The travellers return

Last year I entered a couple of journal quilts for a competition and since all the entries then travelled around to various shows in the UK, I have never got around to showing them on the blog.

The size had to be A4 which was quite a change from working on bigger quilts. The set theme was 'Landscape'. I often notice that quilters can interpret themes to fit whatever they are actually working on and I have to admit that is just what I did here. You will recognise my style at once!

The first one, I called 'Beneath our Feet - the Earth's inner landscape'. It is of course a mini version of 'Strata'.  I wanted to work to see if I could work with a mottled background without the quilting getting lost.

I had tried using bright yellow on the darker bits, but that did disappear. Sticking to black works quite well I think.

The second piece I entitled 'My Inner Landscape - the circles in my mind'

I used a solid blue background, but two colours of thread.

Thanks for visiting...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @  http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Finish Friday @ http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.co.uk/

Creative Goodness @ http://quiltshopgal.com/creativegoodness-weekly-linky-parties/

Chorus Line - Free Motion Cameo 39

Step into your dances shoes for Chorus Line - FMQ Cameo 39.

Chorus Line - Free Motion Cameo 39

I'm quite fond of these cheeky chaps and chapesses although they are probably a bit too rotund to make good dances. I don' think they would pass a 'Lord of the Dance' audition! They are quite labor intensive. I do them in 4 steps - the leg arches first, the body and head in a figure of 8 second, then the arms for the final 2.

Many thanks to all of you who left such wonderful comments on Cosmic Split. I did suggest to a few of you that you get yourselves hired a quilt judges at the Festival of Quilts forthwith!
I promised I would let you know how the quilt got on.

Cosmic Split

Well, judge A loved it and gave it an 'Excellent' for every applicable category. Judge B wasn't so impressed and interestingly enough, marked down everything I thought was good about the quilt. She gave it a few 'goods' for colour and material choice, but only a satisfactory for the 'treatment of edges' (that I was so proud of!), satisfactory for the quilt overall as an art quilt and a 'needs attention' for the 'design and execution of quilting' with a note to avoid the 'puckering' in the background. That did worry me a bit. There is no point in me going to all that extra effort to add textural interest in the form of ruching (which is much trickier to quilt) if it just looks as if I can't lay down a flat piece of fabric! I liked the effect, but maybe I am going to have to rethink that one.

Anyway, 30 thousand people got to see the quilt which is quite a thought.

Cosmic Split

I know I said that I would not show you the finished quilt until after the show, but another read through the rules has reassured me that blogs, internet and other public previews are not forbidden - or even mentioned for that matter. So why not? Here goes.

I left you last week pre-split. 

The name contains a 'Split', a split is required. Changing my mind is not an option. A few deep breaths, a bit of contemplation, a cup of tea, a meander down the garden, a few sketches, a trial on one of the 'failed' gold samples, another cup of tea, a walk along the country lanes,  quite a lot of worry, yet more tea, more deep breaths - a flash of the rotary cutter and for better or worse it is done.

After - yes guessed it - another cup of tea, I face the two pieces with black fabric. I want to lose as little of the pattern as possible in the facing, so the seam is barely an eighth of an inch wide, neatened with a zig-zag to strengthen. 

The edge is gently rounded, sitting proud of the background, but less so than on 'Sidetracked' as there is no piecing with its thickening seams. 

The next task is to fasten the split gold pieces onto the background. Using something like bondaweb is not an option as the necessary heat can not penetrate all the layers. As with 'Sidetracked' I use a slip stitch catching alternatively facing and backing. On straight lines this works easily - just fold the backing back to reveal the edge of the facing and off you go. 

