June OMG: Kaffe Fassett Jelly Roll

I didn't blog my May "finish", but my goal had been to finish the top and send it out for longarm quilting. I did that... but won't have the quilt back until the end of July. 

I decided to take it to Quilting Mayhem in Snohomish, Washington -- local quilty folks recommended it. So I made an appointment and met with the quilter and it was great. She asked lots of questions, helped me choose my pattern and thread, and made me feel like I had made the right decision. 

Of course, walking in to Quilting Mayhem was overwhelming -- it's a HUGE store. So, umm... okay, I bought MORE FABRIC. I also heard that Kaffe Fassett would be in town in October with classes and a lecture. 

I'm a fan of Kaffe's work, and have always wanted to stitch one of his patterns in needlepoint, or even to make one of his quilts. So I've done two things: 

1. Ordered a needlepoint kit that I have longed for for DECADES. Though I won't finish it before the lecture in October, it will look great on my couch when I do. 
2. Purchased a jelly roll in a bright colorway to make a simple quilt. A SMALL, lap quilt, mind you. 

So my One Monthly Goal for June is to organize my fabrics and make a plan for these beautiful pieces. A stretch goal is to start stitching the top! 

Longtime readers may be shaking their heads, thinking, "Didn't you say that Traffic on Safari would be the last quilt you ever made?" Well, it is the last BIG quilt I will ever make. But a lap quilt? That's pretty fun. And my longer-term goal is to have it finished so I can bring it to the lecture. Or at least think about bringing it to the lecture...

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see all the monthly projects on the June Link-up Page. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal June Link-up

May OMG - Traffic on Safari

I've been working on my first large quilt -- queen-sized! -- in years. 

So far -- with the encouragement of One Monthly Goal -- I have stitched most of the top, and I am THRILLED by it.

In May my goal is to finish the top (which is close, I just need to trim it up and sew on the top and bottom sashing) and... and this is the "hard" part... arrange to have it quilted by a longarm machine. 

I'm absurdly anxious about finding a longarm quilter. Not the cost (though I know it's expensive), but finding the "right" person, doing the "right" things feels daunting. That's why I'm setting this as my goal, to keep myself accountable. Any tips from the quilters in the house?

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see all the monthly projects on the May Link-up Page. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal May Link-up

April OMG - Traffic on Safari Top Almost Finished

In April my OMG was to take all the blocks I stitched in March (which felt like a HUGE accomplishment!) and stitch the top together. I started the month here:

I know I'm coming in just under the wire, but I'm happy to report that the top is almost done -- I've stitched most of the columns and sashing together, but still need to even out the top and bottom and then sew the final sashing pieces on. 

It's a queen-sized quilt, so I had to ask my husband to hold it for a picture: 

I'm really really pleased with how it's coming together! 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did in their April projects on the Finish Party page! Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in May. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - April Finish Link-up

April OMG - Traffic on Safari Top

In 2017 I spent a month in Africa, where I climbed Kilimanjaro, went on safari in Kenya, and had a 'vacation from my vacation' in Zanzibar. Having been lucky enough to see lions and zebras and giraffes and elephants and antelopes in the wild, I really fell in love with this fabric collection. Combining it with a pattern called Traffic made me giggle, because we did have some traffic in Kenya. 

Okay, that's a line of our vans waiting to negotiate a steep little gully. 

Sometimes we even had to stop at a zebra crossing... (this is less amusing to my American friends)

We were lucky, we never had one of those horrible "scrums" with dozens of vans penning the animals in so their passengers could take a look. Our drivers kept us spaced apart and let the animals come to us. 

But back to the quilting! 

In March my OMG was really just to get organized, but I ended up cutting the strips and stitching up the blocks. 

April is a busier month for me, so my OMG is to lay out all the blocks, plan the top, and stitch it together. I think I'll struggle with finding the "perfect" or "right" layout, balancing the various colors to create a harmonious look. I often find "improv" challenging -- I like a pattern and symmetry and repetition are my default. So I'm going to really try to stretch myself. We shall see!

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room; you can see all the monthly projects on the April Link-up Page.

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal April Link-up

March OMG: Traffic on Safari Progress!

