Take a Stand, large size

My goal this month, with Elm Street Quilt's One Monthly Goal, was to take the two pieces of needle turn applique work that I did as part of the QuiltCon class Everyday Applique with Sarah Fielke, and turn them into a large size Take a Stand tote.  Take a Stand is By Annie pattern that includes two sizes.  I made the smaller size during my winter break and I use it as my every-day purse.  I frequently take hand-sewing projects in the car and on trips.  The bag I've been using is falling apart and I thought the large size would make a nice replacement.  And I love using a hand-stitched project as the feature for my bag to carry hand stitching projects!

I mentioned in my goal-setting post that my husband was very concerned about the lack of eye on the bird.  I added a lovely little bead for the eye--no way was I going to applique a tiny eye! All the fabrics are Island Batik.  The main fabric/applique background is a basic called Mystic, the accent elements like the strap and bindings are Peacock, another basic, and the lining fabric is from the Glacier View collection last year. The fabrics in the applique designs are essentially scraps and many, though not all, of them are from Floralicious, also from last year.  

You may notice the floral trim on the heart side.  While I think it works as a design element, it's really an Oooops camouflage!  When cutting the quilted fabric, I didn't center it properly and cut off too much on one side.  I had enough extra that I could have left it off-center, but I knew that would bother me.  So I zig-zag stitched it back together and wanted to hide the stitches.  I found some fun trim in my trim bin and added it on the sides. To make it look a little more coordinated, I added trim around largest of the hearts.

I am super-duper in love with this bag!  I took it on our annual family trip to a cabin in the mountains and it was PERFECT!  When I'm not driving, I like to sew binding in the car.  In addition to my supplies, I was easily able to fit the quilt I was binding -- Harvest Vines!  I couldn't have fit a bed-size quilt in there, but most lap or child size quilts will fit easily.  Then once I got to the cabin and Harvest Vines was finished, I switched to more needle-turn applique and added my lap-app to the bag.  That kept everything together and it was easy to move to the wonderful big porch during the day and in to the couch inside when it was too dark (or too buggy!) to stay outside.

The mesh pockets inside are great for lots of supplies.  I had two small pouches (the lovely gray & colorful one was made by the beautiful and generous Preeti and held my threads), two different types of glue sticks, pin cushion, headlamp, small ruler, needle book, scissors, safety pins, and everything I thought there was any chance I would need.  I put my pattern booklet and blocks I was working on in the outside zippered pocket on the outside--the one with the heart, because I am working on Boho Heart 💗

 

I cannot stress enough how much By Annie's bag patterns have been a game-changer for me.  I had a miserable time with bags in the past and almost never finished bags I started because I would get frustrated and/or ruin my supplies.  Annie's patterns are so detailed and through, and many have video extras that walk through the hardest parts.  I'm completely obsessed and now I want to Sew All the Bags! I know I'll use this large Take a Stand for years!

Harvest Vines, an Island Batik & AccuQuilt challenge

June's Island Batik ambassador challenge is sponsored by AccuQuilt.  Each ambassador was sent a BOB die for the challenge.  BOB stands for Block on Board, which means all the pieces needed for one quilt block are on the same die board and can be cut in one pass through the cutter.  

 

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, Accuquilt, Schmetz, Hobbs, and Aurifil.

Our assignment was to combine the BOB die with the 8" Go Cube to create a new design.  I was sent the Snail's Trail die which makes an 8" Snail's Trail block, perfect to combine with the 8" cube.  I knew I would want to play around in EQ to create my design.  I had previously learned of this etsy shop that is authorized by both EQ and Accuquilt; she sells the files for the blocks you can make with the Go Cube, to be imported into EQ.  Perfect excuse to buy it!  After playing around, I chose two blocks to combine with Snail's Trail, Windmill and Mosaic #15.  

 

I had a 10" stack of Sundance by Kathy Engle, a collection from last year.  Sundance is not my normal colors and I thought it would be good to venture out of my comfort zone!  I played around with a few different background colors and as soon as I tried Frog from the Foundations line, I knew I had a winning combination.  The green just made those yellows and golds pop.  The whole thing looks like the harvest to me, and the green weaving between the blocks looks like vines so I named this Harvest Vines.

I find black thread on black fabric hard to see, so I used Aurifil 2784 dark navy for piecing and for quilting.  I started with a brand new Schmetz chrome needle.  I still had quite a few squares left of Sundance so I pieces a back with some 10" squares, smaller scraps, and Island Batik's solid black.  I layered the quilt with Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 black batting.  I love the black batting with dark quilts!  

