New Plan -- Triangle Free

Having abandoned triangles for something easier, I've been wracking my mind to come up with a faster option for a quick baby quilt. I've looked at a couple different options, and yes, learning from my last mistake, I've tested every block I've looked at. After several 'it's okay but not fast enough' options, I finally stumbled upon a winner for my time, my taste, and the fabrics I'd already purchased!

Thanks -- as always -- to Pinterest, I found a couple inspiration pictures: Cottilello's Domino quilt (on flickr), a pillow (via Pinterest as I think the link to original content is broken), and a quilt (again, the link from Pinterest seems to lead to something other than the content, boo).

Depending where I look it up, I think this is a variation on a split rail block or a rail fence block. It took a couple test blocks to make sure I had the right measurements to end up with a 5 inch square block, but I got it figured out and happily cut into my fabrics.

 (I had to go back to cut more of the impact fabrics, this is about half of what I actually needed -- and too many of the low volume pieces, but not by much.)

While it might have taken me about an hour to make 4 triangles, I managed to make 82 blocks in just over an hour. I think it might have taken me longer iron all the blocks than it did to make them. Winner, winner!!

I had to test as I was ironing to get an idea how this was going to look. These were just the first few pieces I ironed, but I think you can already get an idea where this is going and how it's going to look.

Once I got all 82 blocks finished, I started working on coming up with a more realistic layout -- which is often a struggle for me. I can get wildly caught up in overthinking and trying to make things perfect. But I refuse. Good enough is good enough today.

It's not perfect, but I'm not planning to tweak it any farther. At 9 blocks square, I managed to use all but one of the finished blocks, and it should finish around 46 inch square -- if everything goes as planned that is!!

I should be able to get the top sewn together in the next day or two, and I think the backing will come together easily from the yardage I have. So, in theory, that part should be quick... I'm still thinking a striped binding, and I still want to do black and white -- but, I still think that might be too bold in comparison to the other fabric choices... I really think I need to get most of the quilting done before I let myself be too distracted by binding shopping. I suspect I'll be dragging this quilt along to a local quilt shop to ask for help in picking just the right touch.

But, I'm thrilled to be this far along after so much time spent flailing around on triangles and other failures!

Quilting Practice

Getting this thing basted took me long enough that I didn't want to set any rules for getting it quilted. That might not be the best approach, but I learned a lot while I was working on it! And sometimes, I think it is good to have 'learning experience' projects instead of 'this needs to be good' projects...

The biggest lesson: I'm not sure I'm done quilting it...

I knew that I wasn't keeping the amount of quilting the same throughout the piece. I thought that wouldn't be an issue, even though I know that the 'rules' say that you should try to keep the quilting fairly similar throughout. Some of the 'lighter' blocks are okay, others are screaming out for more. The 'heaviest' block is almost too heavy, especially compared to everything else.

My quilting in this lovely green square is fairly heavy, for all that I was 'doodling' and had no plan for what I was doing! I kind of echoed the triangles, then got a little crazy filling in the rest of the open space. I started in this field, and quickly realized I didn't want to go that heavily throughout the rest of the quilt. I'd never finish at that rate! I wish I'd started elsewhere and saved this one for last -- it might have had a better concept for how much I wanted to do...

Meanwhile, the large block just over that is very lightly quilted, and I suspect needs a little more... My initial goal was to practice curves by going around those circles, but when my sewing machine light went out, it got even harder to copy. I added in some straight lines to help hold the fabric in place while I looped around, but when the light burned out, I tried to call that good enough.

It's not good enough. I really think I'll be working on this area again once I've got my machine working properly again (light replaced among other things). I might even break out my back up machine and work on it between now and then. The loops aren't looking too pretty, but I have lots of chances to be practicing on it and I would like to be more comfortable with this kind of quilting pattern. (This is another area where I struggle with the feed dog issue -- I tried dropping mine again, since the machine needs to go to the shop anyway, why not!? That was worse. Much worse. But using the feed dogs was a challenge too. Would a walking foot help here? I'm supposed to be ordering one, but have put it off trying to decide between a walking foot and a darning / free motion type foot.)

I aimed for a middle of the road amount of quilting in the two blue rectangles -- and I should have gone heavier. I also should have basted more carefully (apparently). I had pinned these blocks about every 2 inches, but it clearly wasn't enough -- as you can see in both, there's pulling and puckering all over those blocks! The central cheater block was traced stitch in the ditch style and looks good in person, for all that it's lightly quilted.

You can see the quilting a little better on the back, for all that it's quite busy fabrics! This is the back over the two large blue fields and the cheater block. I love the way the cheater one turned out!

Each of the little blocks was quilted differently, some better than others...

The pictured two are my favorites. Some of the others are... less lovely. But I'm not picking the quilting out. This is just a picnic / sleeping bag / camping kind of quilt; it's okay if it is less than lovely. It will help me feel good about it getting used -- and the practice and freedom to totally screw up parts of it have been good for my quilting skills.

I squared it up already, which meant losing some of the grey border from around the green field (sad moment, I really wanted to keep that), and it's really ready to bind -- except that the more I look at it the more I think I've got to go back to the largest field (top left) and work on some more of those circles. The blue fields would benefit from some pebble quilting if I could do that (unlikely to happen without free motion working properly!), but I might be able to convince myself to leave them alone. I haven't done anything in the light grey border around the cheater block, but if I'm putting this one back through the machine, I might come back to it too. All the borders are fairly simply quilted (a line or two) and could benefit from more work too.

