A Long Ramble About My Comfort Quilts and Also Some Improv.

I cut out these flannel strips about the middle of December and have been slowly sewing them together ever since. It's been good mindless sewing for those crazy times when thinking is an impossibility. Sadly, they get quite tedious to work on at times.

A vastly reduced pile of flannel strips

Eventually I'll have enough sets sewn together to make two comfort quilts. Nothing exciting, just very cozy, comfort quilts for two guys {one young, one old} who will very much appreciate a simple lap quilt. After I started in sewing, I had to cut out some extra {more interesting} fabric strips so the blend of prints/colors wouldn't keep putting me to sleep. You know how that is when everything blends a little too well.

Sewing the units into sets of four

And what's the deal with flannel? So much lint. Wowsers! I started having problems with the tension on my regular machine and after three or four go 'rounds with trying to get it back to normal, finally resorted to using my backup machine. She's a sweet, little {used} Bernina and so far is doing an excellent job for me. Yay for having a backup machine {Christmas present last year} as I cannot imagine being without at this particular time of the year!

My backup Bernina

So..., wanting to play, stretch my improv. abilities and well, just work on something a little more interesting, I turned to my Ugly Quilt. I think I threw up a quick picture of this quilt awhile back and was almost embarrassed to even admit to making it. It was one of those 'I'm bored, maybe I'll cut into some fabric I like and do something really off the wall' sort of endeavors. And I promptly decided it would end up on the back of a quilt because, hello? It was a nothing.

Ahem. Maybe I better tell you the back story before we get to the improv. part?

Since the inglorious start of this quilt, I have started playing with it again. Such as adding a small, fussy cut border that mostly blends in with the rest of the quilt. Meh. What did I do that for?

The Ugly Quilt with one border

And then, eyes popping wide open just before going asleep one night 'What if I added an old fashioned oak leaf type applique?' How nice to find exactly what I wanted on the second page of one of my inspiration binders the very next day. So providential. It's from a 2008 Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine--a pattern that I've many times considered making, although never just the one as a centerpiece!

And now some applique

Then, as these things often happen around here, my Ugly Quilt had more to say. Perhaps a scrappy blue sawtooth border? And I've been completely won over ever since. This ugly little quilt has been slowly winning me over and now it positively melts my heart like a squishy, toasted marshmallow. Which I know doesn't happen for everyone because my oldest daughter thinks it looks 'weird mom, just weird, especially the colors.' There's really no accounting for taste is there?

The sawtooth border

So back to the improv. part. Today I decided to attack the next border. It's been awhile coming because I had a dilemma or two to sort out. Sherri Lynn Wood tells us in 'The Improv. Handbook' to cut from the complete width of a piece of fabric {42 inches}, make sets and then cut and sew the new improv. strip lengths. The problem is, I don't have many full widths of fabric pieces. What I have is a whole bunch of fat quarters and most of them have chunks cut out of them! I finally decided to cut out some random strips of pinks, browns and red fabric, all about 8 1/2" long, but varying in widths. We do what we have to do, with what we have. and that's okay. Just had to get things settled in my mind first. Why are simple things so often the hardest to figure out?

Starting with some random cut strips

And another thing--it always worries me to just start cutting pieces of fabric without knowing the ultimate number I might need. I've finally recognized this as part of the very real 'fear' I feel in starting in with an improv. project. I can get so much anxiety going about this {because I do so hate wasting fabric} that it can literally paralyze me and cause me to never even start. It's not the uncertainty about the finished outcome of the quilt, that part I'm perfectly okay with. It's figuring out how much fabric to cut so that I can freely play, without cutting so much that I end up with a mountain of extra. Regardless, I am determined to conquer this fear and forge ahead, one little improv. quilt idea at a time.

So this is what I ended up with. I varied a brown strip with a pink strip and started making sets of six strings. Because I free-cut the strips {no ruler}, there is a slight wonk to them that very much makes me smile. Plus I think the fact that I'm only making a border makes this much more fun. If it were an entire quilt, I'd be stressed, fretting about value changes etc. and leaping ahead to possible design problems. Worrying about things getting boring.

Sewing them into units

I love the idea of making this border a little more complex color-wise, so am also considering adding in a red strip periodically--maybe even every six strips. Would that be too calculated? Is everyone cringing at the idea of mixing red and pink? This has been an odd quilt so I think it calls for something a little offbeat. For now I am just auditioning though, nothing is sewn together or set in stone.

Thinking about adding in some red

And I'm also being run out of my quilting room by a passive aggressive 15 yr. old boy who was very annoyed to be told the Christmas tree needs de-ornamented. What? Be asked to do something on a school vacation? The outrage! Everybody in this family knows that AC/DC and me do not get along, so even though no words were ever spoken, the message has been {literally} very loud and clear.

