Cheating on the resolution

I've been trying really hard to stick with last year's resolution of not starting any new projects but like all resolutions, it's not always possible. I spent a wonderful weekend at the quilting retreat with friends and as I'm going through the UFOs to find one to work on, my husband said that the bench he'd been working on was finished and he'd really like the cushions covered by crazy quilted covers. Who am I to say no to someone who doesn't say no to the bags and bags of silks and brocades I drag home. So that's the project I worked on for the weekend. Here the bench is completed.

This is the left hand cushion. I had a chance to dip into my stash of earthy luscious fabrics and trims. I used trims and braids exclusively to cover the patchwork seams because this is going to be sat on everyday and I didn't want to use embroideries that could snag or wear. I also didn't want to do motifs in the patches for the same reason. So in drafting the piecing pattern I used really big patches. I love the way it turned out being able to highlight the actual fabrics.

This is the right hand cushion. The bench is almost as long as a queen sized bed. It is a vast improvement on the 80's-era country blue and pink folding chair it replaced. It took longer to do than I expected because I handstitched all those trims. Since I wanted to really secure them they're stitched to within an inch of their life. I'd estimate it took longer than if i embroidered the seams. All together I worked for three solid days at the retreat to complete the first cushion cover and two weekends of free time to finish the second. But it's worth the work. 

CQ Hearts progress

I signed up for a round robin with the Crazy Quilters International yahoo group. The round robin has a hearts theme and after several sketches and ideas, I decided to bring one of my WISPs out of its box and move it forward. The post about where the hearts came from is here and I'm really glad I'm moving it along. I've taken the hearts with me many times to show as samples when I've taught crazy quilting and embroidery classes, and they're always a big hit with students but I just never knew what to do with them. I thought of making a series of blocks with a heart at the center but the idea seemed to rigid.

Then when I signed up for the RR I started doing some serious sketchingbut couldn't come up with the right treatment. But then during a staff meeting, I got inspired to step away from the idea of square blocks altogether and go to a Victorian-style background with no square corners anywhere. So I created a large pieced background (it's really three large pieces that will eventually be joined together) and  scattered the hearts across them. I pieced the background all in black because it really made the hearts pop. The background is really composed of  three pieces that I've created with components that will bridge the long seams and disguise them. Hopefully.

I'm thinking about making a scalloped velvet border with flower embroideries.  or maybe prairie points. But something unusual.

The name of the piece is Hearts and Flowers. I didn't realize until I was setting it up for this photograph that all the hearts had flower motifs on them. Isn't that funny how you sometimes can't see something that obvious?

Anyway, I'll be working away on the top two pieces of the quilt while the bottom block shown below makes its way to California, New York, Washington, and Australia. I wish I could go with it. It's -20 with almost four feet of snowI and I'm longing for clement weather. Although maybe I shouldn't. We had a weird warm spell and the melting snow from the roof leaked into the front hall closet -- can we all say Ice Dam?

Work left to complete: Edge the remaining hearts with piping, sew hearts to background, embellish seams and add motifs between hearts, join pieces, border and back.

Quilting Retreat Ahead

At the end of the month, I'll be joining friends for a 4 day retreat at the beautiful Westlake Resort in northwestern Minnesota. This is a picture of one lodge which unfortunately will look nothing like this when I get there. It is currently -20 and there is 4 feet of snow. But that's OK. I plan to snuggle up with my beads and sewing machine and go to town on the UFOs listed on this blog. My goal for the weekend is to get at least two projects done but I'm bringing most of the UFOs with me. Who knows where the inspiration will strike and what a bummer it would be if I got the urge to finish something I didn't bring with me! 

So I'll have a small suitcase with a couple sweaters and fill up my car with boxes and boxes of ribbons, fibers, fabric, beads, and other doo dads I think I might want to complete some of my unfinished projects. 

Done with a week to spare

It took some real gritting of teeth to make myself go to the machine every day but I got it done with a whole week to spare before the wedding!

My original plan had been to stitch around each block by machine and then hand sashiko a different pattern in each block but I had to admit it was not only not going to be ready for the wedding--it was debatable if it would be done by their first anniversary. So I machine quilted using saskiko-type patterns but I stuck with the idea of doing different patterns in different blocks. This one isn't sashiko but the pattern was based on a kimono my dad brought back from Japan for me when I was a kid.

Knowing I don't like working on the machine and avoid whenever possible, I set myself a quota of completing one block on weekdays and 3 blocks on each Saturday and Sunday. Except for the two days I was completely wiped out with stomach flu, I stuck to the resolve. Even though my free motion machine technique is very rusty I have to admit it was kind of fun. The dragonflies on this block are stitched with a blue metallic thread. I added them after all the stitching in this block was done because a) the cloud printed fabric was too light and threw off the balance a little bit but mostly because b) I made a couple of real big boo-boos when stitching the curved lines that make up this pattern. Turns out I forgot to put down the feed dogs. Oops. But it was nothing a handfull of embroidered dragonflies can't disguise.

The calla lily I drew on the label is taken from Erin and Brian's wedding invitation. I also stitched two blocks with calla lily designs. All in all, I really enjoyed working on this quilt. It was such a change from all the crazy quilting I've done the last couple years.

Wedding purse

Another exception to the no new project rule - a bride's purse for my neice. I used some lovely heart shaped beads in the handle. There are more photos on my Flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kim_in_fargond/

Wedding quilt

Even though I had resolved not to start any new projects until I've finished off my WISP inventory I had to make an exception for a wedding quilt for my neice. I've made quilts for all the neices & nephews as they were married and I couldn't bear to miss this one just because I'm behind on other projects!

The bedroom in the new house my neice and her finance are decorating is ice blue and chocolate brown which is my current favorite color combination. And the style throughout the house is slightly vintage with Asian touches.

As she and I chatted by email about design ideas, she said she wasn't really fond of "quilty quilts"so that gave me the ideato try something outside my comfort zone -- no applique, no little fussy pieced blocks. This design is very modern and minimal. I started with this wonderful Asian inspired print I've been hoarding for years. I cut big blocks of coordinating fabrics and I plan to quilt each block in a sashiko inspired pattern. Her wedding is in a month, so I have to get stitching like mad.

Woo Hoo

I'm on the final stage of a long overdue birthday gift for my sister. I can now say unequivocable that I HATE piecing. I just hate it. I'd far rather applique a queen-sized quilt by hand. It might be much slower on an inch-by-inch basis but since I go to ridiculous lengths to avoid piecing it takes a lot longer to get a pieced project done in the long run. I also find that I don't like stained glass style applique. I think the thing is I just don't like working on a machine. Unfortunately several of my WISPs are going to require machine sewing. I'm just going to have to get over it. Maybe it will help when I get my machine serviced. I've had my Bernina for almost 15 years and it's worked like a top but with this project I noticed it's starting to make some pretty funny noises. As soon as I finish a couple small mending jobs I'm going to take it in to the shop.

But this quilt top is now finally done thank goodness. After much sweat and seam ripping, I finally have the top pieced, the same number of blocks on both sides of the unicorn and the bias tape applied down securely. And it's even almost square. Off it goes for quilting ... tra la. Hopefully it will be done in time for me to give it to her at Thanksgiving.