Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
I have been feeling sort of at loose ends since I finished my various projects and took them to the quilter. I can’t decide if I should start the Chocolate Box quilt or just putter around. It finally dawned on me that I do have a project: the Teacher Pillows! I don’t know what I … Continue reading “I Guess I Do Have a Project”
Here are some Flowering Snowball blocks (Cross Block) in progress. Some of them you have seen before (many times?), but I put the new fragments with them to see how the piece can get away from the murky look. I felt it was a bit murky with the chocolate in the striped fabric and that … Continue reading “A Variety of Quiltmaking”
When a person needs a fabric fix, a person needs a fabric fix and here is no getting around it. I went on a small fabric buying binge this weekend in order to get my fix. Fast Threads should be given a medal for the quickest service. I ordered fabric from them on Friday and … Continue reading “Handing Out Medals”
The lottery is up to $25 million, so I guess I didn’t win on last week’s ticket and will have to buy another one. If I had won, I would do the exact same thing that I did this weekend: sewing, visiting with quiltmaking friends, writing about quiltmaking and more sewing. I could have done … Continue reading “What to Do When you Win the Lottery”
In a effort to update the Catholic Church and make it more appealing to a younger audience, I think that requirements for sainthood should be eased. Sending virtually unsolicited fabric to people really should count towards the sainthood list of requirements. A nice box arrived on my doorstep on Thursday (accompanied by my taxes, which … Continue reading “Dots and Denyse Schmidt Join the Party. Fabric Leads to Sainthood”
You may remember the post from February 18 where I talked about the perils of strip piecing. My librarian side took over this weekend and I created a new system for organizing and using my strips for the pineapple project. The above shows my neatly organized strips. I have divided them into color piles, as … Continue reading “Reorganization of Strip Project – Housecleaning”
Finally, I feel some relief. I have finished the top and back to Sharon’s quilt and it is ready to go to the quilter. As I mentioned, I didn’t feel a sense of euphoria or relief after finishing the Nosegay, but I do feel some of that relief now. Top: with the border on, it … Continue reading “Relief (Sharon’s Quilt)”
I started work on the back of the Nosegay on Sunday. This is how far as I got – a strip approximately 5ft by 2ft. UGH! I cursed the size of this quilt the entire time. Something about this piece makes it seem so much harder. Still, I am determined to soldier and use up … Continue reading “Sunday, Monday and Tuesday”
It occurred to me this morning that I seem to be working with patterns that create not obvious secondary patterns. Spiky Stars was the first (that I can identify), the Pineapple and now the Cross Block. In Spiky Stars, the center of the blocks seems to be where the X of color is. Perhaps, in … Continue reading “The Center is Not the Center”
The Pineapple project requires lots of strips. I am not sure I am cut out for managing such supplies for this project. They are everywhere and I can’t seem to find good combinations of strips. I have seen curtain rods that people have set up on which to hang their strips, but I don’t have … Continue reading “Am I Really Cut Out for Strip Projects??”
Although rain is forecast for later, the sky is blue and it is very warm outside. Despite all the weird weather we have been having, today things seem back to normal as we always have a week or so of warm weather in the middle of February. I can remember sitting out on our fire … Continue reading “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
This was my original idea. After I put it up on the wall I wasn’t sure. I then thought about just putting a smallish border on with the white background fabric. The size would be the same as the sashing size (1.75″ finished). This morning I looked at the blue and white borders again and … Continue reading “Finalizing Borders?”
The Pineapple class, about which I have been talking on and off for the past week, is today. I began packing my supplies and materials and got into a panic that I don’t have enough dots in enough different scales and colors. I want to have a wide variety to provide interest. I rummaged through … Continue reading “Not Enough Dots?”
I went to the following quilt shows this year: APNQ, Seattle, August 2006 EBHQ, Oakland, March 2006 PIQF, Santa Clara, October 2006 San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, August 2006 Not enough, obviously, but they provided plenty of fabulous inspiration. People are still really pushing their machines to the limit. St. JCN suggested that I … Continue reading “The Best Quilts of 2006 According to Me”
My students are back in the groove of quilting, so tomorrow I will give them their next block, a foundation piecing block. I picked the New York Beauty for the block with the Pineapple as the alternate. Not sure which one I will do. Perhaps both. I still have to finish the damn Nosegay and … Continue reading “Class notes”