I had to bring some things to an end....there were too many piles in the sewing room that were half done. So, first up was all the bindings. Both the Buzz Saw and Misty Morn got their bindings attached. The only thing left are the labels. Printed and now ready to finish them up.
Moving on to the McTavishing lesson.
I got a comment to try again within a defined space. So I drew a large circle and did some practice. Much better....I still got lost in a couple of places. Then I ran out of bobbin thread before I outlined the finished area, but you get a bit of the idea. I need to use more of the c shapes to get the depth.
Nothing comes easy for me....I am a "plugger" type personality. I just keep at it, over and over. So know you will be seeing more of this.
Lastly, Let's Book It. Click for details at Vroomans Quilts.
I selected to do a pattern from StrataVarious Quilts by Pershing and Hoover. The Gum Blossom wall hanging really appealed to me....movement in the background and a strong accent, and some thread painting. Sounded just right for me.
After reading their directions, I thought I would try to follow. Try is the key word here.....I did 4 of the background blocks via their method. I felt it was too wasteful, and time consuming. I pulled out my telephone book, tore out a few pages, and did string piecing on paper instead.
The key element in their "strata" was the angle....it is not perfectly diagonal, like corner to corner. So I figured out how to get that consistent line for my string piecing by creasing the phone book page. This gives me the starting point for my first string. I used up a pile of blue strips and put together the background.
Back to the directions.....which said to quilt the background next before doing the applique and thread painting directly to the piece. Whoa...stop sign!
I prefer to do the thread painting separately and then attach it, and I want that applique to have more depth. So, I am off doing it my way. See why I rarely buy a pattern? Don't get me wrong.... this book is great for inspiration!!!
And one last timely thought......if we set our clocks forward tonight, why will it be an hour later tomorrow when we get up? For some reason, this idiomatic expression seems odd to me. Now you see why Sir Old Man will not have this discussion with me. Happy stitching.
6 comments:
Love your McTavish circle!
I've both Jan and Feb book project with my own changes, so you are not alone.
I find it helps to do background quilting within the defined space, too.
At least you know what works for you and can proceed accordingly. Can't wait to see your version!
Congratulations on getting the binding done... two wonderful finishes! Love that McTavishing... looks great esp in a circle!
That is a fab wall hanging... looking forward to seeing your finished version along with all the steps in between!
You voiced exactly how I feel about patterns and why I don't use them, plus when I read the directions I find myself muttering "speak english, Mick". I'm using Book It to try new techniques and make quilts I normally wouldn't, if I find my own way of doing it, so much the better. :)
Yeah, I do that a lot, too - change up an approach in a pattern, but like you said, they're a great jumping off point sometimes. Also, though, I've learned some terrific new-to-me techniques by trying different patterns out that have really stretched my repertoire of tricks. Most of all - I *love* your labels :) A HANDMADE BED!!! Really? You lucky lady! Smart move to record that promise in the label, too. ;D
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