We actually had some cold weather recently, with night temperatures into the 20s. I didn’t like it at all. So I dived into my fabric stash, found some jelly rolls and starting making quilt tops. I have quite a few of the 2.5-inch jelly rolls, so if it keeps being cold, I’ll keep sewing quilt tops.
I drew a rabbit a few days ago (based on Mark Crilley’s YouTube video How To Draw A Rabbit) and then I “painted” it in thread (on my sewing machine). This is my first effort at thread painting without having a photograph on the base fabric; this is all free-hand. I think the whiskers are too dark, but it is not like using graphite pencils where I can erase!
My thread painted rabbit (using my sewing machine)
When I drew the rabbit, I used two pencils: Raffiné 3B and Prismacolor Black. When I stitched the rabbit, I used seven threads: Gütermann 30-weight 4335, 8, 9333, 40, 3454, 93, 000 (black). I used the black for the whiskers; too dark.
My rabbit drawing (graphite pencil)
I made a few more quilt tops this year, in addition to finishing up my UFOs. I’m currently in a half-square triangle phase.
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A half-square triangle quilt using one white layer cake and one batik layer cake; 71 x 76 inches.
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This is another half-square triangle quilt; no specific pattern for the arrangement; 67 x 75 inches.
When I started to sew on the binding, I noticed a big glob of mud on one block. All I can guess about how it got there was that one of the dogs got to it while I had my in-progress quilts on the couch. (No, they don’t get on the couch, but they sometimes look for toys on it.) I treated the stain, scrubbed it, washed it multiple times but I couldn’t get all of it out. I was heartbroken. It was supposed to be a gift but I can’t bear to give someone a new quilt with a stain.
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This is the Hunter’s Star pattern using the half-square triangle method from the Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial; 73 x 83 inches.
One goal I had for this year was to finish the six quilt tops I found hanging in my sewing room closet. I looked at the photo I posted in January and checked on my progress. I managed to finish five of the six quilt tops. I don’t seem to know where I put one of the quilt tops (hanger #5). I’m not worried; I’ll find it eventually. Maybe I should look in my closet again?
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Here’s the starting line up.
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I made this quilt top in 1991; my first quilt top ever. Twenty-five years later (2016) I took it to be professionally quilted and then I added the binding. It’s on hanger #4 in the first photo.
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Shelly and I made our Carpenter’s Star quilt tops together a few years ago; hanger #3. Size = 48 x 48 inches.
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I took a Jelly Roll class at Sew Much More and made several of them; hanger #2. Size = 56 x 71 inches.
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Jelly Roll quilt #2; hanger #1. Size = 54 x 65 inches.
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Jelly Roll quilt #3; hanger #6. Size = 64 x 79 inches.
I have made several other items this year, so completing five of six of my UFOs was definite progress.
Asian fabrics are my favorite. I used them to make my second tuffet. Hubby was nice enough to assist me in assembling it; it’s better with two sets of hands. I made my first tuffet in a class at Creations, a wonderful quilt shop in Kerrville, Texas. I should have made my second one soon after, while everything was fresh in my memory. I had the pattern, of course, and I actually took notes, but I this time I went slowly.
The tuffet base and fabric before the fabric is pulled down to cover it.
It's a long story ... 