It really was no exaggeration, by any means, when I said that taking photos of quilts in Germany in the fall and winter months is like waiting for the sun, moon, and stars to all come into perfect alignment before the lighting is just right. Of course everyone at some point has suffered a touch of the blues when the warm, beautiful, and care free seasons begin to fade into the colder and greyer ones, but Northern German weather is a beast all of it's own! While there are no claims of perfect celestial alignment, there was enough (and I mean just barely enough) daylight to snap a few finish photos of my long-time-in-the-making Swell quilt!
Since this quilt had grown so enormously huge, I had grown so weary in pushing through, and that technically this is only my second quilt, I decided to keep the quilting quite simple (not to mention my comfort level, or should I say lack thereof, when it comes to free motion qulting) I essentially followed the natural lines of the blocks, and quilted diagonally through the white blocks, and again through the center of the colorful pluses.
There was quite a good bit of back and forth with my husband when it came to how I would finish the back of the quilt. Since he couldn't really grasp the concept of a pieced backing, he prefered the option of a single fabric solid backing. But since I didn't want a big seam line running down the middle of the back, which he argued didn't matter because it's the back, right?, I wanted to make good use of my leftover scraps and not eat up so much of my beloved Basic Grey grunge fabric... it's much more interesting than a solid, don't you think?
Looking back, I learned a lot after having finished this quilt... after the fact there are several things that I might have opted to do differently, but despite all those little this's and that's, I'm really happy to have finished this one. So, in case you've not been along for the whole ride since I started this quilt, here are the specifics:
Quilt pattern: "Swell" from Camille Roskelley's Simply Retro book.
Started: February 2014
Fabrics: Kona Cotton white and selected fabrics from Amy Butler fabric collections: Alchemy, Cameo, Soul Blossoms, and Love.
Finished quilt size: 83 x 91 in. (210 x 230 cm)
Backing: Basic Grey grunge - aqua, Amy Butler Memoir - pacific, Kona Cotton white, various Amy Butler scraps
Thread: Aurifil cotton 50 wt white
Binding: Kona Cotton, Copen
Linking up this week as always to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
When it comes to quilting projects, sometimes I feel like a fickle, first grader... sending silly love notes like: I like you. Do you like me? Check yes or no. Some days I check "yes", swooning over colors, fabric choices, and patterns. Other days, I check "no" and ask myself "what was I thinking? why did I pick that? and when will I ever get this frazzlin' thing done?!? I assume that I am not the only on who experiences the very Jekyll and Hyde-like mood swings that come with working on a long term quilting project.
While I am not about to spout sonnets of adoration for my Swell quilt, I am rediscovering a new found fondness that I had somehow lost along the very long way... especially since it's under the machine now! Since I opted for a pieced back, it once again added more time to the end being in sight, but as I am beginning to discover about myself, it would seem that I cannot do it any other way.
By the time I got this quilt basted and under the machine, it was a good reminder of just how massive it has grown to be! Since I am straight line quilting, and my experience with erasable quilting markers has not been favorable, I decided to use painters tape. I notice a slight difference in the tape that I found here as opposed to what I know from being in the US, but it appears to be working quite nicely so far.
Are you a fickle, fall in love quickly with a quilt that you are working on type, only to find out that you fall out of love just as quickly if the project goes on for too long?
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
I guess when it comes to quilting I'm a debater... are you too? I'm almost always back and forth about some issue, putting projects on hold until I figure out my dilemma, and picking them back up again when it feels right. With that being said, it should be no surprise that this quilt top finish is certainly no exception.
Just a few stats to bring you up to speed:
Quilt pattern: Camille Roskelley's "Swell" from her Simply Retro book.
Started: February 2014
Fabrics: Various Amy Butler collections and Kona Cotton white
Quilt top: FINISHED! (if I could figure out a way to make trumpets sound at this point, I would. Please imagine them now.)
Current Status: Working on backing, then once basted, under the machine for quilting!
Issues: Completed listed size (63 x 75), but after much debate decided to make larger. Initially indecisive about whether to put border as shown in original quilt. Decided to leave the border off and extend the design.
Finished quilt top size: 83 x 91 in. (210 x 230 cm)
NOTE: When my 6'5" (195 cm) husband had to stand on a kids chair for this photo, and it still drug the ground... made me realize just how huge this baby has grown to be! (I have to admit I’m a little worried about getting this thing though my normal sewing machine to quilt). I am planning very simple quilting on this one, which will hopefully make this happen quickly.
Are you dragging your feet this week on a project? Having any size dilemmas? Any particular quilting issues?
