St. Stephens Quilted Quadriad

Thank God

2008-07-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

Tracy wrote:

Yes, there will be more pictures. We figured it out - there's about 90 square feet of quilt there (2x7, 6x7, 2x7 and 4x5'). It also took me about 90 hours of at-the-machine-with-my-foot-on-the-pedal machine quilting. We have all sorts of numbers (how many spools of thread, yards of fabric, etc.) that we'll share. Soon.

And I realize that I didn't finish the machine quilting description, leaving you at Step 2 or something like that. I'll add that, too, if you're really all that interested.

If you want to take the trip with us from the beginning, start ta-clickin' on the Week numbers on the sidebar over there on the left.

Oh, and if there's a design or construction detail that was NOT discussed ad nauseum and you actually WANT to know about it, feel free to ask. I have a little bit more free time now, doncha know.

I am NOT amused

2008-06-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Tracy wrote:

Ooohh, aaahhhh

AARRGH!

For those you who don't know what you're looking at, this is the backside of the bee-yoo-tiful and complicated quilting in the first picture. There was apparently a thread tension problem. Those bright spots are little and not-so-little loops of the front (and expensive) thread pulled through to the back. This is not good. I'll need to remove all of the stitching and re-do it.

Oh, and sorry if the second picture gives you motion sickness. I really WASN'T shaking with rage (or any other emotion)... though it occurs to me that it's been quite a while since breakfast...

March 15 is National Quilting Day

2008-06-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Jean wrote:

The narrow top is done. Including the embroidered corners. I've started the rose center and have tested an embroidered rose for the rose window corners. Also, the extra band is sewn to the big one and a piece of batting pinned in place at the side. You don't need it for the border quilting, so I just pinned.

National Quilting Day, huh? Well, my creativity will extend to the structural quilting on the narrow one. I'll drop it by on my way home from church - certainly not on my way there!

We will get them done - notice how I keep saying that. Between the sewing, putting them up, Easter vigil and then both services on Easter, I'm looking forward to Monday the 24th!!

God Deserves Some Bling

2008-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Jean wrote:

I love working with metallic thread - it looks so elegant, so I've been playing with design elements for the narrow quilt corners and the rose window corners.

The silver and gold design (above) is the Trinity symbol. The rose is something I'm just testing - rose, rose window - get it? It's always wise to test a design on scrap fabric. That print is not really going into the quilt.

I just finished my second 500 yard spool of black thread. And started a third.

Hanging Out? Watch Out for Security!

2008-06-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Jean wrote:

Hopefully, the quilts will be installed this Saturday, the 22nd. While the rose window quilt will be attached to a wooden frame with velcro and the frame permanently attached to the wall, this is an unusual installation to say the least. Still, if it's 14-18 feet up the wall, it probably won't be taken down weekly (or even annually) for cleaning.

The standard way for a quilt to get "hung" is to hand sew a 4" wide open sleeve across the top, preferably down an inch or two from the very top. The picture here shows another quilt with a rod through the sleeve. The sleeve is sewn with a pleat at one edge so when mounted, the quilt will hang flat and not curl over the rod.

The size is standard for quilt shows, where the quilts are hung on wide wooden rods. The sleeve also protects the cloth of the quilt itself from stains or abrasion from the hanging rod.

In our installation, the two narrow lower quilts will have a standard sleeve, while the center larger quilt will have two sleeves with an opening between them to allow for the rod to be supported by a center support as well as at both sides. We did buy good, heavy ¾" rods, so they should not bend or bow with time.

Okay, what's this about security? Well, believe it or not, there are quilt thieves. Hard to believe, isn't it? But some quilts are like art pieces - not simply a bunch of fabric and thread, any more than a painting is a piece of paper or canvas and paint. Color, design and workmanship determine the value of quilts, as well as age for antique quilts.

There is an entire quilt appraisal industry out there. An expert appraisal is needed for any insurance value beyond the replacement value of the materials. Time doesn't count with routine insurance such as replacement house insurance or insurance when being shipped. Time only counts when it's part of an appraisal value.

People occasionally maliciously damage quilts. A few years back, a vendor at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX - one of the largest and most prestigious in the country - threw bleach at a quilt, which, needless to say, damaged it and the surrounding quilts quite a bit.

Why? He didn't like the naked woman portrayed on the quilt.

So what do quilters do about security? At one end is nothing - a completely anonymous quilt that says nothing about the quilt, the quilter or when or why it was created. At the opposite pole is the insertion of a grain-of-rice size microchip into the quilt, just like the ones inserted under the skin of pets in case they get lost. We haven't done that - yet - as it involves purchase, insertion and registration.

