Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

Swoon Backing

Oh, what a challenge it was to get a backing ready for my Swoon quilt.  Usually, I order the backing fabric for a quilt at the same time as the top fabric, but since I used fat quarters - and had a difficult time getting the ones I wanted, I forgot all about the back.

The Swoon turned out to be 80"x80" and that means the back would have to be about 88" square.  I figured I would use white fabric instead of one of the prints from the April Showers line as I usually would since I was trying to avoid ordering any more stuff!  (Feeling a little guilty over all my purchases lately!)  Once I went through my stash I realized I didn't have enough yardage of white so I creatively decided to piece a panel from the leftover fat quarters to stretch what I did have.  (Thanks to Elizabeth Hartman and the FREE Creative Quilt Backs Craftsy class!).  I made my strips of 3" randomly pieced off cuts and sewed them to the first length of Connecting Threads white solid I had.  To make up the rest of the backing I ended up having to join yardage both horizontally and vertically.  There were seams all over the place and it was way more work than I felt like doing for a back of a quilt.

Anyway, I eventually got it all sewn together to make the huge square of backing.  I think it turned out pretty well and I'm proud of myself for resisting the urge to take the easy way out and purchase an adequate amount of yardage (about 9 yards $$$) to simply join with one seam.  My husband came into my workshop after he saw me drafting, sketching, calculating, and measuring, not to mention complaining the whole time that I didn't have enough fabric and too many seams...and he said "why don't you just buy some?".  Humph.

Jo-Ann's Order

I was excited to get my Jo-Ann's order, filled with my new hand-sewing supplies.  I got two packages of John James embroidery needles, the Clover embroidery needles, and the Dritz thread wax.  I'm curious to try them all out and see if there is a difference between them and the milliner's needles and Thread Heaven.  If I have any problems with hand-sewing from now on, it's my fault!

Since I was paying shipping anyway, of course I loaded up my on-line cart (and hey, it's just so fun and easy to click 'add to basket', right?).  I told you I needed a new pair of Machinger's gloves eventually and they were such a good price I thought I'd throw them in.  They are so fresh - I will tuck them away until I really need them.

I also was kind of desperate for new 45mm rotary blades.  I absolutely hate when there is a skip in the cutting and the blades are super expensive here in Canada - even with a coupon.  Jo-Ann's sale was so good that I couldn't pass up on something I really needed.

My order was placed before I discovered I really hate marking quilt tops so in anticipation of that darn Baptist fan, I added two new Clover washable pens.  They are the best anyway so if I do need to mark, I'm well prepared!  The tip on my other Fine Line pen was destroyed so I was due for a new one.  I hope the Clover brand washes out as well as the Collins version.

Next, I added a new product to the order, one I had read about but couldn't find: Orvis Quilt Soap.  The Soak Wash I always use is kind of expensive and I seem to go through it rather quickly so I thought I would give the Orvis a try.  It's very concentrated and you can use it in the washing machine.  I'll let you know how well it works after I try it.

Finally, although I just bought a version of this ruler at the quilt expo, the Fons & Porter Easy Diagonal Sets ruler was the original one that I wanted.  It was dirt cheap at Jo-Ann's so I couldn't resist getting it too.  I think I might have an on-point quilt in my future.  I will probably have to cool it for a while with the on-line shopping as I am well stocked with fabric, thread, rulers, and all the notions - and needles! - I could need (for now!).

Baptist Fan Quilting Sample, Marking Tool Test, & Losing My Mind

After seeing Camille Roskelley's beautiful Swoon quilt quilted with a Baptist Fan design, I thought I might like to try that too.  I actually already had a plastic quilting template of the pattern but had never used it.  Since the Swoon turned out to be so big (80"x80") I thought I better test out the plan before actually stitching on the quilt top I'd worked so hard to complete.

I did some research and found very little on the Baptist Fan.  Many videos and tutorials were either for hand-quilting (not gonna happen!) or for using a longarm quilting machine with a physical stylus & groove system.  I did find THIS TUTORIAL for marking and free-motion quilting the Baptist fan and was surprised and delighted to discover that it was written by none other than Elizabeth Dackson of the Start Free-Motion Quilting, with Elizabeth Dackson Craftsy class I signed up for not too long ago!

Armed with her advice (I just went over to Craftsy and asked her a question on the platform!) I put together a sample quilt sandwich and started marking my fan shapes.  I used all the different marking tools I could (other than a Hera marker): a Fine Line blue water soluble pen (Collins), a blue pencil (Clover), a Chaco liner (Clover), a different brand of blue marker (Unique), and a Frixion pen (also in blue).  It is critical to test the marking pens on the actual fabric you're using and this was a great opportunity to try them all at once.

