Quilt Burn Out

Humdrum...monotonous...routine...uninteresting...

That's how I'm feeling about this quilt.

This is not unusual for me.  I love the feeling of starting a new quilt.  About halfway through the process, I start getting very bored doing what seems like the same thing over and over again.  In this case, making the hexagons.  But once that is a finished, I will have to construct about 400 flowers out of them.

I'm going to have to set this quilt away for a while and pull out another UFO.

Before I can set it aside, I had to sew some of the hexagons together.  A sneak a peek of what it would look like once I have it done.

Now, what to decide to work on next?

Jane  <3 p="p">

Call Me Pinhead

And no, I'm not referring to the character from the Hellraiser movie series.

I was wondering how I was going through my pins so fast.  I always have several big piles of pins (I use magnetic pin caddies) but yet, I really could use a new package of pin right about now.

But I should have known.  I use them for everything!

I use my pins to hold the fabric so that they don't 
shuffle under the presser foot.  I'm a 
stickler for precise seams.

And, of course, I use my pins to hold 
my applique in place.

And I also use pins to hold my seams in place 
once the block or quilt-top 
is completed.

Once the quilt-top is folded to be put away, the pins keep the seams from flopping over to the other direction.

I have a bad habit of setting projects aside and not getting back to them for a longgggg time.  Usually because I'm starting another new project.  This is what I refer to as my "Quilt ADHD."  This disorder is at fault for my large UFO pile.

But I also use my pins to mark the rows and columns for my quilt block placement.  Take for instance my Sunflower quilt.  It consists of thirteen pieced blocks and twelve appliqued.  It was hard to remember where each block belonged.

By strategically placing the pins (pinned onto a small square piece of paper so that it will be easily visible), vertical for rows and horizontal for columns, I know exactly where each block belongs.




















For example:  
     One pin across means top row.  
     Two pins down means second column.

A more complicated example:
     Four pins across means four rows down.
     Three pins down means third column.

I've used this method in several quilts.  It is very helpful when I put out a quilt that I may not have seen for a couple of years and know exactly the order the quilts blocks are to be placed.

Now...to find some order to tackle my UFO pile!!

Jane  <3

Love My Handwork Projects

As well as the Omigosh quilt I had just posted about, I've been also working on my Hexagon quilt.  Since I'm piecing it all by hand, it's a project I can work on while I'm sitting at my son's baseball practices.

I had finally found some information about this quilt.  I still don't know whose photos I had 

seen but this quilt is named "The Hexagon Quilt," and it is created by Leanne Beasley.  She

 had featured this quilt in Vignette magazine in 2011.

Click here to visit here blog:     leanneshouse.typepad.com

Just to recap, I am using Nancy Halvorsen's fabrics.  Love them!!  I'm guessing that if I use 80 different prints and make 5 flowers from each, that will give me 400 flowers to sew together.  I think that will be enough for a good size quilt.  That'll be approximately 2800 hexagons to make!  I know, I've got to be nuts!

During one practice, one of the coaches' young daughters had sat by me and asked what I was making.  After describing how the quilt will look like once its finished, I thought I'd make her a flower using the hexagons.  A perfect visual aid on how the shapes fit together.

I had sewn them like little pillows and filled the center with some fiberfill for some body.

Jane  <3

Never Underestimate the Power...

...of a woman with a sewing machine.

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With the boys being home for the summer, they have kept me busy - quashing all my quilt time and creativity.

I haven't been posted for a while because I felt I had nothing to show.  I've been trying very hard to find some time for sewing each day (and reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy didn't help).  It just seems that when I do find time, I didn't get much done.  With nothing to show off, I didn't feel like blogging.

Now that the outdoor temp is in the three digits, I'm finding myself indoors.  That's a good excuse to be in front of my sewing machine!

During the time that I've been away from blogging, I've accumulated some of the blocks from the Omigosh quilt.  I just had to see, for myself, how fun they were to put together.

Nine patch blocks...

...plus Shoo-fly blocks...

...equals Omigosh!!

Jane  <3

"Laters Baby!"

I guess I have been engulfed into this Fifty Shades of Grey book obsession that has been going around.  My friendly librarian has supplied the books for me and I have just started on book # 3.

I can understand the uproar this series of books are creating.  There are some parts of the book(s) that, I believe, would make some people uncomfortable.  I usually don't read books like this but I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of books out there that are a lot worse.  I am certainly not into the subject matter of this book, but it really didn't bother me...it was VERY interesting, but I wasn't so repulsed that I thought it needed to be pulled off of library shelves.

Since reading has taken up much of my free time, I've accomplished little in my quilt making.  So sorry, no photos this time.  I been trying to catch up on the Just Takes 2 blocks and I'll post some photos once I have some finished.

Jane  <3

So Far Behind

The first day of May has come by and along with it is Just Takes 2 BOM blocks for the month of May.  I am sooo far behind that I'm setting aside my other projects, just for a little while, and do some catch-up work.

To start, I dove into a beautiful applique block.

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A photo of the 1/2 inch squares for the Omigosh quilt.  I've only gotten through the green, turquoise, and maroon squares so far.  Got so many more colors to cut!

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I'm getting deeper reading into Fifty Shades of Grey and I came across this:

"...My room is functional and cozy - sparse white wicker furniture and a white iron double bed with a patchwork quilt, made by my mother when she was in her folksy American quilting phase.  It's all pale blue and cream."

I had idea that I should have waited a little longer before I had drawn up Ana's quilt.  Now I realize that I was completely wrong.  I'll have to think of another design.

I've got a pretty slow morning and I'm looking forward to getting some more quilting accomplished before it gets busier later today.

Jane  <3

Another New Read With A Quilt

"I curl up in my white iron bed, wrap my mother's quilt around me, close my eyes, and I'm instantly asleep. That night I dream of dark places, bleak, cold white floors, and grey eyes."

author E L James from Fifty Shades of Grey

I've just started reading on Fifty Shades of Grey.  

And there is a quilt mentioned in the story.  Since I'm at the very beginning, it may never be mentioned again.


The quilt belongs to the main character, Ana.  At this point, I really don't know her personality, but this is a vague idea of what I think it may look like.

double click illustrations for a larger view
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When I'm not reading, I've been working on the Omigosh quilt.  The fabric squares are 2 inch square and I'm preparing them into 1/2 inch squares for the quilt.

I was thinking of using a cream/beige background.

                           

But after starting 50 Shades of Grey, I was wondering what it would look like with a grey background.

                        

Which color of background do you think will work better - cream/beige or grey?

Jane  <3