antibiotics to igloos and stitching to jumbalaya

Half way through my antibiotics, and I can now move without feeling that my barometric head is pressurized and about ready to explode.  Though the 24 hour flu virus has invaded my area, I've not succumbed as of yet, and I'm not planning on it either! :)
It's still partly sunny with a chance of igloos in my neighborhood:

I'm thankful I can be inside where it's cozy and warm.

So, what quilt-y something have I accomplished in the last few days?
Not much...
I added a border to one block (of the last row) of my Lucy Boston quilt work-in-progress.  Well, really I only stitched together the pictured bottom six cream pieces:

Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses
that I'm hand-stitching, English paper-piecing (1 inch size).

 Then I jumped turned over to this:

My signature block for Flags of the American Revolution,
pattern by Jan Patek.

 Yep, I applique-stitched the star, the the letter L and some of the letter S.

Then I dug through my recipe file box and found my Jumbalaya recipe that I've adapted for the slow-cooker.  I've pulled some sausage and cooked chicken from the freezer, so I'll start that tomorrow morn. (In my world, there's no shrimp, so that will be a side to be added if you want it).
That means dinner tomorrow night is planned.

Not many accomplishments so far, huh?
Glad it's only Tuesday!!

Hope your week is starting out well, and 
Happy Stitching!

Lucy, you have a fussy-cutting problem?

Do you have fabric that looks like this???

You, too may have a fussy-cutting problem. :)

I have quite a few fabric pieces like this -
this is what happens to fabric when you work on 
Patchwork of the Crosses, the Lucy Boston quilt.

Yes, I AM still working on my Lucy...
I had just taken a holiday from it, 
Thanksgiving through New Year's week.
My quilt is to the point that it takes up a lot of real estate
when it's all spread out in all it's glory on the floor,
and with holiday family dinners, decorations, and parties on going,
I decided I needed a break from 
laying it out and picking it up 10 minutes later 
when company came in the door.

So, back to working on my Lucy is happening...
more pictures soon to come!

Happy Stitching!

Retreat Time!!! and a Hall of Lucy

Time for the semi-annual gathering of all things Dear Jane,
held in Shipshewana, which is a very nice Amish area in upstate Indiana.
Besides the Dear Jane quilt, you can, of course, work on any other quilting project you'd like to bring along.  Here's a shot of the room - 

120+ quilters sewing, stitching, talking and laughing, all hours of the day and night.
It's just a wonderful time catching up with friends and making new friends.
Friends from across the whole nation and around the world.
Even if friends couldn't make it this time, we are thinking of them and reminiscing about retreats past.
Earlier today we had a 'Hall of Lucy' photo op - Lucy Boston that is, as in Patchwork of the Crosses.

Here are a couple of photos down one hallway:

 

Caroline's

 Colleen's (with Belgian gals showing the correct position to take good photos :) :

 Kim's:

 Susanne's:

and I'll share more later.
I need to get back to my work station!
Hope everyone is having a good Friday!!
Debra

Lucy Boston

I'm continuing my Lucy, Patchwork of the Crosses journey, 
slowly drawing to the end of this great quilt project. 
Connecting blocks into rows, 
and the rows into a quilt top.  

I've found that I'm not happy with 
the remaining blocks that I already have made.
Rather, the predominant color in the blocks.
It seems that I have a lot of red and pink blocks left.

So instead of putting these reds/pinks all in an outside row together, I'm making a few new blocks (there's NOT a fabric shortage around here or anything:).
Here is one of the replacement POTC blocks
that I don't think I've shared before:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston POTC fabrics - Almost to the end!

And the fabrics from which it was made:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston POTC fabrics

Sorry that I don't have any selvage info on the top two pieces, but the bottom floral/medallion fabric is from the Cocheco Mills IV collection.

I think I'd be ready to start the quilting process
if I'd just stop making more blocks!!! :)

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!

more favorite Lucy Boston POTC - blocks and fabrics

Happy October!!
I've been working on the addition 
of row SEVEN to my Lucy Boston quilt!!

