Variegated Threads - A Modern Spool Quilt

About 18 months ago, I was asked by the MQG if I'd agree to publish my Chess on the Steps pattern in Simply Moderne magazine (produced in France by Quiltmania).  I happily agreed! Quiltmania editors were impressed by the free pattern of the month quilts on display at QuiltCon 2015 and enquired about running a monthly feature on MQG quilts and modern quilting techniques written by MQG Communications Manager Riane Menardi.  Soon the terms changed and the folks at Simply Moderne requested new, fresh patterns in lieu of the previously published free patterns of the month. I was so pleased for the opportunity to be a pattern contributor for a piece on Improv Quilting (although, as you know, actually writing a pattern for improv is a daunting prospect and sort of counter-intuitive to the process).

Hmmm, what to do? I knew I wanted to incorporate my Improv Under the Influence technique because I think it is such a fun gateway for quilters venturing into improv from a traditional quilting background.My inspiration came in the form of Oakshott's new Colourshott range. This gorgeous, luminous fabric had served me so well with Chess on the Steps, but I wanted to use more colours...in fact all of them! Looking at a unit of improv strips sitting on my design wall from another project, it came to me that it would make a perfect thread spool. There are so many ways to make spool blocks and I've long admired vintage spool quilts. I've even made several fun spool quilts using selvages in the past.  This time, I decided to take advantage of the colour range and create variegated spools, each with four different but related colours; just like you'd see on real thread display racks.

Ultimately, the pattern is part 'planned' improv (the thread units of each spool are built using my Improv Under the Influence technique) and part traditional piecing. Once trimmed, the thread units are pieced into the spool block, then joined together to form the wall hanging. One fun element of the pattern is that two rectangular spools sewn side by side form a square block, so the quilt could be laid out with alternating two horizontal/two vertical spools. That way, the light and dark grey backgrounds would zigzag, forming a secondary pattern.  I've also created a table runner sewing 7 spools side by side. I can't wait to use it on my dining table for Stitch Group days!

I had a lot of fun quilting this piece using my collection of rainbow Aurifil 40 wt threads that I'd initially purchased to finish this quilt a couple of years ago. That custom box of Aurifil thread (purchased from my friend Carola) seemed an extraordinary extravagance at the time, but I have used all of the colours time and again, so I don't regret it for one second!  In the background areas, I used a medium grey and quilted a swirling loop to resemble pooling threads. In each variegated spool, I tried domestic ruler work for the first time (sewing the straight lines with a darning foot beside a thick ruler) so that I could go back and forth in both directions without having to turn the quilt to avoid the dreaded 'fabric drag' between the quilting lines. Each spool features a coordinating or matching thread colour. It was a great success on my Juki!

I just love this little quilt.  It is a great introduction to improv work, which of course can evolve into a much freer, creative process where the maker begins with a toolbox of techniques and an inspired idea instead of a pattern. 

Want to make your very own? The Oakshott company has prepared full kits for the front and binding of the quilt, conveniently made with charm packs of their luscious new Colourshott range of shot cottons. If you are luck enough to attend the Birmingham Festival of Quilts next month in the UK, you can see my quilt in person at the Oakshott stand as well as purchase a kit - otherwise they are available online right here.  You'll also need a copy of Simply Moderne issue #5 for the pattern, available here.

Beautiful Textiles from the Beginning

I'm in full prep mode for my day-retreat on Saturday!  I just saw this on Facebook and wanted to share a photo essay, by photographer Christopher Payne, of America's last textile mills. Feast your eyes on some remarkable industrial beauty here.

Photo: Christopher Payne

I've almost finished the sewing required for my epic Poppyprint5Kgiveaway.  The prizes are starting to roll in, so it won't be long until it's posted on my Instagram account. So excited to share!!

