February Reports

Here is my end-of-month wrap-up for February:


Something Old/Something New -

For my something old, See my comments below in my NewFO report about a stack of fat quarters that I won at a shop drawing in 2010, I believe.

My something new: figuring out how to quilt the intricate designs on my "25th, Baby!" that I wanted it have. 

 

I am not a particularly creative person beyond adapting other people's ideas that I find, so I'm really pleased with how my DWR detail work has been turning out. I put personalized focus spots in the center 9 rings, showcasing our initials, wedding year, etc. Then I took a printout of the fancy-wancy quilting pattern I bought to put in the bulk of my rings and adapted a rope-like cablework edge to fence that section off from the rest of the quilt's detailing. Playing around with a plexiglass overlay, I decided that the fill I liked best for this center area was a simple diagonal lining. I wasn't even thinking when I started drawing in the lines with a water-erasable pen, and just decided I wanted the lines 3/8" apart. The funny thing is that this width turned out to be absolutely PERFECT for the ring sections! It matched up exactly from one center mid-point to the next - I drew the lines straight across the elements as if the rings weren't there. I haven't tucked hardly any of my tails yet from all the starts and stops of the fill quilting, but it's going to look super neat when that's all finished.

 

 

 

You can see in that photo above that I decided to use Golden Threads paper to "mark" the quilting designs. I didn't like the melon design that came with the set I bought for the centers, so I drew my own. I also drew out the motif for the connector diamonds because the set didn't even have one of those. I've only got one side quilted in around the center. I move along ring by ring, quilting the center and the surrounding melons (that takes me right about one hour and five minutes), and then I do the micro-stippling fill on the ring to the inside of the one I just quilted. I can't do the micro-stippling around the design work until I pull off the Golden Threads paper, so this quilt-one-band, stipple the former band, approach is working great.  You can see one half-block from the corner of the center field that shows how the micro-stippling looks.

 

 

 

Wow, I'm going to love it all!!  I sure hope I can finish this by mid-August!

For February, my something old will be still more ring work on this DWR. I've been working on this project straight through from August of last year, so I think it now qualifies for an old project!  Something new - learn how to beautifully repair the tiny little snip I accidentally made in one of my center motifs!

 

 

 

 

NewFO Report for February

This month was not as productive as last month in non-DWR work.  But I did get a nice start on something made out of a pack of pink fat quarters I won in 2010 at a shop drawing.  I got 27 FQs in a range of pink or pink-on-white prints. Played around with my EQ program, and one days those FQs, combined with leftovers in my stash, will grow up to be something like this:

 

"Raspberry Lemonade"

 

I may or may not applique lemons in the corners, and I may or may not applique vines and raspberries on the piano-key border. I managed to get all the inner squares made and the center put together in a web. There's more contrast between the yellow and pinks than shows here. It'll be pretty! And I'm not a pink person. I also sewed several strips into pairs as a beginning of that one border.

 

 

 

I boxed it all up today with the notes, so sometime in the future that'll be nice to come back to.  :)  This use of NewFOs from my NETY storage is providing the new-to-my-eyes variety that I need to be able to keep on working on my DWR. Until that project, I had NEVER, EVER maintained dedication for long than 3 weeks running on a single project. I've come a long way, Baby!  ;D

 

 

Oh!  I did get the fabrics washed for the old NETY kit "Simply Fun."  But that's all. It's in a giant pile waiting to be ironed.

 

 

 

 

Let's Book It!  Report - 
 

This project is very slow going! I did finish block 7 (of 36) last night during a Sherlock episode. Back-basting needle-turn applique is so soothing when you're not on a deadline with it.  :D
 

 

 

 

 

I'll probably have to stick with only this book for this linky party until June. My thesis final draft is due by the first of that month, so I'm hoping that'll open some time to pull another book from my shelf and start something new!

So, there are my February reports - go check the link-ups out for some great eye-candy, tips from other quilters, and very good support groups to help you get your work finished.  :D