it may vary in size)
• masking tape
• a pencil
• Q-tips
• lubricating oil (your sewing machine oil should be fine – read the label.  If not, any good quality lubricating oil designed for metal on metal lubrication is appropriate)
• wax paper
• a small, clean rag or soft cloth
• tweezers

1. Start by removing the front upper bar.  If there are any needles in the pleater, remove them now.

2.   Next, unscrew the handles from both sides.  Set the handles aside.

3.  Now, turn the pleater so you can see the bottom of the base.  Unscrew one of the support arms from the base.  You only need to loosen one side, not both.



4.  Supporting the loosened support arm so the bars don’t come out yet, turn the pleater right side up.  Holding both the support arm and bars firmly, slide the bars loose from the fixed end.



5.  Rip three pieces of tape approximately 2″ long.   Beginning with the front lower bar, loosely wrap the tape around the first bar.  Label it #1.  Repeat with the upper rear and lower rear bars, removing and labeling them in sequence.  This step is important because you want to make sure the bars are returned to their original positions.



6.  When you have removed the three fixed bars, they should look like this: two bars with short ends and a third with long ends.



7.  Once everything is disassembled, your pleater will look something like this:  4 bars, two handles, two screws and washers, two removable plugs, one unattached support arm and one base and support arm.



8.  Using a clean Q-tip, gently clean the four holes in each support arm.   Change the Q-tip often and continue until the cotton bud is clean.



9.  This is what a dirty Q-tip will look like.



10.  Next, with a clean, dry cloth, clean the ends of each bar.  If there is thread tangled around the ends of the bar, use the tweezers to gently remove it.



11.  Wipe down the base, removing any dust or grime.



12.  Apply the lubricating oil to the supporting arm holes.  I know my picture implies I’m adding the oil directly from the bottle, but my preferred method is actually to put 2-3 drops on a clean Q-tip and and run that through the holes instead.  It’s cleaner and limits the possibility of messy drips.



12.  Put the unattached supporting arm on its side and carefully stand the three fixed bars in placed. Remove the tape as you put them in place.



13.  Hold the bars firmly and slide them back into place.



14.  Align the holes on the bottom of the supporting arm with the holes in the base.  Carefully, tilt the base to expose the holes and reattach the screws.  Don’t forget to put on the washers.  Tighten down the screws until the supporting arm is firm but don’t over tighten.  You don’t want to risk stripping the screws or create problems for the next time you perform a service.



15.  Reattach the handles.  Put the removable bar back in place.  The pleater is reassembled.  There should be no spare parts remaining.



16.  Tear off a small piece of wax paper as wide as your pleater.  Run it through the pleater.  Pay attention to how the bars turn.  Are there any clicking noises?  Does everything move smoothly?   Does everything appear aligned?  If yes, then you are good to go.  If not, go back and repeat steps 3-7 and 12-14.  If you spilled any lubricating oil during the service, or are worried about staining your pleating fabric, run a sacrificial piece of scrap fabric through the pleater before you use any fashion fabrics.



Now your pleater should run like a well-oiled machine, and give you lots of problem-free operation.  I generally service my machine once a year.  Happy pleating!

Here’s the first one, which is a square yoke design from AS&E #30, published in 1994.   It’s one I’ve had my eye on for a while and when I found a deep brown and scarlet all over paisley during a recent visit to Len’s Mill (the same trip I found the cat fabric, actually) I immediately thought of this design.  The sample garment used a fabric with very similar shades, although it did have a touch more olive in it.

I’ll be using a different pattern, since the magazine patterns run sizes 6 thru 8.    I still have to pleat the long sleeves, which are also smocked.  Here’s how the inspiration looks:

I don’t actually expect Ellie to wear this dress until next fall, so I’ll make it in a size 4 but the single colour trellis is perfect for the mindless smocking I get to do poolside.   I don’t have to keep track of a pattern or colour shifts.   It’s just a matter of smocking until my dripping mermen reappear.

Then I’m taking a different tack with this spring sundress.  It too is an AS&E design, called “Little Sweathearts”.    Issue #38.  I liked the unusual revers on the dress front – it’s not fussy and can worn year round with the addition of tights and a long sleeved shirt.

The fabric is some that I purchased in Paris last summer at a ‘coupon’ or discount outlet.  It’s scrumptious printed batiste, 54″ wide.   The entire waist is pleated in half-space rows and then smocked in six-stitch flowerettes.  I toyed with bulking up the pleats with interfacing but instead, I simply cut the panels wider than the recommended width  and starched the upper edge stiffly to compensate for the light weight fabric.