St. Louis Leftovers

During a short house-sitting gig in Victoria last month, I wanted to have a quickie project for the evenings.  I grabbed my gorgeous fat 1/8th stack of Shelburne Falls purchased from Westwood Acres, some coordinating Kona solids, a Sketch and Pearl Bracelet or two. I also threw in a couple of Chicopee prints since they go perfectly with Shelburne Falls.  Pre-cutting 4" strips before we left home meant I could just set up Lise-Lotte's sweet Featherweight and piece to my heart's content as soon as we arrived!

The plan was a St. Louis 16-Patch using Steffani's great tutorial.  The 16-patch blocks are huge, so the quilt top goes together very quickly. Depending on your choice of big print, small print or solid, the blocks can look quite different. It was a perfect holiday project that didn't require much thought.

Because I had long F8's instead of Fat Quarter's that the tute calls for (my strips were about 21" long), there were leftover pieced sections after cross-cutting the initial strip sets. They were so pretty I couldn't chuck them, so this table runner was born (thanks to Leanne's encouragement on IG). Like so many modern things I make, this runner doesn't really go with my house - at least until we update the living/dining room, so I think I will gift it to a friend turning 50. Her home is much more modern and I know she likes these colours.

The quilting is simple organic lines, all in Aurifil of various weights. I just chose the colours that coordinated. I'm not fussed about thread weights for quilting, but usually aim for the 28 or 30 wt.  The binding is Kona Grass Green and the backing is 3 different shades of Kona aquas from a FQ stack I have.

Front: 28 wt #5006, Back L-R: 28 wt variegated #4653 2ED, 40wt #2730, 28wt #5003 and 50 wt #4668. The two grey spools are from the V & Co. Simply Color collection and the orange spool is from the Tula Pink box set, both generously sent to me by Aurifil for the Patchwork Please Zakka 2.0-along.

As soon as the 16-patch quilt is actually quilted, I'll share that too. If you've got a bunch of fat quarters to use up, I highly recommend this fun patchwork quilt. You can go crazy with colour, or keep it subdued with a constant solid colour paired with large prints. It would be a great charity quilt pattern for guild sew-ins, or a fun block to swap at retreats.

Aurilux Kapow! and a Giveaway

Windham Fabrics kindly shared some charm packs of Melissa Ybarra's new fabric line Cabana Blooms with me recently and I thought it would be fun to make up my Dresden Pillow pattern with these vibrant prints. I paired the Cabana Blooms with a DS for JoAnn Fabrics bright orange hounds tooth print. You'll see the whole thing once it's quilted, but for now I can tell you it's quite a different look from the French General version!

Cabana Blooms paired with Essex linen in grey

I was perusing my thread stash, looking for just the right colour to topstitch the dresden centre when I had a brainwave to try a variegated thread and decorative stitch.  After all, my poor Pfaff QE 4.0 rarely has the opportunity to strut her stuff and show off her killer 9mm decorative stitches because I typically stick to straight, zigzag, blanket or triple stitch.  

KAPOW!

I had a partial spool of Aurilux polyester thread leftover from quilting a bright batik quilt years ago and it was perfect. I mean, once you've got all that colour and pattern, why not add more, right? For enquiring minds, I used a regular 40wt cotton thread in the bobbin and a 90/14 Inspira quilting needle to sew this stitch through two layers of fabric and fusible Pellon polyester batting.

Oooooo-aaaaaah, shiny!

Here's a tip for those of you wondering how to choose a variegated thread: you'll get a better idea of the distribution of colours if you look at the end of the spool, not the wrapped threads.

Aurilux, the details

I have two charm packs of Cabana Blooms leftover and would love to share them, along with a copy of my (hopefully soon to be released) Dresden Pillow pattern with one of you.  Leave one comment here for your chance to win and please make sure I can contact you via linked email, or email address in your comment!

I'll choose a winner on Wednesday evening, April 25 with the help of the RNG. Good luck!

ETA: Comments are now closed. Winner announced soon. Thanks for visiting!

Sainte Chappelle

The travel posts kick off here with one of the oldest sites we visited in Paris, the magnificent 12th century Sainte Chappelle.  These are not necessarily the best photos I took on the trip (it was very dim inside and I didn't schlep a tripod with me..that camera is heavy enough!).  One of my goals of our trip was to see the stained glass at Chartres.  Due to illness, we didn't make that day trip out of Paris, so I insisted we substitute in Sainte Chapelle.

