Dancing Plus

Recently in one of my color classes we were discussing the use of whites and creams together in the same project, and I showed my students this photo. 

This was a bee project with the Sew Bee Its of STLMQG in 2015. At the time we had some less experienced quilters and everyone's quarter inch seam was different, so I wanted to give them a block that didn't require precision. This block is made oversized and then gets trimmed down to make the Plus motif "dance." Tutorial here. 

In the color class, there was quite a bit of interest in having a Dancing Plus class, and since PCQ's education chair was one of my students, we booked the class for May. I've long since gifted the quilt in the photo above, so I need to make a new teaching sample. 

This Plus motif can be made with one 5" charm* square or a 10" remnant of a 2-1/2" strip. When the trimmed blocks are set in a half drop layout, the dancing effect is enhanced. 

I need to make a teaching sample so I'll make a small top and some step-outs. Time to raid the scrap drawers! Bright, medium to dark colors work best to contrast with low volume backgrounds. I have 42 different prints here for the Plus motifs. 

I'll use a variety of backgrounds including whites, creams, ivories, and pale greys. I can see in this photo that the khaki background fabric is much too dark, so that one has to go. I still need to find about six more low volumes. No worries, I have plenty. 

I'm using each background fabric in two blocks so I can scatter them around the quilt. Tip: Use the same background for two colors that are very similar. You won't want those almost-same colors next to each other in the top, so your background fabric will likewise be separated from itself. 

These little blocks go together quickly, especially when paired up and chain pieced. Here are all 42 blocks.

I want to lay out the colors on my design wall before I trim the blocks. Then I'll number them and identify which direction each one should tilt. I'll probably trim them, kit them up, and assemble the top at retreat the first weekend in April. I need to show the sample at the PCQ meeting on April 14 to introduce the class, so If I get the top done at retreat it'll be ready in time. 

My sample will be six columns wide by seven blocks high, plus half blocks at the tops or bottoms of the columns for a half drop layout. It will measure 36 by 45", easily do-able at retreat. This is a great project for beginners or for a group because it's so forgiving. And the result is a fun little quilt.

I have a much larger version that I kept for myself. It started with one charm pack, then I added fabrics from my stash that harmonized with the charm prints. This one is 143 blocks, 66" wide by 81" long, and lives draped over the quilt ladder in my family room. I'll share this one when I introduce the class at the PCQ meeting, too.

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

*Charm packs usually come with 42 pieces which will yield a 6 by 7 block layout, 36" by 45", perfect for a baby quilt. 

A Failed Test Block

I cannot stress enough the importance of making a test block of an unfamiliar pattern or construction method. 

I had previously cut a lot - a lot!!! - of 2" strips for a postage stamp project. I sewed them into strata and cross cut them to make checkerboards. This is what's left over after I cut all I needed for the blocks. 

Each of those rolls is a stack of eight strata. I thought I could use them for making a modern type of double wedding ring quilt using a specialty ruler specifically for cutting curves, and a pattern written for that ruler. I made one test block.

This is not working for me, for multiple reasons.

1. It was hard to cut through one strata with the ruler, awkward and didn't cut through in places. I tried several different rotary cutters. The pattern says to stack several strata and cut through multiple layers. Impossible for me. 

 

2. I followed the pattern instructions exactly. They were somewhat confusing, so I reread them until I understood exactly how to place the ruler and make the cuts. I don't like the result. The points of the football shape are cut off, and the corner triangles extend inconsistently more than 1/4" into the seam allowances at the edges of the block. Upon close examination of the pattern, this is actually illustrated in the graphics. If I'm going to put all this work into something, I want it to look like it was made with skill. I want accurate points that meet where they're supposed to. It's just me, but I'm fussy that way.

 

3.  My strata alternate dark and light stripes and I don't like how the light stripes disappear into the background. I don't think my strata are suitable for a ring design after all. 

So, this ruler method is not for me, and this design concept is not working for my strata. I'll have to come up with a Plan B....

The original postage stamp project is kitted up for retreat in April. I have a few other projects I can take along to keep me busy. Plan B and the box of leftover strata can wait.

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Belated February Stash Report and Goals Update

February was a fun month. My friend Cherie came to visit for a few days and we went to QuiltCon together. We had our own little retreat at my house - we worked on a collaborative project which we prefer not to share. 

February was also a very busy teaching month for me, with three of the lessons of my 6-lesson color class to prep for and teach. One of my students gave me the best compliment ever: we were talking about the usefulness (or not) of our stashes and she said "I wish I'd had this class $10,000 ago." 

