The fruits of small compositions

I connected with two quilting friends this week—one via social media and another in person. 

Block 37: Monette. Center fabric from M&S Textiles Australia.
Coordinates from Forest Fancies by Lisa Kirkbride for P&B Textiles and Meridian [P&B Textiles].

Tari, my quilting friend in Florida, commented on all the fun fabrics in my EPP [English paper pieced] Glorious Hexagon blocks I've been working on since the lockdown. Using scraps and discontinued fabric samples for the blocks, I'm reacquainting myself with fabric collections and taking solace in the hand piecing process.

Variation of Block 3: Sarah.
Fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics, Lewis & Irene.

Some blocks are from The New Hexagon book. Others are cobbled together from various pieces and unused paper templates.

Block 49: Irene
Fabrics from P&B Textiles.

I don't have a big picture plan, layout, or color scheme for this EPP project. I'm just creating one small composition at a time: choosing fabrics from the scrap basket and coordinating colors and prints as I go. 

There is feeling of success and accomplishment with each completed hexagon.

Improv Star in batiks

I ran into the other quilting friend, Jamie, in a quilt shop. She follows my blog and we're friends on social media. She told me that my blog posts have inspired her to start sewing garments. 

Block 5: Caroline
Fabrics from Lewis & Irene, P&B Textiles.

Jamie was wearing a lovely denim-blue dress she had made using a border print fabric. She did a great job and the dress looked so cute on her. Her pattern hack was the addition of pockets in the side seams.

Block 41: Betty
Fabrics from Lewis & Irene, Art Gallery Fabrics, P&B Textiles.

I commended her for making an outfit to suit her creativity, needs and lifestyle. It's a few of the many perks to sewing one's own wardrobe!

Small compositions.

We chatted briefly about our current fabric passions—mine was rayon and hers was linen. As we parted, we encouraged each other to keep sewing and looked forward to each other's next makes. 

A gallery of small compositions. 

Enjoy the successes of small compositions

The world today is overshadowed with severe health threats, political chaos, physical and emotional trauma... it's stressful, draining and so tiresome. It's a relief that our crafts and hobbies can deviate and distract from the news of the day—providing stability and calmness, if only for a short time. With each project or composition, we get to learn or see something new. We can make choices to modify a pattern—add pockets, change the sleeve length, omit a collar, rearrange the pieces in the patchwork. 

I am enjoying the creation and success of my small hexie compositions. It's refreshing to have choices, make decisions, express a personal vision, and have control over the process and outcome. 

Hexagons.

I'm taking the "Make Nine" Challenge 2019

With the lingering exhilaration and motivation from participating in the 100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge in 2018, I'm excited about joining Rochelle and other makers for the Make Nine Challenge this year. Anyone else want to come along for a fun and creative making journey? (Beware—I'll be sending out personal invites to a few of my creative BFFs).

My Make Nine Challenge 2019 List

After reading details about the Challenge on the Make Nine Challenge website, one of the appealing things is embodied in the tagline on the Instagram image: "A gentle, self-guided slow fashion initiative for fabric and yarn lovers."

Make Nine Challenge 2019 #makenine

The keywords for me were "gentle, self-guided." This makes it a better fit for my unpredictable schedule these days.

The inspiring Instagram posts (#makenine) showing how participants were documenting their 9 makes also got me intrigued.

Gathering ideas and supplies
When I made up my mind to take the plunge, I thought it would be fun to go and buy a new sketchbook to document the adventure. (Much like shopping for school supplies at the beginning of a new school year.) With a personal goal to use materials I already have for upcoming projects, I re-thought a trip to the art supply store and found an 8" x 10" sketchbook I already had. Check.


My Make Nine 2019 project list
Be sure to download the free planning worksheet from the Lucky Lucille blog. It will help you organize your thoughts and give you a visual reference of your project choices. A gazillion potential projects immediately popped into my head, but I pared down my Make Nine to a "most-desired" list... and left a little flexibility in the list as well.

Three patterns for Make Nine projects. Picasso Top, Raggy Jacket, Collins Top.

