Summertime... and sewing by hand

"Not Your Gramma's Sampler" is quilted.  I used a variety of patterns with both green and pink thread.  I added shapes, words and quotes... and this time I hand finished the binding.

Audacious Quilting Revisionism

1. 

"In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views... surrounding a historical event."

or

"In the quilting arts, modernism is the reinterpretation of traditional design in the creation of a quilt."

This is the story of what should have been a traditional sampler.  About 14 years ago I started this project as part of an online block of the month.  I followed along, made all the blocks, and put them in a box... where they sat for about 10 years.

At a retreat about 4 years ago, I took them out and sashed them with Kaffe Fassett.  The jury is still out on whether that was a good idea.  I was in the process of leaving my second marriage so my mind was not entirely sound, is all I can offer by way of explanation.

The quilt went back into a box.

This week I took it out for the third and final time.... and this is what happened.

First thoughts... 
add the remaining border 
(more black and bright blocks if you can believe it)
or quilt it as it stands like this

But I have been told I can be audacious... a word I LOVE!
and this is one of those times,
I cut the quilt top diagonally in half !!!

Then I stripped the entire top into 6 1/2" strips...
because that was the size of the ruler I had in my hand

I considered piecing it with black,
until my sister pronounced that too 80s
(what is wrong with the 80s I ask you???)
white was the next option and I used a cotton sheet

I knew with all the bias edges I had thrown into the mix with my diagonal cuts, 
I needed to stabilize the top as much as possible.
By tearing the sheet I ensured a straight grain to calm the bias edges... so far the operation has been a success
Now to decide on the quilting...

HST can be taxing :P

For a Canadian... HST stands for yet another way the government gets paid by us... the Harmonized Sales Tax.

For a Quilter... HST stands for Half Square Triangle.

Of course a Canadian Quilter, while paying the HST on fabric and sewing gadgets of all kinds, much prefers to deal with a hst!

I am in the process of creating a modern sampler and it contains a good amount of hsts, more perhaps than I realized when drafting it on paper.  Regardless, it has afforded me the opportunity to practice, and practice my hst skills, which to be honest are not the greatest.

The following is a photo tutorial on how to make an hst... old school :) There are several ways to make an hst, by no means is this the only one... it is however the method that allows me to have the best chance at making a "perfect" hst.

Here goes...

Not Your Gramma's Sampler Layout

In this case I need 3 1/2" hst... so I cut the fabric at 4" square,
I always cut the fabric squares 1/2" larger,
so for a 2 1/2" hst, cut 3" squares, etc... I think you get the idea

draw a diagonal line... I can never have too many pencils

If you are feeling anxious,
 draw the sewing lines 1/4" on each side of the cutting line

sew a scant 1/4" on each side of the line...
I chain piece (therefore I am)

now cut them apart...

and take your pile to the iron to press...
I press the seam to one side 

using a ruler with a 45 degree line...
line up two sides of the hst at 3 1/2" (in this case)
and trim the offending sides

then you can trim the ear off too...
I will resist a reference to Van Gogh

some hsts are fussier to trim than others...
in this case trim all sides a smidgen to get your hst

Like so... like sew... and you have made a lovely hst

when sewing hsts together, I press the seam open...
first with my fingers and then with the iron

and press from the top too

where two hsts meet... proceed with caution,
that is if you want them to line up...
I am good with close enough

I am a proud pinner...
even though it is no guarantee that things will line up...
and these Clover pins while pricey are my favourite
and worth every cent, even the hst

many hsts here... take time to make sure they all get along

and one block done !

not a bad way to spend a rainy day :)

NMQG July Hexi Challenge !

July Hexi Challenge at the Niagara Modern Quilt Guild... this is how mine went down !

Our Guild is gently guiding us towards modern composition with the following list... not to be considered a score sheet except by those particularly competitive, such as the writer of this blog.

And I quote from our website:

http://www.nmqg.ca/niagara-modern-quilt-guild-july-meeting/

A modern quilt could reflect the following:

Minimalistic

Negative Space

Bold colours/prints

High Contrast

Improvisation

Alternate Grid

Solids

Asymmetrical

You be the Judge !!!

Hexis destined to remain forever in a ziploc bag... 
freed from their prison by this challenge !

To use green...

or purple?

trying too hard?

Add more purple... starting to let go... a bit

Pinned to my fence... spent a lot of time staring at this, sipping wine, staring, sipping...
I think my neighbours are used to me or don't bother wondering what I am doing now.

Hmmm... more inspiration.
Please disregard the nettles, I have given up my fight with them.

Then I decide to move the quilt closer to the lupins and lay in the grass to take photos...
I must make for an amusing if somewhat disturbing neighbour

And finally quilted... 
started with a free motion hexi pattern sort of...
then added repeating squares.
I can play on my own quilt whereas clients are a little less willing to let me imagine on their work!

my go to IKEA backing... 
and I managed to get the tension as close to perfect as possible...
variegated purple thread on top and a khaki bobbin.
I have a head lamp that I use when checking the back of the quilt on the longarm, no I am not kidding.

"appliqued" hexis right on the longarm with swirly stitching...

That is Ginger... of Ginger Quilts of course :)
Hope you enjoyed your pictorial journey into my creative mind !

Not Your Gramma's Sampler !

Until recently I laboured under the misconception that a quilt sampler was old hat, old lady, (no offence meant, I am on my way there as we speak... we all are!) and old news... however I was mistaken. The love of samplers has not diminished!  I should have known better, I love anything old school too :P

Modern designs for samplers are everywhere, you need only peruse Google images or Pinterest.  They are as varied as the artists who make them and what I thought had been done to pieces... has life in it yet!

So... being a compulsive individual and having a persistent problem with following other people's instructions, I decided to draft my own.

This is my version... laid out with scrapbook paper first.



Then later sketched and coloured with pencil crayons.

I am working on stage 3, the hands down best, making it in fabric :)

Here is how the feather worked up...

Soon to be both a pattern and a class!  Stay tuned for more :)