A Spiderweb Finish!

 

It's a finish!

Spiderweb

54 x 75

This is one of several string quilts I started last year. 

I've made several Spider Web quilts using different methods but I like Bonnie Hunter's method the best.

There are lots of scraps in this one!

I quilted it on my sewing machine with black thread on each side of the spiderweb seams.

The backing is a black and white floral. The binding is black and all of it came out of the leftover binding box.

I bought a whole bolt of it because I have quite a few tops that can use this fabric on back. Next month I am going to work on getting those tops all quilted unless I run it of the backing fabric, batting or black thread. 

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And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alicia Quilts

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Today is my granddaughter's birthday! I can't believe she is 21 years old already!

My Top Has Spider Webs All Over It

Spider Webs

54 x 75

It's a top!

I started making these blocks last year.

As the strings got a little shorter and skinnier I used them to make a Spider Web blocks.  I  used that black with multicolor in all of the blocks. I bought a few yards of that fabric for backings when I made Friendship Star quilts for my granddaughter's friends after she passed away. I liked it because it was black/rainbow multicolor with peace signs. I didn't notice when I bought it online that it also has marijuana leaves on it. I didn't end up using it as backings for the quilts for Kayla's friends. And I don't to use it in any quilts for kids so this will be a comfort quilt marked for adults. Anyone who gets it will probably think some old lady made the quilt and didn't know those were marijuana leaves. And maybe an older recipient might not know those are marijuana leaves. 

I've made several Spider Web quilts using different methods but I like Bonnie Hunter's method the best.

Peace out!

And sew on...

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year)

After days of below zero temps and snow it was up into the 50s yesterday so I put on my boots and took a walk around the yard. The ground is still frozen and there were puddles everywhere and it was muddy everywhere else but it was nice to be out walking in the fresh air dreaming of spring growth. 

I did do a bit more winter sowing of seeds -- this time I planted in milk jugs. I forgot to take a pic of them on the deck after planting. I will probably do more planting today.  From the pic above I didn't end up planting the Canadian Milk Vetch and Tall Thimbleweed seeds because I need to scarify those seeds and I didn't want to go looking for sandpaper to do that. Since I had milk jugs ready for planting I planted Indian Spring Hollyhock and Black Gem Cornflowers instead. 

 

Still Pulling Strings

"Strings and Things" is the theme in my sewing space this month. I started these Spider Web blocks last year so I started out the month with 14 blocks. My goal is 35 and I'm almost there and might be able to assemble a quilt top before month end. 

And sew on...

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Making do.

It is so very cold. Right now 3 with wind chill of -13. Its 64 in the house.  I go grocery shopping every 2 weeks or so but I guess it will be 3 weeks or so before I get to the store this time. I'm not going out in this cold. I can make do with the food I have on hand. I still have potatoes and onions from the garden as well as some canned tomatoes and frozen garden veggies. I always stay stocked up on pastas and dried beans and rice. And so I can always make different soups to get me through a week's worth of lunches and dinners and I can always make bread to go with if I'm in the mood although since hubby is unable to swallow and doesn't eat meals a whole loaf of homemade bread is a bit much for me.  I guess I could freeze half a loaf.  And using the oven might warm it up a bit in here. I usually eat oatmeal with dried cranberries or raisins for breakfast and I have enough of that for a week or so. And I can also make pancakes. So, anyway, I'm going to make do with what I have on hand because I'm not going out in the cold!

Update - Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7:30 a.m.

Temperature is -11. Wind chill is -28. Temperature in this old house in the country is 59.

 

Pulling Some Strings

The theme this month in my sewing space to move some UFOs forward is "Strings and Things".  

Last year I started making Spider Web blocks with shorter and skinnier strings. I made 14 blocks. I'm aiming for 35. Now that I've made these 6 blocks I have 20. I'm hoping to have all 35 blocks made by month end. 

I'm using Bonnie Hunter's tutorial to make 10 3/4 inch blocks. 

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REMEMBER, TREASURE, GROW, READ (my words of the year) 

I received a beautiful handmade Valentine's Day card from Linda. It is definitely a very special treasure.

Feathers and Webs

The theme in my sewing space in July was strings.  I started making Feathers with the longer and wider strings. I have all of the two sides of the feathers made so now I'm just putting them all together into blocks. 

Maybe in August I will get this to flimsy stage. 

I don't really have many longer pieces of yardage for quilts that need lots of background. I did have enough of this green. I figured green goes with everything- most flowers have green leaves. 

I also started making Spider Web blocks in July. I don't have enough for a larger top yet. I don't want to make a kiddo sized quiltt because that black/rainbow fabric I'm using for the centers has marijuana leaves on it. 

It's August and now my theme is KIDS but I will still fit in some string sewing now and then. I don't want the string quilts to turn into UFOs until they are flimsies. 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

July 31 - Finished a book! The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer - a WWII historical fiction. "Life has a way of reminding you that you are at the mercy of chance, and that even well-thought-out plans can turn to chaos in an instant."

