Sister Kick in the Butt

I chatted with my sister yesterday, and was severely chided for not blogging and for staying well behind on our quilt-along.  (Like, more than a year behind - whoops!)  Sufficiently berated, I went out and bought more fabric - that's progress, right? 

Quilt-Along Progress:

Eliza's Ninepatch - done
Star Dreams & 54-40 or Fight - done
Twirling Star - pieces cut and problematic
Spinning Star
Calypso
Centennial
Rising Star
Blazing Star
Star Stairway
Windmill Star
Missouri Star
Broken Star
Ringed Star - (super scary, with partial seams - being saved for last)

So that's 3 out of 14 done.  I might need to replace the light pink that I chose for the middle of the Twirling Star block.  While I'm debating, I think I'll go ahead and do the Spinning Star block and come back to the Twirling (is that okay, Karen?).

WIP Wednesday: Binding Edition

I think I need a WIP Weekend Edition, since that's when I seem to do most of my sewing.  I've been working six days a week for the last few months, which wreaks havoc on my down time.  Not complaining - I'm having lots of fun at my bonus position - but it's made for some sparse posting.


In other news, spring is just around the corner (it will be sixty degrees out tomorrow!) and my Spring Zig-Zag wallhanging briefly made an appearance on my wall, although it has since been replaced by a beautiful framed art print. 


Completed Projects:


Lattice Quilt - A new and completed project since the last time I posted a WIP Wednesday.  Made with love for my husband's grandmother.  I finished hand-sewing the binding last night!  It needs a label before its sent off, but it's otherwise ready to be packed up and sent.  Pictures soon, hopefully!



Handwarmers - Another new and completed project - I made my husband some little pocket handwarmers from felt and rice for Valentine's Day.  These were really quite fun and simple to make, and he now has two pairs to help keep him warm while he's stationed outside in the cold.  (Not that he needs it right now exactly since it's getting warmer out!)


Free Motion Quilting Worksheets - I'm counting these as completed, since the class is complete - although these are more like scratch paper than actual projects.  I never posted about the actual class - I had a lot of fun, developed confidence in my ability to learn this, and I know that I need to keep practicing for a long time. 


Ongoing Projects: 

Star Log Cabin - Once I got started hand-sewing binding, I kept up the momentum with this one.  I'm about three-quarters done sewing down the binding, and I think another couple episodes of Battlestar Galactica and/or Upstairs Downstairs should see me through it.  It will be awesome to cross this off the UFO list after about ten years!

Diamond Throw - I finally gave in and picked this up off the floor where it was all laid out.  I have oodles of options to pick from for an additional light repro fabric, thanks to a very generous friend.  I want to get working on this one, because I have visions of it draped on my living room sofa, and I like it.

Orange and aqua throw -  I'm practicing my free motion quilting skills on this one, by quilting flowers in the background squares.  Each one is a little different, but I think I'm okay with that.  However, I think I'll have to work up my courage to show it. 

Dad's Sudoko Puzzle - No physical progress on this one, but I was inspired by Amanda Jean's awesome Math Facts quilt.  It didn't hurt that the colors match the oranges I've used for this quilt already, but it was mostly the bold, graphic, and decidedly nerdy statement the symbols make.  I've been toying with the idea of using a variation on blocks like these as borders around the Sudoko as a central medallion.

No Progress/On Hold:

Red and White Crosses and Losses  - need to order some more red solid (but from which online store?)

Placemat Pair

Curtains for the dining room

Fall wall hanging of maple leaves - put away for the season

Sisters Sampler
Wedding Quilt
Old Timey Stars

Hand-quilted dresden plates

Orange and aqua pillow covers - still not dropped off my list

This Week's Stats:
New projects - 2
Completed projects - 3
Currently in progress - 13

WIP Wednesday

New Projects: 

It's finally winter - quilts in the snow!

Star Log Cabin - This is really an OLD project, started when I was in high school!  I brought this back from my parents' house at Christmas, and decided to get to work on it and finally finish it.  I had finished the top quickly and hand-quilted it, but got stalled on the binding.  For some reason I decided it needed a bias binding, even though it doesn't have any curves and has some bleeding issues so it won't be washed.  This week I decided to soldier on, and now the binding is attached and waiting for some quality hand-sewing time.  

Roll of bias binding - finally made up.

Detail of the bleeding, which looks worse in person than it does on film.

Free Motion Quilting - I've done my homework for my FMQ class tomorrow night - cutting and pin-basting 18" sandwiches.  I'm wicked excited about my new FMQ foot and the prospect of improving my skills here.

Ongoing Projects:

Diamond Throw

No Progress/On Hold:

Placemat Pair

Curtains for the dining room

Fall wall hanging of maple leaves

Orange and aqua throw

Sisters Sampler
Wedding Quilt
Old Timey Stars
Dad's Sudoko Puzzle

Hand-quilted dresden plates

Orange and aqua pillow covers - still not dropped off my list

This Week's Stats:
New projects - 2
Completed projects - 0
Currently in progress - 13

WIP Wednesday

Completed Projects: 

Secret Project - Like I said earlier this week, all completed and on its way to a very special family member.  To be shared soon.  

Christmas Gifts - Posted earlier this week.

New Projects: 

None!  I have been sorting through some inherited blocks, but that's an OLD project, and I haven't technically started working on it yet.  However, here's a sneak peek at some antique Sunbonnet Sues: 

Ongoing Projects:

This now has another row of blocks across the top.

