I appreciate having the larger tables to work on in the clubhouse and got the second half of the MN WILD quilt laid out.
One row (2nd from the bottom in this pic) was really odd and almost every block was turned incorrectly. It is ripped and pinned, and the other rows pinned by pairs. Its a bit longer than it is wide, but until it gets put together as a complete top, I am reserving my thoughts about it. The draft I made of it should be proportional. Very much the puzzle, this one. It will be a relatively larger quilt too.
There was a larger piece of batting left from the wedding quilt and may be enough to join with other scraps and will let me finish the last of the FB 14 quilts.
I spent most of the day finishing up the Hallows gifts for my Grandchildren and got them packaged for shipping on Friday. The Hallows 'stuff' can get put away til next year and anything that comes from Swap-bot will simply be fresh when it is opened again.
My next project is a half dozen Grinch characters as mug rugs. The fabric I have only shows one Grinch, but included n the piece is the tree, Cindy Lou Who and Max, Cindy and her Parents, and a train, which make 5 different images, all of which I think are pretty cute for the season.
I shipped off a number of quilts and swaps; some went to the Post Office and some were shipped FEDX depending upon the size and weight of the package. And later in the afternoon, I got a call from the friend I gave the Heart of Music quilt to. It came at a time that her spirits needed lifting and brought the joy of receiving an unexpected package.
The next project I worked on was an apron, again made from scraps. It is a Hallows print on those smaller stripes, easy to construct. I've made several with this simple pattern, with longer ties than is called for so that it will be a fitz-all. The swap is for #12 in the series and is for Cooking/Baking.
The other one I made is for A Pouch of Potions. It was supposed to be a handmade drawstring pouch that is at least 4x6, containing specific things within it, which I have yet to find and include. I didn't have a pattern for it but have seen enough pouches like it to know how to put it together. This one measures 6x6 laid out. It was a scrap I just folded in half for the pouch part and then folded the ends over to create the channels for the ribbon drawstring. It was supposed to be scary, yet I don't really have scary prints and this will have to do.
It makes me laugh to think of all the projects I am making with the fabric in my closet and see how much fabric there is left to use up, as well as how easily what is there fits into something for someone.
I also made the first of the Dr. Seuss mug rugs. My camera is in the quilting bag that I am taking to the clubhouse so I can use it to work on the MN WILD layout. Pic to follow. I really love the mug rug with the fussy cut Grinch and do plan to make a bunch of them up. If I can get a number of them done, I might make the offer on Facebook if folks are interested. It used up a lot of different scraps including batting and didn't take that long to complete.
This computer setup is not my IMac. I know. Whine. Right? I took a photo of Rex's Crow quilt, but am not sure where it might be on this computer. I've ordered a new keyboard and mouse for it because the one I am using is for the Mac and while I was able to set it up on this one, the mouse doesn't work as a plug-in and sometimes the keyboard will not work. Good goddess, I hate the war between Mac and PCs.
While I am finishing up several quilts that are all ready to be basted, machine quilted and have binding added, I know that I will want to spend time with smaller projects before year end.
I really enjoy Swap-bot because of all the ideas I get to create and share. Last night I made a list of these things and started to pull fabric from bins in my closet. Sometimes, I make these items for family. Its pretty inspirational.
What I have ready to make are first: A Hallows apron. My simple FQ pattern uses up several fabric pieces for the body of the apron, a pocket, a ruffle at the bottom and the waist band and ties. It is an easy apron to make, reminding me that I started aprons for my Granddaughters I have yet to finish.
Secondly, there is another simple swap is for a scary draw-string goodie bag. It has to be at least 4x6. I found a green fabric with witches on it. Not really scary but will do. I only needed help understanding the folding of the top channel for the draw-string, and I found an easy tutorial, complete with various sizes: easy-drawstring-bag/
Then there is Dr. Seuss. I bought two of these kits on an early sale and plan to make them for Nephew's who have small children. The kits each have a yard of fabric meant for the back. A spectacular print like they sent should not be hidden, so I decided to use another holiday fabric for the backs and use this print for other things.
