tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-921823249312346782024-03-12T21:18:45.983-07:00I QUILT FOR FUN...and when it quits being fun, I need to quit quilting.I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-49642328515913055342016-02-20T13:11:00.000-08:002016-02-20T13:11:13.120-08:00It's done -- and I'm thrilled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3HXwUvYV70E/VsjVhkCEWSI/AAAAAAAACxI/FO0PNyXc_WI/s1600/Lollypop%2Btop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3HXwUvYV70E/VsjVhkCEWSI/AAAAAAAACxI/FO0PNyXc_WI/s320/Lollypop%2Btop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's done! Since it took four years to piece and applique it, I am taking the position that I have four years to get up the courage to put it on my longarm. I cannot even begin to think about how I will quilt this. <br />
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Here's what I know -- every single element will need to be outlined with invisible thread and then the background and some of the petals, leaves, and circles will have to quilted or enhanced. I cannot even think about that right now!<br />
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Thank you, Kim McLean, for such a great pattern (Lollypop) and use of color!<br />
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I hope you are finishing a few things occasionally. It does feel good!<br />
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Jan<br />
<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-39518257202754549682015-02-16T18:27:00.001-08:002015-02-16T18:27:31.120-08:00A glimmer....I believe the "light at the end the tunnel" analogy is way over-used. But there are times when it just makes a point better than anything else. <br />
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So, there is a glimmer of light with this quilt. I still love it -- and I continue to aspire to have the top finished by November of this year. That doesn't sound so hard - but this is not a quilt I can work on every day. Or even every week. <br />
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I have five large blocks to applique (of the original 16) and have completed nine of the border blocks (only 37 or so to go -- really -- 37, I think!). <br />
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If you have somehow missed my many posts on this quilt, this is Kim McLean's Lollypop quilt pattern and is done primarily with Kaffe Fassett fabrics. My friend, mom22smartchix, finished her top as of this past weekend and it is fabulous. We started together and chose different paths in our approach to applique and I hope mine is half as wonderful as hers when I get it done. We've learned from each other - we've commiserated with each other - we have conspired with each other - but we never competed with each other. And I could look at hers for hours. She's a little wacky and is already planning her second one but that's another post for another day!<br />
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I hope you are working on a project that you love and are inspired to finish (eventually!).<br />
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Jan<br />
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-58420257236914463292015-02-10T06:37:00.002-08:002015-02-10T06:37:08.029-08:00Signed, Sealed, DeliveredI'm happy to say this quilt is in Toronto and waiting for our new grandson who should put in an appearance anytime between now and early March.<br />
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I learned a lot on this quilt and for the most part -- it was fun. Make a mistake? Just make it work. No ripping. Just changing direction when something didn't go as planned.</div>
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I quilted with a light gray thread and let me tell you -- there is no place to hide when you are quilting solids with semi-straight lines. No pattern in the fabric to hide your boo-boos. No busy pieced blocks to hide your "oops". No forgiving backing that hides your goofs. They are out there for everyone to see.</div>
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I know this is a bit unorthodox for a baby quilt -- and I had no idea how it would be received. Interestingly, when we got home, I began to get lots of questions about how I had quilted it as they looked more and more closely. I did lots of starts and stops and burying thread so anytime I "hit" a tree, I stopped, tied off, and restarted somewhere else. Once I sent this picture of the quilt on Lola, our son understood -- and appreciated the effort even more.</div>
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So, I'm looking forward to meeting Rex Webb Steve (our grandson's choice of names for his little brother) in a month or two and seeing that little guy on his birch tree quilt.</div>
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I hope you are quilting for someone you love -- whether you've met them yet or not!</div>
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Jan</div>
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-2747355679371950142015-01-11T12:37:00.000-08:002015-01-11T13:12:44.212-08:00Do overSometimes quilting just requires a "do over'. This quilt is one of those.<br />
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I made this quilt for my niece-the-quilter 8-9 years ago and did straight line quilting since I did not have access to a longarm. I called it "Tequila Sunrise" because she is a huge Jimmy Buffett fan. But alas, as it turns out Jimmy Buffett did not sing "Tequila Sunrise" but I think the name is perfect in spite of my feeble attempt.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-glGHgI7maZg/VLLbz4AZgqI/AAAAAAAACtg/DlFev_QRH9s/s1600/Erin1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-glGHgI7maZg/VLLbz4AZgqI/AAAAAAAACtg/DlFev_QRH9s/s1600/Erin1.JPG" height="320" width="295" /></a></div>
As with this black and white quilt I did for my now daughter-in-law, the stitching started pulling and breaking over time and it needed to be fixed.<br />
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So, I loaded it on the longarm.<br />
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I quilted it with a curvy pattern so it wouldn't overlap the straight line quilting.<br />
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I pulled out the old stitching.<br />
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It was a little work but I was happy to do it....and happy to have it done.<br />
