Shirts and Such - the Quilt

Shirts and Such was started in August 2024 and now the finished quilt measures 53" x 71" 

I have no idea how many different fabrics from the stash were used in the quilt top, but there are strips cut from two of DH's no-longer-needed light blue striped dress shirts in the mix.

Here's a photo of the back - I used leftover strips to create the long insert panel.

Front flipped over to the back . . . 

And back flipped over to the front.

Backing by Studio e, Pattern No. 5483 - Midnight Hydrangea by Laura Stone.

Binding by Windham - Impressions by Melissa Marie Collins, Pattern No. 53015D.

Glide thread in Graphite was used for the free motion nested spiral fans.

And an indoor crumpled quilt photo to simulate how the quilt will look when in use in the recliner.

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Wishing all of you a safe and satisfying Thanksgiving weekend.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day."

Shira Tamir

Touching Base

Shirts and Such has been pin basted and the free motion quilting is nearly complete.

This photo shows the top and backing with the thread I'm using.

I've also decided to start using the two vintage Rolodexes I found in a thrift store.

The first one (black base) has cards measuring 2.25 " x 4" so I'm calling it The Tiny Things Rolodex.

This section will feature bits and pieces of packaging.

This section will feature things related to TEA.  

Clearly this one will be a longer term, background kind of project as I find bits and bobs to add.

The second rolodex (light gray/tan base) contains cards that measure 3" x 5" - I'm going to fill it with a variety of non-valuable postage stamps from a wide variety of sources, most free or at very little cost.  Its very non-original name will be the Postage Stamp Rolodex unless I come up with something more clever.

This particular section will feature stamps related to architecture and buildings.  (Do any of you know where Helvetia is?  Switzerland!)

Another section will feature sports and the Olympics.

Other sections I've already decided on are Christmas, Women, Men (including former presidents), Planes-Trains-Automobiles, Nautical, and Flowers.  There will be lots more topics added as I work through the stamps I have in hand.

(and if any of you have cancelled or unused stamps that you no longer want, I'll be happy to re-home them and add them into this motley mix)

I've also discovered this project, and given my love of Happy Mail I've taken their pledge to write one letter (or more if the muse strikes) each week.  

If you're curious, their website is here: https://www.thesundayletterproject.com/

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Family Dinner Sunday, Dentist on Monday, Grandparents Day at Young Man's school on Tuesday followed by a sleepover visit,  Thanksgiving on Thursday (not a big production as there are only 3 of us plus the grand-dog), and then take-down of November's seasonal decor and put-up of December's.    

After a couple more rainy days, our temps are forecast to drop into the freezing zone once more.  Even so, as soon as S&S is finished I will bundle up and get outdoor photos to share here later in the week.

Quiltdivajulie

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"So here's the thing:  unused art materials are of ZERO value.  Enjoy them.  That is why they exist in the world - to bring joy.  Go create something!"

Daisy Yellow

Since My Last Post

Let's start with the weekend first - Young Man was here for an overnight so little else was done beyond enjoying him.  

That said, while he was busy playing video games on DeeDah's computer I was able to take some better outdoor photos of Kefi:

I really do love this happy, scrappy quilt!

Late last week I was able to get the backing sewn together for Shirts and Such which is next up for quilting.

And as soon as Shirts and Such is quilted, Trouvaille will be ready for its turn with Max.  

The Kaffe yardage on the left will be the backing.  The bias stripe will become binding.

I hope to get both of these quilted and finished by early December.  

Time will tell!

Quiltdivajulie

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"A stash should not be a museum with everything behind glass forever - but a restaurant with revolving door and changing menu."

Amanda Leins

Shirts and Such - the Flimsy and Beyond

Finally - a photo of Shirts and Such that is almost true to its real life colors.  (taken outdoors on a heavily overcast day)

The quilt top is roughly 56" ish wide and 72" ish long - I'm sure it will be a bit smaller once it is quilted (not right away - several seasonal items need to be quilted first).

