High Road Quilter

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Quilt Reveal: To Wash Or Not To Wash

The Project Quilting Challenge for the week is Common Blocks. The rule is to make a quilt with three common quilt blocks. There is also a quote "No one owns the copyright on a 16-patch block, or an Ohio star."

You have no idea how happy this challenge made me. I was working on a tutorial about whether you should pre-wash your fabric before making a quilt. I was thinking about making three nine patch blocks - one with all pre-washed fabrics, one with no pre-washed fabrics, and one with a mixture of both. I was debating making three different quilts, but wondering if I could get away with putting them all in one quilt, separated by sashing.

I wanted to keep as much similar as possible, so the experiment could focus only on whether the fabric was pre-washed. I used fabric from the same layer cake, so that the manufacturer, the cotton, even the dye would all be the same. I wanted to make the same block for all three blocks so that the comparison would be the same.

So when this project is announced, I read the post thoroughly. Although I think there is an implication that the three blocks should be different, there wasn't anything that specifically said that. I didn't ask. This challenge gives me permission, nay, it requires me to put them all three blocks in one quilt. Challenge accepted.

Making this quilt was fun. It took some added time to prewash the fabrics. I got impatient and pressed them dry, but they were small so it didn't take long, and these fabrics are not likely to shrink any more for sure. Strip piecing made the job easier, although with 10" squares, there wasn't much time savings involved with that.

I also didn't plan the right set up for recording the process for the video, since I was using the same space for pressing and cutting, so I had to keep putting up and taking down the ironing board.

I had another, much busier, border fabric planned, so I added the peach sashing to highlight the three blocks, but eventually I decided to switch out the busy border. I did think about switching the peach with the green, but that would involve ripping out seams, and with the weekly deadline, I decided not to risk it.

I took the quilt outside to take a good photograph. The lighting is better outside than inside.

I thought I would ask Zoey to be in the picture, so I told her to come to me, but when she did, she jumped on the quilt.

And got mud on it. It is a good thing I was planning on washing the quilt to complete the experiment.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Quilt Reveal: Sweet Ombre Butterfly

I finished another quilt for the Project Quilting theme of Ombre. I didn't think I had any ombre fabric and was thinking about creating my own, but I was hesitant to dig out so much fabric. I then thought about just skipping this challenge.

But then I remembered that the fabric I stole from the Glitter quilt for the Al-Buraq quilt was an ombre. So I stole some more. I love that I can make this quilt with only two pieces, and it was very quick and easy to make.

I woke up early and turned on the computer to get started on the day. I queued up some videos to watch while I had breakfast, but Zoey reminded me that I needed to get up and make the quilt.

So I made the quilt and was able to finish the quilt before noon, way before the deadline of 1 pm eastern, thinking I had plenty of time to upload the photos and post it on the blog and submit it for the challenge.

So I made my breakfast and started uploading the photos. And watch the videos I had queued up.

Zoey went outside so she couldn't remind me that I needed to submit the entry to the challenge. oops. Missed the challenge deadline because I lost track of time.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Quilt Reveal: Al-Buraq

The Project Quilting Challenge this week is Mythical Creatures. The first thought that came to my mind was Pegasus, but when I found pictures of a winged horse with a face, I immediately gravitated towards the Al-Buraq. One of my rules for this challenge, since there is only a week to make it, is to not overthink any decisions and to just keep going with the flow. Decision-making takes more time.

So I present to you, Al-Buraq. I love the metallic border that frames my creature and I think for a mythical creature it is a successful project. Looking at this picture right now, the face reminds me of that photo that looks like a beautiful woman and an old woman at the same time. My quilt doesn't have that feature, I don't think, it just reminds me of that. My creature doesn't have an attractive face, but that wasn't a requirement for me. Poor creature has to run against the wind, so there is bound to be some damage from that.

With my just in time inventory, I finished this quilt just in time to post for the Project Quilting Challenge

Al-Buraq Quilt by Shelina Virjee

This quilt fits the requirements of the finished projects in that it has applique, three layers and the edges are finished. Just all of my quilts, though, I reserve the right to come back to do more. And right now, this quilt is calling for more. I do want to add more quilting on it, and maybe some other embellishments like beading.

Here is the link to the other Project Quilting challenge entries.

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Quilt Reveal: Bona Lisa

I started the Bona Lisa quilt in October as a part of the Something Wicked blog hop challenge.

I used a pattern by Joan who is one of the hostesses of the blog hop challenge. It is a part of a bigger quilt, but I just used the pattern of the center.

I combined applique and quilting as I usually do.

I then added some simple stitching in the background which you can't really see on the front, but you will see it on the back.

In December, I finished quilting it.

I enjoyed making it so much that I took the time to make a label for it. I was planning on hand stitching the rest of the label down in December, but I set it aside to make the daily videos in December.

I finished sewing the label yesterday, so this quilt is ready for its big reveal! It fits perfectly as a door banner.

Here's the back so you can see the stitching.