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It's now back home where it belongs and I'm thrillled it's "fixed" and should hold for another 8-9 years.<br />
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But --- I have one more to do and then I think I will have fixed all the quilts that I can remember that I quilted this way. I want my quilts loved. I want them used. And I want them to last. So a do over is an easy decision -- start to finish, it's easily done in a week and the binding is already done!<br />
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I hope you are avoiding do overs and starting the new year with lots of creativity!<br />
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Jan<br />
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-57727366275196310642014-12-26T16:52:00.001-08:002014-12-26T16:52:51.381-08:00Planting a forestEver had an idea that seemed logical in your head and once you executed it - you weren't so sure? That's what's going on here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This started out as a version of <a href="http://crazymomquilts.bigcartel.com/product/bright-birch-trees-pdf-pattern" target="_blank">crazy mom quilts "birch trees"</a>. I love this pattern and bought it with the intent of making it for our new grandson who is to put in an appearance in early March. I started piecing the brightly colored birches - I studied her version - I pondered lights and darks. And then it took a right turn.</div>
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And I began to wonder if I could do more realistic birch trees. And would that make sense for a baby quilt? So I began to do a search on Pinterest and Google and came up with a beautiful and sophisticated wall hanging from <a href="http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/2011/03/night-forest.html" target="_blank">tallgrass prairie studio's "night forest". </a> Isn't this lovely? And I loved the contrast of lights and darks and all the different fabrics she used.</div>
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I still wasn't sure but I was intrigued and decided to try it. It's for family, after all, and if it's a little too "out there" or non-traditional, they won't have trouble telling me. So I started and had no idea what I was doing. I went through my strings; I pulled some pre cut strips from my bins; and I dug into my strips from men's shirts.</div>
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I had forgotten how much I Iike improvisational piecing. I just put away the ruler and started cutting. It went together quickly and when I did something I didn't intend to -- I just made it work. This is what the first version looked like when I added strips. The first image is the finished top and there was some evolution in design -- but not a lot. No pinning! Just cut, sew, and repeat.</div>
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This required me to stop working on the Quiltville mystery for a few days but I'm hoping to get caught back up while I ponder how to quilt this. I love the negative space but I've learned that dense quilting on a baby quilt takes away any "drape" until it's been washed a number of times. So, rather than create a "stiff" quilt for "Rex Webb Steve" (the name our grandson has chosen -- we're not monogramming anything just yet!), I'll restrain myself and not over quilt it.</div>
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I hope you are finding time to "create" and improvise occasionally and enjoy the process! Looking forward to a wonderful 2015 and more creativity!</div>
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Jan</div>
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-24948280946513805652014-12-06T17:34:00.002-08:002014-12-06T17:34:34.485-08:00And now there are 10.........and "only" six to go. ONLY. Only? Only. No matter how I say it -- it's still six blocks and I'm not working on any of them right now. My goal to get Kim McLean's Lollypop Quilt appliqued this year won't happen. So - "maybe" 2015. MAYBE. Maybe? Maybe.<br />
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Nevertheless, I do love this quilt and I will finish it -- and the border blocks too! It will be huge. It will be a terror to quilt. It will be a quilt I keep forever. It will be done!<br />
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I'd like to say I've accomplished all matter of other things. Not the case. I have started a lot of things -- including the mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter. Here are the remnants of step 1. Step 2 is about half done.<br />
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I have a few things I have to get done by Christmas so I'll work on the mystery quilt as much as I can - but I'm going to have to start focusing on gifts and commitments (not to mention Christmas, baking, decorating, and the best -- family).<br />
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I hope you are enjoying the holidays - finishing a few things - starting new things - and loving every minute of it!<br />
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Jan<br />
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-20426906192807434272014-11-21T17:21:00.001-08:002014-11-21T17:22:38.367-08:00One more time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Once again, I needed a baby quilt and I turned to my old faithful pattern. These are darling puppy dog (and a few kitty) prints that were gifted from my friend, logcabinquilting. This went together like a charm (as it always does) and was in the hands of the new grandmother within a week of cutting the first fabric. So thankful for generous friends -- and I have many of them.</div>
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Speaking of puppy dogs, this is our newest family member. Farley joined us three weeks ago today and he does love fabric. He's happy to sneak a scrap (or quilt block) from my quilt room and carry it around. I am not happy with that behavior so we're working on it. He's about six months old and still a puppy -- literally.<br />
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I hope you have generous friends, great patterns that never let you down, and a faithful companion of some sort who also loves fabric!<br />
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Best wishes for a wonderful family filled Thanksgiving!<br />