In March my OMG was to just get organized ... to pick up a project that I couldn't call a UFO because, well, I had never started it! I really just wanted to look at the pattern, look at all the fabric I had bought, and figure out what all the pieces were for. 

Here's where I started the month:

Having my kitchen table back as a workspace meant I was able to spread out, get organized, cut strips, and even start stitching strips. In fact, I am thrilled to report that all my blocks are actually cut!

It will come as no surprise that my OMG for next month will be to lay out the blocks... but I'll save that for another day. I'm really happy to have some some quilting during National Quilt Month! (Which, I know for a lot of OMGers, is every month...)

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did in their March projects on the Finish Party page! Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in April. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - March Finish Link-up

March OMG: Traffic on Safari

In January 2020, while traveling for a 5K, I stopped in at a local quilt shop. I don't let myself do that all that often as I could spend the rest of my life quilting and probably not get through the fabric in my stash. But I thought I would go in, pick up a fat quarter or two, and head out. 

An hour later I walked out with fabric for a queen-size quilt. 

I fell in love with Moda Fabrics "Safari Life" fabric collection -- now difficult to find online. The lions and giraffes make me smile and reminded me of our time in Africa. So I bought two jelly roll packs and some other fabric to make up the 51 strips I needed, plus more dark fabric for contrast, and a bunch of green fabric that I thought would look great instead of the white background. 

And then? Then it went into the basement. 

When I transitioned to full-time work from home I took over the kitchen table as my desk. For several months, I never even put away my desk at weekends -- so I lost the space I would normally use for crafting. 

Weirdly, it took getting laid off in December and starting a new, permanently remote job in February for me to carve out an office space in my basement. As a result, I now can work on crafts at my kitchen table again! 

My OMG for February is to look at all the strips and fabric and figure out just what I wanted to do where. There are a couple of extra pieces that I purchased that I don't remember why. Then I'll cut out the narrow background strips, the background sashing, and even the binding strips, as well as the strips from the larger cuts. If I get really crazy, I'll stitch the background/dark contrast strip sets and maybe even the colorful strip sets. I mean, it is National Quilt Month and all that. 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room; you can see all the monthly projects on the March Link-up Page.

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal March Link-up

February OMG: Tablet Weaving Success!

In February my OMG was to warp my loom for my first tablet weaving project. The first step was easy: selecting a pattern and counting the number of lengths of each color of yarn. This pattern used 12 tablets and three colors, so I needed 30 strands of color A, 10 of color B, and 8 of color C, for a total of 48 strands (12 tablets x 4 strands each = 48 strands).

There are a lot of steps in warping -- marking your tablets the first time, cutting all the yarns, threading the tablets, and then getting them onto the loom, all while not tangling the yarns into knots. 

Of course I got my thread tangled up, but I was able to straighten everything out and get the yarn on the loom. (Eventually.)

Of course, I didn't take any pictures of what the warped loom looks like, so here's a screenshot from the course video:

Everything I had heard had said that the warping process was the hardest part of tablet weaving. Sure, there are complex patterns which required turning some tablets one way and some another, but this pattern was simple: turn the tablets 4 times forward, then turn them 4 times backward.  So I decided to give it a go. 

For the first 4 turns, you insert a toothpick each time to "lock" the weaving. After that, you pass the weft thread through after each turn.  And, suddenly, after only a few minutes, I had this: 

When I wove most of the available warp, I loosened up the loom and slid my completed band out of the way so I could keep making a longer band. 

I also realized, along the way, that I needed to keep track of which direction I was turning -- here's a point when I messed up the pattern my reversing it in the wrong spot. Still pretty cool to see what happens: 

One of the things I like most about this craft is that it has been done for centuries. There are loads of medieval illustrations of women tablet weaving. I note this in case you think this is an actual photo of me 😉

I kept working at it for a couple of hours, and eventually wove the entire band. Not bad when my OMG was simply to get the thread on the loom!

I plan to work on a more complicated pattern next, perhaps one with pieces that turn in opposite directions. Whatever I choose, I'm really thrilled with the result. It's definitely a first attempt -- my edges are uneven, as is my tension, but it's beautiful and I can't wait to make more. Thanks to OMG, I just might!

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did in their February projects on the Finish Party page! Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in March. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - February Finish Link-up

February OMG: Warp Speed!

