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

Fast & Furious: Fall Fellows

The second pattern in GE Designs's Fast & Furious season 2 came out last week. I had a plan for which fabric I was going to use for this one. I'm not much of a Halloween person, but being in Massachusetts, we have plenty of Fall to go around. Like the last Fast & Furious project, I wanted to use fabric from my stash, so I went digging.

The fabric I decided on goes back to the December 2017 Sew Sampler Box! That box came with a Star Twist Helping Hands Fat Eighth Bundle by Kim Diehl for Henry Glass Fabrics, and I used all but one of the fat eighths for this project. I needed to select a background color, but I didn't have anything I could use, so I went with Laundry Basket Favorites Linen Texture in Parchment by Laundry Basket Quilts for Andover Fabrics. It's a beautiful fabric, and I'd love to revisit the line for something else. (I do have a Laundry Basket Quilts Rainbow Alaska Kit burning a hole in my pocket right now. It uses Century Solids, and it's been sitting next to me daily since I got it. It's a beautiful quilt, and Edyta has a quilt along for it going on right now, but this will probably be a later in the Fall/early winter project for me.)

Fall Fellows is a pair of pumpkins and is a quilt as you go project. I wasn't sure how this one would work since the last one was all just straight lines on an angle, but I should've known to trust Gudrun. Other than a couple of reading comprehension issues, this pattern, paired with the video, was fun and straightforward. I did use Photoshop to figure out which colors I wanted where. I tried lighter pumpkins, teal pumpkins, and every variation and settled on this.

For the backing, I used two of the fat eighths in the more natural colorways, plus the green that I used for the pumpkins' stems. Even though I used light thread, it doesn't look like it doesn't belong on the back with the quilt as you go lines.

The prairie points were a little challenging, and they didn't sew down perfectly. I'm sure I could've made it look a little tidier if I had taken a bit more time on it, but I do like the dimension they add. I love the finished look of this piece. I'm not sure where I'll put it. I don't have a place to use a wall hanging, but I have plenty of flat surfaces that could use a little sprucing. I like how the deep colors pop off the parchment background. I did use one of the fat eighths for the binding in the deep teal color, and I feel like it finishes the piece nicely.

Details
Fabric: Star Twist Helping Hands by Kim Diehl for Henry Glass Fabrics, Laundry Basket Favorites Linen Texture in Parchment by Laundry Basket Quilts for Andover Fabrics
Thread: Aurafil, 50wt: 2000
Batting: 100% polyester
Pattern: Ge Designs Fall Fellows
Total Hours Spent: 4 hours, 30 minutes

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: 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 - 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: 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!