It's done -- and I'm thrilled

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.

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!

Thank you, Kim McLean, for such a great pattern (Lollypop) and use of color!

I hope you are finishing a few things occasionally. It does feel good!

Jan

A 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.

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.

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!).

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!

I hope you are working on a project that you love and are inspired to finish (eventually!).

Jan

# 9

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!

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!

Hoping you are working on something that gives you joy!

Jan

Quilt Math – an anomaly

Is it me or are there times when “quilt math” is inconsistent?

When I am making 76 blocks for a quilt and I get to #38, I am on the home stretch.  If I’m making 120 four-patches and hit #60, it’s a piece of cake!  I’m currently working on 7.5” log cabin blocks and have to make 64.  I completed #20 yesterday and felt like I am on a roll and this is going to be done in no time.

And then, there is this quilt.  I love it.  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.  What gives?  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.  So that block will someday be a practice piece for quilting and become a linty pillow.

I was sure that halfway would motivate me to keep stitching.  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. Maybe when I hit #9 I’ll be “on a roll”!

I hope your quilt math is working out and you are motivated to finish projects you love!

Jan

And then there were 7

....but that means there are 9 more to go.  This is like the never-ending-story!

I hope you are finishing up a project you love -- or still in love with a project that never ends!

Jan

Quilting Olympics!

Seriously -- I feel like I'm in a marathon--a quilting marathon.

I'm happy to say that I have one more Lollypop block appliquéd!  I'm not quite as happy to say that I have no more in the pipeline that are ready to start stitching.

What I do have is a huge mess in my playroom.  I have fabric all over the floor which is actually working better than when I tried to sort by color.  This quilt has 16 lollypop blocks and 32 smaller border blocks.  I have a total of five quilt blocks and two border blocks done.  Completely done!

I have spent the last 2-3 weeks working on laying out the remaining 11 quilt blocks.  It is a slow slow process for me and I have six blocks with fabrics selected and the components cut out and completely prepped.  They are ready to spot glue to the polka-dot fabric.  My goal is to get all 11 quilt blocks (and border blocks) prepped and then have a gluing marathon.  I do think there is some "economy of scale" in the assembly line approach as I remember my "tricks of the trade" and don't have to refresh and re-learn each time I start.

Either way -- it's slow.  The fabrics are beautiful.  It's a little overwhelming.  And it's rewarding to finish one and see the pile get a little smaller (of course, another pile is getting larger at the same time).  I'm beginning to miss it which is a good thing.  But right now, I can barely get to it for fabric all over the place!  You can see here what "fussy cutting" does to a quarter yard cut.  It took me a while to reconcile my need to save fabric with the obvious design requirements for this particular quilt!

I hope you are having a rewarding time creating something wonderful!

Jan

PS -- thanks to all for your comments and spontaneous prayers for the young couple I mentioned in my last post.  As I understand it, Ethiopian adoptions will continue and they remain somewhere on the list to increase their family one of these days.  Very exciting!

Unexpected...

What to do?  My Christmas quilts are done.  My baby quilts for the hospital are done.  I don't have any deadlines that I need to meet. My 500+ HSTs for a swap are done and bagged.  I have three quilts cut out…

• My wonderful Cherrywoods in a tote 
• A One Block Wonder waiting.
• Bonnie Hunter's mystery has all the parts done -- although I have no desire to work on it.

I wandered into the guest room where my Lollypop Tree blocks sit and unexpectedly decided that kind of color and process was just what I needed! I can't rush.  I can cover up with a quilt if I'm chilly.  I can stop whenever I need to.  Each element is a "completion".  I can work for five minutes or five hours if I want to.  And -- the Australian Open was starting last weekend and this makes for a "quiet" way to watch tennis (or at least replays).

It was the right decision.  It's been a good week and I have once again been reminded why I ordered this pattern within a week of happening upon it.  Many of you have read about this journey in other posts and I'll spare you the details again.  For those who are not familiar with Kim McLean and her marvelous patterns, here's a link to some eye candy that can take your breath away.

This quilt requires 16 blocks and each block takes me days to prep.  I am not fast.  The process I am using is not fast. I don't want to rush.  I want to enjoy the process of choosing all the different fabrics, cutting them, prepping them, and gluing them.  The color is just what the doctor ordered on a  gloomy winter's day.

I have four stitched and one more prepped.  Period.  That's it.   Right now it seems reasonable to think that I will spend a few days later this week prepping another block or two. Who knows what will seem reasonable later this week but for now, that's my plan and I'm sticking to it.  

I hope you are working on something that has wonderful colors and the process is as much fun as the completion!  

Jan

And then there were three!

The journey of Lollypops continues.  This is not the first, and is far from the last, post on my ongoing relationship with Kim McLean's Lollypop Quilt.  I will spare you all the links; if you're interested, you can click on Labels on the right side of the blog. Suffice it to say, I've chatted about this before.

