Sister's Choice Quilts

Frivols Re-examined

Do you remember Frivols?  They were such a cute idea from four or so years ago.  It was a year-long subscription program. Each month you got a little see-through tin with enough fabric by a Moda designer, with project instructions and an extra free pattern block.  The Frivol in the photo above is one from 2016 and features #5, which was by Sandy Klop. These monthly Frivols were fairly pricey ($45) and if you wanted the finishing kit for backing and binding, that was extra.  By the end of the year, in an ideal world, you would end up with 12 small completed projects and 12 adorable decorative tins you could use all sorts of ways. I dropped out after the eighth month because I was spending a fortune on them.  I kind of regret that now, as it would be cool to have the complete set of 12.

I made a couple of the small quilts and really enjoyed having the decorative tins on the shelves of my sewing room.  Kind of an expensive decoration...  Anyway, when I did my major tidying of the sewing room, I examined the tins and their contents and told myself I really needed to make up some of these projects.  

I pulled out the contents of Frivols 6, which was a project by Joanna Figueroa using her Strawberry Fields Revisited collection.  For some reason, I had transferred the fabric into a project box and cannot for the life of me find tin #6 or the instructions for the main project.

Apparently I had had something else in mind, and the fabric from the tin was all starched and ready to be used.  I did have the little extra free block pattern card however and started playing around making 5-inch blocks.

Cute, aren't they?  I will make more blocks and put them into some kind of a table runner, either for me or to give as a gift.

Sure wish I could find tin #6 though...***

This one that I actually completed was by Minick and Simpson.  Frivols #2 featuring Polka Dots and Paisleys.

Did you subscribe to the monthly Frivols kits in 2016?  Did you ever make up any of the projects?

**Added later:    Found it!

 

Half Square Triangles with Easy Angle®

There you see 224 half-square triangles.  These were an absolute breeze to make with the Easy Angle® ruler.  In all the current rage for triangle papers, you may have forgotten about the Easy Angle.  It is the fastest, easiest way to make half-square triangles that I know of.  

My son Ahren gave me a lot of the fabric to make this Holly Berries quilt using Cinnaberry by 3 Sisters.  I had in mind to get it finished by Christmas so he could enjoy it when he visits, but who knows if he will be able to come home from Ireland this December.  At any rate, the pattern calls for 224 four-inch half square triangles.

It was a warm day on Sunday, so I got my fabric all starched* and hung out to dry in the sunshine.  Would you believe that fabric was dry in less than an hour?  What a difference from trying to starch fabric in February and waiting a day and a half for it to dry!  Since the fabric was all starched, dry and ready, I jumped in and cut my 4 inch strips.

The first step in making half-square triangle units with the Easy Angle is to cut strips exactly the unfinished size of your HSTs.  You can cut wider strips, thus making larger half-square triangle units, which you then trim down to your perfect size.  I have often done this in the past, but this time I decided to live dangerously, and just went ahead and cut my strips 4" and hoped for the best.  What you see above is two strips of fabric, a dark and a light, right sides together, which will be cut into units ready to be stacked and stitched.

With the Easy Angle ruler, you just move the tool along the strip, lining the markings up carefully to your desired size and cut. After each cut, you flip the ruler and cut your next unit.  I was using fat eighths cuts of fabric and could cut two 4 inch strips from each, making a total of 16 half-square triangle units from each piece.  I had fourteen lights and fourteen darks.

I swear this process went like lightning, it was so fast.  The photo above shows half my units all stacked up ready to sew together.  The light and dark fabric for each HST is layered together so all I had to do was pick up each unit, make sure the fabrics were still lined up properly and stitch.  I got those 224 units done and dusted while I listened to two book review podcasts.

No trimming, no lines to draw, no papers to pick off.  And every single one I checked was right at 4".  I think the practice of starching fabric before cutting and sewing makes a huge difference in piecing accuracy.  All the same, I was very pleased to re-acquaint myself with my Easy Angle ruler, and get all those half-square triangle units made in no time at all.

You probably have an Easy Angle tossed into one of the drawers in your sewing room.  I encourage you to dig it out and get to know it again.

*NOTE:  I am getting questions in the comments regarding my starching technique.  I use cans of Faultless Heavy Duty Spray Starch to starch my fabric.  I completely saturate the fabric so that it is literally dripping wet with starch.  I dry it on drying racks on my porch.  I buy starch cans by the dozens and go through them really fast.  I use a LOT of starch.  When the fabric dries it is stiff as paper.  I do iron it before cutting.  It is a dream to sew with starched fabric.  Your piecing will never be more accurate as it is with starched fabric.

