Wash vs No Wash...

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Repair

 

I spent Saturday tying up loose ends with my quilt show entries. Just when I thought I had everything under control...

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Repair

 

I'm always been of the "Do Not Prewash Fabric" school, until now. This hasn't happened to me before, but I'm sure not going to put myself in the position for it to happen again.

 

See those two sections in the photo? The red batik bled when I took my steam iron to it. It bled onto my white fabric, and try as I might, I couldn't get it out. Peroxide, Oxyclean, Dawn soap, alcohol - not all at once - but still, nothing budged it.

 

At 7 pm Saturday night, I decided to put on my big girl panties, suck it up and replace those two pieces. I carefully cut them out, and then measured new pieces to replace them.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Repair

In this picture, I've already placed the new pieces back into the quilt. Next it was time to break out my silk thread, applique' needles and my made applique' stitching skills. This was going to require my most accurate, teeny, tiny stitches to make it disappear into the block. I didn't want the repair to be visible at all...especially to the quilt judge who will give it the eagle eye today!

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Repair Accomplished

It's all finished here, and I think the only reason I can see the repair (other than I placed it front and center in this image) is because it's more pressed than the rest of the quilt. I ironed the whole quilt again, but this time I used a dry iron!

Brynwood Needleworks -Birds In The Pineapples Quilt Label

 

I made the label (with a border of the same backing fabric) and sewed that onto the back of the quilt. Of course, I immediately had to cover it with muslin because all show entries are judged anonymously.

I'm sure that, by now, you're no longer confused by my post title. Fact of the matter is, that from now on, I'm going to prewash those gorgeous reds (and blacks)...especially if they're batiks. I've learned my lesson on this project. I managed to save it, but I don't want to be in the position to have this issue ever again!!

Whenever I'm not sure about the colorfastness of a fabric again, I'm gonna wash that sucker fabric until the extra dye is gone...gone...gone!!! Oh, and I'm going to start working on show projects (for the next show in 2018) this year. I'm not going to be sewing on anything at 11 pm the night before turn-in day ever again. (I hope.)

Quilt Show Week has officially begun! Today is judging day for our guild's quilt entries. Judge Mary Zeisiger is returning to critique our pieces. I'll be working as a scribe, taking down everything she says onto the judging forms. There are usually two scribes taking notes for each piece. I signed up to scribe all day, and we usually get the judging finished in eight hours.

Tag will drop by with his witty repartee tomorrow. Like me, he's always got something on his mind, and he's also happy to share. I'll just have to check his work before he posts. He's always prone to TMI. lol

Thinking Ahead...

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Embroidery

As I work to complete my quilt top, I've been thinking about how I'm going to finish it. Trying to stay ahead of myself can be a little paralyzing. I get sidetracked, but in this case, I believe it's necessary. I'll explain.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Embroidery

In order to know how wide to make my borders, and which colors to choose to get to the finished size I want, I need to think ahead to how I'm going to quilt it.

I originally planned to put it on my friend, Jamie's longarm and do the finishing myself. I got stuck considering which quilting design(s) I'd use, and started thinking myself in circles again.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Embroidery

When I woke up yesterday morning, I'd apparently been problem solving in my sleep. I went through my embroidery designs (for Destiny) and found exactly what I want to use!

I have a series of designs used to quilt layered fabric, and found a pineapple pattern that will work perfectly! I stitched it out on a sample block just to be sure. Yup. This is exactly what I want!

I also found coordinating corners and borders in the same series, so I worked back from there to determine the size and number of borders I still need to add to my quilt top.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Embroidery

 

The first border is attached, so today I'll add the rest. I don't want a pieced back, so I'm going to get a batik in wide backing fabric. I heard the shop in Punta Gorda likely has what I need, so I'll get down there this morning.

 

Destiny and I have a quilting date as soon as this top is done.

 

Racing Toward Another Deadline...

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Blocks

I set this aside for too long as I tackled other projects. Now, it's time to get back to them. When I have the number of blocks I need - forty eight, or when I run out of block fabrics - I'll assemble  them into a quilt.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Blocks

I'm shooting for a finished size of 60" x 80", including borders. For these 10" finished blocks, that means I need six across by eight down...forty eight blocks. I already have nineteen finished. I have a few to go. (winking - or is that nervous twitching?)

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Blocks

 

I really don't think the fabric will last long enough to make forty eight blocks, but I'll keep making them and see where I end up.  I can always beef it up with a coordinating border or two to get to my target size.

Did I tell you that this will be an entry in our February quilt show? Are you laughing? It's okay. I am, too. I have one or two other projects to finish by then. Well, pull up a chair and hang on. It's going to be an exciting ride to see if I can get these finished in time.

PS. Today Mom would have been 88 years old. I miss you more than words can say. Happy Birthday in Heaven, Mom. xo

Brynwood Class Pineapple Show & Tell...

