Another deadline!

I thought I would be taking my time getting my niece's t-shirt quilt done, but things have changed. My sister and her husband are coming to Ohio for Labor Day so now I want to get the quilt done so I don't have to ship it. So you know what I was doing all weekend!

I got the top done by end of day on Saturday. Sunday I was up at 6 a.m. to press the backing and get the quilt pin basted. I don't know what I would do without my table! I would not be able to get this quilt pin basted as fast with my table. Here is the quilt partially pin basted. The center section of the table is 4' x 8' and the leaves are 2' x 8'.

I got the quilt pin basted as far as I could reach along the side of the one leaf. I then untapped the backing just to the joint and dropped the leaf. Now I could get almost to the middle of the quilt.

There was just one small area I couldn't reach so I untapped the quilt and slid it so I could finish pinning that small area. I had the quilt all pin basted by 10:00 or 10:30 a.m.

I left my paper at home with the stats, but I now have it 34% quilted. If I remember correctly the quilt turned out 78" x 94.5". In order to get it done before my sister heads back home, I will have to quilt at lunch time and after work. No messing around - just quilting! I must be out of my mind!

Some tips and progress on the t-shirt quilt

I know I have posted these tips before, but since there may be some new readers out there I thought I would repeat them. When making a t-shirt quilt I trim the corners of the seam allowance after I sew a seam. This helps reduce the bulk at the intersections.

When sewing a seam I start out with small stitches, 1.5, for about an 1" then sew with regular sized stitches, 2.5, and then go back to the small stitches for the last 1" or so. What this does is to help keep the seams from coming apart. It is hard to see on this picture as the thread buries itself in the interfacing and t-shirt fabric, but that is what I do. With the weight of the t-shirts, the seams would come apart fairly easy as I don't backstitch.

The final tip is that I press the seams open on t-shirt quilt. This helps to spread the bulk out and yes, I do use steam to get those seams nice and flat. When I piece with quilting cotton fabric I press my seams to one side - yes, I am old school!

Last evening I finished sewing together the row on the right side of the quilt

and I sewed together this section. Yes, I realize I sewed those small pieces upside down. I don't know if I will change it or not.

So here is what the top looks like now. I was looking at it this morning before I left for work and I think I could actually get the top completed this weekend. Wouldn't that be great?

Have a great weekend!

This and that

First thing I had to do last evening is fix a VHS tape. The tape had run to the end and came off the spool. I didn't know if I could fix it, but I thought I would try. There were five screws I took out to take it apart. I taped the VHS tape back on the spool, screwed the two halves back together and it works! I did this since there was something on the tape I had not had time to watch.

I then decided to straighten up my floss. It was a mess from working on the t-shirt quilt. It is all now nice and orderly.

I did get a couple of pieces of the t-shirt quilt sewn. The Class of 2014 and drum major are sewn together, but are not attached to the Revolution yet. Everything from the Revolution to The Reason is sewn together. Slowly, but surely.

Time to regroup

After gathering the recycling for today's pick up and doing a load of laundry it was time to get back to the sewing machine. Remember this project on my design wall?

Well, it time to get back to it. I added some extra pieces onto the shirts using Essex cotton/linen blend and now have two sections ready to be sewn together. Not much but it is a start! These pieces are for the lower right hand side.

My niece has been asking her Mom, my sister, if her Aunt Patty has been working on her quilt. She doesn't know that I have been - this is to be a surprise.

A day off

I was tired last evening so I watched Top Gear and read a book. I guess it was the finished project I need to just take a deep breath relaxing time.

I did get some more new fabric washed and pressed. This is for a future project that I have in mind. I thought the Australian fabric was pretty cool along with the Moda Passport fabric with Manhattan, London and Paris. Hancock's was out of the Tokyo so maybe I can pick up a piece somewhere else.

Thanks to everyone with their support and congratulations on getting the rock/metal t-shirt done. I do appreciate your kind words!

