Finally - A WIP. WIP it good!

Did you make a New Year's resolution? I sure as heck didn't. I could tell you that my lack of blogging was due to a resolution to unplug from social media, which sounds all noble and highfalutin, but that would be oh so untrue.

The reality is I was really just blahed out by quilting. There had been hints that this was coming, which I should've paid more attention to. So I set out to beat the blahs. I tried it all. I ogled fabric online. I went thru my stash for inspiration. I looked at my free download files of quilt patterns. (I have hundreds.) I looked at my quilting notes on my iphone. I looked at the UFO's. I went to fabric stores. I pulled bolts of lovely fabric, stared at them all, and tired to imagine what could be. Nope, nada, zip, zero, zilch. Nothing inspired.

And, I think that maybe that's ok. Quilting is an art. There is just no way I can imagine an artist being productive all the time. So I decided to take a break. And then I worried about my lack of production. I worried about the growing UFO's. I worried about what I was missing on all the quilty blogs. I worried my loyal readers (Hi Mom!) would never look at my little blog again.

I thought about all the textile artists whose work we admire, the painters, the sculptors, the musicians, the writers. This has to be normal, right? Once I gave myself permission for it to just "be", I stopped worrying about it. I let it go, and the nagging worries faded.

I didn't worry about the requisite 'holiday' quilt, (basted & rolled in a bundle on the floor, awaiting finish), projects for this person, projects for that person, that weren't always to my taste, but were something I imagined the intended recipient would like. I let it all go. Eventually, one thing kept popping back up into my head. Something that I'd really wanted to do, but all the other things got in the way first. It was my carrot project, the one at the end of the stick, where I'd tell myself I'll finish these first, then I'll do this one.

To heck with that! If I was getting my groove back, I was damn well going to get my groove on my terms. I had the pattern tutorial. I needed the right fabric, and there it was all along, in my stash, a little layer cake waiting for it's day in the sun.

Oh yeah, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's the LED illumination on my Bernina, baby.


Linking up to Lee @ Freshly Pieced!

D'oh!

I'm underway for my November goal project, and all I can say is d'oh!

Can you see the problem?

Well, for whatever silly reason, I had a spot of trouble cutting my diamonds.

What a silly thing to do.

My first cuts are the top pile. I cut the diamonds at 5.5" wide. All the rest in the larger pile to the right, well, I cut them at 4.5". D'oh! Not to mention - the one lone piece at the bottom, I cut that one at 4.25". Sheesh.

All 4.5"

 At least it's not the end of the world kind of mistake, I can easily trim the over sized ones down. The too skinny one may even work, provided I sew it to a column end where it will be squared up anyway. What a goofy thing to do.

Nice cut edges

Luckily I realized my mistake before I started piecing everything. Onto my favorite and least favorite part - arranging the diamonds on the design wall. I only fuss with things like this for hours. Wish me luck!


Best,
Heather


Linking up to these great blogs:

Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
and
Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday

WIP Wednesday - Flimsy & Halloween

The flimsy!

 The ovarian cancer ribbon mega mini is on pace to finish at the end of the month. I hadn't really considered the timing of it, but I did have a routine appointment with the oncology office yesterday. It was a good check-up!

Meanwhile - Fall is here! My favorite season, I love the colors, the cool air, sleeping with the windows open, Halloween! 

Of course, I can't focus on one project until it's done. I have to start something else - so I pulled all the Halloween, oranges, and blacks out of the stash. 

I love skull fabric!

 And I started on a little something. My mom made the prototype for this, I'd guess at least 30 years ago.

They look like orange wedges!

It's well on the way! I'm winging it in terms of a template, and the size, and well, everything. It's not like there is a pattern, but so far it's been a forgiving project. I cannot wait to see how it turns out! 

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced

For WIP Wednesday

Mega Mini Ovarian Cancer Awareness Progress

Cutting and HST's - check!

I have made a bit of progress with the mini, all cutting done, HST's made, laid out and ready to sew together. Not too bad for late night design and maths sketched on graph paper.

This was my first time using the magic 8 HST method. It wasn't life altering or anything, but it was efficient. I do think the next time I use it, I'll add a generous 1/8" to my initial square measurement. Some of my trimmed HST's were a bit on the scant side, but not by much, and certainly not anything I haven't attempted to wrangle together in a quilt before. ;)

Hey - the layout actually works!

I know there are ribbon awareness tutes out there, I just wanted to do this one myself from start to finish.
It hasn't gone totally smoothly, which is my fault from assuming there'd be 22" of fabric to cut in the FQ (duh), but I realized just like dealing with the Big C, things do not go as planned, so you make the best of it and move on!

Not so sure I can call this one a mini, though, it's bigger than I anticipated. I didn't want to waste any of the fabric, so à la Mel Brooks' Spaceballs "Mega Maid" (anyone? crickets?) I'll call this one a mega mini!

Best,
Heather








Linking up to Lee's WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

WIP Wednesday - Birds and Bees Baby

You know what happens with the birds and the bees, right? You get a baby! And my cousin is having one, their first, this winter.
My sewing machine was due in for it's first year service, and while I was there at the LQS, I did some wandering around. I have been looking at the cute birdie fabric for a while now, but it's directional and I kind of steered clear of it.

Finally, I decided I would have a use for it, if I did a tumbler quilt. I auditioned a few fabrics, and stuck with a pink and green palette. One fabric has the most adorable little bees on it, hence the name. Funny thing is, I didn't set out to create a birds and bees quilt. It wasn't until I had all my bolts laid out on a table in the shop that I realized I had. How cute is this!?
This isn't my first tumbler, so after a few initial misalignments and seam rips, I got my mojo back and all has been well since.

Here's the progress so far! And, here's a secret - I don't even know if they are having a girl! (They'll be learning the sex soon.) I just thought this was so cute I was determined to make it anyway. These pics are washing out the pinks and making the green more pea soup than it is, trust me, it's adorable!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday hosted by Lee!