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JanI Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-64643521374244410612014-10-26T17:56:00.002-07:002014-10-26T17:56:56.083-07:00Boo!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever seen such a wild quilt? This is for our 4 year old grandson for Halloween and was loads of fun to do. Thanks to logcabinquilts who has been reducing her stash (I know - I don't get it either) and offered fabrics to me, I was gifted all these cute Halloween fabrics. Some were yardage and others were small pieces but this pattern is perfect for those. Thank you, LG.<br />
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The pattern is from Wanda at Exuberant Color and she has a great tutorial on her blog. <a href="http://exuberantcolor.blogspot.com/2011/09/crosses-quilt-turorial-part-1-designing.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a direct link to her Cross Quilt. But pay attention to her instructions -- they are spot on and it always takes me about two rows of sewing to get my rhythm down right. It goes together like a dream and uses 6.5" strips rather than five 2.5" squares. Goes together much faster. Thank you, Wanda.<br />
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The backing is fun and looked darling on the quilt. Candy corn fleece - what's not to love! And I think is really what my grandson likes the most. <br />
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And since this is for a 4 year old, will never be entered in a quilt show, and was just for fun, I decided to try my hand at free-hand quilting spiderwebs (in purple thread). No rulers - no templates - no real plan. He loved it and it's pretty forgiving!<br />
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So in the end, it was fun, went together quickly, I learned a lot quilting it, and it got to Toronto well before Halloween! <br />
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I hope you're finding time to quilt for someone you love!<br />
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Jan<br />
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-58419215616855540852014-10-05T19:23:00.000-07:002014-10-05T19:23:48.235-07:00Quick! What color is this quilt?This is a serious question! I have asked a number of friends and the answers are not consistent. Now, I'll be the first to say the photography is less than "good" but we're all looking at the same pictures. So, what color is this quilt when you first look at it?<br />
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What about now? It's a "blue" quilt, huh? The shade creates a consistent sense of color for some reason that I don't understand and am not likely to spend much time trying to figure out.<br />
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These are the wonderful fabrics I got at Houston last year (sigh....). They are Caryl Bryer Fallert's reproductions of her hand dyes and I adore them. They were a Benartex product. But, I only have two strips left and need to bind the quilt.<br />
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I quilted this on my longarm with Glide thread -- it's a pale pale silver that almost has a metallic look. I had a few problems with an occasional skipped stitch and actually "unquilted" about 2/3 of a pass because of tension issues that popped up. I'm sure this was something I did and not the Glide. And I could not be happy with this on the back -- so I finished the quilt, took it off, ripped, and put it back on. I'm much happier!<br />
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So -- this really is a serious question. I'd love to bind with a dominant color but I can't figure out what that would be! <br />
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I hope you are finding time to quilt with fabrics you love!<br />
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JanI Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-3322215730217657642014-09-29T05:37:00.000-07:002014-09-29T05:37:05.778-07:00# 9<br />
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Nine down -- seven to go along with about a bazillion little border blocks. This block was particularly hard for me to design and I do not love it but I will leave it. I can be very comfortable pulling fabrics for a red or blue or purple block. But when it comes to greens, yellows, and oranges (not to mention neutrals), it's not as easy for me. This one will not be a star but I repeatedly tell myself when I'm quilting that not every fabric nor block can always be the center of attention. And it's done!<br />
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This is Kim McLean's Lollypop quilt and if you've read my blog very long, you've been on this journey with me. And we are only slightly over half way. YIKES! I'll give my fingers a day or two to heal and then start another one!<br />
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Hoping you are working on something that gives you joy!<br />
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Jan<br />
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-65631072248536322352014-09-17T05:35:00.000-07:002016-02-20T13:02:41.277-08:00Finally done!This has been a process that took more than a year and I have no excuses. But it's done and now in Mr Iquiltforfun's car to be used for whatever he would like.<br />
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This quilt is made from jeans from our family and I wrote about it in <a href="http://www.iquiltforfun.blogspot.com/search/label/denim%20quilt" target="_blank">more detail here</a>. I do like it. It almost glows and that's amazing to me -- these are jeans that have had lots of use! And I mean a lot. My son. My husband. My sister. My nieces. There are ink spots and a bit of paint from a previous home and stains that will never be identified. And I left them in -- they are part of our history.<br />
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Edited on 2.20.16 --To reiterate - <b>this is not my pattern and I do not share it.</b> If you'd like to get a copy, you can go to Alicia's Esty shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LucysQuilts?ref=ss_profile" target="_blank">Lucys Quilts</a> and order it. She is selling it for $10 and part of that goes to charity. Worth every penny.<br />
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The pattern is brilliant. At no point do you sew denim-to-denim. The sashing takes care of that. I will make more (I've actually had a request or two from some family members) and I have lots of jeans so there is no shortage of fabric.<br />
