Improv with made fabric done but for binding!

     Last July, I took a class at Quilting by the Lake with Victoria Findlay Wolfe on using made fabric. I finally finished the quilt, but for the binding, which is cut and ready. I quilted it on the Nolting and you can see how wobbly I am. I can do straight lines. Everything else is suspect. The back also make use of the made fabric. It is about 53 x 53. Love the process. Love to sew made fabric.

Front

Detail

Back

Detail back

Lemoyne Star at QBL

     The three day class with Victoria Findlay Wolfe held lots of challenges and new techniques such as Y seams.

    I started with having to make fabric. Some people had quilt tops they hated and cut them up. Some had orphan blocks. I sewed 6" squares and 6" x 12" rectangles together to make it big enough to cut out the star pattern.

The initial blocks

The cut out shapes, these are extra for now

Assembly started with settings, polka dot added to settings

Trial border with black against star

Trial border with red against star

Laying out the HSTs

Border laid on floor with numbers to match up

All sewn, need backing now but what?

The week of Quilting by the Lake

   Because I won a scholarship to Quilting by the Lake, I was able to take 5 days of classes of classes. I took 2 classes, both by Victoria Finlay Wolfe. The two day one was sewing a quilt with made fabric, the three day one was the Lemoyne star with made fabric. I just had to cover the lodging in the dorms. QBL is at Onondaga Community College outside of Syracuse, NY. It is two weeks long with a host of teachers from all over. Most of the classes are very experimental and fabric dyeing and printing. The classes I took were exactly what I wanted to make. I had bought Victoria's book, 15 Minutes of Play, over a year ago and had made fabric using scraps and I had followed her blog. 
     I love sewing scraps together. The classes were about 12 people, and only 5 took the same two courses. I was amazed at the work of the other people in the class and all I learned from them. Victoria helped each person with their work individually. We worked from 8:30 in the morning, stopped for lunch and dinner, and sewed more until 9 or 9:30. I had to endure a couple of migraines and did not sleep well, but was able to keep going. 
     In the first class, I had brought a lot of scrap fabric I had sewn together in pieces about 6 x 10. Then, I joined them together and was inspired by a small quilt in the book. I added triangle applique, curved piecing, and flying geese- learning new techniques. I bought some polka dot fabric from a vendor at the Quilt Show there (Quilters Corner) and used that for the borders. I am going to make a new entry for the Lemoyne class.

Fabric scraps sewn together

Squared up with borders

Stitching away at QBL

    I finally stopped sewing tonight at 9. When you start to make stupid mistakes, it is time to stop. I am taking a class by Victoria Finlay Wolfe on making fabric from scraps and then creating a quilt. So far today, this is my progress. Should have taken some earlier photos. Sorry, have not been able to load photos from my iPad on blogger.

Surprises and Finishes

    By mentioning surprises, I don't mean the weather- it's winter, it's Buffalo, I accept that. The first couple days of the new year brought some unexpected big delights. First, Quilting by the Lake, a program from the Schweinfurth Museum in Auburn, NY with extraordinary teachers, called me and offered me a 5 day scholarship for classes in July!! By July, I thought I could have scrapped up enough to take a 2 day class with Victoria Findlay Wolfe, but never 5 days there. What it would have cost for an entire 2 days, I can stay all 5! Just the lodging to come up with, and if I had a room mate, it could be even cheaper. So, there is still room for her classes or others, so maybe think about coming. I love scraps and colors and Victoria is a master with both. I never win anything and wow, here it is.
  Second, I have a good friend who is a fantastically talented jeweler. She is an art teacher and a Roycroft artisan jeweler. In the mail, I got a pair of silver angel earring with glass beads that are just terrific. I can't take a picture of myself with my camera and I have a stupid phone, so have to get someone else to photo them for me.
  In the cleaning department, I finished the Kenmore and it is ready to go home. I was going to deliver it at the quilt guild meeting tonight, but it got weather cancelled. It is pretty spiffy and sews up a storm.

In its zipper case, ready to be used. Power cords and pedal in made bag.

