Facing the deadline

For sure I needed some more motifs.

I cut four more out and fused them in place. Then they all need some stitching to further secure the edges which I'd like to make less noticeable but I'm not exactly sure how to best do that. Good thing there is always a 'next time'! ;^)


I thought I should also outline some of the flowers in the background with some free motion quilting. Needs some hand stitching on the back facing but DONE.

The facings are easy to apply. I'd like to figure less bulk in the corners, though.

The wider vertical strip on the left end changed the dimensions of the zig zag quilting and that threw a curve in the works and I could have resolved the open ends better, I think. But it is okay, another next time!

I won't hand stitch this down just yet as I'm thinking I should add some quilting to those pinwheels.
This set up can be improved but not for this quilt. It is go, Go, GO!

Much ado

I'm multi tasking in a mindful way. I know I start too many things but I have only added something that does need finishing this summer and I have a deadline happening right now. ;^)

I also rush the finishing way too much so this will give me some thinking time.

I did quilting on the challenge. I also did some ripping to make it better. It is awaiting the facing as I consider if it is done.

I have a top I did as a quilt along. It is okay but not necessarily a keeper. My niece is marrying this summer and I think it is 'her'.

Now she may have some European influences in spite of being a modern gal so I got some striped backing on sale that has all the colours. Not such a great look in the photo but I'm feeling good about it. There is a golden yellow in that yellow brown.


As I was pondering the convergence I got the quilt sandwich ready. I can take the time to pin baste it as I think about the applique on the convergence. In fact I stopped pinning because I have already changed my mind about how I was going to do the MQing so I'll start pinning it differently. I was going to just do wavy lines up and down but I think a wavy checkerboard might be better. Heck, even faster!

I did cut some fusible backed motifs while I considered the MQing options and I have slept on their placement. This picture will be helping me decide if I need more/less/different, and how to finish them.

So you see it is much more than "much ado about nothing"!!!

What if... and What not...

It boggles my mind trying to visualize how 4 fabrics will collide in a convergence quilt. So after I had an actual sample in front of me from yesterday, I decided to use next year's challenge fabric in another try. Apparently Bali-type fabrics work best. I also knew high contrast is a good choice. So...

I picked 4 fabrics, with contrasting colour, texture etc.

I did switch the lighter floral to be over the brighter floral. I was also getting a little nervous at this point but I persevered. ;)

Now I absolutely luv this top section!

The bottom section not so much but it does have the actual challenge fabric in it so it has to be okay.

But together? NOT!

So I decided to cut my loses and make a new top part. After some angst I repeated the blue and chose a lighter mauve.

Now this is kinda nice!

I'm not sure what will happen when I combine the two but I will have to do some altering as something isn't lining up. I may have mis-cut something. argghhh My math is another challenge! lol I also need to be working on finishing up the current projects for this year's show and challenge so I'll set these aside while I decide about some of the what if's...!

A Stumble

I am beginning to thing *converging* is NOT my thing!

The first slices weren't too bad. I did want lighter at the top. But the last slicing was not going to work. I lost the light sections.

Should I rip? What if I mixed up my medias?

I used watercolour pencils on the patches because the green matched the green in the flower. I then wet them. I ironed them. They are possibly not too permanent. But by the time this wall hanging needs washing I will have a better, bigger, more whiz bang project to replace it! LOL

This works; well at least better than what I had.

I won't show just now but I thought I'd try another quick combo while I had an idea of how things converged. NOT well! I wasted a lot of time and if I get a chance tomorrow I'll show the also ran and the 'better half". gah!

I was running out of time for the last challenge so I MQed my 4th little house.

Now I have four and will try another colour family.

The down hall has come along nicely. I can't believe how much my $40 mirror has added to the overall look of the entrance.

It didn't fit above the chest, another great find at Canadian Tire. It hides from view and holds all my dearie's STUFF! But it does go very well above my mum's old cedar chest which always has some kind of quilt on it. This adds softness to the hall. Aqua pillows and the little aqua place mat carry the spring colour but also echo the picture. I think if I ask to move those 2 wall sconces one more time my hubby will be chasing this chick! But I do think they may have found their final resting place.

