Woven Batiks - progress and prep work

We had a very modified Linus sewing weekend this year - thanks to vaccination, I was able to visit Mom and Dad and Sis for Memorial Day Weekend - our first visit in about 10 months.  But son L was with me, and it wasn't as long as we normally go, and being together was more important than any specific quantity of progress.  So Sis finished tying one quilt that was in progress, and Mom helped with trimming all the batik threads (she calls it "grooming" which is a very good description!) and I did a little more piecing.  Mom ironed two tops/backs, and we got them layered and pinned for next time Sis wants to work on tying.  Here is the batik collection that has the white strips on - just under half of the total strips:

I spent some time today unpacking the supplies I took with me (even scaled down, I took WAY more than I needed to!) and got everything put away.  Then I cut more white strips - I keep thinking I have enough cut, and then run through them and am nowhere close to done!  I actually did a rough count today (and also discovered I have 40 more batik pieces than I thought I did!) and now I really should be close.

Since I'm using up miscellaneous white pieces, I found this cut EXTREMELY satisfying - I had about 1/2 inch of waste from the whole width of fabric!

Here is the basket with the pieces yet to be sewn - once I get that pile of green that is sitting cross-wise at the top done, I'll be halfway.  This is going to produce 240 blocks that finish at 5" square.  Based on the size that the Project Linus likes, we will end up with either two medium quilts, or one large and one small.  It will partly depend on how I can use the pieces efficiently, though I am sure I can find something in my stash if I need to add another color or two.

15 Minutes - Woven Batiks Start

 Since I started to make this as something else, I have a little frogging and re-cutting to do.  This one won't be quite as quick of a top as some of the others, though I think it will pick up speed once I get going.

First task: cutting the white setting strips.  I had originally cut 1.5" strips, but now need 2" strips.  Never fear, though - I am already thinking about how to use the 1.5" strips!

The white is all kinds of interesting leftover pieces, and I think there are at least three different whites even though I really tried to use the same thing every year.  Some of it still has freezer paper ironed to it, so I have to take that off, first.  Cutting anything with this rotary cutter makes me so happy - it was in my Christmas stocking years ago, is MY colors, and just feels right in my hand.  I love using it and love the Elf that picked it out for me!

I had washed the strip sets because they were so mangled - but I knew that would cause fraying.  I'm working on cutting some of the worst of it off with scissors.  This will be an interesting top to get put together, but I hope it looks good and makes someone happy when it is done.

I actually took the parts that needed to be frogged to work and did it during a Zoom staff call - it was the perfect thing for during a discussion that only minimally affected me!

Baseball Top #4 done!

 Here is the finished baseball top #4:

Pete the cat was admiring the corners - those brown strips weren't long enough to make two short and two long ones without piecing, but I figured out that they were just long enough to cover the center and one side, so all four were made that way.  That meant the first border was attached with a partial seam, I went around the whole thing, then came back and finished the first border.  I was immensely pleased with being able to optimize it that perfectly.

And the bundle is made with backing (the binding will come from it, as well) and I've listed it in the to-tie list, so this project is done!

Next up: I've made the final decision on how I'm going to do the Woven Batiks top.  It will use up this jelly roll of batiks, plus some white, so that is good.  And hopefully, it will make an attractive quilt for an older girl - I think it is going to be pretty large (or else it will become two medium ones).

Baseball borders

I got the sashing strips sewn on the piano key pieces, and have them ironed.  Next up is the last sewing on this top - attaching the four border pieces to the top.  That will be today's project.  Bonus if I get the bundle made with back and binding and note the project in my list of to-tie items.

I've started thinking about what's next, of course.  There are either one or two more baseball quilts still to come out of this fabric (preferably one, as long as I can make it look cohesive and use up the rest of the baseball fabric).  But I'm going to detour over to a different project, I think - some bright batik strips that Sis rescued from a Walmart that would otherwise have thrown them out.  I'm pairing them with some white left over from the 2nd grade quilts.  I started a version of Warm Wishes, but just don't like it.  So now I'm going to try to make a top where it looks woven together.  This will require a bit of unpicking, and I would have cut the batiks slightly differently if I had made this the original plan - but I'm going to try it since I'm curious to see how it will look! 

15 minutes - create Baseball borders

I'm challenging myself to think in terms of sewing for 15 minutes most days.  I've also decided to try the idea of STARTING with a post about yesterday, then working on something new.  Otherwise, I pull out a project and keep doing "one more thing" and then abruptly have to put it down and never come back and post.  So here is where I am at the moment:

This is a border for another baseball quilt.  I'm down to using up odds and ends, after making three tops so far.  I'll either get two or three smaller tops out of what is left.  I want to use up the baseballs and move on, but I also want to make something that is attractive and enjoyable for the recipient.

This top is actually based on using up these piano key border pieces - I made them for a different top, then didn't use them.  The center is simple framed squares, and then this is the border.  It will finish at about 52" square.

So my next 15 minutes is to sew together the brown sashing to the piano key pieces.  And then 15 minutes to put the borders on the quilt, and 15 more minutes to cut backing/binding and get the whole bundle put away in the to-tie pile.  I like the idea of planning the next step forward - let's see how well it works!

