My Little Koala

My goal for July was to create a koala mini using a pattern by Quiet Play.

I was able to complete it over the past week. I even took pictures in progress, which I rarely remember to do.

Some of these pieces are so tiny!

Moving right along...

Wow, this looks weird. I'm going to trust the process.

This is looking so cute!

But I feel like it needs something. I looked on Instagram and found an image where someone had turned it into a Polaroid-looking block. I thought I'd try to replicate it.

First few inner strips. They are approximately 1/4" finished.

I spent a bunch of time looking up the original, 80s-style, Polaroid size and crunching numbers to get a similar look. Ratios are so useful.  However, once I was 3/4 done sewing on my white pieces, I realized I'd forgotten to add seam allowances. I decided to just add the same size border to the bottom and call it good.

I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to try out invisible thread (Superior MonoPoly). It took a while to get it to work properly. I watched the APQS video and I had to loosen my tension significantly more than Dawn demonstrated. Like, so much that I was worried the knob was going to fall off the machine. I had a hard time keeping my invisible thread on my thread break sensor too. But I got it done and I'm happy with it for a first attempt. The quilting pattern is Keryn's Chevron.

Here's a funny thing: I trimmed my Frolic quilt and used the trimmings not only for the white borders, but for the backing as well. I didn't want to chop up a nice, long, usable piece, so I rolled the whole thing onto my frame to minimize waste. Unrolled, it runs almost the length of my 12' frame! I didn't realize it was quite that long.  LOL

The widescreen fabric that I used for my inner border and binding were also backing trimmings (from my Postcard from Sweden quilt ages ago).

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - July Finish Link-up

I thought I'd be able to share my secret project today as well, but I misread the date, so that will be here on the blog next week, and this week Friday on Instagram if all goes to plan.

I quilted Sara's quilt the other day using Saffron Blossom. It looks pretty cool.

I bought a few pounds of blueberries while we were in Michigan and I made blueberry coffee cake. I took it out of the oven and my husband told me it looked flat. It took a lot longer to cook than I expected too. Turns out I'd left the baking powder out. It still tasted good, but the texture was rubbery.

So I tried again. The second time worked as expected. They look so different from each other. Moral of the story: I need to pay more attention to what I am doing.

I've still been freaking out about school starting next week. I've done what I could by contacting the superintendent and the school board, asking them to follow AAP and CDC recommendations and do what they can to help keep my baby (and everyone else's) safe. I watched the live-stream of the board meeting last night (my birthday). They did not actually announce what the policy would be, and after watching the rather contentious, lacking valid scientific data, community comments, that was probably a good call. They did post the re-entry metrics on the website after the board approved them, and I am happy to say that all students and unvaccinated staff will be required to wear a mask at all times while in the buildings. My county is in the "substantial" spread metric according to CDC, so according to that, all people should be wearing masks. I'm feeling relieved, but still anxious. 

In the meantime, I'll be quilting, quilting, quilting, trying to tamp down my anxiety, and thinking about what next month's goal will be. I'm going to try my hand at some improv piecing in August. This technique is one I haven't tried before. I struggle with the no rules kinda thing--I have a degree in math. But I'm feeling pretty confident and have a great teacher. 😀 I think my linked up goal may be another chunk of Grassy Creek. I really need to finish that and move on.

I'll leave you with this image of the setting sun I took while walking the other night. It looked amazing in person, but it is unfortunately a side effect of raging wildfires.


Linking with My Quilt InfatuationFor the Love of Geese, Alycia Quilts, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.


9 comments

  1. Great job on your koala! Thanks for including the seam ripper and bobbin in your photo as scale references. YES, those pieces are itty-bitty! I did not know (but am not surprised to learn) that you have a math degree. I will be working on my first attempt at imrov piecing soon, too -- and like you, I'm used to pursuing precision so it will be quite a departure for me, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your koala is so cute! Dealing with some tiny pieces here, too, but it's fun--as long as all goes well! Yummy on the blueberries even if it took a couple tries . Regardless of the texture, they were likely both still good! I LOVE em!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your koala quilt is adorable. :) Yeah, it's sad that such beautiful sunsets come from devastating causes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy birthday!!! Love the koala! I've done the same--loaded a long piece so I don't have to chop it up. Saffron Blossoms is very pretty. I haven't noticed it before. We have the same effect going on with the sunset here in Minnesota, fires from Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is so adorable, glad to read I am not the only one who sometimes forgets to add seam allowance. Sara's quilt is beautiful, I love the colors and quilting of course. If your husband is like mine he was most likely distracting you while you were mixing your cake, it's always best to add "it was all his fault".
    Happy belated birthday.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love that Koala block. It turned out so well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh that Koala!!! it is quite adorable!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sweet! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congratulations on your finish!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your koala quilt is adorable. They’ve just (finally) announced the back to school plans here in Ontario and because they’re fairly vague, a lot of parents, like you, are anxious. So nice to read that somebody else other than myself, forgets important things like baking powder LOL. Glad you had enough blueberries for a second attempt and that the first one didn’t go to waste!

    ReplyDelete