Wednesday again. How does this happen with such frequency?
I have spent most of my available sewing time this week working on Farmer's Wife blocks (come back for Farmer's Wife Friday) and Snow Angels.Yesterday I mentioned some of my math problems in regard to Snow Angels. I thought I had the border all planned out but then things went in a totally different direction.
Right now you may be asking yourself this question:
How long did it take her to come up with such an inventive and creative border for this quilt??
You would be surprised. I had planned to use the leftover jellyroll strips on two sides, but it was just too busy, so they will become part of the back.
Then I auditioned a stack of fabric in different combinations. I thought about using a narrow red border to "stop the action" and then add about a 4" border of some of the prints.I even really liked the polka dots, particularly because it was not part of the line and added a little extra "something." But it was still too busy, and I wanted the circles to continue, not be stopped.
So then I thought about how I wanted to quilt it. I want to use perle cotton in red, blue and two shades of pink, and maybe some white. I really like the circles created as a secondary design and want to emphasize that so my plan is to quilt 1/4" inside each grey piece. Then I decided I would like to finish off the illusion by carrying the quilting into the border. Kind of like this:
I didn't want to piece the solid grey borders, and that's how I ended up fussy cutting a cute little girl on a swing for each corner.
Does that make any sense? Have I thoroughly confused you? Awesome. My work is done.
So go see what everyone else has been working on this week.
I just returned from a quilting retreat in Minnesota (details to follow tomorrow). It took me the better part of the retreat to get these nine blocks done. You would think I could have gotten more done in 2 1/2 days, but it goes a lot slower when you are working with templates and curved piecing at the same time you are laughing and talking. I managed to do some Farmer's Wife Sampler blocks too but I'll post those on Friday, and I finally started the Blockapalooza quilt-along (which incidentally has been finished for a long time...) and completed one block but I can't find it haven't unpacked yet.
So...this is it for this week, my Sherbet Pips flowering snowball quilt (taken directly from the suitcase, therefore explaining the wrinkles). I'm looking for another name and would welcome any suggestions.
No, it's not a big quilt. Yes, it would be nice if my design wall were a bit larger.
This is quite possibly my favorite block:
Or maybe this one:
Now go see what everyone else is up to. And come back tomorrow to find out what lessons I learned by going out of state to a fabulous quilt retreat.
Two things: 1. How could it possibly be Wednesday again already? 2. How could it possibly be June 1st?
Okay. Now that we have that out of the way.
I have spent most of my sewing time in the past week working on the Amy Butler Weekender bag. Progress thus far: all pieces cut, some pieces fused to interfacing, 5 yards of piping made, exterior pocket and handled sewn to the front and back of the bag:
I may have mentioned my abnormal fear of fusible interfacing--which really just stems from vague references in pattern instructions (example: heavyweight fusible interfacing) and then going to Joann's and seeing rows of interfacing behind the counter so I can't touch anything and do some comparisons.
Thank you to all pattern designers who give me more detailed information as to the actual product you are using. Fortunately Amy Butler's pattern listed the specifics. But then you come home with a few yards, along with yards and yards of information. I decided to get it all organized for future reference. First I wrote the brand/number on a small corner of the actual interfacing. Then I got some page protectors, cut out one set of the fusing instructions, taped it to a piece of paper, along with a sample of the front and back of the actual product. Voila.All these pages will go in my super-cute three-ring Orla Kiely binder that I picked up from Target a few months ago.
My next project involves a craft organizer bag from one of my new favorite books, 1-2-3 Sew by Ellen Luckett Baker. When the pattern called for "ultra heavyweight fusible interfacing," I could feel the prickles of uncertainty start again. Weird, I know, especially to those of you who fuse on a daily basis. So I emailed her for more specific information, and within a couple of hours I had my answer. Big sigh of relief...
By then I needed a break from the Weekender and thoughts of interfacing, so I started working on my blocks for the 3x6 Mini Block Exchange. I had already decided to do the Flowering Snowball block, a block with gentle curves that I first saw at Molly Flanders here.
Monday night I was about to turn the light off in my sewing room when I looked at the block again and thought, hmmmm, I wonder if you could sew jelly rolls strips together and cut the corner pieces out of that. Out came the Sherbet Pips.
Does this ever happen to you? You have a lot of projects you are already working on and then something pops into your head, you start working on it right away, and all those other projects get shoved down the list?
Oh, wait. What am I saying? Of course this happens to you. This is WIP Wednesday after all! So go here to see what everyone else is working on this week.
I grew up listening to classical music. I think the best composer ever was Sergei Rachmaninoff and the best thing ever composed is Variations on a Theme by Paganini. Paganini wrote something called Caprice No. 24 in A minor, probably his most well-known composition. Rachmaninoff then wrote twenty-four variations on this theme, probably the most well known of which is Variation 18. Why I am telling you all this?
