Fire Mountain Finished!

First finish of 2017 - Fire Mountain!

I bound it with some stripey fabric that has all of the same colors...I did not make continuous binding since I wanted more control over the placement of the stripes so I had to learn a different method of creating the miters - there are videos out there for a Binding Miter Tool (but I just used the corner of an envelope) that show the technique. I think it turned out very well!

Made a ZipZap bag for a Tea I am going to at the end of the month. Pattern is here...I did modify it a wee bit - I made the back pocket full length so my cell phone fits better..I am pretty happy with how it turned out! Those quarter inch straps though...those were hard!  Oh...and I did not use canvas, so the seams were not quite as bulky. I like this bag design in that it does not need 'hardware' for the straps..the other bag I made last year has lobster claws and rings...but it also attaches to my jeans belt loops for a hands free mode!

This is the front of the bag..added a silver dogwood blossom to the zipper...

This is the back of the bag..the pattern has the back pocket only as long as the color part in the center...on mine, the pocket goes all the way down to the bottom...

More Fire Mountain Progress

I asked the same question in my last post to my quilting forum and got some tips on how to keep the Monopoly from breaking so much..I ordered a package of Superior Top Stitch needles and they came in the mail today (love Amazon Prime!!) So OF COURSE, I had to try one out...
Verdict..they are worth the almost 2 bucks per needle!

Pretty much done with the center of the quilt...just need to ditch around all of the appliques. That may not take as long as I think with the thread not breaking anymore.
Here are some hopefully detailed enough shots that you can see the quilting....

Poor quilt needs a bath..cat fur and chalk marks.

Oh and I discovered something else...I am using Grabberoos quilting gloves and was having a dickens of a time with the Monopoly sticking when I trimmed the start threads. Found if I used a lint roller, the trimmings came right off. Have to remember to pack that for both of my Road classes which are going to be FMQ...

Fire Mountain Progress

Spent most of the day working on Fire Mountain..I took all the old hand quilting out, replaced the batting with Dream Cotton instead of the poofy wool and started FMQ on the top..its stabilized...and I have started on the leaf vine in the green areas...

much happier with the quilting now..
but..frustrated with the machine..it keeps breaking the Monopoly...

Question...what does it mean when quilting with a FMQ foot when the top thread does not catch and form a stitch with the bottom thread? I have tried adjusting the tension and that seems to help some...fortunately it seems to mostly happen at the start of a line of stitching..

Stitching in the Great Outdoors

More stitching on the Fire Mountain Bargello's applique today..we went off adventuring and I got to stitch in the great outdoors for a while..twas glorious!
There are oodles of oranges on those trees...

 Watched a para-sailor ride the updrafts over the top of this mountain...

 A crashed balsa wood airplane  on the upper left (I think)!

Some dark clouds...rain maybe (we hope!)

More Fire Mountain Bargello Progress

I decided to add a vine with birds, blooms, butterflies and leaves to the Fire Mountain Bargello -  I cut out multiple copies of  some simple shapes out of card-stock and  did a mock up of the design..I liked it..

Counted up the number of pieces of each kind of object (128 of them!) and traced them onto Floriani fusible wash-away stabilizer - this is my first major project using this method of prepping the applique pieces..Then..cut them out...that was deadly boring! Adhered them to the remaining pieces of the fat quarters from cutting the strips for the bargello...and then cut those out - more boring! Yikes..a lot of cutting for two days!

My first attempt at gluing was using a Sew-line glue stick..and wee screwdrivers...it was not ringing my chime - it was ok for a small project but I was never gonna get thru with THIS project with those tools. Thought maybe I would have to do needle turn - and wondered if I should draw around the wash-away stuff or if I should leave it in and fold around....laying in bed, I was pondering...I realized that liquid glue would probably work better than glue stick...something like Elmer's School Glue...only fly in that ointment was I don't HAVE any Elmer's School Glue..still pondering..when a light bulb went off..I DO have some Roxanne's Glue Baste It!

Then next morning I rummaged around and found the Roxanne's - first order of business was to clean the applicator tip..now I know Roxanne's says NOT to, but I think they have a vested interest in selling you a new bottle whenever the tip gets fouled...but being the resourceful sort, I have a wire that I can pass thru the applicator that my Dad  gave me years ago that clears out any stuck on glue..This bottle dates back to the first year I was quilting - circa 2003... Glue still was good since I keep my bottles of glue in baggies with the air squished out to reduce the amount of air that can get to them. A trial piece with the wash-away and I am in business! I decided to use my Pearl Periera Applique Tool and a Popsicle stick with a notch in the end (looks vaguely like a fork)..and commenced turning and turning and turning!  I was bleary-eyed by the end of yesterday! I really like the end of that Applique tool - it flattens out the folds and makes the edges really crisp..no need to iron!

Finished the turning and laid out the design and wow! I really love it..Just have to glue baste the piece down once I am happy with the placements so I can remove the pins and start in on the fun stuff - appliqueing!!

Ta Da! (picture does not do it true justice..its so much better in person)

Fire Mountain Bargello Progress

I decided the size of the bargello was going to get too big when I added borders, so I took a few of the rows off..I ended up using the rows I took off as the color border between the two cream ones. There is very little of those rows left - mostly trimmings and a couple of two inch pieces..but..I like how its turning out..

This is what I made at Retreat:

This is how it turned out after I finished adding the borders:

I am tentatively naming this Fire Mountain..

And..now, I am trying to decide if I want to add applique to the borders..you'll have to squint really hard and use your imagination...the green pieces would be leaves, the blue pieces would be birds,  the rest of the colors would be flowers and butterflies...I will be making patterns sometime in the next few weeks..to try out the shapes..I do think I will like it!

There was a suggestion that I think about putting some flames on the 'mountain'...will have to try that shape out too!