Friday Round-Up

Happy fall, everyone!  It's been warm here in DC lately, but this weekend we're supposed to be in the 40s...and our heat hasn't been turned on yet!  I guess this is why I make quilts...

Here are some things I saw and loved this week!

• There's a Cathedral Block Quiltalong going on with several blogs!  You can find the first block here.  I made it with some scraps of Guising.  The second block is on my to-do list today!
• In another QAL, I came across Jeni Baker's Half-Square Triangle Block of the Month!  I love HSTs. I just have to find some fabric to start with these (where oh where will I find that?).
• Still elopement-planning central in this apartment!  Rifle Paper Co. announcements are still my dream, and these are no different.  Now I just have to get rich by next summer.
• Google says this page is in Catan (like the Settlers?), so I don't think I'll use the recipe any time soon, but these cat cookies are just too cute.
• I've been eyeing these Erin Paisley embroidery patterns since they came out.  They're so fun!  And kinda weird.  But in a good way.

And that's it!  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  See you Monday!

Back to Back

I'm still not quite settled in the new house yet, but luckily I was a quilting fiend before we started packing up the flat.  The pictures you see here today are some of the last taken in our happy little flat on Fingal Street.  Sigh.

Once the top of the quilt was finally pieced together I had a better idea of the measurements needed for the back.  Although, to be fair, I have yet to actually take any measurements in this entire process.  There has been a lot of eye-balling-it and relative sizing.  Hence the repeated wonkiness to my sections.  A lesson learned perhaps.

While creating the three back sections, I repeatedly attempted to get some of the horizontal stripes to meet up in nice corners with neighbouring stripes.  This was not successful even once.  No amount of 'measuring' or ironing prevailed in my attempt at some kind of symmetry.  I won't lie.  It was driving me a little batty.  But one can only unpick so many seams before one says, F**K IT.

As it happens, I needn't have bothered.  The three strips weren't wide enough to be attached directly to one another.  I needed to make some vertical strips to act as buffers and add a few more inches to each side.

At this point I was pretty sure I was scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of t-shirt scraps.  I had already plundered the supply to make the last stripey bit of one of the vertical panels, what was left was never going to produce enough fabric for long strips.

But then I remembered the one circus shirt I didn't cut up.  For whatever reason, when slicing up pieces for the back, I left one white shirt untouched.  I couldn't tell you why, then.  But now I was thinking perhaps it was divine intervention.  Someone somewhere knew I would need some buffer fabric.

So for the first time in the entire project, I measured before cutting to ensure I had enough.  Carefully pinned and sewed and viola! Three sections which when sewed together, would be the right size.  Brilliance.

It took another week for me to actually sew the three pieces together.  This I did hastily, on the floor, about a half hour before heading out to yoga class.  Something in me suddenly needed to get these pieces sewn together.  It was a do or die situation, completely irrational.

Check out my pin overload.

First quilt photo in new house

Now both sides are done.  What's next?  I think this is the actual quilting part.  I need to source some 'stuffing' for the inside and some safety pins to keep it all together and then the quilting begins.  I'm still a bit stuck on whether I want to do this by hand or attempt it on the machine or even what design to use.

Now it's getting real.    

How I React When I Fail: A Lesson of Soup Stains

...not that I'm dramatic or anything!

I'm between projects right now, which, to me, is the perfect time for small things.  I'll learn new blocks or techniques because I have the time to waste.  We bought a coffee table a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to make coasters for it.  You don't realize how often drinks sweat until you have a new piece of furniture.  I thought coasters made from wonky stars would be adorable, and after admiring the tiny wonky stars at Little Red Hen, I was pretty much sold.  Plus, I got a charm pack of all the Cotton Couture solids at Quilters Take Manhattan (every.single.color), and I've been dying to rip into it.

After careful choosing of five colors, I used the Silly BooDilly tutorial recommended by everyone ever to cut the pieces, except I cut my blocks at 1.5", instead of the 4.5" she recommends.  (This was recommended by Little Red Hen.)

Choosing colors...this is harder than you'd think.

So many charms!

 I also cut out a larger star--three-inch pieces--for good measure.