 

Creative Grids Mask Template

I tried a new mask-making technique and found it so much better than the rectangular ones I had been making. The template is by Creative Grids, and as usual with their tools, it is fantastic.  This mask is more fitted than the rectangular style and scoops out slightly under the eyes so your glasses don't fog up.  Three sizes are included on the template:  child's, women's, and men's.  (S-M-L).  I found it faster and less fussy to make, and much preferred the results to the other style.

I made five of them in no time flat.  The fit is vastly superior to the baggy pleated rectangular style.

There are good instructions that come with the template, but there is also a YouTube tutorial created by Creative Grids that explains things even better.  Shabby Fabrics also has a tutorial that I watched that is very good as well.  Shabby's tutorial is quite long, however.  I made three masks while I watched it.  lol

I purchased my Creative Grids Mask Template on Etsy.com.  I received it in about a week.  There are other acrylic face mask templates out there, but make sure you order the one by Creative Grids.  It has their trademark grippy strips on the underside so the template doesn't slip during cutting.

One tip:  when cutting your mask fabric out using the template, your 45mm rotary cutter works fine on the convex curve.  On the concave curve, I recommend using a smaller 28mm rotary cutter.

Our 4th of July celebration was terrific.  My son in law grilled tri-tip and I brought along a big bowl of potato salad.  His next-door neighbor had really enjoyed the "back of the truck" concert Ryan hosted after his recent wedding, so the neighbor hired the musician to come back and play for the neighborhood again.  We all observed social distancing and placed folding chairs far apart right out in the cul de sac.  It was such fun!

And there's Grover Anderson, singing his heart out from the back of his truck!  We old folks sat and sipped wine, younger couples sipped beer or sodas and all the little kids danced around us while we listened to the music.  It seemed like such a nice community thing for everyone to share.  I hope your weekend was wonderful as well!

Have an Ohana 4th of July

Our national day of independence, the 4th of July is this Saturday.  If you celebrate, I hope you do so safely and with those you love.  We are having a small family barbeque at Eva's daddy's house.  He is a fantastic cook, so whatever we have will be amazing. 

Eva is with her mommy this weekend, so it will just be our "ohana" family, consisting of my (ex) son-in-law, his new wife, his new mother-in-law, my husband and me (his former in-laws).  This may seem to be an odd coming together of people unless you are familiar with the Hawaiian term "ohana".  Ohana means family, but not necessarily the family you were born into.  Ohana is a very embracing and extensive use of the term "family", it can mean those you are related to, those you adopt, or those who you intentionally include in your family group.

With Ohana, nobody gets left behind, and all are welcome and loved.  Many blessings upon you and whomever you consider your family.

Books Read in June 2020

No, I didn't read all these. But I did read seven books in June and I will tell you about them shortly.  First, I'd like to point out one of my favorite decorative pieces that my husband gave me a couple of Christmasses ago.

This piece is by Houston Llew, an artist who paints with powdered glass on copper. The piece is about the size and shape of a book, and has a quote by George M. Martin on the sides that says "A reader lives a thousand lives". I just love this and enjoy looking at it on my bookshelf. Houston has a huge selection of these 'Spiritiles" (as he calls them) and each one has a gorgeous painting and an appropriate quote. They make such personal and unique gifts.

Ok, let's get to the books I read in June. It was a decent reading month. I like to read "lighter" books in the summer and be entertained. Most of them are in that category. Seven books, and some of them were excellent. Super long post today, so grab yourself a beverage and settle in.

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell was surprisingly good.  I did not care for the first book of hers that I read (I am, I am, I am), so I went into this with misgivings.  I was very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this complicated family drama immensely.  Daniel Sullivan is traveling in a remote area of Ireland when he comes to the aid of a beautiful woman with car trouble.  It turns out Claudette is a very famous international film star who has disappeared from the public and now lives as a recluse in Ireland.  Daniel and Claudette fall in love and enter into an idyllic reclusive life.  We soon find out that Daniel has a secret that could unravel everything he has built with Claudette.  Each chapter in the book is from the point of view of a different character, and the story is not told chronologically.  The author writes beautifully and the story was very compelling.  For a book that I wasn't sure I even wanted to read, I was pretty blown away.  Five stars.

