Journey 2 Nebula - Gazebo: Finished!

I had mostly finished this project back in November and only had the binding left in December. Life being what it is and Christmas happening, this got left to the bottom of the pile, but as of today, it is complete! I wrote most of this post as I finished the binding, thinking that I would have it finished the next day. Best laid plans, as they say. Anyway, it has some good information, so I'm not going to rewrite it, just include this little preface.

Jaybird Quilts Gazebo was the next stop on the Journey 2 Nebula. I laid it out several weeks ago and finally managed to piece it and quilt it. The piecing went swimmingly. Everything went together smoothly, and the finished project looks great. I've mentioned before I clap when I enjoy how a project has or is coming together, and I did that with this project.

It was also a surprisingly quick sew. I thought it would take me several hours to get through piecing all the half hexies and triangles, but to my surprise, it was less than an hour and a half. I did chain piece the different sections. I've found that chain piecing moves my projects along more quickly, if only in my head.

The quilting isn't my best work. I experimented with some free motion quilting and some ruler work. It's pretty impressive that I can quilt such a wobbly line with a straight edge. It's okay. It doesn't look terrible from a distance. I did use the black sections to try out some free motion meandering with stars that I'm thinking of trying when I finally finish my Jelly Snowflake Quilt. That went better than I thought it would go, so I'm excited to complete that project.

I debated between binding the project with black or the bright chartreuse color but decided black would be a nice finish to the whole thing. I used some random fat quarters I had in my stash for the backing. Gazebo was very much a practice piece and less of a project I'll actually put out or use regularly. It does seem wasteful to think of it that way, and I may use it for something at some point, but sometimes to get past being stuck on a project, I have to put away my perfectionist tendencies and just do it.

Now that I've finished binding it (a task that also went faster than I thought once I just sat down and did it) and washed it, I'm happier with the finished product. My quilting is still not the best, but it looks better than before I threw it in the washer and dryer because of the crinkly-washed-fabric look. I'm still not sure that I'm going to do anything with it besides check it off the list, but I'm happy that it's done.

I received the fabric for my first four blocks of the Nebula quilt. I'm debating if I want to finish the last of the Journey projects first or if I want to just jump right in.

Details
Fabric: Assorted solids
Thread: Aurafil 50wt, 2600
Batting: Unknown from the leftover pile, likely 100% cotton
Pattern: Jaybird Quilts Gazebo
Total Hours Spent: 5 hours, 34 minutes

Journey 2 Nebula - Gazebo: Cutting & Layout

My slow-moving-projects continue this past week. I finally managed to get the cutting done on my Journey 2 Nebula project, Gazebo. For this project, I dug deep into the stash/scrap bin. These 2.5" strips were leftovers from a previous Jaybird Quilts project that I made, Snack Time. Since I don't have many pictures of this week's layout, I'm happy to show Snack Time. I made this over seven years ago, so I don't remember all of the fabric that I used, but I believe that the strips were a Robert Kaufman jelly roll.

Gazebo was early to cut using just half hexies and two sizes of triangles. The colors remind me of a Lite Brite, so I've had the commercial's song from the 80s/90s in my head. I adored my Lite Brite. I wouldn't turn my nose up at a new version either. :)

I placed the teal in the center of the layout and worked my way out to the brightest lime color. Since the fabric is older and has been around the scrap bin for a while, there are many frayed edges, but I'll trim those when I go to sew it. I might try some fancy free motion quilting when I get to that point, but we'll see!

Journey 2 Nebula - Candy Dish: Finished!

I finished my pair of Jaybird Quilts Candy Dish pillows! For the most part, the piecing on these went reasonably smoothly. There are a few points that don't match perfectly, but you can't see the slight misses when you look at it as a whole.

I love the fabric. The little kitties make me so happy. I'm glad that these pillows are a bit on the smaller side. We recently bought a new living room set for our newly finished basement, and the couches came with pillows. I have so many pillows, but at least these smaller sizes are a bit more unobtrusive.