Also - see that tiny pile of brown pieces on the ironing board?  That's what is left from cutting the sashing strips.  I love when I use up fabric that perfectly!

Baseballs in Warm Wishes

Years ago, I wanted to make more boy-themed quilts for Project Linus, since I was hearing that the most urgent need was for older boy quilts.  When I found some baseball fabric on sale at Joann's that seemed like a good candidate.

I started a couple projects with it, then of course got distracted.

In the last year, the only closet I have cleaned is the one that stores fabric.  And that was more because I couldn't find something that I really needed as opposed to being a Covid project.  In fact, Covid made my life much crazier, as two jobs had to move online and I was overseeing two kids being online, and I have done very little crafting in the last year.

Life is still very busy, but I want to be making at least a little something.  When I came across the baseball fabric while cleaning, I pulled it out as a "low-hanging fruit" in the stash-reduction effort, since there was already one top almost complete, and I didn't want to do anything too intricate with the rest.

This is actually the second or third quilt out of the baseball fabric.  It turned out rather different than what I had in mind, because I used the baseballs for both the alternating squares and the middle stripe of the rail fence block, but I like it.  I've made this pattern many times (it is a free one called Warm Wishes originally designed for Project Linus and a pattern is here: Warm Wishes pattern) and enjoy playing with the color placement.  I also sometimes vary the width of the strips in the rail block, depending on what I have available to use up!

This will go in the to-tie pile, for whenever it is that I can get together with Mom and Sis to have a workday.

Sewing Weekend

Last weekend was a rare treat: a weekend at Mom's dedicated to sewing, with no major "have-to-do" projects other than what I wanted to work on!  I had three specific goals, but of course had enough fabric with me to keep me busy 14 hours a day for a week or more.

Goal #1 was easy - put the binding on the front of the third (and final) orange and green quilt.  Got it done Friday night; while I have enjoyed these fun and bright fabrics, it feels good to call this particular set done!

I had taken several partially finished projects, thinking I would have more time than my three goals and wanting to come up with a plan for some of the different projects.  This was one: it was going to be a gift baby quilt for a good friend, but I just wasn't happy with the accuracy of the top so ended up making something else.  This top was done except for the top and bottom borders; I added them and put it in the pile to tie for donation.  I had planned for Sis to tie this, but we ran into an interesting dilemma - I see the quilt from the construction standpoint, so I see a grid to it that would work well for tying.  But she sees the chains of links running across blocks (which is the look I was going for), so the tying spots weren't intuitive.  Since we have plenty of other quilts in the queue to tie, I brought this one home to machine quilt.

Apparently green with polka dots was a theme for the weekend!

I had to add a strip into the backing as it wasn't quite wide enough.  I generally don't piece backs for the sake of them being pieced, but as I try to use up fabrics, I will probably need to get creative to use what I have!

Planned project #2 was to cut the first two months' of blocks for this mystery quilt that Sis got Mom for Christmas.  Sis picked out all the fabrics (and that was no small challenge - it needs a LOT of different fabrics and in some cases, several of unusual colorways like green-gray).  Each month, Mom gets a chapter of the book along with directions to make one block.  Mom asked me to help with the cutting, so I got the first two blocks ready for her.

It's fun to speculate on where this is going - so far, we know the book takes place mainly in Egypt, and think we see something that looks like a pyramid.

Detour #2 was to cut some fabric for ditty bags that Mom will make for a group at her church.  Her church will fill the bags with personal items for folks who do not have a place to call home at the moment.  It was nice to be able to use a few different fabrics and hope it will provide a small bright spot for the recipients.

Sis came over to work on tying for a while, and tied this bulldozer quilt.  I had made either two or three from these fabrics, but this one got separate from the rest and waited a long time for its turn to be tied.  It is a little smaller than some of the other quilts we've been working on recently, and I think it felt good to finish this one in an afternoon.  It came home with me to have the binding put on.

Mom's project for the weekend was cutting fabrics for a Cathedral Windows wall-hanging she wants to make.  These are 2" squares.  She wants to use jewel tones, and had fabrics that a friend loaned her to cut squares from.  After lots of rearranging and moving fabrics in and out, all three of us liked this combination, though not necessarily this layout.

Project #3 was to actually work on a quilt FOR ME.  I'd gotten this quilt that I call Filmstrip into 5 main sections plus several strips, and that was pretty much the last thing I worked on before life went sideways.  I ADORE these colors and fabrics, and want to put this in my living room.  The goal was to have it ready to be quilted.  One issue - it is supposed to have two borders, but I don't have enough of any of the fabrics to make the inner border, don't want it to be pieced, and couldn't find any of the ones that I would like for a border still online.  We laid it out with a substitute fabric and I definitely like it better with the borders, but I don't want this to never get done.  Mom and Sis both think it is good the way it is, and if I don't come up with a plan soon, will just go with it the way it is.

It was a lovely weekend with people who are special to me and felt like I got a lot accomplished - what more could I ask?!?!