A fine Gothic ceiling

Built in only 6 years for King Louis IX* so that he could showcase his purchase of the Crown of Thorns, the entire church appears made of glass. The late afternoon light was bright enough to illuminate the panels, but to be inside on a sunny day in the height of summer would be truly amazing.  Each of the 15 stained glass panels depict Biblical stories.

The alter was very ornate and accessed by two spiral staircases: one for the King, the other for the Priest. Louis made sure he'd tower well above his court, worshiping below.  

The floor was well worth a study, too!

  

I was fascinated in each cathedral we visited with the ornate carvings, glasswork and woodwork. Not to mention the locks, window latches and doorknobs (mosaic of those detail shots is in the works).

It was hard to photograph the stained glass so high up on the walls with a hand-held camera, but here's one detail shot.

Which leads me to my latest thread collection for Lynne's Aurifil Designer Thread contest.  I swear, I can't stop! May I present the Sainte Chappelle Collection:

*NOTE: Our Paris guidebook of choice was Rick Steve's Paris 2012. An excellent book small enough to take along every day, but packed with information, hand drawn maps, fantastic walking tours, great restaurant & market recommendations, not to mention top tips for avoiding lineups and bored kids.  When I write details about the age of certain monuments, who built them, what they were for..etc. all of that info is courtesy of Rick. He really did his homework.

The Case of the Coordinating Thread

I'm still at it. All I can think about it thread colours. Over a year ago, I made this sweet apron out of Rashida's book I heart Linen.

I was testing out my idea that fuschia and butter yellow actually do look nice together. I love the apron, but more just to look at it hanging on my kitchen door than to wear it. I'm hopeless and rarely take the 20 seconds required to put an apron on while cooking/baking.

The fabrics worked well with the Essex linen in Putty, I thought.  So I forged ahead and started making the intended project: a queen sized quilt for our bed.  That quilt is now basted and ready for quilting. I haven't shown it to you yet for a few reasons, the main one being I knew it would take a long time to finish. I wanted to work at my own pace, enjoy the process of piecing entirely with Agatha (my Featherweight) and not feel pressure to complete.  I love it so much and can't wait to finish and share it with you.  B's initial panic at having a pink quilt has subsided, I think. It's not really pink. It just has some pink in it.

Ok, it's basted and ready to go, as I said. But what now?  First I'll need these threads:

Kitchen Apron Aurifil Thread Collection

I went completely overboard while collecting for Our Bed Quilt and probably have enough fabric left over to make 2 or 3 more massive quilts, so this case of thread candy would definitely be used and appreciated.  You can try your hand at winning a designer case of 12 Aurifil threads, too. Visit Lynne for all the details.

Looks like there is a lot of interest in some travel photography, so I'll just start you off with the obvious.  This happens to be my fav photo of this iconic Paris landmark at nightfall.  No photoshop, it's just what happened when I clicked the shutter. 

There's plenty more where that came from. Give me a little time to figure out how to distill things down into a few manageable posts. And do something about the fact that it's Easter this weekend. Yikes!

Making a Case

Hello! We're home!  I believe this is the longest blog absence ever at Poppyprint, but the family break was much needed, and our time in France much too full for blogging. I trust you understand and am glad you're back with me. I have missed interacting with everyone, truly.  I have over a thousand photos to go through and was hoping that in the coming weeks you would indulge me with a bit of travel photography (one of my very favourite past times). What do you say? Can you handle a bit of France?  I thought I'd do a few posts and focus on a certain landmark, region, or topic in each one...they will mostly be photo essays.

In transit home, I checked in with a few blogs I had been missing while away and lo and behold, Lynne is at again with her Italian thread magnate, Alex Veronelli.  Alex has really embraced the modern quilt movement and supports us with fabulous Aurifil-sponsored contests and events all the time. Their latest challenge is to build a designer case of 12 thread spools. If your case is chosen by the judges, you win it! Wow, that's well over $100 worth of beautiful Auriful thread. Count me in!

