The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts

Tag: Batiks

Flying Happy Flimsy Completed

Hi, I am extra happy to share my completed Flying Happy quilt top today. It took me a couple extra days longer than I thought it would to get all the flying geese and the other block components assembled into the 36 blocks needed for this 72 inch square quilt top.

Flying Happy in Batiks quilt flimsy

I laid out all my quilt blocks on top of my bed and determined how I wanted them to be sewn up colorwise. I even took a photo. I carefully picked them back up last to first. While the block is able to be switched top to bottom and the geese stay in the same formation, I think I got a couple blocks switched around in how I wanted the center cross block to lay. I had to switch a couple blocks back around while sewing and it must be why I ended up with a cluster of turquoise in the bottom section. There are two different turquoise batik prints and they look very similar from a distance. A few of my fat quarters were larger than standard and I was able to cut more blocks out those particular colors so more squares show up in the mix.

Flying Happy

I tried my best to get 6 different colored batiks in each block. It is amazing how many different variations appear when you cut one fat quarter into the needed squares. I think only one block ended up with both turquoise batiks in it.

Flying Happy

When looking through the camera lens and using the flash, this corner of the quilt showed alot of bright pink. There are actually numerous color variations in this corner. I probably could have done a little more mixing in the top two rows, but it is all together and I really do not want to attempt to take any of it apart. I was rather anxious about all the geese playing nice, but in general they went together well. I finger pressed for the main part until all my blocks were made and then I gave them a good steam press when completed first from the back working on getting my seams to lay in correct direction and then I flipped the block right side. I then pressed from the center out to the edges. I did have a few geese that were a bit off but when I made sure I sewed them together and my stitching went through the little intersecting x, I was able to make all my points pointy.

Flying Happy

I really love how this quilt top turned out. It has many of my favorite batik prints in it. I am usually one who thinks bigger is better with quilts. I really love flying geese but 288 flying geese is ALOT of geese to make. I do not think I would want to size up this quilt to make it king size. It fits the top of our king size anyway at it’s finished 72 inch size. I would think there should be a bit of shrinkage after quilting and washing. This will be a throw quilt that I will be keeping for my own use.

I will be linking up my flimsy finish with Fabric Tuesday, Linky Tuesday, WIP Wednesday and Let’s Bee Social.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

October 27, 2015
Flying Happy Quilt in Batiks WIP

Hi, I would like to share what I am working on in my sewing room this week. I am cutting out fabric for a new quilt. The quilt is called Flying Happy and it is a design that is part of Positive Trio by Melissa Eubanks of My Fabric Relish. I loved all three of the quilt designs in the Positive Trio quilt pattern so much that I purchased the pattern the first day that Melissa released it back in May. Flying Happy is my favorite so I decided to play with that one first.

Flying Happy (first block)

This is my first block that I have pieced. There are four sizes of quilts that you can make (mini, baby, throw and large throw) and I am making the large throw. This is a fat quarter friendly pattern.

My Fabric Pull, all fat quarters

I collected over a dozen new batik fat quarters and added extras I had left from my Catawampus quilt top.

Flying Happy

This is a chart from the pattern showing what the quilt will look like. I needed 18 fat quarters. Two or more of them were under the needed 18 inch width so I am adding a few extra squares from my stash to get the needed pieces. Melissa’s instructions have ample room and what would be scraps I am able to cut carefully and get a few extra pieces.

All my cut squares and rectangles

Here all my lovely batiks cut into the necessary pieces. I am choosing to use cream solid as my background. It would look lovely in gray or black, but cream is what I had. It took a bit to cut the well over 500 squares needed for the flying geese background. I have everything cut and placed in a basket hoping to not lose a precious single square to Miss Katie, who loves to eat fabric.

This week I finished up the September instructions for the Midnight Mystery quilt along by Meadow Mist Designs. We were to create square in a square blocks. They were fun to make and they went together well with almost nothing to trim off to square up the blocks.

Midnight Mystery quilt along September blocks

I really like my blue star fabric with the gray. Adding in the red solid background should make an interesting quilt.