Labels are frequently attached to quilts and can contain a variety of information - the quilters' names, date of completion and perhaps the occasion. Labels should be sewn to the quilt and then quilted through to prevent unscrupulous people removing the label!

We chose two types of labels:

The stitched labels will be part of the quilt backings except for the larger rectangular quilt, which has a very artistic label done by Tracy on the front.

Ever wonder what St. Stephen is pointing to in the wood carving? Tracy has solved that mystery!

So our labels are integral parts of the quilts themselves, hard to remove but not as informative as the microchips. As each microchip costs $38, and I'm not sure if the registration costs anything, that may be a future security measure.

Just thought you'd want to know how we are trying to protect your investment.

The Value (and Cost) of Quilts

2008-06-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Tracy wrote:

You're probably able to get a rough idea of how much time Jean and I have spent on this project. Our treasurer (and those she chooses to tell) knows how much most of the supplies cost.

The thing is, with an art quilt, there's also the art part. That's why Jean talked about professional appraisals. Yes, I know that you could just pop over to Linens ‘N Things or Wal-Mart to pick up a quilt for your guest bedroom, and you'll get (I assume) a pretty quilt that will last at least a year or so and it won't cost a lot of money.

But what if you want a hand-made heirloom? What if you have an idea of the intrinsic and historical value of a NON-mass produced quilt? Do you want art? Do you want the comfort of a 'snuggle-up' that is so lovingly created that you can feel it every time you wrap it around yourself or a loved one? (If that’s what you need, check out Jane Brunk's quilts. They're like hugs you can carry with you where ever you go - you can just FEEL the love.)

Okay,I might have gone off on a tangent there for a minute. Caryl Bryer Fallert, one of the premiere quilt artists of the 20th (and into the 21st) century, has a website that shows some of her quilts that are for sale or that have been sold. Go have a look, I'll wait (while you're there, notice the sizes and prices ::gasp!::).

Click Here to See the Art Quilts
A discussion with the artist about pricing is a serious eye-opener, in which she points out (among many, many other things) something obvious, but frequently forgotten: Skilled labor costs more than unskilled labor.

Wow. There I go again. Was there a point? Maybe not. Maybe it was to give you, dear readers, something to think about. Or maybe just an excuse to go surf the web a bit and see some pretty, pretty pictures.

NEW! The New Filing System

2008-02-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Dear Readers,

The blog was becoming quite cumbersome, loading every picture and post each time you came to visit. The phrase "like an elephant skipping through peanut butter" comes to mind.

I haven't dumped any of the information, just changed the labelling so that there are 5 or 6 posts on each page, instead of the 41 there was when I had this bright idea.

The labels are cleverly titled as "week one", "week two", etc. (I guess my cleverness for the week has been used up) and you can get to them from the sidebar.

No, these really aren't posts from weeks one through whatever. They're just sets of 5 posts.

You can still click on the more descriptive labels (design, kaleidoscope, etc.) on the sidebar to get to posts that talk about those specific things.

Happy (and speedy) reading.

Let the Quilting Begin!

2008-02-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Woo-hoo! I've actually done some quilting on the first panel! Look!

Okay, so it's the back of the quilt. But the first round is quilted - the straight and incredibly hidden utility quilting, to keep everything lined up and stabilized. And wow, Jean, you were right - that black fabric just sucks all of the light into itself!

Time to press, stretch, press and quilt - 200 minutes, or 3/4 of "Honor Among Thieves" audio book (abridged), by Jeffrey Archer. I expect that the next one will not take quite as long.

(Oh, and that's Keith standing on a stool behind the quilt - remember, it's over 7 feet long.)

I've also identified the quilting motifs for the border and the kaleidoscope blocks. Now to trace them all out.... !

Leading done!

2008-02-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Hot dang! I finished the rose window leading. The little Clover iron was a must, as it had to fit in between the leading lines. I just left it on the entire time I was sewing down the leading so I could reattach loosened sections.

The circular leading was so easy (it was about time something was easy). Only one start and stop per circle, so I just ironed and sewed, ironed and sewed.

Boy, that black leading really eats up the light. I just aimed the needles where I wanted them to go, as my eyes could only see black. When the sun came out, I saw stitches! I'd recommend you set up your machine outside on a sunny day to do those borders!!

Spent most of yesterday morning online looking for things to put in the triangular corners of the rose window. I bought a few things as well as the scroll cross.

Auditioning Thread

2008-02-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Although the utility quilting was done with black thread, the fancy quilting will be done with (mostly) fancy thread.

After dragging out some specialty threads that ranged from subtle to gaudy, Jean and I narrowed it down to a handful. After Jean went home, I narrowed it down some more (!)