I thought about how to build a collection of thread. I know colour-coordinated spools will look pretty together, as will gradations of the same colour, but how useful would that be in the long run?  So, I went about building two cases based on a theme rather than a colour story. I figure lots of variety in the threads (both weight and colour) would be most useful to me.  Ahem, if I were to be so lucky to win.

The cases contain 12 spools. There are 12 months in a year, each one with its own birthstone(s).  A google search turned up this great colour chart for reference at www.personalizedgems.com

There is selected number of coloured spools available for this contest, so with the guide above I did my best to match colours.  I give you the Birthstone Auriful Thread Collection by Poppyprint (that does have a nice ring to it, don't you think?).

Turns out, these shades do look lovely and jewel-y together. A perfect 30 wt. collection for top stitching small projects like bags, pouches, scarves and also for quilting quilts!

Continuing on with the year has 12 months thing, I got to thinking about something I love about Canada, and that is our good fortune to experience 4 distinct seasons every year.  My Vancouver friends may argue that we only have two here on the west coast: rain and summer. And last year to be honest, it really was just rain with a sunny break in August.

I thought of some words and things that I associate with each season, like winter sky, snow day, harvest, daffodil, forest walk, cherry blossom...etc. and chose colours that correspond to each one.

Here we have Four Seasons Aurifil Thread Collection by Poppyprint:

Definitely not as sexy as the Birthstone set when it comes to visual pleasure, however upon closer inspection this set would be infinitely useful for the work I do.  You've got the neutrals on the bottom row which would be perfect for piecing in a 40 wt. The lovely variegated top row for free motion quilting in a 30 wt. and rich, warm colours for topstitching or quilting in the middle!

Head on over to Lily's Quilts for all the details on how you can enter this great contest by April 18th.

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Congratulations to Amy who won the Brrr! giveaway. Don't despair if you're not Amy, I've got more giveaways coming up as soon as I get organized.

Back soon. Promise.

Variegated Thread Selvage Quilts

I'm at retreat. Well, not yet, but by the time you read this I will be yucking it up with my pals, sewing up a storm and sampling everyone's chocolate stash when they're not looking. Because my Krista Sista's have traveled so far to come (K2 from Seattle, K3 all the way from Anchorage via Seattle), I really wanted to show them how much I appreciate their friendship. So I made them each a 14" x 20" quilt in their respective colours.

This one will head home to Alaska on Monday with K3

Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bind every future quilt in this Joel Dewberry Heirloom print? It absolutely rocks for binding!!

I've made several Chinese coin quilts with my selvage collection, but ages ago I 'favorited' this quilt on flickr and asked permission to use it for inspiration. I made my spools slightly less wonky, but free-cut the angles on each side of the spool top and bottom. Those strips for the wooden spool were made using selvages from French General fabric (which I think has the most beautiful selvage that is totally worthy of using as a design feature!). I just love the idea of these 'variegated thread' spools functioning as fabric memory quilts - a sweet reminder of all my favourite fabrics. I will definitely make one for myself!

Here is K2's quilt, which I hope will reside in her Seattle studio.

I wanted to keep the quilts a surprise, so I've scheduled this post to go live after I've gifted the quilts. I'm so excited. Isn't it a great feeling to give someone a hand-made present? Even more so in this case because I am pretty sure they'll really like them!

I also have another teeny item for the three of us. I'll post a photo once we're all together with those ones, though. They have to do with identification. You see, with three Krista's in one room, there is bound to be trouble. When K2 visited me last year, my husband started the numerical reference (I think I got K1 only because he knew me first - NOT because I'm the, ahem, oldest). K3 is clearly the youngest by a longshot though, so in her case I'm sure being #3 is just fine with her!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend as much as weeeeeeee aaaaaare (gloat, gloat). I'm only doing that because your virtual smacking is having no effect on me whatsoever.