I know there comes a point where you can over work a project, but I think this one needs just a little bit more. Then again, I also feel like I'm on a short time line with that other project, so this one might have to get a 'good enough' pass for now and come back after some use...

Test First!

I finished quilting the previously orphaned blocks / quilted sleeping bag / whatever project.

I know, I'm impressed with my restraint too.




I sorted my charm squares into piles (will use, might use/duplicate, and won't use)

Then I started testing how to make flying geese.

First, I tried a four in one approach that uses four background blocks.

The results don't look bad in the picture, but one of the four (bottom right) doesn't have enough allowance to use (user error, not tutorial error) and one of the two (top left) has an odd piece of another block's background in it (another user error). The process wasn't ideal, but it could be done and the results might be better next time through...

Next, I tried a four in one approach that uses a single, larger, background block.

Once again, one of the four doesn't have enough allowance to use. The other three need squaring up -- and my first attempt at doing so made them too tight to really use too. So much user error.

They look nice all lined up... but they just won't work how I need them to!

The tutorials were easy enough to follow, with good instructions and simple math. But I did not enjoy the process either way. And I need to make around 120 triangles.

Honestly, that sounds dismal.

And since I've already bought my fabric -- and can't justify buying a layer cake at this point -- I'm rethinking the plan.

Can I make triangles? Yes. Was it awful? No. But do I want to make 100-120 of them? No. And am I going to be able to do it in the amount of time I have to do this quilt? Probably not...

So, I'm rethinking -- and quickly. I need to be making blocks as quickly as I can!

Decisions, Decisions

Can you guess what the question is?

I finished basting the kiddo's intended sleeping bag / quilt -- though I have no idea how I'm going to finish it (giant zipper? binding and massive snaps? ties?), and started quilting it. Because it's been so long since I've actually quilted, and because this is kind of a 'use up the orphan blocks' project, I decided to play around a little instead of focusing on getting it done.

It's bee a challenge to feed the quilt through the machine over and over again, but I'm doing more of a 'doodle' style quilt so far than what I'm used to. It's fun, but tiring.

Since my machine needs a trip to the shop for a check up again soon, I'm tempted to try dropping the feed dogs again and see if that helps me doodle a little better. If my feed dogs came back up properly, it'd be easier to consider...

BUT

despite all the fun I'm having doodling and the fact that I'd really like to get this one done, there's something else calling my name:

This lovely little pile of fabric is the beginning of a quilt I need to make in the next 20 weeks. That sounds like a long time, but not if my feed dogs aren't working or if my machine is off at a shop for even a couple weeks. So maybe I need to be working on this project first -- or plan on piecing this project on my back up machine?

The Hazelwood charm pack, low volume bundle, and Wonderland (Rifle Paper Co / Cotton + Steel) yardage are all for the same planned quilt. If everything goes as I hope, it'll be something a little bit like this:

I've actually never made a 'flying geese' type quilt or block before, but I don't anticipate it being too challenging. I think the biggest challenge for me is going to be keeping all the seams lined up as I piece the top together!

My rough math suggests that I'll use most of the Hazelwood charms for the geese, and that this bundle is only the beginning of the low volume I'll need for the background. My plan is to make the geese, then cut the low volume into the size I need, and get my design wall into play before I do anything else!

My goal is for the Wonderland yardage to be the backing for this quilt. I'm thinking a black and white stripe binding -- but it might need to be less bold to go with the top. Maybe a light blue or gray stripe instead of the black?

So, the question is, do I keep quilting, or start pushing towards work in progress #20
-- surely that's not right, let me check -- Nope, I've actually finished some. If I start this it will be Work in Progress # 14. That's still utterly overwhelming... but better than I thought!

Progress Around Here

Hey -- stuff is happening! 

When was the last time I actually basted anything!? I honestly don't even know -- but I'm certain it's been a very long time.

We've rearranged the house, again, which gave me a working wall in the play area. So far, totally worth the effort.

Now if only I could find a shorter couch -- or one the cat will be less interested in shredding. Or both...

CQG Spider Web Quilt -- Day 1 & 2

Our Dresden Plate quilt is being quilted right now -- which honestly puts it months above where I expected! -- and we've started in on our next challenge. 

I've been wanting to make another spider web quilt for years, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Our strips are already cut into various widths and lengths, and we're using up some of the leftover white background fabric from the Dresden Plate quilt, so it is an effortless beginning. 

I'm going to try chain piecing 3 or 4 strips at a time on Day 2 and see if that speeds up the process. Since both our meetings for April are at the beginning of the month, I'd like to make some serious progress on Day 2 or this one will threaten to drag on for months.

***           ***

Day 2

As always, the second day on a pattern went much more smoothly, even with several people who were on their first day. We went from 5 or 6 triangles to 24 completed triangles, and several more went home with people to be worked on over time.

In fact, it went so well that we're forced to face a new issue -- we might not have enough strips cut! We'll have to check through the official stash for the rest of this pull, but at least two of us are checking on our personal stashes to see if we can come up with more coordinating fabric!

I've pieced some of the triangles together into squares (11.5 inch square, trimmed), but not all of them. I've been trying to keep up so far, but now that we're considering adding other coordinating fabrics, I want to hold off so they can be well mixed in when the top is pieced.

This feels like a good start -- but we've certainly got a long ways to go!

Here's hoping we can make at least 20 more at next meeting!