The end of September finds me continuing to quilt. After the current one in progress, I have two more to go to be caught up.
Since completing Unallocated (see last blog post), I'm nearly finished with the super-scrappy Harvest Moon/Yin-Yan blocks quilt. All the blocks (except for the outside setting triangles) are cut and pieced from "made fabric." I pieced every little scrap and bit from my bins - "scarping my scraps" - to make fabric from which I cut and pieced half-moon convex curves, and half-moon concave curves.
Quilting thread on top and in the bobbin is 40-weight light gray Presencia.
Quilting has been mostly ruler work, using the Westalee "Circles on Quilts Template Set 1," as well as "The Low Curve" ruler 10 by Linda of @thequiltedpineapple and Amy of @amyquilts. In between sections of ruler quilting, I did a little wavy free motion quilting, leaving the ruler foot (#72) on the machine to do it.
Though The Low Curve ruler is difficult to photograph, you can surely see the two pieces of tape on the back of the ruler. I added adhesive-backed skate board grip tape to give rough texture so the ruler grips the fabric while being moved. Skate board grip tape is much rougher - grippier - than sandpaper.
I'm satisfied with my September making efforts. In spite of spending several weeks quilting, I managed to piece a backing, make three bindings, sew-on a quilt sleeve, and make a zipper pouch. Those amounted to using up a total of 6 yards. I didn't make any fabric purchases - yay!
Using up and not buying fabric are good things for me. Though, I want to mention a recent discussion at our house that's another reason not to buy fabric. The expense.
The price of raw cotton is on the rise (again). It's still not as high as it was through and post-pandemic that resulted in the latest increase in the price of quilting cotton. It's about $13 to $14 a yard, most places.
The recent climb in raw cotton prices signals that another possible price increase is on the horizon. We could see that reflected in the price of quilting cotton by December. You heard it here first, quilting friends.
It never fails to frustrate me that though us quilters always experience paying higher prices for quilting fabrics, when the price of raw cotton DEcreases, we never experience paying less. Interestingly, 70 percent of the price of quilting fabric comes from the cost of the product (cotton). Wouldn't it make sense then that if the cost of the product goes down, so would the price of cotton yardage?
The chart below shows the rise and fall in the price of raw cotton since the beginning of 2023.
I'm not an economist, but it seems to me that someone's getting the raw end of the deal. ✋
Book Recommendations
When Jessica has the chance to go to Sanctuary Cove, where her sister lives, she thinks of it as two weeks where she can work to help Eleanor Whitaker clear out her beautiful familial home perched on the rocky cliff of the ocean, and spend time with her sister - and perhaps overcome the awkwardness of their relationship. Jessica meets Nate, Eleanor's son who intrigues her. When a strong friendship begins to form between Jessica and Eleanor, and then Nate's daughter, Jessica finds it more difficult to face leaving when the job is over
I thought this book was a bit too predictable, though if you'd like an easy, "summertime" reads that ends happily ever after, this is a good one.
Linda's score: 3.7/5.0
mm
Hannah and April were roommate at Pelham College at Oxford (UK) more than a decade ago. Hannah comes from a modest background. April comes from a wealthy family, and enjoys every indulgence - clothes, champagne, and drugs. The two of them are in a group that study and drink together.
When they've nearly completed their first year at Pelham, Hannah finds April's body in their apartment. Hannah mmediately suspects one of the porters, John Neville, who has acted suspiciously toward her.
In present day, after being convicted of April's murder, Neville has died in prison. Rather than make Hannah feel better - she's now married and pregnant - his death raises questions. A podcaster wants to talk with Hannah.. She reluctantly meets with him. New information he shares, and Hannah's belated uncertainty that Neville was the murderer, cause her to pursue her own lines of inquiries with her old friends. The murderer is still out there, and her questions could be to her own detriment.
Though I never guessed the "who" behind this crime, I was somewhat disappointed in the book. I thought Ware's characters ruminated too much - reviewing, thinking about, deciding in their heads, then changing their minds... ad nauseum. And again, Ware's use of profanity didn't enhance the story. In my opinion, compared to her earlier works Ware has lost her touch,
Linda's score 3.9/5.0
Good quality quilt fabrics is approx $35 a metre here in New Zealand! Of course, it is all imported.
ReplyDeleteThe higher cost of quilt fabric has certainly helped me refrain from too much buying this year. I have so much fabric in my stash already I don't need another inch.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Love the crumb made quilt top! String piecing is one of my favorites, nice, mindless sewing. I have been saving crumbs to piece together and think it will be enjoyable too. I have a hard time throwing anything away and get laughed at when saving scraps from the trash when sewing with others. 🤣 it can still get used😻. I love the skateboard tape too and found out about it at sewing group. She had the black widow brand and it works great. Found it on amazon. Girrrl, I hate how the fabric prices have jumped so badly! A very good reason to save scraps. It’s just hard when the new stuff is calling your name…….
ReplyDelete"Crumb." Yes, that's the word I need to use to refer to this quilt. Though I'd call it small scraps, "crumb" definitely explains it better. Thanks for that! I love string piecing too, and have made a number of quilts with that method. I've found it's the best way to make a group quilt, since the paper foundation (I still have an old phone book to call into use) makes the blocks uniform. And I sure understand your desire to use the smallest fabric bits! I was appalled to see a quilter use 4"-plus-sized fabric "scraps" as pet bed filler! Sheesh. Indeed, you and I are on the same page when it comes to using-up fabric, whether stashed or scraps. You go girl! As for buying new? Only when necessary.
DeleteYes, some of my crumbs are so, so small but all together will make a nice fabric. I like how it’s so interesting to look at. I was given an old hand pieced grandmothers fan no one wanted a few years ago. Some of her blades were pieced out of 2 or 3 pieces of fabric to make one piece. I felt bad , maybe she had no choice or more fabric and it was never quilted. I had it longarmed and added a pink border and it got new life, even prettier. I think she would be happy to know how it turned out 🥰. Someone had donated it to the church sewing group and they were going to throw it away 😔
DeleteVery nice to hear that you saved kept an old quilt from the trash! I bet the maker "made do" by piecing those blades. No doubt, your loving touch make it look great.
Deletelove the super scrappy quilt top!
ReplyDeleteLove the scrappy look, and how you put it all together! And, thank you for the price-of-cotton update, holding on to my years of fabric, trying to resist the "new" - everything has increased in price, sad! Groceries - yikes!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanscat! Thanks for liking my scrappy quilt. Due to Pamela's comment (above), I'm calling it my "Crumby" (Crummy) quilt. Seems like a good name. Yep, quilting cotton prices will no doubt be climbing again. It's difficult, watching everything increase in price, from groceries, to appliances, to new A/C units! I'm grateful to have and use the fabrics I already own.
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