Friday, September 4, 2020

Still Playing With Fabric

Here I am with another finished quilt top. This one went together very easily after the details were sorted out.
Spring Flowers
I don't have a lot of time for writing this post, so will try to be brief.

Looking across...
Part of me is unhappy with the harshness of the finished look, but the other part of me is pleased to see something semi-coherent looking. You know how it is when the original idea drifts away on moonbeams. Finished is better than perfect!

Lots of energy in that border...
The bright, chrome yellow inner border is really interesting resting against the zingy brown and cream striped fabric. So much energy going on that it almost makes me cross my eyes. I'll almost definitely be giving this one away some day in the future as it just doesn't feel quite 'me'.
So hard to get a good picture of this one
So happy to see the flowers doing well in a quilt of their own though. Each quilt project seems to want to teach me something. Am I listening and learning?

T-blocks
Another oddball project going on in the quilt room is these new little T-blocks. The block itself has been on my bucket list for years and years and these colors were inspired by a fave shirt that my dad wears fairly often. As I have played around with adding in additional colors and attempting a potential layout, the temptation is pretty strong to toss them and give up. Sometimes the summer brings some very, very strange color palettes into being around here. The plan was for a nostalgic, retro vibe to hopefully meld with a soft, mellow tone and look. 

Love Apples for the win
Yep. It ain't happening. Too much crazy stuff going on around here of late, my brain totally feels like mush. The only thing that feels good to work on is these Love Apple blocks. Other projects were probably more in the 'priority' stack, but who cares about that?

The dreaded paper work is finished up through what I consider to be phase 2, which is amazing. So many hours to get there. After a long Labor Day weekend, I hope to get started on the third phase and then we're off on a week long work-week away from home {for the husband}. There will be visiting with family during that time so that's a bonus, but as soon as we get back then I hope to dive right into phase 4 and then that will be the sum total. My goal is to be completely through it all by the end of September. If I don't lose my mind and all my marbles in pursuit of reaching that specific goal.

An interesting thing happened this week when we had unexpected guests. Just a short visit, but it quickly became apparent to me that the woman friend was in desperate need of a hand work sort of hobby. For her mental health and well being? I let her lead the way in indicating interest, but before she left, I had given her a crash course in needleturn applique, scribbled notes in a quilt book and tried to hit the high notes on how to acquire a bit of fabric. Yep. Crazy, crazy days. I sent her on her way with one of my quilts, a little bag of fabric scraps plus all the encouragement I could muster! Have you ever met someone who was bursting at the seams to use their mind, heart and hands to create? Believe it or not, I was trying very hard not to push anything on her. I think it was as good for me as hopefully it was for her. Cannot wait to see where her creative journey takes her in the next year or two!

This year is definitely taking a toll on me as it no doubt is for many of you. Sometimes I walk into the quilt room and just blindly reach for something to chain piece. Other nights I sit down to hand quilt and find myself fiddling away on my phone for way too long. Just have to hit reset and dive into the things that pique our interests, whether the current projects move forward or not. At times like these, I feel very relieved to have stacks of fabric marinating on the counters and hand work all prepped and ready to go....
 

24 comments:

  1. I think I see what you are feeling about the Spring Flowers top, the border? In any case, it is finished and as you say, you've learned something. I really like the Love Apples and look forward to seeing what you do with those blocks! I may have missed something but the book work, are you writing a book? I hope you are able to keep to your timetable.

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  2. I agree about just needing to mindlessly piece some days...if i am truthful, a whole lot of days for me!'000 Living in a bubble does take its toll.
    I really like the look of your Love Apple block--really "you" in its hand cut beauty...
    hugs for hanging in there Julierose

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  3. Your last paragraph really hits the mark. How fortunate we are as quilters to always have [a pleasant] occupation at hand when we want it and if we need it. p.s. love your blog.

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  4. I really like that striped border and the yellow stop border as well. I think it complements both the horizontal brown stripes in the alternate blocks, as well as the vertical flower stems. Such an altogether lovely quilt! And I really hear you on your last paragraph. Glad to have a mindless sewing project in progress with the string blocks, even though I'm not all that enthused about it at the moment.