The first thing to do is to unravel a yard or two of thread from each spool and pile it up on the quilt top.

What I was looking for was something that had zing, but didn't set off my (fairly sensitive) gaudy-alarms.

I ended up with these possibilities/probabilities:

Top two are black rayon and silver holo[graphic]-shimmer; bottom (left to right) are black metallic, rainbow holo-shimmer and opalescent holo-shimmer
Eventually the black rayon was taken out of the mix, because of that whole "suck the light out" black Kona cotton thing. The rayon would only catch the light if a) the quilt was moved around or b) the light source moved - and since I don't expect either of those things to happen once the quadriad is installed, it got rejected.

Next up was to take the threads for a test drive, to see how they held up to the cotton, and if they had the proper zing. I encourage you to click on each picture to see the larger version:

(This is NOT one of the motifs that will be going on the quilt.)

I quilted the motif using all four of the target threads - you can see where I've written their color number in the corners. The picture was taken in full-on sunlight so I could see maximum sparkle and determine if it was zing, or just plain gaudy.

Here it is again, in less dramatic lighting. The black here is much closer to real-life.

All of the threads passed the "test" on the suck-the-light-out cotton. They also behaved in the machine - metallic threads frequently shred in the eye of the needle - and the back of the sample even looked good!

Now that I've found the right threads, my next step is to call the quilting/fabric shops to see if these specific brands and colors are carried locally. I do NOT want to get partway through and have to change threads. You know that having different threads where they are supposed to be the same would send me over the edge.

You do know that, don't you?

She's not so quick, but she's clever

2008-02-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

I've been trying to keep track, and (based on the number of audio books that I've listened to), I'm at about 72 hours for machine quilting.

Yes, 72 hours sitting at my sewing machine. I'm not telling you this because I'm looking for a poor baby. No exclamations of awe are required. It's just background to what I'm about to share.

I have to take my glasses off when machine quilting. Usually I stick them in the neckline of my sweatshirt (greatly increasing the probability of smudges from my chin when I look down just so). Sometimes I live dangerously and lay my glasses on my sewing table - running the risk of losing them amongst the clutter (and of course it's hard to look for my glasses when I can't see because I'm not wearing my glasses).

71.5 hours into my quilting odyssey, I had an idea.

Here's my cel-phone purse thing-y, larks-headed over the neck of my quilting floor lamp that's located between me and my sewing machine.

Where do I sign up for the local Mensa group?

I Only Make It Look Easy, Part One

2008-02-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Okay, my last post mentioned the estimated number of hours I've spent at my sewing machine, just quilting and not sewing.

I am constantly amazed by the amount of time it takes me to quilt (actually, I'm amazed at the time it takes me to do pretty much anything at the sewing machine). I mean, it's sit down, sew one or maybe two squiggly lines and move on, right? Why, then, does it take me at least 45 minutes and usually over an hour to do one single block?

In an effort to document the how/what/when/where/why... well, that might be too ambitious, but let's try this, step by step.

First off, not even included in the at the sewing machine time, there's the three D's: determine-design-duplicate.

I start by looking for and assessing potential quilting motifs. This involves looking through my library at home - both in books and on my computer, checking out the city libraries, surfing the web, and sitting down with pencil and paper (and a mega-eraser).

Once I find something that looks possible, I then have to figure out if it's quilt-able. Well, I guess everything's quiltable, but I'm hoping for the thing that will give the biggest bang for the buck (and create the fewest gray hairs while doing so).

F'r instance, this motif is quite cool, but it would drive me to drink. So many stops and starts and backtracks!

This one is also cool, and I can "walk the maze" in a continuous line. If you trace the motif with your fingertip on the screen, you'll find that this one will is made up of two continuous lines.

I've already accepted the sad fact that whatever I will be quilting will have crossed lines - the over/under weaving knot stuff (which I absolutely love) is not realistic for any more than a one-time thing*.

*Refer back to the gray hair and drinking comments*

Once I've got some 'possibles', then it's time to do some graphic manipulation. In the event that I've gotten a motif from an online source or from my computer, it just begins with opening the file. If it's from a book or a drawing, there will be scanning involved.

Once I open the file in my graphics program, I can then clean it up by removing stuff I don't want to use, or combining two different designs into one. After that, it's mucking around to make the motif into the correct size (1/2 inch smaller than the block size) and then printing. (that's 3 minutes, 3 seconds just to open and resize an existing, already-cleaned-up motif)

That's it for TWO of the D's: Determine and Design. Next up is Duplicate. And I'm still not at the sewing machine.

