UFO Converted Finale

The UFO Converted completed. The photo on the left is the front and right is the back.

Examples of the machine quilting as seen on the back is the ivy pattern that appears in the green border on the front and a tulip pattern that is stitched into the pink border on the front.

The label is a green leaf print envelope held together by velcro that reads, "Quilted with love by Lacosta L. 2011."

Bargello Update

I promise I have been working on it. I am right on track to have it finished by the time baby #2 gets here and that was the plan.

At the last class, we learned how to turn our strips into runs as well as how to nest 40 pieces with no pins at the machine. Holy heck, I wish I had learned THAT a long time ago. Maybe there wouldn't be a lone star UFO in my closet?!

I got the first 6 runs done after I got home from the class and this is what they look like. I can see it all coming together and I am getting excited!

Today, I spent some time working on it. I got another 12 runs cut, ripped and reset. Now I am ready to iron, sew those runs back together and start joining them to one another. When I finish these 12 runs and join them to the 6 I have already done, half of my top will be done!!!!

Bargello Homework, Take 3?

Yippee! I finally finished ironing and cutting today. I actually used a whole can of starch just on these 20 yards of fabric. I have NEVER emptied a whole can of starch, EVER.

Here are all the fabrics cut and lined up for inspection.

The completed fabric map.

Now for the next tedious step in the bargello quilt making process... sewing together the strips 1) in order and 2) with a scant 1/4 inch seam. As with any quilt, a tiny bit off here and there can make a big difference (and your life a living hell), especially in a quilt this complex. It's quite nerve racking but a welcomed challenge. I can already see my quilt coming together and I am in love with the colors. Stay tuned!

Iron, fold and cut

More Bargello Quilt Class Homework

Ironing: I iron the wrong side of the fabric to avoid staining with the spray starch, which I never use but was recommended by the instructor.

Folding: Selvages together.

Squaring up the fabric: I hate doing this because you realize how poorly the fabric is cut from the bolt.

Cutting: 2.5 inch strips x WOF

Staying organized: I am using binder clips to hold all like strips and the label together.

Fabric scrap: trimmed to 1/2 inch for use in my fabric map.

My Fabric Map (in progress)

UFO converted

Last night when I couldn't sleep, I was thinking about what to do with this UnFinished Object (UFO). It started out as a Joann Fabric's Block of the Month called Nature's Bounty. I never finished it because I ran out of money then the project was discontinued. I believe I started this in 2007 and since I just tucked it away in a scrap box. Below are the 4 blocks I did complete.

Block #1: Pinwheel

Block #2: Laurel and Peony

Block #3: Rail Fence

Block #4: Topiary and Lily

My thought is that I would turn it into a doll or baby quilt for my friend Angela's daughter, Cheyenne who will be 1 year old this year. I know the color and design is not age appropriate but I figured she would appreciate it either way.

Initially, I thought that I would organize it as below with an added border.

While out today, I took the blocks with me to Wal-mart and picked out a medium pink fabric that I intend to use as the border and a dark green fabric for the binding. I did not plan on buying the backing yet as I wasn't sure how big the front would be.

After sitting down with the blocks and looking at their dimensions, I realized that (as a beginner when I started this BOM) there were some inconsistency in the block sizes. Block #3 was almost a whole inch smaller overall than Block #1, when they were suppose to be the same size. If Block #3 had been the correct size, it would have fit around the Block #4/2 as I had planned. Upon inspection, I decided that it was probably an error in cutting and taking the blocks completely apart and putting them together again would not solve the problem.

After much consideration, I determined that it would work best if I break down Block #1 and Block #3 into four blocks and trim them down smaller. Below is what I decided on using all pieces from both Blocks #1 and 3.

I found a scrap of pink fabric in my stash, which I decided to use to fill in the space between the divided blocks along with the green fabric I purchased for the binding. Then pieced it all together, which was a whole lot harder than it sounds as the dimensions of all pieces were different. Below is the final product.

I am debating adding a thin white border around the whole quilt top just to frame the whole she-bang before the binding edge. I decided that the dark green fabric should still be used for the binding. Since I didn't use the pink fabric I purchased for the border, I decided to use it for the backing. I also plan to attach the two left-over blocks (a 9-patch and Topiary applique) from Block #4 and a label block to the bottom Left corner of the backing in a L-shape. For the label block, I am considering doing something unique like a folding envelope similar to the one on Shelley Rodger's website Needlepointers.com. That is a job for tomorrow.

The "Pinking" process

I started working on my Bargello class homework today. Assignment #1: Pinking and prewashing the fabrics.

Pinking refers to the use of pinking shears to trim the raw edge of a piece of fabric. Pinking shears cut a jagged, sawtooth pattern into the fabric, which minimizes fabric fraying or unraveling during washing.

Why is this important? When fabrics unravel, you loose a bit of fabric that would otherwise be usable and oftentimes the unraveled threads get tangled. The tangled pieces can tug (especially in the washer and dryer) causing stretching and distortion of the fabric.



"Pinking" fabric number 6.

