One quilt makes me think, the other lets me sew

Lately, I’ve been working on two very different quilt projects at the same time: an improv quilt using abstraction and curved piecing (an assignment for a workshop I’m taking with Maria Shell), and a scrappy quilt made with blocks in a classic grid layout. 

Improv piecing and half-square triangle units.

At first glance, these two projects might seem to have very little in common. The improv quilt is all about experimentation, curves, and creating an abstract composition. The scrappy quilt follows a more structured approach, with half-square triangle units coming together to form Broken Dishes blocks.

Working on both simultaneously, however, has turned out to be quite a compatible combination. 

Two quilt tops, two ways of thinking

For my improv quilt, I’m working from a sketch. 

Working from a sketch and determining the piecing sequence.

This means I have to figure out how to cut the fabrics (ruler-free) to construct the shapes, and also reverse engineer the piecing sequence in a way that it can actually be sewn together. It’s taking a lot of brain power to assemble the sections!

The second project is a totally different story. It’s a scrappy patchwork quilt made with half-square triangles and novelty prints that are pieced into blocks and set into a traditional block-based layout (possibly with a sashing). These pieces are a UFO [unfinished object] of my mother-in-law’s.

Half-square triangles made into Broken Dishes blocks.

Over the years, I’ve made half-square triangles a gazillion times (give or take), so the process is pretty much second nature. I can chain piece ’til the cows come home without having to give every step much thought. 

Sometimes your brain needs a break!

To keep my sanity, the familiar HST [half-square triangle] patchwork has become a very welcome break from the improv project. 

Making a pile of scrappy two-at-a-time half-square triangles.

After I’ve spent time figuring out how to construct a complicated combination of abstract shapes, it’s refreshing to switch gears and work on something I know how to do—almost without thinking. When your brain needs a break, let your hands intuitively take the wheel and drive for a while!

The two projects require different kinds of attention. One challenges me to solve problems and think through the process, while the other lets me settle into and enjoy a familiar routine. Both are good exercises in patchwork, for different reasons. 

Leaders and enders: like a double feature for the price of one ticket

This is where the two projects really work together. In using the familiar chain piecing technique, I’m piecing both of these projects at the same time. I use the half-square triangle units as leaders and enders while I piece the curved units for the improv quilt.

Half-square triangle units used for leaders and enders.

Rather than stopping to sew a scrap of fabric at the beginning or end of a seam, I feed in a HST unit. It’s a great way to make use of those little stretches between seams, with the bonus of making progress on both projects at the same time.

While the improv project gets my concentrated attention, the half-square triangles quietly accumulate in the background. By the time I’ve worked through several curved seams, I’ve made a number of units for the block-based quilt, too.

Two-at-a-time half-square triangles from novelty prints.
Revisiting a UFO.

For quilters who already use leaders and enders, this probably sounds familiar. Using leaders and enders is a simple way to keep another project moving along without having to devote a separate sewing session to it. And if you’re working on something that requires a lot of concentration—like my improv project—having a more straightforward project waiting alongside it can be especially satisfying… as well as efficient and productive.

Half-square triangle units and a Broken Dishes block beside my improv curved piecing.

So, for now, I’m moving between two very different kinds of patchwork projects. One asks me to study a sketch and solve construction dilemmas. The other lets me settle into an easy, familiar rhythm… one half-square triangle at a time.

It’s Minion Mitten time!

Sometimes, the best projects we make are the ones that just make you smile! Here is my most recent pair of mittens for my charity knitting project—Minions. 

Minion mittens. Size: child 6-9 yrs.
8” length, 6” hand circumference.

I found a pattern for these adorable little guys on Ravelry and decided it was perfect for my stash-busting mitten-knitting endeavor. With the bright yellow and blue color palette, hand-stitched details, and playful Minion-inspired look, who wouldn’t want a pair of Minions keeping their hands warm??

Added details make the Minions come alive

These mittens required a little more time to make because of the attached eyeballs and the stitched details (mouths and hair). The mitten pattern included directions for knitting the eyeballs, but it was quicker and easier for me to use crochet. The extra time and effort crocheting the eyeballs, hand stitching them to the mitten base, and adding the embroidered details was worth it. Ya gotta love this ridiculously cute pair of handmade Minion goodness!

Minion mitten supplies.

I think these mittens turned out so cute and I hope they bring as much happiness to the little person receiving them. The pattern includes two smaller sizes (2-3 year-old, and 4-6 year-old) and one larger size (10-13 year-old). With the remaining yarn, I might have to knit up another pair. 

Sometimes, a little handmade silliness is exactly what we need these days!

Thread weights: TEX vs Wt thread systems

It’s handy to have a small quilt top or two in the studio when you want to test a new thread. I purchased a new-to-me polyester quilting thread from the sale section of a quilt shop. I was drawn to the happy thread color, a reputable brand (WonderFil Specialty Threads), and (of course) the price.

Quilt top basted and ready for quilting. 

I’m a fan of WonderFil threads, and thinking a 40 wt thread in a happy, hot pink color would be a good “showy” thread for my charity quilts, and the polyester fiber content would minimize lint in the sewing machine, I thought I’d give it a try. 

Free-motion quilting on my domestic sewing machine.

