Friday, June 5, 2020

Crossing My Fingers New Blogger Cooperates

So pleased with the way this little quilt finished up. Wowsers! Why don't I just give up and make improv. orphan block quilts all of the time? Somehow this ended up being such a joyful, unpretentious little quilt, all quite by happy accident. Maybe because I didn't sweat the details?
Finished quilt!
Hmm.. Just one little problem. Gotta have the leftover bits and pieces around in the first place! This project was thrown together last March really as an exercise in escapism. Ha! What did I know then? I really, really hope you've been saving all your orphan bits too. You just never know when they'll be most needed!
Love all the texture
Adding the applique was done kind of on a whim {a very compelling whim?}, but it serves a good purpose here. Upping the 'oomph' in the overall messaging is never a bad idea. If you even have a message. It's perfectly okay not to.*wink  I know a lot of you grimace a little at needle turn applique, but I can't even imagine my quilting adventures without having the option. It's not nearly as scary as some people make it out to be. Like everything else, it DOES get a lot easier with experience. Promise!
Love the applique additions...
Though I'm mostly just using this quilt as the excuse for trying out the New Blogger today, I have to smile at this quilt message. So timely. I am many, many things, but good at computer techy stuff, I am most emphatically not. Ugghh.. Hate having to deal with change in this arena of life.
Good place for these leftover wordss!
I did not enjoy hand quilting the area around the letters. So many seams! But it's done now. Thankful I didn't try to do anything more complicated there. Oh, who are we kidding? Do I ever do anything complicated in regards to hand quilting?
Loving the washed and crinkly goodness.
Not so much. When I finally get the quilting hoop arranged in my lap, all I want to do is relax into the quilt. Stitch, stitch, stitch and it's like magic. If people aren't playing weird little videos on their phones in the same room {just saying!}, my troubles can just drift away. I guess we all have our ways! I'm sure the videos are much more interesting with context. Hmm.. Yeah. Pretty sure.... Have you ever thought about implementing a noise curfew in your own living room of an evening? 

Two good pieces of news for today. Our county was approved to move forward to phase #2. Finally! Minimum of 3 weeks between phases here in our state, so its still gonna be the end of July till anything resembling 'before'. And after a stressful day yesterday, {my youngest daughter had to be tested for Coronavirus along with a group of co-workers} we found out we don't have to quarantine for two weeks after all!*sigh  And Yay!? I was about to run screaming from the house and everybody I know. So, so grumpy these days without my second handing, library and quilting store fixes especially. Can't wait till this whole 2020 health issue/state lock down is firmly in the rear view mirror. Now if I can just avoid the news long enough to truly relax and unwind.... More quilting please! But no, need to go to the bank and do some grocery shopping. It's still a jungle out there.

21 comments:

  1. Your "Maker" quilt is wonderful! I enjoy hearing about and seeing the improv quilts you create and I love your unique blogging voice. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your work! I really identify with your desire to do "easy" quilting stitches once you get to sit down and relax - my hand quilting has very much moved in that direction too. Gladi

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  2. oh I love it!! it turned out so great - glad you didn't have to go into quarantine! We are still in Level 1 or Phase 1 whatever it is called - our section of Arkansas has seen increase after increase! my county also but not as much as the two counties in the very NW but we have the honor of being included in the NW section even though we are on the edge of it and the central area of the state at this rate it will be the end of the year before we go back to normal only to have it return

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  3. Easy organic quilting is what I'm able to do at the moment, and I'm loving it! It appears you had no issue loading your photos with the new blogger? I'm resisting it for as long as I can, so many quilters have I indicated it is very difficult to impossible for them. I'm hoping the blogger message I'm seeing that the current system will still be an option is actually true. And yeah, I hear you loud and clear about the extraneous noise in the living room!

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  4. Your quilt is a great definition of what a quilt is! Not sure I like the new blogger but I guess we will need to get used to it.

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  5. You are a "Maker"! Guess I'd better check out the new blogger thing. I've been ignoring the warnings!

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  6. Such wonderful texture from your quilting design Audrey, a great finish! Perfect name for your quilt also!

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  7. I love all the details in the quilting. The words and the tulip are gorgeous! Congrats on your beautiful finish!

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  8. Love the way the quilting makes the quilt. I can see the texture even in the pictures.

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  9. This turned out beautifully, didn't it? Everything seems to just fit. (I had to laugh when you said you might just make all of your quilts from remnant blocks because I went exactly where you did - you need to make other quilts before you can have the remnants :). So I'm happy to hear that things are slowly returning to normal; be well.

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  10. What a wonderful quilt! Love the colors, quilting, arrangement, everything!

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  11. I'm getting cranky too and that is not my normal state at all. I don't like the way it feels. Your quilt turned out great visually as well as hearing your feelings about it. A finish is so satisfying. My SIL once compared it to how wonderful she feels when she has cleaned her whole house. Ehhh? Just not the same thing.

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  12. I love this quilt, the colors, the texture, the soft look, the cool words--and especially the applique. The applique brings the quilt to life and adds that special Audrey folk art touch.

    I prefer needleturn too. I just started that way, I didn t know it was supposedly hard. Not that I do such great work, but I enjoy it very much.

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  13. Yes it turned out great! Love the colours, your quilting and the applique! I have a had a wee look at the new blogger format, seems ok, just a couple of things I still need to work out how to do, but I'm sure there'll be a way!

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    1. ... also meant to add... I do love seeing all your orphan blocks put together in such a striking unique way!

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  14. I’ve swapped back and forth with the new Blogger and the old Blogger for a couple of months now, a bit of a learning curve but as it is going to be a permanent change I have to get on with it. Somehow I don’t think my orphan blocks would go together as well as yours have, your quilt looks like it was meant to be, so beautiful.

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  15. This is so pretty! Your sense of balance and scale and colors is perfect! And I really like the way you quilted it.

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  16. I am impressed by the way your new improv quilt turned out. The second I saw the picture of the quilt, I was in love with it.

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  17. Orphan blocks are my favorite quilts! You never know what you are going to get, that is the fun part for me.
    We have moved to the yellow stage but it is not that much different from red. I think everyone is tired of this strange lockdown.

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  18. Wonderful quilting and quilt. Congratulations on your finish.

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  19. I love, love, love your Improv quilt!! I have many orphan blocks in a drawer and have thought many times about trying to put them all together...sort of like a Jen Kingwell quilt...anything goes, right? Great job :)

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  20. Your Maker quilt has such vibrancy and life. All those orphans plus your applique make is very special. The new blogger takes some getting used to, doesn't it? I'm delighted your daughter does not have this virus. Hooray! I'm staying in because of my own health but do have crazy thoughts about running away, too. Aren't we fortunate to have so many projects to work on. I have dreams of finishing them all off...

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