Kristin Shields Quiltmaker

Stitching a Raven

My Night Circus quilt is coming right along (previously blogged here).  I have never had such an easy time with a book quilt.  I will have this done over 6 months ahead of time!  I think it's because I decided not to obsess about it and add a million details. It's actually pretty simple, and except for the hand applique, is all done by machine.  I am posting these photos to show my hand applique technique.  The raven is done with black silk.  It's a fairly substantial silk, so it's pretty stable, but it is slippery.  I didn't use any kind of stabilizer here.  Most of the time with cotton I don't bother with thread basting unless the pieces are unusually large.  The raven is large and also has those annoying points and is slippery.  

I draw the design out onto freezer paper.  Then iron the freezer paper to the applique fabric right side up.  I draw around the pattern on the fabric with a Sewline pencil (my favorite for white and black lines).  I cut out the applique (adding a scant 1/4" for the seam allowance) and remove the freezer paper.  The applique is laid on the quilt top in place and pinned in a few places. I then thread baste about 1/2" in from the line that I drew.  I use a blind applique stitch with lightweight thread and clip corners as I go. I use a combination of hand and needle turning. and usually just do a bit at a time.  I like to turn a few inches or a small section and pin in place, then stitch.  

I spent the weekend working on the raven and was so happy when it was done.  I also remembered that I needed some tent flags, so I did those.  I got the quilt layers basted on Sunday night and started machine quilting yesterday.  

Yesterday I started with the big tent, then did the background around it.  I followed up with the smaller tents this morning and just did the raven.  One thing I hate is marking.  I don't mark when I hand quilt and I sure don't want to mark when I'm machine quilting.  I think there would be no way I could stick to the line and the thought of having to later remove the lines gives me the willies!  So, with the raven I did one section at a time, deciding how I wanted the long wing feathers to look, then deciding what to do with the top part of the wing, etc.

I am so pleased with how it came out!  Do I sound surprised?  I am, I really, really am.  For many years I struggled to machine quilt and thought that I'd never be pleased with my own effort, but I think I've improved a lot in the past few years.

In other news,tomorrow night, Wednesday, January 28, I will be doing the program at the Sisters quilt guild (aka East of the Cascades Quilters).  It takes place at the Stitchin' Post in the classroom at 6:30 pm.  I will be doing a Trunk Show (aka glorified show and tell) with some of the quilts from the last few years.  I'll also have my newest pieces, including this one!  Hope to see some locals there.

Studio buddies

A Fresh Start

 

Here's to a fresh start in 2015!  I've got a clean studio, some inspiration and a stack of fabric.  Let's see what becomes of it.  What's up in your studio?

15 Handles

When I pulled some old UFO's for the guild retreat a few weeks ago, 15 Handles got taken, but not worked on.  When I got home I decided to get down to it and finish the thing!  This required making many many string sets.  In fact, I sewed for days and days and really got tired of the whole thing.  I made so many string sets, I had enough to make 5 columns of strings for the backing and still have a ton left over.  The problem was that I kept changing my mind about what colors should be in the mix.  I started with just blues and greens, but by the end, I had added purples, reds and pinks too, just to jazz it up.  I also kept finding old scraps to use!  Sometimes it feels like I'm drowning in scraps and just need to use them up before I can move on.  So I sewed and cut and cut and sewed until I had strings to reach from here to California.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.  Take a gander at the baskets as they were to begin with.

Scrappy baskets, one with a handle missing because I forgot it. Hence, the 15 Handles.  Oh, and that's a nice picture Ryan made for me adding to the general ambiance of the studio.  (It's a Green Tree Python!)

I debated on whether I should just add the string border or put in a narrow inner border.  The blue narrow border won out.

After what seems like forever, the top is done and so is the back which I forgot to get a photo of.  It has 5 columns of strings.  I still have a huge stack of strings.  Enough to make another quilt for Community Quilts when I get some free time.  This one will be quilted by a guild friend of mine.  The thought of pushing this thing through my machine gives me the willies!  I have already moved onto some other projects. More about them this week!

Blue and Orange

Blue and orange seem to be taking over the studio.  I was just standing in my studio, looking at my table and realized that this is quite a coincidence.

First there was the liberated cat quilt that I got out and started making more blocks for over the weekend.  

Then there were the piles of fabric I just pulled for a liberated star quilt for Ryan.  You see, his graduation is coming up and I just realized that he'd be due a quilt!  Hurray, another quilt to add to the growing list.  Fortunately, I know I will love to make this one and I think it will do double duty and be in the show this July too.