With curves, the folding back is much more tricky and the bulky layers are reluctant to yield to the shape. The result first time round is a wonderfully distorted quilt. This is a very useful bit of information if you actually want a distorted quilt. I don't. Obviously in all that folding and refolding around the curve, the gold quilting shifts around. It needs to held firmly in place for stitching. Pinning it from the font will leave unwelcome permanent holes. Pinning from the back must go through the background quilt, into the batting of the gold quilting but not through the metallic fabric. To do this I try to feel the pin through the gold fabric as I pin from the back and stop just in time to prevent the pin popping through the front into daylight. Think less Princess and the Pea and more the Commoner and the Pin! And on the third attempt at stitching I actually ended up with a flat quilt!

The background quilt is a black version of 'Sidetracked' - that is, adding a layer of the ruched black fabric to give more texture. The quilting uses several motifs, but draws on the gold quilting with pebbles and swirls, linking the two together.

Black fabric seems to have a magnetic attraction to any bit of fluff, dust and cat hair around. I have been over every inch of this quilt, front and back, twice with sellotape. I still don't trust it  not to pick up more fluff in transit! Cosmic Split, quilt number 404, is on it's way to the Festival of Quilt 2014. Good Luck and Enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Going for Gold

The 'Cosmos' for my piece 'Cosmic Split is complete.

Oh, I really enjoyed making the Cosmos! This is the part that I absolutely love doing - it is the reason I make quilts at all. I don't mark out the patterns in the circle, but just trust my eye and as I come to the end of the round, either squeeze up or draw out the last couple of  motives to fill the available space. Mostly, that works very well. If you look closely, you might find the odd motif that really has been hard done by!

Here are a couple of close-ups.

I wanted the texture of the background quilting to be a different, much smaller scale to the spheres. I've used a mixture of pebbling and a motif much used by one of my favourite quilters - Jacqueline Heinz. These two motifs are mixed in with two others on the black background that the gold will be stitched to.

The gold fabric has just about held out. If you look at it through a magnifying glass, you can see areas around the thread where there is a threatening split and a peek of white batting underneath. Just cross your fingers that it holds out until after the show and that the judges don't used magnifying glasses!!

Next comes the really scary bit - the Split in 'Cosmic Split' - otherwise known as the rotary cutter. It is always a bit of a nerve wracking moment to slice hours of quilting in two! I plan to finish and get this quilt off by the end of next week. The show is 2nd week in August, and I will post the finished quilt then.

This quilt has been such a journey, I think I will really miss it when it's finished. What shall I do next? It is a bit like finishing a really good book. On the one hand it is great to find out what happens in the end, on the other hand there is a hole left by its absence. Yet I often feel I need to savour the story a moment before I am able to plunge into the next one. Do you find that - with quilts or books?

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @  http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk   

Gold Fever 2

It would seem that my Gold Fever of last week was contagious, judging by your comments. How I wish those words of appreciation, encouragement and commiseration could, like the wave of a Fairy Godmother's wand, turn simple cotton into the much sort after gold cloth. Sadly, in the real world, the only allusion to it on the web that I have been able to find was to say that it is no longer manufactured. Thank you so much for your kind words and suggestions. They were much appreciated and at least raised my spirits!

Should any of you - particularly those of you able to go to the big shows in the States - see this fabric, please get the suppliers name for me - tell him I'll buy the whole bolt!

So I have gone with the last of the fabrics I showed last week, hoping that it will not split again. Colour wise and consistency wise, it was the best of my trials. I have been wisely counselled by Pam to consider it 'different' rather than inferior! Here is the structure outlined, ready to have the blank areas filled with pattern.

Making my marks

As I said in the last post, none of the usual markers work on metallic fabric and stitching from the back didn't work with this one, as it stuck to the sewing table. Incredibly, felt tip pen does mark and washes off! It does dull the gold where the line has been, but once stitched over that is barely noticeable. Still, it is a bit nerve racking doodling all over fabric with a felt-tip pen!

Going around in circles

The title of this piece is going to be 'Cosmic Split' - so think vaguely of space, orbits and heavenly bodies. I did not want perfect circles. After googling 'how to draw perfect eclipses' and playing around with pin, string paper and pen, I decided I didn't want eclipses either. A lot of paper covered with a lot of 'circles' later, I decided just to draw the lot free hand. Above is the 'artistic' photo with garden in the background. Below is a clearer version.