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I have to say that when I loaded it on Lola I had a little bit of heartburn. Denim. Cotton batting. Black fleece on the back. And lovely Superior So Fine #50 for the top and bobbin. The completely unexpected challenge was that I could not see the quilting. Seriously. I could not tell where I had been on about 60% of the blocks. I would have to stop the machine and feel where I was and then go on memory. Not particularly professional but with a simple stipple, I got it all quilted and fairly evenly. <br />
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So, one more finish - and one more off my list!<br />
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I hope you are being productive and enjoying the process!<br />
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I'm linking this quilt to <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/" target="_blank">Amy's Creative Side</a> and her <a href="http://amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/" target="_blank">Blogger's Quilt Festival</a> in the scrappy portion. If old jeans aren't scrappy, nothing is! If you want to get lost in eye candy, this is the place to go. And, to reiterate -- this is not my pattern. <u>I do not share it</u>. You can link to Alicia's Etsy shop in the third paragraph and order it. Be sure to stop by the Blogger's Quilt Festival and see all the wonderful creations<br />
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JanI Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com74tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-19580349430273118862014-09-05T14:57:00.000-07:002014-09-05T14:57:12.317-07:00I had no idea where to startI had a request from someone I love and could not find a pattern I liked but had no idea what to do.<br />
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So....<br />
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I pieced it...<br />
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I quilted it...<br />
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I marked it...<br />
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I took a deep breath and cut it....<br />
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I bound it....<br />
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and I shipped it....<br />
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And, I have to say, I really like it! It makes me happy that it will be under the tree of some people very important to me!<br />
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I hope you are finding time to make things that you love for people you love!<br />
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Jan<br />
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-66836239873532952832014-08-21T08:37:00.000-07:002014-08-21T08:37:16.889-07:00One of my favorites!I don't do a lot of pre-printed panels. I strongly believe that when I am giving a baby quilt to someone I care about, the amount of time spent has value and sends a message. BUT, I love this panel. When I saw it years ago, I bought three of them and companion border fabric. It is called the Hungry Animal Alphabet and it is more for the parents that the child. If you've seen it, you know what I mean.<br />
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How can you not fall in love with this Hippo seated on a Hassock wearing a Housedress of Hibiscus while she uses her Hankie in preparation for her Hamburger and Honey as her Hen watches. You have to love the furnishings -- the Hat and Hat tree against the Herringbone wallpaper and the Heart cut out of the table. But I know I've missed stuff so what do you see and what on earth is the lamp -- I'm used to those being oil lamps and cannot figure that one out. Help. It's making me nuts!<br />
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And what about this one? Aren't the Checked Cafe Curtains clever?<br />
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Honestly, I love them all and could have showed each of them to you!<br />
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But, you see what I mean about this being more for parents than the baby. In this case, this goes to my one-and-only great nephew, Special K. Love him to death and he may be the happiest baby on the earth. Such a joy!<br />
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I'm also lucky enough to have a fourth panel that was gifted to me by a special friend, logcabinquilting, when she was cleaning out her stash. More on that at a later date. I'm still trying to understand it.<br />
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So, here's your test -- what do you see in this block?<br />
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I hope you are finding time to create for people you love!<br />
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Jan<br />
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<span id="goog_1310533981"></span><span id="goog_1310533982"></span><br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-40305586373454211762014-07-29T05:45:00.002-07:002014-07-29T05:45:37.358-07:00Yet again...I really should count how many times I have used this pattern in baby quilts and lap quilts. It is my "go to" when I want something quick and a little on the less traditional side.<br />
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It is from Kim Schaeffer's "Cozy Modern Quilts" book and I have a love-hate relationship with her patterns as some of you know. Her designs appeal to me and I have made a lot of them. Her instructions are a little sparse. The only reason I mention this in almost every post where I have used one of her patterns is to caution anyone buying the book (which I recommend) to read through and make sure they understand the cutting instructions for every component before they start. <br />
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This particular quilt is heading to Texas to a young woman who will be delivering her first child in a few months. Married a little over a year, her husband was deployed to Afghanistan and she promptly found out she was pregnant, alone on a base in Texas, family in South Carolina, and not sure her husband would be home in time for the delivery. As it turns out, he is home and will be there for the blessed event! Love happy endings.<br />