August 1 - A BLT with a big juicy homegrown tomato. Homegrown tomatoes sprinkled with homegrown basil.  Unfortunately my tomatoes are not producing very well this year but I am really enjoying the ones I have harvested. 

 

Progress on Strings - Works in Progress

Feather Bed blocks.   

I've finished sewing all my longest strings into strata and cut the parts for 76 feathers. 

I don't cut fabrics for strings. They just happen. So it is always fun to see what the mix of fabrics in my quilts will look like together. 

I decided to use green for the background because I think every color goes with green. Doesn't every color of flower have green leaves? 

Now that my longest strings have been used the remainders go into the pile of strings for Spider Web blocks. 

So I made some Spider Web blocks this week too.  I'm mostly using bright and wild strings for these projects. 

Then after I've used a string in the Spider Web blocks and there is a little piece of string left it goes into the baggie for Eight Point Star pieces.   I made enough pieces (32) for 4 Stars. 

So that's the long and short of it.

And sew on...

 

String Progress

Spider Web Blocks

I previously posted on June 18 that I had sorted my strings into several different projects and started those projects.  Since then I started another string project (child sized Heartstring with yellow centers) and got that to flimsy stage.  This time of year I spend more time out in the gardens than I do in the sewing room but I did manage to find bits of time here and there to work on my string projects.  I'm hoping to get all three projects to flimsy stage by the end of July and have most of my strings used up. 

So since my last string post I've made Spider Web parts and turned those into four blocks. 

I've made many Feather Bed parts with the longest of strings - most from quilt back trimmings. 

And I've made several Eight Point Star parts from the very short strings left over from other string projects.

And sew on...

Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

String Trilogy

I sorted my strings and decided upon three new projects. 

The longest strings, like ones that come from quilt backing trimming, will be made into Feathers.  I'll be making a quilt called Feather Bed. I made one back in 2016 and still have the pattern.  It is an Anna Maria Horner pattern that was free when I made my quilt back in 2016 but I see it is no longer free.  The Feathers are about 18 inches long and I need 38 Feathers. I'm pretty sure I have enough of that green fabric for the background. 

As the strings get a little shorter and skinnier I will use them to make a Spider Web quilt I will use that black with multicolor in all of the blocks. I bought a bunch of that fabric for backings when I made Friendship Star quilts for my granddaughter's friends after she passed away. I didn't notice when I bought it online that it has marijuana leaves on it so I don't want to use it in any quilts for kids. 

I've made several Spider Web quilts using different methods but I like Bonnie Hunter's method the best.

And finally when the strings are very skinny and/or very short they will be made into eight pointed String Stars. I think I may use different blue solids for the backgrounds or I may just use different colored solids. I'm not sure yet. 

I will use Corey Yoder's tutorial.  I used it in the past to make Skimpy Scrimption Stars from selvages. 

I also have some strings with kid's novelties on them set aside and when I finish blocks for these three quilts I will probably add in colorful strings that are left over as well as some low volume strings to make Wonky Log Cabin blocks. 

And sew on...

 

Tangled Webs

Tangled Webs

64.5 x 85

It's a finish! 

This is a strip quilt, not a string quilt, made of 1.5 width scraps and the "stars" are different spider web fabrics.  I started it back in October 2015 in order to use up my bin of 1.5 inch scraps I had at the time. I did just that but didn't have enough blocks for a quilt so I set it aside for awhile waiting for more scraps to happen. 

I used the Bonnie Hunter tutorial for making the blocks in this one. Back in 2012 I made a Spider Web quilt (with a Spider Man backing) using a different method and strings. 

By May 2019 more scraps had happened so I made it my goal to make more blocks and finish a flimsy. 

I quilted it on my DSM with spider webs.  In the "stars" I quilted leaves because spider webs need to be attached to something. 

In case you are thinking...ewwww, spiders...well, spiders in the Victorian era were a symbol of good luck.  

It took me over a year from flimsy stage to quilting because I don't really enjoy piecing backings. Well, it finally happened and now lots of spider webs and spiders are now a backing. I probably have enough spider web fabric left now to use as center strings in a string quilt. So the drawer full of spider webs is not quite empty yet. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Spider Webs

A few more Spider Web blocks. 

That's about as many as I can make at one time before my brain feels full of spider webs. 

I'm making them to use 1.5 inch scraps accumulated over a period of about 3 years 

More later. 

Purple Whatchamacallits and Rails

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for February is purple. 

I used 1.5 inch scraps this week and made one  6 x 14  Whatchamacallit block...

 ...and several little 3 inch rails. 

