Just Staring Into Space

I started machine quilting my Abundance quilt.  But I ran out of thread.

So, I decided to work on my Kaffe Fassett Bordered Diamonds quilt- which has been on my design wall for almost a year now.  I have sewn some of the borders on the diamond blocks. But, I'm still not satisfied.

I'm second guessing my fabric selection.  I'm  over analyzing my fabric placement.  I'm obsessing over this quilt and I feel like I'm stuck in quicksand...immobilized and slowly sinking.

But then again, I think it's the damn heat!  How can it be a humid 100 degrees?  No wonder I'm just staring into space.

Oh, and yes.  I realize my car interior is very dusty.  But if I I think it is too hot and miserable to quilt, then it is definitely too hot and miserable to clean.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall 2012

With the time change back from Daylight Savings Time, it suddenly got a lot cooler here in Southern California.  We also had a couple days of rain. 

Fall also marks the start of the new television season, a visit from my dad, travel or road trip with him, and a new applique project.

This year, I have decided to start on "Abundance". This is my first fall themed quilt. It is a Verna Mosquera pattern.  My friend Lynn attended her retreat a few years ago.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join her but I did purchase the pattern and a kit with some of the fabrics she used.  I've completed a few blocks already.  So, I've decided to post them here as I complete them.  I started with a relatively easy block- the pilgrim's hat.

I am using wool felt for the berries on the twig.

Here are some strange gourds- the kind with the nubby growth that's gross and fascinating at the same time.  Has anyone actually cooked and tasted them?

And finally, a wishbone.

In case you are wondering, it took a couple weeks to complete these blocks.  I haven't really been tracking the number of hours it takes to complete an applique quilt.  I should do that just to see how long it actually takes.  

I am still working on 2 other projects- the Bordered Diamond quilt from the Kaffe Fassett workshop is on my design wall.  And I am still machine quilting the Berries and Bluebird applique top.  I like to work on 2 or 3 projects simultaneously and switch back and forth.  

Before I end today's post, I'd like to share some sad news.  Yolanda Radig, founder of the Orange County Modern Quilt guild, passed away from cancer last month.  She is OCMQG's first President and she has touched the lives of many people who will surely miss her.    Although I did not know her very intimately, I will always have positive memories of her.  Yolanda was generous, gracious, encouraging and always enthusiastic.  She was also a gifted quilter and I have admired her quilts and her color selection.  The image below is from her blog and it is a tribute and a reminder of a fearless warrior who will always be an inspiration to me.  

Good night, Yolanda.  It was a pleasure to have known you.  

Bordered Diamond Workshop with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably

Last week, I was very fortunate to have attended a workshop with Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably.  It was held at a resort in San Diego and it was definitely a fun-filled day.

So much to tell and lots of pictures to share.  I was so excited to take this workshop.  I have been collecting Kaffe Fassett fabrics since 2001 and I have been holding back on cutting them because they are just too beautiful to cut.  I also own a few of his books.  Was I start struck?  Absolutely.

Let me start by saying that the workshop was almost cancelled at the last minute but Kim and Jac at Starry Night Hollow worked a miracle for this class to push through.  Kaffe and Brandon were supposed to arrive the evening before the workshop and they were flying in from Arizona to San Diego.  But because of the fog, they were forced to fly back to Arizona.  Weather cleared up a bit and they flew out again to San Diego.  But, they were still unable to land so they flew back to Arizona a second time.

There were no other flights to San Diego so they were almost forced to cancel the class.  But, Kim and Jac found them a flight to Orange County at 8:30 in the morning and drove them down in time for the 10:00 am workshop.  So, here's Kaffe and Brandon with barely 5 hours of sleep but they were fully committed to getting us through the workshop and having a good time.

First, a few house rules:  flash photography, sitting down and over-thinking are definitely not allowed.  We were not allowed to use flash because it was too distracting and hard on Kaffe's eyes, so some of the pictures are not of the best quality but you get the gist.  What was encouraged was singing, dancing and trading fabrics with other classmates.   We had the Beatles playing while we worked.

We were told not to pre-cut the diamonds ahead of time so that Kaffe could review our selection prior to starting.  Then we were instructed to work quickly and cover our design boards as fast as possible so that Kaffe and Brandon could go around and provide us some suggestions on fabric placement and replacement.

Holy cow!  I felt like I was on the Amazing Race.  Everyone was cutting fabric feverishly.  No time to think and over-analyze.  I was reluctant to cut into some of my stash but I'd rather have the fabric end up on my quilt than in a box for the next 20 years!  I was cutting fabric so fast I was seriously concerned about slicing off my finger or my wrist!

Kaffe and Brandon were both very helpful and friendly and gave us very good suggestions.  Some of my fabrics were voted off the board and some unexpected ones made it on. After a nice lunch on the patio, we worked some more.  By this time, we were a lot more comfortable "borrowing" and trading fabrics with other classmates.  I wish we all cut up 10 extra diamonds just so we can trade with others like trading cards.  That would have been fun.