It took me a long time to mark even this small sample and I was already thinking it was way too much of a pain - I couldn't imagine doing it on a full quilt top!  I found it challenging to get the template lined up after the first round and even worse once I had to move up to the next section.  I used masking tape to hold it down but you still need to keep firm pressure on the template to keep the pen in the grooves.  I would imagine it would be really hard to get the fans in a straight horizontal line on a big quilt.

The Fine Line pen worked very well but since mine has a rather destroyed tip, I had to go over the lines several times.  The tip is so fine that it kind of scratches and pulls the fabric.  Next, I switched to the pencil.  That went on smoother and faster but the mark was thicker and the pencil tip wore down to a round shape very quickly.  The Chaco liner went on very easily but since it is powdery chalk, I wasn't sure how the line was going to hold up.  Also, I couldn't use it in the small grooves of the template as it was too wide to get in there.  The 'Unique' brand water soluble marker has a much thicker tip and was much faster and easier to use than the Fine Line pen - but not as accurate, more to 'erase', and it dried out quickly.  The Frixion pen was the best for application.  It went super fast and left a nice, fine ballpoint-looking line.  I liked using that marking tool the best...but I've heard of the blue lines returning or showing up as a white line and I would be nervous to use it on the right side of my quilt top, all over!

Finally it was all marked and I was ready to test-quilt.  I tried using my free-motion foot first and was not very good at it!  It was hard to move the sandwich at the edge of the design and my stitches were not very even.  The curves were tricky and it was difficult to see where I had to go when I was on the 'up' swing of a fan.  I know I would not be happy doing this over my large quilt and wouldn't be happy with the results.

So I switched to a walking foot, knowing in advance that it was going to be very challenging to quilt the curves AND turn the quilt.  I still wanted to try though and see how nice it could look with perfectly even stitches.  Um...nope.  That didn't work out very well either.  There is a lot of adjusting required, lifting the presser foot every couple of stitches to get around the curves - even the gentle ones of the fan.  Also, turning the sample was bad enough and a whole quilt would be torturous!  Not to mention that in some parts of the pattern my stitches didn't look any more even than with the darning foot.

After a few fans I had enough of this exercise!  I decided to definitely NOT quilt a Baptist fan design...probably ever!  So I converted the test into a marking tool experiment and tossed the sandwich into the washing machine on the rinse cycle to remove the lines.  Hello?  Angie?  I had to laugh because a) since I'd used different tools which needed to be removed in different ways, cold water was not going to work on all of them.  Oops.  and B) the sandwich was NOT QUILTED OR BOUND!  I think I lost my mind because I couldn't believe what an idiot I was.  Of course, the 'sandwich' came out of the machine as 'pieces of fabric'.  The batting I'd joined with batting tape separated; the Kona snow frayed into a million strands of snarled threads.

The mess air dried overnight and I used my iron the next day to see if the Frixion pen would still iron off with heat.  It did!  The water soluble Fine Line pen disappeared completely, so I was happy about that.  It did give the best line to follow (very easy to see and yet fine).  However, as I expected might happen, the blue pencil and Chaco were still visible and were not removed.  I am so glad I had already read this happening to other quilters and was aware of it.  I would have been devastated to mark up my entire Swoon only to have lines left over!

The whole process of this double test proved to be very informative.  I learned: I do not like marking quilts; I do not like quilting the Baptist fan with either method of quilting; I should not use a blue pencil or chalk to mark my quilt; the Fine Tip pen is a good choice for marking if I must mark; and finally, don't wash a quilt sandwich that is not quilted!  (I will add that after the project came out of the wash and had dried, the stitches didn't look that bad.  However, the template did yield quilt dense quilting and was not really what I was looking for in the case of my Swoon quilt anyway.)

Now I'm back to square one and have to figure out how I WILL quilt my Swoon quilt...

Binding Kit & Hand Sewing Practice

I've been practicing my hand sewing and testing out all the new notions I ordered to help the process.  Since I changed so many variables I can't tell you which one thing made the difference - but all combined, my hand stitching is MUCH easier!

The first thing I did, and this is what Camille Roskelley does (can you hear angels singing?), is assemble all my necessary hand-binding supplies in one place.  I put them in the zippered pouch I made (as part of the Free Online Sewing Craftsy class Bag Making Basics) so I can grab it and take it where I sew (which may be in front of the t.v., in the car, at my sister's, etc.).  I included my Clover threader (which works every time with my new needles; it was hit and miss before), my million new needles, snips, thread, binding clips, a mini tomato pin cushion, and my Thread Heaven & wax. 

