I love how it turned out. I love how it put me through many challenges and that facing those challenges pushed me forward one by one. I like the horizontal machine stitches. I like the same sizes of the border around the edges. I like it all.
The photo shows the pattern and even the borders, but it is really hard to see white on white quilting and how the binding blends. The top is the same as the back. It is a taller quilt as I am standing as tall as I am able, and reaching out as far as I am able to stretch. It will be a nice lap quilt for more than one person at a time under it. I reinforced the edge seams at the sides and learned that next time, I will quilt to the raw edges.
And now, onto the holiday projects. I've listed them on the sidebar here, giving some double billing. I want to concentrate, first, on an apron for the 12th Day of the 12 Days Swap. I need to shop for the outside fabric for the apron, plus two half yard pieces for one of the Days. I got shades of purple only to SEE on her application, that she doesn't like purple.
Now I have purple. I am thinking about a kit project in my closet that wanted to use purples in the hearts of the pattern. It will not go to waste.
Secondly, I want to work on all the Grinch projects that include 6 mug rugs, two pillows, and two Advent calendars.
And to finish up my holiday projects for this year, I bought fabrics for red poinsettia themed table runners for two of my dear Aunties.
Yes, it took several long days of straightline quilting and one of the lines needs to be re-done, which I will do as soon as I finish the post. I shopped several stores to find the right green for the binding, washed it to test the color and should have it cut, pressed and on the quilt. The next step is to clip it for hand sewing and then finish the binding. I had a goal of Tuesday but am willing to go until Wednesday to get it boxed and shipped.
I fell pretty peaceful about this quilt now, and how it evolved. It wasn't the case as I worked on it. Even the lines tested my sense of order because they were relatively parallel but had waves. Yet the finish of the quilt is quite nice. Will they like it? In one way, I don't care because its not up to me to care. Once it leaves my hands and ships across the country, it is their quilt to like or not, to keep or not, to use or not.
This represents a lot of freedom and of course, this is what I feel right here and now. It doesn't mean that the next project will elicit the same feelings from me. This one does.
It has been a true adventure with this process. First of all I watched several videos and then, in my storage bin, found unused attachments to the machine that are geared towards machine quilting. Duh. I just never knew what they were for or how to use them.
Then, I have misplaced my camera. I can remember using it yesterday but it is not in the usual places. It may have dropped into a wastebasket for all I know.
So, using the spare camera, I got pictures of what I am doing on the machine. It can be difficult to see the white thread on the white fabric, and here, it looks a bit bunched, but lays out beautifully on both sides. I am quite pleased with how this is turning out. I elected to stitch horizontally over a fairly long quilt, and will do the borders following the circumference. This kind of quilting with these machine tools takes longer because the guide on my machine lifts up, making me stop, pull it down and shift the fabric. That is most likely a good thing for someone such as myself who needs that sort of discipline.
I plan a trip up to Bakersfield this afternoon and will take a piece of the MN WILD print fabric with me to get some fabric for the binding. My goal is to get this one finished and ship it out next week. I am about half done with the machine quilting.
My quilting is slower paced these days because of the yard work. I took to washing the two windows in my studio, which became almost a comedy routine. It should take two people doing it so the streaks can be handled without going outside and coming in again, over and over. Jeeze.
One of the videos I found on You Tube demonstrated a different way to hang the Grinch Advent Calendars. Corner triangles for wallhanging ease This pic is an example I found that shows the corner triangles.
I will need to modify the first GAC because the binding is already on it. It can be hand stitched, and the second one can be machine stitched along the corner seams before the hand stitched binding is finished. I've marked the two dowels and will take them back to Home Depot for cutting. A dowel fits horizontally into the corner triangles, & then can hang on a nail.
I got onto one of the video loops, and so spent lots of time watching tutorials on the topic. Evidently, if one brings their quilt to a show, it is expected that a sleeve be a certain size for the rods to hang it. They must have enough give to them so the quilt hangs properly. I've also purchased hardware and given that with the mini quilts. However, in both cases, they were not used. I think this is an option they may choose to take or not.