There are at least forty different fabrics in the top - maybe more since much of it was cut from the resource boxes rather than yardage.  Started in late summer 2024, I love the "feel" of this one so much.

These are flowers from Young Man's family - the colors are absolutely perfect with Shirts and Such even though they had no idea the quilt project was underway.

(wasn't able to get them both in the same photo - but you'll be able to see the relationship)

They spent Saturday afternoon at a community-wide art event.  There was a challenge for the kids to get their map marked at each station they visited - According to Mommy Young Man took it very seriously as did many others.

This drawing turned into a funny dark pink pig (he took a pig-themed toss game to his friend's birthday sleepover later that day).

So many children having so much fun together . . . 

Mommy said at this station Young Man hopped into the chair and happily told the helper "I know how to do this - my MeeMah taught me how to sew."  

He also did leaf printing at the Botanic Gardens' station (Uncle A is a volunteer/docent there).  The helpers at the table liked it so much they took another photo and with Mommy's permission shared it on their Instagram feed.

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I'll close the post with this story - As they were driving to school last week, Young Man asked Daddy if he would rather freeze time for a day or go back and spend time with the dinosaurs.  Daddy's immediate answer "Freeze time so I have more time with you."

Quiltdivajulie

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"may my heart always be open to little birds who are the secrets to living"

ee cummings

Works in Progress

Shirts and Such has reached flimsy stage (started in August 2024). 

This is one section of the top laying on my pressing table - I will get a full shot of it on the design wall over the weekend.

I don't know why this one is so hard to photograph - the colors are so much softer and prettier in person.

Last time he spent the night, Young Man saw one of my fabric covered journals in Uncle A's room.

YM asked if I could make one for him - well, of course.

This is the pieced (but not yet trimmed) slab for the outside - the gold print at the top will become the lining.

(and yes, the slab was pieced with strips left after making Dragon Fyre)

I've pin basted the three slabs for June's 5 utility mats and 6 placemats, but haven't had a chance to start quilting them.

Also for June - this is the newly-pressed panel for the dining room wall quilt along with its backing and binding fabric.  I'll get them pin basted and ready for quilting in the next few days.

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Wishing all of you who are moms a Happy Mother's Day weekend and for those of us without our moms,  may the good memories surround us with love.

Quiltdivajulie

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"Simplify, slow down, be kind.  And don't forget to have art in your life -- music, paintings, theater, dance, and sunsets."

Eric Carle

Shirts and Such Moving Forward

It has taken a while, but all of the strip sets for Shirts and Such are sewn.

There will be twelve horizontal rows (hence the groupings of strata, waiting to be pressed and trimmed) but in the short term, these sets will be put aside so I can work on Dragon Fyre.

Here's a closer view so you can see more of the fabrics.

For some reason, photos of these come off rather harshly - the colors are much softer and prettier in person.

And while I have stitched all of those strata, I've been using pairs of rectangles for upcoming Macnas-inspired quilts as leader enders.

All 240-ish pairs for Rubricate were sewn and finger pressed.

All 240-ish pairs for Vellichor were sewn and finger pressed.

And just over half of the pairs for Grandiose were sewn and finger pressed.

That's a LOT of sewn seams and a lot of forward progress on several fronts.

I spent the better part of a rainy day and created a dedicated page for the Macnas series -- Check it out HERE.  I'll keep the list in the sidebar but update the links so they take you to the new page.  You can also use the quilt name labels in the sidebar.

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Time to shift gears and get to work on Young Man's quilt!

Quiltdivajulie

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"The job of an artist is to offer a sanctuary of beauty to an ugly world." 

Jeff Goins

Color Abounds

The earlier of the two Christmas cacti is in full bloom again - such wonderfully vivid color against the cold rain and dark clouds outside the sunroom windows.

Not to be outdone, the second of the two cacti is almost ready to start its second bloom.

I have NEVER had a Christmas cactus bloom a second year let alone TWICE in that second year - Color me delighted!

