Category Archives: Quilting

‘Artistic Archetype’ Blog 28-Day Challenge: Day 4 through Day 7— Postage Stamp Block No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7

Posted on February 9, 2018 | Leave a comment

Life is what happens when you have really good ideas.

Here is Day Four’s Postage Stamp Piece No. 4

This square is, individually, a failed attempt. My goal is that the embroidery be visually in front of the fabric. The embroidered pattern is visually lost among the fabric’s printed pattern. This fabric is from an estate sale stash. I have a collection of “vintage” small pattern fabrics I love. I wanted to include them in this effort, but that will not work, as you can see.

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This 1.5-inch cotton postage stamp square is embroidered with yellow and red DMC floss but due to the pattern, you cannot see the free-hand sewing.

 

Here is Day Five’s Postage Stamp Piece No. 5

This fabric is also from the estate sale stash. I doubled the fabric so I am sewing through two layers. This was once part of a curtain. While not sheer, the fabric is loosely woven. The fabric frays easily. I do not think it is cotton. I have not fire tested the fabric. The brown print along the edge is outside the 1/4-inch (0.6-cm) seam allowance. The embroidered pattern is not centered. I will wait until it is sewn into rows to add any more sewing.

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This 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) postage stamp square was originally a scrap of curtain. The fabric is loosely woven. I doubled the fabric so to sew through two layers of fabric. The free-hand embroidery is DMC floss.

 

Here is Day Six’s Postage Stamp Piece No. 6

I like the contrast of the purple embroidery floss and the orange fabric.

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This 1.5-inch (3.8-cm) postage stamp square is 100% cotton with a free-hand pattern of purple DMC embroidered floss.

 

Here is Day Seven’s Postage Stamp Piece No. 7

I like bright and bold colors. I also like color contrasts. The gold-yellow contrasts well with the dark green cotton fabric. This is my favorite so far.

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This 1.5-inch (3.8-cm) postage stamp square is 100% cotton. The free-hand embroidered pattern is DMC floss.

 

First Row of Postage Stamp Squares

The postage stamp squares are hand sewn into rows of six squares, with a larger square of five rows to follow. There will be 30 squares to for a larger quilt block. Day 4’s No. 4 square unsuccessful effort will be blended into the larger quilt square. Each square, when sewn, is 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide. You can see in No. 2’s blue square the outer triangle’s bottom corners were caught in the seam fold. Placement of the embroidered object will be something to think about as I proceed.

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The first row of the first week of postage stamp squares.

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Posted in American Folk Art, Postage Stamp Quilt, Quilting

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‘Artistic Archetype’ Blog 28-Day Challenge: Day Three— Postage Stamp Block No. 3

Posted on February 7, 2018 | Leave a comment

Today I went with a light neutral color and a dark red DMC embroidery floss.

I kept the free-hand embroidery centered.

I learned an important lesson with the blue square with red DMC floss. I stayed away from the seam line, but allowed enough space for the seam fold. This block will not have that problem I encountered in Piece No. 2.

Here is Day Three: Postage Stamp Piece No. 3

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1.5 inch (3.8 cm) square of 100% cotton fabric with dark red DMC embroidery floss while maintaining 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) seam allowance.

 

I also wanted to include the heart block I finished on Day 2.

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3-inch heart block allows a 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) seam. Finished block will be 2.5 inches square. White pattern fabric is leftover from another project. The blue floral fabric is from a scrap in the stash made up of fabric from several estate sales.

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‘Artistic Archetype’ Blog 28-Day Challenge: Day Two— Postage Stamp Block No. 2

Posted on February 6, 2018 | Leave a comment

I started to research the origins of the Postage Stamp Quilt. I found it interesting that up until the widespread production of calico fabric, quilting was within the sphere of the wealthy. Regular people could not afford the fabric to make blankets. In the mid-19th century quilting became popular in the United States with the widespread US production of calico fabric and expansion of a Middle Class.

Today’s 1.5-inch (3.8-cm) square has a problem that I did not realize until I sewed it to the Day One square. The outer red triangle is to big and runs right against the seam allowance. When sewn the bottom tips of the triangle are hidden in the seam. I should have used two triangles instead of three. I was attempting to “fill the canvas” as my grade school art teacher was always telling me. To best utilize the colors of the fabric and embroidery floss, I need to allow for the seam fold.

Here is Day Two: Postage Stamp Piece No. 2

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1.5 inch (3.8 cm) square of 100% cotton fabric with red DMC embroidery floss while maintaining 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) seam allowance.

 

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‘Artistic Archetype’ Blog 28-Day Challenge: Day One — Postage Stamp Block No. 1

Posted on February 4, 2018 | Leave a comment

At the first part of January every year there are self challenges one can do. One I admired but thought looked like a recipe for an unfinished project (UFO) was the temperature afghan. Every day you crochet a row with a color you designated as the color for the daily high temperature. This looks like a colorful project that requires daily effort, which is fine. It looked like something I might get bored with say, early March.

I enjoy piecing quilts. I found an alternative idea of making a small, daily quilt square. I like this idea. I found 3-inch squares of neutral colored material in my fabric and scrap stash, and thought I could applique hearts. Each 2-inch heart would be a unique shape and fabric. So, I started, and they look darling. Problem is it takes me two days to baste and applique a heart. Not a square-a-day type project.

I have completed a postage stamp quilt project. I know what I am getting myself into. I made a 16 inch by 16 inch postage stamp quilt block as a wall hanging for a local weaver’s guild challenge. The finished product was to be a certain color combination. I do not weave but I drive my mother to guild meetings and events.  The quilt block was exhibited at an art gallery in St. Francis, Kansas with the weaving guild’s members’ works.

Postage stamp quilt fabric squares are, when finished, 1-inch (2.54-cm) square. When working with pieces of that size, accuracy or lack of precision in cutting the fabric will make or destroy, respectively, your quilting effort. All mistakes are amplified.

After wringing my hands, and hemming and hawing for several weeks, I decided to do the postage stamp a day. I could embroidery the 1-inch square to add interest. Then, I found a blog workshop/essay that challenged the would-be blogger to blog every day as an archetype that matches your personality. I answered several questions and was identified as an “Art blogger”. The postage stamp quilt piece a day merged with a daily “Art blogger” entry. I have several ongoing projects but they are not “finish in a day” projects. As they are completed over the next 28 days I will post pictures of them, too. I will still post recipe reviews and there is a handful of poetry books by women stacked beside my desk I need to review.

Here is Day One: Postage Stamp Piece No. 1

1.5 inch tan square with green emboidry

1.5 inch (3.8 cm), unfinished, tan, 100% cotton square with a freehand design of DMC green embroidery floss while maintaining a 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) seam allowance.

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Posted in American Folk Art, Postage Stamp Quilt, Quilting

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