Finished Dresden Plate Quilt

Tags

finished project, quilts, sewing

I did it! I stitched the last stitch on my massive by-hand quilt yesterday. What a job.

I think I should call it my “Holland Plate Quilt.” Dresden Plates are the name of the circular-star pattern, but since I finished this in Holland… it makes sense.

This is so not perfect. I know it looks pretty good from these pictures over the interwebs, but this thing is just riddled with mismatching seams, things that don’t line up, places I didn’t measure well enough. And my poor hand-quilting skills make me sure this is just going to fall apart. But hey, whatever. It’s done.

This is a queen size quilt, with 30 blocks. I mostly followed the Dotty for Dresden pattern found in Material Obsession II, with some of my own tweaks (probably would have been better just to stick to the pattern…).

I checked back on my own blog and found out that I ordered the fabric last February–this took me almost an entire year to make! With breaks. I cut out all the fabric and sewed the blocks and plates together in Portland (with a machine, not by hand) then I shipped everything out to Amsterdam, which took a few months to receive. Once I got it, I started appliqueing the dresden plates to the quilt. Then I made the “quilt sandwich” and started the actual quilting. Finally, yesterday, I finished!

I put a few fun secrets in, like the tiny Christmas tree I stitched on Christmas Day. And when I ran out of fabric for the border, I threw in a swatch of Liberty of London I bought in London. My favorite part was an afterthought, actually. I stitched a row of Amsterdam-inspired canal houses on one edge, and I’m pretty much in love with how that turned out. I also added a “signature” to the back.

I finished this just in time, as we are currently experiencing a cold snap all across Europe–a frozen wind from Siberia has been sweeping down and turning everything to ice. Seriously, it is. That’s not even a metaphor. This quilt was perfect to cuddle under last night, making everything warm and toasty.

I’m so in love. And do dang proud of myself for finishing!

Lovely Object #5

Tags

quilts, sewing

What: Vintage Singer Sewing Machine

Where: On our side table, looking all vintage-y

How: Flea market find, at the Amsterdam Waterlooplein market

A few months ago Jesse came home and surprised me with a flea market treasure: a vintage Singer sewing machine that he scored for only €15. Neither of us had any idea if it worked or not, but it looked pretty cool, and that’s less than we’d spend on dinner! As far as my non-professional internet research could tell, the model is from somewhere around 1914-1920. I dusted it off and spun the wheel a few times, but was too intimidated to dig much deeper into fixing it. It’s sat on our side table looking pretty since then.

Now the new year has rolled around and I am this close to finishing my quilt. I thought if I could get the Singer working, it’d be cool to sew on the quilt binding with it (and save me some extra handwork). So the other afternoon we sat down and re-dusted the machine off. Between my general sewing knowledge, Jesse’s problem-solving, and a few Youtube videos we were able to wind the bobbin and get it sewing! That needle trundled along like nothing could stop it.

Such pretty filigree plates

Jesse figuring it out

The feeling of using a 100 year old machine… it’s a little crazy. How many hundreds of pieces of fabrics has it sewn through? This is a serious workhorse.

It’s hand-cranked, which is weird to grapple with. I can manage on smaller scraps, but when I did the binding for the quilt I had to rope Jesse into helping. He cranked and I steered: such teamwork!

Now if I could only stop my reflexes from reaching for the foot pedal and trying to turn the machine on and off every time I sit down… old habits die hard.

With a machine to help, even a hand-cranked one, the quilt will go much faster. Which means: I’m almost done…

News From the Crafty Front

Tags

embroidery, finished project, quilts, Scandinavian Love

In my last post I mentioned all the Made by Hand stores in Amsterdam–now it’s time to update a few of my own made by hand crafts!

First off, I finished this embroidered pillowcase I’ve been working on forever:

It shows up in my trusty Embroidery Companion book as the Karin curtain design, but I bought a plain pillowcase from Ikea to use instead. I am in love with the Scandinavian feel of this, and the cheery red with the stoical partridges (I’m guessing they’re partridges. What do you think?). I might fill in the middle with more designs, but I’m going to take a break from this for awhile first.

