Kawandi Finish

 

 My goal for this month was to finish the Kawandi quilt I started at the end of February. And I did! Here it is: 

It is just 38 x 38 cm, and made from a bag of scraps from other members of the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. The rules of the challenge were to use scraps from the bag to make something and to only use two fabrics from your own stash. Apart from the backing and wadding I only used one fabric - the purple frame and the corners to the centrepiece; all the rest was from the bag.

I used Aurifil no. 12 cotton throughout, except for the French knots in the centrepiece which are two strands of DMC stranded cotton. 

Centrepiece quilted with embroidery: stem stitch, running stitch and French knots.

I posted earlier about this project: here and here . In the second of these posts I described the process. 

Although the process is not difficult I found this slow going at the beginning. Not surprising as I had to find a way to anchor the side edges of the pieces as I added them, and the lines of stitching are obviously longer on the outside of the piece. This was intended as a sampler, a practice piece; I knew it wouldn't be perfect and yet I'm satisfied with the result. I learnt a lot in the making!

I am linking up to: 

• One Monthly Goal Finish:  https://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2022/03/OMGMarch22finish.html
• Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More: https://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2022/03/my-very-first-prairie-schooler-santa.html
  

 Click on the link to see what others have been up to.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Kawandi update.

 Two weeks ago I posted this photo of my mini Kawandi project:

Kawandi is the name for quilt in the dialect of the Siddi people in India. I've never been to India, but saw a few videos about these quilts while wandering around YouTube. As I'd never made a quilt using this technique I thought the Dutch MQG challenge to make something from other members' scraps would be the perfect opportunity to start.

Now it looks like this. The sewing together is finished. It measures 29 cm square and I just have to decorate the centre and make the "tassels" on the corners. Finishing this is my one monthly goal.

 

Characteristic of kawandi is the construction from the outside inwards using only two tools: a pair of scissors and a needle.

• Starting with a foundation (I used a layer of backing and of wadding) the quilter folds the edges of the foundation in by about a quarter of an inch. 
• The bottom of each piece to be added is first folded under, along with one of the ends - I'm right-handed, sew from right to left so I folded the right hand edge under. 
• The piece is joined to the foundation by a line of running stitches close to the edge, enclosing the raw edges. 
• Pieces are added, overlapping the previous one, until the edge of the foundation is completely covered. 
• More rows are added in the same way until the whole foundation is completely covered.
  

Not using an iron or a rotary cutter gives a wonky effect. I think the puckering has come from hand sewing through three layers, compressing the wadding in the process. While I moved on to the next few stitches the wadding sprung back into place. But this is just my idea, if anyone has another explanation, other than that I'm rubbish at hand quilting, please let me know. 

The women in India who use this technique simply sew the pieces to a single foundation layer. When they have finished they add the backing, leaving a small opening on the fourth side through which they fill the kawandi with cotton waste. I'll try something like that next time (!) but substitute wadding for the cotton waste, and sew it onto the top together with the backing. Unfortunately that will also require quilting, and to be honest I've done enough hand quilting over the last three weeks to last me for the rest of the year!

Happy sewing

Marly.

Kawandi mini project

 

The Dutch Modern Quilt Guild issued a challenge for last year to make something from a collection of scraps. Not any old scraps, but a bag that would be coming in the post. There was just one bag that circulated each month and the idea was that everyone would take what she needed during a month, make something, and send the bag on to the next on the list after making up the weight from her own scraps. Mine was due in December but arrived some two months late.

I had just been watching some interviews with Margaret Fabrizio on YouTube, talking about kawandi (an Indian word for "quilt") so the scraps came at just the right moment. My project became "making a kawandi sampler".

This was my progress at the beginning of February but I've done very little since so I have to get a move on! I don't know how I could have avoided the wadding puckering, short of gluing it down; something I dislike doing indoors and the weather over the last two months has been very gloomy and windy. It wasn't gluing weather at all. That wadding will need to be trimmed, but I'm leaving trimming until it's impossible to go further. 

It's an interesting technique, starting on the outside and working inwards. The Indian Sidi women usually start with a border strip going right around the edge, but my scrap bag from the guild didn't include such long pieces. This has been improvisation from the word go.

My one monthly goal for this month is to finish making this little quilt. At least, with this technique, finished is well and truly finished!

I'm linking with

Click on the button to see what other contributors are planning to do this month.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Green hour-glasses

I take part in several challenges, and they all come together in this week's post!

Firstly, and the longest running on my list: The Rainbow Scrap Challenge, hosted by Angela at Soscrappy blog, for which this month's colour is green.
Secondly the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters online community, for whom the challenge for the first six months of 2020 is Hour Glass blocks.
Thirdly the challenge this quarter of the Dutch MQG (#dutchmqgthemavandemaand) is Improv.

These hour-glass blocks were cut freehand, and then machine stitched with a quarter inch seam. The original squares which I cut into quarters were 2.5", 3.5" and 5.5". I didn't plan them that way, that's just how they came out of my green scrap bag.