And this row has More of my favorite blocks!!

I don't know how each row can have more of my favorites, 
but it does.  :)
Maybe it's because I love so much the fabrics that I'm using.
Maybe it's because of how the fussy-cutting changes the look of the fabrics.
Or, maybe it's how the fabric colors compliment each other and draw your eye to explore each block.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a couple more of my FAVORITE
Patchwork of the Crosses blocks and the fabrics that I used...

My Life is a Stitch . blogspot.com  
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses, adding row seven!!

 Fabrics in bubble gum pink and greens!

My Life is a Stitch . blogspot.com  
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses, adding row seven!!

The pink fabric on top is Marcus Fabrics, by Judy Rothermel, the middle green piece is also Marcus (by Rothermel I think), and the bottom dark green stripe is an Andover, by Jo Morton.

My Life is a Stitch . blogspot.com  
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses, adding row seven!!

My Life is a Stitch . blogspot.com  
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses, adding row seven!!

In the above picture, as these were quarter yard fabric cuts, I don't have much in the way of info on the line or manufacturer.   Only the word "Divers" on one, and Pattern #606 on the other... BUT, I did write on the selvedge (at time of purchase) that it was Newcastle Fabrics, Divers 1863.  Later, I searched online and found that these were by Margo Krager, from the fall of 2011.  The line had not only these gorgeous peach and madder reds, with a little brown in it too, but also from the same line of fabric was this fabric:

My Life is a Stitch . blogspot.com  
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses, from row six, a one fabric block

the lovely purple with red medallion that I used to make this block:

My Life is a Stitch . blogspot.com  
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses, from row six!!

a block with all one fabric, from the last row I added in August.


So you see, with those great fabrics to fussy-cut, 
how can I not add more to my favorite blocks list???

Back in a few with the row addition!
My thanks to everyone for the compliments and for sharing your Lucy blocks with me!
I just love, love, love seeing all the different looks this block can have!
Also, I have a story to share soon about my friend (Mary Jo), her Lucy quilt, and their trip to England to visit family!!

Happy Stitching!

a little more Lucy - POTC

I've been feeling under the weather, so not much stitching going on,
but this week I did make another Patchwork of the Crosses block 
as a fill for one of my last two rows:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com

I thought my Lucy needed another yellow/light colored block
and I had this great stripy/squares fabric.
Even though it's a pretty strong yellow,
I think the browns in the fabric makes the block seem Autumn-like.
And, notice the first fallen leaf on the grass beside it?
I'm not ready for the falling leaves!
It still feels to me that it should be Summertime ,
Anyway, here's a close up of the block:

And the fabrics that I used:

I don't have info on all of the fabrics, but here's what I do have:
The light colored little stripe on top is by Andover, (inspired by a quilt from the International Quilt Study)
The center piece, the stripe with rows of squares, is not marked on my cut,
and the bottom yellow with dots is Village Collection by Judie Rothermel/Marcus.

Now to add all the little connecting squares!
And enjoy the sunshine, yes, Autumn sunshine, while it's here.

Happy Stitching!

Lucy Boston POTC August 2014

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!

With all of the family/summer/fun stuff going on the past three months, I've not kept up with what I wanted to on my Lucy.
BUT...
I did get another row of seven attached!!!

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - Top row added!!

Now there is a decision to make...
maybe you can help me?
Here is my Lucy POTC on my Mitchell-Rammelsberg antique bed:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 

And here's the foot board of the bed:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
 Mitchell-Rammelsberg bed foot board, 
August 2014 

Seems a shame to me to have the Lucy quilt cover that dusty gorgeous wood.
Leave the two bottom corner blocks in or not??
So, let me know your thoughts, please.  I have a couple months to come to a decision.