I wasn't sure how I wanted to quilt them. I thought about doing something fancier, but I also wanted to get the project done since there are currently so many things on my to-do list. I had a long list this weekend, and while I finished a good chunk, it wasn't quite as much as I was hoping for. I expected to cross off one more thing, but alas, I did also have to take some time to relax. I didn't want to cover up the cute 'lil kitties on the hexagon focus quilt, so I just did some stitch in the ditch-ish on the diagonals and horizontal lines.

For the more background focused pillow, I did some straight-ish line quilting. I like the texture of straight line quilting on pillows. It feels nice when you run your hand across it in an almost calming way.

I can't believe there's only one more project in the Journey (except for the exclusive patterns that Julie mentioned when signing up). I'm not usually great at keeping up with "alongs," but I'm pretty proud I've been able to keep up with this one. I do have to spend some time tonight, deciding which fabric I have will be used for the next project.

Details
Fabric: Purrfect Day by My Mind’s Eye for Riley Blake Designs
Thread: Aurafil 50wt, 2021
Batting: Unknown from the leftover pile, likely 100% cotton
Pattern: Jaybird Quilts Candy Dish
Pillows: Foamily 16” x 6” Pillows from Amazon
Total Hours Spent: 6 hours, 44 minutes

Journey 2 Nebula - Candy Dish: Cutting & Layout

While I've used stash fabric and scraps for the previous stops on the Journey 2 Nebula, I couldn't resist Purrfect Day by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake, so I purchased a charm pack and some yardage to complete Candy Dish. I just love cats! I have a cat, a black cat named Minnie, who is now 11 years old. We've been through a lot together. Now that I'm working from home, she snoozes in a bed all day next to me while I work.

The cutting for Candy Dish is pretty straightforward. Hexagons and triangles and the Hex N More ruler makes it super easy to do. I trimmed all of my triangles using the GE Designs Point Trimmers (60-degree) because it was more manageable than wresting with the ruler to cut all of the points.

I'm pretty happy with the layouts that I picked. I did split the hexies wrong the first time because apparently reading comprehension is hard. :) But it's all good!

I'm looking forward to adding these pillows to my collection.

Journey 2 Nebula - Rock Candy: Cutting & Layout

We've now reached the point in the Journey 2 Nebula, where I got stuck deciding which stash fabric I was going to use, so I stopped with the planning. So, before I started cutting for Rock Candy, I had to do some digging around in the fabric drawers. I'm still not sure about my choice, but I've cut everything, so I'm going to go with it.

I've been a subscriber to the Fat Quarter Shop's Sew Sampler Box from the beginning, and the August 2018 box included the Petite Arctic 10″ Squares by Elizabeth Hartman for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. The included pattern was nifty, but I wasn't interested in sewing it, so into the stash, everything went. I did make one mask with one of the 10" squares and meant to make more, but didn't get around to it. While digging, I came across the squares and decided to give it a try. Since the pattern calls for 5" squares, one 10" square made four charm squares. I didn't want to use all of the prints, so I selected six squares, grabbed some solid from my stash, and got to cutting my diamonds and triangles.

I tried several layouts grouping the colors, pairing the colors, and finally doing a more scrappy look. None of them were giving me the feeling I was looking for. I have plenty of autumn and Christmas decorations, but I have nothing for after Christmas, so my house is very sad when I take everything down, so I decided to go for a wintry look, but this wasn't doing it for me. I walked away for a bit and eventually wandered back and stared at it.

I liked the way the scrappy layout looked, but something wasn't right. I said to myself, "well, let's see what happens when I take the mauve out." I think that's exactly what it seemed to need! It's wintry, and it will coordinate well with the colors that are already in my kitchen. I'm excited to sew this one next week!

Journey 2 Nebula - Jawbreaker: Finished!

