tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55551923337729262522024-03-14T03:22:17.800-04:00Two Hippostwo hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.comBlogger552125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-26482095582328059512014-08-12T16:24:00.001-04:002014-08-12T16:24:08.024-04:00Spring BountyI made and distributed quite a few quilts this spring. I even remembered to take pictures of most of them, but I completely failed on the blogging front. I'm going to try to remedy this backlog for the rest of the month....<br />
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First up, what I like to think of as Spring Bounty. Lots of color, lots of favorite fabric tidbits. It's a baby quilt that I made using <a href="http://www.jennabrand.com/">Jenna</a>'s <a href="http://jennabrand.com/2014/05/05/arizona-quilt-tutorial-and-giveaway/#more-2536">Arizona Quilt tutorial</a>.<br />
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The center squares for the quarter log-cabins are an array of neutrals, ranging from white to cream to taupe (or is it beige? I'm not really sure sure what the difference between taupe and beige is except I asked my new landlord if the walls were beige as I recalled them to be from pictures and he responded that they are light taupe. Anyways....) The brights are all from the stash and mostly from my scrap bins. It was fun to pluck out fabrics I really like, since I didn't necessarily need much to make the blocks (hence some logs are on the skinner side, just depended what I had, which was perfect for the patter).<br />
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Can you see the quilting? Maybe, maybe not. It's an organic, slightly unevenly spaced and occasionally wavy-lined grid. I like easy quilting and eyeballing it without too much concern for precision (ummm, or none at all) was pretty perfect. I think I borrowed this quilting idea from <a href="http://www.thequiltengineer.com/">Latifah</a>. Indeed, I did: from her marvelous <a href="http://www.thequiltengineer.com/the-big-o-quilt/">Big O quilt</a>.<br />
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The back is pieced and brings together an assortment of bright, fun prints that coordinate with the front. The middle multi-color print is one of those fabrics that hung around in my stash for so so long waiting to be used, and I'm glad I finally found the right fit for it.<br />
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Spring Bounty now lives with Talia in Maryland, though Napoleon may be using it just as much. two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-68988566129791003832014-06-01T10:56:00.001-04:002014-06-01T10:56:57.670-04:00So Much SewingI know it's been forever and a day since I last posted, and much of that period stemmed directly from the lack of sewing time. Between February and early May, I'm not sure if I sewed a stitch. Finishing a dissertation will do that to you. But the dissertation is done and defended, and I've enjoyed a nice chunk of relatively open-ended time. Thus May has been, err, was (it's June today, woah), a wonderfully sewing-filled month.<br />
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One of the first things I did was make a long-planned wedding gift for Joel and Sibyl. They got married in September which was a lot of months ago, but I had zero time to make things back then. I did have time to purchase fabric, however, and I picked out some fun fabric for cloth napkins that also formed the basis of the color scheme and aesthetic of a table runner. At one point, my mom wondered what I was going to make for them, since I had already given Joel <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2012/05/topo-map.html">a quilt</a>.<br />
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Joel and I were roommates back in the day, including the days in which
he began dating Sibyl, and we spent a lot of time enjoying good food
(not to mention our <i>stunning</i> ability to polish off whle jars of
pickles and olives in one setting). Quality napkins and a table runner
for Joel's super awesome craftsman-style table (which he found at a yard
sale and was already in the apartment when I arrived) fit the bill.<br />
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Handily, Joel was in Ann Arbor for work this week, which meant that I not only got to give his wedding present to him in person but we got to take some fantastic parking lot pictures. Who doesn't need a few cars in their crafty photos? As it turns out, one of the awesome things about making gifts for people with whom you lived is that it's pretty easy to nail their aesthetic -- a task made even easier when you have quite similar taste. So the table runner has two sides, the little bits and bobs side and the chunks of cool fabric side. Both are intended to work well in the neat green kitchen J+S have in Seattle.<br />
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Initially I was a little uncertain about how to quilt this, given those tiny bits and a lot of negative space. I opted for undulating free-hand echo curves which I love. I used several shades of gray, blue/aqua, and black. While I could pretend that this was a design decision, made to reflect nature and the Pacific Northwest, the truth of the matter is that I ran out of both the medium gray and aqua while quilting and thus needed to add in more and more colors. Happenstance for the win.<br /><br />two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-51680763478331504382014-02-20T09:33:00.001-05:002014-02-20T09:34:33.553-05:00Rocketship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This one is a longtime time coming. It started as a honeybun and became a rocketship over many many months. At first I thought I would make a huge chevron sort of thing or maybe some dramatic diagonals. I didn't really have a plan, just a desire to make a baby quilt and use this Hello Betty honeybun that, frankly, was shedding the edges of its 1.5" strips all over my other fabric.<br />
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That Y-seam provided an unexpected learning opportunity. Which is to say, I had never sewn such a seam before and thought it quite intimidating. (This is, of course, the result of not planning out the quilt ahead of time, because that Y-seam is actually quite avoidable, but I digress). Luckily, the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild is full of really smart sewers and kind teachers; Ginia very patiently helped me figure this out. Because when you're going to sew a Y-seam for the first time, it's not actually advisable to do one with huge pieces of fabric and lots of bias edges. But challenges: I like them? I like them.<br />
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I started quilting with the 1/4" echo quilting. It was great for stabilizing the quilt. However, if I'm being honest, it also became tedious and tiresome rather fast. After 4 hours, I needed a new plan, because I did want to finish this quilt. Hence the stippling which, as home quilting goes, is usually quick (relatively) and manageable. In hindsight, I think some flame quilting in the negative space (<a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/products/kona-in-natural">Kona natural</a>) would have been cool but since I just thought of that now, it was not meant to be.<br />
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Bound with more Kona natural and sent to California: rocketship is out and about.<br />
<br />two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-49131252339146227622014-02-13T11:09:00.000-05:002014-02-13T11:09:54.345-05:00Point the Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />This was a giant paper-piecing experiment designed around those little slivers of Marimekko fabric. I'd been hanging on to the delightfully silver neutral stripe print for a whole now, and never found fabrics I felt worked with it. In challenging myself to use it, I decided to focus on the colors it included: silver, cream, beige, purple. Without a lot of the fabric to use, I wanted a bold, minimalist design. So I made myself some paper templates (good way to use up 12" scrapbook paper that's lingered in my art supply collection for years) and got to work. The quilt consists of 8 pieced blocks and 4 solid blocks).<br />
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Paper-piecing produces pretty perfect points. I made some freezer paper templates of each of the 5 shapes -- the center (1) and edge triangles (2) as well as the slivers (2) to help with cut with minimal waste and avoid almost-but-not-quite-covering a piece of the template (which still happened...but only once...and in a very fixable way). When it came time to quilt, I got a little adventurous and used different thread and different quilting patterns for each fabric. The silver squiggle is my favorite.<br />
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For the first time in a while, I went for a super simple non-pieced back. I had just the right amount of this fun, squawking bird print (picked up at Ikea, a few years back), and it added some pattern-y goodness to the minimalist front. A sweet grey binding later, and the quilt was done.<br />
