Isle of Man calling.....

These blocks haven't see the light of day since last Christmas. I was fed up with hexies and needed another hand sewing job.  I need at least 100 for a quilt top.



There is no wadding in this quilt. The  10 1/4" backing squares are cut from a variety of fabrics that I had multiple yardages of and will coordinate in the finished top, after a fashion.   I draw diagonal lines on the wrong side of the backing and the 3 1/2" centre square so I can stick a pin through and line them up properly.

This project evolved as a way  to use up ugly greens and clothing-I have got to the stage where I can't throw things out at all, they have to be re-purposed.   The strips are all 2", not cut to length before I start.   The cream strips have duvet covers, pillow cases, accumulated charity shop shirts, my shirts, my mums, colleagues and some cotton quilting fabrics too.  I'm not fussy about using all cottons in this, as its meant to be a utility quilt.  The centre squares I'm using at the moment come from a top I picked up in a 50p bin at a charity shop-the red square is meant to represent the 'fire' in the cabin and this fabric is flame-like!

It is pieced around the centre in the same way as a traditional log cabin, the diagonal lines on the backing help you keep things straight. Once a strip is sewn down, using thread that blends with the backing (you don't see stitching on the front), fold it towards the edge, 1/3 on the bottom, 2/3 of the strip on top, giving a 2/3" overlap.  When I get to the last round, I tack down the last fold.  The backing is about 1/8 to 1/4" larger than the front. Traditionally this is all done by hand, however, I will probably sew the backing together on the machine, then fold and tack the top joints and sew them down with a decorative machine stitch.

The sewing part is really quick, its the lining up and folding for accuracy that takes the time-whilst I'm watching TV, each block takes about 2 1/2 hours.

Additional info here:

 http://needlemenow.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/new-handwork-in-february.html

Acquisitions

A new charity shop has opened with an 'antique' theme.  Some lovely dresses from the 70s, wish they fitted me!  

They had a 50p rummage bin in an old suitcase-even the display items are themed-and I found this to cut shiny red centres for my Isle of Man log cabin, which is mixed fabrics and ugly greens.

This will be perfect.

A couple of weeks ago I went into another new charity shop and found neutral cotton curtains and bedding, I bought the equivalent of 20 metres of fabric for only £15.  Some for log cabin strips and lots for good quality backing.

Love a bargain! 

 All washed and ready to go.

As of today, I have still only bought 1 metre of 'new' fabric this year.  I am doing very well, considering the enormity of my habit!

Sewing this week has been hand quilting 'kiss in the corner', I have actually reached an edge of this double now.  Probably have the same amount still to quilt as I have already done but that psychological barrier had been crossed! Yay!  I really bit off more than I could comfortably chew for a first hand quilting attempt, a double with lots of different shapes means a lot of hoop wrestling on my lap.  Now I know why so much of the traditional hand quilting was simple lines and patterns.

The next one I will do is a hand pieced hexie top in baptist fan pattern, to stabilise the hand sewn hexie joins.  Only one sewing direction too and wool wadding, so it should be easier. It will be done on the quilting frame a friend made me for Christmas.

This weeks Kindle read is

Really enjoying this.

Early bird lazy Sunday

Annoyingly, I was awake at 5.30 am this morning. By 6am I had a pint mug of tea and I was set up for some hand sewing in bed whilst watching Bonnie's now pre recorded QUILTCAM, also available on Youtube. 

All ready to go by 6am on the dot.  The feed was so much better than before. I now feel I have really indulged myself and its not even 8am yet. 

I didn't get a great deal done, but never mind.  

I think I will make the Isle of Man handpieced log cabin my quiltcam project. 

I drew diagonals on the backing fabric and I love the way you can correct and little inconsistencies by lining the folds up with these diagonal lines. The actual sewing part is really quick, it's the folding and lining up that takes a bit of time. I match the sewing thread to the backing so slight 'variations' in my stitch length aren't so visible on the back!