I like using the Thread Heaven and I didn't get near as many tangles as before.  When it seemed like a knot had formed, I just pulled it with the needle and it came undone.  It never became an impossible situation where I snapped the thread.  I also made sure to thread the spool end of the thread and knot the cut end.  I used my Clover milliners needle and it was lovely.  I definitely think the coating was long gone on my old needles because this one floated through the fabric.  The longer length was so much more comfortable to stitch with and my fingers didn't cramp at all.  I took one of my free-motion warm-up scraps and actually sewed on some leftover binding.  I tried out the ladder stitch as recommended by Heidi (who had commented on my other post) and I liked the way it looked.  I used it on one side of the piece and my regular blind stitch on the other.  I found the ladder a bit slower to sew and not too much difference in the end appearance.  I will have to practice it a bit more to see if I prefer it.

I also stitched closed the mitered corners on my Spools quilt.  I usually hate that job too but now it was much more enjoyable.  I practiced the quilter's knot and I am going to make sure the next time I bind a quilt to add in those couple stitches on the miter fold when I get to them instead of waiting until I'm done the quilt.  I have so many good tips and tricks now that I am totally excited to hand-sew my next quilt binding.  Thanks for all the great ideas and I feel so much better about the whole thing.  A good attitude is as helpful as the tools!

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Ah, the first rhubarb recipe of the season - this year it's Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler.  I was brave and picked the rhubarb myself (I usually like hubby to battle the giant earwig/spider-hiding leaves) so I could surprise the family with dessert.  I had just the right amount of fresh strawberries and sliced up the tart rhubarb to replace the original chopped apples in the recipe.

Once you mix up the fruit with some sugar and cinnamon, a bit of flour and grated lemon rind, it is baked right in the dish for 10 minutes before the cobbles are added.  They are made from a simple fork-stirred batter of flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and cold butter - combined with just a cup of soured milk or buttermilk.  This smells wonderful while it bakes and is worth heating up the house for!  I served it with French vanilla ice cream but frozen yogurt, vanilla yogurt flavoured with lemon juice and zest, or whipped cream could work too.  Yum!  Welcome spring & summer fruit baking!

You can get the written recipe from the Milk Calendar, HERE.

Gel Envy Beginner's Luck

I ended up buying another bottle of Revlon's Colorstay Gel Envy nail enamel.  The first week I used Checkmate with my usual base and top coats.  The claim that Gel Envy can last up to 11 days is based on also using the Diamond Top Coat.  I only got about 6-7 days of wear before chips started showing on the tips; not much improvement over any other regular polish I've used.  So I went back and also purchased their top coat to see if my manicure would fare any better.

While there are 30 shades of Gel Envy, my store doesn't carry them all and I couldn't really find the colours I was looking for (either a soft purple or a brown).  They had a lot of very bright Easter egg polishes and Beginner's Luck was the only one that I was even remotely interested in.  It is a shimmery light pink (#30) and looks really cute, especially in darker light.  The top coat goes on easily although the double-brush is kind of weird.  Sadly, my manicure didn't last 11 days and the chips showed more than I thought they would.

Unless there is some amazing new shade in the line that I really want to try I probably wouldn't go out of my way to select Gel Envy over any other kind of polish.  It does offer a smooth and glossy finish, which I love, but just didn't last any longer on my nails.

Many Notes & Tips on Hand Binding & Sewing

This post is a follow-up to my Hand Sewing Struggles post, as well as the Hand Sewing Needles 101 post.  As I did further research, I read more about John James needles.  The British based company has been around for almost 85 years (more, depending on which parent company you are researching), and is the maker of fine hand-sewing and machine needles.  I was impressed with what I read and decided I'd give the brand a try as a comparison to the Clover needles I bought.  The John James were no more expensive and I am excited to try them out.  They also provide a 'Which Needle?' reference sheet which you can read HERE.  It's another excellent resource to help you decide which needle to choose.