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Class Projects

There's nothing quite as gratifying as teaching a technique and then watching your students run with it. Such was the case for me last night.

Last night was our monthly guild meeting for Disconnected Piecers Quilt Guild, and we always have a Show & Tell time. Prior to all the members with projects standing up to show their accomplishments, we asked all the gals who finished a project from the Pineapple Block class I taught to stand as a group.

(This photograph: l-r: Karen W., Linda S., Lauralye, Kathy W., Nora B., Marti C., and Barb C.)

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Class Projects

I was so pleasantly surprised! They showed table runners - long and short - and Jamie has a quilt assembled! How much fun is that? (I can tell you from my perspective, a LOT!) Karen forgot to bring hers, so she stood in front, holding up a picture of hers on her cell phone. So cute!

 

They all did lovely jobs and said they're addicted to making the blocks. I can certainly understand that. So am I.

 

(This photograph: l-r: Nora B., Marti C., Barb C., Percy A., Jamie S.)

I'm heading to my aunt's in St. Cloud today. I'm staying with her so I'm only about a half hour away to go to Orlando on Thursday morning. She welcomed me with open arms when I suggested coming up for a visit the night before. I haven't seen her since my grandmother's (her mom's) 97th Birthday...five years ago. (Grandma passed in March, 2011.) 

 

We're both looking forward to the visit. I'll share more on my trip tomorrow.

The Importance Of Consistency...

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Table Runner

You know I've been working on blocks for a bed quilt using these pineapple blocks for some time. (I'm calling it "Birds In The Pineapples" because the white on white design has birds in it.)

In fact, I made the models for my class in these blocks, thinking that I'd have eight more blocks toward my quilt goal. There was only one thing I hadn't considered.

All the previous blocks were sewn on Miss Ellie or Destiny. I had checked the needle placement on both machines prior to making the blocks when I switched from one machine to another, and all the segments sized out just fine.

Brynwood Needleworks - Janome 6500P Sewing Machine

Miss Sophie (my little Babylock) recently moved to a new home. I never used her embroidery capabilities, so I wasn't using her to her full potential. One of my friends does a lot of machine embroidery and was interested in my Sophie.

She and I sat next to each other with our respective machines at our last guild sew-in and were talking machines. Coincidentally, she had been thinking about selling her Janome 6500. It's the machine I had - and sold - when I purchased my first Babylock, and I still missed that machine. After further conversation, we worked out a trade. It was a win/win for both of us.

I tell you this because I took my "new" Janome to class last Saturday in case I needed to use it for a demonstration. She sat there at the ready until my students made their second blocks. I added a few rounds to some of the partially-made blocks, but didn't work on them again until I got back home.

Brynwood Needleworks - Pineapple Table Runner

The result was that I got home, planning to finish all the block sections I had used for class models. Once finished, I could add them to the stack for the quilt. I finished those partial blocks on my Destiny the next day.

When I went to add them to the stack, the blocks sewn on my Janome/Destiny combo did not match the blocks sewn completely on the Babylocks. The white segments were larger by about a 1/2" than the same segment on the other blocks. Four of them, to be exact.

This is a timely reminder of the importance of consistency. I'll be remembering to double check for exact 1/4" sewing from one machine to another from now on. (Or just sew them completely on a single machine in the future.)

As a result, I took those four blocks and made another table runner! I finished piecing the top on Monday afternoon, so all I have left to do is quilt and bind it. When it's finished, I'll be listing it for sale in my Etsy shop. I'll add it later this week along with the blue/yellow one I previously made as a class model.

Brynwood Needleworks Class Project - Karen's Pineapple Table Runner

I received an email from one of my students, too. Karen already finished her class project and wanted me to see it. Isn't it pretty? She has already quilted and bound it. Bravo, Karen! I think you learned this lesson well.

By the way - My Janome 6500P doesn't have a name yet. Any ideas?

Class Prep...

Brynwood Needleworks - Prepping For Pineapples

I'm teaching a class on Saturday to members of our guild, and I'm really looking forward to it. There are sixteen or seventeen ladies signed up, so I want to make sure that they have a fun experience as they learn to make Pineapple blocks with the Creative Grids™ Pineapple Trim Tool.

Brynwood Needleworks - Class Preparation

I'm a great believer in the power of visual learning, so I've been busy preparing the different stages involved in creating a single block. That way, I can show them how the tool is used as they build their individual blocks.

Brynwood Needleworks-"Birds In The Pineapples" blocks (Not sewn together yet)

I still have a few to go to finish up the class models, but I'll get them done today. The great thing is that, after the class, I'll be able to complete all the steps on each one to make more blocks for the "Birds In The Pineapples" quilt I'm making! 

My students will learn to make their Pineapple blocks, and I'll be that much closer to finishing my quilt. Win, Win, right?