Blue

This week, back to work, no endless days of sewing (:~{

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I  did some cutting in the evenings: 9 3/4" squares for the tile log cabin backing.  These are from the 'big piece' stash, some old cotton curtains (the paisley and the blue), some misfits and some from the 'very big piece stash'.  The colours blend better in real life than in the photo: it's a good 'use it up' project.

I cut a few extra green and cream 2" strips while I was in the mood, I should have enough for the whole project now. It's going into storage for the time being.  Other things need to take priority.

The parcel of texture fabrics (cotton drill, fleece, soft lining material) arrived for the tactile quilts so this weekend I'm washing and ironing.

I went Charity shopping for backing at the end of the year and found 3 quilt covers in good condition. The Mickey Mouse is cotton and perfect!   The stripey one is a double, yards of fabric there.  I will be using the cream one myself for tile log cabin squares and strips.

This weeks work will be on the 'moth in the window' and cutting for tactile quilts as well as the hand quilting.   I have to get Moth done for the end of the month and at least one tactile for early February.




No time to join the  blog Linky party for 12 finishes this year, I won't be sewing if I'm messing about with the computer.....hm......

Reading this week is escapism, part three of the Xeelee anthology.  Amazing set of eleven linked books. Definitely in my top five favorite authors.

Christmas TV project

These are the 10 blocks I completed over Christmas for the Tile log cabin. Half the blocks are white dominant, half green. I have cut up some more ugly greens and have some cream/white strips to do from poly-cotton shirts (use it up!), then it's going away for a few weeks.  It's quite relaxing to do this, as if you're not overly fussy about even stitching on the back (match the thread to the backing as it doesn't show at all on the front) all you need to do is ensure the folds line up with the diagonal lines drawn on the backing and assuming that the cutting is accurate, it works out fine. I have pretty much thrown everything in: as long as I use a strong pattern layout it will work. 

Dominance

Tile log cabin blocks: one light, one dark dominant. I think I'm going with the dark dominant, to use up more of the murk green uglies.

 Spiral stitching on the back........

I couldn't resist

It will only take a couple of hours........

9 1/2" background square  and a pre-cut 3 1/2" square, wrong sides together and centred.

A rummage in the 2" strip bin......and a bit of hand stitching....I have pulled out browns for the backing squares, from tan to dark brown

with some judicious folding...

Each strip is folded so the first third matches the 2nd third, leaving the last third to be sewn down on the next round. It's stitched in a spiral, through all thicknesses.  I used thread that matched the back so you can't see the stitches-it's difficult to get them even as you stitch through three thicknesses, five layers on the corners.

The finished block, using up some uglies.  These blocks will be mixed fabrics, using up some poly-cotton light coloured shirts that I had donated from a colleague.  I'll slip a few other fabrics in there too, I have some silk and lining and curtain fabric to use up. 

There are three green shirting strips in here. I'll also get to use up that hideous bear paw print fabric (the picture was misleading, I bought 3 bargain metres!!). It looks like cut off paws, not prints!

The backing is a smidgen too small for comfort for when the blocks are joined, so I have cut the next four at 9 3/4"-another dodgy buy, the pattern was much bigger than I thought it would be!

I worked out the finished quilt will weigh about 5 1/2 lb, not as much as I thought. 

One more block, then its going away!

Ah! A use for the non-cotton clothing items that I currently throw out!

Oh, ANOTHER long term WIP!

I have just watched an episode from season 10 on The Quilt show, where Pepper Cory demonstrates an early log cabin technique from the Isle of Man in the UK, called locally a 'tile' log cabin.   I  don't like throwing out poly-cottons, or other fabrics when the clothing has passed it's best so here is what I'll be using them for!





I found machine instructions on the ludlowquiltandsew.blogspot.co.uk.   

I think I will be using Pepper's hand technique as its portable and I like the idea of traditional handwork.   There is some more information on her blog.   Now to beg for castoffs on Facebook.......

Good job there's no one to say stop!