I love the Tour de France!  Also not a new comment.  I also love Wimbledon!  So the last two weeks have been perfect for handwork. As I've had a few minutes, I've run up to my little quilting room and pulled out this block that I prepared months ago, and have done a little stitching. My tension on my stitches is a little wonky -- you can see some puckering in the block --but that will "quilt out" right?

This block that is prepped has fewer motifs to appliqué so it will be next.  My personality is to start with the hardest (or most unpleasant) first and get it done so the balance is easier (or less distasteful in some circumstances -- that's not the case here).  It's not distasteful in the least -- it will just take longer.

The last prepped block looks like a breeze, doesn't it?  Bigger motifs, fewer small circles, and fun colors.  And this is the actual design -- no editing from me.  While I now have three (of 16!) blocks completely appliqued and two more ready to go, I had a moment of epiphany and realized that if I put everything aside and just prepped blocks and appliqued like a madwoman, I probably could not finish this quilt by the end of the year.  Really?  YIKES.  I need to get my act in gear and be more deliberate about this wonderful quilt.  I love it.  It makes me happy.  BUT. Piecing makes me happy.  Long arm quilting makes me happy.  Giving people finished quilts makes me happy.  But not getting this done before I'm 90 doesn't make me too happy!  I need to give this some thought and decide on some priorities and commitments.

Let me say -- this little gem from Superior Threads is a lifesaver!  I would never have enough different colors to appliqué all these bright colors.  I do have four spools of silk thread and I like them a lot but sometimes the colors just work better.  What a beautiful rainbow!  I highly recommend it if you have an appliqué project in your future.

I hope you have something that you are working on that makes you happy!

Jan

180 Degrees

Well, if you read my last post, you know I was bouncing around from project to project like Jumpin' Jack Flash.  This week has been the exact opposite.  My machine was only turned on for about 30 minutes of sewing -- all week.

Instead, I got focused on selecting fabrics for this block.  This is my third (of 16!) block from Kim McLean's Lollypop Quilt pattern.  I love it -- but choosing fabrics and making decisions makes me a little nuts.

This color palette is completely out of my comfort zone -- to the point that I made myself a note reminding me that I wanted it to be pink and orange.  Turns out I didn't have much orange -- so it ended up pink, yellow, and a bit of orange.

This is not fast for me -- before even getting to the fabric selection and block prepping, I trace every piece that is not a circle onto Beth Ferrier's appliqué paper.  I normally use freezer paper but the denser foundation of Beth's paper gives me more stability.  I did a practice block and used freezer paper -- I found that even subtle shifting impacted the design.  As you can see, this is a mirror image block and one stem creeping up 1/4" and the other stem slipping 1/4" is obvious.

The patterns are well done but they take a lot of paper!  And once I got the pink block done, it seemed silly not to do another one!  No sense gluing the pieces down for just one block.

That leads to deciding on the primary color for that next block and digging into my tote of Kaffe fabrics!  

I ended up with yet another block prepped that is not in the colors that make me most comfortable (blues and reds and purples!).  I have added a bobbin to the lower right hand circle to get a perspective on the size of the blocks.

So -- what now?  I have devoted the entire week to tracing, prepping, selecting, cutting, gluing, and pinning wonderful fabrics to patterns that make me very happy.  Before I pull out the Roxanne's appliqué glue -- maybe I should prep one more!  After all, I need 16 and I only have two completed and these two ready to finalize.  And, there are about a million small applique blocks for the border -- but I can't even think about those right now!

I hope you have had a good week doing whatever makes you happy -- and playing with great fabric!

Jan

I'm just not sure...

Arggghhhh!  The colors aren't particularly good on these.  I am a firm believer in making practice blocks before I get in too deeply on a project.  I can learn a lot about what to do and sometimes will not even start a project b/c I didn't enjoy it or ended up not liking it. 

These are practice blocks for Lollypops by Kim McLean.  I'm practicing my applique -- it's been years -- and trying out background fabrics.  I'll probably post on Glorious Applique's blog (have you been there -- it's grand) to get some feedback from the experts. 

I bought the bottom fabric for thsi project.  I wanted a bit of color but no direction in the pattern.  The top fabric is a deep deep black with ginkgo leaves (can you see them?) and when I saw it (Marcus Brothers), I bought the entire bolt.  Seriously.  I had to have it all.  I love the black -- I do not love the show through which you can see on the "heads" of the lollypops.  The bodies still have freezer paper in them so there is no show through there. The heads don't and I have cut the background away on the one on the left and you can see the shadows -- and you can certainly see them on the pink one.  I'm a bit baffled at this point and would welcome comments.  I've considered another background but this could go on forever and I could never get started!

Keep piecing (or appliquing!), Jan