September Swapping

My For the Love of Solids swap package is en route far, far away to my secret partner. This swap piqued my interest because I was anxious to see what people would come up with when they were limited to using only solids. Most people are making wall quilts for their partners, but there are some smokin' totes and a few other very cool items to check out as well. There are some great, original designs appearing in that flickr pool!

We were encouraged in our sign up form to indicate one or two things we'd really love to receive. My partner gave a few ideas, but seemed to really want a machine cover. After making Full Circle, I wasn't quite done with Malka's wonderful design, so I returned to it with another Kona solids charm pack and some navy blue sashing to come up with this:

I added some detail to the ties by top-stitching a tiny ricrac down the middle and adding a covered tab on the end. There is fusible fleece batting and a strip of Timtex heavy weight stabilizer across the middle so the cover will have a square shape over the top of the machine. It is quilted with a very-easy-to-use Aurifil variegated rayon. My machine seems to love that stuff and with an Inspiron size 80/12 quilting needle I am totally in business! I lengthened my stitches to 3.5 so there would be more thread than holes along the stitch lines, and once again used my seam guide to sew parallel concentric (semi) circles.

The swap package had to include one smaller item as well, but this item didn't have to be made with solids. I decided to send one of my thread catchers along. It incorporates my partner's favourite colour (I'm just not going to tell you which one!); I tossed in a hunk of poppy-printed fabric in that colour, too!

I try really hard to get to know my partner and make something that they will really like. Nevertheless, there is always a tiny bit of lingering doubt when I send off a package. I think almost everyone goes through this with swaps - it's probably a good thing, and keeps us striving to do our best work for others!

Catching Up, Catching Threads

I am trying to complete my end of a few private swaps with friends in order to clear my TO DO list and move on to some projects for myself. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE swapping (as I think you know), but for some reason they tend to bunch up. I still owe a few things, but managed to complete these two the other day.

The one on the left is off to the UK to Katy while the one on the right is heading south to Terri. I took this pic before I filled the pin cushions with crushed glass.

I've had a few requests for a pattern for these thread catchers. I don't officially have one. Originally I saw these at a sewing show booth and then came home and figured it out on my own. I've been making and selling them at quilt shows and to friends for several years, but because I copied someone else's design, I sort of feel funny about publishing instructions. I truly feel that I can only write tutorials for original projects that I make up myself. Hope you understand. If someone totally copied one of my designs and wrote instructions for it and gave them away online, I know how disappointed I'd be.

Sometimes I get fancy and piece the pin cushion top. Or insert ricrac around the seams, or embellish the hem with printed twill tape (like the measuring tape in the first photo).

Maybe these photos will give you enough information to design your own! I can share that to keep the bag mouth round, a strip of fibre glass packing tape is inserted in the hem. This is the stuff that comes wrapped around bales of newspapers or boxes of xerox paper. My friends often save them for me, so I have a lifetime supply! I've also been known to collect them from the street outside flower markets, or news stands (are you reading Michele? Look at me recycling!).

I fill my pin cushions with crushed glass or sterilized quartz sand (from a building/landscaping supply company). You need the weight to hold it on the table....using non-skid slipper fabric (with rubber dots) on the bottom side of the pin cushion helps, too. I bought my slipper fabric at a general sewing/fabric big box store.

To get you started, the bag and lining are made out of pieces cut 9" x 18", folded in 1/2 width wise and seamed once. The seam is then turned to the back of the tube and you sew across the bottom. Make a 1" gusset in each bottom corner and you have your bag and lining! Stuff lining into bag, fold down top to make the hem.

There you have it. My not-a-thread-catcher-tutorial.

Ruby Star Thread Catcher

Here's item #2 for my secret partner in the Urban Home Good swap on Flickr. I hope she likes the retro Ruby Star Rising by Melody Miller (printed in Japan by Kokka).