Next on my list is a Dresden Plate quilt that I promised myself I’d make here. I had all the pieces cut out in Portland, I sewed the front blocks and the entire back together. Now I need to applique the Dresden Plates to the front, and then quilt it. By hand. I’m beginning to think this was way too ambitious, and I was most likely out of my mind when I thought this was a great idea. But I’m determined to do this, so I’m doggedly sewing. Truth is, I love the repetitive, mindless work while we’re watching tv (my friend got me hooked on BBC’s Gavin & Stacey). Here’s the work-in-progress, draped over a chair. I still love the fabrics I chose, and I just keep thinking how cozy this will be when it’s done! Happy thoughts…

The last project isn’t mine at all, but Jesse’s. He’s decided to pick up a new hobby, settled on knitting the past few weeks, and has been knocking it out of the park since then. He’s already finished two things! He’s also spouting knowledge about purling, decreasing, dropped stitches, and what a yarn’s ‘loft’ and ‘wpi’ mean.

The first is this big scarf in a chunky gray wool, and the second is a maroon cowl in soft fluffy wool. I am thrilled by this new hobby, and have already created a small list of items that I would enjoy wearing if he were so kind as to make them. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s so cute when he does something like this.He gets a really concentrate-y look on his face, and he will rip something out and re-do it three times to make sure it’s to his specifications. It’s worked out well so far.

So, if anyone is in the market for a new scarf or hat, Jesse is working through projects like wildfire and needs some commissions. You can find him on Ravelry here. If you need a new quilt (and would like it in the next 10 years) you’re out of luck. Make it yourself. And not by hand.

Summer Scrap Quilt

Tags

finished project, gifts, quilts, sewing

Summer is a time of spending hours on a blanket in a grassy park, with this drink in hand. In my mind, at least, that’s what I’m doing every sunny day.

 My friend Tayler, who writes at The Awkward Olive and keeps a wicked garden, happens to have a birthday on the Summer Solstice itself, lucky girl. So I thought, what better summer gift than a lovely summer quilt? It helped that I had a lot of colorful scraps to use up, and wanted to try making a line quilt with them.

I didn’t use much of a pattern, I just cut the fabric into strips of varying sizes, from 1.5″ up to 4″, then sewed them together into long strips. The hard part was figuring out what colors should be next to each other–I could have kept shuffling things around for days! If I moved a yellow scrap to be away from another yellow scrap, suddenly that messed up the blues, and then there were too many whites next to each other, and then… it never ended. I finally gave up. I think it turned out nice and random, though when I look at it I still find things I should have moved. 

The back is a big leftover Ikea sheet (I LOVE that bright orange!). I’d like to say that the green square is part of the design, but really the sheet was oddly shaped due to a previous project, and I needed to fill in a corner. Awesome, I know. It’s not even trying to match or blend in. Hey, that’s homemade for you–I do what I want!

I’m really happy with this one. It’s a nice little size–big enough to warm your legs during a movie, and just small enough to get really close to a picnic date. Take someone who wants to cuddle, Tayler!

 

It’s so nice to finish projects like this, and feel the satisfaction of giving it away. Quilts are way too easy to plan, with all those colors and shapes, but actually churning them out is a bit harder. It’s always a relief when I realize I actually pulled it off.

I’m winding down my sewing, getting ready for our move, so this is one of my last big projects. I’m not planning on being bored in Amsterdam, though; I have craft plans. But that’s another post!

In the meantime, Tayler, may the quilt bring you many summer days of good books, lemonade, friends, and grassy parks, and may it remind you of the sun when you’re curled up on your couch in the cold months!

Happy summer solstice birthday!

Circle Quilt DONE!