Linking up to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
I read a post this past week with tips for bloggers suggesting a few do's and don't's for what readers are looking for (or not looking for) when they visit sewing/quilting blogs. The tip that will always provide the biggest challenge for me is to keep text/content short. For a long-winded gal like me, who actually considers this my personal online journal that others just happen to be able to peek in and read, I don't seem to know any other way to do it.
Another suggestion is that readers like to see progress.... not only pretty stacks of fabrics or one WIP after the other... but results. According to her feedback, most people like to see the process rather than just the tah-dah moment. So, with that being said and the middle of the year drawing close, I thought it would be appropriate to give a status update on my two quilts in progress:
Camille Roskelley quilt pattern, "Swell" from Simply Retro (shown only in part until final reveal)
Started: February 2014
Fabrics: Various Amy Butler collections and Kona Cotton white
Current Status: Pieced top completed except for border
Issues: Completed listed size and decided to make larger. Indecisive about whether to put border as shown in original quilt or continue design and make larger?
Carolyn Freidlander quilt pattern, "Facing East" from Savor Each Stitch (finished blocks for a lap quilt size)
Started: January 2015
Fabrics: Various low volume backgrounds, Basic Grey grunges, and Anna Maria Horner, Amy Butler, and various additional prints.
Issues: Completed lap size, but indecisive about making it biggger. Quilting concerns about how to quilt as a new quilter - quilt as you go or have it professionally quilted?
I guess I kind of view quilting as a race for a long distance runner. So far I have been a short distance sprinter, and am having to train for a whole new kind of race... one where I will need to increase my stamina and focus. I've wanted to just stop the race now and finish my two quilts as they are, but my husband (who is 6' 5", 195 cm and actually needs a long quilt) and my quilting friend have been rooting me on from the sidelines to push myself further and go the extra mile.
Does quilting ever seem like a long distance race to you? Do you get discouraged when you have such set backs? (i.e. thinking you are almost done with a quilt and then realizing you need to make it bigger)
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday.
If you've been hanging around for at least a year or more, then you might remember this stack of fabrics and my original work in progress post... distraction #2,478 (or something like that). I've been asking myself how crazy it is that I have three, yup you heard right... THREE quilts in progress!?! They have all been set to the side for various, but all for very good reasons.
The current quilt that I am working on is Camille Roskelley's "Swell" quilt pattern from her Simply Retro book. The reason I put this one is hold is because of the same dilemma I seem to always run into with every quilt that I start... what size to make it? The finished quilt dimensions are about a large twin maybe full size, but of course we have a queen/king size bed, thus perhaps the expected back and forth... should I make it the same size as in the book? Should I make it bigger? If so, how much do I need to add... the questions got even more overwhelming to me as I considered each one. I finished the blocks to make the quilt as is a LONG time ago, but by the time I had decided to enlarge it, I calculated that I was only half way finished instead of being in the last lap of the home stretch... sigh!
Well, now she's been pulled back out, dusted off, and has been brought to the front burner to be finished off. It really helps a lot to have an actual quilt wall to see it all come together. It's been fun pulling out some of my old favorite Amy's, especially since I haven't seen them in a while... there's a total of five different collections represented here!
Speaking of back and forth debates... another question I've been pondering is whether to move my office and working space downstairs where there is almost triple the space - room for a quilt wall, space to spread out, room for a proper sewing table, storage space, and even a comfy space to relax, but no natural light. Option two is to stay put upstairs with my natural light, and closer to the center of things, but with limited space. Right now projects are always being shifted from one side to the other... any thoughts?
Well, in any case, it sure is fun to dream... I could so totally see my finished quilt draped over this couch in the comfy corner of a new sewing space... hmmm?
Linking up to WIP Wednesday when all are awake on the other side of the pond!
Well, I would actually say that my husband is to blame... perhaps I should explain...
... this past week while searching for some new gadget (aka toy) on one of those big online shopping sites, my hubby asked me if there was anything that I would like to add to his order while he was at it. There were, in fact, two things that I had on my wish list. So, one really could come to quite a logical conclusion that it was his fault... (right?)
No, you are not having hallucinations, no, you don't need to adjust your computer screen, no, you don't have my blog mixed up with someone else's, no, I don't flip out quilts like pancakes, BUT... the reality of it is that you may have just found yourself stumbling into the realm of a highly distracted person.
One new quilting quilting book (my FIRST ever!), a little snip, snip, and a few hours later, I found myself starting another quilt! How crazy is that?!? I must say that I am very pleased with the progress that I have made so far, and it might appear that this could end up being my first quilt.
I guess it might be quite
fitting since these fabrics are from the lady who inspired me to start selling fabrics in the first place.
... until our next distraction encounter.
