We both started in the middle and with the same colour, and then both moved onto the same second colour!
The same yet the same! How weird, but worry not by the third colour we had each headed off in our own direction so the same but different vibe was restored.
We were both enjoying that and it felt odd after weeks of RAL that we would not be doing any off camera stitching.
The pattern estimates a stitching time of 8 hours, so approximately 4 weeks of SAL sessions.
However, at the moment with an initial speedy start we thing that we might be done quicker than that, it might be deceptive we shall wait and see.
We also have a plan for SAL 18 and trying something we have not done before in a SAL. Indeed it will be something I have never tried before. Could be interesting. Just need to lay my hands onto the right size and type of material. I am fairly sure I have some in my stash.
CLICK HERE to pop over to my BFF's blog and see the bits that are the same and different.
apparently in Korea this is a day for the ladies to gift the gentlemen in their lives , it is the gentlemen's turn in March.
Given it is rather chilly still here at the moment and scarf and mitts are a good idea this felt like a good time to share this chap.
I have a red heart shaped hand warmer, so this makes me think of a warm heart.
Hope you all have a happy day being with or thinking about the ones you love..
Oh and a Forestella link I have just the one..
Ok never a favourite song for me and I have never watched the film which is why I chose the link to the concert performance and not the version over the video of the film.
However, with some Forestella Magic vocals I could grow to like it.
I have had this piece of material for some time, so long I am not totally sure where it came from. It feels like it is a sample snatch but from where or why illudes me now.
It has been waiting for something just the right size and style and I think I have found it.
Of course there will be some colour tweaks but that is what I tend to do with something small, dip into the random threads.
So in out on camera session I managed the three shades of red, the darkest is a substitution the lighter two as per the pattern.
I am working one over two , I am not sure what the thread count is here, I will measure it for next time.
I am using a large eyed pointed needle as that works better on a smaller count for me.
I was rather enjoying this so as it is RAL (random along) and not SAL (stitch along) off camera sewing is allowed I kept going after my BFF and I had said farewell for the evening.
The next three shades are all a deviation from the original pattern. White swapped for a very light silver blue, lilac for a lighter pinker shade and the blue is also shades lighter than the original. All three have a slight sheen to them which I like.
I think that the pattern on the material shows up better in this picture.
The three shades added , not so much.
Hopefully they will show better once the full stitch plus backstitch is completed.
Whilst empty space is not usually my thing there is not a lot left to cross stitch here so it may well be finished before next week, but maybe not finally finished as I have not decided what it will be just yet.
Pop over to my BFFs blog by CLICKING HERE to see her stitching finish which is raising its own questions about the next step based on what it might finally become.
And if we are still RAL next time or SAL all depends on the postman.
And for the Forestella link , well I have been enjoying one of their original songs from the last concert of all four together. And as the fandom is hoping to get a million views by mid May well I will do my little bit to help it along.
If you have read this far , it is a bit like staying till after the credits at the pictures...a little bonus addition.
Finished the rest of the stitching the next day and it came out like this. The blue top was too light, I keep forgetting once it is at one strand pastel colours become even lighter. I can see the three shades but they are not showing in the photo. I thought that the character on her own and the leaf print on the fabric would be enough. However, she is quite small in the space and it feels like it needs a something. I shall press it, and block it a bit and contemplate it for awhile and see what comes to me. Suggestions would be appreciated, they help me focus on what I want.
The original has a nose and mouth in addition to the eyes, but it was not working, the single strand of black still made for too thick a line here. So nose and mouth left off for now.
Maybe later I might try my usual go to for very fine backstitch, well if I can find a strand dark enough, they are less prevalent recently.
Now Google stats tell me that I do occasionally get visits to the blog from people in Korea. I an hoping that is correct, and that those visitors might be able to help me with my Forestella fan quilt project.
Or any linguists that might be popping in.
So far it has the Apocalypse Logo quilted on it each join in the sashing.