1.5" squares on top of 3" squares

So I start assembling, and seriously, it's the easiest thing ever.  I'm not great at improvising, so some of my points were too short, but whatever.  It's part of the process, right?  After I sewed all five small stars, I decided I wanted to quilt and bind the coasters instead of sewing the front and back together and turning them right sides out.  

Well, that was a mistake.  See Evidence A:

Duh.

Obviously, this is too teeny to be bound.  It is a mess.  The corners didn't turn, the stitching is off.  This was supposed to be a quick project, and now daylight is gone and I'm stuck with coasters that won't work!  (This is also more evidence of drama: they're ugly, but they work.  Keep it together, Emily.)

So, I thought I'd just make a mug rug with the large wonky star.  This will still work for the coffee table, except now we'll use one large coaster.  There aren't really more than two of us here at a time, just me and Nick, so it's a good idea in theory.  

I sewed the remaining four stars together in a 2x2 block, and then adjusted the size of the finished large star to match the height of the block.  I sewed those together, and then sewed backing.  The small squares are quilted (and backed, but that's hidden now), so they're absorbent, while the large square is more for pretzels or candy or whatever.

It's not pretty, by any stretch of the imagination.  And it really disappoints me because it didn't work out.  I just wanted it to work out!  Such a bummer.  Also, the photos are awful because it was dark by the time I took them,

I set out on the coffee table and told Nick he was free to use it.  And he did.  He ate a bowl of chicken tortilla soup (with a tomato and chicken stock base) on it...and left big, red stains all over the white Kona.

Sigh.

So this project took too long, looks like crap, and is now probably permanently stained--the cherry on top.  I realized I paid nothing for this project, that it wasn't on a deadline, and that it really could be thrown away without repercussion, but it's still just kind of a disappointment.

However, looking on the bright side of things, I can make wonky stars now!  I'm tempted to turn my entire charm pack into wonky stars, just for the hell of it.  

What are some of your sewing fails?  Were you dramatic too?  It's okay to own up to it!

Friday Round-up

Each Friday, one of us does a little round-up of stuff that has stuck in the brain this week.  Kind of like an ear-wig, but with stuff.  Ear-wigs are okay, too.  It's not always sewing related.


Yes, I'm back from Greece.  However, while in Greece I contracted a stomach bug.  It seems our fancy hotel didn't have potable water.  Pete's stomach of steel somehow survived and he was able to enjoy the sun and scenery.  I was in bed for three days watching Greece's version of 'quality American movies' which seems code for anything that was straight to video 10 years ago.

Needless to say, I don't have much for you today.  I haven't looked at the internet for a week.

It is full-on fall here in London, so I will treat you with some autumnal treats.

LEEK TOAST
Admittedly, this is for spring, but one transitional season's bounty is another's treat.  I love this snack.  We make it with feta and whatever baton of bread is going stale in the cupboard. We like it with a nice juicy steak, but more often than not we eat it on its own. We made this for some friends of ours last year, one of which had never had leeks.  After this meal he insisted on including leeks in their wedding dinner.  It's that good.

MINESTRONE
This is one of those soups that is incredibly easy to make yet tastes different every time.  We use whichever pasta sauce we have or was on special at the grocery.  In addition to the mixed beans, we add carrot, corn or any other vegetable that might be languishing in the crisper.  (Do you sense a pattern with my cooking?)

FRENCH ONION SOUP
This is my take on this lovely soup.  The result is fantastic but it takes ages to simmer down.  For the crouton top I use the method described in the leek toast recipe, but add gruyere cheese to the second side.  To be honest, the croutons are the best part.

SPICY RED LENTIL SOUP
Another of my soup recipes.  Actually, it's a Weight Watchers recipe, but it's one of our favorites (it's at the bottom of the post).  A nice addition to this one also came as an accident.  I had some onion bagels which crumbled at every attempt to slice them.  I turned them into gruyere covered croutons for the top of the soup instead of the swirl of yogurt.  However, the swirl of yogurt is lovely as well.


Wrap yourself in a duvet and have some soup.  Winter is coming.

Why Do You Quilt?

