A Quilt For Baby

Aren't Baby Quilts just the best?

 

When I learned that my friend and co-worker was having her 2nd child, I knew immediately that I wanted to make a Baby Quilt...and just as fast knew which one fabric I had to include.

After learning that another Girl would be joining their little family, I collected the remainder of the fabrics and got to work.

I decided that I wanted to make a larger version of my Modernized D9P pattern.  Thanks to a mini sewing day, the blocks were pieced and the top finished.  I then gathered the backing and started pin-basting a few days ago.

Quilted with a large meandering stipple...that's my favorite go-to design of late.  This quilt seemed to come together in no time; which was good because Baby could likely arrive any day now.
 

 

Wrapped up and ready to go.  Everything had to be perfect.



 

The "must-have" fabric that I included was this Pride & Prejudice print from the lovely Siobhan from Bea Spoke Quilts.  I've always been in love with her text fabric; and ordered this one she made available on Spoonflower. 

 

You see, Mama-to-be is in LOVE with Pride & Prejudice.  Well, all the Jane Austen novels really; but that one in particular.  Don't you love when you can add personal touches like that? 

 



 

Quilt Dimensions : approx. 52" x 60" 

 

Happy Thursday!

Finding my Motivation

This pretty much sums up the last few weeks, as I'm still struggling to get my sewing mojo back.  Before this, I used to spend hours in my studio either quilting, prepping for my next project, or spending time at the computer working on pattern-writing, answering emails, etc. 

Now, what little bit of time I do have (because my "pay the bills" job has been demanding LOTS of long hours lately), I've been spending it doing ALOT of nothing.  While I realize that we all get in those modes now and again, it is very frustrating because I know that I have alot I SHOULD be doing, and even more that I WANT to be doing.

The saving grace, has been that I can always count on a little charitable sewing...as there is no bigger motivater then doing things for others.

First, my guild (St. Louis MQG) is participating in the "To Boston With Love" pennant collection.  Did you hear that all of the pennants will hang in the prestigious Boston Museum of Fine Arts will exhibit the collection on May 23rd through June 16th...AWESOME!!!

Here are my 3 pennant contributions.  The first is a Paper Pieced Flying Geese, and the others are appliqued.

 

 

 

And as part of the monthly do.Good.Stitches Bee (Trust Circle).  I contributed these 2 blocks.

 

Third, I'm working on piecing and quilting all of the blocks that were collected during my month of the do.Good.Stitches Bee (Trust Circle).  I can't wait to put the finishing touches on this one and share it with the group.

Obviously, these weeks haven't been completely unproductive, as evidenced by the above; but they they haven't been what I would consider usual.  I'll just continue to take it one day at a time and see what happens. 

One goal I do have is that after Memorial Day, I'll be looking for some Pattern Testers.  Yep, it's about that time again.  I'm working on my next 2 quilt patterns and need some assistance.  So if you are interested, definately let me know and I'll put your name on the "Eager Beaver" list.  The official call will go out in a few weeks.
 

Happy Thursday !!

P.S.    I have gotten a few emails asking if I will be making another pixelated quilt anytime soon.  Honestly, I'm dying to do another one (Yep, even after all of that tedious work); but it's going to have to wait a while.



Sew,Mama,Sew! Giveaway Day Winner

Just a quick post to let you know that Mr. Random Generator selected a winner for Giveaway Day.

 

Congratulations Elisabeth !!

I've sent you an email, so be sure to check your spam folder if you haven't received it yet.

Finally, a BIG Thanks to everyone who came to visit my little blog, and who left comments not only on the Giveaway Day post; but on other posts too.  I really liked reading what you had planned over the next few months; hopefully you'll be able to get 1 if not more of those things done.

Happy Saturday!!

SewMamaSew Giveaway Day - May 6th, 2013

While normally Mondays can be a drag as the weekend is over and one usually has to go back to work, this Monday is special...well, actually this week is special as it's Sew, Mama, Sew!'s Giveaway Day.  For the uninitiated, you definately need to check out Sew, Mama, Sew's blog for all the details...trust me, you don't want to miss out on the fun.     

In the meantime, if this is your first time visiting St. Louis Folk Victorian....Welcome!!!  Press that little About Me tab at the top to learn a little more.  Then check out some of the other tabs too, as I have created several free crafting tutorials, even written several quilt patterns...two of which are MAZED and INDEX; which you can pick up at my Craftsy or Etsy shop. 