Many quilters use a special "wavy" or scalloped blade in their rotary cutter, which is much more efficient than using pinking shears. However, I find that I prefer pinking shears as I feel I have more control over them. It is easy to slip or lose concentration while using a rotary cutter and accidentally cut too much or in the wrong direction. This generally doesn't happen with pinking shears.

I started getting really nervous when I began removing the fabric number labels used to identify where I intend each fabric to fit into the bargello pattern. I didn't want to forget or mis-identify a fabric when I pulled it out of the dryer. It was a lot of work to get the color range set initially and I don't know if I could handle going through that type of headache again. I decided to skip ahead in the instructions a bit and make a fabric map using the slivers of fabric I am cutting off with the pinking shears, just to be safe. Now I feel sufficiently organized, which I am told is essential to the bargello quilt making process. After I square up the fabric for cutting, I will create another fabric map using larger scraps for later use.


My temporary fabric map.

Prewashing the Bargello Fabrics

Part of the homework for my Bargello quilt class is to prewash my fabrics. The instructor recommends prewashing the fabrics in hot water with a product called Retayne. This product "is a color fixative for commerically dyed cotton, linen or rayon fabrics that bleed." It comes in a 4 oz and 16 oz size bottle. The 4 oz. size will treat 24 yards of fabric and since I have 20 fabrics for this quilt, the smaller size should work fine.

I have personally never prewashed my fabrics in hot water or used Retayne. I generally prewash my fabrics in cold water with dye free detergents such as all Free Clear or Dreft. I have only had one fabric bleed (see The Little Gem) so what I have been doing must not be too bad. However, considering the enormous amount of money I have spent on the fabrics for this Bargello quilt... what's another couple of dollars to ensure that I won't ruin my fabrics?

Once I made the decision to follow the instructor's advice, I started searching for this product. I am a bit of a miser so I began looking for the best price on this product. Of course, all the places online with the best prices are SOLD OUT. I started calling around to my LQS's and found that everyone but Patched Works is out of stock. How frustrating... I was just there Sunday for the class and didn't pick up a bottle of Retayne because I wasn't sure that I was going to use it. Now, I have to drive back and it's not exactly close. I guess I will head out there tomorrow afternoon so I can get my fabric prewashed before the weekend, when I hope to get some cutting done.

In the meantime, I will go ahead and pink the edges and sort the fabrics so they will be ready to go into the washing machine as soon as I get my bottle of Retayne.

More Bargello Fabric Pics

In this post, I have included more pictures of the fabrics used and unused in my bargello quilt pattern. As a side-note, Bargello pronounced "BAR-Jello."



These are the two fabric's that I won't be using in the pattern. The teal/purple (right) is the one I hope to use in the boarder.


These are the two unused fabrics as viewed through The Patchwork Place's Ruby Beholder. The Ruby Beholder removes color from fabric and shows only it's value (ie. light-medium-dark). Through this lense, one can see the large contrast between the two values represented in these fabric's values that make them unsuitable for use in THIS quilt pattern.




This is another photo of the fabric's I have chosen for my Bargello quilt that hit the blue-green/blue/blue-violet parts of the color wheel. The yellow sticky notes are my organziational markers. Each fabric is designated 1-20 so that when I go to make my strips, I can keep them in order.




Here's what those same fabric's look like through the Ruby Beholder. Notice the slight movement in values. Remember within a given range, your values will change based on the adjacent fabrics.

THE Bargello

I started the Cosmic Twist Bargello quilt class today and WHOA was it chaulked full of great color selection information! Somewhere between value, hue, and tone... my brain started to hurt but two hours later after looking at 10 or so quilts and 60 or so fabrics, it kinda started to make sense.


We spent some time reviewing and critiquing the fabrics people brought as "their" color palete for this quilt. In the previous post, I included a picture of the fabric's I bought. I chose to work in the blue-green/blue/blue-violet portion of the color wheel. Only one of the fabrics I included in that picture didn't make it in my bargello pattern. There were two problems with it; first, it's values were too drastic (ie. light AND dark Vs. light OR dark) and second, the print was too large to get both of the colors (purple and teal) in each square. I plan to use it for/in the border. I had also purchased an additional two fabric's from Joann Fabrics, only one of which I ended up including in the bargello pattern. The one I am not using had the same issues as the other unused fabric. But I LOVE the color so it might be the inspiration for a different quilt in the future.


After evaluating what we had... we went into the quilt store portion of the building and literally took over the floor. Seriously, we laid out the fabrics we already had that we would be using and then pulled literally every bolt of fabric off the shelves that fit in our tone and value range. I think I personally pulled about 45 bolts off the shelves (in addition to the 7 I already had) to play with and in the end, we only need 20 different fabrics for the pattern.


The instructor came by to each of us and showed us how to seperate the values then would leave for us to work on it on our own for awhile. Then, she'd come back and help us pare down what we had to fit into our tone ranges and finally into the bargello pattern. The last 3 hours of the class were reserved for this part of the process and it took over 4 hours. It's a very intense process but I learned a LOT. This is what I ended up with.