The Time Out

2008-02-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Okay, Steve is getting a time-out while I ponder his headgear. I thought I had it figured out, then Keith wandered by and put in his two cents. As is usual, when Keith gives a color/fabric suggestion, it kicks the backside of whatever I've been messing with for the previous 30 minutes. It's the only decision (that I know of) that he makes lightning-fast, and he hasn't been wrong yet.

So, why is Steve getting a time out? Mainly because I wore myself out trying to find something that was BETTER than what Keith suggested. That didn't happen. I had to go take a nap.

The Motif Search Begins

2008-02-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Okay, I got out the small panel and measured it. From seam to raw edge, all 4 borders are 3". Taking away 1/4" for binding and leaving 1/4" *air* on each side of a motif gives me a width of 2.25" with which to work.

Measuring horizontally, I get 24.5", raw-to-raw.

VERTICALLY, I get 85.25". Is that right? I could have measured incorrectly (there aren't many uncluttered places that are 7' long or longer in my house).

Through some serious math-gymnastics, listening to Mr. Algebra spouting off just like HE hadn't slept through HIS classes, and a touch of pin-the-tail-on-the-fraction, I've come up with a projected motif size of 2.25 x 9.5".

Okay, true confession here: The math-nastics actually led me to 2.25 x 4.75", but when I figured out that I was going to hand-draw FORTY motifs for just ONE of the SMALL quilts, I got inventive. It was either that or a(nother) nap, and it was already 9:30 at night.

Don't bother trying to figure how my figurin' works out. It's kinda like a secret ingredient. Or magic.

Trust me.

Next up, going through 5 or 10 inspiration books for... uh... inspiration.

Do you think that we should share the quilting theme?

Re: The Motif Search Begins

2008-02-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Yep - 85.25 or 85.5 depending on the amount of stretch. The pattern is right between the two, so I guess we're as close as we're going to get.

BTW, the side borders were cut at 3.25, while the top and bottom borders were cut at 2.75, so all 4 borders aren't 3" unless the top and bottom have grown. Be careful. From seam to raw edge, top and bottom should be 2.5.

Maybe share the theme of the quilting a little later. It's only the beg of Feb. Hard to believe we've just started the 2nd month. Well, okay, the first week is gone, and there's only 3 weeks in March.

Talk about tedium. I've been taping and taping and trimming and taping the rose window. Then bias taping. I just started the third wheel of bias, so for sure we're going to need at least 5. That narrow quilt takes 8 yards just going up and down the white strips.

The Drawing Board

2008-02-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Okay, I had a brilliant inspiration for the quilting pattern for quilt borders. One or two readers even got a preview of said brilliant inspiration.

Oh, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Until I put pencil to paper. After resizing (2.25 x 9.5") and the necessary simplification (so that a human could stitch the pattern) it was, well, boring. Boring and unrecognizable as anything even remotely resembling brilliant. Back to the drawing board.

Here's my drawing board:

Included are things that measure, things to help draw shapes, tracing paper, things that mark things, a major-league eraser-on-a-stick, and the Very Important Things: Coffee and a book on tape. It took 4 Miss Marple short stories to come up with a workable border motif (or two).

Getting the Lead Out

2008-02-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:
(It's getting harder and harder to come up with snappy titles!)

Jean wrote:

Ta dah! I got all the trimming and underneath taping done on the rose window as well as almost used up the fourth package of bias tape.

So I've started sewing down the bias radially. When all that is sewn, then I get to put the bias down in 7 circles from the center out. But I'm so happy that the pieces are not flying around anymore.

God's Beauty

2008-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

I was awakened at 6:30 this morning by the snow plow. I excitedly got up and in the dark went out on the porch and measured 1 1/2" of white, fluffy snow. I was instantly glad I was retired and didn't have to worry about going down the hill to Clark.

So I went upstairs to work on the borders which would complete the first narrow quilt top. The measurements, cutting and sewing went so smoothly, I was oohhing and aahhing as the quilt top came together.

It was getting light out so I raised the sheer shade of my sewing room window and just stared at the beauty outside. I felt so small.

Here I was so excited about the colors and patterns of the quilt top, thinking they were so beautiful, and here was grandeur out my own window.

I don't normally sew large quilts, so these quadriad quilts are large by my standards, but not by Tracy's, as she does queen size quilts without blinking. But looking at the snow on every single branch, I realized how small my efforts were by comparison. Here was beauty on a grand scale with exquisite detail and pattern that I could never match.

Still, I was involved in making something for God's dwelling place, and that is special in itself. Creating that quilt while being surrounded by God's beauty is both a humbling and inspiring experience.