I finished the latest project in the Journey 2 Nebula this week. Jaybird Quilts Jawbreaker is a pillow that uses the Hex n More Ruler to create triangles that turn into hexagons. Last week I had a little trouble with my rotary cutter, but I'm all healed now. You can barely even tell where I had the accident!

I watched Julie's video that had tips for assembling the hexagons and set to work. I don't have an ideal place in my sewing area to layout projects, so I usually do it on the spare bed. Then I have to walk between the two rooms, which isn't a huge deal, it's extra steps, but I like to figure ways to still be accurate without making too many trips. I did figure out a way to chain piece these rows and make it easier. First, I took a picture with my phone of the layout, so I had a reference to double-check the layout. Then, I stacked the triangles from one for and lined them up in order next to my sewing machine. Chain pieced them in pairs and brought them over to the ironing board to press, still attached. When pressing open, I picked up a tip from Kimberly Jolly of Fat Quarter Shop. I set my seams and then press them to one side, then flip them over and press open. I have tried both this and just pressing open in the same sewing session, and I find this way much easier. After pressing open, I bring them back to space next to my machine, still attached, and lay that down. Next, I clip the threads and rotate the pieces to the appropriate layout. After double-checking my layout, I sewed the first two and the last two together, cut the threads, checked the layout, and sewed those two pieces together. I stitched together the rest of the rows and just kept them stacked next to me, so I had them for reference from the next row.

I was a little anxious about trimming the pillow's center since I didn't have a ruler big enough to use for the total square. I followed Julie's direction in the video, and I successfully trimmed the oddly-shaped piece into a square! I was pretty darn proud of myself the other day when I did that successfully.

I used another strip from the jelly roll I used for the strip sets for my inner border. I added the two borders and let the top sit for a day to decide how to quilt it. I've seen some lovely quilted Jawbreakers on Instagram and Facebook, and even the simple quilting on the cover of the pattern is appealing. I love the hexagons and didn't want to take away from them at all, so I went with very simple stitching in the ditch. I've never been overly successful with this, but since I haven't tried it in a while, I went for it, and I'm pretty happy that my seams must have been straight because I didn't have trouble stitching in the ditch.

Assembling the pillow should have gone a little more smoothly than it did for me, and if I had paid more attention to what I was doing, it probably would have. After basting the front and back together, I realized that I did the opening vertical to what I was considering the top and bottom instead of horizontal. I momentarily debated ripping it out and starting over. In the end, I decided since this wasn't a learning-how-to-pillow journey, and since it's a pillow that will only be out for about a month and a half, and you can't tell it's wrong, I left it. I did insert a label the same way I did with the last pillow. I printed it on paper with my inkjet printer and then sewed it into the backing.

I love the finished pillow! I didn't purchase another pillow form, so this is just the same form from Amazon that I used on Lucky Charm. Before Christmas, I'll probably pick up another one so that I can use the pillow to decorate. I used the same fabric (and leftovers from the jelly roll) for the Jelly Snowflake. I still haven't quilted that project, but it's on the list before Thanksgiving! Whenever I look at how the hexagons came together so nicely, I am so pleased! I also really like how the black fabric pops. The tiny scattered trees is my favorite print in the collection, which is why I used it for the outer border, binding, and backing.

Details
Fabric: The Christmas Card by Sweetwater for Moda
Thread: Aurafill 50wt, 2000
Pattern: Jaybird Quilts Jawbreaker
Batting: 100% polyester
Total Hours Spent: 7 hours, 39 minutes

Journey 2 Nebula - Jawbreaker: Cutting & Layout

The next stop on the Journey 2 Nebular is Jawbreaker. In this pattern, we practice cutting strip sets and turning triangles into hexagons. I've pieced Jaybird Quilts Science Fair before, so I'm pretty familiar with the technique.

