Finishing Up

There are at least three different AHIQ projects in the daydream stages. Stacks of fabrics gathered and being fondled and ideas simmering in the background. Alas, time has gotten away from me in these dog days of summer and I count myself fortunate to have even found time for stitching down a binding. 

Improv. & Cherries a finish!

This Improv. & Cherries Or Berries {or whatever they are} was one of my improv. projects from last year. I started with make-fabric units from the scrap bin and then raided the stash totes to find the rest of the sashing and border fabrics.

Washed and drying on the floor....

It was all made in the 'flying by the seat of my pants' approach and it definitely helped to have access to the tiny, little design wall available in my quilting room as well. It ended up being machine quilted in a lazy cross-hatch pattern and then I came back and did some big-stitch hand quilting on the borders. It's very, very difficult for me to have the courage to machine stitch across the top of applique and so hand quilting is often the answer around here. Understand that I do very much appreciate the results! Just that little bit of hand stitching gives the quilt a very soft, approachable look that melts my mushy, quilt-loving heart.

Looking very cheery

It feels like a very cheerful quilt to me with the pops of pink, red and yellow and I love it, odd applique elements and all. In my mind the applique is the icing on the cake, the whimsy that makes it stand out from hundreds of other scrap-bin style quilts.

Quilts are part and parcel of the decor around here...

For now, it's taken up residence in a fabulous new basket gifted to me--a place where it's sure to be well used because of its accessibility {and probably its lack of pretentiousness too}. Everyone knows that the 'hands-off' quilts are hanging on the quilt racks or stacked in the corner shelves. Right?

Linking to AHIQ #24 with Ann and Kaja. Maybe by next months link-up, I'll have a better idea of what my new ah-hoc improv. project will entail!

Time To Get This One in the Hoop!

There's this quilt top that has been nagging at me for months now, wanting its turn in the sun. I call it Flock of Geese or my 'bluebird' quilt. It was brought to the quilt top stage back in early fall of 2014, so you have to know its been very, very patient with me.

Flock of Geese getting sandwiched and ready for quilting!

When this one was finally all together as a quilt top, I felt a definite disconnect to it. Starting out I didn't want any brown in the quilt at all and well, you know me. Brown usually finds its way into many, many quilts around here! The fact that the wide sashing strips are practically a solid brown? Well, for one, that made me squirmy as to how it was ever supposed to be quilted, and two, tho it's a very old fashioned look {in theory}, this one didn't end up looking that way at all. Hmm...

Honestly? The entire vibe was probably more modern than I was accustomed to producing. Just a little hiccup at the corner of expectation and outcome! But this does happen occasionally as I've finally, finally started to clue in. Duh! My ideas and style seem to evolve faster than I can often mentally process. I dabble in this and that, push the boundaries of where I want my colors and/or quilt elements to play and wallah! The results can be unpredictable, and yet, oddly exhilarating too! And yes, that's undoubtedly why I predictably backtrack into the old and familiar on occasion. Like taking a long, hot soak in the tub and trying to completely unwind.  

Flock of Geese

Fast forward to today and I'm totally scratching my head as to why this would ever have made me uncomfortable in any way, shape or form? It's such a me quilt! lol  It is also interesting to note that the fabric for the birds in this quilt is the same exact fabric I used in a border for Scrappy Tulips, the quilt I just finished stitching prior to Cherries & Improv. pictured below. Totally different usage of the fabric and yet, it was a great sparky element in both quilts! Have I mentioned before that I love, love, love stitching on old quilt tops at the same time as working on the new? And stitching back to back older quilt tops with completely different moods? Such an interesting perspective all the way around....

Binding strips for Cherries & Improv.

Gotta a busy week ahead so am trying to get some hand work ready to go. Once this binding is sewn together and then stitched onto the quilt, I can have myself a binding marathon squeezed in between all the crazy bits of our life. Onward ho!