And here are some of my most popular posts:

Pixeling...(The Finale)...otherwise known as The Tenth

 

Modernized D9P

 

A whole "Lotta" Tipsy Triangles, Tutorial 

Want to know what else I'm up to, you can find me on other social media too.  Just visit any one of those links directly under my photo along the right sidebar...whether it's Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Flickr...I'm there, sharing little bits with you all too.

If you are a frequent visitor, subscriber, etc...Thanks for stopping by, I really, really do appreciate your visits and comments. You are what make blogging exciting, otherwise it's just me, talking to myself :-)

Now, getting back to Giveaway Day....how would you like the opportunity to win this wall quilt. 

 

 Are you excited yet?

 

This quilt was made as part of a challenge my local guild, the STLMQG (St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild) held last August.  While I love this little quilt, I honestly have too many little quilts like this and I'd rather see one go to a good home, then sit in a pile in my studio.  This one measures 27" x 33".

 

You can read all about this quilt, why it was created, what the inspiration was, etc.

So, how do you get your name in the hat, I know you wanna know.................

=================GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED=================

1. Leave 1 comment below telling me one or two things you are hoping to accomplish this Summer.  It can be crafty, educational, pure fun, etc.

2. Make sure that you include an email address, Flickr Name, etc in your comment if you are a No-Reply Blogger. If you don't know what a No-Reply Blogger is, check this out...it could mean the difference between winning a prize, getting feedback, etc.

=============================

--Drawing will close on Friday, May 10th  8pm (CST).

  --A winner will be selected by Random Generator, they will be contacted by email and
their name posted on this blog too. Remember, don't be a No-Reply Blogger.

--If I cannot get in touch with the winner by Sunday, May 12th

another name will be drawn.

--International friends are welcome to enter too.

Good Luck!!

Oh, and one more thing...I have comment moderation on because of those Nasty Spammers,

so your comments will show up throughout the day, NOT immediately

 

 

 

FLOOR PLAN - Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine

Having collaborated with Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine in the Fall, when I created the Bridges & Tunnels quilt.  I was honored when they chose another quilt pattern of mine to be included in their Spring issue; which you can find on newsstands now.

 

If having a pattern in their magazine wasn't exciting enough, I also had the opportunity to contribute to "Guild Talk" in the back of the magazine highlighting my AWESOME St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild.

 

 

 

 



 I named this quilt Floor Plan as it reminded me of office cubicles; before my office of course moved to an "Open Work Environment".  Man, sometimes I miss those cubicles.

 

 

 

Moda Fabrics let me play with the new PB&J line from BasicGrey.

After lots of cutting and chain-piecing, things were coming together nicely.

Up until my Doctor Who pixel quilt, Floor Plan was one of the largest quilt that I had made to date measuring 58" x 74".  I'm very proud of this quilt and it's design is simple enough that a Beginner can tackle it too.

If you haven't yet subscribed or bought a copy of Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine, you most definately need to get on that right quick. 

Happy Wednesday !!

Whirlwind Week - The Pixel Quilt Recap

Have you ever had one of those surreal moments when you swear that you must be dreaming? 

Yeah, me too...only my entire last week has been one ridiculously amazing adventure after another and I'm still not entirely sure that it was ALL real; so forgive me if I still have a puzzled look on my face. 

It all started on Sunday, April 21st when I posted the below picture and wrote this post.

I had hoped that I'd get a 100 or so views on my blog post, maybe a couple of Pins into Pinterest and maybe some quilting friends or blog followers would comment.  Yet, what I didn't expect was this...

This my friends is my blog stat counter for last week.  See that # up at the top...15015, that is 15015 views on 1 post...1 freakin' awesome post about my David Tennant "The Tenth" pixelated quilt. 

Oh, and it didn't stop there...Oh, No.

The people from Make: Craft wrote up a quick little post on their blog.

Then this happened and I nearly died...

Yep, that would be the amazingly talented Jenny Lawson, otherwise known as The Bloggess.  I've followed her blog for years now; but never imagined that I would be having not only a Twitter conversation with her; but that it would result in her following me...yes, little ol me.  AAAHHH!!!! 

