COLOR MY WORLD--ASSEMBLY OF THE QUILT TOP

 Color My World is the 2021 Block of the Month pattern designed by Wendy Williams exclusively for The Quilt Show. The pattern is FREE for Star Members through December 31, 2021. 

Once all the many Small Houses, Tall Buildings, Mariner's Compass center, Little Houses and Skyscrapers are made, it is time to assemble them into a beautiful quilt top.

My finished Color My World quilt

STAYSTITCHING TIP: 

 It is VERY HELPFUL to staystitch BOTH EDGES of the Outer Circle of Tall Buildings/Skyscrapers/Little Houses in the City. This means sewing a line of stitches within the seam allowance area, using a regular stitch--2.5 works for me. This will  prevent all the bias edges of Background fabric from stretching on the outer edge and keep the seam allowances of all the buildings in place on the lower edge. This takes a few minutes to do and will save you lots of time/problems later.

These are Evelyn S's borders, showing where to staystitch--she hasn't done it yet:

Wendy has provided step-by-step instructions in Month 12 for Putting the Quilt  Together. See pages 6 and 7 of Month 12. 

My additional tips: 

It will take more time than you expect to make the complete Outer Circle of Tall Buildings, Little Houses in the City and the four Skyscrapers. Take your time, the end is near.

It will take LOTS more time to PIN the center circle with the Upper Roads to the Outer Circle. I know it took me 45 minutes to align and pin everything. Start at North, South, East and West. Then pin half-way between those points, then half-way again, etc. until you have as many pins as you want/need in place. The more pins, the easier the sewing will be. 

I tried to align as many road seams to Tall Building seams as I could, most matched pretty closely. It is not that they are "supposed" to align, they just did, most of the time.

 Here are some photos I took last July 2020 while finishing my sample quilt:

One of four corners assembled

Once you are ready to sew, have as much space around your machine as possible to minimize drag and allow you to sew carefully, with little stress. It took me more than an hour to sew this very long, circular seam. Put on good music and relax.

Check the back when you are done--this happens, at least once and probably more than once. Take the few seconds required to pull out a few stitches and FIX this. Your finished quilt will look much better in the end. You have worked too hard to let a few issues like this diminish your finished quilt:

Here is my finished quilt top BEFORE the outer borders. It looks wonky because I didn't take time to get it square on the design wall. I was just thrilled it was FLAT:

Wendy has instructions for cutting the outer borders from 7 strips of  crosswise grain fabric, 5" wide--this requires about 1 yard of border fabric. This is the most efficient use of fabric but will mean there are seams in all the borders. If you prefer lengthwise grain borders, with no seams, you will need about 2 yards. You can make your borders wider or narrower, as you please. I cut mine 5" wide, from crosswise grain--this busy fabrics makes the seams very hard to find.

It is most important that you cut the borders to the exact side needed, so the quilt will be flat and square. Measure your quilt, top to bottom, from edge to edge at both sides and the middle. These should be similar. If they are way off, like more than a 1/2" different, I try to find where I went wrong. Less than that, I use the average and "ease to fit". 

What you DON'T want to do is cut a long strip of border, sew it on and whack off the extra--this almost guarantees the quilt will not be square. Cut your borders to the precise size needed, pin at both ends, the middle and along the edges as needed to keep things aligned. The more pins, the easier the sewing.

Once the left and right borders are sewn on, measure the quilt again in three places, to determine the size of the top and bottom borders. Cut those to exact size and add them to complete your top.

Here is mine on the design wall, all done, flat and square.  Being admired by the adorable Stella:

When yours is done, PLEASE POST A PHOTO ON THE FORUM. There is a Topic just for this purpose: COLOR MY WORLD--SHOW YOUR COMPLETED TOP/QUILT HERE. I am very excited to see the many beautiful quilts that come from this year's Block of the Month!

Just for fun, I took photos of the kit fabrics I had left and all the background bits. I still have them all saved for some future project:

NEXT UP: Some quilting suggestions and detailed photos of how I quilted mine. Wednesday December 1, 2021.