I haven't decided on my RSC block for this year, but I don't think I'll be making improv hour-glasses in all colours of the rainbow. These pieces will be going into one of the other two challenges, probably the AHIQ's.

I shall be posting this post on the blog of the AHIQ -  AHIQ: Improvisational Utility Quilts, and linking to the RSC link-up on Saturday.

 

Click on the button above to see more Rainbow fun. 

Happy sewing 

Marly

OMG September

My goal for September is to finish quilting this:

My plus/minus mini quilt (± 24x24") for the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. These pluses were improvised and then put together with filler fabric into the final layout. The minuses are in the quilting.

Only one quarter is quilted, even though the plan was to have it completely finished by the end of last week.

I shall be battling on with it and deciding on the position of minuses as I go. Quilting lines half an inch apart take forever!

I'm linking up to Elm Street Quilts:

Click on the button to see more September gaols from around the world.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Teal and aqua Squared Away.

June's colours in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge are teal and aqua. These are two colours that give me problems: I have difficulty deciding if they aren't really blue, or really green. Hoping for the best I made two blocks for the Squared Away Sampler:

 This block, chosen by Mari, is called Country Lanes.

 

Further this week I added two sides to the Round Robin for the Kingfisher Quilt Bee which meets in The Hague. I took fabric with me when I was on holiday and hand-appliquéd solid circles onto a print background. When I got home I added the strip with circles to the centre block made by another bee member. More rainbow bear paws, but not mine this time!

And now I can't think how to go on! I've had lots of ideas and rejected them all. I added a 1.75" off-white strip around the other two sides, intending to add two chessboard rows. Now, however, I've gone off that idea and think I should continue the circles theme. Do you have any brilliant ideas for me? Asymmetrical is OK as the Kingfisher is part of the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. I have another ten days before I have to pass it on. I would really appreciate some help here!

30 June: Update on the bear paws

I've decided on more circles but with a change of scale.

I'm linking up on Saturday to

so click on the button above from about midday Saturday 

[Central European S.T. (U.T.C. +2)]

to see more rainbow delights. 

Happy sewing

Marly.

May pinks

Each month, for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, Angela chooses a colour and Mari chooses a block and gives the instructions for the Squared Away sampler. This month's block is Baton Rouge Square  in pink (with that name it sounds as if it should be red!).

I have done more pink sewing in the last month:

My starting block for the Dutch MQG (district West) bee round robin. I really made it at the end of April, and it's due to be passed on this Tuesday. I posted more about it here.

Soon I shall have more time for sewing as I have now finally retired. My first task, however, is to sort through, and largely throw away, my teaching materials accumulated over the last 43 years! It really doesn't seem that long. For most of that time I was working from home and visiting client companies which is why my materials occupy 4.5 metres of shelf space. Just imagine how much fabric and how many project boxes I can stash there! Even so, it feels like I'm taking my life to the paper recycling bin; so much effort went into those 4.5 metres!

Sewing has always been my hobby, and quilting since I officially retired 6 years ago. Everyone needs a retirement challenge: mine was to be patchwork and quilting. Unfortunately a few days after my "retirement" my boss asked me to return. It's nice to be thought indispensable, but I was finding the pressure increasingly difficult to deal with. Hopefully now I can pick up where I thought I would be six years ago.

I'm linking up to  

Click on the button to see more pink delights.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Round Robin

 

This will be the first time I participate in a Round Robin and I'm nervous to say the least!
District West of the Dutch MQG  has a quilting bee - the Bee Zonder Naam (BZN) - which meets once in two months and is organising a Round Robin. The centre blocks are due on 15 May but I've finished mine already. (I don't know what came over me, I'm not usually that early with anything!)

This block is a composition using the stitch and flip triangle technique, featured in "Quilting Modern" by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen. It is a variation on the traditional stitch and flip technique, and the result is similar to the points on the wonky star block. I really enjoyed making it and will certainly be using this technique much more in future. (By the way, I don't earn anything for recommending this book, I just think it's a really useful book on modern quilting.)

The block measures 10.5" square and was made using pink scraps and solid taupe by either Michael Miller or American Made Brand, I'm afraid I don't remember which.

Although I shall be working on this each month for the rest of the year at least, I won't be posting about it until I'm at the quilting stage.

This is my third finish for

which I wrote about here . Click on the button above to visit the party.

Happy sewing

Marly

Orange!

This is my second finish for April's One Monthly goal, which I posted about here

The Dutch Modern Quilt Guild's theme of the month for March is "Orange" or in Dutch "Oranje" which is the name of the colour and of the Royal Family. The royal connection to the colour has given rise to the predominance of the colour orange in the clothing of our national sports teams. As it's the King's birthday the day after tomorrow shops are full of orange-coloured goods; everything from tee-shirts to pastries; I think this month's Dutch MQG theme choice was also informed by this week's event.

Anyway, I, being originally British, decided that "orange" is a fruit as well as a colour and made my representation of an orange, rolling down the drunkard's path! I think it will become the first of several blocks featuring complementary pairs of colours.

I added the name just in case it wasn't recognisable!

