Sunday, August 12, 2012

A Finish!

String Thing 2
50 x 66 inches

 This quilt is finally finished - Yay!  I made these string blocks waaayyy back in the spring of 2009, during my retreat that was "The Great Spring String Fling".  My friend Katie and I made sooo many string blocks during that retreat.  We were trying to finish off those strings that I've toted around for 20 years or so.  I still have enough blocks like these to do another quilt, after making  I-don't-know-how-many quilts with strings.  I've got a bunch and Kate has a bunch too.

This photo doesn't do the quilt justice.  This quilt is pretty "loud", as my Mom used to say.  The strings aren't that bright, which is what led me to make this so loud.  I'm getting pretty tired of some of these strings and wanted to jazz them up some.  So, I went with this wild batik, a la Freddy Moran.  Trouble is, this batik will knock your eye out!   When I was showing my friend, she asked me if I was on drugs when I made this quilt!  Hee hee!  I still haven't decided quite how I feel about this quilt.  It may be one only a mother could love.  But it is filled with all sorts of memory fabrics.  So I'll enjoy looking at it.


As usual, Shari did a super job of quilting this.  I asked her for something that "went" with the batik and then something that didn't clash with the strings.  So she did this wonderful leafy vine on the strings....


...and then did this great swirly bit over the batik!  I love it!
(click for the closeup)


Here is the backing and the binding.  The backing was something from the stash that I had enough of.  And for the binding - well, I went through a lot of different colors trying to figure out what looked the best before I settled on this black & white plaid.  It gives an over-all impression of kind-of-grey, that I think works pretty well.


The other week The Kid and I went to W*lmart for some things.  I always check the fabric dept. - just in case.  Well, this time was a good one!  I found these 2 black & white dots that are good quality.  Check out the year on the selvage!


Then, doing some wandering around, I found these cool stickers that are for laptops.  I had the idea that maybe I could cut them apart and jazz up my machine with them.  They're removable stickers, so no long-term commitment, right?.

front with stickers and "jewels"
Well, here's my machine, all jazzed up.  I had fun doing this, and so far I'm enjoying looking at this too.  It gives me a flashback to my hippie youth.  (Ooops, just gave away my age!)

the end piece

The sticker doesn't fit perfectly, due to the curve in the machine, but it's close enough for government work, right?

the back of the machine

 Hope you have fun this week!

15 comments:

  1. Your black and white fabric is perfect! Love your loud quilt.:)

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  2. just a minute. let me go get my sunglasses.

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  3. I really love that wild batik in this quilt. It gives it that "whoa, look at this" quality.
    The stickers are great. It is like a tattoo without all the commitment.

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  4. Well, I Think that quilt is terrific!........great FUN. love the stickers.....your machine looks ready to have a drag race with a 60's VW bus. :-) start your engines!

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  5. I think your quilt is awesome! The more fabrics the better in my book.
    What a great idea to jazz up your sewing machine, I may have to give it a try!

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  6. Wild and wonderful! You'll never get bored looking at this quilt. I think the batik is perfect. Love how the round pattern plays with the strings. Cool stickers!

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  7. I love your very funky quilt...it's a fabulous sashing fabric! And your new purchases are great too!

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  8. I absolutely LOVE your psychedelic quilt and your groovy machine. Gwen would be very proud of you.

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  9. Great choice putting the strings with the batik. Fun jazzed up sewing machine.

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  10. Love the quilt and the machine! Em sent me some stickers last year and they're decorating my machine.

    Woot for that fabric!

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  11. Love your String Thing 2. I remember when you and Katie were doing strings, and strings, and more strings. Your machine looks so lovely with all the decorations. Just too cute!

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  12. I LOVE the quilt so stop worrying about it. very fun!!!

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  13. Are you kidding? This is a wonderful quilt! Lots of interesting colors going on here. I think you did a wonderful job, Sharon! If you really can't bare to be around it, send it to me...please! ;o)

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  14. I need some of these funky stickers, and that I don't have to commit for life gives me more leeway to be 'out there'. Love the scrappy finish, the single stars really pop in this piece. Are you going to the Tacoma Show this weekend, I'm out of town, ;-(

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