Its interesting that I am in a learning stage again. While it doesn't seem productive and I have no photos to share, it is an important part of the quilting process. What? Sitting on the loveseat watching videos? Yes. What? Washing windows? Yes.
I have the MN WILD quilt basted and at my machine. Obviously, it is next to finish and must go out soon. My goal was to ship it next week.
Its not having photos. Its not being able to use this computer system the way I did the Mac. I think that life has a way of presenting itself that doesn't always work the way I want it. We want it. Ah life.
The first of two Grinch Advent Calendars are almost done. I am going to Home Depot today to buy dowels for both of them and will make the sleeves and they will be done.
I found a tutorial on You Tube for quilting parallel lines and discovered I have some of the machine tools to make it happen. Of course the person in the tut has a different machine and her tools are a bit more than the simple ones that came with my Brother, but will work. I want to watch it again just to make sure I know what I am doing. I was impressed with how many different options there are and want to give it a go on my next projects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM4RyWMXBK4
The MN WILD quilt is the last of the quilts I am doing for this season, though there are many more to come. Keeping with the Grinch theme and using up some of that fabric, I plan to make two throw pillows and have at least 6 mug rugs planned. These projects should go quickly and be ready to ship out in November.
Whew, Monday was spent more in the yard. First of all the arborists came and trimmed the heck out of the three trees, much to my satisfaction. So much sun is coming through the windows enlightening the studio. Of course that also means those fierce Western winds will bring on the chill. Hmmm.
Then, the guys came to give an estimate for laying stepping stones for the Infinity Labyrinth around two trees. They will pick up materials, dig the trench, lay out leveling sand and the stepping stones for $200 plus the cost of materials. It will be absorbed by the grant.
I cleaned out the underground sprinklers so they can go off and today checked to see how the ones against the house spray. Another cost and job is for the microsprayers. There are only two sections of how it works and with the microsprayers, water has to be on for hours to get the driplines to work. It is an all or nothing sort of set up.
The grass removal is going along and needs to be done before the Labyrinth is built. Of course, after that, the planting can start. Its a time consuming project that is going to be easier done when weather is decent, and here in the mountain valley, one never knows. Meanwhile, it is essential to get the plants in containers watered.
Inside, I spent time checking seams and clipping threads on the MN WILD quilt. I aligned edges and borders up almost exactly. There is no overlay, and as of right now, I am not sure what I will do on it. First things first. I am really glad to have halved this very large quilt top. This pic shows the borders a bit and the entire quilt will look the same on the top and bottom so whatever quilting I do on it has to disregard the seams, but be close enough to reinforce them. This one has the smallest ones I have ever done.
I've set up a couple of exchanges on SwapBot for the Witch stereotype of seeing her as green, toothless, haggard. Its a cliche that means for us to forget what really happened.
Anyway, one project I made was a prayer flag to the Crone. I found this great black fabric with gold 'skeleton' keys on it. I haven't written my commentary about it for my partner. I sewed an empty gold fabric bag on it. It might mean how little she needs to walk in the world and that to pass through the Gates, we have to release everything that holds us back. And the keys are about opening the door between the worlds.
The other one of the projects is a tablerunner made from all the green, and black 5" charms & black with green Halloween prints I could cut to 5" to go along with it. I made it 3 wide for the power of three and 13 long just because that is her number.
Then I pieced the back from some black with white webs on it for the back. And further pieced a Halloween fabric stripe used for the binding. Its good for a tablerunner but will also lay across a sofa or at the foot of a bed. Its not maximizing the torture of women through out the ages, but the recipient will know my intention.
And now I am turning back to the MN WILD quilt. I have an appointment to baste on Tuesday. And I am also finishing up the Grinch Advent Calendars. The pillow forms came for the other Grinch project I want to do, so I have enough to work on for awhile.
