Thinking and looking and making a mess!

I've been at a very low point physically for the past couple of weeks; this happens from time to time, but this is the longest I've been stuck for a while. As always, I spend this time with some hand applique, lots of magazines, patterns, books, and the internet! Starting and planning and thinking.

My sisters and I used to say, when we visited certain shops or exhibitions, that we wish that we could throw out everything in our house and just bring in that room! I started to feel that way about my stash, my projects, my finished quilts even! I'd wander into the sewing room and despair that I couldn't conjure up all the eye candy I had been looking at. I'd get a bit of energy and start flinging fabrics into piles that might make a quilt...then changed my mind...then do it again next time I got too fidgety. In particular, I couldn't settle on another applique quilt...Jacqueline's Album was just making me unhappy no matter what fabrics I thought of; Piece O Cake designs were too big for what I wanted (I think I have at least three bed sized applique on the go!). Well, I had a reason for not liking all the applique patterns and books I had! I did decide on a fusbile applique project...but its going to be a long winter if I continue to have relapses.

Sitting on the couch this afternoon, something triggered a great idea in my head. I had a charm pack of something! Oh...where was it? Blackbird designs...Antique Fair...oh! the colours are perfect for my new living room. Anna's Garden is a Lori Smith quilt that I've started umpteen times, and the size is just right for above our couch...and charm squares can be easily used on these small seven inch blocks! And, I found two packs of Primitive Muslin charm packs, which made into four patch blocks will make a terrific background for the applique.

I feel so uplifted to just have made some kind of decision...until tomorrow comes...I wonder if I'll change my mind again?

A finish, and, a I won't do that again!

Here is Mary Ellen's Garden, pattern by Lori Smith. Its hanging over our bed, and once the walls are painted, will look better! I did fusible applique on this quilt, it was the kind of quilt that just called to me to get 'er done, and enjoy it!

And what I won't do again?

Free motion quilt with poly batting!!! Uggh! At least that's what I think caused all the problems. This is a portion of the almost finished quilt, the pattern Egg Money Quilts by Eleanor Burns.

I almost always use Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 cotton/poly quilt batt.. I really like how it quilts, how it launders, drapes, everything. For the Egg Money quilts, I bought a poly batt, thinking I would tie it. Well, one thing led to another. First I decide to just straight stitch on the sashing strips. Then, I make the regretful decision to free motion a bit on the blocks. There were skipped stitches, huge tension messes, broken threads, even two broken needles, lots of ripping out. I don't ever remember having this many problems, even as a beginner. I persevered, and I think I can call it done. Thank goodness this quilt was always destined for the basement rec-room to brighten it.

Honouring Emma re-set

Well, here is the final Honouring Emma quilt top, now it needs a new name, I think! The new setting is a perfect wallhanging size, 45 x 45. I think it will be a wonderful spring quilt, and I look forward to quilting it in the cold of February :)

I made use of a new ruler I bought months ago, the Cutting Corners ruler. I really really like the effect I was able to get for the setting triangles...those three-fabric setting triangles were cut and pieced and placed easy-peasy! You could sew these as a strip set, and cut your triangles from that, but every other one would have the dark side on the long side rather than at the corner. The Cutting Corners ruler lets you sew and cut just the fabric you need.


The quilt started out as Honouring Emma by Lori Smith. Somewhere along the line, I decide to do a setting with some pieced blocks.
Then it got sewn together like this. I didn't particularly like the finished size (55 x 68)...too big for a wallhanging, too small for a bed, and I wouldn't want hand applique in a lap quilt! The new setting lost one applique blocks, and a few pieced blocks.

How quilts can become UFOs

I'm the kind of quilter that will just say uncle! when a quilt or blocks no longer makes happy, due to the quilting, the design, the fabrics, whatever; I'll put it in the back of the closet, I'll throw it out (!); I'll bundle it up and toss it far into a corner to discover another day. On the other hand, there are quilts or blocks that I will work with for a loooong time to make right.