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I just stippled it as it's hopefully going to get lots of use and lots of washing. These blocks lend themselves to some fun quilting - but I would never do that for a baby quilt. They need to be much more utilitarian!<br />
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I hope you are working on something that makes you happy and enjoying the pleasure of marking one more thing off your quilting "to do" list!<br />
<br />
Jan<br />
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PS -- these pix are dreadful. I must have had a yellow filter on!<br />
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-23946377197322120502014-07-18T18:08:00.000-07:002014-07-18T18:08:39.726-07:00Learning can hurtLearning can definitely hurt. Your feelings! Your confidence! Your sense of creativity! But it can make you grow....and this quilt has helped me grow in lots of ways. Although there has been plenty of pain!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so lucky to have mom22smartchix wanting to "invest" in my longarm improvement. She kindly donated this homespun quilt top for me to "play" on and I decided that I would use each block as a "sampler" of stitches. That seemed reasonable at first. And a great "resource". And it is. But it hurts.</div>
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I chose to use 30wt thread -- which is HEAVY and shows every little glitch. Basically, it's the thread that is used to topstitch jeans to give you an idea of what quilting with it was like. I had just heard Angela Walters (who I deeply admire as a longarm expert) say that she didn't rip out stitches if things weren't perfect. I chose that philosophy on this quilt. Otherwise, I would have ripped out more than I put in. Plus, ripping out stitches on solid homespuns is never a good idea.</div>
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I learned a lot. I learned there are some fillers that I can do and want to do again. </div>
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I learned there are some fillers that I am not ready to put on a quilt that I plan to give as a gift.</div>
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I learned that I don't know as many fillers as I thought I did. But I made a few up.</div>
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I learned that skinny rectangles don't lend themselves to some stitches.</div>
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I learned that I should have been burying my stitches rather than backstitching. They look like little nests.</div>
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But I learned! And it was humbling. And it was painful. And it helped me grow as a longarmer. </div>
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I hope you are learning (even if it creates a little "pain")!!!!</div>
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Jan</div>
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-41976265050744073232014-06-25T13:43:00.001-07:002014-06-25T13:43:23.231-07:00Sharing is CaringWhile I absolutely agree with this sentiment, I suspect we have all had a child use it to their advantage when we had something they want. The fun part of that is turning the table on occasion.<br />
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But, I've had a chance to share Lola with one of the most important people in my life: my-niece-the-quilter.<br />
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I actually love this quilt -- not necessarily for the fabric choices -- but for what it represents. She has a friend who will be moving to Pennsylvania in the next month or so and wanted to make a quilt from the group of friends. So -- everyone (including kids) were instructed to pick out a FQ of a fabric that had some meaning for them with the departing couple. That is brave -- these are not quilters and one never knows what they will get.</div>
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She got hippos that "may" represent when they were pregnant together. She got the logo of a pie restaurant where the two guys were on a first name basis. She got turkeys because two families always spent Thanksgiving Day together. She got pumpkins because they met in a pumpkin patch. She got Harry Potter because one of the children adores it. She got cowboy boots because they bought the first pair of cowboy boots for one of the kids. She used fabric for the border that was the same fabric she had made luncheon napkins for a maternity shower. What a conglomeration. The upside was that most of the fabric were Spoonflower and not cheap see-through material!</div>
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I think this is the perfect pattern (don't know the name) for so much variation and the use of Kona gray sashing to help tie everything together -- along with a black inner border -- resulted in a special special quilt.</div>
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Add to that, my-niece-the-quilter had only longarmed one quilt years ago. She chose to stipple and did a great job. Learning to stipple and keep it even is not easy but she did it. </div>
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I am so proud of her and love the finished product!</div>
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I hope you are getting to share your love of quilting with someone you love!</div>
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Jan</div>
I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-44292825784127254952014-06-16T14:06:00.000-07:002014-06-16T14:07:02.732-07:00Quilt Math – an anomaly<div class="MsoNormal">
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Is it me or are there times when “quilt math” is
inconsistent?<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I am making 76 blocks for a quilt and I get to #38, I
am on the home stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I’m making
120 four-patches and hit #60, it’s a piece of cake!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m currently working on 7.5” log cabin
blocks and have to make 64.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I completed
#20 yesterday and felt like I am on a roll and this is going to be done in no
time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then, there is this quilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this is block #8 of 16 total large blocks and I am overwhelmed at
the amount of work that lies ahead to finish all the applique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What gives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seriously, I feel like I just got started and many of you know this