But what I want to do is add the members names in Korean on the sashing. That means I have a restricted space for the lettering to go. If I was stretching and compressing the letters in English to fit, well I would know if it was still readable once done. I know that calligraphy can take some liberties with letter formation and indeed I have done so on past projects. However, doing the same in an alphabet I am less confident with is another matter and I worry that in contorting the letter arrangement to fit the space they are loosing the integrity of the characters in the process.
So, before I go as far as making templates, let alone quilting them I would like your thoughts on the legibility, and as the size differs between the vertical and horizontal sashing your thoughts on trying to fit the lettering into the thinner vertical.
So here are the four names in the horizontal space.
Original intent is for the top two to be in this orientation and the bottom two to be on the vertical , but I sis then on the horizontal as well just in case the vertical is not workable.
Comments on how the two different orientations of these names work would also be appreciated.
Thank you.
It is now 16th Feb, and there have been no comments on the blog about how the letters look in either direction.
Happily for me the Forestella Together Fan page of Facebook have been a little more engaged and have answered me.
as a result I am proceeding with the letters on the Horizontal only . The templates are cut out, Yet another arrangement considered and the marking on done.
I have the first three names stitched and only the third section of the fourth name to go..well for the first set that is. The current plan is for four, I don't expect that to change as I have marked them on with T-Shirt pens and not washable markers.
I have You Tube playlists for their songs together but I also have playlists for the solo songs of each, I might just play those whilst stitching individual names.
I am adding pictures of the templates and markings, but I don't intend to show progress pictures until all of the names are on and the next step is settled in my mind, yes those vertical sashes!
Weetabix boxes are so very useful, nice solid cardboard, I can keep these in case I need them again at some point.
Happily that was also true of the logo templates as I need to add another six, due to the rethink that just using the horizontal has required.
I do keep laughing at myself as this quilt started out as a quick tester and because I did not feel like stitching around squares has evolved into something more and more complicated on the quilting side.
Sometimes that happens, OK so with me sometimes is quite often, and my shortcuts end up being the long way around. I should just embrace my tendency to complicate in the first place, that would be quicker..
some time back, oh it must be at least a year one of the ladies from church and a previous member of Quilting Sisters group told me she had a Disney panel she intended for a quilt for her granddaughter.
She said the main character was off-set and she was not sure how to make the quilt top. Would I look at it and see what I thought. Sure, send me a picture of it or bring it to Church one week.
However, the timing never quite happened. Life, health such things get in the way of our plans.
Then a text message that she had decided not to continue with the project at all, would I like the wadding she had, as now she would not need it.
Sure wadding always comes in handy. She was passing so brought it over, the wadding, the panel, backing material and thread.
I took a look at the panel. I was rather surprised at the size of it. Usually the panels I have seen are about the size of a baby quilt, some much smaller, some a little larger. This was not a little larger it was massive! Well bigger than the top of a double bed. The central character was in proportion to the size of the whole!
Hm, what to do with it. I could no see me making it into something the size of the illustrated piece of material. Perhaps just the character on his own (pretty sure its a he, I could be wrong I have only seen that movie once) with maybe a thin edge in the backing material then another in the main top colour.
Just quilting round the character would not be enough but perhaps some textural meandering machine quilting would do.
Yes, there I was contemplating making the quilt for the granddaughter, but trying to keep it simple and quick (stop laughing I can do that sometimes honest I can) after all I am friends with the whole family.
Within two days of her popping around I had a fairly firm plan, within four the panel was cut and the framing edges added.
I thought I would do the edge quilting and the binding first, then the middle later. Yeah later can be tricky but that was the plan.
A day later and the edge quilting is done and the first outline, the second is well underway. but not the binding, that would need a change of top thread. I was using blue on the top and pink on the bottom. Funny that pink it didn't look like a perfect match it was just the pink I had so I was using it. Sometimes if you pause for just the right thing you end up stopping altogether. But once off the spool and on the material it was exactly the right shade.
With all the outlines done thread ends needed sewing in before I could consider any areas of fill and what that might entail.
The sewing in was finished off during a BFF RAL evening, and I am always surprised just how many ends there are to sew in. By the time I had done that it became obvious I needed to get the edge bound as the pink material was rather prone to fraying, the blue panel material was fine.
