I spent the week finishing playing the "Blues".
I finished this "Baby Blues" with some large stippling, with the help of my acrylic template. The backing is the same batik as the border, a remnant of some quilt that I made last year.
It is interesting as I dig through the bin... as a sort of archeological dig of my quilt making career. LOL... Bits from dresses I made for our daughters when they were much younger, roman shades that were for our youngest daughter's room, fabrics that reminded me of the western style shirts my Mom used to make for my Dad... and so many more.
As I finished up Baby Blues, I started thinking about the many long strips of blue fabrics that I had. I decided I would make string blocks. Taking inspiration from Emily Dennis, I offered consistency by making the center strip of each block a contrasting piece. I chose to use a neutral newsprint fabric... some came from the neutral scrap bin and a little more came from my stash.
I pulled out some old brightly colored paper from the scrapbooking supplies and started making 8-1/2 inch squares. I also followed the advice from Emily gave for sewing them... only sew through the paper foundation with the first seam. This made the removal of the paper so easy but still was available for reference for size.
So many layout options! I will be using the lower right layout. It is the friendliest on the eyes. It was also the favorite of those that tossed out an opinion on social media.
I stopped with 24 blocks and plan to have a 1-inch border of the same neutral fabric followed by a scrappy strip border... maybe 3-1/2" inches??? I'll have to play with it to find the right balance.
With February 1/2 gone (where did it go?) I realized that I need to pull my head and hands out of the blue scrap bin (back away from the cookie jar!) and get things in line for the display of a few more quilts at our local library. I had gathered up all of the stories for our Camping Journal Quilt and placed them in a MS word document in January. I needed to resize pictures, edit a few unnecessary items out of the stories and get it in a proper layout that could be printed and placed in a notebook.
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I really did not want to do it... I kept thinking, "I'd rather be quilting!" But once I got started, it wasn't so bad. I did enjoy the trip down memory lane as I recalled the memories. The good news is that I was able to get it finished and it is ready for printing.
The other item left to do for the exhibit is to get the Camping Journal Quilt ready for hanging. Do I really want to put a hanging sleeve on this quilt that I plan to use in the camper? No, not really. Will making some temporary hanging strips to pin into place with large safety pins be the best thing? Probably not. The quilt is LARGE and heavy... Do I want that pulling on the quilt with safety pins for a full month??? No, not really.
Any ideas or suggestions for remedying this problem are welcome!
Leave a comment...
This brings us to the time for the weekly feature... This week it is Diann at Little Penguin Quilts.
Diann (and many others) have also been digging into blue scraps. Her Quarter-Star blocks are lovely!
Head over to her blog to see what other scrappy blues she has made.
It is time to get the party started. Link up your recent finishes or progress on projects. I want to see what you've been sewing.
My studio has been a refuge this week as we face struggles in life. Rest assured, I have leaned in (hard) to the comfort of the Lord and those that have reached out to me. Between sewing and singing along with the music, I have found peace.
Life continues with more challenges... Mom will be having cataract surgery in March. Sadly, this means that Dave and I will not be taking a long spring trip. :( But I have my eyes on the days between surgeries and appointments in hopes of some shorter trips south. On a good note, (!) the closing for her house is on Wednesday. It will feel good to get that burden off the plate. YAY!
That's all I have for now. Remember, if you have a suggestion for a way to hang a large quilt with temporary hangers, give me a comment!
Keep piecing,
Melva
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Baby Blues is darling, Melva and love your string blue quilt. It is fun to look at the different layouts. Doesn't digging through the scrap bins motivate you into other projects? It sure does me. LOL. Have a great week and Happy quilting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for featuring my blocks, Melva! I love sewing with blue - it's calming and restful. Your string blocks are going to make a beautiful quilt! Both Mike and I have had the cataract surgeries and found them to be very easy to get through - but definitely lots of appointments (pre and post and all that). Glad your mom's house sale is going through - it's good to get that taken care of. Have a great week, Melva!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun “Blues” quilt! Love that star fabric! That’s a great tip about sewing through the first seam! Thank you both for sharing! Hmmm…not sure how to hang a heavy quilt, but am looking forward to the suggestions.
ReplyDeleteYour blues work this week is lovely! My lone finish this week is one sock! It’s been quite frigid the past couple of weeks, with a day or two of respite in the 20’s, so knitting has been my main occupation during free time. I’m glad you found peace through sewing and music, they are good for that! Glad to hear that your mom’s house closes this week, a big job FINISHED! Not much sewing this week, as it is full of extra music stuff until Friday, a very busy week. My current project is to sew up 100 1 7/8 inch HST squares into potholders. They were trimmed while making blocks for the Thimbleberries kit I did in January. I hope to make a seam or two here and there this week. Have a great week Melva!
ReplyDeleteLOVE Baby Blues!! I wish I had a suggestion for your hanger dilemma. Your strings are really pretty. Glad you are finding some peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you" was my mantra one day last week. It is a good one. Will your Mom have surgeries on both eyes? Good luck to her, and congrats on the house closing.
ReplyDeletePlaying with strings has been the name of the game for me this winter also! It is so very fun and inspiring to do that. I love your blue and you chose the perfect layout, is this quilt for you? I hope your mom's surgery goes well so that you and Dave can get away! The weather here in AZ is going to heat up this week.
ReplyDeleteLove the baby blues quilt, Melva. Your camping journal quilt is fantastic. I have used Roxanne's glue-baste-it to put a sleeve on that hung in a gallery. It's actually still on there! LOL I hope your mom's surgery goes well and you do get to take some short trips. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI love your string blocks, and the layout you choose is very pretty. Love the camping journal quilt too! Thank you for sharing and linking up 😉
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