Trying to see it on the design wall....

So I'll work on my scrappy, improv. border later on when things settle down and the kids have this grave injustice worked out of their system. I might need to cut more strips and maybe I won't, but I am refusing to let that stop me from this particular method of playing. Time to link up to Ann and Kaja for their AHIQ linky party of the month! It's such a great motivator to me, their quiet encouragement to spread our wings, try new things and maybe step outside of our narrow little box once in awhile. Do at least go check out Ann's wonderful new quilt top! Very inspiring!

Keeping the Rhythm Going No Matter What

We had a very white Christmas. So pretty, quiet, and well, wonderful. Except that our oldest son wasn't with us for the first time ever and that almost made me cry. Growing up is hard to do, even for us mothers.

A bit of hand quilting

Although I've been lurking occasionally, mostly I've been taking a short break from social media. At first it was somewhat enforced because of my computer problems and then frankly, all the Christmas preparation and family gatherings got in the way. It's been years and years since I was still out doing Christmas shopping just two days before Christmas Eve. Oh the joys of being self employed! Eventually though, all the presents {and groceries} were acquired and things settled down a bit on the home front. Except for last minute wrapping, baking, and stocking stuffing etc. Normal mom stuff. The kids were very gown up and amazingly helpful this year plus Slacker radio plays some great Christmas music. It all helps!

Always simple stitching around here....

And thankfully I always have my hoop filled and ready for stitching. It's the one rhythm of my life that remains somewhat constant no matter what else is going on around me. That little bit of hand quilting several times a week, late in the evening really helps to calm me down and keep me centered on what's important in life. I just try and let the stress of the day float away as I stitch, stitch, stitch away. And it's always extra special sweet to be doing hand work with the Christmas tree lights twinkling from across the room.

Loving these small tulips

In fact, I've been getting just enough quilting time in to make me want to have oodles more. Honestly I've been feeling a bit whole lot deprived in that department. I'm quite positive my creativity is shriveling up and I'll have to start over from square one. My quilts will go back to old boring brown with absolutely no spark and well..., you get the picture. It's a worrisome thing.

Ready to start stitching the squares down....

But things will no doubt return to normal as soon as New Years arrives and that's soon enough. Time to link up to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching where us slow, plodding quilters hang out every week!

A Pre-Holiday Catch Up

Got my computer back late yesterday evening but refused to plug it in until all my Christmas cards were addressed and mailed. Which finally happened today. And wouldn't you know it, a ton of addresses needed updating. Why do people move? So annoying.

The new wall hanging

The good news about my computer is that it should be fine until next summer now.*sigh  I was not looking forward to fighting for computer time on anyone else's computer in this particular house. Or learning new programs, operating systems or important laptop tricks.

As you can see, in the last two weeks I managed to finish up my Vintage Basket AHIQ wall hanging.  It's going to go on the wall in my quilting room and make me think very creative thoughts. Of course it is....

Not my favorite batting, but it turned out alright for this small quilt.

And I also finished up my Tipsy Geese baby quilt. I machine quilted in the ditch on all the vertical rows and then came back and started stitching in between over the top of the geese. Bad mistake. Ended up using my seam ripper because all my geese were bunching up in the mid section of the quilt. There's just something about machine quilting that means there can never be too many pins in the sandwiching process. I know this and yet I continue to be optimistic there can be a compromise made.

Looking at the initial phase of quilting.

So I threw it in a hoop and randomly hand stitched {half or less of} every set of geese. Not that I had time for that, but what do you do? It obviously needed more stitching. Did I ruin it by not hand stitching every single one of them? Sometimes I think my get-up-and-go is not in keeping with all my expectations. I love it and yet, I was itching to add more hand quilting. In fact it was all I could do not to spend more time on this little baby quilt! But really, the time had run out. And it's fine. Perfectly acceptable.

Tipsy Geese is done!

I was only able to incorporate one of the oddball geese units into the quilt. Love how it finishes off this top corner though. And in case you were wondering, this quilt is for a baby boy who is almost six months old now. I personally don't think it's ever too late to gift a child a quilt, but wonder what the mom will think when it shows up out of the blue!

Such a sweet geese unit to finish off the corner....

I totally forgot about getting a label onto the quilt until today when I was packing it into the box for shipping. My daughter totally put the guilt trip on me until I hurriedly wrote one out and got it attached. Which made me arrive at the post office at ten minutes before closing with a mailing box and also needing 120 stamps. Oh, and can you wait to close until I get them all on please? hehe  I almost put the babys name on the label but decided not to at the last second. Cynthia's oops with her beautiful quilt was still very fresh in my mind. Just hope I got the husbands name correct on the mailing address as that could be a bigger oops.....