For the past two days I've been obsessed with trying to make a plan for my next Novel Idea piece.  This year the book that has been chosen is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.  If you haven't read it, you must!  It is a marvelous book, universally liked by everyone I've talked to and very quilt friendly.  After two days of poring over books, illustrations and re-reading passages in the book, I've chosen a simple folk arty design with a fox, some trees, and a hand dyed moon.  Nearly all the fabrics are ones that I hand dyed and they also include several vintage linens, including the marvelous background piece with the attached lace.  I'm looking forward to this one!

So, I guess I'm all about the blue and orange.  I just looked back at some older posts and realized this is not a first for me.  Both of my quilts in the Sisters Quilt Show flyer are blue and orange and that January AAQI quilt, Dandy Lion, is blue and orange.  Hmmmmm..  Wonder what that says about me?

Freshening Up & Looking Ahead

Well, after a good two weeks of near total sloth, I am ready to start the new year!  I spent my holiday reading, drinking tea (and occasionally wine, beer and spirits too!), going to the movies, skiing (a little), enjoying a beautiful white Christmas, spinning, knitting and generally staying far from the studio and my computer.  It was really nice to take time away.  

Now, I have lots of new plans and projects, new ideas and a fresh perspective.  That all starts with a new look to the blog.  Below are some glimpses of new projects in the works.

A little something for the Inauguration.  Do I have time to finish it?

A project for the Modern Quilt Guild's 2013 challenge.

A brand new idea for the Novel Idea Quilt challenge for 2013, based on the book, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

Finally, the most amazing thing arrived in the mail- the brochure for the 2013 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.  Even though I knew it was coming, it was still a surprise to turn the page and see me there!  I've got a lot to do in the next 6 months and I'll be sharing the behind the scenes here as I go along.  Wow- what a year this will be!

Studio: April 2012

I decided yesterday it was high time to clean up the studio (just in case anyone comes knocking).  I also had an idea to create a space by the window where I could do hand work.  It means that the iron and board is put away and I'm sure that won't last forever, but I like this layout a lot.

I think I'm going to like this space, at least until the sun gets too intense.  I do have a shade in the window though, so we'll see.

I was also pleased last week to get the second design wall finally up!  Now, I hope I can really get to work.

Lots of stuff going on here.  The coyote piece is the next quilt for my book club, based on Love to Water My Soul by Jane Kirkpatrick.  

A day in the life of SHS

Yesterday was a great day here in Stitching Hands Studio. First of all, I finished the stitching on the Long Necked Beast (aka llama).  I still need to back and quilt it, but it's coming along.  

Second of all, I got out the quilt blocks I won last year in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show block contest and started work on getting them together.  It turned out I won 21 blocks, plus my own.  Twenty-two blocks isn't quite the right number so I decided to add 2 more blocks to make it a 6 x 4 arrangement.  They had sent me leftover fabric from the block packs so I had plenty to work with.  I also decided to choose the dark green for sashing.  It's actually a lovely two-toned green shot cotton. 

Isn't this a wonderful collection of blocks?  Mine is the third one down in the third column from the left.  The two I designed to make up the difference are the fourth and sixth down in the second column from the left.  I'm still stitching them.  The block arrangement might change before they get sewn together, but so far I'm happy with this.  This is after much rearrangement.  Once I get this all sewn together I'll go look for a good border fabric.  

That little stack of fabric tacked on the board at the right is the block pack for this year's block contest.  Wonder what will become of that?

Today I've been running errands, getting together the guild newsletter, packing, doing laundry, cleaning up. Tomorrow we are off on a little trip to the coast.  I'm sure we'll see rain, but I'm hoping the sun will make an appearance too.  I'll be happy for some time away to clear my head, ramble, take photos, and enjoy my family.  Have a great weekend!

Stitching Weekend

I'll be adding items to my shop over the next few days.  It's been a productive weekend.  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Thinking

Thinking and making plans regarding Tea is No Minor Beverage.  This photo is a little messy, not my usual composed photos.  I feel a little like this right now.  It's just been too busy lately and I need time to sew, but I seem to get only a few minutes during the day to execute my ideas.  I hope there will be more to show soon.

My Saturday

My big projects for today are this design wall and pinboard.  I used the tutorial here.  It's pretty easy to make, except that the staple gun is so hard on my hands.  I covered the design wall with Quilter's Dream batting and the pinboard with batting and then a cotton canvas I picked up the other day.  They'll get put on the wall when hubby gets home from his golf trip.  I also realized I have space behind my studio door for another design wall.  It may not get used as much, but there's not much else that I would put there, so I thought I might as well have a design wall there.

And here's my little water view.