Juin Sampler - February progress

As you can see, I am really starting to gain some traction with this Juin sampler from Bonheur des Dames.  Last month I was just starting the petit point band with the young people and the cherry trees.  Now they are close to finished.  There is still a lot of picky stuff to do, including the micro backstitching which is done over one thread on the petit point sections.  The next section will be cross stitches again.  The row of poppies is also cross stitch, and I had them done in three or four days, so who knows?  I may be finished soon.

It will be great to finish it, because this UFO is about eight years old.  But now that I've figured out how to handle all the ends on the back of the petit point, it has been a lot of fun.  I'm looking forward to the next one!

Alternatives for Sedona Star

I know that I had a string of posts last month with no pictures at all, for which I deeply apologize!  I'll try not to let it happen again!  Given that I still don't have any Sedona Star photos of my own to show, I did get permission from a couple of TQS members to show theirs.

I chose both of these because they are dramatically different from Sarah Vedeler's original design.  First up is Susan McFarland of Oxnard, California.  She has gone completely scrappy!

Scrappy - Susan McFarland

I love scrap quilts, and you can already see that this quilt is going to be amazing.  Just by repeating a few elements, like the red circles and green outer borders of the points, Susan has been able to go completely random with the rest.  I know I would never deliberately choose some of the combinations here, but it all works, and I bet it is a blast to make!

Next I have the work of Valerie Giles of Mt. Barker, South Australia.  She is using her collection of Australian indigenous fabrics, which is certainly an advantage.  But the thing that struck me was her log cabin points:

The Red Centre - Valerie Giles

Valerie is the only one in the Show & Tell so far who has used a traditional light and dark log cabin scheme on the points.  This gives them a more three dimensional, architectural effect, if you will excuse the pun.  What great out-of-the-box thinking!  I have to tell you, I am very sorry that I didn't think of this myself.  I also love the warm colours, so it will be great to see where this quilt goes next.

Big thanks to both Susan and Valerie!  The other reason that I chose to show these quilts here, is because both of them strongly tempted me away from my original plan.  I love those scraps, and those points!  I think that my Month 1 will actually have the distinction of using the fewest number of fabrics.  But for now I will stick with my plan.

In any case, I have decided to abandon the Kaffe Fassett shot cottons, and use Kaufman Kona Solids instead.  I was disappointed with the shot cottons, they were not as interesting as I had hoped.  The Kona solids will give me a better range of colours, and they are heavier so I expect they will be easier to use.  So once again I am waiting for fabric to arrive.

My idea with the solids is that they will allow more scope for creative quilting.  How the quilting will be done is still in the air, of course.  I called a local Bernina dealer for a quote on the 820 and 830 today.  Holy crow!!  I had no idea.  Well, I still have year!

Stitching with Metallic Threads

The Lavender & Lace Celtic Spring design that I am currently stitching is positively encrusted with gold metallic thread.  The pattern calls for 4 cards of Rainbow Gallery's Petite Treasure Braid:

I have heard many complaints about how difficult it is to stitch with metallic threads, and I thought I would report on what is working best for me.

The main principle is to reduce the drag on the thread as much as possible.  I'll give you the summary first, and then the details:

1. Stitch the metallics first.
2. Pull the thread straight up and straight down.
3. Keep the tension a little looser.
4. Slow down.
5. Use short lengths of thread.

1.  Wherever possible, stitch the metallic stitches before you stitch any adjacent stitches.  If you have already stitched the surrounding stitches, the fabric will be much tighter and there is a lot more pressure on the metallic thread.  On Celtic Spring I left all the gold crosses on the dress until the end, and it is chewing up the thread.  I'm not sure that I had any other choice, though, so I am just using very short lengths.  On the hems, though, I am doing all the gold first, and it works much better.

2.  If you pull the thread to the side when you stitch, there is more drag on the thread.  Eventually it will fray, but even before that the thread gets flattened, or "ironed out," very quickly.  The Treasure Braid gets its sparkle because it is crinkled, a lot like old Christmas tree tinsel.  This is not a great photo, but it gives you the idea:

As soon as the thread gets flattened it loses its sparkle.  So with that in mind,

3.  Keep the tension loose.  The braid has a tendency to spring up, but pulling it too tight to counter that is a bad idea.

4.  Slow down.  While the crinkles in the braid make it sparkle, they also tend to catch on the fabric.  Slowing down your movements decreases the chance that a strand will snap as it catches.

5.  The universal advice that you hear is to keep the thread lengths short.  I usually use an 18" length of cotton floss when I am cross stitching.  I started with a 14" length of braid, but it had already frayed when there was still 8" on the needle.  When I am able to stitch the gold with no surrounding stitches, I find an 11" length works well.  I am using an 11" x 17" Q-snap frame, so I just measure against that.  For the crosses in the dress where I have already stitched the other stitches, I am using just enough to stitch one cross at a time, which is a little painstaking, but worth it to keep the bright gold sparkle against the dark purple dress.

Another common piece of advice for stitching with metallics is to use a thread conditioner.  Right now I am not, and I am coping pretty well.  I'm not sure what a conditioner would do to the crinkles, so I am not in a rush to try it.

The gold thread looks much better in real life than in any photos I have seen.  Even though it may seem daunting, it is well worth a little extra effort!  For me the best thing is to do a little at a time - two or three lengths of gold, and then back to the cotton floss for a while.

Basting Grid Lines before Cross Stitching

Are you a perfectionist?  I admit that I am, somewhat.  I hate to redo anything, but I will take the extra effort to do something right the first time.  I know that is what is delaying my start on Sedona Star, but more on that later.

