Pin It Weekly #282

With over five thousand followers, I have plenty to choose from. Here are a few of the more recent ones. 
Florence Unwin has several interesting boards, but the one titled "dress" I must share! 

I can't resist a board of fidget quilts, so I had to share this one from Terri Freyermuth. Don't these have you wanting to make a few for the nearest nursing home? I'm truly impressed!

 

Rachel Gossett-Mateu has a sweet board "dating my husband" that I just couldn't resist. Here's why:

   

Ann Horton has a "Fibre Art" board that you will definitely want to see. 

Thanks for stopping by. Before you go, please leave a comment telling the rest of us which is your favorite way to display fiber art:

• needle books
• wall hangings
• purses/bags
• baskets/boxes
• clothing items
• pincushions
• book/journal covers

Can you think of any others? 

Fidget Quilts #8 and #9

Since I forgot to take photos of Fidget Quilt #8, I'll just have to move on to #9. I made this one in less than a couple of hours.  Of course, these are quick and easy.  I loved Jenclair's beautiful orange and green FQ so much that I decided to play with a little orange and green of my own.  I added purples because, well, why not?  


Pulled a few of my favorite fabrics in orange, green and purple. Scissor-cut wide strips, which sewed together in no time, and played with a few layouts.

On to sewing, I tacked down the quilt with the first seams so I wouldn't need pins.  Then started some free-motion stippling without the BSR!  

In this picture you can just see the applique seam I used for the striped fabric.  I left a wide fold when I turned the fabric, so that I could flip it over and stitch it down backward.  This helps the seam to stand up so patients' hands can "find" the seam by touch.

Yes, just put on the embroidery foot and played.  My seams are much smother than I thought they could be.  


Just before closing in the quilt, I added an old piece of necklace chain on one end and about 8 beads in different sizes and shapes on the other end.  If you can see the dark shapes in the fabric in these small pics, you're looking at the shadowing of those beads and the chain.

Finally I carried the orange color to the other side of the quilt with a square of fabric that I ruched with elastic.  A patient who pulls on the 3D shape will be a little surprised because the elastic gives since I tacked down the edges only.  So the shape is a loop that I can slip my hand in.

I like adding lots of dimension and tactile experiences for the Alzheimer's patients who receive them.  I plan to add a few buttons and other trinkets to this quilt.  I tend to let a couple pile up, play with notions and found objects for all of them, and have a sewing session that finishes up all of the quilts at once.  

This quilt is the first one for the Alzheimer's ward in the nursing home closest to our house, so I guess I've now officially started the next batch. This one will take at least ten quilts so it may be a little while before I make the next delivery.

Linking up with

Finish it Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
Art Quilt Designs

Fidget Quilt #7

A recently finished fidget quilt!  This baby is already in the hands of an Alzheimer's patient.

Richard and I delivered eight quilts earlier in the week.  I wanted the first group to go to the nursing home where my mom was a patient for a summer.  

This particular quilt is one I made using scraps and a long piece of yellow ribbon.  I wanted to work on this fabric manipulation technique in which the fabric is folded into box pleats.  Using this ribbon really added texture.

But you know I got tired of making the same pleats over and over, so I just used up the ribbon by playing with it.  The goal was to see how many folds I could make.  Turns out that there aren't many once you form a 45 degree fold, it's over!

I did accomplish getting more texture by sewing the triangles so that they stick up.  The trick is to barely catch the base of the triangle where the ribbon meets the quilt.  I used my thimble to show how much the ribbon stands up.

Ribbon and squares along the edges for added color and texture.  And in the squares, some beads.....because!

I hope that the receiver is calmed by holding and playing with it. With each quilt I say a prayer for the person who will keep busy by handling the fabrics, beads and ribbons.  

Please join me in praying for these patients, also. 

I did it!  I'm linking up with all five of the Friday linky parties:

Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts 

Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Fabric Frenzy Friday for Fourth Worth Fabric Studio

Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday for Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday TGIFF--find TGIFF at Quilt Matters this week

Link a Finish Friday at Richard and Tanya Quilts 

Please go and say hello!