I'm beefing up my thread catchers with non-skid slipper fabric under the pin cushion to avoid having the whole works fall off the table when the sewing machine is really cranked! I also hemmed the thread bag with the measuring tape twill I bought in Vegas at Quiltique back in November. The bag is lined with orange bracelets from Red Letter Day by Lizzy House. Since I always make 2 thread catchers at a time, I gave Krista the same one to welcome her to my house last weekend (not that would have minded if she'd thrown her threads on my floor).

Okay, hands up, who loved their ViewMaster? How awesome was it to aim your eyeballs towards the sunny window and click through another world through your bakelite red ViewMaster?

As you read this, supposedly I'm on retreat. However, as I write this scheduled post on Tuesday, I am coming down with the flu. Figures. I hope I can depart Thursday a.m. as planned....sad face.

Pile of Perle 8

This is not what I went shopping for this morning.

But I had visions of this dancing in my head and I thought these delicious Presencia perle 8 cottons would stitch the wee woodland faeries up so beautifully.

I especially love the variegated ones. These are made in Spain and are definitely eye candy for the sewing room! I'm much more inclined to buy and display these perle cotton balls than use floss skeins anymore. No separating strands involved, no stray floss leftovers, no re-wrapping around plastic cards. Presencia has DMC and Anchor colour conversion charts available here.

I have only stitched one project with this cotton and I enjoyed it, so am anxious to do something more substantial. I must say that I wasn't thrilled with their machine threads. I've sewn with the 50wt and while it's got a beautiful sheen on the spool, I couldn't believe how linty it was! I've never had thread fill my bobbin case and machine with so much lint, so quickly. I'll let you know how the perle goes!

Or, I might just put it in a pretty jar and stare at it for a while....

While The Quilter's Away.....

The postie will play! Eekgads, look what he left me:

We arrived home around 3:30 a.m. Toronto time after a horrendous flight (our 5.5 kg of neurotic dachshund was a nightmare of yelping, howling, whining, hyperventilating and general freaking out that I was completely stressed for 5 hours). I should have taken the anti-anxiety drugs that obviously did nothing for him! Obviously I had to save opening my goodies until I was well-rested and in a better mood this morning!

It's going to take a few days to share it all with you, because everything (and everyone) deserves their due, so I don't want to cram it all into one post.

Since she's waited the longest for me to receive this package, I'll start with Tiffany. First of all, her box was definitely the heaviest. Tiffany was my partner in the Pincushion Pass swap on Flickr (and you may recall she also won this giveaway). You'll soon see why she was the bestest partner any swapper could wish for...her work is beautifully constructed and made with such attention to detail. I could not believe it when I realized she had not only sent me this stunner:

but also two bars of her deliciously scented homemade soap, a fun collection of buttons, trims and notions....and THIS!!!!

Talk about spoiled! Tiffany really took my request for a multi-purpose pin cushion to heart. Both of these honeys sit atop jars to hold secret sewing treasures (and I brought some of them home from the cottage - vintage notions from my Great Aunt Pearl's sewing basket - more on that later in the week).

Thank you so much partner. Your generosity is astounding and I am so appreciative. ♥ Krista

Here is the threadcatcher I made and sent to Tiffany. I call it "Cut Out Domesticity". I think that the skull & scissor crossbones print is my all time favourite. I've made so many fun things with it. I checked first to make sure Tiffany was ok with a slightly rebellious swap gift. My fav story from her is that her skull & crossbones lanyard has become a "warning: I'm in sewing mode" sign in her house, hehe!

Photo by love2quilt7

So, for the next few days I've got lots to share with you, my bloggy friends. It's good to be back.

Come Saturday, I'll be lacing up my runners, slapping on the sunscreen and reporting to the opening ceremonies at 7:00 a.m. for my 60km walk for the Weekend to End Women's Cancers. I am not feeling 100% physically confident, but my head and heart are so excited to participate in this incredible event. I've surpassed my fundraising goal and hope to keep raising more funds right through to Saturday. Everyone who donates to my personal page will be entered into a draw for something fabulous made by me (just click on that link...that's it, the one with the walkers in my sidebar, if you would like to make a secure online donation to help put an end to cancers that affect women). I thank you!

.............back soon!