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Last month's OMG was to just "break the seal" on a Tablet Weaving course -- to watch the how-to class video. After watching it, I feel pretty okay about it. I mean, I haven't actually started doing it, but I feel more interested and ready to start. 

My OMG for February is, again, small and simple. (At least I hope it's simple!). I want to warp the loom -- cut the yarn, thread the cards, and attempt to start the weave. 

My hope is that I can figure out how work the pattern, and maybe it will even make sense. I did a little research into tablet weaving -- turns out it's a medieval craft, and that it was also done by the Vikings. All those woven bands... it's made by tablet weaving. So I'm hoping that I'll enjoy performing this craft from a historical perspective, too. 

My inspiration is a dear friend of mine who was laid off the same day as me. Ever since I met her I thought she was the sweetest, most positive person I have ever known. And she's struggling, like I am, to find her next path. So I asked her her favorite colors, and am going to make a band for her. At least try to. But the first step is to get the warp on the loom. 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts and Stories from the Sewing Room; you can see all the monthly projects on the February Link-up Page.

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal February Link-up

January OMG complete: Tablet Weaving

This was my first month back to One Monthly Goal, and I am so happy to be back. You see, in early 2022 I bought a workshop kit from what was then called The Crafter's Box to learn Tablet Weaving. When the kit arrived I was overwhelmed and intimidated to the point that I just closed up the box and put it into the basement. 

I decided my OMG for January would be to simply watch the course video. And, of course, watching the video made all the difference. I could see what the process actually looks like, as well as how to read the patterns, warp the loom, and actually weave. 

I have done nothing else besides choose a pattern (the kit comes with a few to choose from), but I feel like next month (foreshadowing?!) I can make a real start. 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did in their January projects on the Finish Party page! Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in February. 

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - January Finish Link-up

January OMG: Tablet Weaving???

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I haven’t participated in One Monthly Goal for a while now, but I always loved the gentle, semi-anonymous accountability. I think this project is perfect for this link-up!

I bought a workshop kit from what was then called The Crafter’s Box to learn Tablet Weaving. I’d never heard of it, but it looked intriguing. 

And then the kit arrived and I was TOTALLY OVERWHELMED. 

Paralyzed. 

I had never done anything like this, and I was intimidated by it. So I just put all the lovely yarn back in a box and set it aside. For at least a year. 

I’m still intimidated, which is absurd because I haven’t watched the instruction course yet. I mean, of course I don’t know how to do it yet! 

Anyway, the teeny tiny baby step for this is that I want to watch the course once to get a sense of how it all works. That’s all. 

I find that, when I’m stuck, just making an easy, gentle step gets me moving again. At least I hope so. 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts; you can see all the monthly projects on the January Link-up Page.

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal January Link-up

October OMG almost complete: calavera ornaments

My goal for October was to stitch up at least two of these calavera ornaments from Mill Hill Beads to decorate my little Halloween tree. I didn't know at the time how long each one would take me to do -- turns out the stitching was very fast, but oh, that beading took a long time! Still, I have completed the stitching on all six, and the beading on five. So close!

My plan in the "this is going so well" middle portion of the month was to do all the stitching and the beading and then cut them out, sew them back to back, and hang them on the tree. So here I am on Halloween with no new ornaments -- but over the next few days I'll finish the beading and get these lovelies hung on my little tree for at least a day or so before I take it down. I mean, you don't take your Christmas tree down on December 26, do you?

Spooky! Also, I can't resist sharing my pretty little glass pumpkin patch:

It was the first time I had ever stitched on perforated paper, and it was actually pretty great. No hoop, no frame, just a bit of stiff paper. I may well find myself stitching more of their ornaments in the future. 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did on their October projects on the Finish Party page. Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in November. I'm actually thinking of -- dare I say it -- a Christmas-themed project then!

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - October Finish Link-up

October OMG : Calavera Ornaments

I love Halloween, and for my October OMG I want to stitch up some of these adorable Calavera Ornaments from Mill Hill.

I have a small Halloween tree and try to add a new ornament every year. This year I discovered these lovely kits and, since I couldn't decide which color to get, I GOT EVERY COLOR. 