This is the 13th quilt I finished this year, which is an appropriate number for a Halloween quilt, and the 161th quilt that I have ever finished.

Here is the video where I made the quilt.

Here is the 15 Minutes to Quilt video where I made the label.

Here is the 15 Minutes to Quilt video where I added the binding and label.

Monday, October 21, 2024

My Wicked Quilt: Bona Lisa

I am participating in the Something Wicked blog hop and now it's time for my blog hop day.

I've been seeing a lot of beautiful Halloween patterns lately, and since Joan and Carol have been so accommodating and kind in hosting this blog hop, I decided to use one of their patterns. They both have provided so many Halloween patterns that it is difficult to choose, but a lot of them are on another hard drive, so it was pretty easy to choose.

I chose the center panel of the block of the month, Bona Lisa. The pattern is by Joan Kawano and the pattern is called Bona Lisa's Sweater Emporium 2024 BOM. This is the pattern for the center of the quilt, and the remaining blocks are supposed to surround the center panel, but I decided to keep it simple and make this one block.

I had thought about adding a house in the background, to go with my last Halloween quilt, but my fabric wasn't wide enough.

I put together the headstone first, securing the fusible applique with some stitches. I chose a different fabric for the yarn at first, but I kept seeing this scrap of fabric from the Tropical Fish quilt and it looks more like yarn to me, so I switched it out.

The green is the backing fabric and will be trimmed away before I bind it.

Then I put together the skeleton and decided to combine the stitching to secure the applique with the quilting. I didn't use the layout in the pattern and didn't overlap the bones nearly as much as the pattern does. I used the rejected yarn fabric for the mouth, though I realize my Lisa is going to have peach lipstick all over her teeth!

I thought about adding more blocks around this panel, but I decided to stop here. I have so many quilts that I need to finish that I wanted to get this one finished, which means the panel is enough by itself.

The size of it is perfect for a door banner, and if I put it on the coat closet which is right by the front door, I think it makes a nice welcome for the season.

I need to do some more quilting on it, to secure the background with dark thread, to add the teeth, but since it gets dark early, I decided I could finish it tomorrow instead of rushing to get it done. I like to enjoy the process, and I am really enjoying making this quilt.

I also thought about adding extras like a bat or pumpkins or spider, but for some reason, this quilt is really satisfying the way it is, and I don't feel the need to add anything else. See, I can stop when I want. I'm not addicted to quilting.

I'll show you the finished quilt soon.

Be sure to check out the other participants in the blog hop this week. I gave you the list in my last post.

Friday, October 18, 2024

Something Wicked Blog Hop Starts on Monday!

The "Something Wicked" blog hop is starting next week! This time, I will be posting my quilt at a wickedly early hour on Monday.

Be sure to join us for the wicked fun!

Look who will be creating their magic:

OCTOBER 21

Just Let Me Quilt - hostess

Just Sew Quilter

Sew Many Yarns

Patchouli Moon Studio

High Road Quilter - that's me!

OCTOBER 22

OCTOBER 23

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Beaquilter

Homespun Hannah's Blog

OCTOBER 24

MooseStashQuilting

Ms P Designs USA

Quilted Delights

Quilting Between the Rails

Monday, October 14, 2024

Catching Up

I can't believe it's been a whole month since I last posted. So much has been going on.

I have been working on making progress on my quilts, but mostly I have been making videos.

I made a video about How I Made the Tropical Fish Quilt With a Pieced Border. I showed this quilt to you in my last post. I wish Blogger would show the whole thumbnail instead of just part of it.

I bought another batch of African fabric, and recorded a video about that. It turned out to be too long and kept crashing my system, so instead of making a three part video, I decided to make three videos. The first one, The Controversy About African Fabrics, reached a lot of viewers, and the comments on this video are worth the read.

The second video Quilting With African Fabrics, FAQs Answered is really helpful as it answers all of the questions I had when I first was introduced to the fabrics, as well as questions I have been asked.

The third one was going to be the one where I show closeups of the fabric. I made videos but I used the the clips to explain things in the other two videos. I might still show that as a separate video, something about drooling over the fabric and coming up with plans for them. I also want to make a video about how I made the people for the Elephant Parade quilt. I could use some of this fabric for that.

Then I made a very short video as a part of my series for beginning quilters. How to Tell if a Fabric is Cotton or Polyester. The shorter videos don't do as well, but maybe it is because I don't have many videos in the beginner series yet.

Finally today, I published the delightful interview I had with Susan Lenz Dingman. She is a textile artist I have been following for many years. She works with found objects and she stretches the meaning of the word "quilt" in so many ways. I love all of the series of works that she has created. She has traveled across the country to have art installations in galleries and museums, she has sold art as commissions, and has gone on artist residencies.

I got an email that I won a Babylock sewing machine, and I will tell you about that soon.

Next week, I will be participating in the "Something Wicked" blog hop.

I get so excited about Halloween and love to see what my creepy friends create.

The wicked fun begins October 21st...I can't wait!