    On the vintage machine forums, it has been mentioned about using TR3 resin glaze to polish paint and Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish for metal. Wow, great stuff. I picked up some last week at Pep Boys and used it on an old 66 treadle both the paint and metal. I also shined up my new 15. I used cotton balls just like the forum people said. The old 66 was a real wreck. All the metal was rusted. I read about using cider vinegar to soak the metal. In a bucket, I piled all the metal pieces in with the cider vinegar, and in 24 hours, I could not believe it was all gone. Now with the Mother's, I can restore the shine.

Left side, 1/4 of it polished, rest with rust removed

Right edge with polish after rust removal

Top with TR3 and cotton balls

What the black surface looks like without polish

Great Products

     Comfort Quilt finish- orange jelly roll strips from http://www.jellyrollfabric.net/ and Liz has a great sale right now. I just bought some animal skin prints, plain white, and some gray/blacks. The pattern is the 3 Dudes quilt from Missouri Star Quilt company except I used 6 strips cut into blocks instead of 4. I auditioned colors to make the orange pop and be happy. I never decide my borders or binding fabric until the quilt is pieced because I can make better choices to highlight the center.

Auditioning for the border

Ready for basting and backing

     Another Comfort Quilt, the 4 patch B&W leader and ender, is all quilted and bound. The backing donated by Esta is a lot of fun.

Detail

Back

Detail

Finished Quilt

   Wow, that was a lot to get through, but I hate taking pictures off the camera, naming them, putting them in folders, so I tend to do it all at the same time. I did not photo my machine disasters lately, so I won't be sharing those!

Personal Challenge

   About two years ago, I became involved with an established charity group making quilts for chemo patients. I identified with their cause and mission, and thought it was a perfect match for what I wanted to do with quilting. They were trying to establish a new chapter north of the city, where I live, and some other people and I, tried to establish a chapter at my church. I was frustrated with the lack of support and consistency from people to get this off the ground. Despite a lot of effort and time, after a year, the chapter was not able to be sustainable to the group. On my own, I have continued to make quilts for cancer patients, putting the quilt in a tote bag, complete with a book, When God and Cancer Meet, and handmade card. Some of these are shown on past blog posts. I have been able to cover the costs of doing a few quilts at a time. My mother has even jumped in sewing straight seams for strips and squares that I cut and resew into blocks and quilts. Some people have generously given me fabric, fabric scraps, and money towards the bags and books, so I will continue on, one quilt at a time. When I hear of someone who needs one, off it goes.
   One woman that I have learned a lot from is  Victoria Findlay Wolfe, who taught me through her sites how to make fabric from scraps which comes in handy for doing these quilts. She has even personally answered me when I had a question about a quilt she had posted and answered me again when I did not understand her explanation. That goes beyond the call I think. Recently, she posted that she was in need of some blocks for quilts she makes for cancer patients. She already coordinates quilts for the homeless. She showed the block, Anvil, and the tutorial, and asked for even one block if possible. At first, I dismissed the thought because:
1. I am triangle challenged
2. If I repeat blocks over and over, I glaze over and lose consciousness
3. I have my own cancer quilts to do
4. My blocks probably won't fit, they won't be perfect like hers
  Finally, I thought, I am just like what I was frustrated with. I needed to challenge myself and make these blocks because:
1. It is the same cause I believe in
2. Victoria has freely given help on her sites and email
3. I have to focus and make repeat blocks. I don't have to make them forever. Just six- enough to get the hang of it.
4. I cannot complain about anybody else, but do what is in front of me, even one block at a time.
So, thank you, everyone who has shared with me- resources, tutorials, blogs, scraps, time, I am grateful for your pieces in my life that make me the quilter that I am. Thank you to my guild who has shown me so much. Thank you to all the workshop teachers who traveled and prepped to teach me something. Thank you to all the authors and photographers of books that teach me even one small things. Thank you for reading this and I hope I have given you something you can use.

My two Favorites, made fabric from scraps

All six blocks ready to be mailed and I am humbled by it

All sewing done on my Singer 15 treadle and Singer 301.