1. Picasso Top, pattern from The Sewing Workshop
2. Collins Top, pattern from In the Folds
3. Jacket using Diamond Textiles yarn-dyed wovens. My go-to pattern is Raggy Jacket because I already have it fitted to me.
4. A yarn project—hat, socks or an easy vest
5. Pillowcases—I didn't make new ones for us last year
6. Tote or project bag with a zipper
7. Project incorporating vintage textiles, recycled or re-purposed elements
8. Project with visible hand stitching, embroidery, kantha, sashiko
9. Wild Card—I'm on the lookout for something to make with rayon fabrics

Fabric Pulls
Here are fabrics for a few projects on my Make Nine list. I'm going to try mixing knits and wovens for a Picasso Top.

Fabrics for the Picasso Top. Knits from Art Gallery.
Cotton wovens from M&S Textiles Australia.

Pillowcases:

Fabrics for pillowcases (Art Gallery Fabrics).

Vintage quilt blocks with a coordinating Art Gallery print from the Soulful collection and a gray yarn-dyed woven from Diamond Textiles.

Vintage quilt blocks coordinated with new fabrics.

Personal Challenge Objectives
I decided to write down goals and objectives for my Make Nine. For projects not yet nailed down, this will guide choices for fabrics and materials.

Personal goals and objectives for Make Nine 2019.  #makenine

I've pasted these objectives and goals in my sketchbook.

• use existing resources/stash
• incorporate a new technique from a workshop, book, etc.
• finish or incorporate abandoned UFOs or WIPs
• document in sketchbook and digital (blog, social media)
• upcycle, recycle, repurpose or incorporate something vintage or rescued
• have a mix of challenging and easy projects
• incorporate visible handwork
• sustainable
• infuse care and creativity into the making, be flexible, enjoy the process, wear proudly

With a plan in mind, I hope to make good progress in 2019 through this Challenge. I'm confident I'll be inspired and motivated by fellow participants. 

It's not too late to join! Make a list and share your progress and successes.

Holiday sewing projects from panels and pre-cuts

Everyone has decked the halls, the walls, the chairs, beds and sofas... and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at LQSs [local quilt shops]. Inspiration for decorations and gifts abound and panels, pre-cut bundles and kits are at the ready for your sewing and quilting pleasure! 

Pillows for the beds or cushions for the couch at Stitch Morgantown.

Fabric Project Panels
The Nordic inspired Hygge [pronounced Hoo-guh] Christmas collection from Lewis & Irene has cushions (above) and stockings (below) that feature the Norwegian Tontuu (house elves). I think these pillow and stocking panels would make a great canvas for some hand stitching embellishment, too!

Christmas stockings at Stitch Morgantown.

Winter-themed placemats and table runner from the Snow Day collection from Lewis & Irene. How about a shimmery rayon or metallic thread for the quilting?

Snow Day table placemats and runner at Bernina in Stitches.

Projects with Pre-cuts

Pre-cut strips make the process fast and easy. Ask your local quilt shop for a package of pre-cut strips and a pattern.

Majestic batik strips at Must Stitch Emporium.

The Rockport Basket [Auties Two pattern] is a spacious tote or project bag made with pre-cut batik fabrics from Majestic Batiks.

Rockport Basket at City Square Quilts.

Showcasing an exotic collection of pre-cut prints from M&S Textiles Australia, take the "jelly roll rug" process and make smaller items such as a set of placemats, mug rugs or a table topper. 

Precut strips from M&S Textiles Australia.

Pre-cut Kits
The Walker Bag kit uses festive floral metallic fabrics from Under the Australian Sun collection from The Textile Pantry.

The Walker Bag kit from The Textile Pantry.

This next project is a dual duty item! It's an eyeglasses case but it's also the perfect size to fit a rotary cutter! Travel in style—and in safety—to your next quilting retreat or class.

The Melba eyeglass case kit from The Textile Pantry.

One size fits All

Pillowcases are a one-size-fits-all gift that can be customized to anyone's hobbies or tastes.  Who wouldn't love this Lambkin pillowcase on their bed... using Art Gallery Fabrics.

Lambkin pillowcase at Stitch Morgantown.

I've made at several of these flower baskets in dozens of fabric combinations! The Melba Flower basket pattern is a free download courtesy of The Textile Pantry. 

My red/white/black basket uses two coordinating red yarn-dyed wovens from the Provence Woven collection by Diamond Textiles for the basket base and Squared Elements (inside lining) from Art Gallery Fabrics. Fill your baskets with Christmas cookies, candies or seasonal greenery for a festive table setting.

