If January is any indication of what this year will look like, then 2018 will be "The Year Of The Quilt Top"... perhaps a small step up from last year's "Year Of The Pillow". In any case, January will boast at least THREE finished quilt tops... last week I shared my Summer Smoothie finish, today is Green Smoothies' turn, and the next flimsy finish this month, thankfully has nothing to do with smoothies... I just picked up on the repeating theme myself.
With that being said, it looks like 2018 will also be "The Year Of Quilting"... with so many tops, what is a girl to do? I suppose I've been collecting so many quilt tops because quilting is my least favorite part of the whole process. I put it off, and I find that I really have to push myself and get mentally geared up to even get started.
... but January is the moth of goals, planning, resolutions, and good intentions, and since I've missed out on the last two Finish-Along quarters, there's no time like the present to get back on track... wanna a preview of what you'll be seeing with me?
The first half of my year is pretty full and pretty planned out. The next quilt top you'll be seeing is my Home Sweet Home applique sampler quilt. This is my only quilt with a deadline... just in case you missed it - if you are in Germany (or close by), I am planning this quilt release parallel with teaching two classes at the Nadelwelt in Karlsruhe in May. It should be a good push to get this one quilted and written up by then, especially considering the fact that Lovebirds' Garden (also on the list) will be released in March - lots of corrections to do until then, but just to keep your appetite whet, check out what my pattern testers are doing in Instagram... don't you just love the diversity of projects?
The next pattern to be released will be Whirly Girl.... I suppose I better get a move on with this project considering how much progress Mell has made on her pattern testing version. Once I get a little further with the pattern, I will be looking for testers - no applique on this one! (how else do you think I could get Mell on board!?!
Lovebirds' Remix, which is a spin off pattern from my Lovebirds' Garden, is the next project lined up for a flimsy finish. My applique shapes are finished and just have to be glued on and stitched down... more than halfway there. Hmmm... maybe "Year Of Pattern Releases" would be an appropriate title to throw into the lot?
For fun, just to over promise, and under deliver, I'll throw my HST project on the to-do list... notice another recurring theme for one more title? "The Year Of Purple" Four purple quilts in one year, how did that happen?!? Seems a little fitting since it's Pantone's color of 2018, don't you think? Trust me, I couldn't have planned it even if I'd tried.
Linking up with Finish-A-Long... so, what's on your 2018 list?
If you somehow happened to miss randomly dropped mentions here and there from my previous posts, we've moved! This has not been an easy decision, but we are hopeful that it was the right one. With all that being said, this girl has been desperately missing her sewing machine!?! Like a good little quilter, I gave up my Bernina a week before the move to have her serviced. It's when you have to give something up, that you start to notice that you are a total addict! Anyone else out there who exhibits major withdrawl symtoms when away from the sewing machine for too long? This whole last week has been about unpacking boxes, finding new spots for things, and making our temporary living space a home.
Since I will be looking for a little direction once I am able to sit back down at the sewing machine, the 2016 Finish-A-Long Q3 linkup couldn't come at a more prefect time! I had two finishes last quarter (here and here). This quarter I will have two projects that I will carry over from my Q2 list, and two that have been recently added:
1. My Churnstile blocks are now a quilt top, and I was able to get it basted before we moved... and now there's just a little simple quilintg ahead.
2. Green Smoothie Quilt... even though this is the second project that is carried over from the last quarter, it won't make it to top of my priority list because buying a new bed is. All the leaves are finished and connected, but since I want to custom fit this to a bed that we don't have yet, it will have to wait.
3. Jeweled Improv Quilt... this was a result of using up leftover scraps from my bees blocks, but instead of letting all that scrappy goodness go to waste, I started my very first improv project... well, at least I've found the perfect thread to quilt it.
4. Jeweled Mystery Quilt... this is one of my undercover projects that I have talked about several times, but I've not even given the smallest sneak peak anywhere... until now. This might actually be top of my priorty list to finish soon, because I can't hold it in much longer... a Q3 finish is a ambitious goal, but I hope doable.
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social and 2016 Finish-A-Long
P.S. If you've commented on my blog the last several months, and have not heard anything back from me, now you know what has been keeping me so busy and from writing back... but I do appreciate each and every comment!
Once all the blocks of a quilting project are finished, one is all a flurry with excitement having reached the top of the first mountain. The next up hill climb is connecting it all together, where it can sometimes be slow moving.
After much debate about what size to take my Churnstile quilt, and some really good advice like "go with your gut", "consider the recipient", and probably the best advice from Kate to "let the quilt decide"... I actually decided to go for it and work on connecting the blocks! If it still feels like it needs more once it's all together, then I can keep going, right?
I've decided on using some of the same low volume fabrics that I used in the block backgrounds for the connecting sashings. I have fallen in love with using low volumes with a hint of color... Alison Glass has several in her Abacus series that I just adore, and Erin Michael's fabric Preakness from her Purebread collection, has reached favorite low volume status with me.
I've also been working on connecting the leaves on my Green Smoothie quilt. Once all the individual drunkard's path blocks are made, they have to be stitched together to make the beautiful leaf shape.
... and then a white strip to the top of each leaf before joining them all together.
What are you working on? Linking up the week to Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesday.
Are you the same as me, that you almost feel as if you are walking just a little bit lighter when you first start seeing those spring buds appear everywhere? It's no secret that green is my favorite color, or that spring is the season where I feel the most alive. I would say that it is more than obvious where my color affections lie when you look at the projects I've been working on this week.
Backing for my Penny quilt? Check. I'm hoping this will go rather quickly... especially since I am using this method to baste it.
So far I have been able to sew all the leaves for my Green Smoothie quilt either from scraps or fabrics in my stash. I realized that I needed to add some additional prints to really give it the depth and variety that I am wanting. And besides... adding more greens to my already green heavy stash is just so much fun!
It's been helpful to me to lay this out on the bed to see the progress that I've made.
It's been on my wish list now for far too long to make some new curtains for our bedroom.... why does it take so long to motivate me to do a little practical sewing?!? Tja, I guess because it is not very creative, but wow... did these light colored curtains ever make a huge difference in the room.
April showers bring May flowers... what are your spring projects?
Linking up to Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesday.
Somehow as my list of WIP's gets smaller, it makes me feel unsettled when I come into my sewing room. While it feels great to have knocked several biggie projects off my list, somehow it leaves me feeling a little lost when there are not multiple projects in the works. I've come to realize that am totally moody when it comes to sewing. While logically it makes the most sense to complete one project at a time, creatively I find that I am inwardly frustrated when I don't have options of what to sew. One day I feel like curves, the next day it's traditional piecing, and quilting days are like fish days... I really have to be in the mood to enjoy it.
Oddly enough, now that my design wall is starting to fill back up again, I feel at ease with so much flipping potential. What started out as "audition blocks" have made it to WIP status and are now growing. While I know such project flipping is not for everyone, somehow it's what works best for me.
The Green Smoothie quilt (leaves) is actually planned for our bed, and I have decided to make only one row of leaves offset to one side... lots of white space on this one! This will be, at least size wise, my biggest project yet... a king size quilt! I'm a little hesitant when I think about stuffing this through my machine, but very simple straight lines should help a lot.
I have decided that my Churnstile blocks will stay as a basket/backburner project, and it's nice to know that I don't have any additional prep right now when we have our monthly Patchwork Treffen meetings. I was able to add a few more blocks since our last meeting and I'm still trying to decide how big I want to go with this.
Well, I suppose that this quilt cannot stay on the backburnner for too long since we have another get together next weekend... I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Linking up to Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesdays.