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis.  Sigh.  I enjoyed a previous book by Fiona Davis called "The Address". That being said, I had a lot of problems with this book.  The story is set in the 1950s in the famous Barbizon Hotel for Women in New York City.  So many famous women lived there over time- Sylvia Plath, Candace Bergen, Grace Kelly, Liza Minelli, and many more. The author just didn't use the setting effectively enough for me.     The plot seemed forced and the main characters were thoroughly unlikeable. The book is told in two timelines, the early 1950s and 2016. Rose, the 2016 journalist, uses very underhanded and questionable methods to get her story, and no amount of sympathy for her bad romantic break up excuses her actions. The 1950's main protagonists were equally problematic. Darby was completely spineless and Esme was a lying schemer. Not nearly enough history and background were devoted to the Barbizon Hotel, which was a shame. Many of you may really enjoy this book, so do read the reviews on Amazon and GoodReads.  I just didn't think it was written well. Two and a half stars.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.  This was a very complex book. It is the story of twin sisters who choose very different paths in life. They grow up in a small town whose claim to fame is a population of extremely light-skinned black people. The girls run away as teenagers and even as they both rebel against the mores of their Southern town, they do it in polar opposite ways. The story focuses on the lives the sisters each chose and how their choices affected their daughters. The book is a family saga, yet addresses the topics of race, discrimination against those who look different, "passing" as white, the secrets we keep, family loyalty, and the choices we make. I think this was an important book. Highly recommend. Four+  stars.

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center. I always enjoy books by this author. Katherine Center's main characters struggle with big issues and generally triumph in the end and become stronger more evolved people. Margaret is about to launch herself into a glorious future: a fabulous dream job, a new engagement, and nothing but good things to come. In one instant everything is turned on its head and nothing she planned for is going to happen. The secondary characters in this book are so well-drafted you will feel as if you know them. There is an estranged sister who re-appears into Margaret's life, a difficult (to put it mildly) mother, a supportive and loving dad, a complete sap of a fiancé, and a very intriguing Scottish physical therapist. You will root for Margaret, cry with her, cheer when she triumphs and be completely satisfied with this wonderful book. It gave me all the feelings. Five stars for me.

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner.  I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot meatier than I was expecting. I went into it thinking it would be a rom-com, but was mistaken. It was part contemporary fiction and part mystery, which I did not anticipate at all. Daphne is a plus-size Instagram influencer who is making a name for herself and gaining loads of followers. She has not seen her "frenemy" Drue since a massive quarrel they had years ago while in college. Suddenly Drue reappears in Daphne's life and of all things, asks her to be her bridesmaid. Drue's inability to keep friends for long has evidently come home to roost and she has absolutely no one else she can ask to be in her wedding party. The author does a great job of portraying Daphne and her body insecurities, the role of social media in our lives, and the power of old friendships. This is a light read, sort of soap opera-ish, but I enjoyed it and found it a great choice for summer reading. Four stars.

Sea Wife by Amity Gaige.  Do you ever read books that have an interesting premise, but the characters are so annoying you want to pinch them?  Here's the set up:  Juliet was working on her PhD dissertation when she became pregnant with her first child. The birth of her baby, followed in a few years by a second child, seriously put a damper on her finishing her degree.  Besides moping over that and doing nothing about it, she is suffering from serious depression. Her husband Michael works for a large insurance company and makes enough money to move the family to a gorgeous big home in suburban Connecticut. And no one is satisfied with this. Michael's dream is to own a sailboat and sail all around the world.  He manages to acquire a 40-foot boat and proceeds to take his depressed wife and their 7-year-old and 2-year-old toddler to sail between Central America and the Caribbean for a year.  For. a. year. That's it, just the four of them on a boat in the middle of the ocean.  The chapters alternate from Juliet's mopey point of view and her husband's captain's log.  If you think this crazy idea to sail the seven seas with two unstable grown-ups and two little kids makes everything better you would be wrong.  Just barely three stars for me.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.  Lillian and Maddie were roommates at an exclusive boarding school when they were kids.  Lillian unfairly gets expelled due to a scandal and finds her life completely unravels.  Now in her 20s, she is living a dead-end life working at a big box store and living in her mother's attic.  Maddie, who has reached a level of wealth and success in her life that few attain, reaches out and tells Lillian she has a job for her.  Lillian travels to Maddie's vast estate to see what that job is all about.  It turns out Maddie's husband is a senator with aspirations to become president.  He has two children from his first marriage who need a nanny.  The problem is, the children have a very unusual disability.  When agitated, they spontaneously combust.  As in burst into flames.  Now hear me out.   First of all, when the kids combust, they aren't hurt or burned.  Things around them get pretty scorched, but they are always ok.  But it's pretty awkward, right?  I know this sounds like the most ridiculous and far fetched theme for a book ever, but it was done really well.  Obviously there are much deeper themes beneath the surface of the plot premise.  Lillian's life is basically ruined by the school event from her past.  She has no friends, no relationships, a terrible mother and nothing to look forward to.  These two strange kids can't be around anyone and in fact have to live in a specially constructed house with a gazillion sprinklers on the ceiling.  The three main characters come together in a way that is touching, poignant and meaningful.  I was so surprised by this book and actually went from laughing out loud to feeling very moved.  If you want something very different, give this one a try.  Seriously!  Four stars.

