FPP Sewing Supplies

From my blog post title, you may have thought I intended to list the tools I use in my sewing room when I am Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP).   And while I will still do that at the end of this post, this is really about making these fun blocks designed by Kristy at Quiet Play.

Since I'm not exactly sure how I will end up using these blocks, I've chosen not to neaten things up.  Next up is to make the pincushion from the pattern! 

I've made a lot of Kristy's patterns including the sunflower block and my Star Wars blocks.

I enjoy the process of FPP (except perhaps removing the paper) and have designed a few of my own patterns including Boomerang and my Chunky Alphabet.   Below are products I find really useful  (affiliate links):

• regular printer paper (although I've used this product before and really liked it)
• seam roller or hera marker for flattening seam
• Add 1/4" ruler
• Oliso mini iron  (see my review post)
• wool pressing mat  (see my review post)
• Tailors' clapper to help flatten an ironed seam
• a old rotary cutter used with paper only
• a random postcard

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Fibonacci Blanket Update

I've been knitting up a storm more than doubling the length of my panel for my Fibonacci blanket since my post on April 11.

The panel is not blocked and is wider than it appears.  At this point, it clearly resembles a scarf!

This panel measures 55" long and about 15" wide.  My original goal was to size my blanket at 45" square but I've decided slightly bigger - namely 55" square - would be a better option.  To increase the width of my blanket, the other two panels will be 20" wide and will go to either side.

I've cast on one side panel, this time with 92 stitches to support my initial couple of rows of K2 P1 ribbing.  I'll also add ribbing to one edge.

This is a perfect knitting project for sitting in front of the tv or sitting on the couch talking to a family member.  Its also a good excuse to sit quietly and relax for a few minutes.

The colors are following a pattern - dark gray to blue to light gray to white to light gray to blue to dark gray - and the width of the strip follows the Fibonacci series, namely 1", 2", 3", 5",  and 8".

The yarn was weighed after finishing the middle panel to help me calculate how much more was needed.  The results were interesting - the light gray was the most used with only 14 grams left.  The blue, dark gray and white had 41 grams, 47 grams, and 48 grams left, respectively, which means the middle panel used 250 grams of yarn.

More yarn was purchased!  This is Berroco cotton yarn in color ways Waterman (1685), Tiverton (1623), Gadwall (1608) and Bluffs (1600).  The Waterman (blue) dye lot was able to be matched to my original purchase but not so for the other colors.  However, I'm not worried about this for this particular project.  (affiliate link)

Happy knitting.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

One Monthly Goal April Finish Linkup

Ready to link up your April finishes?

Don't panic - this link-up is open until April 30 at 11:55 pm ET.

Want to see everyone's goals for the month - check out the April goal page!

My goal for April was to quilt at least half of the clamshells, each with a different motif.  I ended up modifying that goal slightly and went for a different motif in each color (i.e. shade of blue).  Roughly 2/3 of the clamshells are quilted so I met my goal.  You can read more about the quilt here.

Now it's your turn to link up!  Please add a link to this OMG post so others can follow where you are linking.   Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post:  

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - April Finish Link-up

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thanks for linking up!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Orange Slice Progress Update

Orange Slice started off as a project to get me out of a sewing slump.  I started sewing drunkards' path blocks without a plan for where I was headed until I arrived here!   (Read more about the process of quilt top creation.) 

Although my original thought was to make each clamshell a different quilting motif, I ended up with a simplification by making each colorway a different motif.  This was much more manageable for my brain!  So far, I've got 6 different motifs, 5 of which were done with a walking foot.    (Ignore all those threads that have not yet been dealt with.)

The back of the quilt really shows off the quilting.  The pebble was the most tedious of the design choices.  I like the way it looks but it is a lot of work!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Illusions

I've often admired quilters who set out to do a series of works around a theme and I wanted to give it a try.   The idea is to use regular quilt blocks - in this case the lowly HRT (half-rectangle triangle) - or secondary patterns to give an illusion of curves.*  (My Harmony quilt design is the first time this happened but it was not planned - just an unexpected surprise.)

My quilt Illusions is roughly 28" square.  I used Painters Palette fabric in wasabi and black.  (Wasabi is hard to photograph to get true color.)

I've done the first pass of quilting with my walking foot and everything is secure enough that those basting pins could actually be removed.

But the quilt isn't quilted densely enough for my liking so I'm trying to decide what to do next - I see two options. The easiest approach would be to pick a color of thread and quilt without regard to the color of fabric.  The more work approach would be to match the thread to the quilting.