Here are individual pictures of this month's blocks:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
August 2014 - row 6

Twenty months into it, I'm still lovin' the process.
But at this point, I'm missing the fussy-cutting though,
since I'm down to some muslin honeycomb pieces and little blue connecting squares.
I can tell already that there is going to be 
a let-down when this quilt is finished.  :)

Happy September and Happy Stitching!

Lucy Boston POTC for JULY

Yes, I know it's mid-August,
but with family fun stuff going on around here,
I never shared my July 
Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses additions!
Not that there was much in the way of finishes last month, :)
but, here's the pile:

mylifeisastitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses

Though it doesn't look it,
that is about 130 one-inch connecting squares, 
enough to connect the next row of blocks...
all basted and ready to attach to my finished blocks.

Not much accomplished, huh?
Still better than nothing, I say.
Now to get them stitched onto the blocks!
By the way,
I only put those connecting squares 
onto two sides and the corners of my blocks:

mylifeisastitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses

the left and top sides, as shown in the above pic.
Then they are ready to sew into rows

mylifeisastitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses

and sewn onto the previously connected rows:

mylifeisastitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses

Maybe I'll do better this month...
err, the last half of this month :)

my 'plan' for Lucy Boston - supplies and thoughts

My LB plan:

make ONE Lucy Boston block

each week of the year of 2013,

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

using the English Paper Piecing method.

This had me finish the year with 52 blocks!!

I need a total of 56 blocks - 8 rows of 7 blocks each,

so the four remaining blocks are to be done as needed, by color. 

My preferred supplies:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

• One inch pre-cut Honeycomb and Square papers and the acrylic templates from paperpieces.com.  These templates have a 3/8" seam allowance built in - the little extra makes it great for fussy-cutting, as you have a little 'slide' room if you miss-cut.   Yes, you can cut all of your own papers, but I'd rather be stitching than cutting paper :)

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

• small rotary cutter - 28 mm. This is easiest to use with the acrylic template so you don't over-cut into the next pattern repeat on your fabric
• pink turntable cutting mat - by busyfingerspatchwork.com (self-healing; also washable if you over-glue)

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

•  YLI quilting thread - 40/3ply - in ecru for my light muslin 'border' pieces, and in light brown for all the colored pieces -(a little heavier, but makes for a stronger seam, & it doesn't twist or knot easily)
•  Straw needles - I like size 10 by Jeana Kimball/Foxglove Cottage
• I occasionally glue-basted for a quick layout, and for that I liked the Sewline glue stick.  This particular glue goes on purple and dries clear.  I put it through a battery of tests: iron heat, dryer heat, baking in the sunshine and oven, all of these both before and after water washing it, with no residue or adverse effects. (I did try two other popular brands of glue sticks - both of them went on lightly colored and dried clear, BUT they both left undesirable stains after the same battery of tests.)

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

•  Fabrics - I used my reproduction stash a lot, but because I was also leading a group at a local quilt shop, I made 'sets' or 'kits' - each of three or four coordinating fat quarters OR 6 -six inch cuts, so a yard of fabric for each kit.  Each kit could potentially make 3 or 4 blocks, depending on how much fussy-cutting you can do in each chosen fabric.  Within each set there was one 'strong' fabric - a stripe or swirl or large print  (I have a couple of blocks that are only one fabric, and a few that are only two fabrics).

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

• Book - Lucy Boston: Patchwork Of The Crosses by Linda Franz - this is not a pattern, but is nice to have because it shows the different methods to accomplish paper-piecing, AND has a whole page of shaded layouts for the different type of crosses that Lucy made.  It also has fabric requirements for not just the blocks, but the 'connecting squares' and the 'borders'

The start of the addiction!!:
Each block is 24 honeycomb pieces and 24 honeycomb border pieces.