For this project, I decided to use some leftover strips from my Jelly Snowflake Quilt, The Christmas Card by Sweetwater for Moda. (Yay! Using up stash!) I'm sure I must have mentioned it before, but I have realized that jelly rolls are not my favorite pre-cut. No matter what, they seem to end up wobbly, plus the ones I've been using are slightly over 2.5," which isn't necessarily bad, but for this pattern, the size is essential.

I felt a little lazy, so I didn't want to deal with starching the pieces for this one, so I went with Best Press. It performs similarly to the starch that I use, but I don't have to wait for it to dry. I use the unscented because I'm quite particular about scent, and it works well. I laid my strips out as straight as I could get them, sprayed, and pressed. There's a little shrinkage, and it stiffens the fabric up a bit.

After that, I pieced the strips so I could get to cutting. I did have a bit of a mishap while cutting this one, and unfortunately, the accident wasn't the fabric. It was my finger. Don't worry; it's not a major injury. I try to be very careful when using the rotary cutter since I tend to be accident-prone. Before I cut, I make sure my hands are out of the way, everything is stable, and I have created the habit of closing my blade every time I'm done with a cut, even if I'm just shifting the ruler. I've seen too many Facebook posts in my quilting groups of slices, and I'm not good with blood! Anyway, I have a feeling it was coming. When I thought, "you know, I think it's going to happen today...I'm going to get cut," I should've just put the rotary cutter down and walked away. Not me! As I moved to close my blade with my right hand, my left hand decided to have a mind of its own and moved just close enough to the blade that it cut my index finger between my second and third knuckles. It was an instant, and all I could think was, "Oh no!" I immediately applied pressure after seeing how much it would bleed (not the best plan for someone who doesn't like blood) and went to grab a paper towel. I laid down and applied pressure for a bit. After a while, I checked it, and the pressure worked, and it seemed to stick itself back together. After that, I cleaned it up, applied my trusty antibiotic ointment and a bandage, and moved on with my day. It stung for a bit, about the same as a nasty cat scratch, but it's not too bad now.

Despite all of that drama, I managed to get my triangles cut. It's a pretty easy cut. After repositioning the ruler each time, you just have to make one cut.

I'm not sure which fabrics I'm going to go with for assembly, but I think I like this layout. I know the black stands out, but I really love the Christmas tree print, so I don't hate that it's a feature fabric. I have a week to decide!

Journey 2 Nebula - Lucky Charm: Finished!

I am tickled! I finished the Jaybird Quilts Lucky Charm pillow, and I'm so pleased with it. Is it perfect? No. Does it make me smile? You bet!

After watching the video that Julie posted, I set out to sew the half hexies together. I've sewn hexies in Jaybird Quilt patterns before, but I cut them from a jelly roll strip, which means they lined up differently. Because I used 5" squares, the cutting didn't go exactly to the edge, but it was okay because it would be within the seam allowance. There were a couple of half hexies that I had to take the seam ripper to because they were VERY off, but you get a feel for where your pieces should line up as it goes, so it becomes easier.

I sewed each of the rows, sewed the rows in pairs, took those pairs, and sewed them into the completed top. Most of my points lined up exactly where I wanted them. A few are ever so slightly off, but it's nothing that I'm angry about.

I had visions of trying something exciting with the quilting, but let's face it, I wanted to get the project done, so I went with (mostly) straight diagonal lines. I used batting from my "bag 'o batting scraps." I'm pretty sure it's 100% cotton, based on the feel. The scrap was the right size, so I sandwiched it with some scrap white fabric and took to quilting. I did try to quilt it with some sparkly thread, which was not agreeing with me, so after only two tries, I gave it up and went with a pale gray.

The backing I used for this is also part of the Moongate collection. I like adding labels to my quilts, and I wanted to add one to this as well. I usually "design" them on my computer and print them on the June Tailor printable paper. I use design loosely since I'm not at all a designer, but they work. I don't usually add the date, etc. because I like having a collection of labels that I can use for whatever I need, so I just go with "handmade" and my name. I sewed this label to a scrap of fabric, turned it right side out, and then slid it into the folded over edges of the backing before doing the topstitching. I'm happy with it. It's enough to show that I made it, but doesn't get in the way of the pillow.

