quilting

Periwinkle Gem UFO

January 8, 2018

The Periwinkle Gem is my third UFO I’ve finished this year. I hope you’re not tired of my UFO posts yet, because there may be a few more coming. I will be starting a couple QALs this week, so you may see a little different progress from my sewing room this week!

The history of this quilt begins with a weekend stay in Wisconsin and a stop at a quilt shop in Bayfield. At that shop, I bought a charm pack of Fossil Fern fabrics. It was a huge charm pack, more than the usual 42 squares. It sat in my stash until I saw the Mini Periwinkle tutorial on Missouri Star Quilt Company. I thought the pattern would work well with the fabrics, so I made a small quilt. Here’s a photo of the top that I took this past year.

Periwinkle Gem - quilt top before finishing - piecefulthoughts.com 2018

The top sat on my shelf for quite awhile. Since I hadn’t made it for any specific purpose, I was in no rush to finish it.

This quilt top was finished before I had my new sewing machine, so I brought it to Connie for quilting. She did a fabulous job, quilting fun spheres in the secondary pattern of the quilt. Now that I have a machine that can handle machine quilting better, I hope to learn to do the smaller quilts on my own.

Periwinkle Gem - quilting detail - piecefulthoughts.com 2018

The quilt measures about 33″ x 38″, just right for a wall hanging or a small baby quilt. I’m not sure which it will be yet. I just enjoy looking at the bright, gemstone colors during these cloudy winter days!

Periwinkle Gem - made using Fossil Fern fabrics (Benartex) and Mini Periwinkle pattern by Missouri Star Quilt Company - piecefulthoughts.com 2018

For the backing, I went with the cream fabric, keeping it simple and clean.

Periwinkle Gem - photo of quilt back - piecefulthoughts.com 2018

I couldn’t decide on one color for the binding, so I used strips cut from fat quarters of the same fabric. I really like the way the binding turned out.

Periwinkle Gem - binding was made from FQ strips - piecefulthoughts.com 2018

Okay, my question for today: How do you prepare physically when you are going to quilt a quilt top? Are there stretches you do beforehand? Do you take breaks while quilting; if so, how often?

I’m linking up today with Beth at Cooking Up Quilts.

Happy Monday, friends!

Wendy

 

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30 Comments

  • Vicki in MN
    January 8, 2018 at 7:05 am Reply

    Nice finish, I noticed the pieced binding right away in the first picture-jsut perfect. You already know my answer to the question, LOL

  • karenfae
    January 8, 2018 at 7:14 am Reply

    🙂 I love those big packs of fossil ferns I had 4 big ones that I got on sale and used them to make my big queen size quilts with circles I guess almost 2 years ago now? I have been to Bayfield and I think I have been to the shop, I think they only had one – near Ashland? or I’m I am thinking of another place I wonder it has been about 4 years I guess.

    • piecefulwendy
      January 8, 2018 at 8:29 am Reply

      Yes, that’s the shop, but sadly it closed due to the death of one of the owners. A new shop has opened, owned by her son.

  • Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts
    January 8, 2018 at 8:57 am Reply

    I liked that quilt when I first saw it and now that it’s quilted it’s even more fabulous! I love the way Connie quilted it. I’m excited to see you start quilting – you’ll have so much fun. I take lots of breaks while quilting. I tend to tighten up in the shoulders, so I have to stretch them out.

  • Jayne
    January 8, 2018 at 9:32 am Reply

    I love this beautiful bright quilt! It’s been a while since I made a Periwinkle block, but they are so much fun and the look is wonderful. The only prepping I do when I machine quilt is mental…as in it takes a lot of thinking for me before I start! I have the hardest time coming up with a plan!

