Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot: Pinstripe Curves

This video was little irritating as Leah mentioned several times that she wasn't sure the method (of using the walking foot itself to guide one while sewing curves) would be successful. I mean: First, she put the design in her printed book, why would she even consider putting something that might not work in the book? Second, it seemed very clear that it would work as she already had guided us in making other designs where she mentioned using the foot itself to help with the placement of the design. It seemed disingenuous and was distracting to me. But I worked thru that quickly.

It is a nice design to sew and as always her directions are clear.

To change it up, I put my original line on the diagonal, and I'm pleased with how it turned out.  It isn't perfect I can see that, but hopefully will turn out well in the final quilt.

I quilted this on Hobbs Tuscany 90/10 Silk Polyester.

I also went back and redid the center of my Super Wobble example. I like this version more so I'm glad I took the time to do that. I could tell doing this that I have actually learned and feel more comfortable working with the walking foot.  Once again I'm glad I got Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot book and have been following along with most of the videos.

At my once a month Saturday group I trimmed up most of my completed sample squares so they are all at 15.5 inches now.  Leah had suggested we mark the square and then sew a victory lap around the piece, but since I didn't have the larger ruler at home, I did it in the reverse order... I used the automatic sew button on my Brother for the edge stitch, seems to go faster and was easier than pressing on the foot pedal. It was a good place to use the bobbins that were not full, as it was easy enough to see when the bobbin was empty and replace it with another one.  Some of the bobbins stopped feeding even when there were a few feet left, but it was good to use what I could.

I didn't time how long it took to do the trimming as there was a lot of chatting and eating done during that time as I was with the group.  I forgot to time how long it took to do the edge stitch on the pink, but it took 45 minutes to do the edge stitch on the green - and that includes a lot of bobbin switching.

Now that I'm perhaps winding down on this Marvelous Mosaic Quilt project I am again faced with the choices I made on the fly when I was preparing the practice sandwiches.  I picked green first as it was handy, and my husband told me he didn't like green so I have been using it to use it up - mainly in charity quilts.  I really think at this rate he would just be pleased if I finished anything that stayed in the house.  I pulled the pinks as they were handy and I had several shades.  Now I'm reminded that I had won some fabric at a party and I think that was in the back of my mind too... Since I was using colors that I didn't care about it seemed somehow I could use that fabric for binding or sashing - but honestly I forgot about it until today when I was taking photos. The blocks look impressive to me.

There are still ten more designs to do with Leah's videos - she has thirty in her book.  She suggested we pick the twenty we like the most to put together for a quilt.  All along I thought I would use all my blocks and just have a larger quilt.

So here is my progress so far.  I already made two extra blocks so would end up with 32 blocks unless I add more.  (It would be easy to make an additional 4 blocks and end up with a quilt that was 6 x 6 blocks if I wanted!)  Two of the greens are not quilted yet, they are there once to show what will be two blocks with each of those colors.  (Each color so far has been used two times.) I have more greens and pinks in my stash, but was too tired to put down more today to see how it looks.  And I put the fabric I won at the bottom - you can see the green and pinks.  I particularly don't like the one with the faces, but thought perhaps as binding they wouldn't be highlighted? Maybe that fabric should just be saved for something else.

Here are just the pink blocks completed so far:

The blocks look lovely together in the afternoon with the stitching highlighted.

Here are just the ten completed green blocks plus two extra green fabrics:

I thought, from something on her blog, Leah was going to walk us thru a new way of putting the blocks together even though it wouldn't be in the Explore Walking Foot book, but the video she shared is the way she has shown us before.  I did that for a charity quilt.  Finished up okay.  I have to think about how to put these blocks together, I think I'd prefer wider sashing.  But if I end up using all the blocks then it would become too large.  So maybe I'll do one with the greens and one with the pinks and one will be larger than the other.  I don't know.  I can't keep thinking about it or I won't get anything done! Any suggestions are welcome.

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Not Quilting

My husband and I made dinner together last night.  New to me recipes, they sounded good to me when I found them on the web.

The man down the street had dropped off some lemons so I wanted to use them in the meal.

I had forgotten some ingredients at the store so had to pick them up when I picked my husband up from campus, the recipes took over 45 minutes to put together and that's with both of us working pretty much all the time. 

The results were good but not delicious.  And it turns out our son doesn't like dill, so that made it sort of a flop.

My husband and I do not cook together very often, it's too bad these were the recipes I picked...