If you know me and this blog, of course I went overboard in my research.  I ordered 3 packs of various needles (Milliners, Embroidery, Sharps) in addition to the Clover Milliners ones I have bought and also ordered another pack of Clover embroidery needles (I had to locate and buy the exact embroidery needles Camille Roskelley uses!).  Each pack contains about 16 needles so I've gone from grabbing the few needles I had in my old sewing kit to having 80 new needles to choose from!!  I do it all for you folks - sparing no expense to do proper research for my reviews on this blog! ;)

If you happened to read the comments on my other two 'needle' posts, you will see that I got some fantastic suggestions from the lovelies: Margaret, Heidi, and Janet.  Both Margaret and Janet recommend a thread conditioner and/or wax product.  Dritz is a wax in a dispenser and Thread Heaven is a synthetic chemical compound.  Both help in reducing tangling and fraying and make thread easier to sew with.  There is a lot of interesting information on the Thread Heaven website including How to Use it and Tips & Tricks.  I'm so excited to try it!

I'm waiting for my Jo-Ann's order to arrive containing all the other needles and the Dritz wax dispenser.  I am super pumped now to hand-bind my next quilt so that is already an improvement over my usual mood when that task arrives!  I also found this great Binding Basics tutorial from Connecting Threads and I am going to try their suggestions.  I was searching for the difference between a blind stitch and a ladder stitch since Heidi introduced me to the latter ladder.  I am going to give it a try and see if it is easier.  This is a fantastic tutorial with great photos and a super explanation of how to hand-stitch a mitered corner on binding (I need this!!!).  There is a printer-friendly button at the top so you can print out and save the information for later reference when you have your quilt on your lap!

One last tip: I got this one from the quilt shop owner I was talking to and it also appears in the tutorial above.  Apparently, one should use the end you pull off of the spool of thread to insert into the eye of the needle and the end you cut is where the knot goes.  I didn't know this and usually do it the exact opposite since I assume the freshly snipped end is easier to thread.  I am going to combine all the tips and tools above and I'll report back when I arrive at a conclusion as to the best way to hand bind.

Swoon Setting

When I started my Swoon quilt I took quite a bit of time selecting the fat quarters I wanted to use as well as pairing them for the blocks.  All along I was careful to keep my masking tape labels on each upper left corner so as not to get mixed up.

Now that all nine blocks are complete I am ready to add the sashing and borders to finish assembling the quilt.  Despite being mindful of print scale, value, and colour, the blocks look quite different once they are pieced.  I set them out according to my initial decisions...and then totally changed them!  What a difference it makes to see the 24" squares side-by-side.  Furthermore, converting a photo of the layout to black and white and then tonal, also highlights obvious (to me) setting changes to be made.

My son helped me make my switches (he has a very good eye for this and has helped me in the past!) and together we found a perfect balance of all those design considerations.  You can see from the various photos how we achieved a pleasing setting with no two colours next to each other, a fair 'weight' distribution of value, and a wonderful secret fireworks of points at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions when the 'noir' filter is selected.  I am so happy with it!  (The only block that never moved was the centre star-of-the-show, the one made with fabrics Camille herself suggested!  That is my homage to her!)

Now I can complete what is turning out to be a large and spectacular quilt top.  (I am actually quite surprised to be reminded that I began this project on April 2nd.  It seems like I have been Swooning forever when in fact, it has 'only' been 41 days of on and off sewing).

Downton Abbey Backing Fabric

The Downton Abbey fabric I ordered over Easter weekend arrived!  This is 9 yards of backing fabric for The Classic Double Wedding Ring with Gail Kessler Craftsy class quilt.  Don't you think it's pretty?

As soon as I have completed my Swoon quilt I will start this ambitious Double Wedding Ring.  I am quite intimidated by its size but excited at the challenge.  All my required supplies are now assembled and I have no excuse to put it off any longer.  I know I will enjoy it once I get started but taking that first step is always the hardest!  I imagine it will keep me busy all summer (and beyond!).

Hand Sewing Needles 101

As I struggle with my hand sewing I realize I know nothing about hand-sewing needles.  I have a few packets of assorted needles and have basically just grabbed one randomly when I needed to stitch.  Since I have been having difficulty I knew I had to get my head out of the sand and actually learn what the difference is between various kinds of needles.

I decided to buy some Clover embroidery needles to sew on my quilt binding because that's what Camille Roskelley recommends in her Craftsy Pre-Cut Piecing Made Simple Class.  My quilt shop didn't have any so I bought some Gold Eye Milliners needles instead, which are almost the same thing only longer.  I'm not sure if they will suit me or not but apparently, many people like them for binding.

I found THIS GUIDE from Connecting Threads which offers an excellent overview of hand sewing needles and their uses.  It is very helpful and really cleared things up for me.  I think I will be now be paying more attention to the needle I choose and hopefully, the milliners ones from Clover will help improve my hand-binding experience!