Thursday, June 15, 2023

Trying To Get Things Crossed Off the List

I've been hand quilting every evening possible, trying to finish up this improv. strings quilt. It's going to be gifted to a nephew for a wedding gift and time is running out. Not that it has to be given by the wedding date. Oh no. I'm much more relaxed than that. It's just that I don't want to pay postage or risk having it get lost in the mail! So hopefully it will be all wrapped up by next week. Fingers crossed!

Only three more rows to stitch across the quilt!
I have a couple baby quilts sewn up, ready to be sandwiched and quilted. This one hopefully fits the bill for 'baby boy'. I ended up doing a log cabin surround all around the improv. monkey wrench block which was super fun. Being my rebellious self, I  didn't square it up along the way. And then I made matters worse by sort of eyeballing the strip cuts. Free-cutting with a ruler. Mostly straigh-tish!

A little too wonky
When the quilt was approximately the intended size, then I went ahead and squared up the quilt as a whole. {Well, sort of squared it up, it's probably within half an inch!} Loving the sweet, laid back charm to this one already. Something about gingham and floral together that really gets to me! And I used up some pretty old, weird colored blue fabrics that have been languishing in the bottom of the stash totes forever. Feels amazing to find a good use for those! 

Baby Boy quilt finished up
Prickly Pear was sewn into a quilt top just before the boy quilt. I wish the gray pears showed better in the pictures, but you know me. Photography is not my strong suit at all. This quilt ended up being a bit longer than I like at 48". Oh well. It will make a great transitional baby/toddler quilt this way. Always so interesting to try and make these much smaller quilts when I'm completely used to having oodles and oodles of room for a quilt to grow. Honestly, it was a bit hard not to keep this quilt just to see where it could evolve to.*sigh  This mama better appreciate my restraint! Haha  Overall, it's been lovely working with these cut-out pear shapes and seeing where else they could shine. At least I got to have that experience!

Prickly Pear is a finished quilt top
There will be two more baby quilts, but I'm still playing with the fabric stacks. Not gray and beige though! Sounds a bit boring and quilts should never, ever be intentionally dull. Most of us get there accidentally once in awhile without even trying! Just trying to keep things fairly simple and uncomplicated with a generous helping of cozy. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

Primrose Path getting some attention
I did manage to start sewing the Primrose Path applique blocks into rows. Just a little bit more time involved and there should be a finished quilt top. I was very dismayed to realize that the corner triangles did not actually land where I wanted them too. Was trying for the corners to meet up with the closest pink strip, sort of boxing things in. Not going to go back and change things at this point though. This quilt is making me cross my eyes, question my judgment and just generally working to keep my emotions on a seesaw. Do I like it? Yes, no, maybe so.....


9 comments:

  1. Primrose Path is looking delightful! better to give a quilt in person then mail I always say if you can. You have been busy!

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  2. The baby quilts are sure to be loved! Prickly Pear is sweet and the fabrics used in Baby Boy are charming. Here's to a grand finish with a flourish on Improv Strings. I love the colors you used in this one as well.

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  3. I adore Primrose Path and how the block corners do NOT necessarily meet up - so totally my style. And I really really like the textures in the nearly-finished Improv Strings quilt (how I wish I could hand quilt like you do). Fun baby quilts - not the usual babyish look so they're more wonderful to me.

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  4. Oops - forgot to add my name - Quiltdivajulie.

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  5. Really enjoyed seeing all your projects, as always! I’m always amazed at the huge boost in beauty hand quilting gives them all and I know the texture is luscious too!

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  6. I love the addition of pears on your last couple of quilts. Actually I love all of what you have going here. And I think your baby quilt idea has inspired me to make a few log cabin-y type ones with different centers - maybe I'll start with the orphan block pile!!

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  7. Oh such a good idea to go wonky with your centre block and follow on there for Baby Boy quilt! I love your Prickly Pear quilt, soft colours perfect for a little one. I must have missed your start of this quilt having been missing in action with my blog! When did you begin Primrose Path?

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  8. Hello!!!! I love Primrose Path! BEAUTIFUL!! The baby quilts are absolutely darling!!! The pear one is so sweet! Still in love with your quilts and creativity! Love Rhi

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  9. I like the prickly pear very much.

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