Bump In the Road

2008-01-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Jean worked so hard to get one of the 4 quilts finished so that I could start applying mass quantities of thread to it. (The last large quilt I did had over a mile of thread ON it - that didn't count what was used to put it together in the first place) She unveiled it while we were at a meeting in Vancouver.

The quilt top is stunning. I know, it's not fair to say that and not show a picture, but there ya go. Absolutely stunning.

The quilt top is also still in Vancouver. I managed to leave it safely stashed under the coffee table next to where I was sitting. Didn't remember it until we were past Ridgefield, and it was late in the day and it was rain-snow-slush-Slurpee-ing, so we didn't turn around and go back to get it.

Guess what I'm doing on Friday?

Woot!

2008-01-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Steve's got clothes! He is also ::gasp!:: HAND-BASTED together, all but his hair. What a pain in the patoot!

Okay, there's one more bit of cloak to add (below the elbow), and painting/shading to do on the white.

Upon seeing the photo (that won't be shared in the blog) Keith commented that Steve looked really good. He realizes that when seeing ol' Steve up-close-and-personal, it's hard to see the forest for the trees (or some such thing).

Next up is everything above the eyebrows. heh.

The Saint's New Clothes

2008-01-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

All the time I've been working on Steve's ensemble, there's been a low-grade "Emperor's New Clothes" story perking in the back of my brain. Go figure.

Since we've decided not to reveal much more of Steve on the blog, I decided I'd give a

mind-numbingly-boring
blow-by-blow

of SOME of the ::gasp!:: handwork (yes, I believe I always DO gasp before doing handwork) that goes into making the Saint's New Clothes.

Before even touching the already-painted fabric, I trace a section of Steve (in this instance it's part of his cloak) onto a specially-treated tissue paper. No, it's not all that exotic (you do remember my fancy painting studio, don't you?) - it's the paper that the 'girls' put on the manicure table when you get fake nails. Waxed/plastic'd on one side, tissue-y on the other. Useful for a multitude of tasks, almost as important as Glad Wrap Press 'N Seal in my sewing arsenal.

Okay. Trace a section, roughly cut it out. Find the fabric, iron it (again), lay the tissue on the fabric and cut the fabric to the kinda-same-size-and-shape.

Find a clean but ancient piece of unbleached muslin. Iron it. Lay the muslin on the paper pattern and trace the outline with a blue or red chalk pencil.

Hey! Now the pictures start! Lay the drawn-upon muslin on the fabric, put obnoxiously-colored thread in the sewing machine (both top and bobbin) and sew along the chalk line with basting stitches.

I learned on this first one to break up the lengths of basting on long sections, to make it easier to remove the basting later. Of course I learned this the hard way, since this piece is the largest of all that are being "processed" this way.

Using, at times, two sticks and a fingernail (but always at least one stick), fold back the raw edge and press. Clip or notch as required.

Corners and tight spaces really require sticks, fingernails, steam and holding my mouth just right. (Occasionally I belted out a few notes from "God Bless America", but that was only when the iron collided with my skin.)

This picture shows making a little "edge" that's about 5 threads wide. It's a piddly thing and won't be identifiable from 20 feet away, but it does make a difference in the overall shape of the ... uh... shape.

Sheesh, did you actually get this far through the yawn-fest? The final piece, with all of the edges pressed under, ready to be pinned to the wall like a pretty butterfly.

Yeah. I did that. To all of the big and little pieces. Then I ::gasp!:: hand-basted all of the pieces of the puzzle together.

Inspiration and Collaboration

2008-01-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

The center quilt awaits Steve. His fans, or rather his kaleidoscopes are anxious to meet him.

It suddenly occurred to me, that beside Nadelstern's workshop, I was looking at the inspiration for the quilt everyday. It was my living room rug!

And while I work on the center quilt (waiting for Tracy to finish dressing Steve and finding a suitable background) and the rose window, the 2nd narrow quilt pieces comfortably wait their turn.

I was talking with my Woodland friends Saturday eve over dinner at Playa Azul in Kalama, and telling them what a joy it is to work in this collaboration with a person who truly collaborates. It's easy for two people to try to control all aspects of a project instead of just doing their part. What a pleasant experience!

Though it has been referred to in a number of posts, here's a picture of the Stargazer Fabric - before it was turned into Swiss cheese!

One Cutting Marathon Ended

2008-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Whew! I finished cutting out all the stargazer squares that I'll need for the 2nd narrow quilt and the remainder of the large one. I JUST had enough. How "just"? If there were 2" less, there wouldn't have been enough! That's scary. An angel must have whispered into my ear to get 5 yards.