The amaryllis we purchased shortly before Christmas put on a magnificent display in December.

Lo and behold we have four bonus blooms in February.

Here's a close up of one flower - such beautiful shading in the petals.

The waxed amaryllis gifted by my sister is almost ready to share what color its blossom(s) will be.

. . .  and now heading upstairs to the sewing studio . . . 

As I've sewn the strip segments for Shirts and Such, I have finished stitching the initial pairs for Vellichor (the pairs for Rubricate were finished off earlier in the S&S process).  

With three more sets of segments and the actual row construction yet to come, I needed another leader-ender project so . . . 

I spent a couple of hours preparing the pairs for Grandiose, another quilt in the Macnas-inspired series.

This time around, I'm finger pressing the blocks as they are sewn and oh, the joy these colors exude!

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And stepping around the corner to the design studio (home of my stash and cutting table) . . . 

A little at a time, I've gotten the rectangles cut for Enchanted, another in the Macnas-inspired series (not previously posted).

I saved all the end cuts and such in the white baskets to make scrap slabs when I feel the urge.  I didn't do that with the earlier quilts in the series, but after making the slab from Grandiose leftovers, I realized I was missing a scrappy playtime opportunity.

And finally, I pulled out Wallaroo's project box to cut its rectangles.  

I quickly realized my original plan (shown in this post) to use gray as the alternate to the aboriginals was not going to fly.  Instead, I'll use this mix of warmer neutrals.

You can see the full list of quilts in the Macnas-inspired series in the sidebar, if you're curious.  Eventually I'll create a separate page for them.

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As soon as the cutting table is clear again, I'll get Repose pin basted and get Haru's top, back, and already cut batting rolled onto the pool noodles so Haru is ready to pin baste later this month (if all goes well).

Quiltdivajulie

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"The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts."

Marcus Aurelius

Small Steps

Sewing a little here and a little there, I have the segments sewn for three more rows of Shirts and Such.  Only 9 more segments (for three more rows) to piece.

Then I get to press all of these and design the layout.

I used a lot of small neutral scraps and pieced three 40" snippet rolls.

Here they are finished and wound on spools.

Eventually they'll be used in my journal-making adventures, but for now they just make me happy sitting on the fabric stash shelf.

Here is one of the rolls during the making process.

You can also see my new mug mat made from a length of Blossom's leftover backing.

Oops - I see that I need to make a corrected label for Incandescent's project box.

During my marathon phone call with Lynne earlier in the week, I pinned the project's rectangles in sets of three (2 neutral and 1 color) and clipped them in sets of ten.

I need to cut more neutrals and colors to create 30 more block sets, but that's no problem.

And before I set them aside, I just had to sew up these eleven blocks to reassure myself that I still like the plan.

DH liked them when he passed through and I do, too - especially since I know there are lots more colors and neutrals in the waiting sets.

The prompt for Week 5 of the Full Deck Challenge was "dark green."

This is that tag's back.

Week 6's prompt was "light blue."

Again, the back side of the tag (I can't stand leaving it naked - that just isn't "me").

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I've continued cutting into the waiting piles fabrics for a future all-pink quilt named Trouvaille, and a couple other projects. 

At this point, the cutting table is empty so I can square up the leftover pieces of backing and fuse them together for frankenbatting (Repose will be one of the beneficiaries).

And while I don't have any photos, the amaryllis from Costco is almost ready to bloom for the second time (another couple of days should do it).  The pink Christmas cactus is blooming again and the coral cactus is setting buds for a second bloom.  The waxed amaryllis is steadily growing as well.  I'm thrilled by all of this.

Our weather is gorgeously warm for a day or two, then rain moves in, and next week we go below freezing again.  Depending on just how far below will determine whether we cover the daffodils (they're budding quickly with the warmer days).  Ahhh, the vagaries of early spring in Memphis.

p.s.  You can see earlier posts for any of these projects by clicking on their label below the post.

Quiltdivajulie

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"What art offers is space -- a certain breathing room for the spirit."

John Updike