Edge turned and pinned and then contemplate how to sew it down keeping paragraph nine above in mind, just machine or also needle turn?
Ah just on the machine, and it cooperated so well that I did the quilting in the ears at the same time. With changes to the foot, form the quilting foot to the free motion embroidery foot and of course a change to the top thread was required for a darker pink. Whilst there is some puffiness here and there I think it went well all things considered. I just did it free motion here no plan, just where the needle took me.
However, for the next parts on the body and for the surrounding Space a plan was needed and I drew on the intended route with washable markers.
I say intended as the sewing machine often has ideas of its own I think. Two shades of blue for the body before going back to the dark blue for the space. I managed that in one continuous line, the bottom thread cooperating and not running out.
Last bit of quilting done, not looking too bad from the front and I can live with the back, well not that I have to live with it as I am not keeping it.
Just the label to make and add for it to be all finished. Used the backing material for the label and some fabric dye pens to write on the name of the quilt and the make information.
A STITCH for Grace, that is the name of this quilt.
Now while I was waiting for the pen to cure, these particular pens need 6 hours drying time and then ironing on the reverse, I was tidying away the off cuts and a thought occurred to me. Yeah dangerous I know, that there was enough material to make a pillow case, and enough to patch a bag to put the quilt in.
And I had been doing so well with the KISS plan. Ah well I have thought it, and pinned it, then the next evening sewed both. I have however run out of energy on the project. Therefore the bits left that would be enough for a cushion cover are still bits.
On one more day and the washed quilt (the marking pen came out and the label pen stayed in) and it was off to deliver the gift. Quilt and pillowcase in the bag, bag in a plastic one for transporting.
Handed it over and she was delighted with the bag, oh things inside and the pillowcase came out next and the dark blue space was admired. Then the quilt, folded with the backing showing the pink was well received and turn and there is Stitch, her favourite, so happy with it. The pillowcase went straight onto a pillow and plans were made to facetime family and show it off.
I did point out that Grandma was to thank for the material and colour choices and how the quilt had come to be (that's referenced on the label as well). Ah but then in the talking about the making I mentioned the almost cushion cover that might well have been had a zip been within gripping reach before I ran out of steam. And lo and behold they just happened to have a long pink zip! Hm there may be a cushion cover at some point after all, perhaps next time I am having a zippity do da day!
These are pictures of the recipient holding her quilt and in her Stitch PJ's, yes you can only see her feet , so you will just have to take my word for it. I think she did a grand job of modelling it so that the quilting shows up.
.
It looks a bit scarier from the back, which again is easy to see with Grace holding it up, and the bit my BFF likes to look at.
And Grandma S ? Well I had not told her I was doing this so she had a nice surprise when Grace facetimed her to share her delight and thank her for choosing the perfect materials. She was pleased that the material had been used and Grace had her quilt after all.
And for me it was nice to have something go from concept to finish so quickly and get to practice that free motion quilting.
Regular visitors to my blog will be getting used to me adding Forestella songs, well in this case it is a PITTA song (from one of the members solo albums) it just felt like it fitted the character and that deep blue space. And this has the added benefit of translations from the Korean.
Oh and this weeks SAL/RAL well some more going in circles, and a star.
Bits of quilting on the Bits-A-Quilt.
Mostly relaxing, except when I swept the needle away when moving the hoop, happily I found it painlessly.
nothing to show a picture of, my evening was like my BFF's spent working on a gift project. However, as I don't know if the recipient or family visit here I can't share it.
What I can say is that once my BFF and I have both received some post we do have the next BFF SAL picked out.
That is what my design desire on this quilt appears to be. You may recall the blue quilt, with the fan quilting design machine quilted. And it left the sashing area feeling a bit loose. So I thought to add some circles, which then turned into the circular logo of my favourite group.
CLICK HERE to jump to the post about adding the logo.
Which led me to thinking that to be a proper "fan" quilt it needed something more.
Which I thought would be the members names, there are four. As there are four sashes coming out from each circular logo I though that each circle could have the four names coming from them. So far so good but this is where I hit a problem. I was also wanting the four sashes left to right to have the four members names in them, and to not have any name twice in the same row.