SO, Friday finishes:

The colour class is over and posted in Tutorials.

Eliana survived her first sleepover.

The challenges are challenging. :(

I got the fabric challenge top pieced.

I got a convergence I can live with pieced.

I didn't get the little challenge done but perhaps next week.

I have the weekend to think about how to MQ them.

The hemming is a no go!

The hallway makes me smile!

First lessons

There was a small blizzard on Sunday. First we had to shovel out.

But my daughter and I had planned a winter field trip for the kiddies on Monday. Our first. So hubby broke trail to work and I carried on to make a field trip happen. Who knew the Children's Museum of Canada was closed for renovations so we improvised. The welcome tourist area in an adjacent building is very kid friendly. Some of the displays have stuffed toy like animals and this bear has lost his paddle and wears a sign on his neck that says, Be Kind. Do not jump on the bear! We learned some useful first lessons. We'll be acquiring small back packs so our arms are free. We want to do one trip a season and live to tell about them.

While our trippers napped in the car I hit a fabric store for colour wheel fabrics. I took my colour wheel in and MATCHED. True green is not in vogue at the moment. I bought the only thing close and again the camera is not showing how well I did at matching.

I'd tried some of my colours for my double compliment convergence quilt in a black and white photo shoot and I really got confused. Value is such a puzzle to me. First appearance is not always what it seems. I'll be sharing more as I learn more about this convergence experiment.

So I started over with my whole stash and I really got on a roll. I'm short true reds and the best combo did not even have a whole FQ's worth of fabric. So that is why I decided to just go and get 12 one metre sized pieces.

I will need to dye my own colour wheel fabrics but I'm anxious to start work on my colour class.

Today I continued to sub for a friend as a companion to a young woman who works in a Thrift Shop in the morning and we field trip in the afternoon. It's amazing what people will give away and how cheaply quality items can be purchased for. I got 5 brand new double damask Irish linen napkins. I'll dye them. For lunch we went to the other end of the pay scale. Lovely country restaurant, wonderfully decorated and with a store that carries up scale decorating items. Maybe some will make their way thru the recycle system. vbsigh Another first lesson, good things come to those who wait. There is that patience word. ;)

I'm looking forward to staying at home for the rest of the week. Another lesson: you can't get things done if you aren't home to do them!

To converge or not to converge.

The quilt group is working on a convergence project. I'm not sure I need another project but we are a group and I've never made one.

I'm also spending some of my spare time (ha) thinking about a colour class. I'm reading Colour Mastery: 10 Principles for Creating Stunning Quilts. It states that a Double-Complement harmony results from using two pairs of opposite colours on the colour wheel. It yields high contrast from colours that do not blend. hmm, the convergence uses 4 fabrics. This could be a colour exercise.

The author recommends making a colour wheel using colours in your stash. This shows what you have and if you make different kinds, solids, florals, Bali's etc. you will learn lots. I'm thinking Bali's for this so I worked up a wheel. I don't have a true red nor a true green so I stuck in others.

The photo colour is abysmal but I feel it is pretty much on the mark in real light.

So I needed to pick the double complement harmony from the wheel but also from fabric that would yield at least a full FQ. Those I took outside to photograph. Darn wind!

Again the colour is a bit off especially for the blue-violet which is the opposite of the yellow- orange. The red-orange's opposite is blue-green.

Now I tend toward low contrast harmonies but my thinking is that the itty bitty slices should be seen and not just blend in as they pass one another. These would be seen! In fact I think I hear them shouting as they even get close! Whoa! This could be a good example of a bad example.

Two opposites really contrast but the four disperse the focus and each colour's importance. I'm quoting. I could tone then down with the same value and brightness but I'm not sure I have those options in the stash. I'm also wondering if the colours are meant for more individual fabrics in each colour group and this is not suitable for a convergence quilt.

I think I need to think about this. The grandson is visiting which was why I wasn't painting and pasting while he played at my feet. But I could fiddle with fabric. 8)

What if...