(I tried to edit my way into the correct 'wasabi representation' for this picture - not even close!)

While I decide if I want to set myself up to bury a bunch of threads, I decided to bury the ones I already have.  It really doesn't take all that long.

* Whether I do another second quilt so that this really is the first of a series remains to be seen.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

HST and HRT BOM April update

Block 4 is now done from the Modern HST BOM - block 1.  When the QAL started, you were told how many HSTs and HRTs you would need for the whole quilt and you could size them anyway you wanted to get the finish size that would work for you.  My blocks will finish at 8" which means my HST are 2". 

While I made all my HSTs ahead of time, I am creating simple FPP patterns for each month's HRT blocks to eliminate seams wherever I can.  

It's fun to start putting together the blocks I've made so far.  At this point, I'm not really liking the one in the bottom left so it may not make the final cut.

Check out all the blocks at #modernhstBOM2022.  While most of my quilts are made from my own designs, I always enjoy having a project where someone else tells me what to sew.  My only decision is the fabric!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Curated Quilts Red Issue

I got some happy mail this week - the latest issue of Curated Quilts magazine plus my mini quilt Red Alert.

Red Alert is 14" square and used almost all the colors from the starter bundle I purchased.  When I first heard the energize prompt, I thought Star Trek (as one does) and from there red alert.  Red alert is the highest emergency on a Starfleet ship and results in red flashing lights and a loud alarm noise.  Although the red alert displays have gotten more sophisticated since the original series, my quilt is imagines what the light waves look like from that red flashing light.  (For the record, I did just binged every episode and movie from TOS, TNG and Voyager, Picard is the best captain.  I absolutely love the new Picard series.  Just saying.)

Issue 19 is called Red and is filled with a quilt gallery of beautiful red modern quilts and a fun mini gallery from the challenges. The issue also contains several articles and 3 quilt patterns.

Curated Quilts is a quarterly journal and each issue is filled with quilts curated with modern community that fit a particular theme.  I really enjoy their quarterly challenges and had a mini in the Polygon issue too.

Check out Curated Quilts for yourself!  Use the code ESQ to save 10% off!  (As an affiliate, I'm excited to offer you the 10% off code.)

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Fibonacci Blanket

During the holidays last year, I treated myself to some beautiful cotton yarn with the goal of making a smaller sized blanket.  I wanted knitting that was portable so the idea was to knit long panels and then bring them together.  

I purchased Berroco cotton yarn in color ways Waterman (1685), Tiverton (1623), Gadwall (1608) and Bluffs (1600).

I cast on 68 stitches on a size 7 needle. To reduce rolling, the first few rows (and the last 3) are a KKP repeat. 

My goal is to switch colors following a Fibonacci series (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8) as measured in inches.  I started with the dark gray color for 8" then switched to the blue for 5".  As I started, I only roughly measured these larger sections - which means I'll need to count the rows so everything matches up.  But then I realized that every 6 rows = 1" so there will be more accuracy moving forward.

This project was good knitting during my daughter's hospital stay.  No goal for when I will finish - just relaxing stuff.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Postcard Swap

Happy quilting mail!!

My local MQG guild just did a postcard swap.  A quick fun project to send in the mail to another guild member.  My postcard arrived as a friendly hello - made during our local guild retreat - by Intuit.  (Check out her IG stream for a photo of her holding the postcard at the beach!)

For my swap recipient, I made a small FG rainbow using some of my favorite scraps!

The swap was great fun and I'm very happy that I participated.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

One Monthly Goal April Linkup

Welcome to April!

New to One Monthly Goal?  Welcome!  To join, share a photo of your project plus, some words about what you want to accomplish in a blog post, an Instagram post (tutorial) or a post on Flickr and add that photo to the link-up.  Return at the end of the month and share your results.  (Results link-up opens for the last 7 days of the month.)

My goal for April is to complete at least half of the quilting on my Orange Slice quilt.   The quilt is basted and I've used a chalk pencil to mark some of the designs and the plan is to give each clamshell a different motif.  Read more about the quilt.

Now it is your turn to link up - what is your goal for this month?   The One Monthly Goal accomplishment linkup will be available on April 24.  Make sure you add a link to this OMG post so others can find the OMG link-up from your blog.  Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post:  

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal April Link-up

Take a few minutes to visit others and make new friends!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a wonderful day! Patty