W's Wedding Ring Rough Draft Block

I decided that to make quilt work as a queen/king, I have to increase the size of the blocks to 15" finished. This allows the design integrity to be maintained. I didn't like how it turned out when modeling it at actually size versus just the design presented.

I am excited about this quilt. I think I will do a lot with the quilting on this, to truely personallize their quilt. I know its kind of hard, but I think I would like to quilt in their names, date, location, and blessings/prayers for the start of a new life. I am thinking of using the motif's from their invites or save the date cards for the quilt label. G. is a graphic designer and is creating their wedding identity which is extremely cool, so I want to make sure that I acknowledge both of them in their wedding quilt. I don't want it only to be for W.

The only bummer is that the local quilt store (LQS) had a great sale last week where you could pick 15-20% of a group of fabrics, and W couldn't make it down to choose fabrics. Well I may wind up having to order the fabrics online - to let her choose without me having to be there.

I am excited but also a little hesitant, I make quilt tops quickly but am still a rather new quilter, especially on a machine. Thus I have only finished three quilts. None of which have been the size of this quilt.

I have another one that is basted and am hand quilting it, and another top with everything ready for me to make the sandwich I just have been focused on other projects.

Quilting on a quilt along

I am quilting along with Oh, Franson to make her very cool mod sampler. I wanted to make a rainbow quilt, but wound up working with my fabric stash to make a red and orange quilt. I have finally finished all the blocks and was ready to sash, when my mother decided to interject. Apparently my sense of style is quite questionable and the fabric I chose for the sashing is not right. Okay, so after that wonderfully affirming discussion I have agreed to wait until I find something that works a little better or am sufficiently far from home that she can't throw a fit.

Latin Quilts

I was thinking today about quilting histories and the ties they provide to your family and culture. Further, I was looking at quilting books online, and dreaming. I have quite an impressive Amazon wish list. When it struck me, that the quilt subculture of Latin America, and specifically that of Latinos in the the US is not addressed. I think it would be extremely interesting to examine quilting motifs, color palates, patterns and themes within these quilts. More so, it would be fascinating to chart the interplay between the differing Hispanic/Latin cultures when illuminating these quilt cultures. I would love to really examine what is being said about each culture and history.

I guess it just really struck me as I was thinking about my family and quilting. Like, I shared I learned how to quilt from my mother in girl scouts, but there was not reinforcement of this quilting. Resulting in me being a periodic quilter until college. I was comparing, in my thoughts, my quilting experience with that of a close friend of mine, H. H is a serious quilter who grew up quilting with her mother, and grandmother. They are extremely involved in guild and local quilting groups through their church. I was just thinking about how that history has to translate to quilting choices in color, pattern, theme or quilting motifs.

It got me thinking about what was available for me to reflect my family and history in my quilting. As I know that my mother's family quilted as she shared stories about her Grandmother quilting and has one of her quilts. I also have some of my Grandma's quilting books and design sheets from when she quilted on my dad's. My dad comes from prairie farm stock, so you know they quilted. While, my mom's family quilted, my mother was sent away to school in the city when she was quite young (her family lived in the interior - extremely rural) so she never quite gained that sense of quilt culture and history through osmosis while making quilts.

I guess it really is that I am craving that sense of connection with my background and history that is resulting in these questions. I would like to see some of the history of Latin American quilting and where it stands today. I think it would be extremely interesting to see what is happening in the more urban environments that Latinos are living in today, how they affect the quilting to see if we can see the influences of urban architecture, life, and especially graffiti would be fascinating. I really would love to see what some graffiti artists could do when quilting.

Oh well, these are just my thoughts and well I think it would be cool to see.

Dog Toys - Braided rope pull

I liked this simple homemade dog toy, a braided rope pull.

I wonder into the local fabric store and buy some remnant fabric - usually flannel, I like the way it feels. Take it home and cut/rip into 1"-2" strips, what ever I feel like and works with the fabric, making sure that the strips are in multiples of three.

I take three strips, placed on top of each other and sew across the top, making sure that the seam is very sturdy by going across multiple times. If you are in a hurry or just don't want to get the sewing machine out, you can alternatively make a strong knot across the top of all three strips.

Then I start braiding, when it gets too long to hold comfortably, I tie the already braided pieces around the table leg or a chain back something sturdy that I can pull against. Well, or ask my crafting partner to hold it taught for me.

When I near the end of the fabric strips, there are several ways to join: you can miter the edges like you would for binding; you can knot the edges of the strips together; sew the edges together; or cut a slit in each of the strips and pull the second strip through the first - see V & Co 's Braided Rag Rug tutorial at Moda Bake shop.

However, you choose to join the strips, the braid is worked on until you achieve the length you want or think is most managable to play with your do. Then knot the end of the braid and sew across the remaining strip. Add knots along the length of the braid, where ever you want. These knots provide holds for your dog to chew/pull from.

Beware though, if your dog really likes this toy, then be cautious when making it as otherwise he/she may help themselves to the toy while you are still working on it.

Enjoy!