BIG REMINDER: these patterns are only available FREE to Star Members of The Quilt Show until December 31, 2021. After that you will have to purchase the pattern from the designer at significant cost. Print and/or Save the pattern so you will have access when you are ready. The Quilt Show will not be able to provide you any patterns you are missing.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

COLOR MY WORLD--MONTH 12--EIFFEL TOWER AND CENTREPOINT TOWER

 The last two Skyscrapers are here! We are so close to the end of this year-long project.

I found it VERY HELPFUL to number the pages as I printed them. There are two buildings again and you don't want to get the patterns mixed up.

Go slow, READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS before beginning each of these Skyscrapers.

CENTREPOINT TOWER: 

Centrepoint Tower is a landmark in Sydney, Australia, home to designer Wendy Williams. It resembles the Seattle Space Needle in the USA and could easily be adapted to be that Skyscraper if you wish.

Cut out the pieces carefully. Some of the sizes are pretty small. Should you prefer a bit more leeway, just cut the small ones a little larger. 

There are lots of background pieces, some quite small, so you probably have plenty of bits of background left over to cut many of these pieces. 

Section 1 is in two parts.  JOIN THEM TO EACH OTHER BEFORE STARTING TO SEW.  Glue works better than tape as you will be pressing with a hot iron during construction:

Start Section 1 by sewing Background pieces (b) to BOTH sides of Base Support Grey (a). Use Clover Quick Bias tape to construct the legs using the GUIDELINES FOR BIAS TAPE. 

Follow the remaining instructions for each section, then join the sections to construct your Tower.

My Centrepoint Tower

EIFFEL TOWER: 

Don't be in a hurry to construct this one. It is not hard, just has lots of pieces and steps. 

Again, there are lots of background pieces, many you can cut from your leftovers. I recommend piece (e) be cut 2" x 4" to make placement easier.

One of my (d) units in Section 2 went missing

Section 1 is made from TWO pattern pieces. Piece (a) is Background and will be basted to Piece (b) once all the Bias tape has been stitched to Piece (b). Follow the instructions carefully when placing the Bias Tape. Step 7 of the instructions for Section 1 explains Bias Tape is used to cover the basting where pieces (a) and (b) are joined.

Section 2 has FIVE pattern pieces. After BOTH units (d) are completed with Bias Tape, join them to unit (c), then sew units (e) to  both outer edges.

Continue with each Section, following the instructions. When all the sections are complete, join them to construct  your Eiffel Tower.

My Eiffel Tower

NEXT UP--ASSEMBLY of  your  COLOR MY WORLD QUILT.  The blog post of  Sunday November 7 will discuss this last step. You might not be ready yet, but you will have the information when you are ready.

BIG REMINDER: these patterns are only available FREE to Star Members of The Quilt Show until December 31, 2021. After that you will have to purchase the pattern from the designer at significant cost. Print and/or Save the pattern so you will have access when you are ready. The Quilt Show will not be able to provide you any patterns you are missing.

And it's not too late to start. Until December 31, 2021, all of the patterns are available to Star Members. Find them ALL in the LEARN section of www.thequiltshow.com

Let's quilt.

Barbara

COLOR MY WORLD--MONTH 11--BIG BEN and ONE WORLD TRADE

 Finally, we start to make the Skyscrapers for Color My World. Even if you are not making this quilt, seeing how to create your own Skyscraper can be helpful for a future project.

Earlier this year I provided the "design area" for the four Skyscrapers, for those who want to create their own building. Some ideas are windmills, lighthouses, the Washington Monument, churches, the Saturn 5 rocket here in Huntsville, AL. Find that post here: Skyscraper Design Area

I taped all of the pattern pieces together for each Skyscraper to find the size. They are not exactly the same size. As hand-drawn patterns, they varied about 1/8" from each other. Just make them the size of each pattern and it will be fine:

I found it VERY HELPFUL to number the pages as I printed them. There are two buildings again and you don't want to get the patterns mixed up.

For each of the Skyscrapers, I recommend you first READ THE INSTRUCTIONS carefully. These are not fast designs to make. Take your time and enjoy the construction process. SOME of the pattern pieces are JOINED together BEFORE starting to sew. Be sure you understand which do that.