I had a heck of a time finding the right shade of pink.  I simply couldn’t find one with the right deep raspberry shade in either DMC or Anchor.  I ended up compromising and using some “Rose” brand floss instead that I picked up 5 for a dollar.  It bled like you wouldn’t believe but after rinsing and soaking it five times, I’m confident the colour isn’t going anywhere now.

These two projects should keep me occupied until the end of the session, don’t you think?

]]> http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?feed=rss2&p=2039 0 http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2022 http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2022#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:51:02 +0000 Claire http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2022 We celebrated the boys’ birthday last weekend (and no, you won’t be seeing picture after picture of an immaculately planned, exquisitely executed party complete with matching themed everything on this blog.  I make a homemade chocolate cake.  I iced it.  It sort of looked like a lego block.  Sort of.  Regardless, the children ate it/smeared it/devoured it and I am comfortable with that level of motherly love.  Live with it )

The reason I am telling you this is not to announce my ceding of the crown to Martha “it’s a good thing” Stewart but to say that my niece and SIL came down to celebrate with us, which gave me a chance to whip up a quick outfit for Ellie.  I’m quite busy at work and sewing gives me a chance to relax.  All the same, I wanted something fast, so I chose this cute jumper from a 2005 issue of Ottobre (the same issue that her raincoat came from, actually).

I know it looks like an infant’s garment but it went up to a size 3 (98cm) so it worked perfectly for E.  I picked up the fabric – a vibrant cat print – from Len’s Mill.  My niece has a thing for our cat, Puss.  Or as she calls her, “Puss-eee”.  The fabric was an end, bright enough that she’ll still be able to wear it in the spring with a t-shirt but dark enough that it’s appropriate for winter wear, too.  It’s a very, very light twill.

All of the buttons, studs and the clasps are stash, from a jean making frenzy I entertained (briefly) when David was about five.

In fact, I wouldn’t have minded it having a little more weight to the fabric, given the weight of the findings but interfacing the yoke took care of the problem well enough that I was satisfied.

I top stitched with machine quilting thread.  It could have stood to be a little thicker, too since the fabric was so busy but I was stash diving and I wasn’t going out for more thread.  I also toyed with adding some machine embroidery to the front yoke or pocket but I was going for “quick and easy” here.  It’s too easy to get sucked into adding one more thing each and every time.   Like Odysseus, I resisted.

There are some very nice details to the pattern(it’s Ottobre – that’s no suprise) for such a quick project.   The front and back bibs are fully faced and the button extensions work up really nicely.  Here’s a CU of the side placket.

All told, it was about 45 minutes to trace and cut and another 3 1/2 to sew it up.  I did forget the belt loops but by the time I remembered, I was going to have to get my seam ripper involved to fix the oversight so I just left it as it was.  Ellie really liked it and I almost wish the dress came in larger sizes – I could definitely see this working up in a myriad of ways.

]]> http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?feed=rss2&p=2022 0 http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2010 http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2010#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:34:48 +0000 Claire http://www.clairemeldrum.ca/?p=2010 I painted our entrance hall over the Christmas holidays.

Everyone seems amazed that I tackled it but given the immensely large projects we’ve tackled holidays past (new heated ceramic tile floor in the kitchen, gutting the bathroom, installing a main floor laundry) a little paint on a teeny-weeny kinda room is a piece of cake.

The hall was *green* before and if there’s one colour I can’t stand, it’s green, especially, wishy-washy, my food’s gone kinda mouldy green.  Now, it’s a lovely grey with taupe undertones, crisp white trim and lots of black accents.  I haven’t taken any finished pictures of the space as I’m still putting the finishing touches on but here’s a little sneak peak with an embellishment project I did to tackle a ‘blank’ space that stood out like a sore thumb.

There’s a transom over our front door.  Once upon a time, back when our house was built in 1874, there must have been glass – probably stained glass — in it but  it’s been filled in and now it’s just a big white rectangle above the door. Very boring. But have no fear! Thanks to my new obsession with Pinterest, I found the solution.

Initially, I looked a vinyl decals but they were all more money than I wanted to spend, since the awkward space would require a custom decal.  So I went to the Graphics Fairy and looked through her selection of swirls and flourishes until I found a simple shape that I liked: something with a vintage style that wouldn’t take me until 2013 to paint.

