What a difference a year makes

It's been almost a year since my last post. Life, work, Instagram all vying for my time. But the top I was working on then is finally finished. Backing purchased, washed, ironed and waiting to be cut and sewn together. Debating whether to use batting. It is a coverlet after all. And if so, what's the thinnest I can get.?And how should I quilt this? Was I too optimistic appliquéing 2017 on this? Lots to ponder, but for now I'll enjoy the top being done.

The completed top. These colors seem truer than in the detail shots.

Being optimistic with a 2017 date.

Most of the blocks finished at 4.5 inches.

Fabrics are Basic Grey floral (in 2 colorways) and Grunge in several bright colors.

I surprised myself by doing a lot of applique.

1718 Coverlet progress

Slowly plugging away at this quilt. I can't believe I've stuck with it. Maybe because it would be too much work to put the blocks back in the right order if I took it down. .

I finally finished the center block. It was excruciating: time consuming and fiddly. And I'd been putting it off so it seemed to take even longer to get it done! Those 8-pointed stars in the corners are 4-inches. Each one seemed to take a full day to make. Not perfect, but done now, and I'm moving on!

Crappy photos because it's not sunny here and isn't going to be for days. Got some movies from the library and I plan to spend some quality time with this project today.

A Year of Finishes

Today I finished a book, a block and a top. Maybe that's a sign I'll get some things accomplished this year.

The book: "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty.

The block: No. 40 of the 1718 Coverlet.

The top: Pumpkin Peel from "Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts" by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms.

1718 Coverlet

I have followed Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts for years and had been tempted a few times by her projects, especially these gorgeous butterfly blocks. But I never took the plunge. Then she and Sarah Fielke, formerly one half of Material Obsession announced a quilt-along for the 1718 Coverlet. Each month they'd alternate a different set of blocks to make.

I don't know why this interested me. It certainly wasn't the applique. Maybe it was the time period. What kind of a quilt did they make in the 1700s?

I immediately ordered the book online. And before it even arrived, I found myself at the quilt shop looking for inspiration. The coverlet seemed to have a lot of solids, and I did not. I liked the texture of Basic Grey's Grunge so I pulled a few that went with their gray floral. Oh, and the floral also came in a blue colorway. I had my fabric. Now for the book to arrive. 

My latest block finishes at 4.5 inches
and is one of four corners for a much larger block. 

I really don't know why I've stuck with this quilt. I'm not a big fan of applique. The doing part anyway. I admire it, but it's not my thing. But the blocks are small and the applique not too bad. A bit primitive, which works with my skill set. And every time my husband pops his head in the room, he tells me how much he likes the colors.

Yes, that's a deer and not a llama.

I followed the quilt-along at first, but then with such a limited palette I needed to lay out the blocks and balance the colors. There wasn't any yellow Grunge when I first went to the quilt shop, but there was the last time and I bought a fat quarter. I used it as background on the man and woman in the center, and plan more yellow in the center to get around the fact it wasn't in the first five rows of the quilt.

I realized the other day that both quilt-along organizers haven't posted blocks since the second or third month. But I've been happily working away nonetheless.

Looks different in a photo then in real life.

Seeing the blocks in order so far, helps me balance the colors when choosing fabrics. I'm working on the large center block next. Then the three large blocks for the sides and bottom. Then I'll make the blocks that fill in around them. Some are already done as they are repeats of the blocks in the top rows.

The inspiration for this quilt was the admiration of another quilter and a fabric that spoke to me. It's always the talkative fabric, isn't it?

Linking up with Nancy's Quilty Inspiration No. 10. Please visit her weekly link up, and add your own inspiring story.

Catching up

This top got put together awhile ago. I haven't blogged in the last few months because I have been too tired from work to spend time on the computer when I'm not working. Of course, I do spend time on the iPad. So I'm trying blogging from the iPad. We'll see how that works. Haven't posted much on Instagram so I'm not terribly hopeful.

Besides finishing the above top, I've been working on the 1718 coverlet blocks, Stars in a Time Warp blocks, and started something new.

I'm not following that closely the 1718 coverlet QAL block order. Once I've figured out the piecing I'm doing all the blocks that are pieced that way instead of the one specified. But the design wall is filling up, so I'm not feeling too far behind.

 

I'm stumped on the last fabric for Stars in a Time Warp: a pillar print. Can't seem to find anything in my stash. Otherwise I'm caught up making two of each block, alternating white and the focus fabric.

Here's the new project. Too busy? Should I use a plainer fabric like I have on the upper left or stick with what's going on in the rest of the layout?

1718 Coverlet QAL and other projects

Multiple projects going on here. The border strips for the Grand Illusion Mystery are pieced. So close to finishing, but, ugh, long seams. I'm putting them off. I have several Time Warp stars cut out. Five types of madder and indigo, which I'm piecing in between my 1718 Coverlet blocks.

Seems like a lot of applique in this quilt, which is not really my thing, but I'm determined to stay focused. I'm piecing the blocks as much as possible and appliqueing as little as possible, which is still a lot for me. . 

I'm enjoying it though. Especially when the days are sunny and staying light longer.

Oh, my stars!

32.5 x 32.5 inches

A non-quilting friend visited recently and art directed my houses top. After trying different options, we both concluded that the top was finished the way it was; there was nothing more to add except a purple binding. ... Once it's quilted, of course.

A dozen stars so far.

Double pink was this week's featured fabric.

I've been making two versions of Barbara Brackman's Stars in a Time Warp each week. One with the focus fabric for the star and the other with the fabric as the background. I decided to use Kona Snow as the other fabric in each block. Not sure how many stars there will be in the end (I can always buy more Snow if needed.) or how I'll put them together. For now, I'm happy to search my stash for the appropriate fabric and make two blocks every week.

Fresh Cut and a selection of Grunge from Basic Grey.

Saw this post Friday night and decided to jump in. My copy of the book won't arrive for a few days, but that did not stop me from buying some fabric yesterday for the quilt. I've never been tempted by Dear Jane or the Farmer's Wife quilts, but the 1718 Coverlet spoke to me. A handful of blocks every month for 11 months seems doable. We shall see.

I cleaned my sewing room the other day. Found a couple tops without backings or prepped binding so while I'm waiting for my book to arrive, I hope to get that done and to finish putting the border section on the Grand Illusion mystery quilt. I have to "unsew" a few parts that were attached in the wrong order so I'd better get to it.