Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Chemo Chaos Completion

This quilt top has remained dormant since July. The post for 7/5/24 looked at the contrast of the layer cake fabrics from the Bobbins and Bits selection in Sept 2013 by designer Pat Sloan. The post for 7/6/24 displayed the block designs for the layer cake fabrics and explained my choice of the name Chemo Chaos. Then the perfect batik fabric for the backing went on clearance sale at my local quilt shop. It is a whimsical orange batik with stylized ladybug images. There was enough of the backing fabric to use it for my binding as well. I set those glasses on the piece of fabric for scale. In retrospect, probably a ruler would have been a better choice to show scale.

Since the quilt top is 48½" wide, greater than one width of fabric, I needed to add an insert or edging. I placed four remaining 10" squares from the layer cake in a column onto the back interspersed with more ladybug batik. Three of my these leftover squares have words. Batiks do not really have a right and wrong side but I found an exception. I did not notice this detail until they were sewed into a column. I had to remove one and flip it so that the phrases such as MAKE DO AND MEND and  STITCH ON! were not reading backward.

My idea was to have the FMQ accentuate the secondary patterns in top...  small and big diamonds and perhaps that octagon with maybe some smaller squares. I've shown my scribbles in PowerPoint although the actual decision would be finalized in real time. Those four-petal motifs are a go-to pattern of mine so perhaps setting them on point in the bigger diamonds might add interest. How to handle the zig-zag fabric remained an unknown. Maybe a large scale wave at the outer edges... ?



Here is how that center square of sixteen four-petal motifs came out, followed by how one of those orange pointed diamonds looks with four three-leaf motifs in the center bordered by parallel lines.



Quilting this top was a true adventure. I used King Tut 40 weight variegated thread with the recommended #90/14 needle with a side-spooling rather than an end-spooling spindle, and yet the thread periodically shredded and broke, even when loosening the top tension... frustrating to say the least. I muddled through by changing the needle (in case there was a burr or I had installed it incorrectly) and rethreading in case there was something I had overlooked. I then threaded through only two of the three top holes; doing that did not eliminate my breakage but it did reduce it.  I would do a trial on a practice sandwich and all would go fine. Then I'd switched to the quilt top and, not immediately, but eventually, the thread would shred and break once again. Bad thread maybe? Top and backing were batiks, maybe they are tougher? Also twice I managed to catch a corner of the quilt under the quilting area that cost me some remedial tear-out time. Grrr...! Maybe the quilt's feelings are hurt by my proposed name of Chemo Chaos? If so, that moniker is well deserved! 

My envisioned variety of FMQ patterns became less and less ambitious; I just wanted to get it done! I wound up with a combination of parallel lines in the secondary pattern of smaller diamonds and my go-to four petal motif elsewhere. 



I kept the Chemo Chaos name. Here are my grosgrain ribbon labels stitched on the two lower back corners.


The following two images are the front and back of completed Chemo Chaos.



This quilt is a lighthearted reminder of my battles and triumphs with my surprise diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer per my brief 6/13/24 post on the topic. As it says on the back inserts, MAKE DO AND MEND. Yes, indeed!

Friday, October 11, 2024

Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival

Thursday October 10th  I went with my husband to the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival in Pleasanton, CA sponsored by the The Rusty Barn Group. There is no entry fee for the show but it does cost $15 to park. There are some about a half-dozen free seminars and a handful of make-and-take workshops, but for the most part it is a gathering of vendors. The participating vendor list is in the following image. Many of these vendors I have frequented through the years.


I bought very little at this event, mostly I think due to my mood rather that the show contents. My husband supports my quilting purchases. When I was ready to leave to go to the show he gave me this advice. "If you see something you are waffling on send me a text and I will help you decide. If you see something that you really like, but are hesitant to take the plunge, then send me a letter." He then chose to come with me, even wearing his special shirt that says "Quilters Husband".


I bought one yard of a Christmas fabric to use as a backing on a Christmas wallhanging I plan to make. I already own the #206 Deerly Loved pattern by Corey Yoder. The fabric bands run parallel to the selvage and there are four bands across the WOF. I was only able to get one yard and the pattern finishes at 42" x 42" so I will need to add to the edges. This may be the tail wagging the dog, but I will select the fabrics for the wallhanging front based on the striped backing fabric. My goal is to make it for this Christmas. There. I have put the commitment in writing. Actually, it is more a hope rather than a commitment, so I have just given myself some wiggle room.



I also bought  two patterns, both for bags not quilts. I am curious and have often wondered about those Japanese knot bags so I intend to try one of them out relatively soon.


Rounding out my sparse purchases was a black and white fat quarter for $1.50.


That's it for my visual aids. I have no pictures of quilt kits for sale. I have sworn off buying them anyway until I sew down my backlog. Also, the show does have a rule that
Photography, video taping, or sketching of the exhibitors' booths or merchandise is not permitted.

It was fun looking at "stuff" and I enjoyed the outing with my husband. We have had such a heat wave lately, that we have not ventured out of the house much, so this was a welcome change.