The Melba Flower Basket pattern from The Textile Pantry.

Make a quick trip to your local quilt shop for patterns, panels and pre-cuts before the big guy in the red suit comes to your house. And I hope you find time to make merry with fabric and stitch during the holidays! 

"Oh My Stars" guild Challenge offers possibilities for exploration, learning and development

My guild's annual Guild Challenge for 2018 was called "Oh My Stars." My entry, which won a 3rd place prize, was inspired by Australian aboriginal fabrics [M&S Textiles Australia] and aboriginal Dreamtime designs. 

2018 Choo Choo Quilters Guild Challenge by Veronica Hofman-Ortega.

Challenge Requirements
The Choo Choo Quilters Guild Challenge is presented to guild members at the beginning of the year. It allows a good 7 to 9 months for members to contemplate, plan and execute their piece before the big reveal in November. The requirements for the 2018 Challenge were minimal... and the size was quite manageable:

• Design: the quilt must have at least three different star patterns.
• Size: minimum of 12" on any side; maximum of 45" on any side
• Must be quilted and finished.

With about a week before the deadline, I realized my "Stars" solution had been traveling with me since February—samples of English paper pieced [EPP] hexagons using Australian fabrics. (See this blog post.) Using these blocks in a guild Challenge would give them a purpose, I thought, and they could be showcased in a finished piece. My EPP sample blocks included two star designs so I just had one more star variation to come up with. (The three star variations can be seen in the photo above.)

English paper pieced [EPP] stars using Australian fabrics
from M&S Textiles Australian. 

The Process

The EPP hexagon stars were hand pieced and the blocks were hand stitched together. I experimented with a few layouts and block placement on a background. The circle patterned fabric was chosen for the background because circles are a major design element and symbol in the Dreamtime designs, and the lime green was the complementary color to the reds and oranges in several of the stars.

Auditioning layouts of the stars.
(Note: fabric colors are not accurate due to inside lighting conditions.)

Once the layout was determined, guidelines for the quilting were drawn on the background with a chalk marker. 

Guidelines for quilting are marked.

The quilting techniques include walking foot quilting, free-motion quilting and rulerwork. The English paper pieced star blocks were appliquéd to the quilt after the background was free-motion quilted. The stars were then ditch quilted with a 60 wt. polyester thread.  

Background free-motion quilting.

The quilting designs were inspired by the motifs in the Australian fabrics and the story of the Dreamtime designs.

Detail: free-motion quilting.

For the backing, I used a leftover piece of a 110" wide backing [Westrade Textiles]. The color and value of this fabric made it easy to choose a bobbin thread to match the color of the top thread that was used for the quilting. Here are views of the quilting from the back.

Back detail.

A facing was used rather than a traditional binding. The same 110" wide backing fabric was used for both the backing and facings.

Back detail: free-motion quilting and quilt facings.

The finished piece: 26" x 38.5"

26" x 38.5" finished size.

Quilt Stats

• 80 wt. soft poly thread for EPP hand piecing hexagons (DecoBob from WonderFil Threads);
• 50 wt. cotton top thread (Konfetti from WonderFil Threads) for quilting; 
• 60 wt. poly top thread for ditch quilting (Bottom Line from Superior Threads); 
• 60 wt. poly for bobbin (Bottom Line); 2-1/2 bobbins.
• 13 hrs. quilting: walking foot (curves and circles); free-motion for background and fillers; ruler work for ditch and outline quilting.
• fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia (pieced hexagons), Art Gallery Fabrics (background); Westrade Textiles (quilt backing and facings)

Why participate in a guild Challenge?

One of the things that my guild does during our Challenge Reveal is to have each Challenge participant give a brief explanation of their piece before the prizes are awarded. Their explanation could be about their inspiration, their thought process behind meeting the Challenge requirements, the trials, roadblocks and successes of the creation process, the materials used, or any pertinent information they feel contributes to the "story" of their Challenge entry. I think you can always learn something from listening to another person's creative path to solving a problem—especially when we were all faced with the same problem to solve.

One of our newer members commented that she could never enter a piece in a Challenge. Quick yet gentle encouragement came forth in response.