I had a wonderful morning with a newish quilting friend - she showed me her home and then we went to the mall to an appliance store and looked at the displays and dish washers.  She and I both want to redo our kitchens, her dish washer has broken so that is top priority for her.

My husband and son went to Ohio last weekend for their second Hamvention together. While they were gone I sewed, rearranged some things in the garage and went thru boxes.  Scanned and shredded away.  It was a good way to spend the time I guess.  They were tired when they returned, but said they had a good time.  They were again not able to go to Columbus so they again missed the German Village there. I went to meet Shasta at Schmidt's Sausage Haus und Restaurant two years ago.  I look forward to more visits sometime!

Well, I'd better think of something delicious to make for dinner!  If you have read this far, thank you!

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot: Crazy Grid

Well, there is something to be said for regular practice at doing something!

I finished the Crazy Grid design in an hour.  I used painters tape to get a line to follow with the walking foot.

Had to wind a few bobbins, and baste the sandwich too.

I think the result is pretty nice.

Directions here:
https://leahday.com/pages/how-to-quilt-crazy-grid-walking-foot-quilting-tutorial

This time used the Hobbs Heirloom 100% Cotton Natural with Scrim for the batting.  It felt soft and low.

: )

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot Quilting: Pinstripe Ziggy

Leah Day's Pinstripe Ziggy

This design was pretty easy to do.  At first I marked with tape to show when to turn the corner, then decided to go with eye balling it.  And I really can't tell the difference now that the block is done...

It's rather hot today, so I wasn't at the of my game for this one.  Tomorrow I think Alida will post the next block for her QAL, so I the larger quilt under the pink block will be in the

I had to wind some bobbins, including that time (for three of them) it was 105 minutes.  Even slow for me....

The batting was easy to work with, it was very soft, not sure the design will show up as much as I'd like, once it's in with other designs....

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In the middle of doing this block, I decided to go to Cozy Quilts for the Free Motion Quilting Group.  I had been a few years ago, only knew one of the ladies today, but will probably be a good place to continue going.

The store owner, Danielle, wasn't there today.  She is always fun to listen to.  The teacher was Linda Pohlenz.  What a nice teacher, and nice way she has a class organized.  Today the students were encouraged to share their homework with each other, and then the assignment to quilt the center four squares was given out.  They are using Angela Walter's Shape by Shape Free Motion Quilting as the text, the pattern is some Linda Pohlenz designed.  It will end up being 32 inches square and is intended as a sewing machine cover or baby quilt.

After homework was shared and the new assignment given, people could share other things they were working on.

This lady was doing Amanda Murphy's Bernina Rulerwork QAL.  She had learned a lot!

This was I think a quilt done on a cruise with Linda as the instructor.  Showed as it was finished!

They always have treats and drinks, I had forgotten this feature of the Cozy workshops!  I think the middle was mainly refried beans with salad on the top - but the olives and cherry tomatoes really caught my eye.  They had chips and tortilla rounds for folks to eat along with this dish.

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Expenses

I did get another marking pencil as I misplaced the one I had earlier...  They are great as the marking is removed with an iron...  $7.04,  Ultimate Marking Pencil.

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot Quilting: Jagged Cosmos

Jagged Cosmos.

This one was difficult for me.


Leah's video directions are here:
https://leahday.com/pages/how-to-quilt-jagged-cosmos-walking-foot-quilting-tutorial




After watching the video and reading the description in the book, I drew the design - make that tried to draw it.

I printed out the worksheet to help.  And referred to the sheet as I drew the lines on the fabric.  First I marked a point for the intersections and then drew four lines to divide the space sort of evenly (as Leah did in her video).  I sewed the lines though as two lines as they were completely marked.

Then I drew six lines in the section starting in the center for each one.  I sewed the design by starting at the top, going thru the center dot, and continuing on until I got to the bottom of the fabric for that line.  So in sewing it was three lines.  I did not stop near the center and tie off the thread. (I am not sure why Leah does that in her procedures for these designs that start in the center.  Eventually there will be a design that needs that, but so far - no need for the extra work.)  After I did those lines I repeated by marking six lines and then sewing the second three lines.

The mechanics require moving the fabric, which would be difficult in a full sized project but was easy with this one block.

It was sort of drag needing to mark the lines, but I knew if I didn't it would end up hopelessly ugly.

What was difficult was knowing where to stop and turn - and I mean just with a pencil, not on the fabric! Even with the marked lines I second guessed myself and made changes.