So that's it for June.  Thanks for sticking with me to the end!  

Piecing the Past Blocks Done

Piecing the Past, Comfort and Joy blocks are all done.  They published the suggested layout this week, but I am going to do my own thing. Their layout calls for a narrow lattice between the blocks and I want to spread things out more.  This is their suggested layout below: 

I am going to add alternate blocks and setting triangles.  I may do their suggested borders.  I made my blocks 6" rather than their 9" pattern, so I need to get creative to achieve a larger quilt.  I also made 42 blocks instead of the 32 their quilt has.

In the past couple of years, I have made so many sampler quilt tops.  I think I like them because one can work on them over time, usually a few blocks a week.  Plus, they really sharpen up your piecing skills and force you to try new things you might normally shy away from.

Thank goodness for discovering the Lori Holt books for some additional block ideas.  I used her Farm Girl Vintage and Vintage Christmas books and they had a ton of great block patterns that I was able to incorporate into this project.  The last five or so block patterns that Piecing the Past put out in the 9" size were impossible to reduce to 6". Chris B. kindly tried to help me, but the measurements were so wacky I just couldn't do it.  What is 13/16th of an inch?  That sort of thing.

These are a few of the blocks I made from Lori's VIntage Christmas book.  Isn't that little red "blossom" block on the left adorable?  I am definitely adding that into the ModaBlockheads sampler.

This was a fun project to work on during the shutdown.  Piecing the Past frequently offers sew-alongs that come with free weekly patterns. The thing is you have to sign up to receive the weekly patterns by email, and after a week or so they are no longer available.  It is worth it to sign up for their free sew-alongs, collect the free block patterns, and make the project later when time allows.  If you want the patterns after the sew-along is over, I think it costs $20 for all of them.  They are starting up a new Summer Sampler Row Quilt sew along this week if you are interested.  It's cute, you should check it out.

Hope your week is going well!  Can you believe it is July?  I want April, May, and June back.

Well, That's Better

I had a much better sewing day yesterday.  I had my husband snap a photo to show that I really can do it.  Excuse the no makeup and funny expression.  This was about the eighth photo he took, as he kept chopping off my head and I was getting impatient with the poor man.

I went back to my Hallo Harvest kit by BasicGrey.  I had bought the kit, which features a quilt with four rows of five blocks each.  I knew I didn't want to make an entire quilt from it, but rather three table runners.  One for me, one for my daughter Sara and one for my (ex) son in-law Ryan (he's the biggest fan of my work).

One row makes a great table runner size.  I didn't measure but if I had to guess I'd say it is about 18 x 48".  I had made three blocks some time back, so it was pretty easy to make two more blocks and get something accomplished that I was happy with.  How about that white bat?  Don't you love it?

Oh my goodness, thank you all so much for all the encouraging words yesterday.  You guys are so great.  What encouragement you gave me!  It made me turn my thinking around about the Hocus Pocus table runner with no contrast.  My daughter Sara says she loves it as it is, so I will have it quilted (with green thread) and hope that once the batting and backing are on it, the look of it will be improved.  Sara works in marketing and says she thinks the photo on the pattern cover was filtered to make the colors look more saturated.  It is commonly done.  Since I used the exact same fabrics as shown on the pattern cover my result should have looked identical to it.  Lesson learned.

Time to get these all sent off to the quilter so I get them back by fall.