Preparing For A Pineapple Class...

I've been asked by Joan, who chairs our guild education committee, to teach a class to offer to our guild members in August. Last meeting night, I took the pineapple blocks I've been working on (HERE) and made a proposal to teach a class using the Creative Grids™ Pineapple Trim Tool.

Not only was she enthused about it, six guild members signed up on the spot! I'll find out tonight at our Board Meeting what my class size will be, but I'm thinking it will be fifteen or so.

I've decided to make this same Bali™ batik fabric and colorway for the class project that I used in my niece's Birthday gift (HERE). The only thing I'm still trying to decide is which border fabric to use. I've got the dark fabric on the left and the lighter blue on the right. 

 

I'm making the entire table runner again so that I can fine tune my class plan and calculate fabric requirements for the project. I'll be handing over the supply list to Joan tonight and then completing the quilting for the runner. Once I finish that, I'll write my teaching outline and pattern for the class.

I'll also probably make one more runner in the bright colors like the queen size quilt I've been working on so my students can get an idea of it in another colorway. If I do, I'll have it finished in time for our guild meeting so my students will see the class models. It can give them an idea of what they might like to choose to make their own. 

 

I'm honored that I was asked to teach a class...but I'm really excited to share this class and technique with my guild girlfriends.

Birds In The Pineapples...

"All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy."

(Or "Donna a dull girl", in this case.)
I can't be expected to spend all my time packing and cleaning, right?

I'm sooo glad you agree.

I saw this image on FB (I think it was a link from "24 Quilts"), and fell in love. The block pattern is called "Pineapple". Perfect for a Florida quilt!

I think the quilt in the picture was created with Kaffe Fassett fabrics, but I don't have a large enough assortment of those fabrics (yet). However, I do have a lot of batiks, so I went shopping in my inventory and found just the colors I wanted to use for my own Pineapple quilt.

Rather than make opposing, matching sides (as in the photo), I alternated the two colorways throughout each block. I used an orange, leaf print fabric in the center and then chose a different batik fabric for the corners that had a few others colors in it.

I made one block on Monday night, and then made three more yesterday, during the day. Handsome really likes this one. He said, "This is going to be a colorful rascal! How big is it going to be?" I think I'll make it queen-size, which means I have a few more blocks to make.

I just placed these four completed blocks next to each other to show the layout I'll use when I'm ready to assemble them into a quilt top. Yes. I really think I'm going to love "Birds in the Pineapples", which is what I'm going to call this one.

You're wondering how I came up with the name? The white fabric is actually a tone-on-tone white. See the subtle pattern? Hence, "Birds In The Pineapples"! 

 

By the way, I wrote a post a while back about the ruler I use that makes these blocks a cinch. Click HERE to read all about it. (And this is the post I wrote about my first, finished Pineapple block project.)

I'm also knitting on my blue shawl at night after dinner. My plan is to sew a couple of blocks each day, along with the packing and cleaning, and then knit in the evening. Covering all the bases, and feeding my creative imperative at the same time. Genius, right?

Pineapples For The Birthday Girl...

You've seen these before. Now, I've created a Birthday gift with them!

I had six finished pineapple blocks and decided that four should become a table

runner for someone special. I completed the runner last night and will mail it today.

I decided against sashing, and chose blue border fabric to bring out the yellow.
The blocks are Pineapple blocks, so I'm glad I chose the yellow to reinforce
the design of the block. (Did I tell you that pineapple fruit has been a favorite
since I was a child? Yup. I know I'll do this block again for something for me!)

 This is the runner before quilting and binding, and...

Here's the finished table runner!
 Beautiful blue Bali™ batiks and little Florida sunshine accents.
(The back is the same yellow fabric with one blue fabric strip.)
A gift of love from me to the Birthday girl.

I Love Pineapples...

 I love the fruit and the quilt blocks!

 It all began when I learned about this great Creative Grids™ Pineapple 

Trim Tool from my friend, Pam at Crazy Quilters. She kept posting 

blocks on her FaceBook page and saying how easy it was to create the 

blocks using it. I purchased my own tool and set it aside until last night.

When I saw Pam yesterday, she gave me a quickie lesson in its use and

I couldn't wait to try it myself as soon as I got back home from the shop.

Once in the studio, I decided to use some of the batik "Bali Pops" from

my stash. I chose an assortment of blues from Hoffman and then picked 

an appropriate pineapple-yellow batik as the focus fabric. I was anxious to

create my first block, so I started sewing while Handsome was at rehearsal.

This block was my very first effort and there will be many to follow.

Each block will feature a light batik and various blue batiks from the

same Bali Pop assortment, but all of them will feature the same 

cheerful yellow. This tool really helps create a block that looks much

more difficult than it really is. I'll have to thank Pam next time I see her!

 I'll be playing in the studio today if anyone is looking for me.