Tags

quilts, sewing

I did it! I stiched the last stitch on my first full quilt last week, and have been enjoying it wrapped around me on the couch the whole chilly weekend.

My quilt, with fingers and feet.

 

Last I posted about it, I’d just finished the top. Since then I’ve finished the back, sandwiched and quilted them together, and hand-quilted the binding to it. Done! I really love how it turned out.

I had a lot of fun designing the back, and throwing together the random elements. It’s a bit smaller than 60×80 inches, which is the biggest quilt I’ve made so far. I did a simple line quilting on either side of the seam going horizontally, then stitch-in-the-ditch down the verticals seams. Nothing fancy, just simple and bold.

It’s just big enough to warm your legs on the couch and maybe a friend’s legs, as well. If they’re close together, you know. And it’s just cozy enough for a cat to want to be on your lap. And it’s just bright enough to put some color into a rainy day.

It’s a good quilt, in all. I’m pretty happy with myself!

First Dresden Plate

Tags

quilts, sewing

I have been a quilting maniac this week. I’ve been cutting out all my little wedges for the Dresden Plate quilt, and I tested them out to reveal:

It works! I am amazing! Or, really, the pattern I followed was amazing. The true story is that I first cut all the wedges out in a slightly modified shape (read: wrong), leaving me with piles of wedges that won’t fit. Decidedly not amazing.

 I pulled through, though, and re-cut them all with the leftover fabric, adding a few other scraps in. It changes the color scheme slightly, but I think it’ll still look good. I’ll use the extra wedges for a design on the back of the quilt.

I’ve been so excited to see the Dresden Plates materialize that I haven’t even finished the Circle Quilt. It’s crumpled and piled up in the corner to make room for multiple piles of wedges. My craft room looks like a fabric bag threw up all over it.

 

These Dresden Plates are pushy! I’m ignoring several other projects, too, like the blouse I need to finish before Me Made May. And a dress for a certain friend (I swear I’m starting on that next, K!). One of these days I’ll be a little less Dresden-Plate-Centric.

Stash-Bustin’ Inspiration

Tags

quilts, sewing

I’m pretty good about not hoarding things. I regularly clean my closet out, and get tired of clutter and mess. So how did I end up with 3 full boxes of fabric?

Compared to the serious quilters out there, that’s an incredibly small stash, but I still hate the idea of having SO much fabric sitting there, and then going out and buying more. That’s my hard-earned money laying in those boxes! So I’ve decided to start “stash-busting,” and using all my scraps and irregular rectangles to make things. A lot of my scraps are leftover from projects I’ve made, and I love the fabric so much that I can’t stand getting rid of it.

I saw this quilt on the Purl Bee the other day, and last night I went through and realized I have enough scraps, in matching colors, to make this quilt. And I think I will.

via The Purl Bee

It’s a little ridiculous to think that I probably have enough fabric to make 2 full quilts, maybe 3. And tiny scraps for another one. No more! I will use this up! But I want them to be good projects, not throw-away ones. So I’ve been scouring Flickr for scrappy, stash-busting inspiration, and here’s what I came up with:

My Stash-Bustin’ Inspiration Gallery.

I really like the fabric balls for babies–so cute and useful! I think a few other baby gifts might be in order, since I have two such cuties in my life. And the bunting is alway useful for instant party cheer.

Any other ideas?

Hexagon Quilt?

Tags

quilts, sewing

Those imaginary wheels and cranks that turn in my brain are going through a workout today. I spent way too long researching hexagon quilts, and I’m fascinated. Everything I read on it says that they are addicting to make. I’m not sure how cutting out all those little shapes and sewing them together can be addicting, but I’m willing to believe it.

Hexagon quilt, via Etsy

 

Hexagons are often used to make charm quilts, where every hex is a unique fabric–no doubles. How cool. What if you added one or two doubles just to challenge people? I love this idea. And I’m intimidated by it, mostly because it requires scraps of hundreds, if not thousands, of different fabrics. So here’s the thing–what if I start making hexes today out of my scraps and save them–will I eventually have enough to put together into a quilt?