Oh for a long arm! At least I imagine circles would be a lovely easy sweep on a long arm. On a DSM, even non-circular circles are tricky. It is not possible to do any but the very small circles in one. Every stop to readjust the fabric is an opportunity for an uneven stitch length. Every start is an opportunity for a needle jump to the side. And at no point can you see the whole track of the circle. The end is not in sight! Welcome to the universe of slightly wobbly heavenly bodies!

Tying off loose ends

... as in thread ends - well over 300 of them to tie off and bury. I wish I had taken a photo of them. It made a fair imitation of a fringe dress. Lots of threading needles and not knowing which part of my vary-focal specs to look out of!!!

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Lizzie Lenard @ http://lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk/

Finally - the 9th and final square in Learning Curves in 9 Squares

First of all I am going to start with a plea for help. A couple of years ago I bought a cotton backed gold foil fabric from a quilting shop - it was part of their Christmas range. This is not gold coloured, but a true metallic foil stuck to cotton. It cuts, stitches and FMQs beautifully. And I can't get hold of any more. The shop has sold out, can't remember which rep they have got it from and has no plans to get more. I have tried many shops in the UK, even big ones like Cotton Patch who can not help. I have searched on the internet and bought several things to try, but have not been able to find this cotton backed foil. I can't be the only person to have used this. If anyone could let me know of a source I would be VERY grateful!

I can't remember when I posted the first of the 9 squares from this piece, but there have been so many diversions to show quilts and bloggers festivals and other things. Sorry about that.

This is a long post - lots of photos - so get a cup of tea/coffee ready!!

Today we have arrived at the 9th and final Square 'How does your Garden Grow'

How does your Garden Grow form Learning Curves in 9 Squares

And looking at this photo, you might be forgiven for thinking how your garden grew was upside down! Or could it be the photo that is upside down? However, I think this motif works any way up and think of it as hanging flowers here. It is another design that you can stretch and squeeze at will giving short dumpy flowers to long thin ones and anything in between. It is what I call a 'there and back' design, meaning that it ends at the starting point. You need to travel along the guide lines to the next start point - or do an awful lot of stopping and starting. Guess which method I used!!

And now for the whole piece - all 9 squares together. I promised you a bit of a surprise with this. It is a very small surprise, and I think you will have guessed what I was planning before now. If not, just look at it for a moment or two before reading on.

Learning Curves in 9 Squares

I hope it is pretty obvious that the lines flow across the squares to form one continuous design. If not, let me know!!

The embryo of this piece was in a stitch sample that I did in orange thread with no other aim than to practise. I had some fabric dyed in the same orange and used it for a binding (and no, I don't usually put bindings on my practice pieces!). I really liked the look of thread and binding in the same colour. I had also wanted to vary/develop what I had done in Strata - my first show quilt.

Strata

So I thought I would experiment with similar organic flowing lines but this time divide the piece into squares, with one motif per square. The colour scheme was dictated by matching thread and dyed fabric that I already had.

Arrow Head and Cobbler's Nightmare from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

I call it 'Learning Curves' because it is a trial piece. So, what have I learnt?

Dividing it into squares certainly makes it a lot easier to quilt, and I do think the method works. I've slip stitched the squares together with double thread. The stitching isn't visible and it is strong enough to hold the weight of the quilt. Having one motif per square I think works well, as does the thread/binding colour link.

The importance of colour I have already touched upon. Paler colours just get lost at a distance.

For me, the biggest problem of the piece is a lack of focal point. Strata suffers from the same problem, (which is why I think it only got a 'satisfactory' in the show). Both pieces are an excuse for me to indulge in FMQ which I love so much, but I need to find a stronger design to carry it off. Humm. Back to the thinking board.

Oh, and one last lesson - don't take so many photos. I think this post has taken me almost as long to prepare as to quilt!! I hope you enjoy them.