Why, hello again!  As I said on Monday, Ariel is in Greece, so I have Wednesday duty as well this week.  I sat at my desk (at work...whoops) thinking about what to post today.  Should I gush over new fabrics?  Nah.  Should I follow the lead of my personal blog and talk about quilt plans?  I could, but readers may think I've lost my day planner and had to settle for a blog to keep track of my to-dos.  What to write, what to write...

And then I started thinking, man, I'm chilly.  It was in the 40s when I walked to work today, but because the high is 72, I didn't wear tights.  Even after some coffee, that chill hasn't left my legs!  I could use a small quilt for my cubicle, but I guess for now I'll use my scarf as a makeshift blanket.  I remembered saying bye this morning to our new kitten, who had dragged my heirloom quilt off of the coffee table shelf and onto the floor with his toys.  Was he cold too, or is he just bad?  (Yes.)  I ordered backing and binding for my Modern Maples quilt yesterday, but am waiting on a walking foot to quilt it, because I don't want to rely on sending them off anymore.

Why do I quilt?

The simplest answer is necessity: I live in the mid-Atlantic region, where we have seasons, and it gets cold in the winter.  Even in late September, I reach for a throw while watching TV, just to cut the chill.  While I won't necessarily need quilts on my bed, I'll need some for the couch, for the car when we drive south this winter for the holidays, for my cubicle, for whatever.  To stay warm, I need a blanket.

But, honestly, I could've gone to Target and bought a cotton throw instead of investing time, money and patience into a new hobby--if all I was looking for was something to keep me warm.  It must go deeper than that.  I don't have children, and I'm not getting married for a year, so the idea of heirlooms that I create are a bit outside of my realm: while it's nice to think of handing these down, I'd rather focus on using them here and now and worry about inheritance later.

I will admit, I like knowing something.  Please don't confuse this with learning; I'm very much like my mother in that I don't want to learn--I want to know.  The only way to know something--sewing, quilting, knitting for a month--is to do it instead of just read about it.  After I won those six cuts of Chicopee--too little for garments, too much for accessories--I had no choice but to pick up a rotary cutter and get going.  And down into the rabbit hole I went, researching projects, finding new blogs, and buying patterns.  A woman obsessed, a woman possessed, whatever you want to call it--I'm now her.

At Quilters Take Manhattan, Denyse Schmidt mentioned that she started quilting because she was looking for a community and somewhere to fit in during her tumultuous twenties.  I certainly relate, and indeed, it's why I started sewing.  I think quilting, because it came later to me, was just the natural progression, and allowed me to expand my circle of friends and peers (even if they're online and not in-person).  And one has definitely influenced the other: I recently sewed a top-secret quilt top for someone made completely out of curves, but thanks to my experience with garment sewing, I had zero problems with it.

Finally, I think I quilt because it's another way to create.  That seems to simplify it too much, and honestly, do I need to create more in my life?  Apparently, I do, because I feel that pull toward my stash, toward my mat, toward my ruler every day while I'm at my desk, while I'm on the train, while I'm making dinner.  Sometimes I feel like cutting pieces for a new quilt top, and other times I feel like cutting a blouse.  But quilting, and modern quilting, have expanded my to-do list as well as my done list, and I can surround myself with more homemade items.  My goal is to look around my apartment and be able to say "I made this!" whether it's a blanket, a skirt, or even the coasters.  I prefer a handmade life, from what I wear to what I eat, and quilting fits in perfectly.

So, your turn: why do you quilt?  Is it a simple reason?  Is it much more complicated?  Do you do it just because you have to--there's no other way!--or do you do it because it's a fun hobby?  Spill it!

Modern Maples Quilt Top

Hello!  If I seem particularly chipper, I am: this quilt top is very exciting and I'm so happy to share it!

I know many advanced quilters will wonder what the big deal is, but, to me, this quilt is so special.  I used some of my favorite fabrics, I used a pattern I've loved, and I just feel like I got it this time.  Do you know what I mean?  Something clicked and everything made sense.  Every part of sewing this was a dream; never once did I think, "Dear lord, just let this end already!"

Okay, so before the happiness becomes nauseating, let's see some pictures!

