Do you have THAT box?... you know, the one with all the orphaned blocks from past quilts?
I've had it in my head for quite some time now to make good use of a few of the blocks that had been packed away in THAT box. I was first inspired to make an orphan block sampler from Julie... I just needed to accumulate enough blocks that didn't make the cut were set aside for their special day. It was actually quite fun to pull them out again and think about what had inspired me to make each one of them in the first place.
You might even recognize a few from some of my previous projects. These first two blocks are actually from my most recent finish... any ideas?
... yup, that's Tiptoe Through The Tulips from my table runner project! Just a little redo to give a whole new makeover to these blocks.
I most certainly don't need to tell you how versatile half square triangles are. Since I was so undecided about my half square triangle quilt, it was nice to play with a few other arrangements that didn't make it in the original quilt.
Remember this finish from last year? My basket project, Modern Beauty table runner? I still had several orange peels left over to make another block.
ahhh... freezer paper, how I love you, let me count the ways. While working on my video tutorial for freezer paper applique, I ended up making several buttons in the process (free template here). These notions are far too fun to be left in the unfinished pile!
While in the middle of my let's-freezer-paper-everything phase (even if it doesn't need to be), I found this fun pinwheel/circle block, and just had to try it.
Even though I am very well
aware of my color tendencies, I have to admit that I was quite surprised about the softness of the colors and the overall feel. The surprise is that it's not my usual popping contrasts that I so often lean towards.
With this quilt, I've tried to either use blocks from previous projects or fabric that was already cut from previous projects. The only newly cut fabric will be the low volumes that I use to connect the blocks. The cherry on the top is that it doesn't take much time for a quilt top to come together!
Linking up to Let's Bee Social
A friend of mine, who was a smoker, once told me that when she had to wait a long time for her food when she went to a restaurant, all she had to do was light up a cigarette and then her meal would show up! Well, now I've been wondering if the same theory applies to other things too... even quilting?!? Last week, I poured out my frustrations about having to wait an insanely long time for my batting... and then after I had posted about it, it came! (no worries, it's not a planned topic to make my sewing supplies come faster... although if I thought it would help, it really would be tempting!) So, with batting now on hand, I'm hitting my to-do list hard!
Since I don't usually make things with myself in mind, I decided it was high time to add a few touches around the house. After making my first Facing East block, and then later repeating the color combination for my "Buttoned Up" pillow, I realized how much the color combo appealed to me, and knew I wanted to repeat it. For the quilting, since the design has so many curved elements, it seemed natural to me that the wavy lines would be a nice compliment. (a first for me and a step away from straight line quilting!)
When I first saw this "Wordfind" fabric from Melody's Miller's playful collection, I have to admit that I was not that impressed... that is until I saw it in person! If you would try to nail me down to just one shade of pink, (and that's a hard one for me) this would be it!... it's just so darn juicy!
I love adding an extra little detail somewhere in a project to look for like a Where's Waldo element, and a few snippits in the binding gives it just the touch!
So this first finish of 2016 has landed on our front entryway table, and I'm so pleased to have something that I've made greet guests as soon as they come in!
Pattern: Modern Beauty Block from Pilo o' Fabrics
Fabrics: Various Anna Maria Horner, Cotton & Steel scraps, Carolyn Friedlander background, Melody Miller Wordplay backing & binding
Thread: Aurifil 50 wt white
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social
Since sewing and quilting is a hobby for me, I've actually approached it as something without boundaries and deadlines... you know, just letting it happen. I'm not exactly an organized mouse... in fact, I fall under the chaotic creative category. One cannot imagine how hard those of us who fall into this category have to work to bring structure and planning into things.... but even with that being said, I recognize the benefits of a plan, which is why I've decided to join the 2016 Finish-A-Long. It made it easier for me to divide things into quarterly goals and then yearly/ongoing goals.
Quarterly Goals:
1. Last year I joined A Quilty Circle of Bees, a new quilting
bee with other German speaking members. For this month, Daniella picked blocks for an Amsterdam quilt, inspired by this version. Knowing that if I don't start on a
project immediately, I run the risk of procrastinating and missing my
deadline all together, I have made it my Bi-Monthly Goal to finish the
blocks as soon as they are announced. This one can already be checked off this quarter's check list!
2. If you've been around a while, then you might have seen bits of my mini mini craze... well, I have just one more to make, and it's long overdue. Tracy made these two beautiful mini's for me, and her story behind them is so beautiful and touching. I ran into a few snags while working on hers, but now that that the holidays are over, this is top of the list!
3. My Modern Beauty table runner is one of my "basket projects", which is meant to fall under the slow stitching category, but I'm in the home stretch of finishing the orange peel appliques, and just need to connect it and quilt it.
4. With my Farm Girl Vintage quilt,
I'm just a sashing and border away from being ready to quilt. I have contemplated
waiting to quilt a couple of projects all at once, but I suppose one thing at a time might be a smarter choice.