• Guild Challenges are a great way to experiment with new techniques and concepts in a safe environment (in the presence of your fellow guild members who support you and your endeavors).
• You can learn from working on your own piece as well as from what others present.
• What better way to try new things than a Challenge? You will become proficient and gain confidence by doing.
• Challenges keep your brain active as you problem solve and research solutions to make your vision a reality.
• The Challenge Reveal is a "quilt show" we give to ourselves as a guild. It's a well-deserved treat for the entire group!

Congratulations to all the Choo Choo Challenge participants! Well done.

Fussy cutting Australian aboriginal fabrics for the Siena shirt

Want a shirt that gets you noticed? This is my latest Siena Shirt [pattern by Linda Lee from The Sewing Workshop] made with two fun and colorful aboriginal 100% cotton fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia.

The Siena Shirt [from The Sewing Workshop] with
cotton fabrics by M&S Textiles Australia.

Working with the Sandy Creek stripe design

The main fabric in this shirt is an aboriginal design called Sandy Creek from M&S Textiles Australia. This print has wide stripes running with the crosswise grain of the fabric (perpendicular to the selvedge). 

Sandy Creek design with a wide stripe.

To make the garment look cohesive, conscious decisions were made when positioning the pattern pieces on the yardage. First, I needed to determine where the stripe would lay on the body so I could then "fussy cut" (as quilters would call it) the pattern pieces.

Matching stripes across the front of the shirt.

The pattern pieces were cut so the stripes matched across the front. The stripes aligned from front to back of the shirt and between the back bodice and the back yoke. The front button band was carefully fussy cut to preserve the flow of the design across the shirt's front. 

Back yoke and pleated back bodice.

Another "fussy cut" was on the sleeves so the darker part of the "creek" design would carry through across the shoulders. 

Construction in progress: collar, fronts and sleeves laid out.

The upper and lower collars were cut from two different areas of the print. Depending on whether the collar is worn up or down, the design will blend or contrast with the yoke and front.

Upper and lower collars show contrasting prints. 

A coordinating fabric—Spirit Dreaming from M&S Textiles Australia—was used for the sides and one front band of the shirt.

Contrasting sides and front band.

Using quilting cottons for garments

The M&S Textiles Australia fabrics lend themselves quite nicely to garment sewing. These cottons have a soft surface quality, good drape and are breathable. I completed the shirt and was able to wear it at Quilt Market. It received several compliments. 

Siena Shirt pattern and Australian aboriginal fabrics.

When considering fabrics with specific or directional motifs—such as the stripes in this Sandy Creek print—I would recommend purchasing a little more fabric than the pattern calls for. This would allow flexibility to position pattern pieces, fussy cut the motifs, and match motifs as needed.

Siena Shirt pattern from The Sewing Workshop and
Sandy Creek and Spirit Dreaming fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia.

Give the Siena Shirt and Australian aboriginal fabrics a try. A little extra thought and time in the cutting will yield great results... and some well-deserved compliments.

Mindful patchwork with Bumbleberries blenders

Welcome July! It's gonna be a hot and humid Summer Sunday here. So, with a caffeine boost from my mug of Kaldi's Dog coffee [from Etcetera Coffeehouse], I'm headed to the studio for some mindful sewing today.

The disappearing 9-patch is as great pattern for mindful patchwork.
Fabrics are Bumbleberries blender [Lewis and Irene] and
a black/white print from Spices Fusion [Art Gallery Fabrics].

An assortment of colorful Bumbleberries fashion blenders from Lewis and Irene prompted a browse through their website's selection of pattern downloads where I found this one—the Sew Mindful Quilt—that uses the disappearing 9-patch technique.

Bumbleberries blenders from Lewis and Irene are the focal fabrics.
A black/white print from the Spices Fusion collection from Art Gallery
is the background.

The disappearing 9-patch is a cool technique! It's efficient, forgiving, is easy to piece and it has multiple layout possibilities. Here is an in-progress snapshot of the design wall with blocks in a straight set layout.

Disappearing 9-patch straight setting.

Or, you can set the blocks on point.

Disappearing 9-patch set on point.

My pile of fabrics earmarked for garment patterns is on the back burner while I do some mindful patchwork.

A navy pintuck from Diamond Textiles (left).
Yalke from M&S Textiles Australia (top right).
From the Aligned collection by Art Gallery Fabrics (bottom right).

