Urban Chickens #2 Finished

Oh the Sew-cial Network project with selections from Paintbrush Studio Fabric’s “Picnic” line by Mabel Tan has been finished a while; the writing hand just got lazy. (Thanks to PBS for providing the prints.) After much debate, I ended up using the lighter solid (Paintbrush Solids verbena) for binding instead of teal.

41 x 41 inches

I had debated between the darker teal to frame and the lighter to blend with the four blending flower prints. I’m glad I ended up with the blending effect.  Another thing about the binding (that I didn’t photograph): all four corners mitered just right. That is a first.

The binding also worked adequately on the back. Sometimes it is difficult to get a good color for both.

Back when choosing solids, I chose the verbena because it appeared in a couple of the prints in small amounts. You can see that better in the detailed shot.

I had debated several quilting possibilities: an overall floral pattern that I have done before (here), something like the first Urban Chicken quilt where I did the white in white thread (here), quilting it down so the triangles would puff up, and an overall meander. I ended up with the latter and think it works fine. It is certainly also the quickest.

And the glam photo

Quilt history:

Fabrics 

Design Decisions

Michele Freedman’s pattern here so you can make one too.

Linking with TGIFF 11/29/19

Squishie in the Mail

I got my fabric for Let’s Be Sew-cial. Thank you Paintbox Studio Fabrics!

It is from the “Picnic” line by Mable Tan for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Plan A that I submitted was to make a child’s quilt, 40 x 40 or 60. And to use the Urban Chickens pattern that I used a couple years ago. Remember it?

And if it interests you, here is the pattern link.

The pattern calls for 3 1/2-inch squares. However, I want to leave the bird whole, and that will require cutting 4 1/2-inch squares. (Size of motif is not something easy to judge from online photos.) Now you would think that enlarging a piece and thus making fewer blocks would end up balancing out. But it doesn’t seem to be doing so.

So Plan B.  I’ll order a couple Paintbrush Solids to mingle among the prints.

Stay tuned.

PBS Project Finished

The sewing on the Paintbrush Studio Fabric project was finished a couple days ago. I did the photography yesterday and today. Of course the overcast days were while I was still sewing–quite sunny today. Anyway, finished and sent a day early. I rather like working at a slow and steady pace instead of a last minute rush. I’ll have to do that more often.

The finished quilt front

~46 x ~46 inches

and back

I make a lot of quilts just a bit over the width-of-fabric measurement, and I prefer piecing a strip to buying and extra length of the backing for a couple inches. It is also a good way to use left over fabric, though I have a few scraps.

I had just read Jacquie Gering’s Walk and decided to try diagonal wavy lines with the walking foot. For the most part it went well. However, twice I ended up with a line of eyelashes on the wrong side (more than I have ever had when doing free motion). It seemed to happen when I tried too hard to make too big of a curve, but the odd thing is that it continued after I went back to ordinary motions.  The fix was to take the bobbin out and put it back. Go figure.

And in addition to diagonals, the gull print suggested loop d’ loop, but not too much. So I put in the free motion foot and did a couple spaced out rows of loops.

And now for a couple glam shots

 

I had to do some serious cropping of the left photo because I’d managed to include garbage dumpsters at the curb! That photo is from the park across the street where the trees are off to the side and the middle is wide open space; the bench is in the patio behind my apartment building.

Quilt history:

Fabric and project information here

First steps here

…

 

From Sketch to Top

Progress is happening on the PaintBrush Studio project (sketch and fabric here).  First I got permission to change the background. Glad to know the option remains to select from the whole of Paintbrush Palette–though they supply only from their selection.

And the beginning looked just like the picture in my head.

I’m really glad I could use that grayer blue, called Haze.

Then I finished the top.

The fourth row doesn’t please me quite so much.  Looking at the whole piece of fabric, I ddn’t see it so white as it became once cut up.  Do any of you have tricks to help see that difference? I am not disappointed enough to do any ripping, as usual. Nor do I think I’ll make another top with one change.  But if I were, I’d make the fourth row of 4-inch squares of the backing fabric (shown in the above linked previous post). It will be better with the red binding.

On to making the back.

Paint Brush Studio Fabrics

I’m trying a new thing. I applied to a  Paintbrush Studio Fabrics  request for people interested in making things with PBS fabric. ( I don’t remember if it was an email request or a link on their website.ETA: it’s a link on their website.) (ETA: Program discontinued and there is a new variation. April 20/0). They send an email with their fabric selection and some prompts.  Receivers submit descriptions of what they want to make with it and how much fabric is needed. Then PBS sends fabric to the people whose projects were chosen.

I was too busy to consider responding the first two prompts they sent. There were second requests showing  quilt pattern possibilities for the fabrics. I figured when I was ready to submit I may be in demand. And this month my idea was created and accepted.

Here is the sketch (each square is 2 inches)

And the fabric arrived today.

 

I’ve combined pieces from two lines: Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun (designer’s name, other than Paintbrush Studio not given) and Maja Ronnback’s Garden Glory. And Painters’ Palette Solids, of course. I’m rethinking the background shade of blue, but don’t know if I can make a change after a project has been accepted. I’ve asked.

I think the design is a good way to showcase fabrics. I had done something similar with fewer fabrics in the past (here). This seems an easy arrangement to vary. Maybe a series? Time will tell (unless 2 makes a series. )

It is destined for my local guild’s charity program. The size (46 x 46) can be either a child’s quilt or a lap quilt for a nursing home resident.