May Block Reprise

I made this block a while back and I was never happy with the white bee fabric.  The scale was just plain wrong so I decided to do it again.  I did not want the bees chopped off.

I decided to use the same fabrics but use a bigger block.  I chose to use hexagons and here is the new May block. 

And now June is done as well...now on to July.  Only three more blocks to go. 

April OMG Making Progress

Here is the quilt top so far.  I need to applique the rock to the top.  It is just pinned in place at the moment and I need to add the cormorants.  I have yet to decide if I am going to embroider them or applique them.  I have to create a back, sandwich quilt and bind it.  I hope my nephew likes the result.  I really enjoyed working through the challenges so far.  Now to make a plan for the quilting. 

Accuquilt Quandrey

I am working on the rock quilt and I decided that I wanted to Accuquilt cut the pieces for the Storm at Sea pattern.  I did not want the diamond shape to be pieced in the middle so I thought I would just fold the fabric and not cut the middle.  Hmmm?  But then I realized that if I did not have the pieced middle my pieces would be off by 1/2 and inch.  This is getting way too complicated.  I guess I will have to accept the seam in the middle unless I want to hand cut the center.  Hmmmm.

February OMG Goal

This is a photo that my nephew gave me.  He has asked me to create a quilt based on this photo of Flag Rock which is near Plymouth MA.  The rock was painted with a swastika circa WWII.  Local residents painted an American Flag on top.  To this day when the paint wears off it is repainted.  My nephew has asked me to create a quilt based on this photo.  My February goal is to create the rock portion and applique it to a background.  My plan is to use Storm-at-Sea on point as the background behind the rock.  I hope he likes the result.  I have got the rock underway and I am scanning blue fabric into my computer because I want to grey scale it to help me select appropriate values of fabric to emulate horizontal motion across the quilt. He has asked me to have this quilt done by Easter.  I have given many quilts as gifts, but I feel like this is my first commissioned work.  It is easier when it is a gift.  Come join the fun at Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal!

Flag Rock

I have added some highlights and low lights to the rock.  Below is the photo.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.  

Ok side by side.

            

The fabric resembles the photo but a bit darker.  I think it a reasonable facsimile.  Maybe with a blue background and grey or blue tulle over the portrait work.  I hope Mike and his family like the stylized result.  I need to make the birds yet.  I am thinking I will use black batik for the cormorants.  The tight weave frays less.  I could actually sew in the tulle from left to right completely.  Another thought.  

Flag Rock Progress

I am making progress on the rock portion of the quilt.  I have been layering fabrics on a non-woven which reminds me of the Stretch and Sew material that I used to make clothing patterns back when everyone was making polyester double knit pant suits.  Once I get this layered up  I wonder where and how I can store it while I am working on the storm at sea background.  Hmmmmmm....  I have more to do on the rock so I will keep going.  Maybe I can roll it up somehow.  Maybe it can fit in the trunk in the next room.  I like how it is coming along.  I am also wondering how I will stitch it down. I think I may look for some tulle to use as a top layer to stop any fraying.  I have this dark gold tulle that I have used on my hedgehog quilt and other portrait quilts but maybe silver or gray would be better for the rock.  I wonder if Ben Franklin has any.

Try Try Again

 For my nephew's commissioned quilt I was concerned about how to make the stars of the flag.  I decided that appliqueing them was not going to work and decided to embroider them.  I practiced various satin stitching with different threads and decided to use  Superior Thread Sew Sassy #3301 (Snow Cap).

 But then "Houston we've had a problem here".  The red fabric stained the stars red.  I was using a dry iron to paper piece the stripes.  I was very surprised that this happened.  This is why people prewash their fabric.

  

 I thought it would just come out in the wash.  I washed it with Tide.  Then I washed it with Tide and Clorox and then I tried some solid bleach followed by soaking it over night in OxiClean.  Nothing worked.  Some of the stars are still quite red.

I will spend today stitching stars on blue fabric.  I think my red fabric is well prewashed at this point. Hopefully I will not have to redo them.