So, an hour before the end of the workshop, we all had to stop working and Kaffe and Brandon took us around everyone's board and provided some critique on the unique qualities of each.  Here are some photos of everyone's board.  Some were on the more softer, pastel side and some were dark and smoky.  All were gorgeous!

Here's Kaffe giving his comments on my design board.

Here's a few more.

And finally, Kaffe and Brandon signed our books.  Isn't Brandon cute?  He's wearing a shirt made out of fabric he designed (Dapple) with Guinea Flowers ribbon trim.

Come to think of it, he sort of looks like a guy I dated 10 years ago.  But he didn't have Brandon's fun personality.  And here I am (looking really rough and tired at the end of the day).  Kaffe and Brandon called me Miss Pink.

A few people brought Show and Tell.  Aren't they just gorgeous and yummy?

Here's Kaffe's quilt from the book Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts. 

I had such a great time and I can't wait to finish my quilt.  Kim and Jac did such a great job to make this workshop a success!  I would definitely take another Kaffe and Brandon workshop in a heartbeat!  But first, let's get this quilt done.

Free Motion Quilting- My Favorite Tools

I'm in the middle (literally) of quilting my Berries and Bluebirds quilt.

I am halfway done and I thought I'd share with you my quilting set up.  I have a foldable sewing table and to support the weight of the quilt, I put another folding table behind my sewing machine so my quilt can lay out instead of drag on the floor.

I have used the Supreme Slider for a couple of years and I swear by it.  It really helps glide my quilt around the table and it is indispensable.  For those who are unfamiliar with this, the Supreme Slider is a Teflon coated sheet of material that you lay on your sewing surface.  Since it is slick but not sticky, your quilt slides on the surface easily for free motion quilting.  It is important to tape it to your table.  As you can see, I have inadvertently sewn the Supreme Slider to the back of my quilt a time or two and have had to rip it out.

I have the 8 x 11.5 size and it is getting a little ratty and torn so I thought about getting a replacement but it is not cheap.  A few other bloggers and quilters have recommended using an oven liner (a Teflon sheet used to catch drips in your oven for easy cleaning).  So, I thought I'd make a $10.00 investment and try one out.

I love it!  It is very similar at a fraction of the cost.  The one I got from Walmart is black (no other colors were available) and it is 30 inches wide so it covers my entire table.  You just need to position it on your table and cut a hole for your needle.

Since it is made from Teflon, you can also use the sheet for protecting your iron and ironing board from fusible webbing.  If you do crafting with a hot glue gun or rubber stamping, you can also use this to protect your table.  I'm not trying to take business away from the makers of the Supreme Slider.  As I said, I love their product.  However, in this economy, I can't afford to spend a lot of money and have had to find a more affordable substitute.

The next FMQ tool I highly recommend is Sharon Schamber's Quilt Halo.  I saw her demonstrating this a couple years ago at the Long Beach International Quilt show and it does help alleviate strain on your hands and shoulders when free motion quilting.  The rubber surface on the ring grips the fabric of your quilt so you don't have to work so hard to move your quilt around.  I have used quilting gloves in the past but I find it a hassle having to take off my gloves every time I want to re-thread my sewing machine.

My favorite marking tool is the Pilot Frixion.  You can get this pen at a quilt store or any office supply store, Target, Walmart, etc.  I also use this pen for tracing Redwork or embroidery patterns onto fabric.  The nice part about it is the marking disappears with the touch of a hot iron.  This pen has only been in the market for a couple of years so who knows if the ink will reappear in the future.  I've heard that it does in very cold temperature (i.e. if you put the fabric in the freezer).  But since I live in Southern California, I am not too worried about the temperature dropping below 32F.  

I have tried the water soluble pens you normally find at JoAnns- the kind you have to saturate with water to make the ink disappear.  The bad news is that the ink never really goes away. It does tend to reappear in a few years like the annoying ex-boyfriend you thought you had completely eradicated from your life.

Moving on...here's another good tip I learned from a teacher.  Use a piece of clear plastic and lay it on top of your quilt to audition quilting patterns.  Use a dry erase marker so you can wipe it off with a tissue and  re-use.

Most important, change your needle frequently and use good quality thread to avoid skipped stitches and thread breakage.  If you have any tools or tips for successful free motion quilting, I'd love to hear from you.

Next week, I will be taking a workshop with Kaffe Fassett.  I am so excited!  I love his fabric and have a few in my collection from 10 years ago.  I don't know if I can even cut into those.  I was at Cotton and Chocolate last month and bought a few Kaffe fabric in jewel tones.  This wonderful lady helping me (I wish I could recall her name) is also taking a workshop with Kaffe Fassett- but in Carpenteria.  So, I am curious how her quilt will turn out.  I am really hoping to learn more about color from Kaffe.