My back will appreciate not cutting out anymore. I haven't even counted how many there were - GOBS...

Squeezing Out Some Squares

2008-01-24T22:30:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Okay, I double-checked the measurements - ignored what you put on the sticky and found this info. I wrote down what you said. I cut a 6 1/4" template. I ironed the fabric. I found a purty spot on the fabric.

I counted motifs. Before drawing or cutting. What a concept, eh? There are only 7. As in, I can't cut 8 regular 6 1/4" squares and 8 reverse 6 1/4" squares.

But, I thought that I was only cutting the last block - ? That's only 4 of each, isn't it?

Well, anyway the problem is that I can't cut 8 of each.

Re: Squeezing Out Some Squares

2008-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Okay, I'll bring all the rest of the swiss cheese opulence tomorrow, unless you want it today. I think then you'll be able to do it. I need 4 blocks. Instead of 16 little B blocks (above and below Steve), I decided 4 large blocks would be more sane. I know I thought I could just cut 16 pieces from fabric and now do pieced blocks, but that's just as crazy.

Let me know if you want to mark and cut today to get it over with. Otherwise I'll bring it tomorrow and you can give them to me on Tues.

I have ALL the stargazer blocks cut and only one set to sew making two sets of half blocks. Whoopppeeeee.

I'm planning on bringing you a narrow quilt Tuesday. There's a lot of quilting ahead.

Precision Problem

2008-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Aaarrgh - You know how particular I am about measuring and remeasuring and cutting precisely and sewing accurately. Well, take a look at this picture. Does anything look wrong???

(Note from Tracy: What you're looking at is that the ends of the black don't reach the lines on the board, like the print fabric does.)

Gosh, didn't I measure the black length correctly? Pin it correctly? Sew it carefully? YES I DID!! The kona cotton shrinks! I couldn't figure out why the strips of fossil fern and white were "long" but the pink opulence and black kona were turning out "short."

Suddenly, it occurred to me. The black is shrinking. So I took a 2 x 7 1/4" black strip and sprayed and pressed it, and then remeasured. The strip was a hair over 7". That's almost a seam allowance short.

So I cut 3 strips the full width of fabric, cut off the selvedge edges and sprayed and pressed the strips. Then I cut some and use them to piece. Do you see any improvement? NO!

So it should be fun piecing the lower quilt tops where there are so many kona black strips. See what you're missing?

A Precise Solution!

2008-01-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Aaaaahhhhh - Doesn't this look better?

How did this happen? I sprayed a long strip until it gurgled, and then lightly bounced the iron along the strip creating a good head of shrinking steam. Then I pressed the full width strip and cut strips to a slightly longer measurement. Then, repeated the spraying and pressing on each short strip, and finally cut to needed measurement. When sewn to the block, it's now the right size.

So, only 44 more strips to rip out and replace. Yeah, well, I should have stopped sooner, shouldn't I?

At least we have plenty of kona - to shrink.

Progress

2008-01-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

I have the A strips finished and one G strip (outside edges of large quilt). I'm cutting "white" and it's going to be very close as to whether or not I have enough. I may not, although I have a teeny bit of blue left.

Which quilt do you want first to quilt? The rose window, the large quilt, or pieces thereof, or one of the narrow quilts? I've stopped working on the rose window for now, as it was so meticulous, and I needed to do something easier for a while.

Comment

2008-01-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Edited to change timestamp to move this comment up from the bottom of the postings. This will hopefully make it easier to find the most recent postings by allowing the reader to scroll to the bottom of the screen.

Jean wrote:

I'm honored to work with an artist - one who can paint and create quilt designs. I've had 7 years of art and can't really paint. I can design and I can piece really well. But I'm not a good quilter or artist. That's why it's such a treat to work with Tracy.

Hmm. Sounds like a good formula for finding a husband. Wish I knew that 30 years ago.

Art is Not a Competitive Sport

2008-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Edited to change timestamp to move post up from the bottom of the screen...

Tracy wrote:

I ran across this article (or rant, however you read it) about people thinking that their art isn't "good enough":

Art is Not a Competitive Sport

I am so fortunate to be working with my good friend, Jean. She doesn't make me feel like I have to 'measure up' to her art, she's always willing to offer suggestions when I ask for them, and as we're working together-but-separately on this project, we're realizing how well we complement one another.

I am very fortunate, indeed.

Re: Progress and Division of Labor

2008-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

When you get on a roll, you get on a roll!

I have no preference on what quilt is finished first, quilting-wise, except the rose window *does* need to have a frame built for it.

You know, don't you, that you're going to come to a screeching halt on the large (center) quilt if Steve's not done.