Here I removed most of the marked lines....

Maybe in the daytime the design will show up more...

The Hobbs batting used was Tuscany 80/20 Cotton/Wool.  It felt nice and firm.

After doing the piecing and textured blocks for Starry Bright Sky QAL with my cotton thread earlier today, the Isacord polyester thread that I use for quilting seemed very thin.  Or maybe it's just late in the day.

The end result looks nice, even though it was challenging for me to envision.

Took around 40 minutes for the stitching, and marking.  Does not include the time trying to draw on my own, printing, taping, and marking the first two lines used to divide the space.

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot: Concentric Circles

Leah is challenging us to do a weekly walking foot design on a quilt sandwich, then later we will join together to make a Marvelous Mosaic Quilt.

This week the design is concentric circles.

I started marking my piece last night, I was tired and decided to sort of use two different distances between the circles.  Guess I was sort of thinking of pinstripe with circles. I should have had the pinstripes so they were closer together to replicate the effect, but it looks okay as it turned out.

The batting is Hobbs Poly-down Polyester.  At certain angles the stitching really shows.

I'm not sure why it sort of bends in two places. The one area has the green triangle on the backing.  That seems to have caused something.

I experimented with tying and burying the thread before coming back to it, and just tying it off and then pulling it to the side to help me see where to end the joining stitches.  It did seem to help to pull it off to the side, but then I went back to burying and it lined up nicely.  So perhaps the best thing to do is to do it and get lots of experience.

I was feeling really blue when I started quilting this block, but I kept going as I didn't know what else to do.  I do feel better now, but not tip top. Dragging. It either took two or three hours to quilt this. I added the center circle after taking a photo and realizing the pattern had been broken and a circle that closer together was needed.

The first center lines were marked using various things in the room to make the circles, I just eye balled the placement.  The rest I used the guide on the walking foot.

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot: Pinstripe Gridlines

I picked a practice sandwich and sort of followed Leah's directions to make the pinstripe gridlines walking foot pattern.

She used 1/4 inch tape to mark the narrow strip...  I was not able to find the end of the roll of tape that my husband picked up for me last week.  So I used the walking foot itself for the 1/4 inch line, and the walking foot guide for the one inch lines.

This design took a long time to sew, and a lot of thread too!

After 39 minutes, this is what I had sewn. The bobbin ran out so it seemed a good place to stop to start dinner!

After 23 additional minutes this is what I had done:

When I removed that blue tape I was afraid I had the beginning of a little pleat, but I was extra careful and did as Leah suggested and so the piece is all flat.  Yay!

Finally after another 41 minutes I was done sewing the block.

39 + 23 + 41 = 103 minutes

It does look dazzling though doesn't it?

On the back I put the first Dresden plate that I made ages ago.  It's nice to finally have this in a piece rather than in a box!

The batting felt very firm, but perhaps it was the extra stitches in the pinstripe gridlines design rather than the wool batting. I thought wool batting was supposed to be soft.  Anyway, it makes the design stand out, so I like it!

The design was not that fun to sew, just sew a line, cut the thread and move the block to the top again.  Seems it would be difficult to do in a real quilt, but it does look nice.

A friend picked up some more batting samples for me at Quilt Con in Pasadena.  It's great that each of the pieces of batting is labeled!

I made three more practice sandwiches, so I have them ready to use when Leah posts the next designs on her website!

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot Quilting: Square Spiral

Leah Day Directions for the square spiral design!
https://leahday.com/pages/how-to-quilt-square-spiral-walking-foot-quilting-tutorial

Her directions make it easy.  Perhaps I should have made the initial marks so they were farther off from the center in both directions?  Would be good to experiment with different initial shapes.  Rectangles, on-point, triangles and more

The batting again is Quilters Dream Cotton, Select, Natural.

Started with a fresh bobbin as it was such a long bit of stitching.  Took 39 minutes.

Leah Day's Explore Walking Foot Quilting: Matrix

I didn't go to the grocery store after all, instead I finished the sample for another Leah Day design: Matrix!  This is done with a walking foot, so although it required a new bobbin and took 40 minutes, was really easy to do.

The batting again is Quilters Dream Cotton, Select, Natural.

I should be quilting that quilt that is on the table behind these blocks, but since I am trying to keep up to date with the designs, it seemed a good thing to do today.

I suspect that I will next work on something else before doing the quilt itself as it's a little intimidating to sew on a quilt! Oh well!