journey started in January, 2011 with a false start on a black background block
and I couldn’t stand the lint and show through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So that block will someday be a practice piece for quilting and become a
linty pillow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was sure that halfway would motivate me to keep
stitching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it is, I think I’ll give
my fingers a rest and watch the World Cup, do a little long arming, and make log
cabins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe when I hit #9 I’ll be “on a roll”!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope your quilt math is working out and you are motivated
to finish projects you love!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-78937859933118147082014-06-08T18:55:00.001-07:002014-06-08T18:55:32.256-07:00And then there were 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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....but that means there are 9 more to go. This is like the never-ending-story!<br />
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I hope you are finishing up a project you love -- or still in love with a project that never ends!<br />
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JanI Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-78973400101693830042014-05-28T15:03:00.000-07:002014-05-28T15:03:55.571-07:00Done…and done!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it's done -- and I mean really done. I had thought I would add some borders out of the neutral sashing fabric but when I auditioned them, they didn't do a thing for it. They only made it bigger and didn't seem to frame it like I saw it in my head. So, surprisingly, this lap quilt is finished and ready to be quilted.<br />
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Because I chose to go with sashing that finishes at 1/2", I actually lost about 7" across the width of the quilt (compared to sashing that finishes the same size as the blocks -- 3/4"). Don't ask me how I could even think that a 3/4" sashing looked clunky -- but I did. I made two sample blocks and left them on my design wall for about a week. Every time I looked at the one with 3/4" sashing, I didn't like it as well as the one with smaller strips controlling the little 4-patches. Seriously. It makes no sense to me, either.<br />
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I originally thought I would count the pieces in this top and then I thought again. There are 960 4-patches that finish at 1.5" plus all kinds of sashing strips. I'm probably better off not knowing. It finished about 60' x 64' so it will be a good lap quilt with lots of fabrics to look at if I get bored.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5onuXz4oGc/U4ZawLhkvPI/AAAAAAAACaM/qqMhJW9YI00/s1600/IMG_3196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5onuXz4oGc/U4ZawLhkvPI/AAAAAAAACaM/qqMhJW9YI00/s1600/IMG_3196.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a></div>
The "underbelly" is a bit of a hot mess. Most of the seams are pressed open -- or at least started that way. Talk about "the good, the bad, and the ugly!"<br />
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As I mentioned in previous posts -- I really like it. But not enough to do it again!<br />
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I hope you are working on something that is unique and challenging!<br />
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Jan<br />
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-91986643836987393782014-05-17T08:47:00.002-07:002014-05-17T08:47:51.200-07:00Extreme swaps!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've ever done a swap, you know you are at the mercy of your fellow swappers. I have done 9 patches, nickels, charms, and these little 4 patches. In every situation, I have been excited with some of the blocks or fabric as well as amazed that someone thought it was acceptable to include some others in the swap. I have to admit, I am still not over getting a charm square of pool balls that was thinner than toilet paper!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bp5eGg7ZdEo/U3d_pl_F0bI/AAAAAAAACX0/SjHuwmYhZKU/s1600/IMG_3924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bp5eGg7ZdEo/U3d_pl_F0bI/AAAAAAAACX0/SjHuwmYhZKU/s1600/IMG_3924.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
You may remember from previous posts that we had to do 800 4-patches that finish at 1.5". Tiny little things. But, when you are dealing with such small pieces, a variation of 1/8" is noticeable. Without showing examples and calling anyone out (including me), let's just say there is a LOT of variation in these. Anytime you make 800 of anything, it's natural to lose your motivation, your mojo, and your accuracy. Hence, the sashings help control the little stinkers who are less than accurate. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zQgQqmpqjxI/U3eAtuH9LxI/AAAAAAAACYc/MhQ8leHn7R4/s1600/IMG_3137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zQgQqmpqjxI/U3eAtuH9LxI/AAAAAAAACYc/MhQ8leHn7R4/s1600/IMG_3137.JPG" height="183" width="320" /></a></div>
But -- I love them and this will be different from any quilt I have ever made. And a few of the swappers are friends and our mutual history together is reflected in some of those little 4 patches. As an aside, their little patches were just fine. :-)<br />
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On the other side of swapping are these lovely little HSTs. These were all done with friends and they are great! We used Edyta Sitar's HST papers with a guideline of batiks in shades of autumn. What a great way to do a swap. <br />
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We all used her papers and the accuracy is great. Each of us stitched our papers, cut them, and divided them up. That way, the recipient has to take off the papers, press them, and cut the bunny ears off. I'm not sure what they will end up in but it's so fun to see them and I am loving that they are all the same size!<br />
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So -- two swaps. Love them both but one requires a lot of finessing and one is ready to go once I get time and decide what to do. Every swap is a roll of the dice and I think accepting the fact that some items are going to be less than perfect is worth the gamble!<br />