If that wasn't enough, so many others have helped get the word out about my quilt that there is no way that I could list or keep track of everyone who has been truly amazing, so I'll just say...ALOT of people spread the word, shared on Facebook, Tweeted about it, wrote blog posts, pinned the hell out of my quilt, etc, etc, etc.  I've "met" some amazing people now on Twitter, Facebook, etc and discovered whole new worlds too.  All of which just added to the excitement and I can't wait to build upon those relationships.

So, if you are one of those people, I cannot THANK YOU enough for all that you have done.  It seriously meant the world to me that you joined in my geekiness for the entire week.

The only downfall to all of this is that now that things have quieted down, the rush of adreneline is gone and I've crashed hard. 

Social media is one serious drug.

Pixeling...(The Finale)...otherwise known as The Tenth

IT'S DONE...IT'S DONE...IT'S DONE

May I present to you my quilt titled
"The Tenth"

I am overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions right now, simply because I didn't think that I actually had the patience to make a quilt of this scale and intensity; but I DID IT !!!!! and you know what...

IT'S FREAKIN' AWESOME !!!!

Okay, truth time, the quilt top is done, not the entire quilt; but I'm calling it finished for now.  The reality is that I don't think I have the skill set to quilt this quilt, at least not right now.  I would hate to ruin all my hard work with a wobbly attempt, so it might just stay in this form until I get the confidence to tackle it.

 

Now, at this point you fall into one of two camps:

• One:  You haven't a clue who this is, why I've named the quilt as such or why I made it in the first place.  Don't worry, we're still friends :-)
• Two:  You are jumping up and down right now barely able to contain your excitement.  Yep, me too!

For the uninitiated, this is a depiction of the Tenth Doctor, played by actor David Tennant, a fan favorite on the ever-popular BBC TV show Doctor Who; which is celebrating it's 50th anniversay this year.

Now, you might be asking yourself why I selected this particular Doctor. 

While it would have been fantastic to make 3 pixel quilts (one for the 9th, 10th and 11th Doctors), there is no way that I could commit to such an undertaking...so I played favorites.  While I loved the 9th Doctor (as played by Christopher Eccleston) as his version is what hooked me in the first place; and the 11th Doctor (as played by Matt Smith) continues to keep me watching with anticipation each and every week.  Let's be honest, could you imagine a world without an 8-ft tall quilt of "The Tenth"....................I didn't think so. 

 While I had my doubts throughout the entire process:

• Did I pick the right photo?
• This is going to be enormous, what the hell was I thinking?
• Why are there so many pieces?
• Hmmm...I don't know about all of that red?
• So on and so forth

I could not be more pleased with the outcome and am so glad that I stuck with it to the very end, as the results were well worth the long hours.  Speaking of which, the other thing that I did was keep a log of the date and time it took to make each block.  I did it because I knew that I would be asked the question..."How long did that take?" and I would hate to have given an estimation since I put in so much effort...so here you go.

As you can see in the screenshot above, I started the first block on April 1st (happy accident) and as you'll see below... 

...I've been ridiculously busy the last 2 days to try and finish this. 

Let's call it adrenaline.

 

The final tally is 3080 minutes; which is 51.333 hours. 
 

===================================

So what's next?  As I mentioned in the beginning of my post, the next part is the actual quilting; but I'm beyond stuck and could definately use some suggestions.

Part of me wants to somehow replicate the "Fire and Ice and Rage" in stitch form, or incorporate other random "easter eggs" in the quilting (like maybe free-motion roses).  Then another part of me wants something super simple so as to not distract; yet I cringe to think about what color of thread I should use.  Can you see now why I'm calling this quilt "finished for now". 

Now because I believe that you shouldn't just see the finished quilt; because what's the fun in that.  Here are some in process photos and further details.

Quilt Top Measurements:  approx 70" x 100"
 

Colors Used:  Kona Cotton Solids from Robert Kaufman

Bleached White (1287)

Espresso (1136)

Cinnamon (1075)
Honey (1162)
Earth (128)
Wheat (1386)
Khaki (1187)
Coffee (1083)
Brown (1045)

 

 

 

Each one of these squares measures 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" before sewing

 

 

 

 

 

Needed to pull out the BIG ladder for photography

 

 

 

 

And because of course it needs saying; if anyone knows anyone at BBC,  this quilt wouldn't mind a trip across the pond to blow in the crisp English breeze, or even a photo opp with a certain blue box or two-hearted TimeLord.  Just putting it out there.