 

Part of the assignment is to give this quilt as a gift of comfort. I have not yet determined a recipient.  Quilts will frequently tell you where they are meant to go; I know the right person or cause will make themselves known.  

 

 

I had a great time playing with the Snail's Trail die and I know I will use it lots and lots!  I've already got at least 2 quilts in mind that use this die! I love how easy it is to cut all the pieces!

QuiltCon Class: Everyday Applique

Back in February, I took three (virtual) classes at QuiltCon together.  The only class I have yet to report on is Everyday Applique with Sarah Fielke.  Needleturn Applique has been on my quilty bucket list and I've heard great things about Sarah as a teacher so I was excited to sign up for this class.  And it did not disappoint!  Sarah is a fabulous teacher.  I really enjoyed her pre-filmed footage, she was very thorough and anticipated lots of questions.  The live sessions with her were great as well.  She just has this very gentle, reassuring nature about her. 

Sarah's design for the class had many different elements.  She designed it to be able to be the focus of a large tote bag, and she included the pattern for the tote.  Since I have only recently learned that I can, in fact, make bags, I decided I would use my class sample for a bag.  But rather than use Sarah's tote pattern, I wanted to make a large size Take a Stand, a By Annie pattern.  I made the smaller size Take a Stand over winter break and wanted to make the larger size.  So I separated out the elements into two different scenes.  I still used most of the elements from Sarah's designs so I could practice all the techniques from her class.  Though admittedly, I took out the smallest, fiddliest parts. 

Sarah's design for the class (screenshot from the filmed part of class)

It took me a while to finish all the hand stitching.  I don't think I am going to start doing huge hand appliqued projects, but I did enjoy it more than I thought I would, so the occasional small project or element may well creep into my future projects.  I at least don't feel I need to avoid it.

My plan is to turn these two pieces from the class into a Take a Stand tote, and I have set this as my One Monthly Goal with Patty of Elm Street Quilts.  I love these pieces and I'm so excited to turn them into something I can use!  All fabrics are Island Batik.  My husband is quite concerned about the lack of eye on the bird, so I do plan to use a bead.  The one technique from Sarah's class that I skipped was how to applique a teeny tiny eye.  Nope!  Fabric marker or bead for me, please!

Carolina Lily

When I decided to make quilts for 4 of Fire Monkey's teachers, I had to wait to to start until I knew the favorite colors of the teachers.  With the Covid spike after the holidays, we didn't have any in-person school until the 2nd week of February.  That put me on a tight timeline, so I took any shortcut I could.  Turns out that we had two teachers with a favorite color of purple.  I knew right away that I would make Blueberry Hill for one, since I already had the strips cut and planned to make that pattern. I hadn't settled on the second purple quilt yet, and I was starting to get close enough to the end of the year as to be concerning.

Then I was looking through my scrap box of Island Batik fabrics and I found a set of four abandoned Carolina Lily blocks.  For last year's December medallion challenge, I designed a medallion with Carolina Lily blocks at the center.  Except when I started making the center blocks, I didn't consult my design and chose the fabrics from memory--and got it wrong.  When I realized my mistake, I decided I really liked my original design better, better enough to re-make the blocks.  Since those lilies were purple, they were perfect for my second purple teacher quilt.  I did need to add the stems in, but the mostly-finished blocks did give me a nice head start.

I went to EQ to play around with a layout.  During the Stay at Home Round Robin I realized how much I liked the look of a checkerboard border, so I played around with that.  I decided a nine-patch center would tie the whole quilt together.  I strip-pieced most of the border.  As a purple-lover myself, I'm really happy with how this turned out!

purple back from Backside Fabrics

This was my final teacher quilt and I did get it done in time!  All four have now been gifted and the teachers I've heard from seen really pleased and very surprised.  Finishing all four was my monthly goal with Patty at Elm Street Quilts.

Green Pinwheels

photo by K. Mellnik

Blueberry Hill

Bear Hugs

Bear Hugs

Last October, Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs released a new pattern as part of By Annie's Sew Pink blog hop.  It's a scrappy bear paw that she named Bear Hugs.  I fell in love with it immediately.  Cheryl's version was in all pinks.  I wanted to try it with pinks and purples, all from my Island Batik scraps.  I could tell from the pattern that it would be a great leader and ender project, so I broke out my Accuquilt and cut pink & purple scraps and solid white batik in the 2 shapes needed for the blocks. My plan was to expand Cheryl's generous throw-size quilt to full size and make it for the bed in my guest room, which doubles as my sewing room. I started as a leader and ender some time in November.