All Aflame and Swirls from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

4 squares joining from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

4 squares joining from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

Fly away home and Sticks and Stones from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

4 squares joining from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

Arrow Head and How does your Garden Grow from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

Learning Curves in 9 Squares - detail

Hour Glass and All Aflame from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

4 squares joining from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

Learning Curves in 9 Squares - detail

Learning Curves in 9 Squares - detail

4 squares joining from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

Cobblers Nightmare and Not on my Parade from Learning Curves in 9 Squares

Thanks for dropping by

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Show and tell Tuesday @ http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk

Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

...and not only late with this post. I have had the 14.4.14 (or if you are  U.S. side, 4.14.14) in my head for weeks as the day I need to send off my 'Spiral' quilt to the British Quilt & Stitch competition, giving a week's transport time.

Spiral - Detail

 I am really bad at finishing the boring bits like binding and hanging sleeve, but got it done this weekend - got all the cat hairs off - got it all safely packed and ready for the post and then...A quick glance at the entry form and my eye falls on the sentence

The quilts MUST arrive by Monday 14 April (their capitals!!)

So, there I am, on the morning of Monday 14 April, sitting on the floor (good place to be when you are feeling stupid and a bit desperate at the same time) with quilt that has not yet departed let alone arrived. I ring the exhibition HQ prepared to eat humble pie, beg, grovel, prostrate myself....The delightful Angela informs me that the system has been designed for people like me, no problem, I have in fact got another 10 days before the quilt has to be there.

Spiral - Detail 2

I am no longer sitting on the floor, quilt is on its way and I am breathing again! I haven't included a full picture of the quilt, but a few to give you an idea. The rules don't forbid it, but is somehow doesn't feel polite to do a full reveal until after the event. Or, go along to the exhibition on 25-27 April at Uttoxeter Racecourse to have a look yourself.

Spiral - Detail 3

Thank you so much to all of you who came up with names for the two designs I posted last week. It was so interesting to see what the patterns evoked for everybody, where you all agreed and where you saw quite different things. I've been a bit side-tracked by the drama above, but next week I will let you know which names I have picked (hopefully also done Cameos of the designs). I have now decided to call the complete piece 'Learning Curves in 9 Squares'.  You've seen 4 squares, numbers 5 and 6 will be in the next post.

Thanks for dropping by...

Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.

Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/

Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/

Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    

Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 

Show and tell Tuesday @ http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/

Let’s Bee Social @ http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.co.uk

WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/

WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  

WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca

I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/

Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/

Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/

Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

Fabric Frenzy Friday @ http://fortworthfabricstudio.blogspot.co.uk
Friday linky party @ http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.co.uk/

Strata - West Country Quilt Show Part 2

The Second of the Quilts that I entered into the West Country Quilt Show 2013 in the small wall hanging category.

Strata -  Shown at the West Country Quilt Show 2013

In this quilt I really enjoyed playing around with continuous line free motion quilting. The undulating tracks open and close, altering the density of the pattern and increasing the texture of the piece.

I wanted a kind of slate appearance, so used a piece of cotton I had dyed in charcoal with a flush of pink (which doesn't show up well on the photo).

Strata - detail - free motion quilting -hand dyed cotton

Strata - detail - free motion quilting -hand dyed cotton

Strata - detail - free motion quilting -hand dyed cotton

 I had this piece of pink-dyed material which as used as the back, partly because it picked up on the pink tones of the front, and partly because I don't particularly like the colour, so was happy to consign to the back. However, several people have told me they prefer it to the front!!

Strata - reverse side

 The colour contrast is obviously better and it show up from a greater distance, but I do like the the subtlety of the grey.

Strata - reverse side

I had high hopes for this piece and i did get a 'good' for machine quilting and originality, but everything else was the dreaded 'statisfactory'. So, back to the drawing board. I will post a picture of the winner of the machine quilting prize next time, and it is really, really fantastic. Onward and Upward.

Thanks for dropping by

Hilary Florence