All my boy, baby quilts end up with the same colors....

In the event I might possibly get bored, there is a new project in the works too.

A new project

One box of dark colored flannel strips and another of medium to light colored flannel strips. All I have to do now is sew a light to a dark until they're all sewn together and then I'll sew those sets together until I have new sets of six.

Accumulating the strip sets

It should look something like the pattern below only I'm eliminating the border altogether and making the quilt a bit wider. Funny how a pattern from January/February of 2005 can still be extremely relevant today. I desperately need a no nonsense, non thinking, chain piecing project right now and who cares when it gets done. And uh... I actually cut out enough strips to make two of these. Which is good because I need a couple more comfort quilts to give away in the next little while.

A Fon's and Porter pattern

And I'm still getting to those pesky circles. Whose idea was this anyway?

50 circles sewn and 4 more ready to go

All going well etc., there will be a linkup party on the first of every month for the next year.  Okay, must go now. I still have a major Christmas shopping list to get figured out as tomorrow is the day to try and finish up. Oh how I hate going the last Saturday before Christmas, but that's the way this year has been. I am very grateful for all of our blessings, good health and wonderful family and friends. If I don't get back to you before the holiday is over, Merry Christmas to you and yours!

A Picture-less Post. The Best I Can Do For Now

I dropped my computer off last week and I'm still waiting to hear back. Getting a little panicky, but trying to be optimistic. It is a busy time of the year. For today I confiscated my husbands laptop. Desperate times call for desperate measures and if you know me and laptops, well... I have this thing about laptops because they don't make sense to me. I'm always losing the cursor, getting stuck in capslock hell--weird things like that. Been lurking on my little tablet, but some things won't load. Like my Quilty 365 linkup. And how annoying is that?

I want to respond to everyone who linked up to me, catch up on my blog reading etc.  On the other hand, I've been trying to relax and go with the flow as well as I can. So I don't have my precious computer. You won't believe how much time that frees up for me! I have been hand quilting, making decisions about different ongoing projects and I even got my baby quilt sewn together and ready for machine quilting. Aha! I might make my twelve-finished-quilts-a-year-goal yet!

I've also been sick with a nasty head cold and trying to get things ready for Christmas. The tree has been on our front porch since last Saturday and I'm only a third the way through my gift buying. Where oh where has this month gone? Hopefully, hopefully I'll get my computer back soon and post some of those quilty pictures you want to see instead of all this wordy gunk. Apparently I just don't have what it takes to do it from this computer. Honestly, I did try.

Are you still staying up with your circles? I am, amazing at it is to me although early this week it was touch and go. When your head hurts nothing feels very important. Okay, enough blathering for now. Got to get busy for company coming in this weekend and round up those Christmas tree ornaments before my kids stage a sit-in......

Another Quilt Top Finish

What a wonderful turnout for the Quilty365 December Linkup! Sooo many great versions of our daily circles. I even spied some when I hopped over to Josie's blog yesterday. Such a surprise! Her friend Sally has been feeling very creative lately! A big thank you to everyone playing along. I am loving the company.

My Scrappy Lone Star quilt now a finished quilt top

Alas, there are other projects that demand attention as well. I've had the green borders done and ready to put onto my scrappy lone star quilt for a couple weeks now. Just trying to find the proper outside border fabric as that could change things up in the middle. It has happened you know and I don't like to use my seam ripper any more than I have to!

I'm renaming this 'Love Me Do' of course and my daughter
somehow thinks I made this specially for her, which I didn't.
Although I do know she loves the Beatles...

As you know, this quilt started out as a square and then I decided it needed to be elongated. Hmm.. What to do? I played with a few ideas and then added the red border, a bit thinner on the sides of course. Okay. Good start. Now what?

While sewing the floral background fabric to the diamonds, I kept having the Beatles song 'Love Me Do' playing in my head. Don't ask me why, but some songs just go with specific quilts and that's that! Well... I do love having words on quilts and this one seemed like a no-brainer, especially considering my quest to make the quilt longer than it was wide.

I dug around and found a brightish but dark, green fabric that honestly I have had since about 2002!, considered my other options and finally settled on a sweet limey green for the letters. I just love how it glows against the darker green. The vine and the flowers were a little more difficult to figure out, but I knew it had to be simple, yet still pack a lot of punch. Leaves or no leaves? I finally said an emphatic 'no' as the rest of the quilt is quite, quite busy. Simple is good. But then I worried. Would the bright red inner border look weird if the outer border of green was only on two sides?