On the web page for the Sew Mindful Quilt pattern are these words:

In our increasingly busy lives, full of noise and occupied thoughts, it's good to give your mind some "time out."... Time for reflection and to find a little peace.

A good idea indeed! I hope you find time today for this.

A sewing workshop with Linda Lee prompts looking at quilting cottons in a new way

Our quilt-making foremothers used fabric scraps from sewing clothes to make quilts. The clothing came first... then came the quilts. As quiltmakers, we naturally look at the cotton fabrics found in quilt shops from the viewpoint of making a quilt. But there are a lot of quilters who began sewing clothing—for themselves or for family—and ventured into quilting later. So, why don’t we look at those same bolts of cotton prints with a garment in mind? Good question! Let’s change that way of thinking.

Valencia Pants and Siena Shirt patterns from The Sewing Workshop.
Cotton fabrics from Diamond Textiles (left) and M&S Textiles Australia (center and right).

For Christmas, I received a wonderful gift from my husband. It was a workshop called “Exploring Fit, Fashion and Finish” with Linda Lee, owner of The Sewing Workshop. It was fabulous (the gift and the workshop)!

2018 Shakerag workshop with Linda Lee.

Not knowing exactly what might inspire me on this sewing adventure, I filled a suitcase with various fabrics—all cottons that can be found at most any quilt shop—packed my sewing machine, serger and a handful of matching threads and proceeded to the workshop... to explore garment possibilities under the guidance and tutelage of Linda Lee, a renowned sewing expert.

Overview of pants patterns available from The Sewing Workshop.

The Valencia Pants

My first goal, as was with many of the workshop attendees, was to fit a pant patten and make pair of pants. After Linda reviewed the features of all the pant patterns from The Sewing Workshop, I chose the Valencia Pants. It is a one-seam pant with a flat front and a partial elastic waistband. A good beginner pattern. My fabric choice was a yarn-dyed woven from Diamond Textiles.

Laying out the Valencia pants pattern.

I made the pants in one day and wore them the next.

Valencia pants. Yarn-dyed cotton from Diamond Textiles.

I added my must-have pockets with a contrast fabric piping detail. The pockets actually took longer to make than the pants themselves—really!

I drafted a pocket pattern for my Valencia pants.
A contrasting piping (Bush Camp yellow from M&S Textiles) 

The Siena Shirt

The next project for me was a top. In analyzing the schematic drawing for the Siena Shirt, this pattern lent itself to using either a single fabric or multiple, coordinating prints. My table mate, Alice, suggested combining these two prints from M&S Textiles Australia, Fire Dreaming (center front) and Plum and Bush Banana (front band, collar and side panels).

The Siena Shirt (from The Sewing Workshop) with fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia.

Here is a photo of the first try-on of my new Siena Shirt. The buttons and buttonholes need to be added and then it will be ready to wear. The fabric is soft and has good body and drape for this style of top.

First try-on of the Siena Shirt.

About The Sewing Workshop patterns
All of the workshop attendees created multiple garments during the workshop and I took home a few more of Linda's patterns for future projects. The patterns include tissue pattern pieces and construction instructions. Linda also did a trunk show for the class that gave ideas for additional modifications—lengthen/shorten, embellishments, fabric options, etc. A few of the things (and there are many more) I like best about The Sewing Workshop patterns are:

• many of the garments can be made with either wovens or knits. This makes them very versatile.
• many have multiple garments included in a single pattern envelop (pants and a coat, two different shirts, a sweater and a tank top). This makes them a great buy!
• finishing details are included in the written instructions at the corresponding step of the construction process.
• the patterns are sized and graded for "real" women. There were workshop participants of various sizes, shapes and maturity and several of them made pieces using the same pattern. The garments were appropriate, looked good and fit everyone.

Linda Lee (left) and workshop assistant, Diane Hall.

Take a spin on The Sewing Workshop website and think about using cotton quilting fabrics for clothing with these patterns. You might be surprised how nicely they work together. I've used fabrics from Diamond Textiles, M&S Textiles Australia and Art Gallery for garments, but there are others you might try.

Thank you to our talented, funny and generous instructor, Linda Lee, the workshop assistant, Diane Hall, and my fellow classmates for an inspiring, informative and enjoyable sewing workshop. My sewing machine, serger and a pile of quilting cottons are ready to go!