Ah! now that won't work.
My BFF being a tech type (coding and smart stuff) even tried to sort out my desires with a bit of AI.
Nope.
So I tried with a bit of paper and coloured tabs to see if I could find an alternative that I found acceptable.
This meets my first criterial but totally ignores the second and goes for pattern and allows for repeats.
It does mean that each repeat of a name is on the same axes, either horizontal or vertical. Potentially that might be helpful on a couple of points. Firstly I will only need to create one template per name, the horizontal space differs to the vertical. Second, whilst the names in Hangul are each formed by three batchim, the syllabic blocks for Korean, the number of letters in those blocks differ and two might benefit from being in the horizontal space.
So here is the revised plan so far.
Each name is represented by a colour.
And I think I have all four colours around each circle.
And each colour the same number of times (6)
There will be a distinct top and bottom.
The names to go on are
배두훈
강형호
조민규
고우림
The top two being the vertical and the bottom two the horizontal, probably.
There is no space to add anything down the sides, but I do have space at the top and bottom for which I am contemplating the name of the group and the Fandom name. I did consider using those spaces for member names to see if it would fix my mathematical issue. But as the space there is yet another different size I'm not currently inclined to consider that further.
I am going to wait on this a little bit, and look at it some more to see if I remain happy with the arrangement. If anyone visiting has any suggestions in the meantime please leave a comment. I will be asking the same thing of the hive mind of the various Facebook quilting groups I am in.
And I can hardly do a post about my fan obsession without adding a link to one of their songs. This is from their last concert with all four members. In May they will be four once more as Ko Woo-Rim's military service will be completed. The fandom is looking forward to that, and to hearing their recent songs arranged for all four voices, because they are each wonderful artists and amazing as a trio but they really shine when they are four together.
I never did get around to my allowed finishing time for the SAL, so I started with that during our get together, started and finished.
Although I was still grumbling about that last bit of grey on the foreground boat, it has made a difference.
I have a bit of paper in my hand bag, there is nothing on it. As I do a tidy out I think what's this here and just as I am about to throw it out I recall it is the size of this cross stitch.
I have had it in my bag since I realised the frame I had in mind was not suitable.
I do better with something the full and correct size than I do with just the measurements written down.
Fingers crossed that my BFF and I both find frames to size soon.
Having finished with this I did not feel like anything that needed counting so my RAL was on Bits -A -Quilt . The extra quilting I thought it could do with.
Just little circles, I can do a few and then put it back on the bed in-between times.
CLICK HERE to see what my BFF was doing on her RAL.
wow, it has been quite awhile since I last did repairs on the Original Bits-a-quilt. 2021 and I am still using the needle turn method for the patches as that feels like it gives both a secure stitch and a good look visually. Indeed it can be a little more difficult to see what is a new patch this way..
At fist I start with the sections that have worn through and the wadding is showing. Then perhaps to the worn bits that look like they won't last all that much longer.
In the process of doing that I might spot some other worn areas I missed.
It is a balance between what bits I have available to become patches and the size the repair needs to be.
In addition to the patches this time around (I thought there were thirteen that needed doing but the number grew) I am going to do some quilting.
I intend to use the circles from my charity shop find, and perhaps a star or two (a little nod to Forestella without actually using their logo on this quilt.
I am not going to do that all in one go, but it is there to be done anytime I feel like a little bit of quilting without having to do much thinking.
And part of the reason not doing it in one go?
I missed having on my bed. This is the always quilt, always there unless it is being washed or fixed.
It is not fancy, either in materials, design or stitching. It just gets on with being quilt and helping to keep me warm. It has been doing that for a very long time now. This time my mother asked me why was I bothering to fix it? Couldn't I just make a new one? Well yes I could (and am as bit-s-a quilts go there is normally one in progress) but I like fixing this, I like "sewing" the materials anew as I work on it, the memories they invoke. Even if some bits are getting covered up, and it might be the only bit of that fabric, still it is enjoyable.
I like the process of needle turning (I should get back to doing some Sun Bonnet Sues for that) and I quite like feeling the change in density and texture when quilting the different weight fabrics.