For the next class, we are suppose to 1) wash the fabrics, 2) cut the fabrics into strips and 3) join the fabrics in order 1-20. It doesn't sound hard, just time consuming because there are 20 different fabrics to work with and keep organzied. I am excited with my color choices and can't wait to see how they will all work together.


I really enjoyed the other ladies in my class today. I felt like for the first time, I wasn't the "younger" quilter even though I was the youngest. Truth be told, I have about 5 years experience on all but one of the four other quilters. My opinions and questions were really valued and it made a huge difference in how I felt about the class. I really look forward to the next day of class, which sadly is not for another month. But at least I will have plenty of time to get my "homework" done.

The next big thing.

I got the call... my machine is ready. What an amazing turn around time! Special thanks to Sew n' Save in Brookfield, WI. I will go pick it up tomorrow.

I have been toting the gift card my husband gave me for Mother's Day last year around and finally decided to use it. I signed up for a Bargello class at my LQS (Patched Works). It starts on my birthday. That is one amazing gift. I never thought I would find the opportunity to take a quilting class as a amazing gift but when you never get any time to do what you want to, it is AMAZING when you do. The project is the Cosmic Twist quilt found in Twist-and-Turn Bargello Quilts by Eileen Wright.

I went in to Patched Works today to get some fabrics for the class. The instructions say to bring your stash but I don't actually have one so I have to purchase everything. I found 7 of the 20 fabrics that I will need. The fabric for this class is going to cost me a small fortune but I have never made a quilt just for myself, so I am feeling slightly vindicated.

I searched the Internet for color combinations used in bargello's that I like. I really love the purple/teal combinations I have seen so that is where I started.

The Machine

I dropped off my sewing machine yesterday to find out what the deal is. The problem would not consistantly reproduce itself. The metal piece that the thread keeps getting tied around is the bottom thread cutter. I left it to be cleaned and adjusted and hopefully that will solve the problem. Now I am just waiting....not on pins and needles because they're in the shop with my machine. Just waiting.

The Little Rocketeer

Since my sewing machine is inoperable and I found myself still motivated... I decided to start planning the quilt I intend to make for Dyson. I picked out the pattern and purchased the fabric for this quilt months ago. Because I am always SO organized (HA,HA!) I still needed to sit down to figure out what fabric goes where. Of course, I did this initially but never wrote it down anywhere and needed to figure it all out again.

The pattern I chose for Dyson's quilt is "Little Rocketeer" from McCall's Quick Quilts, July 2009. It took me close to an hour to figure out which fabric's I intended to use where in the quilt since the color scheme was a little different.



According to my receipt, I purchased three cuts of the galaxy print fabric for a total of 4.75 yards (1.75 yds, 1.00 yds and 2 yds). When I initially looked at the receipt, I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out why I purchased only 4.75 yds when I was going to need a total of 6 yards (1 yd for the blocks and 5 yards for the backing). Well after pulling out the tape measure, I discovered that I clearly have more than the needed 6 yards. Joann's messed up and in my favor for the first time ever!!!

I built the color scheme off of the galaxy print using solids, batiks and tone-on-tone prints to highlight the main print. I decided to change the border to a starry sky. Within that border, I plan to applique two space ships at opposite ends of the quilt and use machine quilting in the border to make them fly.



Galaxy Print (Main Block and Backing)



Dark Blue Batik (Four Patch Block)



Medium Red Batik (Four Patch Block)



Orange Tone-On-Tone Print (Inner Border)



Medium Blue Print (Outer Border)

The Little Gem Derailed

I had so much motivation today to work on The Little Gem quilt. Got my sewing machine out, carried it and all the paraphernalia upstairs, set everything up and then guess what?! The sewing machine tried to eat a hole in the quilt!!! Once I finally got all the strains snipped without cutting a bigger hole in the quilt, I spent the next 30 minutes disassembling, testing and reassembling my sewing machine. Nothing helped, there is something seriously wrong that is causing my top thread to get tied around the bobbin spinney thing.

Very deflated, I packed that puppy back downstairs and looked up the nearest Brother Authorized Service Center. There is one just 9 miles away (Sew 'n Save, Brookfield, WI) and they have a service person there Monday-Friday AND offer free diagnostics. I will take it in Monday to see what needs to be done. What peeves me the most about this situation is I still have another 2 years of service warranty on the machine at Quality Sewing & Vacuum in Seattle that would make this whole "fix" free. But the warranty is not a Brother warranty and therefore not transferable to other non-Sewing and Vach stores :(

The good news is while taking everything apart, I found a portion of a needle I don't recall breaking, which ironically was not the problem.

UFO Log

I decided that making a log of my UFOs would motivate me... so here it is. Unfortuantly, looking at all the work I have ahead of me is more depressing than motivating :(


Ispy Fabric Swap


Panel Baby Quilt


Hand Quilting Project


Endless Stars


My 1st Class Wallhanging


Log Cabin Star-King Sized

Donation Quilt

Dan's Airplane Quilt

A's Quilt

Scrappy Happy

Country Americana

Christmas Lone Star

Galaxy Quest BOM

Missing UFOs:

Black, White and Bright Block Swap

Red, White and Blue Block Swap

Dyson's Rocket Quilt