BIG BEN: 

As the pattern tester, I first follow the patterns as written. When my Big Ben was finished and I was in the final assembly process, I saw that my Big Ben had a problem:

My Big Ben

Remember my Sub-title for this quilt? My Big Ben is simply "NOT TO CODE". I had no more of the brick red nor the peach fabrics so making another one in those colors was not an option. I was also "FINISHED" and did not want to have to make another OR applique background fabric on top of the red "arms". I just decided my Big Ben has scaffolding and let it go at that. In hindsight, I should have compared each section to the original photo but didn't.

 Of course, the designer was able to fix the pattern so yours looks like it should.

The clock face can be anything you like. Wendy used a circular design from the Art History 101 background fabric. You can DRAW a CLOCK FACE with a permanent pen on fabric of your choice. Here are some other options. 

Leading up to the year 2000 there were several lines of fabric that showcased TIME/CLOCKS. The black/white circle on the left was from a fabric I used for a garment some years ago:

In the monthly class I teach locally, there was discussion on how to make the body of Big Ben as one long piece, instead of in sections. Start by taping a copy of the pattern together so you know what size it is. Cut a long strip of the peach fabric the size needed.  Applique a strip of the brick fabric for each of the four cross-pieces. Applique a long strip of brick red down the center, then add two long  pieces of brick to either side of the center. Then it is a matter of making a template for the two background wedges to complete the lower part of Big Ben. I am not providing any more detailed instruction than that. If you can "see" how this will work, you can try it. If it doesn't make sense, just follow the pattern as written. 

ONE WORLD:

This one took me a little time. The first thing I had to do was figure out the fabric colors for the building. For mine, 1 = Light Blue, 2 = Blue Gray and 3 = Dark Teal. Color 2 is used in both the Center and both Outer sections. 

My One World

The building section patterns have to be JOINED before sewing begins. Glue works better than tape as you will be pressing with a hot iron while constructing each section.

This is what the 3 sections look like BEFORE you start to sew:

Wendy has excellent instructions for making this building, READ them before you begin. Remember to follow the Seam Numbers for where to start--SEAM 1 is first, then SEAM 2, etc. Start at the WIDE end of each of the 3 sections, working toward the NARROW end.

Wendy has also provided excellent photos showing how to attach the two joined spire sections to the lower part of the building. Follow step-by-step and go slowly.

These Skyscrapers take a while to make so the NEXT BLOG, posting November 3, 2021, will feature Month12--Eiffel Tower and Centrepoint Tower. I doubt anyone will be ready to start those yet but at least you'll have the instructions.

BIG REMINDER: these patterns are only available FREE to Star Members of The Quilt Show until December 31, 2021. After that you will have to purchase the pattern from the designer at significant cost. Print and/or Save the pattern so you will have access when you are ready. The Quilt Show will not be able to provide you any patterns you are missing.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Houston Quilt Festival Part 1

 After not having Festival last year, I was thrilled to be back this year. 

Easy flights, both landing early, a good LYFT driver, and a wonderful welcome from everyone I encounter at the Hilton Americas hotel makes this the highlight of my year.

The view from my room:

My cozy bed:

On the airplane:

Food shots, always good to eat well when I can. Once the work starts it’s Protein bars and instant oatmeal most of the time:

Hotel oatmeal, not instant 

The first of a couple meals at Pappadeaux, a favorite

Salad bar lunch from Phoenicia

NOTE: the salad bar at Phoenicia just reopened last week and Pappadeaux reopened for business last week. So glad for both of those. The Executive Lounge in the Hilton remains closed.

Love seeing the Harvest Moon from my room when it’s close to full:

There is often public art on display in downtown Houston. This year there are painted sugar skulls to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. Here are just a few photos:

When this posts Festival hasn’t opened yet. Part 2 will have photos from the show.

Let’s quilt.

Barbara 

A Few More Favorites

Above my computer, I have these four small quilts on the wall:

The upper left was made for me, by Judee Koda, 2012, in a Doll Quilt Monthly swap I was in that year. I love the simplicity of it, the turned edges with French knots for embellishment. Simple, decorative machine quilting adds just the right touch. It is 18" x 24".

The small log cabin at the top right I made with silk from Sari ribbon bundles bought in Houston in 2012.   It's 13" x 13". I need to make more  of these. Here are the bundles of silk, I have many:

The small landscape quilt on the lower left I made in 1992 after taking a class with Dottie Moore. It would be fun to make another of these, so many years later. It is 14" x 12".

