You Do The Math

Twelve 18"  Blocks Finished. 

When you have twelve finished blocks you have twelve positions to place the blocks......but, remember each block has four sides. Yikes, just how many options do I have here??? ANYONE CARE TO DO THE MATH??

Of course, that doesn't take into account any of my joining decisions. And.......what if I should happen to get Rotary Cutter Happy??? Oh, let's not even entertain that possibility. 

Picking up the Pieces....finally finished

I finally finished Picking up the Pieces last week and we went for a photo shoot, along the ocean. Since I'm back to Alberta tomorrow, I wanted to take the opportunity....alas, no ocean in Alberta.

I have yet to put together any QAYG tutorials regarding this quilt, as there were several QAYG experiments involved in putting it together. There was a rather wild moment involving a rotary cutter and an already quilted work in progress, resulting in several already quilted pieces (in very odd shapes). And what does one do with that??? Way to complex to go into today.......but someday!!

 

Quilt Back.....yup, pretty much reversible, don't you think!!

 

All part of that crazy QAYG experimenting.

 

Reminder: Give Away on yesterday's post.

 

 



First Finish For 2013

My Not so Negative Quilt came out of the wash in lovely riot of wrinkles, I wish I thought of my own wrinkles that way.

 

 Since my shocking discovery, of only one finished quilt in 2012, I'm determined to complete some of my many, many works in progress. Having started this quilt in November 2010....I was almost giddy pulling it out of the dryer this morning.

I used some of the blocks in several of my QAYG tutorials so it might look a little familiar to some of you.

I just couldn't resist photographing it beside my tulips (an all time fovourite flower of mine) .

 

Quilt Back 

Feeling in a mellow mood, I actually did the binding by hand....giving it that last little bit of loving. But in all honesty, I'm so slow it will be back to machine binding after this.

Improvising....Just Another Word for Making It Up As I Go Along

Making it up as I go along is what I do best...or should I say, enjoy the most. I loose interest if I know exactly what the end result will look like.


 To sum it up, my lazy gene doesn't like to plan and my short attention span doesn't like to stay within the confines, of a plan. 


So Improvising it is...sounds much better than making it up as I go along. 

Here's me making it up as I go along improvising.....never knowing exactly what it's going to look like. 

Block Seven of the Oakshott Project  

 

 And a few shots of the backs. 

Finding a Home for My Quilts

I don't know about you, but finding the right person, for one of my quilts is serious business. Oh, there are times I make a quilt specifically for someone...such as baby quilts etc, but many times I just start creating and let the quilt talk to me. Often I'm not sure what direction it will take and If I start, with someone particular in mind, my creativity gets stunted....will he or she like the colours, the patterns and on and on.... rather than just letting go and letting it happen. Even making a quilt, for a specific spot, in my own house can be a bit stifling.

Not Your Paint By Number

The closer I came to completing this quilt... the voice of an amazing 4 year old, kept ringing in my head. We had gone to visit the (retired) grandparents, who happened to be, big into paint by number that year. My wonderful boy was truly puzzled and appalled.  He  later asked "Who would paint by number??...I'm Unique!"

That was thirty years ago!!  This one's for you, Mark. 

Love Mom

They Just keep Coming....QAYG Quilts

River Valley Walk 2008

This is sort of a sampler quilt...a number of the blocks were inspired, by a walk I took one beautiful fall day, in Edmonton's magnificent river valley. Some of the other blocks were me, just playing with fabrics and shapes. I decided to put them together in one quilt.

 When I started to join these blocks, I found the overall look to busy, so I added borders to each block, using another QAYG method and then joined the blocks, with the narrow, red lattice strips. I find those border strips, on each block, take the eye away from the lattice strips.

Here is the quilt back, you can see those border strips here as well.

I used a type of QAYG on the striped blocks as well.

Modern Day Quilts

Modern Day Quilts, originally uploaded by moderndayquilts.

Check out this new blog.

Heather is featuring a new quilt,

 by a different quilter every day.

What a great idea!

Thanks for choosing this one today.



Quilting Spirals

I have been asked about quilting spirals. It's fairly easy and lots of fun to do.

