I Cut My Embroidery In Half! On purpose!

I started working on this embroidery (fabric from the Moda Minick & Simpson Snowfall collection) in November, and I finished it awhile ago. I had no real idea where it was going, but this morning, I figured out what to do with the small, highly detailed piece.

 Yes, cutting it apart was every bit as scary as steeking!

Little blank journals  (approx. 4" x 6") from Oriental Trading Company.

Batik Jelly Roll Lap Quilt- Part 3

Wordless because I have no words...

Batik Jelly Roll Lap Quilt Top- Part 2

Here's where we left off yesterday- with the center blocks done, and top and bottom border pieced and sewn on.

I used 10 strips to make the 16 individual blocks (technique shown yesterday- 8 were used for the top and bottom border). But I needed 20 blocks for the whole border, so I selected these 10 strips and sewed them lengthwise as before.

However, I only cut 1 square from each sewn section because I only needed 4 corner blocks. I set the rest of the sections aside.

Here's the entire center panel, assembled.

I decided it needed some contrast- so I used 4 black Jelly Roll strips for a border.

I cut the remaining strips from the corner blocks into 5" sections.

I assembled 2 of each 5" wide section for the top and bottom wide borders. The border was 2 1/2" short, so I pieced one more color to the end of each border (from another Jelly Roll strip).

I used the remainder of the extra piece strip (from the end of the top and bottom borders) and sewed it together with 4 other strips (cut to match the length of the first one), and cut it into 5" sections.

I pieced those sections with the remainder of the first wide border sections, and voila! The top is about 50" square.

This never happens for me- it all worked out perfectly without extra trimming!

The entire quilt top (except for the black border) was pieced from a single Jelly Roll. In fact, I have 5 strips left over. I could have used them for the intermediate border, but I really like the contrast that the black provides. I could use them for the binding, but I think I'll use black again, for the lovely contrast.

This technique looks wonderful with the batik fabrics, but it would work with any set of strips (commercially assembled Jelly Roll or strips you cut yourself).

Time to quilt!

Batik Jelly Roll Lap Quilt Top- Part 1

I bought a Moda Calypso Batiks jelly roll (40- 2 1/2" x 42" strips) and waited for it to speak to me.

Yesterday, it did.

The jelly roll, opened.

I selected 5 blue/green strips and 5 red/orange/yellow strips.

I sewed each strip set together lengthwise, and pressed them open.

I trimmed the upper edge, and then cut the strips into 4- 10 1/2" squares (the size of the square depends on the width of your strips, since this works with any size strips).

I faced one dark and one light square together (strips running the same direction, all matched identically), and sewed all around the outside edges- all 4 seams.

And then I cut them into triangles.

Pressed open, I got 4 different sets of 6 1/2" blocks, 4 each.

There are a bazillion ways to arrange them, but I settled on this one. The larger blocks are 13" square.

Then I selected and sewed and cut another set of strips.

Again, there were a bazillion ways to arrange the border of single blocks, but I settled on this one for the ends.

I'll need to make 4 corner blocks for the side panels, which I will do today, and a wide outer border. The above was one afternoon's work, and this technique will work with any jelly roll (or any hand-cut set of strips).

I love love love love love it. I'll finish the rest of the quilt top today (it'll be around 50" square, lap quilt size, which is what I've been making lately), and I'll post the rest of the process pics tomorrow.

Oh Moda, intoxicating Moda

While I was waiting for my new sewing machine to arrive last month, I did a little fabric shopping. I bought several sizes of Moda's Fresh Cut series (5" charm paks, 2 1/2" mini charms, and a jelly roll).

Before we went to SoCal, I played with them a little bit.

These blocks have a 5" square with 2 1/2" squares sewn to the corners (the excess trimmed). I had 4 mini charm paks so I used matching fabrics for each of the corners.

This week, I got the sewing machine back out.

I finished the squares and then decided on the borders- Jelly Roll strips with mini charms in the corners.

I do love Jelly Roll strips. They look so pretty even before assembly.

I decided it wasn't big enough as it was

So I added a couple more borders. I used almost an entire Charm Pak for the inner border, and 8 Jelly Roll strips, plus corner blocks for the outermost border.  It's now about 60" x 60", nice lap quilt size.

I free-form quilted it, and all went well until the machine demanded a blood sacrifice.

I now know for sure that the instinct to pull back kicks in before the brain screams HOLY SHIT! I JUST SEWED THROUGH MY FINGER!

Luckily, the needle went through the tip of the nail, which deflected it so that rather than going through the tip of my finger, it just sliced it open. A quarter inch further back, and I would have had a very bad afternoon, indeed. Don't worry, I didn't bleed on the quilt.

Anyway, I taped myself up and soldiered on. And yes, it hurt like hell later on.

This machine really does a great job with quilting, even when I'm not sewing through my own skin.

I love how it came out.The binding used five Jelly Roll Strips (with about 12" left over).

My machine quilting is totally inexact, but that doesn't matter.

I used an old sheet for the backing. I love how quilts look after washing, all foofed up.

Voila!

The fun thing about free form quilting is that you just meander. It's all good. Or it's at least all okay.

Oh, this wasn't a specific pattern. I just played with blocks and arrangements until I found one I liked and went from there.