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I hope you're finding ways to create!<br />
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Jan<br />
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-17221027035176479292014-04-22T19:00:00.000-07:002014-04-22T19:00:19.220-07:00RemediationLast month, I posted about <a href="http://iquiltforfun.blogspot.com/2014/03/surgery-or-band-aid.html" target="_blank">this quilt</a> and the problems I was having with the straight line quilting popping free. I asked for suggestions about how to fix this and ended up with a lot to consider.<br />
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Many people suggested I cross hatch it by straight line quilting in the other direction. That had never ever occurred to me but the thought of having to do that on my domestic machine was daunting. And I don't have the right rulers to be able to it on Lola. </div>
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Other suggestions were to repair the straight lines that were pulling and then be done with it. Let them love it and enjoy it as it was originally designed. That made me a little itchy because it meant the problem would continue.</div>
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Others suggested that I quilt over it on my long arm and then leave in the original stitching. I so wish I had the ability to do that. But the old stitching would make me nuts.</div>
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In the end, I pinned the quilt on Lola, put in a charcoal thread so I could distinguish from the original black quilting and did some square quilting on it. I knew I didn't want to do any kind of swirly design that might overlap the original stitching and could be hard to manage. <br />
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I quilted it on a Wednesday and it was in the washer Sunday afternoon with all the old stitching taken out. There were memory lines from the straight line quilting but I washed it again two weeks later and it's almost gone. Taking out the stitches was relatively easy and a great project for the evening and was a great excuse NOT to be working on a Lollypop appliqué block.<br />
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We head to Toronto next week and I'm happy to be returning the quilt within 3 months of bringing it home. Hopefully it has a number of good years left in it and can provide hours more cuddle time (or tent time for a 3 year old). In the meantime, you all are an incredible source of knowledge and ideas. Thanks to everyone that took the time to suggest a solution and give me something to think about.</div>
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I hope you are finding easy and right solutions for any problems you may be having!</div>
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Jan</div>
I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-66641486056138914192014-04-16T13:18:00.000-07:002014-04-16T13:18:24.330-07:00Happy Easter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-87028291605842083712014-04-04T15:01:00.001-07:002014-04-04T15:01:17.740-07:00Charity begins at homeI am so happy to say that I have my monthly allotment of charity quilts done and delivered -- for April and for May! That never happens. But, I'm a bit busy with some administrative work and I wanted to make sure that the baby quilts for the hospital got done. And since they were done, they might as well be delivered. No sense having them here and then maybe forgetting them.<br />
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They are certainly varied. The "charity" part is that almost all the fabric was donated by friends and all I had to do was repurpose it. How sweet is that! Free fabric already in triangles or 4patches. Oh, yes, that's my kind of charity.<br />
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This quilt and the one below were made with triangles that monkeymamaquilts had leftover from a class we took at our local guild. I have railed about this pattern (instructions were dreadful) and waste of fabric (see what I mean). I won't go into it again, here. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to get her scraps and see what I could do to make them into quilts. The blocks finish at 8.5" or 9", I think.<br />
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For both of these, I practiced new "filler" quilting to see if I liked it and if it would work on a larger quilt. The answer for both is "yes" -- but I have some work I need to do to get better.</div>
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This little quilt was made from scraps from mom22smartchix and all I had to do is put the squares and 4 patches together. Love that! I practiced random free hand feathers for the quilting. Oh, my -- so much more to do in that area. I think it can work well for a boy or a girl and it's happy.<br />
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The owl fabric here is darling and the quilt is actually much cuter than it looks in the picture. The owls were compliments of mom22smartchix and were leftover from a baby quilt she had made for a friend. Because the motifs were big (and cute), I wanted to maximize the fabric and went with larger blocks. I practiced quilting flowers in each block. The flowers were fun and I'll definitely try them again.</div>
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So -- charity begins at home and I am fortunate to have a number of "charitable" friends who gift me parts and fabric periodically. I am oh-so-happy to play with them and see what can be done to pass on their blessing to someone else.</div>
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I hope your finding blessings along the way this week!</div>
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Jan</div>
I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-91019127574020917162014-03-24T14:45:00.002-07:002014-03-24T14:45:53.865-07:00My March MadnessI love college basketball. I am in Kentucky. You pretty much have to love basketball and horse racing --- and maybe bourbon. <br />
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I'm happy to say that I have another Lollypop block done, thanks to a few hours of great (and not so great) basketball this past week. It's actually very helpful to be focused on stitches and not plays and then count on instant replay to get you up to speed. There are some "tension" issues on a few of the elements in this block and I'm blaming it on close games.<br />