• Works well on Quilt As You Go blocks because they are small and easy to spin around.
• I have done one big spiral on small baby quilts as well.
• When I first started doing these I would start by drawing the center of the spiral freehand, using a fabric marker (disappearing) going clockwise. Now, I don't mark at all any more.
• Use a walking foot and set your machine at a needle down position, if possible
• Start stitching in the center of the spiral and go around clockwise.
• Start with a very small stitch length or just back stitch a few stitches to secure the threads at the beginning of the spiral.
• I use the edge of the presser foot or a quilting bar as a guide depending how close together you want the quilting lines.
• Then you just gently, sort of spin the fabric counter clockwise.
• Using quilting gloves or fabric condoms as my friends and I like call them (you know we can't feel the fabric......and it's all about ...never mind I digress) is very helpful.
• Try it, you'll like it, but beware it's very addictive and can make you a little loopy.
• If you are wanting spirals on a larger quilt, free motion quilting is the way to go, but that's another story

QAYG Improvised 2011 Completed

Out in the snow...a few to many shadows across the quilt but I love the light. I tried yesterday, but it was grey out and the colours of the quilt looked so different, than they really are. Besides it supposed to get cold again this weekend, so this will have to do.

 

Maybe I should have gone off the deck, into the yard, but the snow was so deep....and I was to lazy to get my boots....

 

All done and ready to be washed. I have taken way to many pictures of this quilt already.

Quilt Back

No More Guilt

Yeah!! I finished the binding last night. I just have to pick off all those pesky little threads, that I didn't snip along the way. This will be the first quilt I finished in 2011...I'm off to a pretty good start I would say.....unless you take a look around my house you will see I haven't accomplished much else, since the new year rolled in. The Christmas tree is still blinking at me in the corner of the living room.

Whoops I've done it again.....given in to guilt. As I spend time reading all the lovely blogs that I follow I notice a similar thread running through many of them...my own included...and that is guilt.  I pushed through the month of December...making a quilt, starting a blog and doing Christmas.  Do I pat myself on the back, heck no, I say, but the house is mess. When I posted a mosaic of quilts I completed in  the year 2010 I apologised because the number was small. When I save literally hundreds of dollars, finding fantastic fabric deals I bemoan my addiction rather than embracing my buying savvy. Instead of celebrating the multiple projects on the go we give them that horrible UFO title. 

There are those quilters or knitters, who can buy just enough for one project.  They start, finish and move onto the next project. I'm just not one of those.  My brain is all over the map when it comes to creating...and that is just the way I like it....no more guilt or shame.

All Joined and Ready for Binding

All twelve blocks are finally joined and I'm finishing the binding.  I couldn't decide on just one fabric , so I chose a number of fabrics from the quilt and joined them sort of randomly....okay, so I planned a bit. The same colour binding all around the quilt seemed to hem it in to much. This quilt isn't at all what I envisioned to be when I started, but that is not unusual for me.

I have it laying on my dining room table, so I can work on it a bit at time. I'm fairly slow at the hand sewing.

Time to take down Christmas and get back to normal...what ever that is.  And the sewing room looks like a bomb went off.  I'd much rather just start a new quilt!!!

Joining More Blocks

I joined another row today. It went quite well considering I had a chocolate induced migraine...when will I ever learn?? Only one more row to go. I can hardly wait  to finish and start something new. I have taken so many pictures along the way..... I just might be getting a little tired of this one by now.

Joining the Blocks

 I had a busy afternoon joining some of the blocks.  In my original plan there was hand sewing involved.  One of my quilting buddies or should I say one of the BLOCKHEADS (as we affectionately call ourselves) was over working on her quilt and happened to mention the word machine basting...she was probably tired of listening to me whine about the hand sewing.....and that got me thinking, as a result the blocks are now, totally joined by machine.

 I like to drape the quilt to get another view.  The design wall only gives you part of the picture.

Putting in a strip of batting (back of quilt)

 I love love that I can do all this by machine....it's faster and probably stronger in the long run.

All ready to pin and sew....by machine...yes!!!!

Joining Blocks 1-12





Here is the final layout..... I have decided to join the blocks with 2 inch (finished size) joining strips. I'm choosing the colour for each block individually, as I go.







Detail of the joining strips...I'll be inserting 2 inch wide strips of batting before I do the hand sewing.

Here are four rows joined and ready for the hand stitching. 

Blocks 1-12

 All twelve squares are finally done...not bad since I started last Saturday. I'll be playing around with the layout for awhile, which is fine, since I probably won't be putting them together until after the new year. I just put them up on the board randomly, without any thought for now.

I don't worry about the backs ...they just end how they end up. I did get a little crazy posting and quilting and posting.....It's all so addictive. Just a note for next time, use the same thread for both sides giving more options for the final layout.