And about your earlier question about if I'm going to be bent outta shape if I don't "get to" sew black leading? Nah. Though I WILL feel guilty if all I end up doing is Steve and cutting one kaleidoscope block.

More Progress and Division of Labor

2008-01-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Okay, you won't feel too bad after you quilt them all!

Here's a couple of pics so you can see how things are laying out together.

The newest strip is stargazer blocks with leading.

Making the Kaleidoscope Blocks

2008-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:
This is a sample of the Madame Butterfly Opulence fabric that will be used for the center blocks of the lower quilt. Although somewhat dark, it will be set off with the narrow white inserts between it and the Stargazer fabric.

Templates for the Opulence and Stargazer fabrics are cut to size needed for a particular block and then placed randomly on the fabric.

Using a black, narrow tip permanent pen, features of the fabric are copied onto the plastic template. Then lines are drawn on the fabric around the template. The fabric is cut out on these lines, leaving a swiss cheese hole in the fabric. The template is then moved to an identical location on another motif and another square piece is marked, matching the hints on the template.

After cutting 4 squares, the template is turned over with the front side down, and the process is repeated for four more squares.

Each set of squares are cut diagonally (one set from right to left, and the reverse set from left to right).

The halves are then matched and sewn to create a unique block.

If you think this is a bit ridiculous, don't blame us. This is a wondrous idea from Paula Nadelstern, a renowned New York quilter who designed the Opulence fabric and many award winning quilts using this kaleidoscopic technique.

That Tiny Iron

2008-01-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

I knew the rose window would be easier than Steve. Why do you think I volunteered to do the window! Steve is a centerpiece, a unique feature, and I don't think you should rush him "to keep up."

I see the window and Steve as equal perhaps in time and effort. Yours is creative effort, mine is grunt work.

Why the tiny iron? Because there are places where the pieces don't butt exactly and so the tiny iron can work around them. If not, the adhesive sticks. And I also have the window on the large white table. I don't want the large iron to unstick the melamine. I do have to put a piece of cardboard between the pellon and pattern and move it around as the adhesive does go through the pellon. I'm sure you'll have equally wondrous problems with Steve. The neat thing is that we can each think about solutions from afar for each other.

Do you need turn under applique if the leading is on the edge? Maybe we need 1/8" leading around the face and hand??

News of Steve

2008-01-13T00:13:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Steve has a neck now! His upper lip no longer glows! He also has a right arm! Woot!

His cloak is cut and the initial paint has been applied. It is a different type of application - lots more moisture - so the pieces of the cloak will need to dry before I can set the paint and continue with the shading.

And just now I realized that I have one more piece of cloak to cut and paint. Good thing I didn't break out the party hats yet.

I'm at the point where I'm going to have to start using THREAD and getting edges turned under so that I'm sure that the shadows, folds and highlights are falling in reasonable places.

::sigh:: Handwork. ugh.

Kaleidoscope Block progress

2008-01-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Regarding what I gave you today. Just make a 6 1/4" template, then cut 8 regular squares, and 8 squares in reverse. That will finish ALL of the 36 pink blocks. I have all the other 32 pink blocks sewn!!!!

I have 16 of the 46 stargazer blocks sewn. I'm making pairs of the blocks that are on different sides of the large nad narrow quilts. That makes for a symmetrical border as well as cuts in half the number of different templates that have to be made.

(picture is of the wrong side of stargazer blocks)

I'm keeping a lot of stargazer scraps. I can't bear to throw them away.

Oh, I have one extra sewn pink block and 1 or 2 cut pink blocks. We can use them for totes or handbags or placemats, or.......

My back hurts so it's time to sit and peruse the knitting books you so kindly brought today.

Oh, if you think the quilter identities are secret, think again. I heard Karen Rogers telling someone all about it. At least a few people saw the board and Margaret said it was very nice. So now to prepare next week's.

Oh, did I send you a beginning leading picture? If not, here it is.

First mistake

2008-01-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Okay, I've started piecing the large lower quilt - putting the leading between the A blocks (either side of Steve).

So first I trimmed the first A block to the finished size - duh. Luckily, I had some cut pieces from the workshop, so pulled them out, and there's only 7! Where oh where did one triangle go?? I mean, since they were in a bag...

But I'd rather match and cut one triangle than 8 more pink squares!
(Here's a pic for missing persons - uh - missing triangles. Just in case you sight it.)

Here's a pic of the leading between the A blocks.

BTW, when we were talking about division of labor, I don't remember if you wanted to be a part of the piecing. Putting the black leading in is a piece of cake after drawing, cutting and sewing all the blocks. No, I'm not done, but very close to having all the stargazer ones done. Or are you saving your sanity for the quilting?

