Wednesday, October 5, 2011

W.I.P Wednesday (the first!)


It's started raining for serious in Oregon, so now I really can stay inside and sew instead of feeling guilty for not being outside!This week I was kind of disorganized, and worked on a bunch of random different things.


1. New Projects
After my first giant-single-block quilt top I was inspired. I spent a morning diagramming different possibilities for new arrangements of giant HST blocks, and put together coordinating fabrics for two different quilts. I even got so far as cutting out both designs: one is pink and one is blue. The blue pile got sewn up and basted, and is slowly being quilted:


As usual, her highness took exception to me ignoring her for too long to work on a quilt, and made her presence known in a very physical way. This was actually the sweetest way that she interrupted me during a long day of harassment; I had to lock her up in the bedroom for most of the basting. She likes to tiptoe gracefully into the center of a half-basted quilt and then dive for safety pins.
Anyway, barring too much distraction from the cat, I hope to have this one quilted up and bound in a few days. The pink quilt will have to wait a week or so. Another thing I love about these quilts, besides how easy they are to put together, is how little they cost. Since I started using vintage sheets instead of designer quilt fabric, I estimate it costs me between 5 and 10 dollars per quilt for the fabric. I only buy batting when I have a big coupon, so each quilt really costs under $25 in materials. This is awesome, especially since there are still a few people in my family who really want homemade quilts of their own; now I can afford to make this happen, maybe in time for Christmas! The only downside to that is my own selfishness: I love all my quilts, and wish I could horde them all in a giant pile and never give them up. Alas.

Ok, I got a bit off topic there. Anyway, another new project I need to finish this week is the last of my vintage sheets-turned-curtains. We have our first house guests this weekend, I I want the place to look homey! Ideally, I'd also have some place mats produced by then, but I'm not promising anything, especially when I'm having too much fun working on my free motion quilting.

Speaking of free motion quilting, how about this awesome blog? I was searching around for stippling alternatives, and I came across this amazing compendium of free motion quilting designs. I'm so inspired! I'm now trying to think of a whole cloth quilt design that I would like, just so I can free motion quilt it all! More on this to come, I'm sure.

Anyway, back to the meme:

2. Quilt tops awaiting quilting
*Parisville - we're visiting my mom next weekend, so I can take advantage of her lovely wood floors for basting!
*Prince Charming's Wedding Ring - Well, we haven't talked about this one yet, have we? Let me give you a peek:

Prince Charming's Wedding Ring

This guy is huge. It was also basted pre I'm-not-afraid-of-free-motion-quilting, and thus I'm in the process of handquilting it. This, of course, is taking forever, but I'm really enjoying the process. I get a tiny bit done each night while we watch tv, and it makes me feel productive even when I'm not going quickly. Plus, I have some super legit calluses on my fingers now.
*Giant Tree quilt - Another you haven't seen, also started this summer, also being handquilted, but a lot closer to being finished.

Giant Tree Quilt, half quilted

This one, at least, while even larger than PC'sWR (I think I was a little crazy this summer - I keep telling myself no more giant quilts) is being quilted with Perle Cotton. I've quilted around all the "leaves," the trunk, and the edges, plus quite a few clouds and flowers. I actually need to start working on this one again now that it's getting so cold at night! I started this quilt because I wanted to make something big enough to cover the bed, and this one does so, and then some! Maybe I'll be able to do a complete post about the process soon.

As for other stuff going on this week, it's mostly more quilty dreams. I know of three baby boys being born before the year is up, and I'm hoping to do something for at least the one who's coming this month! The other two are twins, so that might take a bit more planning. I'm going to participate in the drunkard's path quiltalong being hosted at OCD and Needle and Spatula, and I'm thinking a traditional version in blues might make a fun baby quilt. I might do a larger version as well, in orange and gray, as a Christmas present for my husband. (Lucky guy, he gets the most quilts of anyone, since it's my way of making a quilt for someone and still having it around!)

So I'm off to link up and look at fabric - what a way to spend a rainy afternoon!


4 comments:

  1. oh, my!!! Wow, I love that Prince Charming wedding ring quilt!

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  2. Your quilts are fabulous! I'm totally in awe of you hand quilting such massive quilts!

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  3. That prince charming wedding quilt is AMAZING. I absolutely love the colours. Gorgeous work!

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  4. I agree with Lydia that the Prince Charming quilt is amazing. I can't even imagine how much work that took. I love the large blocks interspersed with all the detail of the rings. Great job!

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