After quilting, my pretty-darn-square piece was very-not-square, so I squared it as much as possible without taking away from the design and stitched it to the backing.

I purchased a pillow form from Amazon since I don't have a backstock of extra throw pillows. It is QUITE fluffy. I wasn't expecting it to be this fluffy, but I love how it fills out the pillow. I did go with the 20" x 20" size, and I'm glad I didn't go for the recommended 22" x 22" because it would have been overstuffed.

I'm so excited about this finish! Now, I need to clean up the sewing space and start on the next project on my list. This weekend, I'll probably prep my fabric for the next project in the Journey.

Details
Fabric: Moongate by Christina Cameli for Maywood Studio
Thread: Aurafil 50wt; piecing: 2000, quilting: 2615
Batting: Unknown from the assorted scrap bag. Probably 100% cotton
Pattern: Jaybird Quilts Lucky Charm
Pillow: Foamily Premium Hypoallergenic Stuffer Pillow, 20" x 20"
Total Hours: 6 hours, 29 minutes

Journey 2 Nebula - Seaside: Finished!

This week, I finished the first step on the Journey 2 Nebula, the Seaside table runner from Jaybird Quilts. I watched Julie's video that had tips for successful piecing. Even with that, I have a few points that don't exactly match, but I know what adjustments I need to make, so I do not doubt that I'll successfully complete the diamond section of Nebula.

Since I'm not always happy with my quilting, I decided to go simple here to have a finished project. It's not that I can't do the quilting, I'm just the kind of person that wants to be perfect from the start, and free motion quilting is an entirely different skill from any that I have. It also doesn't help that my machine has a painfully small throat space. Even navigating the simple walking foot lines on the table runner got a little cumbersome.

For my binding, I went with a coordinating solid. I usually do a 2.5" binding, but since this is a smaller project, I went with 2.25". I know that the quarter-inch shouldn't make that much of a difference, but it did. It would've been faster to machine bind it, but I prefer hand binding. It always comes out cleaner. Even after attempting it many times over the years, I've never been happy with the finished results on anything I've done machine binding on.

Since I wanted to use up my scraps, I did a pieced backing for this project. I've started adding labels to my projects since I don't always know what I'm going to do with them. When figuring out the backing for this project, I selected the layer cake squares I knew I wanted to use for the front, then laid out the remaining squares. I wanted to make sure to get the label in there and liked the lighter flower print, so I decided to use that as a strip down the center. I wasn't going to have quite enough length, so I went even scrappier with it. I'm almost as happy with the back as I am with the front.

I really enjoyed this project, using my stash and seeing what everyone else is doing with theirs. It's a great way to use scraps, so I'm sure this will be a project that I revisit!

Details
Fabric: Bloomington by Lella Boutique for Moda (Petite Layer Cake), unknown white from stash, Bella Solid from Moda in Lead
Thread: Aurafil 50wt; piecing and quilting: 2000, binding: 5004
Batting: Happy Cloud from Fat Quarter Shop 80/20 Silky Blend
Pattern: Jaybird Quilts Seaside
Total Hours Spent on Project: 13 hours, 24 seconds

Journey 2 Nebula - Seaside: Cutting

I spent a couple of hours this week working on my Jaybird Quilts Seaside table runner. I've used the Super Sidekick Ruler many times over the years and have occasionally found it tedious (truth be told, there are times I find ALL cutting tedious), so I was a little apprehensive about starting.

I was pleasantly surprised this time when the cutting felt like it was a breeze. I'm not sure if it was because this was the first time I was starting with 2.5" strips that I cut myself instead of fiddling with a jelly roll or just excited to be working on the project, but the cutting seemed to go quickly. I did break it up into chunks, so I'm sure that helped as well.