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So -- six (of 16) are done, along with six (of 36) small border blocks. The border blocks that you see here will finish at 4"x4" or 4"x6" and were a great way to use random scraps that were left over from the larger blocks.<br />
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I certainly need a break from appliquéing to let my fingers heal a bit. But there is more basketball later this week. For Kentuckians, it's a big game. Louisville vs. Kentucky. And there are not many people in this state that are neutral. You bleed red or you bleed blue when these teams play. Once the winner is decided, there is a very small population that will cheer on the winning team that just happened to be your opposition in the previous game. I fall in that camp. I will vehemently root for the team that beat my guys.<br />
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For those of you who live in states where baseball or hockey or football are important, you know what I mean. When we were in Chicago -- you were either a "southsider" (White Sox) or "northsider" (Cubs) but in the 10 years that I was there, I never heard "both"! I certainly knew people that didn't care either way -- if someone cared -- they cared about a particular team and often in a big way.<br />
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How wonderful for quilters that we often have a completely different approach ---<br />
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Applique or piecing? <i>Both</i><br />
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Batiks or cottons?<i> Both</i><br />
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Hand quilting or longarming? <i>Both</i><br />
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Brights or midrange? <i>Both</i><br />
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Machine applique or hand applique?<i> Both</i><br />
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Flannels or homespuns?<i> Both</i><br />
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Modern quilting or precision piecing? <i>Both</i><br />
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Solids or prints? <i>Both</i><br />
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We are happy to play in multiple sandboxes and -- if we don't -- we do not judge others who do. Instead, we appreciate them and often want to learn from them. So -- as much as I love some sports, I love quilting even more, don't you??<br />
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I hope you are having a great week of March Madness full of things that you love!<br />
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JanI Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92182324931234678.post-18022904588752712872014-03-14T11:42:00.000-07:002014-03-14T11:42:31.178-07:00Surgery or a Band-aid?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a dilemma and I would deeply appreciate your thoughts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a quilt that I made years ago for our son's girlfriend (who I'm happy to say is now my daughter-in-law and mother of our only grandchild). With most any quilt, there are factors that make it special (at least to the quilt maker). In the case of this quilt there are two:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was working with leaf cutter ants as part of her PhD in microbiology. Thus, the ant fabric was the genesis for what other fabrics would be used.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I paper pieced the Canadian maple leaf on the back. I can't remember how many pieces are in this but I wanted to honor her with a special label. I will not do this again although I'm sure there is an easier pattern out there. This is not my forte!</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dilemma is this. I did not have easy access to a long arm machine at the time and quilted it on my Bernina. I did straight line quilting about an inch apart and changed directions periodically for interest. But, all stitching was on the diagonal. I really liked the look of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, several years later (8 to be exact) and after lots of use, the quilting stitching is breaking. A lot. I have the quilt in my possession and was going to repair it but was startled to find more than 30 breaks that range from 1'-1.5" to 3"-4". And I suspect there are more -- this is black thread on a lot of black fabric and hard to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So -- I can only see two options:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. I can fix the black linear stitching like I had planned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good, bad, and ugly are: I can do it pretty quickly; it will keep the linear stitching; and it will probably continue to rip out over time when the quilt is used. So -- basically, it's fast and nothing else changes. Essentially, a band-aid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. I can put the quilt on Lola and quilt it with a more 'fluid" design in a different color thread and pick out the black stitching. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good, bad, and ugly are: It will take longer; the linear "look" will be gone once I take out the black stitching; and it will be more secure with stitching going in lots of directions. Essentially, surgery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the heart of the matter (I think) is whether the quilt is worthy of being saved. It's not a show quilt and certainly not fancy. It gets lots of use in a home that appreciates and loves my quilts and it's not the only quilt they have. My son and daughter-in-law are NO help. I mean NONE! I believe they would be happy with either. I am not happy with the fidelity of my stitching not being secure but I have never put a finished quilt on a long arm and then ripped stitching. I cannot figure out whether it's "worth" it or not. I am usually pretty decisive so being in limbo (or denial) is a new occurrence for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I welcome your thoughts and questions!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you are finding time to create and not hamstrung by decisions!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jan</span></div>
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I Quilt for Funhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344303465941082875noreply@blogger.com27