The thread, Innovatech, is a poly-wrapped polyester thread, 40 wt, TEX 27. Upon unwrapping the packaging, I was expecting a “thicker” thread—being it was 40wt. Checking the label, the other thread designation was TEX 27. I needed to do a little research…

Innovatech machine quilting thread, 40 wt poly, TEX 27.

Thread weight designation: Wt vs TEX

To make things a bit confusing for the average quilter or sewer, there are several designation systems to characterize the thickness/weight of a thread. In the USA, quilters and sewers are familiar with thread weight: 50 wt, 40 wt, etc. In this system, the thread weight is determined by the number of kilometers of thread needed to weigh 1 kilogram. The length is the variable in the equation and the constant is 1 kg. The higher the number, the thinner the thread.

Another thread weight designation is the TEX system, which is the weight of 1000 meters of a thread, measured in grams. TEX comes from the Latin word, textilis, meaning woven. This system was adopted by the International Standards Organization [ISO] in 1956 .The length is a constant and the weight is the variable. So, the higher the TEX number, the thicker the thread. The TEX range for general sewing and quilting threads:

TEX 8 - 25 for fine and lightweight fabrics

TEX 25 - 30 for medium weight fabrics, quilting cottons

TEX 40 - 70 for medium and heavy weight fabrics (denim, canvas), garment construction

TEX 70+ for dense fabrics (leather), upholstery, outdoor, multi-layer fabrics 

These are general guidelines. The choice of thread also depends on the project, its use, the thread’s fiber content, aesthetic considerations, the machine being used (serger, embroidery, domestic sewing machine, industrial machine), etc.

Pre-made bindings

After finishing the free-motion quilting with this new thread, the quilt was ready for binding. I pulled out my box of pre-made bindings—a collection I keep stocked and ready for a new cuddle or kitty quilt.

My box of pre-made quilt bindings.

The turquoise binding with the small daisies was chosen and there was enough to go around this quilt’s perimeter. Machine sewn to the back and rolled to the front, the binding is attached all by machine for a quick finish. A 50 wt. 3-ply variegated cotton thread [Tutti by WonderFil] was used for the zigzag stitch.

Machine binding.

My box of bindings gets replenished with any backing trimmings that are wide enough to cut into 2.5” strips. Smaller pieces join other random and leftover fabric bits in the scrap box.

Trimmings from this quilt were cut into 2.5” binding strips or put into a scrap box.

The Innovatech thread worked just fine and I learned about the TEX thread system. Here are the quilt stats for this charity quilt.

Quilt Stats

• 40 wt TEX 27 poly wrapped polyester thread (quilting and bobbin)
• bobbins: 2
• free-motion quilting: 1 hr.
• 50 wt 3-ply cotton thread for binding

Finished size: 36.5” x 45.5”

I have done free-motion quilting with other poly threads and had good success. This TEX 27 poly thread was no different.

I’m unsure if this thread is readily found at quilt shops or it’s been produced through a partnership between WonderFil and Innova for longarm quilting machines. Either way, I have a 3000 yd spool of bright pink for future quilts. This finished cuddle quilt went to my guild for its community service project… for some little kid to snuggle. 

Improv patchwork, abstraction, and the Fall equinox

Even though the 90-degree temperatures don’t feel like it, September 22, the Fall equinox, marked the beginning of Fall for inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere. The term, equinox—when the sun is directly above the equator—is derived from the Latin for “equal night,” ostensibly dividing the night and day into equal parts.

Improv patchwork.

Fall’s changing landscape

In Fall, the landscape begins to change—not all at once, but in fragments. As the light softens and the colors outside begin to shift, green leaves are becoming less green. Patches of yellows, golds and reds start to appear in landscapes. Shadows grow longer. Blooms fade and drop. Trees loose their foliage, exposing barren branches against a pale sky. Colors become muted, less vibrant, as the landscape turns to the greys, browns, and neutral color palette that coincides with colder temperatures.

Improv units on the design wall.

Exploring abstraction in an improv quilt class

This color and value transition is mirroring the work I’m doing in an improvisational quilting class where we’re exploring abstraction, color, and value. The process of abstraction is asking us to look beyond recognizable and identifiable objects in a photo. Instead, we’re observing shapes. The quilt compositions are depicting the relationships between shapes which are being defined by differences in color and value. 

About midway through the work, I became “un-enamoured” with the progress of my piece. After a small group meeting with three other students, my “posse mates” provided a more unbiased view and suggestions for re-approaching the assignment. Through our discussion, I realized and concluded that creating a good abstract composition is the goal—not using patchwork to realistically reproduce the photo.

Cutting apart and reassembling patchwork units.

Note to self: get the idea of “that’s supposed to be the water, the bridge, the land, the building…” out of my head and look more at creating symbiotic relationships between shapes, angles, foreground, and background. I’ve decided that my composition is going to be more successful if I’m not tied to replicating my photo exactly. This is abstraction! The photograph should be a starting point without becoming a blueprint.

With that, I went back to what was on the design wall with seam ripper and rotary cutter in hand.

Something similar outside

Plumbing remodel project.

There is a plumbing remodel happening at the house as well. Here is a picture from my studio window. It seems the universe was also sending the message to take out the previous pieces, recut, and rejoin… to make things work better.

Original pipe removed.

The season is repainting the landscape. The plumbers are updating the water lines. And my abstract improv composition is being reassembled… one fabric, one seam line, and one shape at a time.