This has happened to a few projects that have been taking up "active" space in my sewing room lately. Roll Roll Cotton Boll has gone into the back of a cupboard and I don't care if I ever see it again. The quilting is the string pieced squares was just too much...a big oops on my part. There were a lot of seams in those squares, plus all that quilting, every time I went back to it to quilt the blue pieced squares, the string pieced squares just got heavier and stiffer. Not at all what you want in a comfy quilt.



The mystery quilts I had pieced over the summer? Well, the one with parts like this finished as a design that doesn't work all that well for my fabric choices. The green star points just disappear into the design. I've drawn the quilt several times on EQ, and layed it out on the bed, and it does need re-jigging. So, that's a quilt that will disappear for a quite a while!







The one with parts that looked like this has potential to be a fantastic quilt. Only problem is I didn't cut some of the long sashing and border pieces (or if I did, I can't find them!); I'm not happy with the background fabrics for the centre medallion; and I think I "borrowed" some fabric from the pile for another project, which means trying to figure out what substitutions I can make. Oh! While typing this I just had an idea. So maybe I'll keep this one still in my active drawers!




This is Honouring Emma, applique design by Lori Smith. I had so many ideas for setting this quilt, and I chose the wrong one. There is nothing terribly wrong with it, just not right to me. I think that this will be this weekend's project, finally taking it all apart and starting over with a new setting. I don't want this one sitting in the closet for another six months, waiting for its turn to be loved!










Do you have quilts in limbo? Those ones that you might refer to as a UFO, but deep down you know you don't really care anymore? And blocks or tops that you want to love, but need to fix?

Minglewood Sampler Quilt

I love making sampler quilts.  They are my absolute favourite type of quilt!  I enjoy the variety, the feeling of marching toward a finished quilt, one by one.  Each block gives me a different type of puzzle to fit together, the cutting can easily be done one block at a time, then put the whole thing away for another day.

Before we moved house I did a bit of stash building, and got a fat quarter bundle of some of these homespsuns. They are lovely and soft and light...I knew they'd make into something wonderful.  Then I came across the book Four Seasons at Minglewood.  A sampler quilt!  With twelve inch blocks!  I usually end up making samplers with six inch or smaller blocks, so the twelve inch size would be a nice change.  I know I could easily make my own sampler with EQ, but its nice to have a book in front of you with all the design and cutting layouts already done.

Here's the first block, Arrow Star.  I've discovered that the wovens are maybe a bit too soft and light...I did a little Best Press on the fabrics I used today, they wiggled and moved everywhere, and still frayed.   But, the block still came out at 12 1/2"!  But next time I'll  use a much heavier coating of Best Press or maybe starch.

The book has a couple of other that are wallhaning size...the Turkey Tracks is one that will likely end up on my list.

Mary Ellen's Garden

This is my version of Mary Ellen's Garden design by Lori Smith.  I love her patterns!!  The size is 45 x 52 and I think will be a terrific wall hanging for my new front hall.

While sick with the cold etc., I would go into the sewing room and cut out one or two pieces of fusible applique, playing with my box of civil war repro scraps.  I was suprised it actually got put together this way, over the course of many days.  I think because I wasn't working on something else at the same time!

When we were worrying about Emily and contemplating the outcome, I sewed like a madwoman on the piecing for this quilt.  Before I knew it, before I was even ready to stop sewing, the piecing and top was done!

Not much quilty happenings...

Its been a long couple of weeks.  My little colds in September turned into a very bad cold and as a result I've been pretty much stuck on couch rest for the past while. 

We had tragic news about my niece Emily and her babies, at 7 months pregnant they both died, about a day apart, before delivery.  There are no words to say about something as sad and difficult.

The good news is that my two not at home kids, and daughter in law,  will be home for Thanksgiving on Monday.  It will be the best dinner a Mom can hope for!  Also, Sunday we'll be visiting my sisters and brother and their families for Thanksgiving, its been since June since we've all been together in one place.

The past couple of days, neeeding the retreat of quitling, I have been doing a little applique, a little shopping in my pjs, and a little bit of sewing...pics soon!