First, let's take a look at the blocks.  Each block consists of four HSTs, a solid square, three printed squares, and a stem.  The blocks are about 12" square, once all is said and done.  To make these, I used sixteen fabrics I had in my stash, two DS Quilts prints I picked up from JoAnn's, and white Kona.  Choosing the fabrics was fun but also a little nerve-wracking; I think I went back and forth on them for about a week, editing the stack everyday when I'd come up with a new idea.

Yuwa (left) and DS Quilts (right) blocks.  I bought the Yuwa on Etsy.

Whoops!  As soon as I took this picture, I realized my mistake in the lower left.  After I fixed it, this block became one of my favorites.

 Eleanor and Puddin' were there every step of the way for me, as usual.  One of the hard parts about having such a small apartment (and, therefore, a small sewing space) is there's nowhere to hide.  The cats always find me!

This is a Timeless Treasures print, I think...it's at least a few years old, and my mom gave it to me when she weeded out her stash.

Laying out all eighteen blocks.  The cats are inspecting every inch for quality control.

Looking at the photo above, I realize my mistake in the fifth row--one of the blocks should be in space two instead of space five.  Ah well.  It's something I didn't catch in time, but it didn't affect anything in the long run.

It's a bit of a random layout, which is fine.  I knew I wanted my favorite blocks to form the center column, which is the only column without a white block.  From there, I tried to balance the amount of orange and gray in the upper and lower halves, so one wouldn't look super heavy over the other.

From the top left: Timeless Treasures, Lizzy House Guising, Flea Market Fancy, Cloud9 Monsterz, MoMo Half-Moon Modern, Yuwa, Flea Market Fancy, Far Far Away III, Guising (two prints next to each other), Guising, Far Far Away III, Monsterz, DS Quilts, Flea Market Fancy, DS Quilts, Guising, Far Far Away III.

This was not a particularly taxing quilt, which maybe led me to have more fun with it.  Everything fit together, I was happy with the layout and I worked with some of my favorite fabrics and fabric lines.

We've had such wonderful weather lately--the temperatures this morning were in the 40s and 50s, but it was sunny.  Perfect for taking pictures!  Unfortunately, it was a little muddy, so I worried about that, but I think it turned out okay.

I would like to note that the DS Quilts fabric is incredibly high-quality--a nice surprise for something from JoAnn's.

So there it is--my fall quilt!  Horror of horrors, I think I'm going to quilt and bind this one myself.  I am terrified.  However, thanks to no money, I can delay it a few weeks until I can buy backing and binding.  Do you have any suggestions?  I'd like to back it in something orange and bind in navy--Hope Valley comes to mind, but I may be offbase there.

What did you make over the weekend?  Also, as you know, Ariel is on holiday in Greece (boo hiss) (just kidding, but seriously, I'm at work and she's in Greece!), so I'll be back Wednesday with another post!  See you then.

Friday Round-Up

Man, we are deep into the kitten stage here at the Sposetta-Regnier residence.  The cat is adorable, but he's driving us completely crazy.  While I love his playfulness, there is a line, and he crossed it when he knocked over a vase of flowers before 7 AM.

Here's what interested me this week!

• Purl SoHo announced their new line of embroidery patterns, a collaboration with Egg Press.  As an embroiderer and a fan of Purl, I love these!  I think they'd be perfect for a nursery or a girly bedroom.  I just have to convince myself $60 isn't too much to spend on crafting!
• Pumpkin cookies with brown-butter icing sound like a perfect dessert at this point in the season.  Too bad Nick doesn't like pumpkin or I'd be forced to make and eat them all!
• I know you've seen this gingham patchwork quilt by now.  It's everywhere!  I think I'm going to make one in purple.  I love the simplicity!
• Is it wrong to wear a cardigan over my wedding dress?  Oh well.  I've started gathering ideas  for what I'll either make or buy and they all scream "cardigan."  (You can read my thoughts on my wedding here.)
• I saw this on Pinterest last night and thought it was particularly relatable for sewists.  Everything we do has love and passion stitched into it, but sometimes there are mistakes.  Let's hope we learn from them!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Feel free to share your inspiration in the comments.