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  5. I love the stripe fabric you are using on that quilt - the first you show. And how nice to try to help the woman with a need to do some kind of craft - I hope she will try it and see how it can help mental health.

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  6. I really like your quilt with that pop of yellow. Thank goodness we have our craft. Helps maintain a bit of sanity even when our brains have seemingly turned to gel. If & when your guest shows you her creation, I hope you share with us too!

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  7. Exciting work going on here!
    I'm not into predictability so I appreciate your quilt top in the first photo.
    I find life to be unpredictable, is that bad or just the way things really are in this life?
    Might as well maintain thankfulness and flexibility.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Good job!!! Encouraging another quilter...better that Valium xo

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  9. That thin yellow border really lifts the whole piece. I'm also feeling restless now too, and find myself flitting from one project to another with little purpose. It comes from the uncertainty of what the pandemic will do, and for how long.

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  10. Love those teal fabrics. I have been purchasing a good variety of that color in my fabric purchases the last year and a half or so.

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  11. I like your Spring Flowers quilt--nicely done!

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  12. Love how Spring Flowers turned out! The flower design piques my interest - more circles. While the cool-toned fabrics are not so typical for you, the design definitely says Quilty Folk!

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  13. You described the current mindset so well, I too am struck, zombified . Yet, we push onward. The stripe and flower is fabulous, even if it isn't your fav. The yellow pulls it all into behaving. Love apples is yummy. Your blog is yummy.

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  14. I wasn't sure what you were going to do with the border, but I like the graphics of the stripe and the pop of yellow. The whole design works well together.

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  15. When I saw the first picture with the striped border, I loved it. Then I read your comments, and had to smile that it is not your favorite quilt. It is one of my instant favorites, but I can't quite explain why.

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  16. Very nice finish. Your quilts usually have a story to tell and this one seems to be the quiet one in the corner. Undemanding, unpretentious, without guile so to speak. It is lovely nonetheless.

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  17. I think the citron stop border is perfect with the stripes. I think it's a beautiful cozy quilt. I know the thrill of helping a new quilter get a good start. It's a great feeling. Your friend is so lucky to have YOU as mentor!

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  18. I think you definitely should keep it! The yellow and the striped border go very well with your blocks and add a beautiful energy to the whole.

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  19. Audrey, you quilt with your heart. It’s no surprise you make something, and don’t feel peace with it. Or you move from here to there trying to make a color or project work, and it doesn’t move you. Our work reflects the movement in our inner core. Your teal quilt is beautiful in its own right. All single flowers holding their own space as you say. I see them as flowers in a dark part of a wood coming up through wet branches all around. Very much feels like your Picasso Blue Period quilt. :-) as always, I love how you express yourself in quilts.

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  20. I adore your Spring Flowers quilt top - you may think it is not "you" but I see your style throughout. Absolutely wonderful in so very many ways. I hope the recipient of your creative input does something with it - we all NEED outlets to help restore ourselves (re your last paragraph). This has been a challenging year!

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  21. I love your posies quilt, it looks so calm and peaceful or is it pieceful? Refreshing too.

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  22. Love those Spring Flowers! So glad you were able to help steer someone in need toward a possible bright future with fabric. I am thinking up a quilt right now that I hope to finish by year end called "Mush Brain". Where is my focus??

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  23. I love Spring Flowers ... because wild fabrics are "me." It's especially interesting how such quiet flowers pumped themselves up. All they needed was some wild friends.
    I am going nuts here. All the smoke means we can't even go outside for a walk. After two weeks, I had to drive to the grocery and my eyes watered the whole time. Now they itch like crazy.
    How delightful that you recognized a budding quilter. Yes, it will be fun to see what she does.

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  24. As always, your words really resonate with me. I am feeling so many 2020 feelings and I completely understand what you mean about the issues with staying focused. LOL I just love this project (as I do all your projects!) I'm sure your friend will find a love of stitching with you as her angel. Well done!

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