WIP: Hexagons and A Secret

The main part of the house is mostly unpacked and I have a great new place to store all my projects. I am working on finding a permanent home for a sewing machine. I am super excited about the two projects I have on the go, so I thought I would do an update. 

 

So here goes the update:

The silly little hexagon project (last update here) is still waiting on me getting a printer to cut more paper hexagons, so in the mean time I started sewing the already basted and starched hexies together into flowers. I am finding this very enjoyable because I feel like I am finally getting somewhere on this project. 282 basted hexagons will make 40.2 flowers, so I have a bit of time to get a printer figured out.

As for the second project that I am currently working on, it is a big secret. Well I guess its not a complete secret, I am letting everyone know that it is happening. But to keep it as secret as possible I am only showing you 2 pictures:

 A giant cardboard protractor

6 Colors of Quilting Cotton (mostly Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton)

You are curious aren't you? Me too... I haven't really done any appliqué before, and this project has a bunch  crazy amount (probably should have read the pattern more closely before I got started... this is going to be a great way to learn some new skills).

I want to be the like the cool kids in quilting blogland, so I am linking up with Freshly Pieced for WiP Wednesday.

  

GeoMama

Weekend Wrap-Up

Wow, Sunday again already, and its the middle of March. I thought I would get more done this week, but doing the snipping on LB's quilt took way longer than I planned. Luckily it is FINISHED!!! It has had 2 trips through the washing machine/dryer and is looking lots more raggy and feeling lots more cuddly.

LB is having fun playing with the raggy seam allowances

I have a new page on blog devoted to finished projects with more pictures of LB on his quilt. Check out  Completed Quilts on the upper tab.

I had another good week of exercise and fitness, but bad eating habits are proving to be more of a challenge to deal with.

In other random bits of my life... we set up a queen sized boxspring and mattress in the room Monkey is sleeping in. I am not sure she is ready to transition completely to a big girl bed, but we have many nights where someone ends up sitting beside her bed holding her hand and it would be nice to just be able to pull her into a bigger bed and cuddle instead.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day
GeoMama

International Quilting Day & LB's Quilt Finish

Happy International Quilting Day (March 16th) from Canada
It seems to be the perfect day to finish up the project I am working on, and for those just reading my blog for the first time I will give you a quick summary of what that is.

My son was born early September, and being the second child in the family he got very few gifts, whereas his sister recieved 7 homemade blankets. Feeling like he needed something special I set out looking for fabric. 3 months of searching finally landed me Northcott's Reptile Rumpus Collection. I am making a big raggy blanket that he should be able to fit under for a couple years. You can check out the progress on it here (part 1, part 2 or part 3).

Today I am finishing the snipping the seam allowances, here take a peak:

My Dad got me these little scissors, they turned out to be great for snipping the seam allowances

I got all the snipping done with a couple hours left in day, the quilt is headed into wash as soon as my other load is done. I will post photos of LB and his blanket tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing this rag up

All snipped. Time to wash

Feels good to finally finish.

GeoMama

Work in Progress: LB's quilt part 3

I am pretty excited. I got a special delivery from my Brother who was just down to see my Grandma. I had been using Grandma's Elna sewing machine but as I said here, Elna needed some repairs (which is understandable because she is 57 years old). Brother delivered me another sewing machine! (Turns out Grandma has 3 in total, plus a serger).

I get to play/sew with a Husqvarna Viking. So far I think it is a pretty sweet little machine. It has automatic needle up/down settings for when you stop stitching. It has 3 speed settings depending what type of sewing you are doing.

The Viking (should I name it Odin or Thor or  Kvasir (God of inspiration)?)

Anyway, this was going to be an update on LB's raggy quilt (see part 1 and part 2 if you have no clue what I am talking about). It is so close to done. I got all the rows stitched together last night which leaves just joining the rows together, stitching around the whole exterior of the quilt and then making it rag, by snipping into the seam allowances about every 1/4 inch. 

Row8 - backside (not raggy)

Row8 - frontside (raggy)

Can't wait to be done and see LB wrapped in his blanket.

GeoMama

Work in Progress: LB's Quilt Part 2

When I left off in part 1 I had told you I had found the pattern to start working with. To summarize the pattern:

My quilt will be 6 columns by 8 rows, broken down into alternating large squares and blocks with 2 small squares and a rectangle. For those math geeks in my audience... that equals 48 total blocks, 24 large squares, 24 rectangles and 48 small squares. Now each block has both a front and a back, as well as batting in the middle.. 96 fabric squares + 48 batting squares. Lets just say it was lots of cutting and it took me a couple evenings. 

Next was making the fabric 'sandwichs'. Two of the fabric pieces with a layer of batting in between with a X sewn through the corners. Again.. 96 of these.. it took a bit of time, but it was worth it.

After all this it was time to decide on layout. I had 7 different fabrics and no end of options of how to lay everything out (Mathmatically speaking there is a finite number of arrangements, but I am not about to calculate that today). The only criteria I wanted to follow was to have a random arrangement and not have any blocks that are touching be the same. 

I made myself a temporary 'design wall' with a twin bed sheet hung from paperclips screwed into the unfinished opening between the living room and dining room at my Mom's. Then started designing the layout by placing the big squares randomly into the 6x8 grid. Next was the rectangles. 

Big squares and rectangles up

 I was going to start with the small squares that same night, but ran out of pins. I only brought some of my sewing stuff with me from home, so it was off to the store to get some more.

Once I had all the small blocks in place I took some pictures and played with the color settings to see if I had a fairly even distribution of values and patterns. The first one here in black and white made it really obvious that I had hardly any of the darkest fabric at the top

All the blocks up - Notice that the bottom of the quilt looks like it has more dark squares... thats not quite right

Closer to how I want it

After I was happy with the arrangement, it was on to sewing the small blocks into pairs and then attaching them to the rectangles. I made labels for each block showing their position and orientation (ie: R1C2, dragonflies and blue over waves)

Label block all sewn together... not pretty on the edge... but it is a raggy blanket and the edges will fray

A few of the blocks together back in the grid on the design wall

All small square/rectangle blocks back on the wall.  

Now its time to sew the rows together, and then join the rows together... almost done.

GeoMama

Work in progress: LB's quilt part 1

As I mentioned in my first post (The first blog) I made curtains for Monkey's room before she was born. Since LB arrived I have been thinking that I need to make something for him as well. Since we only have a 2 bedroom house the kids will be sharing when LB moves out of our room and I do not need another set of curtains for him. So I am making him a slightly big than crib size quilt.

It took me a long time to find the right fabric. There is tons of cute flannel, but most of it is either really girly or really gender neutral. Very little flannel that is good for little guys. I had looked online as well in quilt stores that I came across while traveling around Christmas time.

Finally after a couple months on the hunt I found this line (Reptile Rumpus by Northcott) in a shop near where GeoDaddy grew up. Woohoo... it was perfect!!!! I had a pet lizard growing up, I love the color orange, its boyish but not typical (cars, trucks, robots, etc).

The next part of the hunt was on. I had the fabric, I needed a pattern. Monkey had 2 Great Aunts make her raggy blankets out of flannel, and I really liked them, but felt that with all the blocks the same size I would lose alot of coolness of lizard print of the fabric line.

Week old Monkey napping with me under one raggy quilt.

4 month old Monkey napping on the other raggy quilt.

I went searching the wonderful internet and came across this tutorial ( Make it:Rag Quilt for Baby) by Jenae at I Can Teach My Child. Her instructions were clear and easy to follow with lots of nice pictures to help along the way. 

I gotta go, kiddos are waking up from their naps. More to follow on LB's quilt.

GeoMama