Fidget Quilt #6

This poor little quilt has been sitting on the worktable waiting patiently.  The first thing I did when I got into the studio this morning was to finish it.

I started with this quilted purple fabric left from a long-ago project.  It was long and skinny, so I cut it in half and made a seam.  Then it was a matter of playing.

The aqua flower pieces were all in the scraps bin and make for lots of interest.  I used one color of aqua thread to zigzag them down and, to make sure that they stayed down, I added a line of stitches down the center.

Check out the green stem.  I just had fun with the whole thing.  The dark green thread was on the machine when I sat down, so guess what--outline the stem and leaves!

The grass is another design element that I decided to play with.  I wanted to know how fabric acts when it's twisted and turned and looped.  I planned to make one straight seam, but I decided instead to sew between the loops and to add sprigs of grass at the same time.  It worked, but more importantly is that it gives lots of textural interest.


Flowers need sunshine, so I bunched up a yellow stripe ribbon and stitched it down with lots of short seams so that it wouldn't flatten.

It was a bit of a challenge at first, but once I got a feel for where to place the stitches, we rolled right along. And in no time the three-dimensional sun was shining down.

In just under an hour the entire quilt was finished, including the dark green binding, which oddly looks almost black in the photos.

I'm really pleased with this fidget quilt.  I've gotten lots of ideas for future quilts and enjoyed playing with the ribbons.  I'm excited to donate this Alzheimer's fidget quilt.  I have no doubt that some little lady is going to love handling it and playing in the grass.

Linking up with:

Sew Darn Crafty at Sew She Can

Fidget Quilt #5

This is the last of the completed fidget quilts, but I do have a few more started.  I'm hoping that the weekend will see a couple more completions.  

One of the reasons I enjoyed making this little quilt is that I figured out a technique for adding a texture.  The loop on the lower half, close to the buttons, is small but stays open because I stitched it with an extra piece of fabric.  

Originally I wanted to cover the raw edges, but by stitching all four sides of the covering, I also "pinned" the loop open.

Three little buttons, mismatched for interest, add another dimension of texture.  And a wide band on the opposite side is large enough for fingers to slide in and out.  The final corner is extra soft since I piled in some foam before closing off the quilt with binding.

 Without thinking I put a plain white muslin backing.  Since this one, I've started using pieces of scrap for the backing, too.  And I've written the label information on the backs, which includes "In Loving Memory of Ellen Bourque."  I've been making these because my mom was an Alzeheimers patient before her death.

 I'm pretty sure I was supposed to take better pictures before posting, but well, it's me so what are the chances that the pics will be better?

Try to look past the fuzzy, grainy, out-of-focus issues and see the beauty of the quilt and my love.

Like all the others, this one will find an Alzheimer's friend in a nursing home.

Linking Up With:

Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts 

Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Fabric Frenzy Friday for Fourth Worth Fabric Studio

Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday who is linking to Quokka Quilts

                    

Fidget Quilt #4

As you can tell, if you've been reading about the fidget quilts that I've been making (#1 here, #2 here, and #3 here) I have been churning them out!  I've already begun working on four more and will bring a set of ten to the nursing home for their Alzheimer's patients.

I wanted to add lots of color to this one.  I started with two leftover bow tie blocks that were a bit dull, so I dug in my basket of shiny fabrics and found a shiny red sateen.  I intended to add the red borders to all four sides, but that made it too long.

I added a couple of pockets of beads on the edges and decided to add a little ruched flower to the center of one bow tie.  I still need to rip out the white thread.  I didn't trust my ruching skills since it's been a long time since I've used this technique.  I chose to sew the flower in white thread first because it's easier to see for picking out, which I knew I'd have to do.  I've already sewn the flower down in red, so all that's left is removing the white.

I played with the quilting.  I wanted to practice that flower in the upper right corner and then played with hearts that use little stitching lines between each heart.  As you can see, I have some more practicing to do.  

All in all, I'm okay with this little quilt.  I think there's enough texture for tactile discovery and the shiny red adds some visual dimension.   Have you been inspired to make a couple of these little fidget quilt?  

Linking up on Friday with

Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts 

Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Fabric Frenzy Friday for Fourth Worth Fabric Studio