The PebbleCreek Quilters are getting a brand new Innova M24 long arm machine in March. Thank you, PC HOA! We anticipate it being delivered and set up next week. Several members of PCQ have their own Innovas and they will be the SuperUsers who will train the rest of us. They'll have in-depth training from the installer when he sets up the new machine. For the rest of us, there was an overview and Q&A training session a couple weeks ago. I attended it and got on the schedule for hands-on training later in the month. 

The small Irish Chain variation top that I made for Community Service will be one of the quilts used for our long arm training, so I pieced a back for it and turned it in. The club will provide the batting and someone will bind it. 

All this to say, February was a busy month, but I don't have much to show for it. 

I bought one yard of fabric at QuiltCon; that was my only purchase there and my only stash enhancement this month. 

February Stash Report

IN this month: 1 yard

OUT this month: 3-1/2 yards (light blue Irish Chain top, 2-1/2 yards; backing, 2 yards.)

IN YTD: 8-1/4 yards

OUT YTD: 4-1/2 yards

YTD Net change: 3-3/4 yards added

Goals Update: 

February Recap:

1. Prep for lessons 3, 4, and 5 of my color class. Teach lessons 3 and 4. DONE.

2. Prep for and work on a previously started collaborative project with Cherie when she comes to visit. Yes, and I totally enjoyed Cherie's visit. 

3. Attend QuiltCon. YES! We definitely enjoyed the show.

4. Continue piecing the teal value study project. Progress, four blocks made.

5. Attend the first training overview meeting for the new long arm. Yes, and I'm scheduled for hands-on training later in March.

6. Continue piecing the Scrappy Pinterest Project at social sewing. Yes, I was only able to attend Social Sewing once but I actually got a dozen little blocks made. 

7. Prep a backing for something in anticipation of using the long arm at some time in the future. No, but Cherie took two of my tops to quilt, one with backing already assembled, the other backing  just needs one seam.  

March Goals:

1. Prep for and teach color classes 5 and 6.

2. Prep several projects to work on at retreat in early April.

3. Attend hands on long arm training.

4. Continue piecing blocks for the teal project.

5. Prep a backing for the red Cherry Jubilee top. 

6. Continue working on the scrappy project at social sewing.

7. Participate in Sewing Club's charity project at first Wednesday social sewing. 

I'm going on a 4 day retreat in early April, so I'll need to prep projects to work on. Apparently I'm a fast maker so I need enough projects prepped to keep me busy for all four days. 

I have a postage stamp project started, a Kaffe flying geese project started, and I could take the teal project. I also have strata left over from the postage stamp project that I could do something with; I have an idea, we'll see if it works.  

There's also a project box with some Log Cabin Triangle variation blocks in it that I should take, too. 

Maybe I need to check my UFOs and see if there's something else I should take to work on. 

I Started Another Project

Last month I listed all my UFOs and WIPS, in hopes of getting something on the list finished this year. But instead of working on an existing project, I started a new one. 

Some Kaffe scraps were donated to PCQ but they were smaller than we usually keep, so last year's chair passed them to me. They must have been a fat eighth bundle from which someone cut some chunks. I was able to cut a 7-1/4" square from each. I also added some of my own Kaffe scraps. 

For now, the new project is just flying geese units. I also have a Kaffe jelly roll to do something with. I have a vague idea for where this is going, no actual pattern. It will evolve, I'm sure.

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Kevin's Quilts

I was able to quilt the tops that Kevin the Quilter sent, and now they're ready for donation.

Both have the same backing, a light blue swirl print. Both got allover meander quilting. Both have blue binding, but different fabrics so I could use what I had.

The larger of the two is about 48 by 64", made of immaculately pieced 1" squares. 

The smaller one is about 45 by 60", with 1-1/2" squares, with equally beautiful piecing. 

These will go to the local family services agency. They serve clients ages 7 and up, mostly teen girls but sometimes boys and adult women. I like that these are gender neutral and don't pertain to a specific age, suitable for whoever receives them. I'm glad to help Kevin create quilty hugs for someone going through a traumatic time. 

Kevin's tiny patchwork has inspired me to work with small pieces. Not that tiny, but I have a couple of projects going that use 1-1/2" finished squares. Slow going, but that's okay with me.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts

New Charity Quilt Pattern: Irish Chain Variation

Last month one of the co-chairs of PCQ's Community Service Committee asked me to help make a small Irish Chain quilt and draft the pattern so we could use it for Community Service sew days. The intention is to use up the massive stash of fabrics languishing in the club's cabinets. 

A true Irish Chain design has a lot of negative space, usually very light, which makes the chains pop. We don't have much in the way of very light fabrics. We do have some white/beige/ivory pre-cut 2-1/2" strips.  We also have a few pieces tucked away from which we could cut more strips or squares, but we value it for the contrast it provides too much to use it all up in one or two quilts. So, my challenge was to come up with something that still has the Irish Chain look but uses something other than the background fabric in the alternate squares. 