  • rl2b2017
    January 8, 2018 at 9:36 am Reply

    Hi Wendy,
    WOWEE – third finish for the year!! Holy moly. No, I never get tired of hearing and seeing finishes – whether they are UFOs or new projects. It motivates me to just keep plugging away, and unearth those oldie moldy ones. I really LOVE the colors in this quilt! The fabrics are perfect, and the quilting! You can easily do this quilting yourself! I’m not sure what type of machine you have – long-arm or whatever. I have done a spiral on my older DSM and it would be even easier with my current setup. In fact, that might just inspire me on how to quilt a top I’ve got hanging out, waiting for me to be inspired. Since I just quilt on my DSM, I don’t do anything special before quilting. As I work, I consciously tell myself to release my shoulders and relax. If I feel too tense, I just break for the day or for a bit. There’s usually no rush, and I can just walk away. ~smile~ Roseanne

  • Bonnie in Va
    January 8, 2018 at 10:40 am Reply

    Lovely periwinkle quilt with wonderful quilting. I have a computerized long arm but I still find after a few hours of “hanging around it” I need to stop, sit down, stretch. I tend to watch it quilt for a bit which means lots of standing. Once I get a big quilt on the frame I imagine I’ll spend a bit more time sitting while it quilts.

  • norma
    January 8, 2018 at 12:17 pm Reply

    I love the pieced binding -very in keeping with the quilt.
    I’m often a hand quilter these days so I have to take breaks by necessity. And although I plan my quilting I find I don’t always stick to it.

  • Kathleen McCormick
    January 8, 2018 at 1:57 pm Reply

    I don’t often think of the fossil fern line as bright, but it sure is in this quilt. Its funny how in a different setting, the fabrics look so different. I really love the quilt and the quilting. I don’t do as many stretches as I should but one hint I had was to change your chair position every half hour or so, so start a little high and lower it as you go or vice verse. And if you aren’t used to doing it a lot, when my “wing” starts to hurt I stop and move for a bit and then go back. One teach cuggested a glass of wine to relax, but I have’t tired that – being afraid that I’d spill it or get too loosely-goosey!

  • Louise Hornor
    January 8, 2018 at 3:04 pm Reply

    I remember this pretty little top! It really looks great all quilted up. The scrappy binding is perfect!

    I probably should do more stretching before I quilt, but I don’t. However, I limit my FMQ time to about 10-15 minutes at a time. Then I do something else for 10-15 before I come back to quilting. If I find my shoulders starting to get tired or sore, I do a rowing-style stretch with a big rubber band, or even just “in the air” without the band. Moving my shoulders back into a rowing motion seems to help offset how I lean forward while I sew.

    It’s hard to stop sewing when I’m “on a roll”! But I’ve learned that I simply must limit my time or my shoulders just go haywire. I also force myself to stop later in the evening if my mind starts to get foggy. If the thought enters my mind, “Oh I should stop,” then I STOP! Seems simple, right? And yet you should hear the arguments inside my own head…

  • somethingrosemade14
    January 8, 2018 at 3:24 pm Reply

    May I be the first to mention that your bedspread has made quite a few appearances this past week and I’m thinking it really does make a nice backdrop for your quilts. The quilting is wonderful, so perfect for the pattern. It’s a great feeling when a quilt is finally finished. I like seeing bright colors during this time of year. This quilt would just make me smile if it was hanging on my wall.

  • Sandra Walker
    January 8, 2018 at 8:01 pm Reply

    I actually did a physical double-take and then re-read your first line. THIRD UFO FINISH?? Yeah I yelled that. Is it February? No. It’s the flippin’ 8th day of January TODAY so you got these 3 done in the first week of the year. I’m floored and admiring all at once; you are giving Vicki of MN a run for her whirling dervish of a quilter image. Okay, now I’ve calmed down somewhat, I must say whirling dervish quilter is Connie! Love the spirals she did – I only had eyes for the jewel-toned stars when I saw the flimsy. Score! on the binding, excellent choice. You could always keep this like I did with my Rainbow Vibes, and take it with you to yoga to sit upon, and cover up with in savasana, just sayin’… and you could do a couple yoga stretches at home even before starting to quilt, too ha.

    • piecefulwendy
      January 8, 2018 at 8:04 pm Reply

      Oh Sandra, you’ve got me grinning from ear to ear. Haha! I did start a project today, but I will admit to putting a binding on another UFO. Thanks for the smiles!

  • Facetfully
    January 8, 2018 at 9:32 pm Reply

    This is such a fun quilt! Live the bright colors!
    Quilting a good-sized quilt is a physical process! Doing some stretches is probably a great idea. I do take breaks, try to remember to breathe, and relax my neck and shoulders. Free-motion quilting is fun but it seems to take the worst toll on me!
    Happy quilting!

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