Tuesday, April 6, 2021

It's a Wrap!

Last week found me taking pictures in anticipation of another blog post and then life just got way too crazy. Still running very behind with household chores, errands, bookwork etc., so I'm doing this as quickly as possible.

Wing and a Prayer is done!

Wing and a Prayer is now completely finished up, including being washed and achieving that wonderfully crinkle goodness! Don't know why, but it's suddenly in the 'favorites' group!

Scraps a few plus a few orphan geese

Not exactly springlike, but still, very bright and cheery! This improv. quilt was a great project, start to finish. I look at it now and wonder, why don't I do this more often?

Lots of good color

And yes, it was challenging, in its own way. All the best ones are. The fact that this one ended up being so cozy looking {in spite of the black fabric use} makes me very happy. Scrapbin quilts need to make the scraps look irresistible. That's just their sneaky super power.

Hand quilting for the texture...

Finally got the Positive Thinking words all wrangled into a quilt top too. Once I found the time, it wasn't nearly as daunting as I supposed it would be. And despite anything you might think looking at the pic, it does actually lay fairly flat.

'Center' of Positive Thinking quilt

So, so happy with the pinstripe fabric used for the background. It's subtle, sure. But wowsers, up close? It's just makes me sigh with pleasure! I'm a little stuck from the overwhelming This-Is-The-Message look to the quilt, but there are a few ideas competing for the next step.

Had to use every scrap of the backing fabric in order
to properly float the words...

Next up will probably be an applique border of some sort. Color us all SHOCKED! Still pondering the messy details of what that might entail. And well, it might take awhile to unwind all the strings. Don't want to ruin the vibe of this particular quilt just because I'm in la la land with oodles of applique ideas right now!

A completed quilt top!

Speaking of which.... The 4-Block Tulip Basket Medallion quilt top is all finished up now! Yay!! Love it! Lots and lots of hand stitching time involved in making this happen of course. Never you fear, there's much more of this stuff on the list these days!

Making it up as I go along

So glad I kept the applique motif relatively simple. The curve of the flowers are very basic and I didn't bother to make deep, sharp cuts down into the flowers. Did you notice that every flower {other than the matching  3 tulips shapes in the center} are different? That was just too much fun trying to make the borders have a more organic and 'flowing' look than what I would more generally do. It's something that interests me more and more as time goes on and quilt projects tend to proliferate. 

A few more leaves than I intended, but 
gotta do what the quilt demands

And those smooth lines! Keeps the hand stitching part down to a much more doable time frame with very naive and simple shapes happening. Not an accident my friends....  And those corner 'wheels'? Leftover blue wedges to the rescue! Just had to fiddle around a bit to figure out how to get the specific look that I wanted. Or not! There's a bit less of the quarter circle thing that I was shooting for, but same impact and yeah, who's complaining?  I adore how easily they give a bit of interest to the corners of the quilt..

Had to applique a few of the flowers
on after the borders were sewn onto the center

The most complicated part of the applique was the addition of the year. I totally admit to dithering back and forth with that idea. Yes, no, maybe so.... I LOVE seeing a year on certain kinds of quilts, but we all know this won't be a complete and total quilt finish until at least 2022 and it will probably be closer to 2023. Which might annoy me when reading 2021 on the quilt? Or it might remind me that 2021 was right after we survived '20.... 

Too much yellow?

This quilt is basically the manifestation of a feeling that there are just some projects that don't need to be given up on. This speficic quilt idea has been haunting my quilt room for a LOT of years! Maybe it really is worthy of whatever time it takes?

Inspiration never gets too old for use...

My kids are united in thinking it's sort of a 'meh' quilt because it has a lot of yellow and looks kind of oldish. In my mind, it's soft and sweet with a bit of old fashioned charm. Like antique quilt sort of charm? Who knows, that's definitely all in the eye of the beholder. They did NOT hurt my feelers the least little bit. The pattern page pictured above is the original inspiration for the quilt, though of course I took many, many liberties with the pattern. Including changing the way the tulips themselves were pieced. Picture me shrugging. My way was easier! 


18 comments:

  1. What delightful and fun projects you are working on. You have been so busy. Lol I got tickled when you said your kids think your quilt looks kinda oldish . My girls are the same way- I just say I like old stuff- lol. Happy quilting.

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  2. So many charming quilts. I love your tulip medallion. Four block quilts are dear to my heart and the soft borders work so well with tulips twining into them casually. You made great changes to the original idea. Good idea to add the date. My grandmother always said to put the starting date on it because it's closet to becoming an antique.
    I am planning some words on a new quilt. Making the letters isn't so hard but getting them lined up and properly spaced is a bit more effort.
    Your scrapbag quilt needs to be an improv prompt some day. Perhaps you could organize it? The black sets everything else off. It's wonderful that you have a full range of values here. Love it!

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  3. Wing and a Prayer is fantastic! I love the mix of colour and improv pieces sections. Ann has a good idea I think regarding an improv prompt!

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  4. Your blog makes me happy every time. Seeing beautifull quilts makes me smile, thank you.

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  5. One of the first things I noticed and LOVED about Tulip Medallion was the 1/4 circles in the corners. LOVE!!!! The date was the next thing I loved and the vase in the bottom border. Wow! Beautiful yellow (but not too much) quilt. All you quilts are so much fun to behold.

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  6. I love the dark crosses in Wing and Prayer - the other quilt looks old fashion but nothing wrong with that - even if the kids don't love it someone will! On my screen it doesn't show up yellow but more of a light cream

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  7. Love the scrappy quilt. Your choice of color is perfect in combination. My issue is I try to use all the scraps all the time. I don't pick and chose and take my time. I really should. Your tulip quilt is wonderful. I love when the appliqué crosses over onto the patchwork. I need to so that.

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  8. I love all of your quilts. When I was looking at your 2021 quilt, I was thinking about how someone someday decades in the future will look at this quilt and love it even more because the date is so prominent. It really is very old-fashioned looking, and to me, that's part of its charm.

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  9. I don't know how you do it! I love it, the corner wheels, the tulips, the date .... Just wonderful!

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  10. The yellow wasn't my first thought with the quilt, it just all looked so pretty together. So, I had to go back and really look at all the pictures again. Obviously the yellow is really pleasing to me.

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  11. Each of the 3 quilts you show in your post is wonderful in its own way - the scrappy improv goodness of the first one with great color choices and those dark crosses that pop, the lettering and excellent "saying" of the second, but the tulip medallion is my favorite - LOVE it!!! Yellow is a favorite color, I adore the pieced sashing around the tulips, and, of course, I love the appliqué vines and pots in the border. The date and the corner additions are excellent additions!! Thanks for the updates!!!

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  12. I love the idea of word quilts.

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  13. Your tulip medallion makes my heart sing! Not that I'm ignoring the other two, but the tulips are the star of this post.

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  14. I always love the liberties that you take with your quilts. The next time I work on a scrappy quilt, I'll pay closer attention to their sneaky super powers.🙂

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  15. Though the parts are already made in a spare parts quilt, it takes a lot of design time and thought to put them together. Yours turned out very well! And, yes, some patterns just have to sit for a while--a LONG while-- waiting for the right time. (Last week I made a quilt from a book published in 2005. First project I've made from the book, too.)

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  16. Great finish! Fabulous designs and stitching, thanks for sharing your enthusiasm is catching.

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  17. I have always loved this quilt, so am glad you have come round to that way of thinking. Tell your kids that something they are calling "cottagecore" is very trendy here right now and your pinks and yellows are bang up to date.

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  18. So many beautiful projects and one finish that is just gorgeous. Congratulations. Wonderful work.

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