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Well, almost done. After I washed, dried, and took these pictures, I noticed that one of the purple seams had come partially undone. This was really weird, since it was a full 1/4" seam and I've never had that happen before (partial lie: it happened with imperfect 1/4" seams when I was a newbie quilter). A little steam-a-seam and a few repair stitches later, and the quilt flew off to Connecticut where it resides with young William (and <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2011/04/day-at-lake.html">Cynthia and Andy</a>).two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-52016406000370616182014-01-22T12:45:00.000-05:002014-01-30T12:56:32.456-05:00A Midweek Peek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A Confession: as a somewhat lazy laundress, I often find that an imminent need to do laundry offers an incentive to finish a quilt. Otherwise, it might take a while for that quilt to get all soft and crumbly from the washer/dryer rumble.<br />
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The blocks above emerged from a desire to use the neutral striped Marimekko print, of which I had some but not a lot, and for which I was uncertain about coordinating colors. So it's a very neutral quilt. Not my usual color scheme, but a pleasant experiment with paper-piecing (of my own devising, though perhaps there are comparable blocks out there in pattern-land).<br />
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The quilt is ready to send off to its new owner. But I need to take pictures, and this -3 nonsense to which I awoke this morning (cozy under flannel sheets, several quilts, and a down comforter) has not exactly inspired a photo shoot. According to my weather app, it's 10 degrees warmer now, at a whopping 7, which might be sufficient enough for some whole-quilt shots outside.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-19023270843222169802014-01-16T16:48:00.002-05:002014-01-16T16:48:15.732-05:00The Baby at the Bachelor Party{I'm taking this opportunity to do a little #latergram style blogging. This post is brought to you by August 2013...}
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Apparently not everyone has gender-inclusive bachelor parties, complete with the attendance of a baby (neither mine nor the bachelor's, for the record). At least, that's what <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2011/09/giant-hug.html">Jenny</a> and I gleaned when we served as chief participants in <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2012/05/topo-map.html">Joel</a>'s bachelor weekend. We got a lot of odd looks when we told people what we were doing. Which mostly involved gallivanting in a park, eating really good food, imbibing delicious drinks, going to a spa, attending live theatre, eating amazing cookies, and hanging out.<br />
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Did I mention the cookies? They're amazing.<br />
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I took this opportunity to multi-task and give Elody her baby quilt. Improvisationally-pieced with (mostly) Modern Meadow prints plus a little magenta and yellow for pizazz, this quilt came together quickly over a couple days. Lots of vertical movement and negative space, just how I like my quilts.<br />
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And Elody seemed pretty content as well, even as we wrapped her and unwrapped her for our high-class on-the-couch photo shoot. The back has 2 prints, both with lots of blues and purples. It's all straight-line quilting, at random intervals. I can't really remember why I chose to quilt it like that, but I like it.<br />
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two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-66536612925872968232014-01-10T09:13:00.002-05:002014-01-11T11:02:33.834-05:00Lurching forwardI had forgotten how slippery a ruler could be, how hard I needed to press down to keep it locked into place as I cut fabric. The rotary cutter glided against the edge, and all the sudden, it wasn’t even. It wasn’t that perfect 2 and a quarter inch I sought, I needed, to finish a quilt that had languished for weeks and even months. The quilt, the many pieces of fabric sewn together, just so, says a lot about the past 6 months. Or, rather, its construction does. Or, really, the fits and starts in which it was put together, sewn together, the long slow crawl in which it was constructed, made, shaped into being.<br /><br />It started in the summer, a new project for a friend’s baby. It started, like most of my projects, with a glimpse of an idea, a passing thought about shapes and color. It started with strips of fabric, hastily thrown together one warm summer night when I needed to sew, when my mind moved faster than my hands. And then it sat, as these things sometimes do, while I took care of the rest of my life. I prepared to teach my own class, I scurried to meet a bevy of early fall deadlines, I marched through a suite of Jewish fall holidays, I prepped materials for the looming job market that inched closer and closer. All the while, a large block sat on my futon, and ideas about what to do with it flitted through my head.<br />
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Finally, some breathing room, some space between other obligations, arrived, and I returned to the quilt. I attended several sewing events at <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/">Pink Castle Fabrics</a>, used the huge design wall to figure out the real plan for this quilt, learned how to sew a Y-seam to make the ideas I had work, and finally, the quilt top was done. A month later, I pieced together the back, splicing and sewing yardage that coordinated with the front. It came together in an evening and, with more deadlines met, I worked again, basting and quilting and watching as a glimmer of a thought materialized as a quilt. I was almost done. The quilt almost finished. The gift nearly ready to be sent.<br /><br />And then my world crashed down around me. Not softly, but harshly.<br /><br />My dad died. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Without warning. It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving and I was close by, in the metro area for a conference. He was supposed to meet me for lunch and he never made it.<br /><br />The details of that day aren’t fuzzy. Some elements are impressionistic, but they’re still sharp and painful.<br /><br />Days marched on, time moved ahead, and we lurched forward, incrementally, taking small and tentative steps into a new world, one whose contours are still unfamiliar and whose boundaries are not yet charted.<br /><br />It had been 7 weeks since I last touched the quilt, forty-nine days of trying to gather new bearings. I knew I would sew again. Some of the obstacles were merely practical: for long chunks of the past few months, I was away from my stash, from my rulers and cutting mat, from my sewing machine. I glanced at blog posts here and there, I thought about shapes and let ideas percolate. I thought about closing the blog, knowing that my posts had waned long before November 24 and not really sure when I would want to return, if ever. I mentioned this in passing to my brother last week. And he told me to keep it. My brother who may or may not have ever read a blog post told me to keep it. So I did. <br /><br />Last night I finished the quilt. I’ll wash it soon and mail it and maybe post about it. More likely, truth be told, it will show up on Instagram (you can find me there as two_hippos) and that might be it. Or I may squeeze out time from dissertation-writing-winter and post about it here. I'm not yet sure, but I'll figure it out.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-62434709718045385962013-08-30T18:20:00.000-04:002013-08-30T18:20:00.630-04:00Into the Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, about five days before I left Michigan for a conference in New York, I made plans with my friends Josh and Adam who, as it turned out, just returned to the city with their new son. Josh and I have been friends since high school and it's the sort of friendship sustained over irregular yearly-ish visits rather than regular emails and phone calls. Hence it was only when I announced I was flitting through town that I learned about Leo's arrival. At which point a flurry of fast sewing and quilting ensued.<br />
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I decided to continue the <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2013/08/sunspots.html">minimalist</a> <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2013/02/into-emerald-woods.html">monochromatic</a> series with a perennial color favorite: aqua. (Also, I knew I had enough solids or near-solids to make this design work, which is not something I can say for most colors. Aqua: it speaks to me and makes me buy it.) Working on a fast deadline meant that simplicity reigned, and a giant starbust seemed fun and (relatively) simply. I drafted 4 20" blocks on butcher paper and paper-pieced the quadrants. Keeping giant pieces of fabric in line was a tad tricky, but I only had to unpick and resew 2 seams, which I considered a victory.<br />