Or is that waaaayyy too much planning ahead? I’m not sure I’m ready to think about gifts for my grandchildren yet. But I kind of love the idea.

Scandinavian Circles

Tags

quilts, Scandinavian Love, sewing

I’ve finished the top and the back of my circle quilt! Here’s the top (back not shown).

I was aiming for a bit of a clean, Scandinavian, minimalist quilt; well, actually, I was just trying to make a quilt, but when I saw where it was headed, I decided that was my aim. Drawing a target around the arrow works, you know. Now I’m noticing it’s a bit 4th of July Patriotic, which wasn’t what I wanted to draw at all. Oh, well. I really love the simplicity of the colors and patterns, though. Nothing too obvious or loud, just great solid colors. The bottom one here is my favorite:

I had read warnings that circles were difficult to handle in quilts, but these ones were so simple I loved it. I suspect that’s because I appliqued them on, with interfacing, instead of sewing curves. I love how it turned out, though. I used this tutorial, mostly to figure out the sizes and the circles. 

Now I just need to “sandwich” it, and then actually quilt it together. I’m not sure how I’m going to do that last one, when I think about it… I’m afraid the quilt might be too big for my little machine…

To highlight the Scandinavian inspiration, here’s a blog about Stockholm: 

Eat Drink One Woman.  Ganda (like Wanda), spent six months in Stockholm, Sweden in 2009, and her account is filled with food, bike trips, photos of the gorgeous landscape, funny stories, and Swedish language tidbits. Did I mention the food? She details her hunt for the best ice cream in the city. (Mmm, that’s my kind of hunt.)

Stockholm is added to my list of places to go! And, you know, live someday. I’ll bring my quilt to keep warm.

Emotional Sewing: ‘Como Agua Para Chocolate’

Tags

cooking, quilts, sewing

In the film Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolate), based on the novel by Laura Esquivel, the main character Tita uses cooking as an outlet for her emotions. The food takes on whatever emotion she’s feeling and passes it off to her guests. When she’s sad, it causes everyone to weep with sorrow. When she’s happy, feasters are ecstatic. And when she’s feeling a bit libidinous, the feast erupts into a racous orgy. The story might have a touch of Latin American magical realism, but many people still believe that food takes on the emotions of the cook. So cook with love, they say.

Last night as I was ripping out another seam, I wondered if anyone believed sewing could do the same. Does my dress absorb my feelings when I pour so much energy into it? Does a quilt made with love cause the one snuggled under it to feel even warmer? And does a blouse made with joy cause the wearer to be more joyous?

I found myself hoping it wasn’t all true. I wasn’t having the best night. While working on my Ceylon I was congratulating myself on how fast it was going, when I went to match up some seams. They didn’t match up. I had sewn two things onto the wrong side. This meant I had to rip both seams out, cut new fabric and interfacing, iron the interfacing on, then sew. I did that (while grumbling), and 15 minutes later discovered I had made another mistake, and had to rip it out once again. More interfacing. More swearing. More sewing. And this is the dress I had just finished a “practice” of, so I wouldn’t make these mistakes!

If the dress took on all qualities of  the thoughts I was thinking, it might be best if I don’t ever wear it.

I’d like to think that fabric is forgiving, absorbing those feelings and melting them away, smoothing out the rough edges of frustration. I can’t help but like something I’ve made, even if it’s a poor imitation of a good garment. If I’m frustrated, all the angry energy makes the sewing needle go- up and down, up and down, faster and faster, until it’s eating through the fabric like Tita’s hungry feasters. And when it stops, I have a seam. The right seam this time.

I’d like to think that a quilt or a dress takes all that anger in stride, like a punching bag, or a block of wood to chop. And that when I finally wear the finished dress, the heat will have all melted away and gone somewhere else.

Until that finished dress arrives, though, I’ll be taking deep breathes. And changing my needle.