The largest one, on the lower right, was made for me by Margaret Rosenbrook in 2012, again from the Doll Quilt Monthly swap I was in that year. I love the simplicity of this one, too, gentle curves of fabrics, simple curving straight line quilting. I had intended to make one like it but haven't yet.  It is 20" x 23". 

You never know what you will get in a quilt swap with strangers. Even when the "rules" are well-defined, there are sometimes surprises. These two quilts from that year-long swap were totally worth the effort of the 12 quilts I made and shipped off that year. And they are the only ones from that year I kept. The rest were sold or given away.

Once I get home from Houston, I am going to post a bunch of quilts to sell, most small like these, but a few bed-size ones as well. Nothing wrong with my supply chain!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Favorite Things

 I did clean up my studio a little bit so I won't come home from Houston to a mess. 

There are a few special things in my studio I thought I would share. First, are two beachscapes I bought from my very talented friend, Eileen Williams. I love everything about these. The top one is 5" x 8", the larger one is 9" x 12".  Having shells and beads sewn on makes them so special, and I love the driftwood hanger on the bottom one. I don't get to the beach near as often as I wish so these help take me there:

Be sure to check out her beautiful work on her website: Fiber Art Quilts. She has had several gallery exhibitions this year so many of her pieces have sold. She has won numerous awards for her work over the years.  Read more about our lifelong friendship in this post: A Visit With Friends

The other item on my studio wall that makes me smile every day is this:

Garth Brooks, the inscription says "Barbara, sure love your boy--God bless your family, Garth". 

My son, Joshua Black Wilkins, is a professional photographer in Nashville, TN. A few years ago he was working on a shoot there with Garth Brooks. As it happened to be my birthday, I told Joshua to tell him his mother is a big fan. I have loved Garth's music from the beginning. During a break, Joshua did tell him that and Garth instantly asked for my address. A few days later I received a large box from Oklahoma. Not knowing anyone in OK, I was surprised and curious. It was full of all the merchandise sold at his shows. Lots of t-shirts, coffee mugs, key chains, stickers, all that stuff. Included was this signed photo. And a 3-CD set of all his music and a DVD of a big show. Pretty sweet and unexpected, for sure.  I hung this where Garth can watch me at my pressing station:

The Flying Geese quilt above is called Snowbirds by Jinny Beyer--I made it in 2000. On the left is a tiny twister quilt made by my friend, Ellen, in 2013. 

So, while I'm off to Houston, I will try to post a few simple posts about quilty things.

Be sure to check out the Tutorials tab above to find lots of helpful posts for quilting issues/techniques.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Pre-Houston Studio Chaos

 If a messy space is the sign of an organized mind, I am in good shape. Several projects are in various stages and I don't want to put them away:

There is more Secret Sewing I thought I was done with but something came up and I had to make 3 more blocks, the kind that are not easy but make you feel accomplished when done. Sneak peek:

I also began an "I Spy" quilt for my 3 year old grandson's "big boy bed" which he will move into soon--one block of 63 done is a start, right?

This is the annual pre-Houston rush to get LOTS done. I will be gone close to two weeks so there are bills to pay, clothes packing to plan, laundry to do so the suitcases can get packed, appointments for personal stuff like hair and nails, and the usual, annual doctor visits I should know NOT to schedule in October. Two weeks ago I got the booster shot so this past week I also got the annual flu vaccine, a must before going to Houston--that's just part of  my annual Fall routine.

At least I don't have any garments to make this year, I will be using prior year garments according to the schedule we have been given. 

Staging area for packing--those two suitcases will be full soon and I'll be on my way to one of my most favorite places, with great people, my favorite hotel, and good food. And the weather is usually the best in Houston in the Fall. 

International Quilt Festival will be extra special this year because the Special Exhibit "My Joyful Journey" will be on full display. Twenty-three of my quilts, representing some of my earliest works to the four Best Of Show quilts, and those that mean the most to me in my journey as a professional quiltmaker. If you come to Festival, I hope our paths will cross during your visit. 

For those who can't make it, I'll take lots of photos and plan to create an "e-book" when I get home.  More on that when it's all set.

Let's quilt. 

Barbara