Quilts: Finished and In Progress

Unless quilt projects are of interest, this rambling photo-heavy post will bore you!

I decided, on a gloomy Sunday afternoon in March, to undertake a sorting of fabric and projects.

There are four deep drawers holding my stash of [mostly] Moda fabrics acquired during the years I worked at Wyoming Quilts. These are carefully folded according to designer 'lines.' Several large covered bins hold quality yardage purchased from retailers who offered 'flat folds.'

Then there are the inevitable 'remnants' of different shapes and sizes, left from completed projects. Most disheartening was the cache of 'orphan blocks' and scattered components of such, rejected in the final assembly of a given quilt, but too good to toss out, so tucked away in an assortment of zipper bags and small containers.

The thought of starting fresh projects, finally using some of my lovely hoard, was appealing, but quickly followed by the realization that this would inevitably result in more 'scraps.'

It had been several years since I tackled unfinished sewing, time to revive my New England sense of Yankee thrift and get on with it.

This is the large daylight room in the walk-out lower lever of the house. It was planned as a family room/living area, but was never used as such. Several years ago I moved my sewing machine from the adjacent large guest room, but didn't then undertake any rearrangement of furniture.

On a morning in early July I announced that changes were needed. 

Jim, who was working for Howard at the time, rolled his eyes, snorted, made noises about people who are 'always' hurting their backs hoiking things around. [That would be me!]

Howard resignedly offered that if I would empty the furniture pieces needing to be shifted he would stop back and do it after work.

With the men out of the way, I had a little think and decided I could do this. My spacial concepts aren't great, so I knew I'd better do some measuring and planning or I'd wear myself out getting furniture stuck where it didn't belong. 

Howard's dogs and several of our cats assembled to watch me unplug sewing machines, unload cupboard shelves, move storage boxes and assorted vintage treasures. 

In the above photo you can see the final arrangement of the two sewing spaces. I can easily scoot my chair between the two machines if need be.

I keep the Janome set up with the walking foot attached for applying quilt bindings. 

[For some reason, I find it awkward to get the walking foot in place, so when I'm in a spate of quilt making it stays put.]

My sewing machines had been for several years set up on opposite sides of the room. 

A few weeks before the 2021 onset of covid restrictions  I took my Janome to the local technician for cleaning and adjustment.  He stated that as many area women were bringing machines to be serviced,  I would be looking at a possible wait of several months before I could retrieve the machine; 

I dusted off my 20 year old Elna and quickly remembered what a smooth machine it is.

In my recent rearranging of the space I swapped out the tables, putting the Elna on the vintage desk I refinished years ago.

A small folding table alongside holds a cutting mat and whatever blocks I'm working on. [It is also a favorite spot for Robert-cat.]

The black cupboard only needed to be scooted a few yards along the floor from its previous spot under the east window. Even empty it didn't move easily!

Since this photo more arranging of the contents has been needed. 

After Thimble-kitten pulled down the open tray full of spools I purchased a plastic  lidded carrier especially designed to hold spools.

Matt and Gina are king and queen of yard sale goods. A decade ago Gina came home with an armload of decorator samples: large chunks of fabric in display books. She enthusiastically announced that 'we' could make a quilt from these. 

[Gina does not sew, thus 'we' had a royal connotation.] 

I removed the labels from the fabric, washed and pressed the pieces and filed them away in a plastic box. If you've worked with decorator cottons, you know that raveling edges are an annoying factor. Having carted the box of samples around through several house moves it seemed time to either get rid of them or think of a way to use them.  I sorted them by color groups--predominately shades of blue, yellow, pastels for this heavy quilt. I cut 8 inch squares and made 4-patch blocks of the remainders. There was enough fabric to place 8 inch squares around the body of the quilt and a heavy nubby beige left from summer bedspreads became the border.

Colorful is hardly the word!

Pinwheel blocks left from a long ago project, some half-square triangles; a few more were constructed  to create this Framed Pinwheel quilt on Jim's bed.

My color preference has long run to deep woodsy tones--I think of them as New England colors--so many leftover bits went into the sashing of this quilt.

I think this has a very structured 'masculine' appeal.

Finished just before the end of 2023, so not part of this summer's gathering.

Vintage Robyn Pandolph fabric from my stash and experimenting with a 'Flying Geese" tool.

This pattern has been called 'The Potato Chip' quilt. The strips are cut 2 1/2 inches [memories of the Eleanor Burns method!] and its meant to use up small remnants--which it did. The idea is for the strips to be random; I don't do random! My take became a variation of the Courthouse Steps block. An assortment of floral fabrics went into this with a pansy print for the border and a soft green butterfly print for backing and binding.

Two friends from church had recently lost both older sister and mother.

I created a large lap quilt for each of them as a love gift.

16 Patch blocks with sashing and cornerstones. 

This was my gift for the sister who been caregiver for their mother.

Time consuming but made use of small pieces of cheerful prints.

I take these 'everyday quilts' to a woman who does the quilting on an industrial Singer machine. 

She offers only the one graceful looping pattern, simple, affordable, sturdy.

I rummaged out a bag of strips cut in 1 3/4 inch widths, left from a quilt I was asked to make about 10 years ago. The blue border fabrics were purchased for a project that was interrupted by one of our moves. I named this quilt 'Summer Meadow.'

Log Cabin blocks are my favorite as they can be set in so many varying patterns.

This one features the very last strips of some fabrics I have loved. 

I named it 'Autumn Migration.' It is not sized for a queen bed, but it is a keeper.

 I took this one to a local long-arm machine quilter who has started working again after the death of her husband.

One quilt wasn't enough to deal with the decorator fabric samples. 

I constructed another slightly smaller, adding some scraps of my own leftovers from curtains and cushions. To piece out enough blocks I added four-patch units. 

The quilt is currently spread over my bed--it is sturdy enough to stand up to the cats.

This one, started during the winter of covid lock downs was meant to be a quilt-as-you-go project. Nothing extra to be purchased, no need to take the top to a machine quilter. I tried one of these projects previously and determined I wouldn't attempt such again.

Still--other people manage free-motion quilting--some do it beautifully and artistically. Surely I could manage something simple?

Perhaps if I had great patience and perseverance. I scrabbled away at 14 blocks, got discouraged and put the whole thing away.

I got it out last week, used wide painter's tape as guides to stitch a double X in the remaining blocks.

For a few moments I considered trying the free-motion thing again. Not! 

Its going together in a hybrid method--tediously and without the kind of precision that I usually achieve. I'm over it, but I'm going to give it a finish. It can serve as a utility blanket; I won't be troubled if the cats pick at it or stomp across it with muddy feet. 

Time to call it done and move on. 

I have several other projects started and ready to turn my attention to what I do well.