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Keeping with the simplicity theme, the back consists of two large pieces of fabric from Erin McMorris collections: a large red chunk from Weekends and a smaller saffron bit from LaDeeDa. I had been waiting for an opportunity to use the large red flowers, as chopping this particular large-scale print seemed counterproductive. I made this quilt a couple weeks after Rossie's thoughtful post about <a href="http://r0ssie.blogspot.com/2013/08/gearedforguys.html">gender and quilting</a>, and I was particularly pleased to use a giant floral print on a quilt for a boy because, seriously, flowers are awesome for everyone (in fact, it was a former male roommate who taught me that sometimes you should just buy flowers for yourself, because they're lovely and pleasing to look at and increase joy).<br />
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The quilting is "echo-plus," which is to say quilting lines offset about 1/8" from each seam, plus a line through the approximate center of each wedge. Enough to hold the quilt together but scant enough to keep it soft and drapey. When I arrived with the quilt, I learned that my color selection was prescient as Leo's room has a Tiffany blue accent wall. <br /><br />
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Black and white chevron-striped binding? Yes, please. I adore this binding. I'm convinced it's brilliant, so don't tell me otherwise. The stark contrast between the soft aquas and the robust black thrills me. Also I got to sew it with black thread and I so rarely use black thread that I think the spool has been with me for at least 5 years. It was crying out to be used.<br /><br />two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-44566680398570988492013-08-22T11:38:00.004-04:002013-08-22T11:39:34.243-04:00Sunspots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was not really prepared for the summer onslaught of babies. Lots of my friends had babies; few quilts were on their way or even gestating in my brain. But this quilt's concept, the fabric pull, and the mulling over of design started this winter, after I made <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2013/02/into-emerald-woods.html">this emerald quilt</a>. I thought it would be cool to do a series of minimalist monochromatic quilts, all offset by a binding in a different color. And since I bound the emerald quilt with orange, I figured orange should be next in the sequence.<br />
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At one point I envisioned a giant asterisk quilt. But as June turned into July and I decided to make the orange quilt for the forthcoming bebe of my friends' <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2011/06/dresser-and-seismometer.html">Sarah and Danny</a> (#2, actually), I was feeling less asterisk-y and more linear. I wanted to play the oranges off one another, and the slats of some blinds provided inspiration. Some Riley Blake circles helped finish off the quilt front when I ran out of the darker orange solid (measure before sewing, why bother?)<br />
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To contrast the linear nature of the design, I quilted a giant offset spiral, which is almost impossible to see, but I think conveys the idea of light streaming through an upstairs window. I am very pleased with the peppy aqua binding as well.<br />
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The primary backing fabric came all the way from Liberia. My roommate did some research there last summer and, knowing my love of fabric, brought me back a couple different pieces. The selvage on this one noted "veritable real wax super binta" on one side and "guaranteed real wax" on the other -- so definitely a legit batik print. Although I'm not a fabric pre-washer, there was a slightly waxy residue on the print and I wasn't sure how color-fast it was, so I did pre-wash it. After a washer-dryer cycle, it feels like old thick cotton sheets, and while there was a little bleeding of the navy dye, it was barely noticeable. Danny and Sarah departed Michigan for New Orleans in July, and I was pleased to be able to send Karl off to the land of beignets and jazz with his new quilt.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-62426964054605823232013-08-08T11:11:00.002-04:002013-08-08T11:11:29.635-04:00Windmill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have learned many things this summer, including the fact that mental blogging does not, it turns out, translate into actual blogging. Thus I have a bit of a blogging backlog to address--which is to say, to actually blog, rather than contemplate blogging while running, showering, doing dishes, walking dogs, or any other sundry activities. First up: Windmill. </div>
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This quilt started as an experimental block initially created to use the
blue/green stripe (a Marimekko/Crate & Barrel outlet print). I had a vision for the block -- and the eventual quilt -- but plunged into sewing before I figured out the best way to make the block. The best way is not to paper piece the half-square-triangle-with-stripe and add a border, for, as the above image indicates, it's very hard to line up correctly. Had I paused and drafted a paper-pieced design for the whole block, well, that would have been smarter. But I didn't, at which point the block design changed to fit what I had and what precision I could handle.<br />
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Semi-bordered squares: perhaps they suggest motion more than stasis? Let's go with that line of argument. When my friends Ethan and Hagit had a baby this spring, I decided I should finish up this quilt top and send it off to Cincinnati, where they've graciously offered me meals and more when I was there for research last year. <br />
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At which point I realized I could use some fun Ed Emberley prints (dogs & frogs) for the back, and plucked some other coordinating prints from my stash. The quilting appears a little more clearly on the back -- I used elongated squiggles in the spokes of the windmill and stippling throughout the rest of the quilt. The thread became unintentionally variegated as the two spools of deep blue were not, as it turns out, exactly the same. But I'm cool with variation and impatient with shopping, so a mixture of blues turned out to serve my needs perfectly. I'm banking on Daniel not noticing for a long while, if ever... <br />
two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-6090509720406046562013-06-11T00:23:00.000-04:002013-06-11T00:28:29.541-04:00Eph + Eph, or How to Make A Chuppah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes you show up to graduate school and find out that another cohort-mate went to your <a href="http://www.williams.edu/">alma mater</a>, albeit 6 years after you did. Then you bond over <a href="http://athletics.williams.edu/Why_Ephs-_Purple-_and_Purple_Cows">purple cows</a>, and become friends and office-mates. You meet his partner (who also attended your alma mater), who eventually moves to town, and you hang out some more. Eventually they get engaged and you offer to make their <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/search/label/chuppahs"><i>chuppah</i></a> (wedding canopy) and, finally, about 4 months before the wedding, it's time to make it. So, how to make your friends a chuppah, in 10 easy steps.<br />
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1. Have friends who also have thoughts about design. A&Y looked through my blog and some flickr groups and we met to discuss what they <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2008/07/starry-night-chuppah.html">liked</a> and found <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrosupialdesigns/5766029783/">compelling</a> -- something modern, something with purples and blues, and something containing both regularity and surprise. I suggested a modern, random half-square triangle design, and they agreed -- provided they could choose the colors.<br />
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2. Ideally your friends have an eye for color too. We took a field trip to <a href="https://pink-castle-fabrics.myshopify.com/">Pink Castle Fabrics</a>, back when it was still in Brenda and Jason's basement. There they learned that fabric is mesmerizing and captivating and makes decision-making difficult. They found out that there are a lot of shades of blue and gray and yellow and white (and many fewer of purple). But they persevered and selected a fabulous stack o' fabric which consisted of: <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/collections/solids-by-color-black-white-solids/products/bella-in-bleached-white">white</a>, <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/collections/solids-by-color-blue-solids/products/kona-in-lake">lake</a>, <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/collections/collection-cotton-couture-solids/products/cotton-couture-in-marine">marine</a> {more aqua-blue than slate-blue in real life}, <a href="http://www.robertkaufman.com/fabrics/kona_cotton/K001-415/">regal</a> {more purple-y than it looks on the screen or in pictures}, <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/collections/collection-cotton-couture-solids/products/cotton-couture-in-charcoal">charcoal</a>, and <a href="http://www.pinkcastlefabrics.com/collections/collection-designer-solids/products/designer-solid-in-yellow">yellow</a>. I confess I was a little unsure of the lake blue at first, wondering if it was too pale, but it worked well. <br />
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3. Start cutting (6" strips, cut into 6" squares). I started cutting at a crafty meet-up, where <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/">Rae</a> dubbed the bundle of solids, "vestment-like." Makes a lot of sense for a wedding canopy!<br />
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4. Sew: I divvied up the squares into factorial-like piles and started sewing. Somewhere along the way, my arithmetic went awry and as I finished -- or so I thought -- trimming the squares (down to 5 5/8"), I realized I needed about 18 more squares. At which point I grabbed some fabric, cut some squares, and sewed them together, without much thought as to the precise number of squares per color.<br />
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5. Iron for awhile. Consider vacuuming the "design floor." Get all determined and sweep <i>and</i> vacuum said floor. Start laying out squares. Move around as seems wise, or possibly because you step on some squares and mess up the order.<br />
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6. Maintain some semblance of order. As you may be able to see, I made myself little tags (right bottom) to keep the rows in order. For what may have been the first time ever, I did not mess up the order and need to unpick and resew. That might never ever happen again. But I think it's a strong endorsement of tagging rows in some fashion (mine are bits of fabrics with numbers written on them -- very high tech!).<br />
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7. Press seams for some time. Catch up on the season finales of NCIS, NCIS-LA, Castle, and whatever other shows you like.<br />
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8. Baste. I used a white flannel sheet as batting and a white cotton sheet as backing. I basted it over my ironing board, which I find is the best way to keep everything aligned, tight (I iron the layers as I pin baste, thereby smoothing out any wrinkles).<br />
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9. Quilt. I opted for what I like to think of as a lattice-like curved grid (a technical term to be sure). On the top I used white thread, and on the back I used white, purple, and yellow (purple and yellow being ze college colors and all).<br />
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10. Bind (in Kona Regal) and admire your handiwork. Also revel in finishing 2 weeks before the wedding and one week before your friends need the chuppah. <br />
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Enjoy watching two lovely people get married. Celebrate with them, think lovely thoughts about the ceremony (sunburn notwithstanding), take lots of pictures, play with fun filters, and wonder why capturing the gorgeous deep purple is so so hard.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-11698698796799734592013-05-26T11:31:00.001-04:002013-05-26T15:20:09.185-04:00Summer in San Francisco: A Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The grass was wet and I needed to take pictures of the quilt. I toted it around with me as I ran errands, attended a party, and went about my weekend business. As I was returning home, I noticed this abandoned auto garage and decided to take advantage of its <strike>industrial chic</strike> driveway to take pictures. I assume everyone walking and driving by thought I was nuts (it's on the edge of a neighborhood, along a busy road, so there were plenty of people available to gawk). What you can't see, or can't see well, in this image, is the barbed wire above the "no parking" sign. Alas I forgot the towels and other means of circumventing barbed wire (you learn a lot from watching crime procedurals...<i>Burn Notice</i> is particularly effective for acquiring such knowledge). Ah well. Back to the quilt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8ZvNbivLJHAGmcXBdN4XqOGt4qzNFap8OY5JNPdJNYW1XcNDdOqQOooFULwoxPXe1_jdjULFtApsM-qCVhQ12nc-qW_aDYyQBc3L7BpcRW4hxfZuIppraHD2L44Z10UlFDy64GVylusG/s1600/IMG_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8ZvNbivLJHAGmcXBdN4XqOGt4qzNFap8OY5JNPdJNYW1XcNDdOqQOooFULwoxPXe1_jdjULFtApsM-qCVhQ12nc-qW_aDYyQBc3L7BpcRW4hxfZuIppraHD2L44Z10UlFDy64GVylusG/s320/IMG_0316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This started as low-volume play with triangles, a riff on the March weather that tacked between gray and gray. I rummaged through my scrap bin and stash and plucked out a variety of solid, almost-solid, and light prints, and cut away. The light gray, green, and blue solids became powerfully saturated (context: it matters, as we historians like to repeat, over and over and over again), but watching the whites and creams duke it out as the rows came together was equally fun.<br />
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One of the best aspects of random layouts is the fact that mistakenly sewing a row in the wrong order doesn't matter. I might have done that. Possibly twice. <br />
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The green and blue tree print (Marimekko) needed to go on the back, or rather needed to be displayed in large quantities and thus needed a spot of honor on the back. That represented one of the first decisions I made in planning this quilt. I had no idea what would join it until I needed a back and started mixing and matching options. I'm pretty sure the remnant triangles are my favorite part of the back. Until my eyes linger on the coral-orange stripe and I like it best. It's so hard to choose among awesome design elements, but handily I don't actually have to actually make a decision. I like the back a lot, that's all.<br />
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The diamond quilting--offset by what is a little more than 1/4" inch but less than 3/8" of an inch (5/16", it would seem)--pleases me greatly. Especially on the back where it stands out and looks very quilty. The binding comes from an ombre Marimekko remnant that shuffles between grey-blue and deep green. At one point
I know I had a fabulous name for this quilt, but my brain has siphoned
it off to somewhere presently irretrievable; as a result, I shall dub it
Summer in San Francisco, for that's where it will lodge, and the
colors are, in a way, quite reflective of delightfully chilly SF
summers. </div>
two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-21107586944588755862013-04-25T10:33:00.000-04:002013-05-26T11:35:26.774-04:00Diamond Derby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSIz-DCurvh9i5YfAOaiM7rwA7n6H7FSuG53keJakMql54Qye_RnSjO1Wke_mmHq9rtlsLU8m1Pn8qoNU6elGG6vxNGC-UT6RkQvuFvZ3qAgwqbNUbdGHrOodZQKx1nhC5H3PKBZ3BnzJ/s1600/IMG_8799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSIz-DCurvh9i5YfAOaiM7rwA7n6H7FSuG53keJakMql54Qye_RnSjO1Wke_mmHq9rtlsLU8m1Pn8qoNU6elGG6vxNGC-UT6RkQvuFvZ3qAgwqbNUbdGHrOodZQKx1nhC5H3PKBZ3BnzJ/s320/IMG_8799.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It snowed--snowed!--here yesterday. Grrr. But that reminded me that I last took pictures of a quilt in the snow. Thankfully, that snow was in February, where snow belongs. <br />
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I started playing with diamonds in December, sketching out a few different options. Just because. I didn't know who would get this quilt, and just felt the urge to play a bit. The final sketch became the plan, albeit one that swerved when sewing the blocks together. I forgot where I had placed the blue block, but I don't think that slight switch mattered much. </div>
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A lot of my favorite oranges and aquas leapt from the scrap bin into this quilt (they're very active, those scraps). In an attempt to keep the strips straight, I paper-pieced the diamonds.
This turned out to be handy less for the strips and more for the
background as I had very little charcoal painter's canvas to spare and
needed to piece together scraps which were easier to handle when
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VMxlUZXxk8fjiCa4HAQcF3JB4TAtA1Knz7QIn6C3ocbhm1-xMmkOKE2f1BD0qtmFIDeCK5oLr-z5c0HdasSv4DxNSjis1NksgRNQkY4nIV2k-PEYkv6VOc-kSdupvoqPAbybxjWfjX-u/s1600/IMG_8809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VMxlUZXxk8fjiCa4HAQcF3JB4TAtA1Knz7QIn6C3ocbhm1-xMmkOKE2f1BD0qtmFIDeCK5oLr-z5c0HdasSv4DxNSjis1NksgRNQkY4nIV2k-PEYkv6VOc-kSdupvoqPAbybxjWfjX-u/s320/IMG_8809.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The back: some fun black and white and aqua and orange prints. I used straight-line quilting, some vaguely standardized distance apart. Maybe an inch? It's hard to recall such details from February which is perhaps why I should have posted this earlier. Oh well, should you seek to emulate it, pick a distance and enjoy! One of the best parts of finishing Diamond Derby (which I just named now, should you have momentarily wondered) was that I got to give it to Yasmeen (or, really, her awesome parents) <i>in person</i>. The post office usually delivers quilts for me, which is a nice service and all, but it's way more fun to watch people unfold quilts.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-6081394855015116212013-03-24T12:33:00.001-04:002013-03-24T12:35:29.783-04:00Crunch Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-VLsqTwZlyizTjBBxX9h654PzO-R1UVGpygPdFA1gfZ7UZSupls9n1pBHn8K2F7Kensgp52eKDtW2p5TeeavVLFkmapFufv-ZejTpThV1bQEKmZGX1pRexTIsoNSxSpxFoHXMQ0Vkah7/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-VLsqTwZlyizTjBBxX9h654PzO-R1UVGpygPdFA1gfZ7UZSupls9n1pBHn8K2F7Kensgp52eKDtW2p5TeeavVLFkmapFufv-ZejTpThV1bQEKmZGX1pRexTIsoNSxSpxFoHXMQ0Vkah7/s320/IMG_0329.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I was in college (in the olden days), the dining halls had a bread table, and on the bread table sat a box of matzah -- presumably left over from Passover and set out until consumed. During my first year, I learned that there were people who actually liked matzah. This was a revelation, as I could not fathom how one could enjoy the taste of cardboard. It turns out that when one does not eat it for 8 days every spring, one can like it. I mean, it still boggles my mind, as I limit my matzah consumption to small amounts on Passover, but still, there's something in there for the psychologists to think about.<br />
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A friend recently enlisted my help in a gift project, and to help her, I realized I needed to figure out how to piece certain Hebrew letters, notably the tzadik (above). Rather than make a lonely letter, I decided to make a word -- matzah -- and then make it into a matzah cover. This was timely, since Passover starts tomorrow night. I kept things simple and made white letters and used a blue/green ombre fabric (Marimekko scraps). I wanted the quilting to evoke matzah (which is sort of grid-like in appearance) without sewing over the letters. I tried out some straight-edge free-motion quilting which, I learned, is harder than curvy free-motion work. Or maybe I just need more practice. I like the effect, imperfectly sharp lines and all.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2R6G6ExpNIu8DrGptUKMsa55Mp7w6_YzfDwrKnoxM69QMfjwFJ3qUJ2LwBnu73aHXiBCHNryGtQgB5KrRC45wZJUIZoziQGcZcPMqvSiYmAATzvVb4q-gQm-KOjz-cae1gN8nqJqfem5/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2R6G6ExpNIu8DrGptUKMsa55Mp7w6_YzfDwrKnoxM69QMfjwFJ3qUJ2LwBnu73aHXiBCHNryGtQgB5KrRC45wZJUIZoziQGcZcPMqvSiYmAATzvVb4q-gQm-KOjz-cae1gN8nqJqfem5/s320/IMG_0336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I dug into my scrap bin for the back and played around with some improv curves. I think I might make a bigger quilt with curvy columns. Usually I choose my binding to make a quilt pop, but this time I decided to emphasize the ombre fabric and use it to bind the quilt. It blends along some edges and pops along others. I like it.<br /><br />two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-18902755770674267162013-03-05T11:28:00.003-05:002013-03-24T12:34:40.108-04:00A Little Garnish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwzCgBI1vIiuUHhiw_65fg9cFJQTKnp3FaG2ihD7JXyOJglXE05_KDO8C_5hlxPR_N5obPT_1NPOaR0lv6pSKNAhN7trTrFeKRemRjtqWQSj6uDTOPKLiUlqXlhAGUXGjkNtaFJkFG6U4/s1600/IMG_6518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwzCgBI1vIiuUHhiw_65fg9cFJQTKnp3FaG2ihD7JXyOJglXE05_KDO8C_5hlxPR_N5obPT_1NPOaR0lv6pSKNAhN7trTrFeKRemRjtqWQSj6uDTOPKLiUlqXlhAGUXGjkNtaFJkFG6U4/s320/IMG_6518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Frozen snow adorns the landscape. Lest you think this is a good thing, it is not. It's icy, rigid, and ugly. Also, it's March, and this sort of stubborn snow seems unnecessary. It's time for spring, mud and all. I assume that's why I've developed a regular hankering for radishes. They're sprightly and crunchy and colorful, and the big log pink and green log cabin in the middle of snowy white cotton sort of reminds me of them.<br />
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The resemblance is obvious, no? This square started as an scrap-busting coaster project, until I realized I don't really like making fabric coasters. They're small, kind of annoying, and the ratio of time spent to fulfillment is terribly low. So I abandoned that plan, and made a baby quilt instead. One big block, lots of negative space, and some delicate loop quilting, and the ratio of time spent to fulfillment was so much better. I've also developed an appreciation for chartreuse. It's not a color I particularly love or to which I gravitate, but I like it with these bright pinks -- or with turquoise and navy.<br />
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This photo session -- which admittedly transpired in January or possibly even late December -- produced an abysmal array of images of the quilt back. Most of them were blurry -- and not in an artsy, fun, instagrammy sort of way. Nevertheless, I'd been looking for the perfect project for this Erin McMorris Wildwood print. It seemed best used as a large slab but pink/grey/chartreuse is not a color combination I'm accustomed to using; thus it sat on the shelf under consideration for several years before nabbing a spot on the back of this quilt. A little light green binding later, the quilt was done and shipped off to northern California where winter is sort of like spring in Michigan.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-55627535690975595652013-02-21T12:12:00.003-05:002013-02-21T12:20:58.519-05:00Recipe: Hamantaschen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Purim is upon us, or will be Saturday night. It's loud, brash, costumed, and carnivalesque. Merriment comes in many forms, including baking, so for those looking to make some traingle-filled-deliciousness, here you go:<br />
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<b>Hamantaschen</b><br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<i>Dough</i><br />
1/2 lb. butter (1 cup/2 sticks/16 tbsp*)<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/2 c. sugar<br />
2 c. flour + more to roll out dough<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
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<i>Filling</i><br />
{Be wild! The options are infinite.}<go are="" infinite.="" options="" the="" wild=""> Last night I used:</go><br />
Raspberry Preserves<br />
Blackberry-Pomegranate Jam<br />
Apricot Jelly<br />
Nutella<br />
{Basically, you want the filling to be thick so it doesn't run. Mohn (<a href="http://theshiksa.com/2010/02/23/hamantaschen-poppy-seed-mohn-filling/">poppyseed)</a> is traditional though, truth be told, not my favorite, no matter what the Slate wizards <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/02/21/orange_poppy_seed_hamantaschen_recipe_they_look_like_hats_but_taste_like.html">claim</a><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/02/21/orange_poppy_seed_hamantaschen_recipe_they_look_like_hats_but_taste_like.html"></a>.}<br />
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1. Combine butter, eggs, and sugar. Mix well.<br />
2. Add flour and baking powder. Mix well. Add more flour as necessary. The dough should be just a slight touch sticky.<br />
3. Place dough in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.<br />
4. Preheat oven to 350.<br />
5. Roll out dough about 1/8" thick. Cut out circles. (I use a pint glass as a cookie cutter.)<br />
6. Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center. Make triangles -- I find this <a href="http://theshiksa.com/2012/03/01/how-to-make-perfect-hamantaschen/">pinwheel technique</a> (as shown at the bottom of the link) the best for creating secure triangles.<br />
7. Bake for about 13 minutes at 350.<br />
8. Eat, share, enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Last night, we decided to make a third batch with 1.75 sticks of butter remaining. They turned out fine, so you can reduce the butter if you so please with little, if any, consequence.</span><br />
<i> </i>two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-51643394235051362322013-02-12T10:28:00.000-05:002013-03-05T10:53:38.785-05:00Into the Emerald Woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwupBBzyuno/URpbGNkR7fI/AAAAAAAADeM/j0mOCzkQ60s/s1600/mod+quilt.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwupBBzyuno/URpbGNkR7fI/AAAAAAAADeM/j0mOCzkQ60s/s320/mod+quilt.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Way back when, in the fall, when there were still yellow leaves dancing in the trees and fluttering on the ground, I had this idea for a quilt series: monochromatic, two-tone, shape-focused quilts. I made one, pulled the fabric for a second, and got stymied for time. But perhaps it will be a series developed over many months, a yearly touchstone of Two Hippos designs. Or it will stay in my head. Which is fine too.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2rMYMIVXtM/URpZsrGWM_I/AAAAAAAADdY/Gefk9Zdcuw8/s1600/IMG_6411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2rMYMIVXtM/URpZsrGWM_I/AAAAAAAADdY/Gefk9Zdcuw8/s320/IMG_6411.JPG" width="316" /></a></div>
The front yard is currently brown with specks of old snow, maybe even a few remnant piles of white glory. But every fall it gets coated in brilliant yellow, providing the perfect backdrop for a very green quilt (pre-washing -- had to take advantage of the color). For the record, I made this before Pantone selected Emerald as the color of the year, but obviously they read my mind. The particular greens came from my unlabeled stash which means I cannot tell you where to find them. I sort of think one of them was from P&B textiles, but that's all I got. The binding was Moda Orange, I know that.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNHmRpIyPVg/URpZrvjVtcI/AAAAAAAADdQ/kpXeNDY5s4w/s1600/IMG_6414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNHmRpIyPVg/URpZrvjVtcI/AAAAAAAADdQ/kpXeNDY5s4w/s320/IMG_6414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It started with the medium chevrons, pieced from 5" squares turned into HSTS sewn together into chevrons. At one point, it was all chevrons plus negative space. I liked it but didn't love it. Also, it was a touch small and I was out of the darker green fabric (a regular issue when one quilts from stash <i>and</i> does not plan ahead of time -- it's more fun this way, I promise).<br />
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In a quest for movement, I added the line (cue first week of 9th grade geometry and lessons on points and lines. I mostly remember the teacher talking about dots as points and points as lines, beyond that I much preferred algebra to geometry). I considered upping the green quotient with some bright lime, but I held tight to my two-toned vision.<br />
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Until the binding, when I auditioned several more greens and, on a lark, some orange. It needed orange. But before I bound, I quilted, in irregularly spaced curvy lines. It's one of my favorite quilting methods (imprecise, fast, crinkle-inducing, and echoed the Mendocino backing fabric -- super soft stuff, that Mendocino line). It was tempting to keep this one, but it was too small for me to use (at about 36"x45") and too large to hang. Instead, it made its way to Chicago and the hands of the young Judah Oliver, whose <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2010/02/flowers-in-meadow.html">parents</a>, I happen to know, also adore green.<br />
<br />two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-17809163369960839032013-01-04T12:10:00.000-05:002013-01-04T12:10:28.336-05:00Winter Star<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes the background color is the easiest choice to make. When a friend asked me to make a quilt for her friend's new baby, she suggested something "green or maybe purple, nothing too boyish." I loved this set of color instructions. I toyed with purple and gray (a combination that often pops into my head and maybe one day will make it into a quilt), but I knew green was the way to go, and Moda Dill just felt right (and, um, I had a bunch of it. Practicality plays a role too). The question was what other fabrics to use.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pmo8d7dYKMQ/UOcEPQsXDOI/AAAAAAAADcQ/QdOOzPGoI6c/s1600/IMG_6505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pmo8d7dYKMQ/UOcEPQsXDOI/AAAAAAAADcQ/QdOOzPGoI6c/s320/IMG_6505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My fabric stash is not wanting for greens, but a lot of them fall more on the blue-green side of the color wheel. Chartreuse, despite its current fashion popularity, rarely made me press click when I viewed it online. But lovely as my aqua-trending stash is, it just didn't feel right. Which surprised me, because I had already decided to use a purple binding, and I thought blue-greens would fit. But then it made sense: green/blue-green/purple completes the rainbow, but walks, rather than sashays, down the runway. Yellow-greens it would have to be. Loosely interpreted (that wood grain is really more yellow, than yellow-green), I settled upon 8 star-worthy choices. I'm not even sure which one is my favorite, and I thought picking a favorite would be easier with a color scheme that I buy less frequently. Except that I think less commonly acquired means more carefully selected. Fabric stashing can be tricky like that.<br />
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I shrunk Jeni's <a href="http://www.incolororder.com/2011/08/giant-vintage-star-quilt-tutorial.html">Vintage Star Quilt</a>, making it baby, rather than giant, sized. By baby-sized, I mean about 40" square. The 10" piece of Seedpod, with its perfectly matching dark green and wonderfully coordinating yellows, oranges, and light greens, determined the size of the star. That is, I made big HST blocks with 10" squares (9.5" trimmed), which yielded a 36" star. I wanted it to float, so I added 2.5" green borders on all sides.</div>
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If there's one animal that predominates in my fabric collection, it's birds. Which is a little funny since I know very little about said creatures. I might be able to identify a robin and a raven, but there my ornithological knowledge ends. When rendered in two-dimensions, however, Joel Dewberry's birds stand apart from Paula Prass' and Laurie Wisbrun's separate from Valorie Wells. Thus the backing brought together a yard of nesting birds with a wide strip of flying ones. Free-motion stippling--with variegated green thread on the front and white thread on the back--holds it all together. Finally, purple edged its way into the binding -- a beautiful Marimekko purple print I picked up over the summer at the Crate & Barrel outlet.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-60050943352369850102013-01-02T11:38:00.001-05:002013-01-02T11:41:00.668-05:00Processing 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIO2kUlvAdl5WsDERC7Sx3yjCqi2KYN1LjJXN6vxzk543bZIypAb9x-VejkFzVYI_zErv9ZNj0KmX01zJGQX8YJd786RYQHSTFZO5GIRtykNtHgz04LLOOhTgM1Jxik-bQbzfe_kLm34pG/s1600/mosaic6d2a373e0c24235720222cd737e04756db66b640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIO2kUlvAdl5WsDERC7Sx3yjCqi2KYN1LjJXN6vxzk543bZIypAb9x-VejkFzVYI_zErv9ZNj0KmX01zJGQX8YJd786RYQHSTFZO5GIRtykNtHgz04LLOOhTgM1Jxik-bQbzfe_kLm34pG/s320/mosaic6d2a373e0c24235720222cd737e04756db66b640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/6641511919/">X2Y4–6Z8O20(OH,F)4: Front</a>, 2. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/6680004215/">Organic Imperfection (front)</a>, 3. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/6731588305/">Love in a (Snowy) Mist: Front</a>, 4. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/6771863161/">The Arty Zig: Front</a>, 5. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/6987505407/">Rainbow Challah Cover</a>, 6. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/6896942996/">Warm Spring: Front</a>, 7. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7193731286/">Spring Green</a>, 8. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7217023360/">Topo Map: A Quilt</a>, 9. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7262358560/">Curves</a>, 10. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7374994718/">Berry Lime Sublime (front)</a>, 11. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7420562754/">Circle Up</a>, 12. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7515479566/">Sand & Sea</a>, 13. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7650288432/">New Pillows!</a>, 14. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7722381630/">Foxy (front)</a>, 15. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7734082598/">Challah Cover</a>, 16. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7838774904/">Orbs Away</a>, 17. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7976332958/">A Zig and a Zag Table Runner</a>, 18. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/8099934339/">The Accidental Living Room Quilt</a>, 19. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/8157915104/">Triangulate: Complete</a>, 20. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/8182588416/">Scattered Color Pop</a>, 21. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/8243811375/">Good & Plenty</a>, 22. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/8315079232/">A Little Spice</a>, 23. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/8327218819/">Sebastian, Literally</a>, 24. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/2hippos/7929582466/">Washi Dress!</a></span></div>
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I think of 2012 in two halves: the traveling half and the quasi-settled half. Despite a lot of roving dissertation research, I still managed to squeeze in quite a bit of sewing time last year. Not in a diligent, disciplined sort of way, but in an unrestrained, furious sort of way.<br />
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And so it is true: I am a binge sewer. The latest example merely illustrates my habitual tendencies: I didn't touch my sewing machine for about a month this fall, from Thanksgiving to late December, and then I pieced and quilted like a madwoman for a few days in late December. I finished three quilts (all of which need to make their way to their new owners before debuting here), I started two quilt projects, and I migrated some design ideas from head to graph paper. Then I cleaned up, hosted friends for New Year's Eve dinner, and crossed back into dissertation-writing (and less sewing) land. That's my way, my pace, my pattern, my flow, and it's not going to change. It's imperfect, but it works.<br />
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Likewise, I've settled into my quilting style; I adore minimalism, negative space, and saturated color. Shapes matter, graphic sensibilities predominate, and color preferences drift between warm and cool. I don't think this will radically change, but it will stew, evolve, and mature. I'm starting to concretize a sartorial style as well. Sewing a dress for myself helped me think more about how garments fit and, most importantly, how I want them to fit. I saw a dress I wanted to make, and when I asked a friend about possible patterns for something comparable, she exclaimed "that is So You!" At which point I realized I know what I like and I can identify what will look good on me (a revelation many have before age 32, but late blooming is blooming nonetheless). <br />
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But here's what I don't know: where this style will take me, the views it will show me, the people to whom it will introduce me, the ways it will change me, the ideas it will instill in me, or the possibilities it contains. So given this: to curiosity, discovery, and fresh ways of thinking, doing, working, and living in 2013.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-63336334160418772222012-12-30T20:07:00.001-05:002012-12-30T20:09:03.988-05:00Sebastian, Literally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K8LJeavMyZ4/UNxr4gCPmOI/AAAAAAAADaU/myjy873De7k/s1600/IMG_6478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K8LJeavMyZ4/UNxr4gCPmOI/AAAAAAAADaU/myjy873De7k/s320/IMG_6478.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Barring some radical shifts in the US population's naming preferences, my name is never going to crack the top 1000 baby names, as measured by the Social Security Name <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/#ht=2">Database</a> (a fascinating dataset, for those statistically inclined or trend curious). Which I rather like. At least now -- there was the crushing childhood realization that I would never find my name plastered on magnets or keychains or the like (which my siblings could, in fact, purchase). But I've recovered from that discovery and rather enjoy possessing an unusual (in the US) name, even if it sometimes causes pronunciation consternation (in others; I know how to say my name, though some native Hebrew speakers might dispute my Americanized version) and gender confusion (theoretically this could be explained by the fact that my name in Hindi denotes a male, but somehow I don't think that's why I get emails sent to Mr...).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaD0P90_Eu4/UNxr6qo3tZI/AAAAAAAADac/tFm0Ryz-9d4/s1600/IMG_6480.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaD0P90_Eu4/UNxr6qo3tZI/AAAAAAAADac/tFm0Ryz-9d4/s320/IMG_6480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sebastian, in contrast, has enjoyed a popularity curve worthy of a roller coast ride. One hundred years ago, it rested at 567, but by 1950, it fell out of the top 1000 names. A decade later, it poked its way back in, and then, for about a quarter century, toggled between the mid-700s and the mid-500s. By 1986, it started its upward climb and, at the turn of the 21st century, it jumped into the top 100. For the past 2 years, Sebastian has rested comfortably as the 68th most popular boy's name in the US. But when asked to make a quilt for a baby named Sebastian, I knew nothing of this history. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RwkCsWFJFII/UNxr_Y0JK_I/AAAAAAAADas/b44FsTASu54/s1600/IMG_6483.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RwkCsWFJFII/UNxr_Y0JK_I/AAAAAAAADas/b44FsTASu54/s320/IMG_6483.JPG" width="267" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaD0P90_Eu4/UNxr6qo3tZI/AAAAAAAADac/tFm0Ryz-9d4/s1600/IMG_6480.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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I simply knew that the baby was named for a family friend's deceased
father and they wanted a quilt that reflected this meaningful name
choice. I chose to be literal, and I made the name the visual
centerpiece of the quilt. I paper-pieced the letters (3"x4") from templates I made (inspired by <a href="http://kelbysews.blogspot.com/2011/11/pattern-freebie-and-giveaway.html">these</a>). The "a" turned out to be my favorite, though whether that's because of the shape or the fabrics used, I'm not sure. I used blues and greens from my scrap bin and stash, and arrayed the letters on a dark-light-dark spectrum, all set against Kona Mustard. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff75ymRQTDI/UNxsCXcpcaI/AAAAAAAADa8/l4okGbGV1fo/s1600/IMG_6485.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff75ymRQTDI/UNxsCXcpcaI/AAAAAAAADa8/l4okGbGV1fo/s320/IMG_6485.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaD0P90_Eu4/UNxr6qo3tZI/AAAAAAAADac/tFm0Ryz-9d4/s1600/IMG_6480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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To add some visual interest, I pieced some squares and rectangles together, and added them above Sebastian. As is my habit, I improvised as I pieced -- adding, trimming, debating, selecting, rejecting (aka seam-ripping), and adding some more. The crinkling derives from unevenly spaced straight-line quilting. The back of the quilt is Michael Miller flannel (Zoology in Sea), which is delightfully soft. Whether or not Sebastian has made its way on to magnets and keychains, but this Sebastian has at least one thing with his name labeled with his name.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-74454999842596407392012-12-27T11:18:00.000-05:002012-12-27T11:18:44.319-05:00A Little Spice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes the closet provides the perfect upcycled wrapping. Because a warm, flannel-backed quilt might just save you 10 percent on your heating bills this winter. I finished this quilt right before I went home for Thanksgiving, and I wanted to make sure it stayed protected in transit. That, and I needed to deliver it to the person who commissioned it as a wedding gift, and I thought she'd enjoy the temporary wrapping.<br />
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I showed <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2012/10/step-by-step.html">a few glimpses</a> of the quilt in progress way back when I started it. As noted then, the design is based on Felicity's lovely <a href="http://www.felicityquilts.com/2012/10/sea-glass-on-sand.html">Sea Glass on Sand</a>, and based on her (and other feedback) I added in a couple of mulberry triangles to pop against the browns, greens, and creams. The colors, along with the seasonal scents they evoke and the occasion for the quilt, led me to dub it "A Little Spice" as I constructed it; the name stuck. The color scheme is a little different from my typical choices, but it was designed for the couple whose apartment is decorated in creams with green and brown accents. Working out of my color comfort zone pushed me to think about design, and how a quilt could sing in a more muted palette.<br />
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I love how the bright white draws the eye in as much as the greens and darker tans. The blocks were all 6" and I originally planned a 10x12 layout, I added an extra row to make it 10x13 (or 55"x71.5") as I pieced it together. The seam allowance ate up the 1/2" between rows and while I knew that would happen, I felt a need to compensate. Or at least make sure there would be room for the couple's toes. I borrowed the quilting plan from Felicity as well, using 2 interlocking curves on the diagonal -- a technique I'll certainly use again.<br />
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The quilt commission came with a request for a "soft back," and I opted for flannel. A flannel sheet from Target to be specific. The sheet is thicker than quilting flannel, so that plus a layer of batting makes for a substantial throw quilt. Using a sheet also eliminated the need to piece the back and, as it was bigger than the front, simplified basting as well. The binding is a Heather Ross print, Meadow Flowers, I picked up in the sale vault at <a href="http://www.lakestmercantile.com/">Lake Street Mercantile</a> about 4 years ago. Apparently I could have sold that yard for about $36 right now (admittedly, it's no <a href="http://grouchyquilter.tumblr.com/post/29246717457/worth-it">goldfish</a>), but I'm content to let aesthetic value trump financial gain. Plus, if someone had purchased it, I would have had to go to the post office between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that surely represents a terrible use of time.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-81508037583571761922012-12-04T10:25:00.001-05:002012-12-04T10:25:02.329-05:00Good & Plenty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Or Mike & Ikes, because, to be honest, I hate licorice and bubble-gum pink, which places Good & Plenty's pretty low on my candy consumption list. So low that I don't think I've tasted a Good & Plenty in decades, if not longer. But candy, delightful as it can be (when it's <i>tasty</i> and all), is not actually the point of this post. (Shocking, right?)<br />
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I'm really hoping that this quilt made it to its new home. I haven't heard and, as luck would have it, I sent it on its merry way to New York City two days before Sandy unleashed chaos on the region. Priority Mail, I'm guessing, did not operate quite as quickly as usual in the aftermath of a damaging storm. And I didn't put a tracking number on it because apparently I like to test fate. If nothing else, I'm recording its existence here.<br />
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I really like the quilts I make. But this one? This quilt I love. The <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2012/10/sewing-it-still-happens.html">idea</a> popped into my head and, despite some unfortunate moments with the seam ripper, it came into being before exasperation set it. Each Good & Plenty orb uses a large rectangle plus 4 drunkard's block pieces, and I think it might be more efficient and precise to use half-circle blocks, but that's an experiment waiting in the wings. I can imagine all sorts of other color combinations and layouts with these blocks, but I do love them in solids. Some of my favorite solids to be precise -- Betty's Orange, Charcoal, a beguiling aqua whose name I don't know, Gray, and a charming yellow whose name likewise escapes me. They're either Moda Bella Solids or Kona, and the background cream is Moda Snow.<br />
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I got all fancy with the orb-quilting, using coordinating thread, a free-motion foot, and a different technique (most of which were new to me) in each color. There are pebbles. There are loops. There are squiggles. And there viney leaves. Viney leaves, people. Those were new and tricky and challenging, and I have no idea how people quilt more of the them in larger spaces on their home machines. I hear there's this thing called practice, but still, that's some hard quilting.<br />
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As has been my wont this fall, I pieced a backing from stash fabrics. A half-yard here, a whole yard there, and random pieces in between. I'm making a slight dent in the piles, and I love displaying some larger swaths. Cute as those elephants are, it's the repeat in the orange fabric that pleases me most.<br />
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As always, Good & Plenty is <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2011/06/tutorial-how-to-machine-bind-your-quilt.html">machine-bound</a>. I got a little fancy here, using aqua thread on the charcoal binding for a little twist. It's only visible close-up, but it adds a little solid sparkle to the edges.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-47492640938123910612012-12-03T09:47:00.000-05:002012-12-10T08:51:48.786-05:00SMS Giveaway Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Right before Labor Day, I began making clutches. There's nothing like <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2012/09/clutch.html">a friend's request</a> to jumpstart new projects, especially when the requests are doable in a short amount of time. For <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2012/11/giveaway-day-is-december-3-are-you-ready/">SMS Giveaway Day</a>, I'm offering one (1) clutch to a random winner -- the choice of blue or pink is yours. It's also cool to enter to win it for a friend; the choice of color remains in your control, unless you'd prefer that I make a choice for a person I don't (think I) know.<br />
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Here's a little peek at the interiors, which showcase different fabrics, include a magnetic snap, and contain a divider (an invisible surprise!).<br />
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To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post.<br />
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The fine print:<br />
*One comment (entry) per person. Please make sure I can contact you by email.<br />
*This giveaway is open to everyone, wherever you live in the world.<br />
*The giveaway will remain open until Friday, December 7 at 8 pm EST (or thereabouts!).<br />
*The winner will be selected randomly.<br />
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<i>ETA: The giveaway is now closed, and random magic picked #145: CraftyGirl83.</i>two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com158tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-81753648006877437112012-11-15T08:55:00.000-05:002012-11-15T08:55:35.099-05:00Tonight: A2MQG Show & Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For anyone in SE Michigan, NW Ohio, or the Windsor, ON area: the <a href="http://a2mqg.blogspot.com/">Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild</a> Show & Sale is tonight at the <a href="http://www.arborbrewing.com/brewery">Corner Brewery</a>. Join us! In addition to quilts, there will be additional handmade items -- great for holiday, birthday, wedding, graduation, just-because gifts...<br />
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More on the quilt above soon!two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5555192333772926252.post-2561139345066237362012-11-13T12:02:00.003-05:002012-11-13T12:06:30.226-05:00Scattered Color Pop (Mini Tutorial Included)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's nothing like a quilt show & sale to make quilt tops jump off the shelf and get themselves backed, quilted, and bound. I might have played a little role in this process, but the importance of deadlines in my life cannot be overstated. I made this <a href="http://2hippos.blogspot.com/2012/04/timing-or-some-thoughts-on-distribution.html">quilt top</a> last winter, after which I dallied finishing it. Most of my sewing projects arise with a recipient in mind, whereas this one started with an idea and no recipient, which is where the no deadline issue arose. But finished it is. And love it I do.<br />
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A few people asked me about size, fabric requirements, and the like so I'm going to provide a mini-pattern-tutorial. As half-square triangles represent the entirety of the block-making, and the layout is random, I'm really only providing some numbers and measurements. This particular version finishes at about 54" x 58.5" (12 rows, 13 columns), but it's super easy to upsize or downsize: make more (or fewer) blocks. In other words, figure out the dimensions (rows/columns), multiply, and the product = necessary HST blocks.<br />
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<i>Supplies</i><br />
1 charm pack (42 5" squares)<br />
25" of <u>3</u> coordinating solids, cross-cut in 5" WOF strips<br />
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Cut 5" strips into 38 5" squares (if you cut all the strips, you'll have 40 squares of each solid. You could use 40 each of 2 solids and 34 of another, thus only requiring 4.5 5" strips on one color (if, say, you have solid scraps and not quite 25" of one). I think I used 42 5" squares of the off-white and khaki, and 30 of the gold, but I can't recall and I'm too lazy to count HSTs in the quilt itself. The point is: this is a versatile, flexible design. Use what you have!<br />
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Divvy up each group of squares into thirds. You should have 12 piles. As 38 does not divide evenly into 3, the groups won't be the same size. Then pair up the piles as follows (substituting whatever colors you're using): (1) charms/off-white, (2) charms/khaki, (3) charms/gold, (4) off-white/khaki, (5) off-white/gold, and (6) gold/khaki. Make sure each pile consists of full pairs. The piles with the charms should have 14 charm/solid pairs, while the solid-solid piles will vary depending on how you divided 38.<br />
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Sew squares into half-square triangles, using your preferred method. I draw a diagonal line down the center, stitch a scant 1/4" on both sides, cut on the line, and voila, 2 HSTs ready to be pressed. Trim your blocks. With 5" starting squares, I usually trim down to 4 5/8" but you might be able to eek out 4.75" or prefer to play it safe with 4.5".<br />
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Lay it out -- I start by grabbing squares randomly and then rearranging to get a reasonable distribution of color. In the end, it is not random in the mathematical sense, but visually it feels random. Sew it up. Take a break, have a drink, eat a treat, and admire your lovely quilt top.<br />
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Since this quilt is now finished, it has a back too. I pretty much adore this quilt back. It's got bright colors, birds in cages, ugly ducklings, and a slight little angle that I'll pretend was completely intentional. Totally planned. Because that's how I do it. I pulled stash prints that coordinated with the charm pack (It's a Hoot), at which point I realized it <i>needed</i> a red binding.<br />
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So I made one. Bright red Riley Blake circles. Works with the front and the back.<br />
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Perhaps you'd like to see this quilt in person and possibly even buy it for yourself or a loved one? If you're in SE Michigan or NW Ohio or South-Central (???) Canada (what's the Windsor, ON region called?), it will be at the <a href="http://a2mqg.blogspot.com/">Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild</a> Show & Sale this Thursday (November 15) at the <a href="http://www.arborbrewing.com/brewery">Corner Brewery</a> in Ypsi, 5-9 pm. You should come. If I don't know you, I'd love to meet you. And if it doesn't sell at the show, it might make its way to a little pop-up quilt, challah cover, and clutch sale here on the blog, in the near-ish future.two hipposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907652932679209251noreply@blogger.com4