EQ8 to the rescue to start playing with ideas. What I learned while working in EQ is that the more closely the alternate squares match the background in value, the more the chain effect stands out. The more the alternate squares contrast with the background, the more the pattern looks like a nine patch variation, Win-win! 

Then we raided the fabric bins. This is the first top Teri and I made to introduce the project at the sew day. It's 42-1/2", wheelchair size for Hospice or possibly baby quilt size. Our members prefer to make smaller charity quilts. 

This is a scrappy version, all from the club's stash. Many dark blue, green, olive and brown fabrics were used for the chains, and several whites, off-whites, and creams for the background. Four watery novelty prints, related by theme and color, worked for the alternate squares, although the dark part of the ombre one is darker than I would have preferred.

In order to test the pattern, I made another version in a curated palette as well. Good thing I did, I had to make some corrections. EQ to the rescue once again! Here's my curated version, all fabrics from my personal stash. If the alternate squares are light, even a medium (as opposed to a dark) can stand out well enough for the chain effect. 

The corrected pattern has been made available to all the PCQuilters who want it. I will add it to the Free Charity Patterns tab above. 

We have an overabundance of Floral prints and Novelty prints. We're hoping that this pattern for small quilts will prompt our members to use them up. Plus, when we get the new long arm machine we'll all have to be trained on it, and the trainers want some smallish charity quilts for us to learn on. These two will be available for that. I just have to make a backing for the blue and white one. 

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts. This definitely counts as a finish, or two or three if you count the pattern as well. 

January 2025 Stash Report and Goals Recap

Well, there was a bit of a change in direction this month, so some of my goals went by the wayside and I worked on something else instead. I also worked on my teal project, which required purchasing additional fabric. Here's the current state of the teal project, incorporating the new fabric:

Teal Blocks

January Stash Report: 

IN this month and YTD: 7-1/4 yards (Teal prints - 2 yards. Mulqueen's - 5-1/4.)
OUT this month and YTD: 1 yard (Binding for Kevin's quilts)

Month and YTD Net Change: 6-1/4 yards added to the stash.

Two things happened to change up the goals for the month. One, the club's longarm broke down permanently, so no actual quilting was accomplished. Two, one of the co-chairs of the community service committee asked me to develop a pattern for a small Irish Chain quilt that PCQ members could work on at Sew Days, to use up some of the club's stash. She and I quickly pulled medium fabrics and cut pieces from our bins of light and dark strips, sewed up the blocks, and ended up with this: 

Irish Chain Variation Charity Quilt 
Pattern Prototype

Outside appointments and Sewing Club classes have cut into my "social sewing" time. The Sewing Club officially has the Fiber Arts Room on Wednesday mornings. They're giving serger lessons and teaching simple makes twice a month now and ongoing, so no open sewing those days. That's okay from a quilting standpoint, but it cuts into my "going out to lunch with friends" schedule. 

Prep for teaching my color class took a bit of time this month, too. This will continue with two classes in February and two in March. Even though I've taught the class before, I still have to review my notes and make sure I have all my materials organized, including printing out handouts. The class continues to be well received, but I've told the club this is the last time I'm offering it. 

Goals Update: 

January Recap:

1. Prep for and teach lessons 1 and 2 of my color class. DONE. 

2. Find fabric for the last block of the teal project; make at least two blocks. DONE.

3. Bind Kevin's quilts. DONE. (I need to take photos of the finished quilts)

4. Piece the backing for the red scrappy quilt. Book time on the long arm and prep leaders for basting it for quilting on my domestic machine. Not done. Long arm machine still not available.

5. If possible quilt the lozenges quilt on PCQ's long arm; bind it. Not done. 

6. Layer and baste the Kaffe gradient project. Not done. 

7. Play with a new project, a Postage Stamp variation. Progress; cut and kitted up to work on at retreat. 

Other: With Community Service co-chair, made a scrappy prototype of an Irish Chain variation top and drafted the pattern for it. Cut and partially assembled a second curated palette version of it. 

Postage Stamp project kitted up

February Goals: 

1. Prep for lessons 3, 4, and 5 of my color class. Teach lessons 3 and 4. 

2. Prep for and work on a previously started collaborative project with Cherie when she comes to visit. 

3. Attend QuiltCon.

4. Continue piecing the teal value study project. 

5. Attend the first training overview meeting for the new long arm.*

6. Continue piecing the Scrappy Pinterest Project at social sewing.

7. Prep a backing for something in anticipation of using the long arm at some time in the future.

The collaborative project with Cherie is something we started with another friend before Covid, and we've both since moved. It's a piecing and engineering challenge as quilt projects go. Wish us luck! 

*If you read this far...
  Yes, PCQ is getting a new long arm, an Innova M24!!!! More to come as info becomes available.