It's a bright happy quilt, with that kind of beachy, cottage charm I love...

It actually made the border fabric a bit of a problem--I had myself a design dilemma! Or not. I auditioned the darker blues, greens, reds, hot pinks, even the orangey tones, but nothing jumped out as me. The greens made the appliqued borders disappear. The reds and hot pink looked brassy and make my teeth practically clench. The softer bubblegum pink, bleh! I threw some of the turquoise floral at the quilt--not happening! I briefly considered making a patchwork border, but then, what if I lost the lovely look of the floral/scrappy center? At one point I noticed the pink/orange plaid fabric with the light background already incorporated into the quilt and a light bulb went off. Ahh... That could be the perfect touch. Large, bold print with just the right combination of light and bright. And of course I only had a couple inches left of my original fat quarter.....

So... I did something I never, ever do and combed the Internet for this specific piece of fabric. It's one of my hard and fast rules. There is never just one piece of fabric that will work and only that piece. Ever! Uh yeah.. About that. It's last years fabric and sold out everywhere. Did I want the green/blue plaid? Finally I found the right color on a site for full price, had it in my cart and then, finally, my brain kicked in. Seriously? Was this the only fabric that would work? I don't think so! So I clicked out of the Internet and went to bed. So sad, boo hoo. Then, a few days later I visited my most local quilt store and would you believe this particular fabric was in their clearance bin!! My eyes about bugged out of my head! Happy dance! So now I just think it was fate and really, I didn't have any choice in the matter after all.*wink

What's hanging around on my design wall right now...

And I've also worked on more of the rising sun blocks, finished the other six out of twelve. Well, sort of. Except for that pesky triangle border they will need and the applique centers. I just thought this was the tricky part!

Also, I've been having computer problems so if I disappear for several days you'll know why. The computer guy is supposed to tell me tomorrow if mine is fixable or beyond hope. Keeping my fingers crossed he can tune it up enough to get me through the winter before we have to buy new!

Quilty 365 December Linkup!

It's time for the first Quilty 365 linkup! Hopefully there won't be any major glitches. I've been working on my circles since October 26 and still going strong. How about you? Hope you have some daily circles ready to show off too!

There is enormous satisfaction in choosing out fabric for one simple circle, every single day. Most days I find that one fabric print and/or color is more than sufficient. Other days I waffle on choosing a specific color. Don't pin me down! That's when I mix up my fabrics and make a patchwork sort of circle. I may or may not set them in chronological order for the final layout, but I thought it interesting to see how the colors change throughout the week. In the picture below, the very first vertical row is for Mondays which makes the very last row Sundays. Saturday and Sundays seem to be my most 'peaceful' days overall!

Days 1 through 37 in chronological order

Some people are being very artistic and/or thoughtful with their circles and I'm very jealous of their beautiful work. Wowsers! What an incredible fabric diary they will end up with! Then I return to my senses and think, no, this way is better for me--simple choices with very little time required each day. I know me and how I usually work. Gotta be realistic. For me to sustain it through the long haul {and stay on task}, I'd best keep it very low key. Not allow myself to get bogged down in the 'what ifs' and other creative hurdles that seem to be manufactured out of thin air around here. Not that I'm being dismissive of making this project as creative as possible! Not at all! I am so very impressed and amazed. Humbled and well, almost giddy that a simple idea could spark so much personality from such a large range of quilters and styles! Yay for the personal touch!

Quilty 365 absolutely should be approached as an individual project with very personal choices {whatever they may be}. At the end, this quilt should be reflective of who each one us is {as a quilter} right now. I, for one, am finding great joy in having a simple task for each day and then a 'completion' after the stitching is done.*sigh....  So let's be careful with quilty comparison and make sure to take joy {and pride} in our own uniquely creative process, while being encouraging to those traveling a similar road.

This linkup is open to everyone participating in Quilty 365, a year long quilting journey. And yes, it's actually going to be 366 days in total--leap year just makes it that much more fun! A few of us started in October, others in November and there will no doubt be quilters jumping in from now until January 1st. The amount of circles each person has is representative of how many days they've been playing along, not how far behind you might be! There is no 'behind' unless perhaps you've lost track of where you are in the calendar year.

Please link your thumbnail to a current post on your blog detailing:

• Your starting date
• What particular day you  happen to be at now {such as 'day 14'}
• A picture of all your circles, whether they are stitched to the background fabric or not
• A link back to this post
• Any thoughts or introspection you might want to add about this particular project

Grab a button from the sidebar if you want to join in! It's not too late. After seeing how creative everybody is being, it's kind of hard not to want to start more than one of these projects. But I think I'll resist. There's always next year!

An InLinkz Link-up