Saturday, May 20, 2017

Saturday Odds & Ends

When we jump from project to project and then back around again, it often feels like {watching} a chicken peck, peck, pecking away. That's the way I like to approach my quiltmaking--little bites. Thank goodness I have lots of lists. They help keep me on track so that my inevitable restlessness will eventually add up to something of substance. The Marsala quilt below currently has all the hand quilting completed, a binding attached and is now awaiting the final hand sewing stage. Which I will do later 'cuz I'm just not quite in the mood yet!
Marsala {An Unexpected Crossroads} ready for binding
All in due time. For over a year I have tried to sandwich and pin two quilts at the same time. It's such a hassle to get help moving the dining room table out of the way and finding that block of time when the whole clan isn't tromping through the room. Next up in the line-up is the scrap-bin tulip quilt and Learning Curves, where I challenged myself to get drunkards path units figured out once and for all!
Next in line for quilting!
I stitched-in-the-ditch in between every 16-patch block and now I'm coming back to hand quilt the quarter circle units. It probably didn't need the machine quilting, but it was fast and easy to do and now I can hand quilt without any pins in the way. This is a large quilt so the hand quilting may take awhile. We'll see how motivated I get!
In the hoop...
After much contemplation, I finally settled on a solution for the blue applique heart blocks that had been shown before. Sadly, they will not be residing with the brown coin units anymore. This idea has completely separated itself into a new project that makes a little more sense. When I distilled all the elements down from the project before, it seemed like the two blocks {blue applique blocks & the coin units} were both equally determined to have their own way. So different directions here we go! I found a classic, ticking fabric to use instead of the coins and a Liberty look-alike voile to use as the cornerstone squares. Together, alongside the blue applique blocks, it starts taking on a much more serene look. Hopefully that doesn't mean boring!
Preparing Blue Plumes project
My rough drawing pattern has been edited and changed so much it's starting to get thin in places, but it served well enough to allow the basic rows to be sewn together. So far I'm leaving them in 2-row sections. This will keep the units small enough to manipulate while I applique the blue 'plumes' into place. Most of them at least! The ones at the top of the quilt will have to be attached after the entire quilt top has been sewn together. Ughh. Hate that. But there's no way around that as the plumes will overlap the seams above.
Units ready for more applique work
In the end I just couldn't discard the 'plumes' or exclamation marks as one person called them. It feels whimsical and fun. Right up my alley and it always seems worth it after the work is done.*wink  So that's the prep work--just a few hours. That's all! Done and all ready for the next phase though, that's the important part. It helps more than most people realize to have the prep work totally ready for the exact moment {or window of opportunity} when our hands are itching to dive in and start stitching. I get tired of a project, look around for the next eye-candy project and you just never know, it could be this one!

I've also figured out the direction forward for the brown coin blocks and hopefully will have some progress on that front sometime next week. It's a constant source of amazement to me that even when I'm deliberately trying to tamp down on the amount of open-ended projects around here, they just sort of happen anyway!

24 comments:

  1. I'm happy to sit and watch, no matter which project you choose to work on! I always get a lot of inspiration watching you play with blocks!

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  2. The harder I try to curtail the number of projects, the longer my list gets. I've decided to just go with the flow and quit worrying about it.

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  3. all your quilting looks great - I see I'm not the only needing help moving furniture at times so a quilt can go on the floor for either working on color placement, photos, or basting if I am not using the big frame, the love seat needs to be pushed to the wall and the heavy coffee table slide into a space next to it so I have a big space clear. Sometimes I think when we move into a house we should have a floor or wall just the right size for a quilt with nothing to move!! not realistic though is it.

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  4. I feel a bit better about my project that morphed into two. But I'm envious that you seem to keep multiple projects moving along, however slowly. As Gayle wrote, it's a pleasure to see any of your quilts any time you show them.

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  5. I like the shape and color of the hearts. I too bounce back and forth on projects. This evening, I made myself start hand stitching down binding on a quilt that has been ready for binding for several years (shame on me).

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  6. they have a life of their own---kind of like chracters who hijack the direction you want them to take in a story..they just take off...but it is still fun hugs, Julierose

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  7. The Hearts seem much happier and serene now.

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  8. Your Marsala quilt looks great ! You'll be able to tick this project off the list very soon :-)

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  9. lots going on here like you layering up a quilt is the worst part, I used to do it on the floor but those days are over! Now have to manage as best I can on the kitchen table that does open up. Good to see you have mastered the drunkards path I tried with small blocks but they did not work.

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  10. How do you do it, just another lovely quilt to show and love the development of the blue hearts. And the quilt in the hoop is looking good as well. Warm greetings

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  11. I can never tell you enough how much I enjoy your posts and your style of quilt making...so refreshing and one of a kind...

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  12. I always enjoy seeing what you're working on - these are great projects that I don't remember seeing before.

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  13. I like seeing the direction your different projects take. I usually don't veer of course much.

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  14. I like your approach, with lots of things at different stages, though I could never stop once all a quilt needed was the binding! It makes checking your blog a lot of fun since it's impossible to predict what you'll be showing us. And it's all lovely, of course.

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  15. I love how your process is randomly happening in and out of family. With our recent move into a rental home, my space is really tight and I am thinking of alternatives to getting each one of my big quilts hand done over the next few years. Thanks for sharing your prolific quilt projects. I am one of those 365 circle quilters who didn't get it finished but was inspired to start and its still going.

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  16. You are a great quilt maker -- lots of great results.

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  17. I said it before but I really like that top quilt! The one in the hoop is cool to, the colors really make it!

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  18. You've got a sucessful philosophy and strategy allowing you to keep being successful.

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  19. There're a lot of good looking quilts in this post today, Audrey! Every time I see the Marsala quilt, I like it more. And I like your new blue & white plan too. A nice set of "odds and ends!"

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  20. My 93 year old quilting friend said it best, "We are creative fleas", we jump from project to project with the greatest of ease! You never disappoint!

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  21. You're a clever chicken to be pecking away on such gorgeous projects!!

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  22. I remember when you made the Marsala quilt. It was a fun adventure to read and follow.

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  23. Loving seeing what you are working on, it's always so-o-o inspiring!

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  24. Wow, it's so nice to know that someone else has a short attention span for quilting projects! I too jump around and have so many projects in various stages. Something for every mood, is my motto!

    I love the direction you're going with the blue hearts/plumes. I didn't think that their whimsy really fit with the brown coins. I can't wait to see how this will look in the end.

    I'm really impressed with you Drunkard's Path quilt top! Wow, that is a lot of curves! Very cool.

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Thanks for visiting! I love getting comments and always try to respond via email. Please leave an email in the comment to ensure a return reply! {Many of you are popping up as Anonymous for some reason, so I have no idea who it is.} Regardless, I appreciate all the comments and read every single one.