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 - Rock Candy: Finished!

I haven't been sure about this particular project in the Journey 2 Nebula. I do love the design of Rock Candy, but I'm not sure about my fabric choice. I am trying to use up some of my stash and not buy fabric that I don't need, but there's so much beautiful fabric out there. The next project will be new fabric because I couldn't resist it. You'll see it later this week!

The piecing went together much quicker than I thought that it was going to. Once I had it all laid out and the sections separated, I completed it in a bit over an hour and a half. I tried to be careful not to stress the bias edges unnecessarily, but there are a couple of places that the points aren't exact (which I really noticed when quilting since I got a good look at every spot).

I finished piecing the top last Tuesday, the day the piecing video came out, but I had no clue what I would do with my backing or quilting. I didn't like not having a plan since I've had a plan for all of the other projects, so I don't think I'll jump in with Gazebo either since I already have Candy Dish planned out. I'll have to take some time in the next couple of weeks to dig through the stash and put together what I need to make it work. For the backing, I ended up settling on a solid I had leftovers of and adding in a label and a coordinating 10" square from the Arctic line that was leftover. Cut it to fit the label, and then pieced it with the solid. It used up all of the solid fabric's leftovers, so at least I'm not wasteful in using what I have.

I even pieced together my backing fabric. I've done this before and been pleased with the results, so I did it again here. If you've never done this, it's super easy. You take your two batting pieces and butt them up next to each other, not overlapping, and zigzag stitch them together. You can also use fusible, but I prefer just stitching them together. Doing this also used up all of a leftover batting piece, contributing to not being wasteful and cleaning the sewing space.

I had zero clue what I was going to do with the quilting, so I just sat down on Friday night and went for it. I ended up doing diagonal lines that crossed into a diamond pattern. I've seen some beautiful free motion quilting in the Facebook group, but instead of using these pieces to practice that, I've decided to go with what I feel comfortable with, at least so far. I'm fairly positive the next project will be straight line quilting as well. Overall, I'm happy with the way it looks. I used a light gray solid fat quarter for the binding, and I think it comes together nicely.

Details
Fabric: Arctic by Elizabeth Hartman for Robert Kaufman, unknown white, unknown gray, unknown teal (all from stash)
Thread: Aurafil, 50wt: Piecing, 2000; Quilting, 2021; Binding, 2615
Batting: 100% cotton from scraps
Pattern: Jaybird Quilts Rock Candy
Total Hours Spent: 6 hours, 20 minutes

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 - 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 - Lucky Charm: Cutting

The next step in the Journey 2 Nebula started today! We began the Jaybird Quilts Lucky Charm pillow. It uses the Jaybird Quilts Hex n More Ruler, which I have used before. I find it a bit more fiddly than the Super Sidekick Ruler. I think that is because there are a couple of other angles to cut.

I'm using Moongate from Maywood Studios for this pillow. I have it leftover from the GE Designs Hope Quilt Along. I finished that top, but I haven't quilted it yet. Maybe a coordinating pillow will inspire me to get it done so that I can show it off! Last week, I took my scraps from that project and turned them into 5" squares.

Today, after watching Julie's video for tips, I cut the half hexies. It's a good thing that I watched the video because it probably would've stressed me out to have a tiny bit of fabric missing from the edge. Julie said that it was okay, though!

After cutting, I laid out all of the pieces until I had a few remaining that would be sliced and diced for the edges. Before I decided on what those would be, I made sure I was happy with the middle and that I would have enough variation for the edges. Overall, I think I'm pleased with the layout, but I'll keep looking at it until next week's tip video for sewing it together.

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

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!