But I've been OUT of the quilt studio as well. I was sewing at one friend's house on Friday, and then at another friend's house on Saturday. That was a lot of fun. Today, I'm at home in my own studio, and I got inspired this morning (more on that later).
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| 33 inches by 47 inches |
Here is the charity quilt I made this week. I got the botannical fabric (for free!) from my guild in July, and thought I should get this done before too much longer. The pattern was from the guild as well. The only fabric I had to buy was the pink, as I didn't have the right color in my stash. However, I'm not so sure that it was really the right tone, as it's kind of overwheming to me. Of course, pink is not my favorite color, so it could just be me.
Here is a closeup so that you can really see the fabrics. I don't know if you can see it, but the pink exactly matches the pink color in the flower. I should have gone with a lighter pink, or even a red instead.
I had fun with this pattern, but it was a little challenging. First off, I did something wrong while cutting and only got 12 strips out of the strata that I made, not 13, so the quilt is a little skinny, even for a wheelchair quilt. And you might have noticed that there are no seams to match in this one. Well, I had a little trouble getting started on that. You're supposed to start with a half-block, and that was another "oops" somehow. This was one I was sewing at Friend #1's house, and you know how it is when you're sewing with a group. Quite a bit of talking going on, and I couldn't concentrate enough to figure this out. So, when I got home I put it up on the design wall. Then I could make sense of it, and got it figured out and labeled so that the next day, at Friend #2's house, I could finish sewing the rows together without confusion.
Now I'm thinking I should piece together one more row to bring the quilt up to the right size. That would make it 36 inches wide. I think I have enough fabric to do that, and hopefully have enough left for the binding. Or, it may have a scrappy binding!
The next time I do this pattern will definitely be easier! It seems every quilt I do, I learn more. Do you find that you do too?
This morning as I was eating my breakfast, I was perusing this magazine that I got way back in the beginning of the year. I suddenly was inspired, and could hardly wait to get the kitchen cleaned up. I flew into the quilt studio and started pulling fabrics, etc. (I was also inspired by Lesley Riley's book.) Three hours later, I had this done:
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| Blanche - 5 inches by 8 inches |
I'm not sure how I managed this, but it came out just like I had envisioned it!
I used a piece of fabric I dyed for the background (it was originally a white-on-white), a pre-aged piece of lace from my stash and a photo transfer of a photo from the late 1800's that I found on the internets. (I actually found it in the archives of the library of the town where I grew up.) I pulled out my reproduction prints to make the little patchwork. I even *hand-quilted* that little piece before I added it to the quiltlet.
That's not to say there wasn't a learning curve with this. If I had it to do over, I think I'd cut the background a little smaller (I may still trim the sides on this yet), and I definitely would have trimmed the seam allowances off the little patchwork piece. It's too uneven. And I think the two prints I used in the patchwork are too much the same size - not enough contrast. The pieces are so small (1 inch finished squares) that it's hard to find a fabric that is the right scale. But I still love it! I hope to make some more, maybe with family photos. That would be fun.
So, even though I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I'm still doing! I'm trying to resist making a little quilt like Kathleen Tracy showed on her blog.(scroll down - it's the last quilt on the post). I love a blue and white quilt, and I love doll quilts. And the title of her post isn't helping! hee hee! So, I'm trying to resist that siren call!
When I'm not sewing, I've been watching Netflix on the computer. I've been watching Season 1 of 'Dead Like Me', which I'm enjoying more and more. And I watched a Biography segment on the Kellogg brothers. (think "Corn Flakes"). Last night I watched "Royal Wedding" (with Fred Astaire). Loved it! A classic that I had never seen. I don't know what I'll watch tonight - there's so many choices! I LOVE Netflix!
I hope everyone is having a fun, creative weekend!
I like it as it is. I think red would have been too dark.
ReplyDeleteI love Royal Wedding.
What a pretty quilt - you'd never know you had any 'oops'! Definitely add another strip if you can, or a border, to make it wider - and yes, I do learn with every quilt, that's part of the fun, right?
ReplyDeleteI love love love the little quilt you did, "Blanche". That is just too darling - and it would be wonderful to do with family photos. The creative possibilities are endless!
I've never heard of "Royal Wedding", I'll have to see if our library has it. I'd love to get Netflix!
You've been busy busy! I was jumping around on projects all summer and finally hunkered down on the weekend and had a few finishes. LOVE the little piece with the 9 patch and photo, very special!
ReplyDeleteyeah, I love netflix too. This morning I watched one of the last episodes of Better Off Ted that never aired on tv. sniff, so sad they cancelled that show - I love it. yes, I love Dead Like Me too, although the second season drifted off a bit...
ReplyDeleteI like your bargello charity quilt, even with the "Oops". The little blue quilt is darling.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it's been so long since I last visited your blog. Thank goodness you haven't been posting a lot!
ReplyDeleteLove your little quiltlet. Those tiny projects are pretty close to instant gratification aren't they? Although there's still not much "instant" about them. ;- )