From The Fabric Mountain

So far, six blocks have been stitched from the fabric mountain of triangles I made the other day. Having six blocks finished, I have definately reduced the fabric mountain to a hilled heap of triangles now.

These six Red Cross blocks are now on a design wall with a print that I may or may not use for the sash on this small quilt. I’m not sure if I should use continuous sashing, or make a corner-post for the block intersections.  

With this project, I’ve really enjoyed using olives, navy prints, and teals. Even a few pinks from large print florals have made their way into this project. My goal is to make 12 blocks for a small functional quilt for my living room. And, of course, knocking out another UFO.

Rickrack & Rhinestones

Remember rickrack? Many of us can recall seeing rickrack trim in the home sewing basket. Some of us even used rickrack as a decorative embellishment on a dress or apron.

Rickrack was originally created during the Victorian era as a decorative trim. The first rickrack trims were crocheted using a wave design. Through the years, rickrack evolved from crochet to a cotton or rayon braided trim.

Most of the items using rickrack trim are dated from the vintage era. times, however. Studying old patterns or sewing instructions, the use of rickrack can be found as a decorative trim in a number of handmade items. I chuckled at the vintage Laura Wheeler jewelry pattern in my collection. I don’t believe I would have ever thought of using rickrack as jewelry. And I seriously don’t believe I would have thought of using rhinestones with rickrack. (I must not be vintage yet!)

This Laura Wheeler pattern (R728) provides instructions to create flower jewelry from rickrack. From a vintage Laura Wheeler catalogue:

It’s easy as pie to make flower jewelry from thrifty RICKRACK! So pretty, you’ll want a matched set of earrings, necklace, pins! Your friends will want them, too. Use rhinestones, pearls in centers.

 

The Laura Wheeler “Handy Potholder” pattern suggests the use of rickrack to create fabric with a plaid look.

If you have some rickrack or want to try making this vintage-era potholder without the rickrack trim, check out the free “Handy Potholder” pattern instructions I posted. (And if you decide to try making some of that vintage jewelry with rickrack and rhinestones, please let me know!)

Mountain Of Triangles

These triangles were overflowing in one of my large ziplock bags. The other day, these bright colors beckoned me. I admit it — I’m weak….  I couldn’t resist….  I opening the bag.

The bag was literally stuffed with about 1,000 3-inch triangles I had cut long ago.  Whatever these triangles were for, I don’t recall. No matter — I had found the motherlode!!

Shame on me….the temptation was too strong to resist. I saw all of these brightly colored triangles ready to be stitched, so I cleared off my work surface next to my Bernina, and I made a mountain of fabric triangles.  

A few days ago, I began chain-piecing these triangles together using a light-dark combination. When I had a pile of small squares, I decided to alternate the position of the light-dark placements and eventually decided upon a final block-unit.

This was pure play: fun with fabric. I was enjoying the teals, the blues, the olives….in fact, every scrappy triangle was being savored as I plucked two to stitch together.

When I had made a number of the small four-patch blocks, I thought it would look nice to use a sashing between the small four-patch blocks so I decided on the traditional Red Cross block which was first published in Ladies Art Company in 1898.  My block set uses a different color layout, though, but the Red Cross five-patch block is the end result.

 

Here’s one of the blocks that I have completed. The block measures 12.5″ finished. I am planning to sew until the mountain of triangles is gone.

Putting Up The Hoodoo

 

The quilt top Uncrossing The Hoodoo was finished last week. Today I finally had the time to get this quilt top up onto a wall for a photograph. I’m quite pleased with the look of this top, and am especially happy that I was able to use scraps, leftovers, and stash from my hand dyed cottons. 

Uncrossing The Hoodoo measures 66″ x 86″. Plans are underway to machine quilt this top using continuous straight lines and gentle curving lines. The lines will be marked on the top so that the quilting will create a bladed flower blossom in the large black block areas. The X-cross areas will be quilted with continuous straight lines that will intersect, creating geometric designs within each portion of the X-cross.

I still need to hand-dye the cotton fabric that I’ll use for backing. I had originally planned to use a sea mist dyed fabric, but I’m thinking more about using a purple. Maybe I should do a resist-dye with both colors!

Read about this quilt and hoodoo symbolism in my blog entry Uncrossing The Hoodoo.

Vintage-Era Patchwork

A few years ago, I began a project using a patchwork block found in Jinny Beyer’s Quilter’s Album of Blocks & Borders. The block was attributed to the Ladies’ Arts Company and was first published in 1898 as Twin Sisters. Other names for this patchwork block include Water Wheel, Mill Wheel, Right and Left, or Whirlwind.

I decided that this project would resemble a traditional vintage-era quilt so I selected pastel and light cotton prints from my stash.  The fabrics chosen include scraps from my grandmother’s scrap box that I inherited. I also used some of the fabrics my mother gave me. 

I have made about 30 blocks so far and have more blocks to make. These blocks are now on my design wall to determine layout and the remaining blocks still needed. 

The blocks will be sewn in a straight set and the quilt will have sashing and cornerposts, plus a border. Don’t ask what colors I will use though — I’m not there yet!

See the small dot on each block? I use a simple block placement marking system when I am ready for the blocks to be sewn together. A small piece of masking tape with a notation on the row and column helps to track the block order. My marking system is simply a  Row-Column notation. For example:  2-4 translates to Row 2, Column 4.  Works every time!