Daily Fiber

Another Friday, More Finished Blocks

Posted on July 4, 2025July 4, 2025 by Laura Kate

This week was moderately productive. I finished several more blocks for the Oregon Baby quilt, including two feature blocks. There are now four features finished, except for any finishing embroidery touches.

I made the western meadowlark and baby rabbit blocks.

Beginning sketch for meadowlark:

Progress photos and finished block:

Beginning sketch of rabbit:

Some additional remarks about the rabbit: The original photo was of a hybrid rabbit – white fur and brown patches, pale blue eyes. I’ve been observing many wild rabbits that hop about the garden here in my new home. Their coloration is more earthy and the eyes appear jet black. So that is how I made this rabbit. Also, the poor bunny has no nose or mouth yet. Those details will be added with embroidery floss. And maybe a few whiskers to boot.

Now when I line up the completed blocks, the quilt looks like this:

Two rows out of five. The big picture is coming into focus.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying your long week-end (U.S. readers) Please drop me a word or two about your current project. I’d love to know what feeds your creative impulses.

painting, quilting

Friday Finish: Baby Quilt Feature Blocks

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Laura Kate

Hi, friends,

I’m thinking that it’s time to reveal the first finished blocks that I made for Oregon Baby quilt. As I described in earlier posts, these would be various animals found in the baby’s home state.

I started with the rufous hummingbird and the Oregon swallowtail butterfly. Here are photos showing the steps to completion:

Hummingbird:

Butterfly:

Oregon Swallowtail pencil sketch, a little color added

Slight exaggeration here: The butterfly needs its antenna . I will hand embroider this detail before I assemble the quilt.

Some of you may think that I omitted showing all the steps in the process. And you’re right. I had to turn the pencil drawings into pattern pieces before I could convert the design to fabric. Without going into tedious details, this work was done using tracing paper and photo copies. I also did zigzag machine stitching around the butterfly and straight stitching on all the edges of the hummingbird.

Now here is an photo of how these panels look next to the string-pieced blocks.

My apologies to those who are bothered by the wonkiness of the strips. Yes, it was deliberate. So sue me.

The fun will continue over the weekend as I translate more of my sketches into quilt blocks. Which will I choose next?

knitting

Unraveled Wednesday 6-25-25

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Laura Kate

Following along with As Kat Knits, I am posting this progress update on the project I cast on June 2nd.

This is Paper Dolls, a pullover by KDD & Co. As of today, I have knitted up from the bottom about 12 inches.

This is the point where the body is set aside and the cap sleeves are knitted on separate needles. The technique is reminiscent of Elizabeth’s Zimmerman’s Fair Isle Yoke Sweater as published in her 1st newsletter. Eventually stitches for all three parts are loaded onto one long needle and work continues for the yoke.

First sleeve cap complete and waiting for its sister before both join with the sweater body.

A design feature added by Kate Davies is the corrugated rib stitch worked in contrasting yarn for the hems of body and sleeves (as shown in my first photograph.)

This part of the project has been great for television watching, since no stitch counting or pattern checking is required. The next section will require undivided attention, and I work the very cute paper dolls while simultaneously decreasing the yoke stitches. (That makes it sound harder than it really is.)

I must add a shout-out to knitting blogger Alissa Makes who made and gifted me the cute Mer-people project bag.

I love using it – Thanks, Alissa.

As far as reading, I just finished a biography of Salvador Dali’s wife, Gala. It is titled Surreal and written by Michele Gerber Klein. I had no idea how crazy those early 20th century artists were. If you like soap operas, and are not easily shocked, you may enjoy this book. My main complaints are that it is a bit long, and could have used more photographs.

That’s it for me. During this hot sticky heat wave, I hope you, my dear readers, can remain cool, calm and knitting onward.

drawing

Sketching Sunday

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Laura Kate

This week I completed three more drawings of small creatures destined for use on Oregon baby quilt.

The reference photo came from the North Dakota Minot Daily News

I found the reference image on Wikipedia Commons

Found the reference for this cutie on Newsweek and it is a Getty image. The bunny is likely a domestic rabbit, not a native one. But no matter – any baby bunny is highly suitable to grace a baby quilt.

Today’s weather is temperate, calm winds and periodic rain. Just right for me to focus on my projects. What are you working on these days?

drawing, quilting

Progress on latest quilt

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Laura Kate

Almost two weeks ago, I started work on a baby quilt that will be a gift for my niece who lives in Oregon. Her baby is due in August.

I have no title for this project, so for now I will call it the Oregon Baby quilt. In my first project post, I shared sketches under consideration as subject matter. They focus on animals and plants native to Oregon. This week I added two more:

Having received a lovely bundle of fabrics from Connecting Threads, I have proceeded to cutting and sewing. Here are a couple of images of strips. They are not cut precisely, but range from 1 1/4 to 2 inches in width.

After cutting, I shoved the strips into four baggies: Solids, lights, mediums and darks. My plan is to alternate the strips, not so much by color as by value. Forging ahead, I completed the first block, which is assembled from four strip-pieced squares.

The solid 2 inch strips (In this block, the pink strips) will be placed consistently at the widest point on each square. I chose a brightly colored floral fabric to act as a mini focus point for the block. These two elements should serve to unify the multitude of fabrics that will be used in this quilt.

Moving on to the first feature block: I chose the rufous hummingbird. After making a pattern from my sketch onto tracing paper, I cut out the parts to be appliqued and fused them in place onto background fabric.

Eventually, shading and details will be painted on, the applique edges will be machine stitched and hand embroidery will create finishing touches. That’s secret code for I don’t know for sure what I will do next.

For now, I am waiting to receive more Jacquard Textile paint.

I’m so relieved that I’m back into action at my new address.

What are you working on this month?