Now, back to reality as my pile of projects has grown significantly as "The Tenth" has blissfully consumed most of my freetime the last few weeks.

If you have missed either of my previous progress posts about this quilt; which give you some insight into why I started this journey, the steps I used to go from photo to fabric, you can find them here.

Pixeling...My Way (Part 1)

Pixeling...My Way (Part 2)
 

Happy Sunday !!!

Pixeling...My Way (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 of my Pixel Quilt journey, you can find it here. For those of you who are waiting for Part 2…let’s dive right in.

When I last left you, I was explaining how I decided to make a pixel quilt; which has since turned into a hybrid-pixel quilt. What exactly do I mean by hybrid-pixel quilt?

Well, I’m mixing both 1 ½” x 1 ½” squares with strips that measure 1 ½” x different lengths. The benefit is that there are less seams to sew.  I applaud those of you who are tackling the usual pixel process, square by tiny square…I couldn’t do it.

So, a typical block from the Pic2Pat converstion looks like this.  Bold frames filled with symbols that measure 10 wide by 10 tall.  The symbols correspond to colors, and yes they even provide a handy key that shows exactly what is what.  

This is how I translated the above into fabric form.  As you can see, there are several instances where the same symbols (colors) are next to one another. I used that as an opportunity to use strips/rectangles, rather than piecing multiple squares of the same color.  This is what I call Hybrid-Pixel.

Now, what you can also see is that even with this simplified method, there are still A LOT of little pieces, and some of the colors are quite close. I decided right away that organization was a MUST. I started by grouping my cut strips into envelopes. I then marked the symbol that corresponded to the color on the outside of the envelope. That way, when I’m ready to work on a block (Yes, I'm making this a block at a time), I pull the corresponding envelopes, cut the pieces I need and then quickly put them away.  Yes, there is a method to my madness. 

Besides, I’m sort of impatient when it comes to quilting and this block at a time method gives me instant gratification rather then cutting all of my fabric first. 

What’s most interesting about a pixel quilt is that you are working so closely with the blocks that the larger picture isn’t visible.  All of those little squares don’t mean anything up close. Yet, put them on the design wall (or floor in my case) and take a few steps back.  Magically those pixels start to “fade” into the background and paint a larger picture.

Now, I've been spending most of my "free time" the last two weeks making block after block and I'm proud to say that I have 28 under my belt.  That's 28 out of 70...so I have ALOT more to go.  Yet, I am seeing real progress when I take those couple of steps back and that is what keeps me going. 

I'll check back in with Part 3 for the final process and quilt top reveal (fingers crossed).  For now, you'll have to be satisfied with this single finished block.
 

Happy Monday!

Pixeling...My Way (Part 1)

Pixel : n.   the most basic unit of an image displayed.  Pixels are generally arranged in rows and columns; a given combination among the pixels of various brightness and

color values forms an image. 

--as taken from the freedictionary.com

I was well aware of the pixel as it relates to computers, printers and even television; but to think of a pixel in relation to a quilt was quite foreign to me, until I came across this quilt and this quilt.  I could not believe the work that went into each one and after reading my friend, Lynne's, hilarious account of which character she would immortalize in fabric if she decided to make a pixel quilt, I knew that I wanted to make my very own. 

Only who or what would I choose?

Actually I didn't have to think too long about it, one look at my Netflix queue, living room wall, my car or any of the various gifts I had received for X-Mas last year sealed the deal.  It was about time that Doctor Who was immortalized my way in tiny little fragments of fabric.

 

I chose to use Pic2Pat for my Photo conversion and could not be happier with the results.  I tested several different photos and graphics in multiple sizes, color arrangements and even styles before my mind was made up. 

 

I printed out the pattern and immediately visited my local craft store to pick out the corresponding DMC floss using the symbols on the patterns.  Why you ask?  Because Pic2Pat's main purpose is to convert photos to cross-stitch designs.  Now, I knew that the colors on the printout couldn't be trusted, so instead of taking chances, I bought the floss.

 

 

I pulled out my Robert Kaufman Kona Color Card and got to work matching floss to real fabric.  Some colors were super easy; but others not so much.  Rather then get it wrong and waste precious time, because obviously I have an unrealistic assumption of long this quilt would take to make, I bought small 1/4yd cuts of multiple colors from SewMamaSew so I could play with the real thing. 