Many stitchers like to baste the grid lines on their cross stitch fabric before they start a project.  Usually the lines are five or ten stitches apart.  This can make counting much easier, and allow you to skip around to different parts.  However, it can be difficult to get the grid lines out after the project is finished.  For me, this is a deal breaker.  I recently saw a photo of someone's quite large cross stitch project, which would have been several months of work.  It was beautiful, except you could still clearly see the red grid lines even after it was framed.  I would be ill, and I know very well that after a few months of agonizing it would end up in the trash.

One alternative would be to take the basted lines out before you stitch the adjacent stitches.  My approach is to start in the middle and gradually radiate out from there.  Sometimes though, you have to take a leap across the fabric.  I know that once I start counting above 10 I will not be accurate, so I will use a temporary gridline just to count out the space correctly.  It looks like this:

Now you see it...

I count out every four threads (two stitches) with a running stitch - four up, four down.  Each up/down pair is then eight threads, or four cross stitches and four squares on the chart.  In this case I needed to jump 16 cross stitches (16 squares on the chart), which was exactly four of my running stitches.  Once I've placed the new stitches correctly, I can take the basting out right away:

...now you don't!

If I only have to use a grid line here and there where I really need it, I save myself all the prep work of basting the lines beforehand.  But the big bonus is that I will save myself the heartache of having visible grid lines when the piece is finished, and still feel confident that everything will match up at the end.

Even Weave vs. Aida

Last week was pretty much a write-off for me.  We had to get the plumber in, and you know how much of a disruption that can be!  I didn't sit down at my sewing machine once.  The only thing I've been working on is this:

Celtic Spring - Two Weeks

You can see I've got a lot done since last time.  It's actually been hard to stop long enough to take a photo, I keep wanting to do a little more.

I am really loving working on this Cashel linen 28 count fabric.  This is the first time I've used it, and I feel like it is about to become my favourite.  My Juin sampler is also linen, 32 count even weave.  The fabric came with the kit by Bonheur des Dames, but I think it is probably the Permin linen.  It has finer threads and larger spaces, and is stiffer.

I've always loved linen in many different contexts - linen clothes, linen drapes and upholstery, linen tablecloths of course, and even linen knits.  This Cashel linen seems to have more of that natural linen feel than other fabrics I've used, and I am constantly admiring it as I stitch!

I am also finding it easier to stitch.  I know there is great debate in the cross stitch world about even weave versus aida fabric.  Aida is supposed to be easier to stitch, but I disagree.  Aida is easier to count, but it is much easier to make neat stitches on even weave.  With aida it is very easy to accidentally split the thread of the fabric, and you never know it until you come back on the next row and realize the stitch is off.  There is no splitting the thread with even weave.  If you do put the needle in the wrong place, you know right away and it is simple to fix.

So I am finding this piece to be very relaxing over all.  There have been some challenges with the pattern and the metallic threads, which I will talk about in the next posts, but no huge problems.

Martha Schellingerhoud

Martha Schellingerhoud was the speaker at our Rouge Valley Quilter's Guild meeting last night.  As soon as we walked into the hall we all saw this quilt hanging up on the stage.  Click the link, it is really gorgeous!  She told us that it has been chosen to represent Canada at a quilt show in France this fall.  I think it is a great choice.

Martha did her trunk show for us.  The thread of her narrative was how she has developed different techniques for machine quilting large quilts in sections on a domestic machine.  I immediately began to pay close attention!  She showed us several quilts based on square blocks, and described her technique of joining pre-quilted sections together with sashing, and then quilting the sashing after.  All this time I am looking at that big circular design up on the stage and thinking about Sedona Star.  I could see how the concentric rings could be pre-quilted and then joined with those flying geese rings.

And indeed, she told us that had been her plan, but then on this quilt she changed her mind and quilted the whole thing in one piece!  Sigh.  She was worried that it would not lie flat if quilted in sections.  So that idea went out the window!

But the trunk show was excellent, and her miniatures have to be seen to be believed.  There was one with over 700 pieces!

In any case, I still have a year to figure out how I will quilt Sedona Star.  I'm sure the right idea, or better equipment, will come along!

Status - Sedona Star

Once again, I've been thinking hard about Sedona Star this weekend.  There's been a heck of a lot of thinking considering I haven't done any sewing yet!

The whole kerfuffle with the way the templates don't print properly on some printers, including mine, has somewhat got my back up.  I had to ask myself if I should do the quilt at all.  I wanted the quilt to be a stretch for me, but chasing down technical fixes wasn't exactly what I had in mind!  I've only bought about a third of the fabric so far, which could always be used somewhere else.  But the thought of not doing the quilt felt like going backwards, so I knew I still had to do it.  Quilters are resourceful, right?  My drafting skills are pretty good, and I think I will be able to draw in the parts of the templates that don't print.

So, I'll be doing the whole thing by machine.  I'll use the Ricky Tims Stable Stuff, and leave it in the quilt until the end.  I'll use Beth Ferrier's method of turned edge applique by machine, and use her fusible wash-away applique sheets, which should also help stabilize the lightweight shot cottons.  I can see the whole thing will be much quicker this way, and even though fast is not always a priority for me, it will give me more time for other projects as well, which also feels good.

Of course, the Stable Stuff and the applique sheets will have to be bought, which will have to wait until February.  But, that gives me three weeks to work on my other quilts, which I think will be a very good thing!