This was incidentally my first attempt at appliqué letters, drawn freehand, traced onto tracing paper and then traced again back-to-front onto Heat and Bond . It was much easier than I expected. The DP blocks I made without pins, following the perfect tutorial by Leanne at she can quilt.

This little piece of patchwork measures 13.75" x 15.5" and is waiting to be joined by more similar paired-colour pieces.

I'm linking this to 

Click on the button to visit the party.

We have a public holiday here on Friday, in honour of the King's birthday; if you're in The Netherlands make the most of your free day, and for the rest of the world:

Happy sewing!

Marly.

Finish-Along list Q2 2018

In the second quarter of 2018 I hope to finish:

1.  my version of Bonnie Hunter's "En Provence". The top has been finished for over a year,

but I'm still working on piecing the backing: 

Pieces for the backing (except the bear's paws; they just crashed the photo!)

2.  April Dutch MQG theme challenge mini quilt - orange

3.  May Dutch MQG theme challenge mini quilt - Japan


Numbers 2 and 3 haven't been started yet, so I'm being optimistic, but they are in the planning stage, and both will be small!

Happy sewing

Marly.

April's One Monthly Goal

I'm going to link up my quilting goals for March at Patty's "One Monthly Goal" at Elm Street Quilts.

Firstly, for the third month in succession, is this:

Rainbow Bears' Square Dance (my RSC project 2016)

It could be my only goal; will I get it finished in April? Hopefully! It's about time! So, just in case I do, I've added a few more goals!

Secondly, to make a theme block for the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild April Challenge. The name says it all doesn't it? It has to be finished this month! No pictures yet (no stitches either!) but the theme could be patriotic - or not!

Thirdly, To get started on my centre block for the Round Robin Challenge at the District West Bee of the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild. It's not due until the middle of May, but I've never taken part in a Round Robin before and don't know what sort of hidden pitfalls lie ahead, so I need to give myself plenty of time.

Fourthly, if I still have time over, to finish piecing the backing of:

En Provence (Quiltville mystery 2016-2017)

Some of the orphan blocks and parts to go into the backing.

I had quite a few parts that weren't needed in my final layout which was smaller than Bonnie Hunter's. The same happens every year - I have to frantically make extras of some units; and have too many of others! That's part of the mystery!

Now to link up to

 

Click on the button to see the handicraft plans of others.

Happy sewing

Marly.

February is purple!

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge entails using scraps of a given colour for one month, and then moving on to another colour. Around the first of the month Angela gives a new colour. Last month it was blue, and this month we've moved on to purple.

The February block in the Squared Away sampler was just released this morning so this week I used purple in two block-of-the-week projects.

Firstly in the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild's sampler:

The final deadline for sharing progress on this project is tomorrow, and there are already finished quilts posted on Instagram #dutchmqgmaakteenblokjeperweek . Needless to say mine is not among them; I still have a few more blocks to make. I will, however, be able to show how the layout will be, even though it is incomplete.

Secondly, I used purple in my block in an open online project: "The Year of Scrappy Triangles" hosted by Leila. The project started in October, so I'm joining really late; this week saw the release of block 17, and I made block number 1!

Year of Scrappy Triangles block 1

The great thing about this is that all the triangles are foundation pieced. What! foundation-pieced!!! I dislike (to put it mildly) foundation piecing. I've had such bad experiences with foundation-piecing in the past (like using far too much fabric; wasting more than actually went into the piece) that I decided I needed regular practice. While surfing the Internet a couple of days ago I came across this project and read Leila's excellent tutorial, which I recognised as giving exactly the support I needed. This first block went together very smoothly with no nasty surprises. That is quite a boost!

I recommend this tutorial to anyone who finds foundation-piecing problematic and frustrating, and what better way to get the necessary practice than to make (at least) one FPP block a week?

I'm linking to 

Click on the button to visit Soscrappy 

and see more lovely scrappiness.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Modern Pink

Each month Angela at Soscrappy gives a colour and a lot of quilters focus on using their scraps in that colour: the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. October's colour is pink.
I've made two pink blocks this week for the "make a block a week challenge" for the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild.

The block patterns have all been submitted by guild members. Some are traditional but most, I believe, have been specially designed.

These are both foundation paper pieced, and far from using up scraps, generated them! I'm useless when it comes to foundation piecing! Enter Mr Murphy and his famous law: it can go wrong, and it does!! So for all the fabric you see in the photos there's an equal amount reclining in my lovely new pink basket!

I made some progress on my improv floating squares quilt this week too, until I ran out of navy solid. Not only did I run out, but the LQS had also run out! That's life! Fortunately they agreed to give me a call when it comes in, so I'll be spared another trip for nothing. No recent photo yet of the floating squares quilt which is approaching lap size.

I'm interested to see which colour is coming up for November. I've got way behind with my sewing this year, and I really need to catch up with the missed colours, so maybe I'll be concentrating on them.

I'm linking up to the RSC link-up where there are already a lot of pink beauties to admire.

 

Click on the button to join the party.

Happy sewing

Marly.