Day two and all strips joined

I was on a roll until I got to the 5th strip to join. This is the strip just below the top strip. On all of these strips I had at least two inches of batting sticking out as well as backing like this.

The 5th strip not only didn't have batting that stuck out beyond the quilt top but didn't even go to the trim line of the fabric. I will have to add some thin strips of batting or else there will be a void in the thickness. I can't even imagine how this happened.

After getting the strip of batting to stick to the fabric using a glue stick, I carefully trimmed the excess batting away and ironed it flat. In the other area where the batting was short. I used a zig-zag stitch to join it. Later I realized the stitching showed on the quilt front.

After the front joining strip was stitched down I was comfortable removing the zig-zag stitches showing on the front. 

Now all the strips were joined and I could start on the quilting of the front strips.

I had left this wide margin of unquilted strip thinking I was supposed to join only the fabric. Again, this was because I had not read my own tutorial - sigh. I still would have had to do something with the actual strip whether I had quilted to the edge of the strip or not so I guess this "looks better".

There was one spot where the seam was open on the backing so I hand stitched a small "patch" to hold it in place then just quilted over the front. The open seam did not show on the front, only the back. It was about  1/4" but I was not taking any chances.

The quilting of the narrow area ( 6 feet long though) took a LONG time. First the old Bother didn't want to work on fabric that thick. Then the NEW Janome Horizon just refused to work at all so I was back to my big Brother. I adjusted the upper thread tension and it worked a treat!! All done but it took hours!

Now it was time for the border. On strip 6 ( actually the first strip I made) I had allowed a huge flap of batting and backing. 

I did a flip and sew of 2 " of the green and 4" of the purple

I had to add batting and backing to the opposite end but it came out fine.

Today is over for me. I am exhausted dragging that heavy quilt around trying to sew while eliminating the weight (pulling). Tomorrow I will have the border strips on all four sides and have them quilted as well.

I may or may not have the binding on. We'll see. However I am doing a tutorial on the most exciting way for making bias strips I have ever seen. Now I do live a solitary life and everyone in the world may know this method of making massive amounts of bias tape but I kind of doubt it so don't forget to stop by an see the tutorial.

What a day

Today was the day to stop all procrastination and get at least one strip joined to another. After realizing that I had enough purple and green fabric to join any way I wanted. I did a dry run on scrap fabric.

This was a small sandwich on which I tested stitches. I cut it in half so I would have two straight cuts to butt.

Joining strips 1" and 2.5"

This is where I really made lots of extra work for myself sewing only the backing fabric. Did I bother to read MY tutorial on QAYG joing? No!

I know this looks sloppy and it is but I was just checking out the process of butting with no additional width of either fabric or batting.

The upshot of this was a huge amount of frustration. I had even washed and dried 6 1/4 yards of fabric to use on the backing side  to conserve the dyed fabric for the front.

After I actually read the tutorial, I saw how much extra work I had made. 

A printed copy of the tutorial

I also measured the distance  from each circle side to side and then placed the strips (butted) in rows. 

If I added extra material and batting it would look "off" so I knew butting was the way to go.  

I cut 1" strips for the backing side and 2.5" strips for the front. I ironed the 2.5" strips in half (1.25") and stitched them with the front strip, the quilted 6' strip and the backing strip.  

The first strip I agonized over making sure I sewed it perfectly. I did sew it perfectly but I stitched the wrong side of the strip. I had to tear that out. It was a long day with LOTS of mistakes but I soon got the hang. 

The first day I got three strips connected. I first had to trim the edge to be connected.

The I could attach the front 2.5" and back 1" strips and butt the edges of the strip

All of the joining seams came out this perfectly TIL DAY 2. I ironed them

then ironed the now folded 2.5" strip (now 1.25") over the join

and stitched the front strip down. This is the join as seen from the back.

Ironing the strips before stitching

The back of the quilt

  End of the first day. Mission completed - 3 strips joined           

Very cool book

I buy books that are recommended and so many are the same old rehashed techniques with different authors. This book, Surface Treatment Workshop, is something else all together.

I have their old book Image Transfer Workshop from 2009

It had some good image transfer techniques. Their new book is for mixed media  and I have to say, some of the materials are new to me. Just because most of these techniques are for application to flat (paper not fabric) surfaces, some of the products can be used on fabric and the book is filled with inspirational ideas. 

They choose one product and show up to 7 ways to use it. If you ever do mixed media or are just looking for a great book filled with ideas and inspiration, this may be the one!

These are two of the three hanks of wool I dyed using MX dye and vinegar. Although they have a soft heather look, it is not the look I was going after.

You can see by comparing the pictures that the second one is very pale. The first two hanks I had in warm solution for a few hours and the darker "brown" was in over night. Very pale colors. I will mix up some acid dyes which I can use and be done with in literally 15 minutes.

And now "True Confession" time. Since I finished the last strip of the circle quilt, I have used every means of avoiding joining the strips together and I can't figure out why. Now I think I know. On this quilt I am "butting" the strips with no added batting. There is very little room to maneuver. I did a sample to make sure my joining strip measurements were accurate. The reason I had decided to do this was because I had run out of purple and green fabric at the beginning of December. Then I dyed some more. This is what I will do today. I will try ONE join and see how it goes. If it is as difficult as I am imagining I will use wider strips and add batting just like on the QAYG tutorial. SO on Monday, I will have "something" to show you. It will be at least two strips joined but better yet, perhaps all the strips joined. I do have a lot of process pictures so far. I also have to add the 6" border - 2" in the green and 4" in the purple . I also have a GREAT bias tape tutorial coming up after than. It is amazing. So if you ever bind your quilts or art piecs, you won't want to miss that!!

Strip 6, the last one!

This is the 6th and last strip. Next I will start trimming the strips and using the QAYG method, connect the 6 foot strips into a 6 foot square. Then I will add the border so stay tuned for that!

Angular vermicelli 

Dog foot prints. I love my dogs!

Tree of Life

Leaves

Spools 

This is the last circle which I am using as a label

The dyed wool for the log cabin knit lap blanket rolled into balls using my swift.

Also the Bernina is back with a new motor. I haven't plugged it in yet but I am trusting it will be a treat!

Strip 5 done

And here are the next 6 circles

Scallop shell

Nautilus shell

Not sure what these are but I liked them 

Frog eggs

This is a tribute to the commercial quilt I bought years ago that I am still using. It will be  moved to the guest room bed.

These are muscle shells

And this is a felted bowl a friend made for me. In the close-up you can see tiny seed beads. Just beautiful.