Today is my Father inlaw Lee’s birthday. He is 78 and we think he is one of the best. This is one of 3 (I think) Speeder cars that he and Uncle Max own. This one is a two seater with open doors, and I know they have a four seater with closed doors. They like to ride the rails on what are usually abandoned railways or there are special events that railroads let the speeder car groups use their running rail lines when no trains are in the area. My husband has gone a few rides but I have not managed to get to ride yet.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend. We are excited that we get to spend time with some good friends out of town. They moved across the state last year at this time, and we only managed to see them once back in February, so it will be great to see them. They are the couple who are the big Minnesota Vikings fans who received the Boxed In and Out quilt in Vikings colors. It will be cool to see the quilt again being used in it’s natural habitat. Haha

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I do greatly appreciate all comments.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

September 18, 2015
Batik Catawampus Flimsy:Friday Finish

It’s better late than never. I have my own Friday Finish to share this week. I have been hosting TGIFF linky party today so it’s only fitting that I get my top finished before the linky party ends.

This is my Batik Catawampus and Yes, it is a version of a scrappy Irish Chain (is described as that even on the pattern cover. ) It has 27 different batiks that I had scraps from making quilts over the last 5 years.

It finished off at the 100 inches square. I am thinking that I might want to add to the two sides to make it 110 by 100 as it does not cover the sides of bed as far as I would like. I am thinking of add a strip of the solid gray and somehow incorporate the last few scraps I have.

As for quilting this in the near future, I am thinking of some organic waves all across the quilt. I have never sewn or quilted with Aurifil threads as I live in the middle of nowhere and it just is not available around here. I did purchase a spool last year to try out sometime, and for some reason I picked a variegated color. I am thinking it will finally work with this project. It is Aurifil Mako’NE 50/2 in color 3817. Since I do not know much about this thread, I do not know whether the one fairly decent size spool will be enough to do what I need. I think I would just use as the top thread. For a back to this quilt, I am going to use gray and add some navy and possibly pull some of the bright colors from the front. I had planned on using some of the last scraps of the batiks for the backing but am thinking now that they might get all used up in extending a border.

It’s been a long week’s sewing but I feel quite successful in cutting all the multiple fabrics for the quilt and assembling the whole top with in a week’s time. It has been fun having the chance to host TGIFF and I am enjoying seeing what everyone has completed. There is a lot of beautiful work and it’s quite inspiring. Be sure to check it out if you get a chance.

I am linking up my quilt top with Crazy Mom Quilts, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Oh Scrap and of course TGIFF.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that everyone has a great weekend.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

February 20, 2015
TGIFF: Catawampus Flimsy

Hi, I am Shelley and I blog as The Carpenter’s Daughter who Quilts. I am hosting TGIFF (Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday) linky party this week.

I have been working on creating a queen/king sized batik quilt from the pattern Catawampus by Freckled Whimsy this past week. I have used scraps from 27 different batiks that I have used previously in 4 different quilts over the last 5 years. (I have blogged about 3 of them, Buttonholes, Shadowbox and High Tea.)

The quilt top will be 100 inches square and will fit our king size bed fairly well. I layed the first part of my flimsy across the bed from head to toe and side to side. It would be great if the pattern was 110 by 100 inches and it would fit more how I think it should fit the bed. The background color is a soft gray but looks rather blue in the photo.

Here are the rest of my rows of blocks. I had hoped to have the whole flimsy together before the time I needed to start up this week’s linky party. I do hope to have it finished on Friday so I can still have a Friday Finish. I have put many hours into sewing in the last two days. I am pretty excited to see this top finished. I hope that all my quilting friends that have ventured to QuiltCon have a great time and hope they will share what they learned and saw when they come back home.

I look forward to seeing what everyone has to share this week.

Please link up your latest finishes to TGIFF. Please take some time to look around at what our other quilty friends have been working on and be sure to leave some great comments for encouragement along the way.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

February 19, 2015
Almost Wordless Wednesday: WIP

Just a quick peek at my lovely pile of batik pieced blocks. I have learned this morning, the very importance of keeping even the smallest scraps of fabrics. I finished piecing yesterday what I thought was 200 0f the smaller block components shown on the right side of photo. Well, I only counted 196, and with some quick scrambling and a few choice words, I pieced the missing four blocks.