I know that some people found the Super Sidekick a little cumbersome for the smaller diamonds, but I think my familiarity with the ruler helped. The only issue I had was picking it back up off the mat to move it, but that has nothing to do with the ruler.

In her video on cutting, Julie recommended trimming off the points for best piecing results. I know that I'm not great at estimating what 1/4" looks like, so I trimmed mine and got a little pile of cute confetti in the process. While I won't be using this for anything, it was still fun to play with.

I've laid out my diamonds and will spend the next couple days making sure I like the layout, and there aren't any prints next to each other that I don't want next to each other.

Journey 2 Nebula - Seaside: Planning & Prep

I have spent a lot of time digging around in my stash, doing some figuring with pen and paper, and throwing fabric around the room in preparation for Journey 2 Nebula. As I mentioned, I wanted to purchase new fabric for this project, since new and shiny is fun, but I also have a lot of it that doesn't have a reason to be in my stash. I like to keep it mostly project-based to actually see what I'm doing with the fabric. It doesn't mean I'll stick with the intended project, but at least I've kept yardage and/or yardage and pre-cuts together.

After much digging, I decided on the Petite Bloomington Layer Cake by Lella Boutique that came in the May 2020 Sew Sampler Box. The pattern that came with the box was lovely, but it didn't speak to me, so I added the layer cake to my stash. It has 20 10" squares, and after putting pen to paper, I worked out that I would have enough for the contrast diamonds and a scrappy backing.

Next, I had to locate background fabric. This is harder in my stash. I've thought about purchasing bolts of a couple of solid basics, but I haven't made that leap yet. After more digging, I found an ancient layer cake that had background and backing yardage. I may revisit this particular layer cake later in the journey, but for now, I grabbed 5/8 yard of the white (I don't know which white it is, but it's likely a Bella Solid) for Seaside.

In addition to the pieced, scrappy backing I assembled this weekend, I also prepped my fabric for the front. I cut the background into 2.5" x WOF strips, and cut my layer cake pieces into 2.5" strips. I know it's a bit controversial, but I prefer to starch my projects, so I starched my layer cake pieces, knowing that they would shrink. This would not affect what I was going to do with the fabric, so I went for it.

I've completed several Jaybird Quilts patterns, so I'm familiar with how the rulers work, but I have found any time I participate in a quilt along I always pick up some tidbit, so I'm looking forward to starting tomorrow!

I'm In! Journey 2 Nebula

When I saw the Nebula from Jaybird Quilts, I knew I wanted to make it, so I signed right up for the Fat Quarter Shop's block of the month. I've made a few of the Jaybird Quilts patterns already, including several that still aren't complete. Completed include a mini Science Fair, August Stars, and Snack Time. In process include Gravity (I'm a better piecer now, so I'll probably revisit at some point), and Science Fair (which is all pieced, I've just been suffering from my too-terrified-to-quilt-it issue).

I'm going to have a busy Fall into 2021 with the "group" projects I'm participating in. :) Even though I've completed several Jaybird Quilts patterns, I decided to sign up for the Journey 2 Nebula, partly for the connection, even though I’m not much of a social quilter, I’ve definitely been missing being around people while working from home since March. Julie will share tips and tricks through a series of six existing patterns and two bonus patterns.

I purchased the patterns a couple of weeks ago and wanted to buy new fabric for it, but I have decided to be a "grown-up" and use up some of my fabric stash. Because of this, I'm going to have to do some modifications to the fabric requirements (i.e., calls for 2.5" strip, but I'm using a layer cake), but this way I can use up some fabric stash that was from the Sew Sampler Boxes, purchased for a project I can no longer remember (hi, 2011 purchases!), or some scraps I have from other projects that were enough that I couldn't part with them.

I dug around and the bins and boxes and made excessive notes. I think I will have to make a few purchases for a background or binding here or there. Stay tuned to see what I've picked! I'm off to do some starching prep!