Saturday, August 5, 2017

I Think There Will Be Time to Quilt This Weekend

A little bit of everything going on in the quilt room! I have one quilt out of the hoop with binding attached by machine. Luckily I had three fat quarters of suitable fabrics to use so I didn't have to go out and buy special. Next up will be hand stitching the binding to the back of the quilt, something that shouldn't take very long at all. Just need the motivation!
Scrappy Tulips with binding ready to stitch down
Hey Grandma! now has the smaller part of the flower applique attached to the larger flower pieces. Once I get the stems stitched down, then it's time to stitch the flower and leaves down to the background. I'm a bit worried about the leaves because they are very, very small and they might, possibly, probably, definitely? be too narrow to completely cover the stripey stem ends. What was I thinking?*aghh!  And they're all cut out of course. Will have to start from scratch too because that was most of whatever amount was left in that fabric....
Applique prep for Hey Grandma!
Since Scrappy Tulips is out of the hoop and on its way to a real finish, it's time to get another one back in quickly. Can't stand to have that hoop sit idle you know! I chose this scrap bin Improv. quilt for 'next up' as I was hoping it could be a fast finish.
Cherries & Improv.
The plan is to machine quilt the inside of the quilt in a basic cross-hatch grid, probably with those forgiving organic, straight lines, and then hand quilt the outside applique very simply with Perle Cotton. I love how the inside is straight out of the scrap bin and together with the outside fabric, it has that slightly old fashioned look. All together it makes me very happy. Possibly the colors? The scrappy bits? The vintage pops of red? My kids are like, 'Yeah, it's nice mom', but I am positively dreamy eyed over the various bits of pink and butter yellow. It just feels happy and cheery to me.
Lots of scraps
Anyway, it's starting to get a few lines of stitching this weekend and I'm crossing my fingers all the quilting {both machine and hand quilting} can be done in a week! Just keeping it very simple!! Hey, there are drawers and even a couple shelves full of completed quilt tops around here. If I don't make progress with completions, then I feel terribly somewhat guilty about working on current quilt projects. My kids and I have actually had conversations about what to do with those quilt tops if for some reason I die unexpectedly. Don't you dare throw them away! lol  I will come back and haunt you! We might be a strange family. I'm hardly in the best position to judge.
A little machine quilting
But yeah, that guilty feeling that pops up occasionally? Most of the time it's not a real and present problem 'cuz I just brush it off like a pesky little fly. Quilting is good for me. The truth is, because I am primarily a hand quilter, the quilt tops and true-blue finishes are a wee bit out of balance. It's a fact. One I'm dealing with it in my own way. Like, now that Folksy Flower is actually a completed quilt top? I've already made plans for the next medallion quilt. This time no applique. At least I waited...

19 comments:

  1. Like you I have a pile of tops that grows faster than I can quilt, but you seem to be making good progress with your finishes at the moment. I like the colours in Cherries and Improv but I also find the contrast between the linear piecing and the curvy applique very pleasing.

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  2. I looooove your Cherries & Improv quilt!! 😍😍
    The guilty feeling? Know what you are talking about... 😔😇
    But : we just live once! 😊 Have a great quilty weekend!
    Best wishes!

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  3. Cherries & Improv looks to be a fantastic finish. However, I'm intrigued with Hey Grandma! Love the teaser block

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  4. I too like that pop of reds on your cherries quilt. Very nice combo...hugs, Julierose

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  5. I like the Cherries quilt you will have fun quilting that one

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  6. Too many projects, not enough time. Nice situation to be in as far as I am concerned.

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  7. L O V E the cherries in the border! Very fun. Beautifully done.

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  8. What a fun quilt! The border is like the "cherry on top," and so YOU! I'm glad that you can quilt it simply this time. You're so right. When you're a hand quilter, it's almost impossible to keep pace with the tops. I guess that's why there are so many wonderful old quilt tops out there.

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  9. Love your cherries. ENjoy your weekend!

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  10. The cherries are delightful with the tiny background print and the lovely random strips in the middle. Great job.
    Why do the leaves need to cover or touch the stems at all? Your cherries don't. Just a thought.

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  11. You are spoiled for choice, I think! The Hey Grandma applique is really looking good. And so is Scrappy Tulips!

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  12. Loved reading this post!! The striped fabric in the stems of Hey Grandma! are exciting - really jazzy, love them. I must have missed your Cherries and Improv quilt originally so I'm happy to see it today, love the soft colours and those strips of ?dark brown add a whole new look.

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  13. Your "cherries & improv' is a wonderful use of those scrappy bits from your scrapbin, love the 'pops' of red. I too have had 'the conversation' with my daughter!

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  14. love the imprvu quilt and liking ow you are going to both hand and machine quilt. You are by no means the only one with lots of tops!, I have 1 sandwiched, 5 with batting and backs cut but not sandwiched and 2 as just tops. Dread the sandwiching and well dread the quilting too but next weekend I am checking out 11" arm machines to make life easier. Neither of my daughters are the least bit interested in my quilts though very occassionally they say they like one so I give it to them but rarely see it visible in their homes!

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  15. Good for you for getting so much done! Really love those cherry berry borders. Wonderful. Simply wonderful.

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  16. The quilt is not oldfasioned at all, I think, it is lovely fresh and I like the improv inside and fresh and fruity border. Warm greetings

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  17. Your cheery cherries are sweet and summery. It's hard to keep a balance between starting and finishing. You're working on it.

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  18. Audrey, I went back and reread the previous posts on your beautiful Tuiip quilt. It is gorgeous and I must make one for myself. Did you hand cut your templates or are you so organized to have something in a PDF? carli the quilter @ gmail. com

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  19. I always feel like running to my sewing room after I read your posts. You just inspire me to dig through my "usuals" and try something new. I don't always do it of course, but you inspire me nonetheless! I love the "Hey Grandma" blocks and the name. Your Cherries and Improv is spectacular. So simple and so wonderful!!

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