Then, I created an artboard the exact size of my transom (32″ x 15″).  I resized and reoriented my swirly doodad in Illustrator and paired it with a half dozen or so different ‘B’s, trying them on for size. Ultimately, I ended up using Imprint MT Shadow, sized to 320mm and slightly fattened.

Next I saved it as a pdf file and printed it by tiling the sheets. Then it was as easy as simply matching the registration marks and taping the page together.  If your name begins with a ‘B’ and you want my already tiled, ready to print design, you can get it here.  If you want to have another letter, you’ll need to modify it in Illustrator.  That file is here.   As always, the credit/acknowledgement, plays nicely with others rules are in effect, OK?

To get it from paper to wall, I got a big sheet of 18″ x 24″ carbon paper from the art store around the corner for $0.79 (yup, I’m the last of the big spenders ) and taped it up against the transom. As you can see in the picture, I then taped my trimmed design on top of it, centering it horizontally and vertically with painter’s tape.

Then, I spent some quality time at the top of my step ladder, tracing over the outlines with a pencil.  When I was done, this is what it looked like (I know it’s a little faint but that was the idea – faint is good for the overall project, bad for the step by step photos.)  If I was doing it again, I probably would have used a pencil crayon – it was a little challenging seeing my pencil lines and knowing where I’d already traced.

The carbon paper worked perfectly.  No smudges, just a clean, crisp line that came off when you rubbed but stayed put if you treated it gently.

Then I got to work painting.  I used the same semi-gloss black Pittsburgh paint I used for doing up all of the accessories in the hall.  A little went a long way – I might have used two tablespoons, if that.  I used a #4 Shader, which is a flat, square brush about 1/4″ wide and a #2 Fine, which I used for doing the thin detailed lines.

I’m sorry I didn’t get any mid-paint pictures but between juggling the palette (a meat tray with a thumb hole cut in one end) and staying inside the teeny-weeny lines, I just forgot.  I found that one coat gave nice coverage, with a second, thinned coat to smooth out any wavery lines and uneven spots in the large curlicues.

Here’s the finished monogram and I really like it.   It’s got the vintage feel I was going for and the handpainting makes it look personal without getting too ‘homemade’.  From start to finish, including the computer design time, tracing and painting was about 2 1/2 hours.

Now the hall is back to normal – jammed with winter coats, messy boots and the mail enroute to the office.  But it looks so much better and when I get my photo wall done, I’ll try and show you pictures of the whole thing.  Happy painting.

David’s pair of guitar quilts, which I started back in *mumble, mumble, shuffles feet* February of last year are finally pieced.  I’ve been working on it sporadically, piecing  the elements but never really getting the push to get it all together.  Finally, between Christmas and New Year’s I decided enough was enough and I wanted to wipe my sewing slate  clean of the biggest project I didn’t complete in 2011.  Ten months is certainly long enough and I’m frankly ashamed it took that long.

Here’s the result.  I also completed a second, identical quilt since Davey has bunk beds in his room.

The quilt pattern is ‘Diamonds’ from the February 2011 issue of Quilter’s World.  I changed the colourway entirely, basing it around the Michael Miller fabric ‘Jam Session’.  There were a lot of great colours to pick out – taupes and grey, a muted teal and a couple of different shades of brown.  Very appropriate for a boy and when I re-do David’s room this summer (we have to hang new drywall and do some electrical), I’m going to be taking my paint  from the fabrics there, too.

These funny lumps kept showing up in the pictures.  I don’t know what they are.  Specks on the camera?  Wrinkles in the fabric?   Try and ignore them

I think that these quilts will age well – I didn’t want to do anything that would be inappropriate or too young in the coming years.  At the speed I quilt, longevity is a key concern.  As you can see in the close-up the dark and light blocks are identical but by turning them 180 degrees, they form a really interesting diagonal design.

I actually met with the long arm quilter today and discussed the quilting since I’m not tackling the quilting myself.  I just don’t have the set-up for it and struggling with a full quilt under the arm of a smaller sewing machine isn’t my idea of fun.   Struggling with it twice?  Even less fun.  Alison’s great and I think she’s going to be doing a guest blog here on the site in the next little while.  Her work is gorgeous and I’m looking forward to her sharing some of her best quilting tips.

Now I have three more smocked dresses to complete and my SAGA samplers to mail off and then the slate will be completely open.   The New Year’s gotten off to a great start for me.  What projects do you hope to wrap or tackle this year?