12th finish for 2015 - Delivered and Blimps

The quilt has been delivered to the venue. Whew! I worked on it up until the last minute. Friday and Saturday I stitched and stitched. This piece was improve pieced using rock/metal t-shirts. I first machine quilted it and then spent about 100 hours hand embroidering it.
Here is the photographer's photo. The quilt turned out 70" x 70". I think I will make this my header picture. Opening night is September 5. I met another artist with a quilt at the photo shoot. We talked and talked! We exchanged info and hopefully we can get together to talk more.

Here are the shirts I did outlining on this past weekend.

Then I did the emblishments including some crosses I found at a craft store, patches, and guitar pics.

The blimps were out and about on Friday. They were flying around the jobsite where I work for about a half hour.

Now I need to regroup and figure out what the next project will be.

The deadline

I finally know the deadline time and date. I have to turn my piece in on Sunday or Tuesday. Since I will be downtown on Sunday to get my piece professionally photograph for free I will do that then drop the quilt off at the venue. The organization uses the photo for the slide show and for the voting system.

So I have tonight, Saturday, and part of Sunday to finish up this piece. Last night I did get part of the "Black In Black" stitched. I ended up spending a couple hours on the phone with my sister and one of my brothers which shorten my stitching time, but the phone calls were important so I don't mind putting the stitching aside. So here is what I did get done.

Once I get that finished my plan is to stitch the large lettering on the Pink Floyd shirt in a vibrant orange

Stitch the Red Hot Chili Peppers in acid green

And finish the Metallica shirt. After that it will be the embellishments and I am calling it done!

When I started this piece I had no idea I would be spending this much time on it. I will be glad to have my life back once it is delivered to the venue!

Rod pocket complete

Yes, I managed to get the rod pocket on last night - YEAH! I still need to cut down the wooden rod, but that won't take long. I am cutting down the one I used for last year's "Where's Jimmy?" quilt.

Now I can go back to finishing up some embroidery and adding a label before I add the embellishments (meaning patches, studs, guitar pics, and a cross for Ozzy.)

Binding progress

I got the binding sewn on last evening and got the hand stitching done except for 18 inches. Tonight's goal is to get the rod pocket made and sewn on.

The quilt lays nice and flat which means it will hang nice.

Binding and bricks

I could not help myself from doing just a bit more backstitching before I got started on the binding. I stitched around the AC, DC, and the lighting bolt in a pink and yellow. If I have the time I will stitch around the Black in Black.

I laid the quilt face down to press and steam it. After it cooled I flipped it face up. The edges were a bit ruffled so after pinning the binding on the top edge of the quilt I decided I needed to block the quilt a bit to smooth out the sides. I ended up going outside and gathering up more bricks to use as weights. After a bit more steam and coaxing the piece flat, I let it set overnight.

I took off the bricks this morning and the piece is nice and flat.

I will pin the binding on and sew it at lunch time today. After work I will trim the piece, press the binding over to the back and stitch it down. The binding is black so it is hard to see in this picture.

Stash Fabrics was having a sale so I picked up a few pieces off the Clearance page at 10% off plus free shipping. I love those Halloween fabrics, the stripe is great for binding, and the other pieces are for a quilt for some one I am collecting pieces of novelty fabrics.

Backstitching and blimps

I stitched, and stitched, and stitched all weekend! My hands are a little sore, but it is looking better. Here are the shirts that received some backstitching this weekend.

I like the way this stitching just pop on the Stones shirt

I finished the Bon Jovi shirt

Motorhead and England were outlined

The Michael Weber Show received a touch of turquoise

The Ramones received many colors

I finished the Guns N Roses shirt and outlined the bullets in lavender

And last but not least, I outlined the Hendrix on the Jimi Hendrix shirt. Here is the before and after. The backstitching really makes it pop!

I absolutely have to start binding this tonight. I got the email for the hours that the photographer has for photographing the pieces for the exhibit and they are Friday Saturday and Sunday. I was suppose to go to Chicago with the band this weekend, but I haven't heard anymore about those plans yet. I am not sure how all this is going to work out.

Sunday I heard a blimp in the neighborhood. The do make a distinctive sound. The blimp was hovering over the cul-de-sac for the longest time.

Then a second blimp showed up. They flew around, would disappear and then reappear. This went on for a hour or so.