Yearly/Ongoing Goals:
1. When I started my Facing East quilt, I never considered it realistic to finish in a year. I actually wanted to start small with just a few blocks to test paper piecing to even see if I liked it... well, needless to say, 22 blocks later, I think it is sufficient to say, that I am smitten with the technique. A pieced top, including inner circles, is my end of year goal. This one will probably go to a longarmer.
2. My Alison Glass Butterflies project is another "basket project", which I started with no real plans in mind. It got shifted to the backburner because I wasn't sure how I wanted to finish it, but it's coming back out again this year!
3. This one goes back a bit. I have one side finished, and then I ran into unbelievable design issues with the second side. Needless to say, it's time for a Super Tote finish!
4. A new project that I am calling "Penny's Quilt" is an idea that was inspired by my Scrappy Windmills quilt post. Right now, I have a few sneak peeks on my Instagram feed, but I want to knock out a few other things before I do a full introduction and explanation of my concept.
5. Santa was kind to me this
year with the well known and highly praised EQ7 quilt design software.
There's a lot to learn, so this is an ongoing learning by doing goal
that I hope to have mastered by the end of the year.
I'm sure that there will be plenty of other things to work their way onto this list, but having this in black and white is a pretty good motivation for me to make things happen.
Have you linked up of a Finish-A-Long before? Did it motivate you to finish those UFO's, or where you distracted to work on other projects?
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday, Let's Bee Social, and for the first Time 2016 Finish-A-Long
About two weeks ago, I got together with a friend of mine for a sewing day, whom I met on a WIP Wednesday linkup some time ago!... it perhaps doesn't sound too out of the ordinary to meet on such a platform, but it might actually make it very out of the ordinary if you know that we both live in Germany! It's amazing how much you can get accomplished when you have a whole day dedicated just to sewing, despite lunch and chocolate breaks! I have so many WIP's in the works, it was not too hard to find something to work on.
If you've visited here a time or two, you might have figured out that I am a debater when it comes to my sewing projects. When I started my Farm Girl Vintage blocks, I had a very clear direction as far as colors and fabrics, but then I hit my stumbling block: the sashing. After several fabric auditions and many seam ripper moments, it got packed away again, and it wasn't until after won a pretty little stack of Swiss Dots fabrics from Sew Fresh Quilts that I had my Eureka moment:
Here's the best part... half way through my sashing, I realized that I had calculated wrong about how much sashing I needed to get this WIP together... uggghh! Luckily I was able to find the fabric again, but now back to waiting until the fabric makes it all the way to Germany... hmmpff, back to the back burner with 'ya.
... and flipping to the front burner again, do you remember this fun little stack of orange peels? They too are starting to take shape, and I really think I will enjoy this Modern Beauty Block as a table runner for our dresser in the front hallway. I've actually decided to make a few changes on some of the orange peel fabrics, so this might be another long time in the making project, but that's just how I've planned this "basket project" to be.
Oh, the lengths you go to for that perfect shot... here's Mell capturing a few of our WIP moments. Do you stand on your piano bench too for a good picture?
... and speaking of the backburner... I've not forgotten about my Facing East quilt... no, no, quite the contrary! That's was another debater moment, and I've decided to add a few of the new Basic Grey 2015 grunges to the mix... and wouldn't you know, they are in that same box with the swiss dots fabrics... back on the back burner again!
Are you an "On Again, Off Again" project maker? Do you seem to run into a lot of road blocks on projects, or are your projects planned as to leave no room for error?
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesdy and Let's Bee Social.
It doesn't always work out that everyday is a day at the sewing machine. Sometimes writing a sewing or crafting blog can be challenging because generally posts tend towards "look what I made this last week" or "look what I'm working on now", which can seldom give a real life glimpse into the everyday of a crafter. Explanations of "geee... life has been so busy that I didn't have time to sew this week" just doesn't cut it, and who wants to hear that post after post anyway? With that being said, let's just say that my crafting over the last few weeks has been that step back from the crafting room to enjoy the everyday... days of birthdays, new kindergarten days, not to mention the to-do lists that come with it all.
Amidst the business and whirlwinds of the past weeks, it was quite refreshing to carve out at least one evening of craftiness to work on what I like the call my "basket projects". It's that one evening out with my crafty circle of friends to catch up, chatter, and work on my already packed on-the go projects... you know, those projects that you don't intend to finish any time soon, but are the perfect take-it-with-you projects for the hands that just can't stay idle.
These little "orange peels" are the start of a table runner that I have planned using the raw edge applique Modern Beauty Block pattern from Pile 'O Fabric... did I mention that it's a free pattern? Unlike some other quilter's EPP is totally not my thing, but applique has my heart.
So, do you find it difficult to keep up with regular blog posts when the reality is that you are busy making real life happen, and escaping to the crafting room inevitably gets pushed to the bottom of the list?
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