The swap I joined was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the death of Dr. Seuss. I am going to cut off one of the images and make it into a mug rug for the swap, and then if it turns out ok, will make some for small gifts for friends. The images are crazy-cute. I have a lot of small batting pieces and can use other scraps to create them.
They believed they could and they did. I believe I can too.
The small blocks for the MN WILD quilt are joined into 16 rows. Now, the challenge comes to ensure that they form the quilt swirl pattern. I don't have enough space on either my floor or queen size bed to do a full layout that makes sense to me.
I don't have the eye for puzzles. It will take me longer to figure out the rest of the layout than it might another person who does puzzles and knows the strategy. This first half is completed, and so next, the remaining 8 rows, starting with #9 to match what is finished have to go on row by row. It might be easier to do it differently, however, I would rather not rip and re-do. Patience. Right? Yah, right.
My morning was spent packaging this week's worth of boxes for shipping out that include quilts and Swap-bot exchanges. I am working on the Hallows gifts for the Grandkids, walking project station to project station. Lots of little small things.
Both of the quilts are Fall-themed and actually both have tops and backs finished. They wait for batting/basting/binding and then will be out the door as soon as they are finished. Sometimes it seems that quilting allows me to keep moving. Intellectually, visually, physically, creatively. All sorts of things have become possible for me.
Yet, in the course of my work, I have come to see how energy wanes in any given day. Luckily, with this fabric art, there are parts of it that allow me to sit in the comfy loves eat and hand stitch. I have come to the place of delegating tasks to myself and finding new and better ways to do things, such as going into the clubhouse to work on 2 lunchroom tables rather than on my floor.
Today, like some earlier ones, is a day that I have nothing to show in photos. Just because there are no pics doesn't mean it didn't happen. Quilting is also teaching me to be gentle with myself. I am sure I have a lot of internal conversations about what I could have done better or what wasn't good enough, but I remember a local horsewoman/quilter said to hang your quilt over a fence, and ride a fast horse past it to see how it looks.
They are supposed to wrinkle more with each washing and comfort those will love who cuddle under them. They do.
OK, so that is a paraphrase from the Pirates movie that was really the quote, 'part of the ship, part of the crew', yet it works here too. I loved those movies and remember how this phrase was meant to say that there is a completion to being 'part of' anything. It is that sense of belonging that we have as members of our groups, families, culture, country. Each part, each person matters.
I laid out half the rows for the MN WILD quilt and the columns for the RAINBOW BABY back for the wedding quilt. The pattern did not have the size for the pieces that fit here. It shows them in the picture on page one of the instructions. Laying out was the only way to see there was something missing. Then I noticed a top and bottom edging in the photo that was also not in the pattern. This one was easy.
The swirl layout is more complex. I did 8 rows which make the quilt top half way done. This swirled ribbon effect is hard for me to see with my naked eye, but the photo revealed an arm of the swirl (in the middle of this pic) that got turned, also easy to fix. This is also half way pieced. The errant seams are ripped and ready to re-pin and re-piece for the next step on both quilts.
I have to say that this step of laying out and checking was part of the plan. I am not good doing puzzles and need to check my work before going too far. I am happy with what I found and how few re-dos there actually are. Getting there.
This is not a glamorous part of quilting. It is not really behind the scenes as much as it is within the seams. The two quilts I am working on are in finishing stages, yet, those finishes are possibly weeks out. I've taken all those 'piles of fabric' photos and they are simply not worth looking at from anyone's standpoint.
My next steps with them is doing the layout and starting to join rows. Both are getting closer.
I am also doing the hand sewing for the binding on one that will go out this coming week. It saddens me to notice my physical skills waning, yet they are. I must have gone over both sides of this quilt to clip loose threads at least two times each and still found more. Luckily they are long threads, so easier to see.
My lesson through all this is to keep doing what I can while I can and not get stressed if things are less than perfectly done. If I am not gentle with myself, who will be?