Amusingly, I closed my eyes and picked a kit to start -- and chose "Azul", which is my least favorite of the six color options. I opened up the kit today during a less-than-enlightening webinar at work... and got a good start on the stitching. I think the beading will be more time consuming, but who knows? 

My goal for October, therefore, is to stitch at least 2 of the skulls and sew them back to back to make an ornament for my Halloween tree. I fully admit that this may be too easy -- but, again, I honestly don't know. We'll see!

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see all the new October projects -- or add your own -- on the Goal Setting page. (You can also see how people did in September on the Finish Party page!)

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal October Link-up

September OMG complete : Plus Quilt

My goal for September was to sew on the binding, trim the threads, and finish the quilt I had been working on for a few months. I'm happy to say that it's complete, even though I don't have anywhere I can really show all of it off. 

It's not my best work, frankly. And the fabric colors -- which I like as "winter holiday" colors -- don't really fit with the decor in our bedroom. So I'm not sure what I will ever do with the quilt. 

It did confirm that making a large quilt isn't something I want to do again. I don't mind making the flimsy -- that's the fun part -- but getting it spread out and stretched enough to pin it properly, and even just wrestling with the size of the quilt isn't something I want to do again. I have the material for one more large quilt in a color scheme that I am happy about. So next year I'll make the top and then send it off to be quilted. It feels like a big expense, but as long as I like the way the quilt top looks it will be worth it. 

I laughed a little at my saying "I have the material for one more large quilt" -- like a lot of people who sew, I have the material for a hotel's worth of quilts. But that's another story. 

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did on their September projects on the Finish Party page. Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in October. I have a Halloween project that I think will be perfect to work on then.

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - September Finish Link-up

September OMG : Plus Quilt, continued (again!)

It surprises no one more than me that I actually got the plus quilt pinned and stitched in August!

Yep, still don't have any place that really works to take a picture! But here's a larger pic of the flimsy:

I worry that the quilt is really wrinkled and that I didn't stretch things out enough. But it also may be that I haven't cut most of the threads. At least that's my hope. 

My goal for September, therefore, is to sew on the binding, cut all the random threads, and actually finish the project. Fingers crossed!

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see all the new September projects -- or add your own -- on the Goal Setting page. (You can also see how people did in August on the Finish Party page!)

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal September Link-up

August OMG complete : plus quilt continued

My goal for August was to assemble the quilt "sandwich" and get it pinned. Well, it was a struggle -- and to be honest I don't think I did a great job of it! Then, having pinned it, I didn't really have much room to store it easily. 

I decided one weekend that it was simply too hot to be outside, so I set up my sewing machine in the coolest room of the house and did the very simple quilting. Again, I don't think it will win any awards -- but the basic quilting is done. I haven't even trimmed any threads yet, which doesn't help. But the big unwieldy part is complete. 

One thing this has taught me is that for big quilts, sending them off to be quilted may be the way to go. Not on this quilt -- the colors don't really work for us, so I think I am working on it more out of stubbornness than desire! But I have fabric for another large quilt that I think will turn out beautifully, and I think it will be worth investing in having it quilted. We'll see how the top turns out. Eventually.

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see how everyone did on their August projects on the Finish Party page. Or choose an OMG project of your own and join us in September. I think I'll try to sew the binding on and finish up this quilt next month!

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - August Finish Link-up

August OMG : Plus Quilt, continued

Well, I guess I have to do it. Having cut and pieced the flimsy for my queen-size Plus Quilt, the next step is pinning it up. One big problem:

I didn't really have the room to lay out the entire quilt. Even once I stitched it together, I didn't have a place big enough to spread it out to take a picture. 

So making the space to lay out the backing fabric, the batting, and the top, get them all stretched out, and pinning it all together is going to be a challenge requiring moving furniture, rolling up a rug, and figuring out how to stretch the fabric so it's not wrinkled ...

My goal for August, therefore, is to get the pinning done. Just typing this makes me feel slightly anxious. But it's good to have a goal, eh?

The One Monthly Goal link-up is organized by Elm Street Quilts with the idea that we can just focus on one task and make progress. You can see all the new August projects -- or add your own -- on the Goal Setting page. (You can also see how people did in July on the Finish Party page!)

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal August Link-up