(*WARNING! Don't wait until the end to border your blocks!!! 
more on that later)

Using the English Paper Piecing method,
I chose to baste only the fabric,
not through the papers, too.
I found this much easier, with minimal hand fatigue,
and choosing those neutral threads, I knew that I wouldn't have to remove the basting threads later.  
Remember, don't use the super-woman grip while stitching!! Just hold lightly and enjoy the process!
(if you do like and are used to stitching through the paper, I recommend that you try at least one Lucy block NOT stitching through the paper to see the difference it makes on your hand fatigue.  It does take a while to get used to holding and stitching the pieces differently!)

Cutting Fabrics:
Don't forget that stripes or patterns in fabrics don't always have to go the same direction across the paper/piece. 
Mirror image some of the prints, use the corners of the papers to align dark markings on some pieces to create movement within the block:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

Layout:
Tracing around one of the paper pieces, I drew out a layout template to use in my Go&Sew travel bag.

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

I drew one, photocopied it, and dropped two copies (back to back) into a photo sleeve.
As I chose and stitched each honeycomb shape, I used double-stick tape to place and hold  each piece until I had time to stitch the pieces together.
Here's a photo of a well-used Layout Template:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
Lucy Boston, Patchwork of the Crosses

Basting with thread (or glue-basting):
My thought is that the integrity of each block is the hand-stitched seam, so I chose a heavier thread - the YLI quilting thread.  This thread is lightly waxed, so it doesn't twist or knot much as you stitch. 

• I use a small applique pin to hold the fabric in place on the paper piece while single-thread-basting. I back-stitched at each corner, ending where I began the basting. (Glue method - use a small dab of glue on the paper to center your paper on the fabric

Connecting the finished honeycomb pieces:

• After basting each honeycomb, I knotted on the back and then ran my needle/thread under the seam allowance and out of one of the corners.  I continued with that single thread and stitched that honeycomb piece into my block at that time.  This takes a little pre-planning on where to start and end the basting, but soon becomes automatic.  AND, you are not changing threads!!!
• I place right sides together, knot that starting corner, whip-stitched across that inch-long side, and then I knot at that corner, too - so on every inch-side there are about 14 to 16 stitches and a knot at each corner.  Fold the assembled block as needed to align the honeycomb to the next side to stitch.  Stitch the next side, knot, repeat the third/forth time as needed.

• Glue method: place a fine line of glue on one side of the paperpiece and fold the fabric over LOOSELY, pressing onto the glue.  Turn clockwise and repeat around the paperpiece.

• Finally, at the end of stitching and after knotting the final corner, I made a secondary knot, placed into the back of each piece.  This moved the  thread 'tail' away from the seam allowance and corner AND gave me assurance that my knot wouldn't 'pop' later.  Also, I figured that I saved a little time by not cutting the thread and re-knotting in between each piece over the course of the quilt.

Well, that is a whole lot of info for PART ONE - sorry!  
Hopefully, it explains my attack on Lucy...
***And the *WARNING! Don't wait until the end to border your blocks?
More on that in the Part Two!


PART TWO will cover 2014- Connecting my Lucy pieces and making Blocks

ps - if you'd like my LB Layout Template - just leave me a comment/request with your email address.

Thanks for stopping by, and
Happy Stitching!!

Lucy Boston: My block layout template as prep for stitching & travel

I've shared and shared about my Lucy Boston adventure 
over the last year and a half,
but a friend reminded me the other day 
that I've never shared my
method of auditioning & prepping my  
English Paper-pieced Lucy blocks.

Here's a picture of one of my prepped blocks,

partially laid out and ready to travel/stitch: 

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
My Lucy EPP layout template

This template paper has been used multiple times, as you can tell by the fabric strings stuck to the tape pieces; my needle is stuck into the honeycomb piece that I'm stitching next  (I removed the eight outside pieces so you could better see how I did the layout).

AND, the 8.5"by 11" paper is just big enough to fit the center 24 ONE-INCH-pieces of the block - just right for these wonderful blocks!!

