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.
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.
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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.
Not quite, and not just that it is not in a frame yet but because I still have some backstitching to do on the big boat at the front.
I have dispensation to do that "off" camera and add the fully stitched version as an update here later.
There were more words spoken about the backstitch this evening.
And I have not tried to add the flying seagulls I thought I might, Although my section of the pattern did not have any, I had thought I might add one.
But decided against it.
I expect that my framing issues will be the same but different to my BFF's
She will struggle to find a square frame to size and as the frame I had intended this for was no good, I an going to have issues finding a long thin frame the right size.
Ah I had thought this would be a fast frame finish bit that is not to be.
We did try discussing our next SAL but I was in that odd state of mind knowing only what I didn't want and not what I did.
So we will RAL until we do find the right project for us both.
I must admit that quilting has been a bit louder in the me now shouting even if just planning on the fan quilt (which posed a design question where I think what I want to do is mathematically impossible and will need some thought and possibly compromise) and its is fix-a-time for the bits-a-quilt which will get its own post once I have some pictures to go on it.
To see my BFF's FFS (finally fully stitched) update Click Here.
Oh and the additions I had considered here have not occurred, adding names to the boats. Although as I may not keep this, and depending when it gets gifted and to who, well that may change.
-stitching, in more ways than one. We paused this and went RAL when we had both done all the cross stitching for our selected sections.
To be honest part of my brain was saying this was finished! Nope backstitching and not nice friendly follow the edges back- stitching.
This is a lot of in between squares back stitching. little half and quarter stitches.
So tonight's work was the bits that looked simpler.
We both started with the brown, then moved onto the grey. We did some of the same sections and some different.
We had such a nice time chatting and grumbling about the backstitching and wondering what might be SAL 17 and chatting and grumbling about the backstitching.