Diamond Throw - The nine-patch units are all sewn up as blocks, and they are assembled into diagonal rows.  We did some figuring on how to square up the edges, and I've been working on that.  It needs a little more width, which means picking up an appropriate light reproduction fabric to work with.  

Crosses and Losses - Interestingly, for the last couple weeks, the Quilt Index Blog has been focusing on examples of the Old Maid's Puzzle, which is a different name for the Crosses and Losses block.  I made a bunch more blocks, but ran out of Moda Ruby, and have to order since my local quilt shop is out.  I had planned to make a complete top of the same block, but the Quilt Index examples are making me reconsider using sashing or setting blocks. 

No Progress/On Hold:

Placemat Pair

Curtains for the dining room

Fall wall hanging of maple leaves

Orange and aqua throw

Sisters Sampler
Wedding Quilt
Old Timey Stars
Dad's Sudoko Puzzle

Hand-quilted dresden plates

Orange and aqua pillow covers - still not dropped off my list

This Week's Stats:
New projects - 0!
Completed projects - 2
Currently in progress - 12

WIP Wednesday (#1!)

I'm joining in the Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday for the first time this week.  It seems like a perfect linky for me - I love lists, and I have plenty of things in progress.  

I've been a little stalled in progress because of a living room makeover (involving *three* trips to the furniture store, one failed delivery of a couch that wouldn't fit, and four to seven more weeks of waiting) and a smelly washer, but I have made some progress!  I'm hoping that this linky (and especially those stats at the bottom) give me a push to at least move some things from the "On Hold" list to the "Ongoing" (or *gasp* "Completed"?) list.  

Completed Projects:

Sewing Machine Cover - This one was new *and* completed!  Start to finish in two days!  It's not the most shapely, but it will keep dust off and out of my machine.  

New Projects:

Crosses and Losses - Fabric acquired (Kona? Ruby and White), but not even washed yet.  I did do a mock-up in purples of my cheater plan for the block - all HSTs and squares means no evil bias triangles.  (The mock-up block doesn't count as a project, does it?)

Ongoing Projects:

Spring Zig Zag - Finished quilting and attached binding, just need to hand-sew the rest of the binding, add a hanger and a label!  Just in time for fall!

Orange and aqua pillow covers

Placemat Pair - One top is finished, and then I ran out of a fabric.  I'm trying to decide what quilting to do on these - crosshatch, squiggly lines, or taking another stab at free motion.  

Tops Awaiting Quilting:

I really thought there was something to go here.

No Progress/On Hold:
Secret Project (need to get moving on it!)
Orange and aqua throw
Sisters Sampler - held up by wedding and now sister's summer school schedule
Wedding Quilt
Curtains for the dining room
Old Timey Stars
Dad's Sudoko Puzzle - I have all nine blocks for this one, I just have to decide how to sash and set them, and if I want to make the quilt bigger somehow.  

Hand-quilted dresden plates
This Week's Stats:
New projects - 2
Completed projects - 1
Currently in progress - 13

Perfection

I've been struggling in my quilting with perfection.  Not that perfection is a problem, but my desire for it has been holding me back, making me afraid to try something lest I screw it up.  To illustrate: I have four projects sitting in my living room that are half-quilted.  (Okay, so part of that is that I have a lot of loose ends to weave in before I move on, and it's been HOT.)  But I keep second-guessing myself on how I want to quilt something or if I can execute what I imagine.  I'm making a resolution to go ahead and just finish some things.  If I botch it, I have my handy seam ripper and I will learn something from the process.

All that said, this (found here) is exactly how I want to finish quilting my zig-zag quilt - yes, the same one I've been waffling about since, oh, March?

Indecision

Well, not much quilting this week.  We've been preoccupied all week with tracking the near-shutdown of the federal government, which would have left me with a lot of free time to quilt.  However, I'm now on my weekend, and making it my goal to catch up with my sister.

In fact, I'm skipping ahead a bit - she finished one called the "Spinning Star," while I'm working on the "Twirling Star" simply because I had a clearer vision of the fabric choices for it.  That is, for two of the fabrics.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

I'm stuck on choosing the right medium pink.  The first option is bright, vivid pink - perhaps too bright.  The second might not have enough contrast.  The third has a wide stripe that could mean a subtle variation in the points that would emphasize the twirling of the block.  It's actually a reclaimed pillowcase that I'm also contemplating using as a backing for my zigzag wall hanging quit:

The purple will be the binding - I'm going for a very narrow 1/4" binding.  I'm not sure how I feel about the stripes with the zigzags, but then again, it'll be against the wall and nobody will see it anyway!  

Now if I could just stop dithering and get something finished....

The Process Pledge

I have taken the Process Pledge over at r0ssie's blog.  This was actually one of the first quilt blog posts I bookmarked, and one of the reasons I started thinking about blogging myself.  I don't necessarily fit into the "modern quilter" mold, since I love traditional prints and patterns, but I love talking about the process and the choices made that take a pile of fabric to a beautiful and functional quilt.  So without further ado:


I, Kate, pledge to talk more about my processes, even when I can’t quite put them in the in words or be sure I’m being totally clear.   I’m going to put my thinking and my gut feelings out there.  


I am going to share my thoughts, visions, techniques, changes, finishes, and failures.  I use this blog as a notebook, to track my ideas and my progress - so writing about the process is an obvious choice, but one I'm recommitting to.