 

When the fabric arrived, I made the tough decisions of which to keep and which to add to the stash for a future project.  Now, how much yardage would I actually need?  Honestly, up until this point, I assumed that I would be making this quilt using 2 1/2" squares...Who was I kidding?  The reality is that I hadn't ever considered working with pieces smaller then that.  Yet, it wasn't until I actually had fabric in hand and started the calculation that I realized the quilt would be large enough to blanket a small village (okay, slight exaggeration); but it was evident that I'd have to work with smaller pieces.  Duh!   

While the quilt will still be quite large at 70" x 100".  This assumes 70 blocks that measure an unfinished 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" square...if I used small 1 1/2" squares.  It wasn't until I actually made a small practice piece that I felt completely and utterly overwhelmed with the task of sewing ALL of those seams.  I mean let's be realistic here, the design called for 7000 squares, now measuring a tiny 1 1/2" x 1 1/2". 

So, I did want any slightly neurotic; but not yet institutionalized quilter would do and compromised just a bit.  I was now starting a new adventure in making a hybrid-pixel quilt using both squares and rectangles.  You'll learn more about how the rectangles come into play in my next blog post. 

As for figuring out the yardage, again I wasn't that interested in tally-ing all 7000 squares, so I completely guesstimated after counting a handful of "similiar" blocks.  Only time will tell if I need to order more fabric, or if I did in fact make a pretty observant calculation. 

 

Now, I realize that I haven't actually shared what/who I am immortalizing; I'll share that in a later blog post.  For now, I wanted to share my process, hiccups along the way and maybe some encouraging words for those who have a pixel quilt or even a hybrid-pixel quilt on their To-Do list. 

 

Who would you immortalize?

Stay tuned for Part 2 later.

Happy Tuesday!

 

WIP Wednesday - April 3rd, 2013

I'm excited to be participating in another WIP Wednesday...that's two weeks in a row, YAY!

If you are on Instagram, I'm LoveOldHouses by the way, you might have seen the photo below of the table in my studio.  It's filled with at least 10 projects in all different stages; from piles of fabric to pieced blocks.  The items that are nearly complete (need quilting and binding) are in a different pile on the other side of the room...because you know you don't want the almost finished things fraternizing with the piles :-)

 

 

This past Saturday was my guild's first Sew-In Saturday of the year.  I did actually make some pretty substantial progress on a few of the above items, just nothing that I can show you because it is either a gift or a new pattern that I'm developing.  Yet, progress was indeed made.

One thing that I started, because I didn't have enough to do already; was yet another quilt pattern.  I think the oncoming Spring temperatures is what prompted me to start this one as I've been itching to cut into the Boho by Urban Chiks Jelly Roll from Moda.

 

Next up is some photos to show you that I am making progress on the pixel quilt that I talked about briefly in last week's WIP Wednesday.  It's still too early for me to reveal whom I'm actually "pixelating"; as I want to make sure that I have the hang of this pixel thing first.  There are a few people who know; but they know better then to spill the beans :-)

 

 

 

As I mentioned last week, I bought some 1/4yd cuts of various Kona solids from SewMamaSew after I carefully selected them from matching DMC floss.  The winners are listed below in no particular order, along with their Kona Color Card #.

 

Bleached White (1287)

Espresso (1136)

Cinnamon (1075)

Honey (1162)

Earth (128)

Wheat (1386)

Khaki (1187)

Coffee (1083)

Brown (1045)

 

 

I did a guesstimate on the yardage I would need as I wasn't about ready to count each and every one of the 7000 squares that were in the pattern.  Yep, I said 7000 squares; but don't worry, I'm not crazy enough to sew 7000 squares together.  I learned real quick that wasn't feasible after sewing only eight of the mini 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" squares together, instead I'm mixing squares with longer strips.  Still a feat; but not one that will result in me being committed to a special kind of hospital.

 

Now clearly, one needs a way to organize nine colors as well as keep track of the symbols that are associated with them, so I made a super simple organization method using envelopes.  Right now it works just fine, we'll see if I need something more sophisticated later.  

 

That's about it for now, lots going on as you can see. 

I'm looking forward to Spring and hope that it sticks around for a while. 

 

Happy Wednesday!!