And then if there's any 1.5 inch scrap left over after that it gets thrown into the Spider Web project box.  That way I can spread the scraps between 3 quilts for maximum scrapiness!!  I have about six Spider Web blocks that I started ages ago using 1.5 inch scraps and then , for whatever reason, it stalled.  Any new scraps in light blue or purple accumulated throughout the year will go into the regular old 1.5 inch scrap box for next year's whatchamacallits, rails, or new project. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

There's Scraps and Then There's Scraps

Lately I've been trying to use up my box of waste triangles. One of the blocks I've been using them in is a vintage one called Ocean Waves.  

It's pretty easy to sew a waste triangle to the corners of 2.5 inch red squares. 

On the other hand when you use 2.5 inch 30s repro scraps and actually mix with muslin and make HSTs for an Ocean Waves block there's a whole lot of points to match.  

And then there's the 1.5 inch scraps. Some of them go into Spider Web blocks like these...

...with spider web centers.

While other 1.5 inch scraps like those 30s repros do their own thing in a different type of Spider Web block. 

Of course you have to actually make a bunch of quilts in order to have a bunch of scraps so sometimes things get stalled. 

Hey, it's Scraptastic Tuesday! What are you working on? Are you using up those scraps?

Other people are. I dare you to go look. 

Spider Webs

The 1.5 inch scrap bin is full despite my use in a couple of Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects.  I haven't made a Spider Web quilt since 2012. I used multi-sized strings in that quilt, used spider webs for the center, made it twin sized,  put Spider Man fabric on the back, quilted it with spider webs and gave it to my grandson. 

 I thought it was time to try one again using pieces all the same size. I have lots of different spider web fabrics for the centers.  I'll make blocks until I empty the 1.5 inch bin and see how many blocks I have and go from there. 

I've lately been trying to rid myself of strips and strings and have several projects going. Maybe I will finish a few of them soon. 

Linking to:

Oh Scrap at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Monday Makes at Love Laugh Quilt

Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

UFO Sunday

Last week I posted about a spider web/cobweb quilt UFO. This week I was hoping to get it pinned and quilted. Problem is that I have to get down on the floor to pin the quilt. (Oh, my aching back). Problem is that I have to clean off the card table next to the sewing desk in order to do any quilting. The card table carries the most of the weight of the quilt while quilting and I hate cleaning it off - putting scraps in scrap bins, putting projects in boxes, putting fabric purchased that week in the proper drawer. There are only so many hours outside of work left for hobbies so cleaning is not my favorite thing to do.

So, while procrastinating the pinning and cleaning I worked on another UFO to give me some sewing time I crave on the weekends to make things right with the world (and my mind).


 I worked on a Blue Double 4 Patch UFO. These blocks were from a "no stress" (participate or not each month) monthly swap several years ago on a list to which I no longer belong because I didn't like the direction/tone it was taking.  Anyway, each month for a year we could swap blue double four patch blocks and I don't think I missed a month. I love getting fabric in the mail. It was fun to see what everyone chose for blue fabric for the blocks each month.


Last January I laid them out on my design floor (oh my aching back) and picked them back up, labeled the rows and sewed 3 rows together, bought some backing fabric and left them all in a pile in the corner of the sewing room where they have remained a UFO until yesterday. (Well, actually it still is a UFO - just not in the corner anymore).

Evidently I didn't know how to multiply back in January. There are 90 - 8 inch blocks( finished size) but if there are 9 in a row and 10 down I think it would be a quilt would be 72x80 (not 90). Now, if my grown kids were to notice that they would think I was starting to get senile.

 Anyway, this UFO is now in the flimsy stage (72x90). So, now I have another UFO ready to pin (oh my aching back) and quilt.

I eventually got my quilt sandwich made and pinned (oh my aching back), cleaned off the card table next to the sewing desk so I could start quilting my wonky cobweb quilt. I wanted to try a spider web from Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project blog in each "spider web"/cobweb.  (Keep in mind I am an old lady with poor eyesight).   The left side got a little wonky down near the bottom. That is where I start to sew backwards and don't see where the next line of the web happens to be.  The seam throws me off some too. And sometimes my hands just plain shake.

This one was a little better but it's still a little wonky down at bottom left (see that green patch?).

I only made it through 4 webs before I decided to quit for the day when the bobbin ran out of thread. I can't sit at the machine for long before my back starts to ache.  (Hear a common theme to this post?  I need a new chair and/or a new body). 

 Spider man is on the back - scrappy quilt, scrappy guy - spider webs, spider man. The quilting kind of blends in to the backing.

You can't really see it but I just quilted some circles around the spider webs in the fabric in the star that forms between the cobwebs.

And that leaves me with the question....how does everyone manage to pin/baste together large quilts? I put mine on the hardwood floor in the living room and sit on top of it to pin it. It's not exactly easy on an old body. I'm not sure I have room to put two large tables together to lay quilts out on but I may have to find room one of these days or stop making large quilts.

Oh, and take a look at what other UFOs are being worked on at UFO Sunday at Free Motion Quilting Project.   And linking up to Linky Party Tuesday at Freemotion by the River.