(5/22/2014) Hi, as promised I am continuing to republish the blogs I wrote as I worked through the making of “Waiting…” Several times I had put this aside for some months while I made other quilts. These posts talk about my experiment with piecing, and continues on about my work on digitizing this applique/embroidery piece in Bernina v6 software. In the end, I did not use it. It was too large for the hoop and I wanted a more delicate stitch-down of the sales. Instead I worked freehand directly on the quilt and used trapunto to puff out the sails. Nevertheless, it is a pretty nice clipper ship that fits in my jumbo hoop.
———————
TITLE: Storm at Sea: Clipper ship applique and an idea
DATE: 2/16/2012 11:46:22 PM
—–
I’ve been learning more about how to use Bernina 6.0 design software and was able to clean up my original in-the-hoop clipper ship considerably. I found how to remove overlap, and fixed a lot of other little things that make it look a lot better I think (you can scroll down and see the original from an earlier blog if you want). Here’s a pic of how the design looks now (it’s just an image, not the real applique/embroidery piece). The sails and ship are appliqued and everything else is embroidery. The ship fabric, of course, is not what I will use, but it’s what they have in the selection and I haven’t scanned in anything else. I will probably hand piece or digitally paint a special piece of fabric for the boat to use with the in-the-hoop design that will show the wooden sides of the boat properly oriented. I find it so exciting that I can put this together in the hoop. We’ll see what it looks like when I stitch it out.Anyway, I plan on using this on my storm at sea quilt. This fits into a jumbo hoop for the Bernina 830. We’ll see how it stitches out. 
Idea: Eventually, I hope to have a variety of items like this for download from my website for people who have Berninas. I haven’t figured out if it can be done for other machines or not, nor do I know what, if anything, I have to do legally before I can share or sell my own designs I make in Bernina software. But I’ll find out both of those things and take care of any obstacles before or if I do that. I have in mind making in-the-hoop applique/embroidery items such as Nativity figures, old tall ships of several varieties, women and men in historic poses and costumes, and other items for others to be able to download and use on their own quilts and wall hangings. Some would be accompanied by digital pictures that could be printed on fabric and used in the appliques (like the faces of the people or the boat sides, for instance). What do you think about this idea?
——–
——–
TITLE: Traditional Block Inspiration: Storm at Sea, part 1
DATE: 8/27/2013 9:18:13 PM
—–
I have started a new art quilt to accompany my work on the Horsehead Nebula quilt because I like to have several quilts going at once, and this one requires piecing some traditional blocks. I have several of these quilts in mind to make over the next year–Storm at Sea, Jacob’s Ladder, Bear Paw. All will be pictorial quilts, but somewhere in the quilt there will be the traditional block that inspired the quilt. Sew I’m starting with Storm at Sea.
Now I have talked about this quilt before way back early in my blogging, but I have finally really started it now. It requires somewhere between 6 and 11 of the traditional block, which is fairly difficult. But I have been able to figure out how to do it with paper piecing, which is something I have always found difficult. Thanks to a video posted on The Quilt Show this month by Carol Doak, I think I have finally figured it out. Anyway, here is my first Storm at Sea block:
It’s square even though the picture doesn’t look like it. It takes for-ev-er to make. I got the foundation pattern from Electric Quilt 7. I’ll show you more as I get more done.
Sew happy everyone.
—————————————————————
TITLE: Storm at Sea: One of these things is not like the other!
DATE: 9/24/2013 6:15:08 PM
—–
I have developed a keen appreciation for those of you who do a lot of piecing. This has been one challenging project so far. I finally have the wave constructed, though I must rip out one of the blocks, fix it, and put it back. Can you spot the errant block and tell me what is wrong with it…hint…there is more than one thing?
Anyway, as you can see, I am making progress. Today I have been correcting a lot of little places where the points weren’t quite matching, and as soon as I fix the one block, I will have completed the wave for my storm at sea pictorial quilt.
Storm at Sea concept
Here is a picture to let you know how I am going to use this. The ship is the wrong ship, and there is a lot more to the quilt, but thought you’d like to know how this is “the big wave” as I think of it.
Anyway, we are having one of those times when the weather is absolutely exquisite. It’s clear, just the right temperature and altogether lovely. Already it is well after noon and I haven’t had lunch yet. Perhaps I will take a walk and then light late lunch on the deck.
I would love to hear your responses on the overall look and, of course, the identification of the mistakes. Truly!
Sew happy!
————————————————–
************************************************************