I just don't want you to feel deprived in any way. I'm kind of on a roll.

The High-Tech Paint Studio

2008-01-10T23:45:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

You gotcher plastic wrap. You gotcher wax paper. You gotcher butcher paper. You gotcher nakkins. You gotcher dixie cups...

Yes, ladies and gents, it's <gasp!> The Studio of Tomorrow!

(I had to find something to do with those things in my kitchen!)

Color changes

2008-01-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

I changed three pieces in the green/blue wedges.

You can also see some of the first leading. I'm READY to buy the preglued black bias!!!! The kona cotton doesn't like to take the adhesive. I have to use the tiny iron and you have to really press hard. My hand will never make it.

One third is tacked down with the steam-a-seam strips. Is Steve still naked, or does he have a cloaking device?

Re: Color changes

2008-01-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Wow! Oh, wow, oh, wow!

Look at how much you've gotten done - wow! None of the greens or blues jump out at me. I am particularly enamored of the diamonds surrounding the white arcs. Wow.

So, what's the deal with the adhesive? Are you having to iron it to the leading? Why do you have to use the tiny iron? (inquiring minds...) Can I help, or take over the hard part, or something?

I can see where the leading is started in the picture. It is going to make SUCH an impact.

Did I mention? --- WOW!

Okay, Steve is still unclothed, but he's not bald. It's still early in the game and I'm starting to wonder/worry about how he's going to come together. Part of him is fused, part will be turn-under applique. ALL of him will be attached to a background TBC (to be created) - I'm trying to figure how to build him before the backing is birthed (it's barely a twinkle right now).

And leading him? It's giving me gas. I think I'll wait until he's completely done and then figure out what to do.

You have SO much more to show for your week than I do, but them's the breaks I guess.(Wow!)

Steve's new 'do

2008-01-07T23:37:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

I definitely need to tone down his upper lip. 20 feet or no, it's just too much for me to bear. It's glowing. (melodrama moment, 'scuse me...)

The (hair) threadwork will definitely help, too. Maybe tomorrow he'll get a cloak, if not a neck.

Another Element!

2008-01-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

While it's snowing beautifully, I tried cutting out some squares from the Stargazer fabric.

First I had to figure out the template size. These half square examples, for the narrow quilts (blocks S), are really pretty. They are just the wrong size. They are okay for the length but 1/4" shy for the width.

I've got the formula straight now. Here it is:

finished block size + 1 3/4" divided by 2 = template size

Here's the new fabric. It shows lighter than we thought it would which is great.

St. Stephen inspiration

2008-01-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

The line photo...

...the line drawing.

The drawing has since been altered a bit, mainly because one or more of the participants in this project knows a little about human anatomy.

heh.

St. Stephen

2008-01-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

I think the hardest part is done.

Remember, it'll be viewed from 20 feet away!!

Rose Window Part One

2008-01-03T23:10:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

I LOVE St. Stephen. Wow, little did I know I was in the presence of a bonafide artiste!! It's awesome.

I have all the colors cut and in place on the rose window pattern. Now to cut the white and then do all the taping

Here's the result of my efforts. I like the progression of the reds in the wedge shapes, but the green to blue doesn't go as smoothly. That bright green really seems to jump out. I may need to go online and find something a little softer. What do you think?

Designing Woman

2008-01-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Jean wrote:

Here are the designs for the rose window and lower quilts as seen on my computer. The Corel Draw designs are saved as Encapsulated Postscript files (*.eps), sent by email to the printer in Longview, and then picked up as full size printouts.

Only half of the lower large quilt is shown as the printer as a width limit of 36" and the quilt is 6' wide. The rose window has been divided into 2 parts because I need the actual pattern to make templates for each individual piece.

Here are the templates made from the full size pattern printout. The fabric will be cut so the edges butt tightly under the bias tape leading. Some trimming and adjusting is needed as the full size pattern is not perfect (only God is!).

Re: Rose Window, Part One

2008-01-01T23:26:00.000-08:00

Tracy wrote:

Glad you like ol' Steve. He started out looking like he had an Elvis sneer. Then he was too smiley and his eyes were kinda girly. He went to unshaven Mexican for a few minutes, then ended up as he is now. Keith says he looks like one of the Marx brothers, but since they were Jewish, I guess that's okay.

The window looks incredible!

Okay, about the shouting green. Did you try the back side? I can see where it's a little jarring. ***Is it jarring from 20 ft away and 16 ft up???******

Now I'm off to either cut hair or cut out a cloak (for Steve, of course).

And So It Begins

2008-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome