Circle Up

"Circle Up" is about being a team -- a team of 8 friends supporting another friend from afar. It's about a community circling the wagons and barn-raising for a friend, even when we're scattered across the country. It's about encouragement in times of need, warmth in times of stress, and love in times of challenge. It's about investing in people and making that investment tangible.

On a design level, this quilt is a riff on Alissa Haight Carlton's "Red Square" quilt in Modern Minimal. There are three circles instead of a square and 4 vertical lines instead of 3, lines on right and left, more color and less neutrals, and no red, so the move from origin point to finish line was certainly meandering. In fact, I originally planned to make it purple, blue, and gray, but the solids I had access to just didn't mesh as well as I desired. The yellow vertical line? That was added when I felt the design needed some oomph. I suppose I just can't not improvise.

While the design rests of the graphic power of solids, the back -- gasp! -- uses a print. The gray is from Ellen Luckett Baker's Quilt Blocks collection, and is not only versatile but super soft. I added in some white, charcoal, and Betty's orange to make the back -- the solids are a mix of Bella Solids and P&B textiles. I don't love P&B solids, but I do love the magnificent shade of green they make.

I had a hard time deciding how to quilt Circle Up. Part of me wanted to use the same circle pattern Alissa used in Red Square, but I was concerned about manipulating a quilt this big (60x70) with the particular set-up I had at the time. Actually I was most concerned that swing around the quilt would pull the plug out of the outlet (it was a stretch) and I would end up stopping and starting all the time. That seemed like a plan laden with problems, so I opted for irregular, all-over, mostly straightish lines. And I like it. It's enough quilting to be secure, but with sufficient space to crinkle and drape well. And I avoided knocking out the plug, always a good thing with items electric.

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Berry Lime Sublime

It's true: I'm naming this quilt after my favorite Jamba Juice drink. Which I haven't had one for several years because I'm rarely near a Jamba Juice. But I passed a Jamba Juice yesterday (no, this isn't a plug for the company or a sponsored post despite the use of a corporation name three times in three sentences), and had a naming epiphany. So back to the quilt itself....it emerged from two complementary interests: 1) a desire to use off-white (Moda Snow, I believe) as the neutral and 2) a stack of yellow, orange, and green fabrics (the purple inserted itself later -- fabric having a mind of its own, after all).

Square-in-square blacks may be my favorite go-to block. As per usual, I started with a stack of fabrics cut into strips and some sense of which fabrics might serve as the center focal points. Of course, the size of the starting square and variation of surrounding squares can make the center more or less of a focus per se, but that's just another reason why I like the improvisational nature of this block.

The first three blocks were made from only yellow, green, and orange fabrics. Then a piece of the reddish-purple fabric I was using in another project landed on the square and I knew that purple was an absolutely necessary addition. In keeping with my current proclivities, negative space was a must. I made 9 blocks but discarded one when I decided a rectangular layout spoke to me more than a square one (the voices, sometimes you just have to listen to them).

The quilt also grew from its intended size, which meant that my initial plan for the back (which is to say, sans framed panel in the middle, would be too small. A problem, indeed. It was not until I rummaged through my stash to modify the back that I realized the Laura Gunn Lantern Bloom prints matched perfectly. This oversight arises from my stash organization: although most of my fabrics are stored by colorway, I have a separate box that houses the few fabric collections for which I have the majority of prints. Lantern Bloom lives there.

In one of my rare efforts at quilting forethought, I carefully measured the purple tile mosaic print (the big stripe above) to make sure I could use some on the back and have enough left over for the binding. That way, the color-coordinated front and back would also share some fabric. Well, technically the two sides already shared the yellow (from Joel Dewberry's Heirloom) and green (from Sandi Henderson's Secret Garden), but Lime Sublime lacks the pizazz (and taste) of Berry Lime Sublime, so the purple was necessary.

Assuming my courier did his job, the quilt made it to a baby shower for my friends Trevor and Allison last Sunday. Allison's due date is the day before my birthday, but I'm all for sharing birthdays, since the July 27th is such a fine day. And when they head to the hospital, I get to borrow their amazingly sweet and well-behaved dog, Cricket, so it's a pretty win-win situation for all.

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dGS: May

I've returned to the whirlwind life: going to sleep in 5 different places in 6 nights. It's almost glamorous, except for the shlepping of stuff, the digging through the bag for contact-lens solution, and the reacquaintance with x-long twin beds. So maybe a college dorm room isn't glamorous, but my 10-year college reunion (go Ephs!) was delightful and fun, if a tad exhausting. In the past week, I also snuck in a couple of academic conferences and now I have a couple of weeks in New York for research (and play). In each of my previous NYC summer stints, I lived in Brooklyn. This time, my friend and I are subletting an apartment in the East Village, which means--among other things--that I am surrounded by tons of vegetarian cafes and restaurants...pure delight, I must say.

While real life has a funny way of limiting sewing time, I managed to get these blocks together (at the last possible second) for do.Good Stitches. In May, Kelli asked for framed patchwork blocks. I was grateful for a simple block (see: last-minute sewing), and I think these will look great together in a quilt.

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Vegification: Tofu Soba Noodles in Curry Broth

Image snagged here

Someone recently asked me if I got bored with vegetarian cooking. The simple and immediate answer is no (even if I've been derelict about adding recipes here). There are tons of great vegetarian recipes out there as well as plenty of non-vegetarian recipes that are easily made veggie. Last week, I vegified this beef soba noodle dish and adjusted it to ingredients I had on hand; I'll definitely be making it again. Here's my vegetarian version.

Tofu Soba Noodles in Curry Broth
Serves 4-6 

Ingredients
1 pkg tofu (firm), cut into cubes or strips
kosher salt
1 pkg soba noodles
8 c. coarsely chopped bok choy
1 lb. spinach
1 c. coconut milk
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar (rice would be ideal but I didn't have any)
2 tsp honey
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp peanut or walnut oil (I happened to have walnut oil in the cabinet)
2 tbsp fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
3 tsp red curry paste (more to taste)
1 tbsp sesame seeds


Steps
1. In a large pot, boil water + 1 tsp salt. Add soba noodles and cook according to package directions. During the last minute of cooking, add spinach and bok choy. Drain and rinse under cold water.

2. Prepare tofu: steam it or lightly fry it. If you're steaming it, you can steam it over the noodle pot while the noodles are cooking. If you lightly fry it, do so now (this will require more oil).

3. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp salt, coconut milk, lime juice, vinegar, honey, and pepper. Stir with a whisk.

4. In a small pot, combine 2 tbsp oil, ginger, and garlic over low heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add coconut milk mixture and curry paste. Stir well, until curry paste has fully dissolved.

5. Combine pasta, tofu, curry mixture, and sesame seeds. Toss well. Eat, and take the leftovers for lunch.

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Hack It!

A confession: pillow covers escaped my repertoire until a couple of weeks ago. They pop up all over the place, the perfect "easy" way to redecorate one's living room or bedroom. I suppose they take less time than painting the walls, but painting the walls always seemed much easier to me. After all, I've done my fair share of painting. I pick my favorite saturated color of the moment, get some painter's tape, collect the drop cloths, and start painting. Pillow covers, in contrast, require design. It's best, therefore, to start simple, right? Or to hack some templates.

Fresh off my successful foray into piecing curves, I decided to forego practicing more basics and dive into the next challenge: a big circle outline. There are lots of ways to achieve this, and I could have gone with Dale Fleming's Six-Minute Circle method. But the point was to practice my new curve-by-curve skillz. I had some New York Beauty templates, but of course I had printed the super-advanced kind, the ones with many many spikes and layers. To limit the crazy-making, I wanted 2 curves, not 5. And I wanted a particular width that existed in my head, but not on the template. Obviously the solution here is to hack the templates. I drew a line where I wanted the curve to be, adjusted both the inner quarter-circle and the outer edges and held my breath. Well, not really. I just cut out the templates, cut out some fabric, sewed some pieces, and hoped it worked. For the most part, it did. With a little trimming, I got just the circle I wanted.

Then I set about making the pillowcase. In theory I knew how to do this, but I did check a few blog tutorials just to make sure. In an ode to simplicity, I decided against fiddling with zippers and opted for an envelope closure. This also let me use the small, not quite fat quarter, of a Tula Pink Parisville print that brought together all the colors I was using. The colors being lavender, mint, and gray, all chosen to match my roommate's room decor. Because this pillow cover made its way back to Michigan to celebrate Marie rocking her prelims. [For the non-graduate-school-immersed, prelims (or comps or orals or name-your-test-word) are the big exams between coursework and the dissertation.] Anyhow, since I was unavailable for the in-town celebratory drinks, I sent a present instead. Whether a fine adult beverage or a classy modern pillow cover is a better way to celebrate is a decision I leave to others.

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Dog Days

Am I the only one who listens to new (to me) albums on repeat, for weeks on end? Maybe I'm just weird like that. Florence + the Machine tells me, about every 50 minutes or so, that the Dog Days Are Over, but I'm still stuck in sweltering DC. Summer in DC is supposed to be sweltering -- which is why I don't like it and try (not always successfully) to avoid it. But the end of May? It's not supposed to be this damn hot. But before it got too hot to move, much less wield an iron, I made a bag. Well, I made a few other things too, but we'll stick with the bag for this post.

At this point, I think I've trained my friends to not expect timely birthday presents. As per usual, I knew I wanted to make Claire a Lickety Split bag -- I find it to be one of the most versatile bags I've made and own. At a Del Ray Fabrics tent sale a few weeks ago, I snagged some fabric for it. When I last saw Claire, she mentioned surrounding herself with bright colors to make her black-clothes-base shine (and she rocks both bags and shoes). This is one of the few prints from Amy Butler's Lark collection that I liked, and I think it will play nicely with black clothes.

I make a couple modifications to the bag pattern -- I add some fabric ties in the center but make only 2 pockets. Usually the side with the pockets seems like the de facto "inside" but with this bag, I'm not so sure. Because these pockets, they are awesome.

See: awesome! Shiny, happy, awesome. Home-dec weight birds that pretty perfectly match the olive snail scallop print (from Tula Pink's Prince Charming collection). It's a good thing the pockets are on opposite sides because I think they're about an 1/8" different from one another, due to some winging it while fussy-cutting the bird. I'm quite certain it has no effect on its utility.

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Curves Ahead

It's only taken 14 years, but I've finally taught myself how to piece precise curves. I'm glad I waited, because I'm a big fan of the "no-pin and trim" method (also taught in Rachel's Curves class). I only pin when absolutely necessary, and even then I try to find ways around such tedium. I have a plan for a larger quilt, but the goal was to smart small. I thought I had printed some templates out before I left Michigan. I mean, I had printed them, but I thought I actually had them with me. But no, I left them in a pile of papers back home. And I don't have easy access to a printer right now.

Never fear, there's always a way. Such a way might include, for example, tracing templates from the laptop screen. Press gently. It will work. Even with drafty templates and no pins, the pieces basically line up. That looks pretty circular, right? Trimming is the key, and it's really quite effective with drunkard's path blocks. Even if the block sews up a little tipsy (because that Belgian beer was super delicious), it's fixable.

I limited myself to one storage box of fabric when I left Michigan for this temporary jaunt away. I chose to bring my box of solids plus a few other prints for a couple of planned quilts (this not being one of them, of course). But one of the prints worked for the back, and Betty's Orange clamored to serve as the binding. That's a siren's call I can't resist. Ditto on the seductive curves. Now that I've made them, I'm captivated.

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Topo Map: A Quilt

I've been waiting to show off this quilt for a while now -- the delay is all my fault, as I forgot neglected to take a full dose of pictures when I had the chance and had to ask its new owner to make up for my flawed execution. I scurried to finish this in March -- literally sewing on the binding the day I hopped on a plane to deliver it, or to meet up with my Bad-Decision-Dinosaur^TM-embracing and general-ruckus-making friends, Joel and Jenny. Joel was my fabulous roommate when I lived in Madison, and aside from being one of my closest friends, he has -- in the past 1.5 years -- defended his dissertation, found a job, bought a house, gotten engaged, and done all sorts of awesome things because he is awesome.

And awesome gets you a quilt in my book. It might be a super-late quilt, but it will get to you, one day. It will even be size-appropriate, because when you're tall, you need a tall quilt, obvs.

As previously noted, I accidentally channeled Denyse Schmidt's brain as I made this quilt. I'm pretty sure her technique does not involve making a bunch of half-square triangles (hsts), arranging them, abandoning that arrangement, realizing that said hsts could form giant flying geese with tails, piecing said geese, chopping the tails, and arranging them asymmetrically. Except maybe that last part, because DS, like yours truly, embraces the asymmetry. Sometimes being a little off-balance is a good thing.

I'm usually a mix-the-fabric-lines kind of quilter, but for some reason, my acquisition of Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow led to some MM-only projects. Or MM+solids. In this case, 5 or so yards of Moda's Bella White (I should order that stuff by the bolt) and this lovely light brown courtesy a Target sheet. Because when you've taken all the quilt materials with you to Cincinnati to finish the quilt after working at the archives and then change your mind about what the back should look like, a sheet is a smart option: it's financially responsible and super soft to boot. This picture is theoretically upside down, if the location and direction of the quilt label matters, which it probably doesn't.

I don't have a great close-up of the quilting, but it resembles a topographic map -- you know, the ones that indicate elevation by the density of contour lines -- hence, calling this "Topo Map." Which is also perfect because Joel a) loves maps, b) sometimes makes maps, and c) taught me much of what I know about cartography. And flying geese love topo maps, or they should, if they want to fly efficiently and not run into trees.

Sometimes we go for the quizzical-hipster-in-ice-cave look, where a quilt would probably be quite useful.

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Spring Green

 

This quilt started with the green (Moda's Dill, possibly?). I had visions of a very green, a very spring quilt. The idea came to me in February -- seeking spring, I suppose -- but I didn't act on it until April (there was a touch of travel and work and whatnot in between). It took me a while to decide on what colors to use with the green, and in the end, more green -- lime? -- won out. With a touch of yellow and white.

This quilt was all about play -- with color, with shapes, with ideas, with lines. I started piecing and let it develop. The small lime rectangle was a fairly last-minute addition, when I wanted some oomph. It took a few nights for the quilting plan to gestate. I felt the improv piecing needed some structure for balance. The single chevron-esque quilting is the result.

This quilt is a classic case of looking more simple than it is. It's not that the piecing or the quilting were complicated, exactly. But the piecing had to feel right, and the quilting, well, getting straight lines the same distance apart is not all that easy. I got impatient midway through and let it settle, returning to it the next night, when the quilt + sewing machine + sewing machine operator were a little more in sync.

This quilt back started with about 4 other pieces of fabric. Only the bright turquoise was a constant. I began with a focal print that was white with colorful gear-like wheels on it. But it felt off. Then I remembered the Laura Gunn's lemon tile mosaic (except it's not called lemon), and it hit just the right spot. It adds a little texture but keeps the color scheme united around green.

This ripply picture makes me chuckle. I'm not sure why, I just like it. And after I mailed it off to a friend whose baby is coming any day now, I realized that Dartmouth is the Big Green and she teaches there, so there's that. But it still started with wanting to make a spring quilt for a spring baby.

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Black Hole

The last 2 weeks of April and the first week of May pretty much escaped from my life. I mean, I know where I've been -- the travels include 3 different time zones, some flights, a set of two 11+ hour and two 5ish hour drives, work involved writing a couple conference papers and conference remarks, tooling around in multiple archives, and life included trying to take care of basic things like laundry and food preparation during this insanity. I'm not sure I've ever experienced quite as much zig-zagging about as I did in April 2012 (which in my mind includes May 1-5 as well).

Not that ends, exactly, as tomorrow I'll get in my car again and head to DC. But, quite remarkably for my life this academic year, I will be in DC for 4 weeks. Four weeks. In one place. Amazing. I should also note that while all my clothes for the next 7-8 weeks fit in 1 carry-on sized bag, the same cannot be said for my sewing stuff. Since I'll in one place for so long and driving, it seemed like a good idea to bring my sewing machine. I tried to keep it reasonable by pre-selecting some fabric for some projects, but we'll see how that goes.

In the meantime, I was able to squeeze in a little sewing over the crazy month. Last weekend, I eked out my do.Good Stitches April string blocks just under the May wire (which might bear some resemblance to a May pole, at least in my fogged mind). There was a also a little piecing and quilting, though not much else. Which is a problem since I really wanted to finish some bag gifts for some friends, but luckily, they're very patient people. They may have to be patient for another two months, alas.

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