Always Something Going on Around Here

Scrappy Tulips is the quilt in the hoop these days. Since each red block is 22", I have to move the hoop a couple times in order to stitch each tulip in the block. I probably could have stitched the middle sashing down at the same time as the middle tulips, but was unsure what to do there.

Scrappy Tulip quilt starting to get some stitching

Lots of pondering about that and now it's starting to come together in my mind. I started out stitching every other string in the tulips and after about five of them, found myself going back and filling in. Finally I just gave up and am stitching through every single string. Much faster to do them all at once! Loving the look though. It's one of my favorite strings quilts ever.

A closer look at the blocks. It's amazing how different the
red looks depending on the light!

This afternoon also found me doing very basic sashiko mending on some summer capris. When the holes wear through to the point of showing skin on my upper thigh, it's a no-go. I had to go back and touch up the patch on the left as I didn't stitch quite far enough out on one side. I also clipped a few of the white threads so the patch could show through--just a bit. It's a fun, casual boho look. I don't mind it at all for hanging out at the house or going grocery shopping etc.

It's so hard to find capris that I feel look okay on my middle aged shape--I often give in and buy the ones with the pre-distressed look if necessary. {If they're cheap enough!} The mending is an annoying task, but also kind of interesting as I often play with different colors of thread and/or the shape of the stitch. Plus, it holds up really, really well. I taught my daughter how to do this several years ago and then wondered, why not do it for mine as well?

#sashikomending

And here's the next quilt project that persuaded me to jump in and play. I've been eyeing this stack of fabric for awhile now and quite by chance, stumbled on the green/turquoise stripe fabric the other day. I only bought a 1/3 of a yard {since they didn't cut fat quarters} and all of a sudden, the quilt started making sense.

My new quilt project that I'm calling 'Hey Grandma!'
because some of the fabrics remind me of prints she used.....

I know there's some 'ugly' looking background fabrics appearing in the quilt, but it's so intriguing to try and blend the old with the new. It just never gets old to me, unless I start churning out failure after failure of interpreting my ideas and inspiration. I'm also very interested to see if I can use that oldy, lighter turquoise print that I'm auditioning there for the border. That one was a fabric that almost got moved down the road when it was first gifted to me! Then I had second thoughts, 'Nah! Maybe save it for a backing fabric?' And now I've dug it out of the totes for something totally unexpected. We'll see. There's a lot of work to be done before I reach the border, blocks to cut out, applique to prep, stitching to happen. Well, you didn't really think I'd make something this colorful without applique did you?*wink