Here is the 'blank' layout template:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
My Lucy EPP layout template

Here are the quick and easy steps:

• print this (above) or trace the honeycomb block layout onto a piece of paper to make the layout template  (make multiple copies for multiple block prep)
  

• place a piece of double-sided tape into each traced honeycomb on the paper 

• as you baste each fabric honeycomb, press it onto the taped/appropriate space on your paper.
  

• When your block layout is finished, just slide the layout template paper into a clear (photo) sheet protector.

  Here are the Sheet Protectors that I use:

MyLifeIsAStitch.blogspot.com
My Lucy EPP layout sheet protector/sleeves.

You can put two of the prepped-block layout templates 
into a sheet protector sleeve (back-to-back),
and drop into your work basket or project box.
 (and, yes, you can get these in smaller quantities than my box of 225!)

The paper templates are reusable, 
but I have replaced the tape strips a few times.
And, if you have no pieces ready to layout, 
just put the taped side of your template against the outside of the sheet protector/sleeve
and it will stick there until ready to peel and use again. 

Two little warnings with this layout method: 

1. when you remove the taped honeycombs to stitch, you do have to grab the piece by the paper to peel off, not just by the top point of the fabric, as it can cause the paper to pop out... 
2.  if you leave these prepped blocks on the tape for months and months and months in hot weather conditions/trunk of your car, the tape will adhere to the paper and could ruin your paper-pieces.

This layout method really worked well for me as it is great for take-along stitching...
hope it helps you out also! 

Please feel free to use and share this method, 
just please credit me & my blog if you share it publicly!
Thanks, and Happy Stitching!!!

Lucy Boston POTC - end of June progress

Summertime fun
has really been curtailing my Lucy progress...
I even waited to share and post this until AFTER
the 4th of July long holiday weekend,
hoping I'd get some more stitching done,
but alas, it did not happen.

So, for the end of June,
I didn't get my sixth row attached - Bummer!
Remember when I warned that
if you are doing Lucy Boston
that you should not wait until the end
to make all the 'extra' pieces
for your honeycomb borders and connecting squares???
Well, that's what I've been stitching...
all of those border and square pieces, very slowly.
(It's much more fun to do the fussy-cutting!)

Anyway,
I do have a couple of blocks to share
that I don't think I've shown before:

My Life Is A Stitch. BlogSpot.com

My Life Is A Stitch. BlogSpot.com

They are going into the middle of row six -
as soon as I get all those outside connectors on :)

Hope your weekend was great, and
Happy Stitching!

Lucy Boston - change is good? bad?

I am a fan of change.
Bold statement, I know.
I think change is a sign of personal growth,
so, yes, I'm all in for growing, learning, evolving!

So, in the above picture, that left-hand block???
It has a fabric placement problem.

Note the blue/black striped fabric

in the outside corners of the Lucy block...

I was going for an outside-corner look,

as the top-left corner shows.

NOT a chevron look,

as the three remaining corner placements show

And I have to decide if I'm unstitching it or leaving it be...
since only one of the four corners is correct, it would mean unstitching A.LOT.
Thirty inches to be exact.
Yep, that's a whole lot of un-stitching.

Any thoughts/comments?

Here's the crazy part to me (there's always a crazy part with me):
I made this block about a year ago...
I did not notice the wrong placement when I stitched it,
or when I photographed it,
when I shared it with the sew-along group that I was leading at the LQS,
nor when I shared the block finish on my blog. 
Neither did I notice it when I stitched it into the row of blocks.

I only noticed it now,
AFTER I stitched the completed row to the ever-growing quilt top.

At this point, the block is on the outside perimeter of the quilt,
so NOW is the time to change it if I'm going to.

So, please, if you could take a moment and
share your thoughts with me?

Change is good:

should I unstitch and re-stitch                           
as I intended the fussy-cut fabric placement?

OR

Change is bad: 

 should I leave it as is?

 

 

Thanks for your time and consideration,

and Happy Monday, Happy Week, and Happy Stitching to you!

Debra