Fast forward to early 2021 when I decided to attempt quilts for the 4 teachers Fire Monkey has had this school year.  One of the teachers, Ms. H, said her favorite color was pink.  I figured this was pink enough to qualify, and since I had been using it as my leader and ender project, I was making good progress.  I knew that I would be much more likely to be successful in completing 4 quilts in the time I had if I chose easy patters or quilts that were already in progress.  The quilt for the guest room was to be a spare, my Octopus's Garden quilt is on the bed now, so I didn't actually need another quilt for that bed.  And since it's scrappy and we all know that scraps are never depleted, I knew I could make another one if I wanted to, so I decided that Bear Hugs would go to Ms. H.

I quilted using wavy lines with a variegated pink thread.  At first I was sorry I used such a prominent thread, but I think it's grown on me.  The back is a beautiful pink dandelion print from Backside Fabrics. 

This one is my favorite of the four.  It's a great pattern and works well as both a scrap buster and a leader & ender.  I think it's likely I'll make it again.  

Blueberry Hill

This is the last week of school in our district, so I am coming down to the wire for finishing the 4 teacher quilts I set as my OMG.  (Don't worry too much, I'm farther along in real life than on the blog!)  When I made Lavender Waves for the February Island Batik blog hop, I was cutting 2 1/2" strips of each fabric.  I cut 2 extra strips of each fabric to make a jelly roll and I set them aside to make Blueberry Hill, a fun and quick pattern by Villa Rosa Designs.  I knew that Blueberry Hill would look fabulous in the purples and blues from Lavender Fields.

When Fire Monkey told me that 2 of his teachers said their favorite color is purple, I knew it was the perfect time to get out that already cut out project.  This came together really quickly, which was great when I wanted to have 4 finished quilts before the end of the school year.  For the quilting, I used the wavy line stitch on my machine and followed some of the pieced lines on the top. I didn't get a picture of the backing but it's a fun mottled fabric that I bought as a wide back from Backside Fabrics.  I have leftover and a plan for it, so you will see it eventually, hopefully in the next few months :)

Two down, two to go!

Crop Rings: a Modern Quilt with Island Batik (and giveaway)

Welcome to my stop on Island Batik's Quilt Modern blog hop!  Island Batik is highlighting their new collections, shipping to quilt shops now.  I was sent Napa Valley by Kathy Engle, a fun collection of purples, greens, and golds that celebrates wine and harvest.  There are grapes, corn, pumpkins, wheat, pine cones, and oak leaves.

 

photo by K. Mellnik

 

The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, Schmetz, Hobbs, and Aurifil.

 

Our charge was to make a Modern Quilt.  One of the (virtual) classes I took at QuiltCon was bias tape applique with Latifah Saafir. I did one Island Batik project with bias tape applique already, and I wanted to play with it some more for this challenge.  Latifah recorded a class with Craftsy (when it was Bluprint) on bias tape applique and one of her projects in that class was a modern take on the Double Wedding Ring.  I used the templates from that class and the tips and tricks from both of Latifah's classes to make Crop Rings.

I named this Crop Rings as a play on double wedding ring and crop circles, not because I have any thoughts on crop circles the phenomenon, but because of the crops depicted in the fabrics.  The background is a neutral called batter. I used 14 of the 20 fabrics from the Napa Valley; the lighter fabrics in the collection didn't have enough contrast with the background for this pattern.

 

I used Hobbs Heirloom 100% cotton batting.  The quilting is straight vertical lines at 1" intervals with Aurifil 2000/Light Sand in 40 weight, with the same color in 50 weight in the bobbin.  I started with a new Schmetz microtex chrome needle.  With the bias tape applique, there are parts where the needle had to go through several layers of batik fabric and the Schmetz needles don't have any problems at all. The finished quilt is 56" square.

photo by K. Mellnik

 

Playing with a modern spin of a traditional pattern was one of the possible prompts we were given for this challenge.  Regular readers will know that I don't typically do curves.  I liked this modern, appliqued version of a double wedding ring and I really like the different look of the filled sections.  

 

Be sure to visit my friend Gail of Quilting Gail to see what she made with Napa Valley.  And you can find the schedule for the entire blog hop and all the featured Island Batik collections here.  

 

Now for a giveaway!  I have a prize of 8 fat quarters of Napa Valley to give away.  I have had some trouble with Rafflecopter lately, so for this one, just leave a comment by the end of the day Saturday, May 22nd and I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner. A comment on anything will work but if you need a prompt, tell me about a quilting/craft class you've taken and enjoyed--in person, virtual, craftsy, any format.  If you are a no reply blogger, include your email or I won't be able to contact you if you win.