Heads Up: I am hosting this Friday’s TGIFF linky party.

I hope that all my quilty friends heading to Austin, Texas for QuiltCon have safe travels this week. Have lots of fun and take lots of photos!

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

February 18, 2015
Catawampus Block Mockup:WIP

Hi, I thought I would pop in and give an update on my work on my batik Catawampus quilt top.

The quilt is made up of two different blocks. The one block will or should have 4 different batik prints, and the other block will or should have 13 different batiks in it. For my lay out, I only had four out of 15 different combos made up for the tiny 1 1/2 inch pieces of the second block. Keeping 1 1/2 inch strips accurate and straight can be a bit nerve wracking. I do really like that this quilt will be able to go together with lots of chain piecing.

These are going to be so pretty and oh, so colorful blocks.

It is amazing how small of a pile that 6 yards of fabric can be cut down to. I purchased the fabric during the Black Friday sales at Hancock Fabrics. I have a little over 4 yds left on my bolt, so I can make a large strip in a pieced backing and have enough for binding as well.

I am still working on my custom bench pillow for my grandsons. I did get 10 yards of 1 1/2 inch bias piping made yesterday. I will probably need 2/3 of that just for the cushion. The storage bench has brown and gray canvas basket/bins for storage of their gloves and stocking caps etc. The cushion will be 12 by 40 inches long. I found a 24 inch zipper in my supplies. The cushion is only 1 1/2 inches thick and that is what the zipper finishes off at. I am hoping to size the cushion so that the original encased cushion will slip into the new one.

I will be hosting next Friday’s (February 20th) TGIFF linky party. I did not realize that this would be right in the midst of everyone going to Austin, Texas to QuiltCon, when I signed up to host. I hope that there will still be someone around to share their latest quilty finishes. Please remember to stop by as I hope to have a fun finish to show you all.

I am linking up with this week’s Crazy Mom Quilts and Can I Get a Whoop Whoop Friday linky parties.

Have a good weekend and Happy Valentine’s Day.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

February 13, 2015
Batik Catawampus :WIP

Hi, Today I am sharing my latest quilt project. In the last two weeks, I have finished off and hand delivered the last two quilts that were to be Christmas gifts. With that task completed, it was of course time to cut out fabric for a new quilt.

I have chosen to make the queen size of Catawampus by Freckled Whimsy. The queen size is supposed to be 100 inches square, so I thought that should actually work as a quilt for our new king size bed. This pattern is set up to use Fat Eighths precuts and the designer has a really neat way about cutting all the needed strips and squares from the fat eighths. I won a Fat eighths set of Color Theory by V & Co. back in December. The designer shows her quilt made from V & Co.’s Simply Color, which is one of my favorite but is basically no longer available. My fat eighths set is of the whole line of fabrics but is not enough to make the queen size. I did multiple calculations and figured those fabrics should make a 90 inch square quilt, since I want larger than that, I will set them aside for another project.

When I first saw the pattern in our local quilt shop, I thought it could look lovely in batiks. So I pulled all of my available batiks and with some careful cutting, I managed to cut all my needed squares and strips. I have had many of these batiks since 2010 and have used them in three quilts now. It is pretty amazing just how far some fat quarters can be stretched (of course I did add a few extras along the way, but not too many.) I am now left with some tiny scraps that may be able to be worked into a string or paper pieced pillow ( like arrows or feathers.)

Here are all my pretties. There ended up being 27 different batik prints.

When I come across a new quilt pattern I like, it is fun and interesting to do an online search of Google Images to see what other quilters have done with the pattern. For Catawampus, I only have come across the designer’s version and one other so far, with the last one being made with a gray solid background and numerous bright prints (not batiks). I have decided to use a light gray with my batiks.

This quilt will certainly not be lacking in fun colors. Gray will help hide the cat hair. Buddy, the Maine Coon seems to be molting quite badly and of course loves to lay on our bed or all my quilt projects.

