Wednesday, June 9, 2021

The Applique Adventures Continue

It seems like a good time for an applique project update. Anyone who's followed me for any length of time knows that there is always a stack of hand work lurking behind the scenes, or at the very least, in the corners of my mind.

Applique done on Improv. HST Medallion border

The impulse tulips have been all sewn down onto the Improv. HST Medallion quilt. They were surprisingly quite a lot of fun to stitch, so simple and joyful! I'm leaning very hard toward adding on a very large surround of much larger improv. half square triangles. Still trying to figure it out in my head as I don't want a huge mess of bias and wonkiness to have to iron flat and attempt to square up. Will probably attack it in 9-patch units {or larger}, similar to the center of the quilt. All very 'fallish' colors, so not a huge urge to dive in just yet.

Crazy Daisy ready for stitching motivation

After the Improv. HST Medallion applique was finished, then I realized that whoa.... there was only one project actually prepped, Crazy Daisy. All the flowers were drawn onto the fabric pieces {since last October!}, but nothing was cut out. While cutting out the flowers though, I kept thinking about a project that has been haunting me for well..., forever! 

Starting the freehand lettering for the Jubilee quilt

I've drawn up so many different variations of this particular quilt through the years. Insanity. Or Yearning. You decide! My wastebasket should be full to overflowing if all the wadded up papers were put into it at once. Finally, in sheer frustration at where this other quilt {Melon Patch Rows} was going, Nowhere! 

I desperately cautiously combined the two ideas. It's not like I have anything to lose at this point. Really, Melon Patch Rows is clearly a quilt who doesn't know anything about who she wants to be! Then, after literally hours of prep work getting the first three rows of letters ready to stitch {some of it very grim and determined sort of effort}, it's suddenly the only project that I want to work on. Go figure.
Three rows of letters cut out and stitching started.
Last two rows of letters drawn and ready to go.

Oh yeah. We so.. do NOT want to ignore the muse, do we? This is an 'Augusten Burroughs' quote that resonates deeply with me of late and these stitched words, offset with the Melon Patch Rows, might just end up being a huge mangled mess. Deliberately so if my instincts are steering me aright.*sigh  And... just for the record, this quilt has now become, possibly by default, my Jubilee quilt. Yay me. Instead of the complex and intensely beautiful applique effort I had been imagining, I'll be doing a wordy, utility look quilt that most probably will reveal just a little too much about my eccentric quilting attitude. Ugh! I'm squirming. How is it that solving this meandering, problematic quilt idea ends up being the only answer that feels right for the Jubilee question too? 

Border work on Positive Thinking

Moving on to something a little more interesting, I attempted to work on the border for Positive Thinking. Because of course! It has to have a border! Somehow the ideas have kept coming back around to an attempt at clamshells, something I've dreamed about for a very long time, but kept swatting away as entirely too much work. They are just so yummy though! And why not? It's not like this is a quilt that will only look good with ONE specific border idea. It's fairly open to all sorts of grand ideas.

This time I caved and ultimately gave in to the one impulse that made me smile the most. I think there were about 11 clamshells cut out before I realized that the template needed adjusting just a bit. The bottom of the clamshell is not exactly centered and I'm already nervous about the handwork! It doesn't help that one side of the quilt is already not going to match up 'math-wise' with the clamshells. Yeah. One of those problems that will work itself out one way or another after we actually get there....

Initial phase of the border work for Coronacrazy

Then there's the Coronacrazy quilt which has all the vine stitched down on the border pieces. It's 100% ready for moving and grooving on, and my brain acts like it's stuffed with cotton. What? Huh? Can't even figure out where or how to start on the leaves. I have vague ideas, things drawn out and a fairly good doodle to riff off of, but yeah. Nothing happening here in la la land! So frustrating as there are at least three or four other good applique ideas impatiently waiting their turn for the big start.

It just feels like something needs to happen with Coronacrazy before investing too much creative energy into something brand spanking new. Which is why I will continue working on other things already in the works, all the while letting my mind ponder and mull things over until something breaks. Or maybe I should say 'sparks?' And if it doesn't? Then I will get all the various parts and pieces out sometime here very soon and force something. I know it's all there if only there was this one thing called focus....


19 comments:

  1. love your crazy daisy's! I did clam shells once or twice and they are more work then they look I think

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  2. Your projects are too much fun and full of cuteness. Beautiful job. Happy quilting

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  3. Audrey I love your HST medallion quilt and excited at your idea of an outer border of larger HSTs, I'm looking forward to that! You're very brave with your Applique letters, I'm afraid the only ones I ever 'made' were using the fabric ironed onto Steam a Steam2, cut out and then ironed of to the small piece I was making. Love the idea of clamshells around Positive Thinking, you certainly have lots going on at your house!

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  4. Every time I see that you have a new post I get so excited ... I love to read and see what you are up too! This one did not disappoint! :) Can't wait to see the new borders! Hugs from Sweden!

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  5. Focus is in very short supply here lately! Even going out into the world seems fraught...still despite having had both shots!!

    I see you have a few projects in the making...I like your border on the HST quilt a lot...I love how your applique seems so integral to your pieces...
    hugs, Julierose

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  6. I thought my heart would stop when I saw your Dunkin Donuts quilt! Absolutely awesome.

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  7. I love the tulip borders, you are so busy with all these projects!!

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  8. Focus versus impluse versus pondering. The perfect ingredients for creativity.

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  9. just love your quilts !
    And might have to steal the tulip shapes ;-)

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  10. Thanks for sharing your thought process, I'm encouraged!
    Yes, I keep sketches and ideas in my notebook and sometimes spend hr.s coloring the sketches. Another thing I've been doing is 'adding it all up' , is this new project really worth the time and effort to finish it?
    Keeping that in mind helps me focus on projects and move their concepts ahead.
    Wow that was along reply!

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  11. I love that quotation and I can't wait to see how you lay it out in your quilt. There is just so much goodness in this post . . .

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  12. So many beautiful quilts. I need to take more time planning some quilts... although the baseball quilt has lots of planning. Still... the scrap bag is overflowing and I'm desperate to empty it and my son's friends want baby quilts.

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    1. Whoops. I hit publish when I meant to hit return.
      I've tried improv triangles before but mine didn't turn out as well as yours. Perhaps because my fabric wasn't as strong.
      The daisy fabrics make a perfect garden. I love their shape. And I want to applique some borders soon.
      I'm planning to sew words on the back fo the baseball quilt. Starting a list of phrases. We'll see.

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  13. I LOVE eccentric quilters and quilts...one more lovely post I see xo

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  14. I think working on the one thing that suddenly grabs you makes a lot of sense - who knows what goes on in our subconscious minds? All your applique looks rather wonderful, but in the end you get every quilt finished, so why not just do what you fancy?

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  15. The colours on your HST Medallion are striking!

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  16. When I spied your HST Medallion and saw the pink shapes around it at first they appeared to me as little female octopi like from Finding Nemo. LOL! No! not that nor little packman kind of things, Those Are TULIPS! Funny what the eye thinks they are seeing. Like when I see a work construction sign and I see instead Road CONSTRICTION. (so true too!)

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  17. I really love the “uneven” look of all those HST’s and look forward to seeing what happens next! Once again, you’ve chosen an excellent phrase for a quilt with lettering - love it! I commend you for taking on the challenge of working with clamshells! Those are on my “to do” list, but not soon😊. Thanks for the updates!

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  18. So many projects, so little time. I looked up Austen Burroughs and cracked up over quite a few of his quotes. You've made a good choice for your quilt.

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