Well, because there has been a lot of talk recently about the "dumbing down" of quilting. I'm not going to link to any of the original posts, but last week both Jennifer of That Girl, That Quilt and Rachel of Stitched in Color had very interesting posts, and it led to a lot of introspection on my part.
Questions like why do I quilt? Why do I blog about it? And why am I letting anyone I haven't even met make the decisions on what is appropriate or inappropriate for my personal quilting journey?
Case in point. I frequently go through my fabric stash. I came across this piece of fabric and my first thought was "I should probably put this in the donation pile because a 'modern' quilter would never put this in a quilt." I stopped myself right there and thought, "But I still like this fabric. And why do I even care whether or not someone else would put it in a quilt?"
Quilting has gotten me through the loss of a my first grandchild six years ago and the loss of one of my best friends last year.
(a "family tree" quilt with signature of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents made for our first grandchild)
It has sustained me through times when I needed to be alone, and it has cheered me up when I have been surrounded by my quilting friends.
When I think of the debate between modern and traditional, between acceptable levels of creativity and "dumbing down," it just makes me sad. And two phrases keep going through my mind: If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all, and can't we all just get along?
Everything comes and goes in cycles. It's like that in every aspect of art. There are new ways of interpretation, new methods, new supplies at our fingertips. But when you think about it honestly, there are very few things that are actually original. Nearly everything is just a "variation on a theme."
One of my first quilts was this kaleidoscope quilt. I "borrowed" it from a little 3-inch picture in a quilting magazine.
This is my newest variation on a kaleidoscope theme. It will have narrow sashing between each block (not sure what color yet--I was just had this blue strip handy) and the Kona snow should form a secondary pattern.
It's a combination of a quilt I saw in a quilting magazine from 2004
(from QNM, 9/2004, "Sashed Batik Kaleidoscope" by Addy Harkavy and Sandi McCann)
I'm not the person who designed the kaleidoscope block, nor was the designer of the 2004 quilt or even Kathy Doughty. But good for all of us to come up with our own unique variations.
So my point (and I do have one) is that we should never have to apologize to ourselves or anyone else for what we create. And we should be kind and considerate when viewing what someone else has created. Because most of it is just another variation on a theme.
Things I'm not apologizing for:
*Not being able to complete a quilt in a week...or a month. I'm doing everything at my own pace and I'll be okay with that.
*Not participating in any more quilt block swaps after my current quarter of 3x6 swap is completed. I will have 12 orange, grey and white blocks by then. I already have six that I'm really happy with,
but I have a lot of ideas in my head and I don't want to be distracted by time obligations.
*Still really liking Sherbet Pips,even though due to the blogging frenzy before it was available, I preordered, forgot how much I preordered, and over-purchased (see below).
*Still loving the first pattern I designed and published, Charm Parade. At times, it seems that nearly everyone (but me...) makes a certain quilt once, and then never wants to make it again. So far I have made this quilt at least seven times, each one a little different from the others.
I still have more variations I want to try. For example, what would it look like done in all solids? I won't know until I try it. Who knows? Maybe I'll be like Rachmaninoff and make 24 variations of this theme.
*For loving Flea Market Fancy and paying some outrageous prices to add it to my stash.
*For being glad I'm in the Single Girl Quiltalong because I've learned a lot, from making way too many templates to increasing my skill at curved piecing.
*Keeping my stash of batiks (gasp) because they are bright. And I like them.
*Keeping that weird piece of green fabric. I may never use it. But then again, it might be the perfect fabric in some yet-to-be-designed quilt.
*For finding inspiration from the many quilters who are generous with their ideas, designs, where they find their inspiration, and are willing to share it with others. *Writing my blog the way I want to write it and not comparing myself with anyone else (which isn't always easy). Many times I have said I write, but I'm not a writer. Whatever. Turns out I enjoy documenting my quilting journey, along with a few other things along the way. And I hope you'll be along for the ride because you want to be, not just because you want to win a giveaway (see below).
What? You're still here?
Well, then... I love Charm Parade. I have three charm packs of Sherbet Pips, and I only need one for the quilt I'm planning. Yeah, I know. Pre-ordering frenzy. For a copy of Charm Parade and two charm packs of Sherbet Pips, leave a comment before Thursday at 6 p.m. PDT about whatever you feel like commenting on--the weather, something that inspires you, a favorite color, a flower that poked through the snow. And if you are so done with Sherbet Pips, no apologies needed, we can substitute something else. I have lots of charm packs hanging around. And I'm not really feeling the need to apologize for the size of my stash...