I hope to be able to get some of the quilt blocks made to show yet this week. I have 6 yards of gray to cut into all the numerous background strips. I have one project I need to start and finish before I can start my quilt sewing. I am making a piped cushion for a bench for my grandsons and their Mom. It’s 12 by 40 inches long and needs to have a zipper placed in it somewhere. The cushion that came with the bench was not to her liking, so I am in charge of creating a custom one to replace it (from cell phone photos and a carpenter’s tape measure). So wish me luck. 🙂 I am off to make 6 yards of bias binding/piping.

I am linking up my new quilting project and it’s fabric pull to various weekly linky parties. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Sewing,

Shelley

February 12, 2015
High Tea Quilt : Batik Version Pattern Tested

Hi, I would like to share the quilt I finished up today. I was given the opportunity to pattern test a new quilt pattern, High Tea that was self-published this week by New Zealand quilt designer and blogger, Adrianne Reid, who blogs as On The Windy Side. Please check out her blog to see all the lovely versions of her new quilt design. It is charm pack or layer cake friendly.

I chose to make my quilt with a set of batik charm squares that I found last year on Etsy. There were 100 squares with a few repeats and I cut down some extra batik squares to size from fabrics that I had leftover from my batik Shadowbox quilt, that was still in my stash. I think I ended up with upwards of 70 different batiks. I choose to use a light gray and black solids as my sashing strips that were cut and sewn into a checkerboard type pattern. One of my fellow pattern testers describes the pattern as similar to a disppearing four patch. This describes this pattern quite well. I loved the creative ideas some of the other quilters came up with, substituting some of the four patches for layer cakes makes endless ways you can work this pattern.

I took a photo of my quilt flimsy last week on a rainy day, so used my bed to lay it out for size.

I decided to try something different for me when quilting this quilt top. I attempted to use what I think is a serpentine stitch or it may be a four step zigzag that I adjusted out to the size I wanted. I used this stitch over all the seams. I used my walking foot. I have not used the walking foot with Mom’s machine much yet, so it was a new experience. I was spoiled when I could sew and quilt with my Pfaff as it had the IDT feed automatically and no walking foot was needed. I guess I need to put the Viking walking foot to use, since that foot alone cost over $100 when Mom purchased it. This special stitch took way more thread and I had to wind extra bobbins. Many times I would only manage 3 rows of quilting per bobbin. I quilted with a medium gray colored thread.

Here is a photo of the back of my quilt. I had misread the number of gray and black strips I was to cut, so I used a couple of them to piece my stripe center in the back. I used some extra batik squares, that ranged from 4-7 inches each. The black really showed off the gray zigzag quilting.

I have decided to use this quilt finish as one of my quilts I planned to give as Christmas gifts this year. This person really loved my Shadowbox quilt so hopefully she will like this quilt. It has many of the same fabrics.

Thank you for looking at my version of High Tea. If you would be interested in attempting your own version of this quilt, please check out Adrianne’s blog. Her pattern went on sale this week..

I will be linking up my quilt finish with various linky parties this week.

October 29, 2014
Wednesday Work In Progresses

Hi, I thought I would share a couple of my current work in progresses.

I am testing a new quilt pattern for quilt blogger and designer, On the Windy Side. Since the pattern has not been released yet, I am only allowed to share a sneak peek. I am showing one of my finished blocks. I am using a possible 70 some different batiks in my quilt top. I purchased a set of 100 batik charm squares off of Etsy and there were multiples in the set, and I cut down some of the leftover squares from my Batik Shadowbox quilt to make up my needed squares. So I would estimate 70-75 different batiks and I am using gray and black solid as my coordinating fabrics. I think it is possible the pattern will be announced in the next couple weeks.

I pulled one of my older long term work in progresses from the storage bin to play with a mock layout of the quilt design. I am using the fabric line Fandango to make the Sunnie Skies quilt pattern by Missouri Star Quilt Co.

This quilt’s block need a major pressing, maybe even a little starch. I am thinking I might take the chevron’s apart and rework the main seam. I think they are more than a scant 1/4 inch so things should go back together better, if reworked.

I will be linking up my Wednesday WIPs with various linky parties.

October 22, 2014