Thinking About LE

Kay Triplett posted this picture from one of her antique quilts. It appears to be the same center that is in Esther Aliu's Love Entwined love-entwined-pattern  without the center and circles around the outside. This pattern was first released by Esther in June 2013. I collected all 18  months of patterns and lots of fabrics in anticipation of making this unique 1790 reproduction quilt. Problem is, I could not decide what colour to make that center compass. So I started a blog and a dozen huge reproduction applique quilts later, I am still thinking.

I bought the book showing the original coverlet.  Found an old library copy on amazon at a ridiculous price of $15. I love the smell of old books. Almost as much as new books. I saw one in progress at a retreat a couple of years ago and loved her choice of soft reproduction fabrics. I was told to pick a green first. But then, I probably could make the thing without any green. Or red. I am tired of red. Especially Civil War reproduction red and poison green. The jury is still out on cheddar. I have not used much of it so cannot say.

My final decision now, I think, is that I will NOT be making Love Entwined. It has only taken me six years of not making it to realize that I do not want to make it. Instead, I am anticipating designing  my own medallion quilt from some of the many options I have in the many books on antique quilts in my library. No hurry at this point. I have a doctorate to complete and a book to write.

Blessings,
Chris

Love Entwinrd: 1790 Marriage Coverlet BOM

I first learned of this amazing coverlet in June 2013 and promptly joined the group and started collecting the free patterns for the next 18 months. I initially thought I would use many of the Morris fabrics that I have but thought they needed some more colours. I bought some bright prints that I saw used for some of the applique and Broderie Perse.  I obsessed about background fabric and bought a few rest-of-the-bolt options. I even considered taking the class when I was in Australia last year. Sigh.

 In the end, I never started the thing because I could not decide what colour to make that center mariner's compass. Now I have made one mariner's compass in my quilting journey, but this one is much more detailed. Speaking of details, quilters around the worked posted their progress and each one was more beautiful then the previous and I was still in a quandary. I could not decide so never actually started it. Instead, I started the CCCQ, Ben Biggs,  1718 Coverlet AWS, Dear Jane 2  BTCT, Morrell and 1857 Album and  GORF. However, I did complete my Dear Jane quilt and CCCQ.

And then it occurred to me that I could start with the next stages and add the center compass later since it is appliqued on. A logical thought I have is completing just one block per month per project. That is about 2 blocks per week. It also occurred to me that if I keep starting more quilts, the likelihood of actually completing them gets dimmer and dimmer. And then in the middle of the night I think about stopping work on ALL quilt projects and take a month to focus on other things, like completing the coursework for my doctorate. Remember that? It is self paced with no deadlines. In a week and a half, I am flying out to visit my daughter and the little boy grand babies and this time I am taking 8 year old Ava with me. I figure that she can entertain Jonathan, I can snuggle David and my daughter can get some rest. Maybe. 

1857 prep

I prepped a few more 1857 blocks and stitched down corner melons. These are going to look great when all 64 blocks are eventually connected. Some of those appliques have to be layered so I have the first 6 on the go. I finally moved a card table into the living room and have been stitching while watching tv with my Sweetie. Actually, I was home alone the other day, sick and bored spitless with no internet so watched some daytime tv sit coms. And finally found where to watch American idol since CTV did not pick it up this year.

1857 blocks in progess

 Another project this week has been machine quilting the Blue Roses quilt. So far, I have been stitching in the ditch around all those blocks using the walking foot. Not my favourite part of machine quilting. I moved two 8 foot tables to make an L and have the Brother machine in a craft table in the  middle so there is a flat surface. The tables support all that weight making it easier to move the quilt around.

Blue Roses

Another challenge I am in the middle of is the 40 Bags in 40 Days of getting rid of stuff. So far I have filled 7 really, really big bags with stuff from the back kitchen; got rid of the bread maker I never used and the juicer; several hundred quilt magazines are going out in this week's recycle bins and many items that have an expired best before date. Several bags of unused clothes and  finally threw out my barn clothes since I have been retired from that for more than 4 years. Whew! That's a lot of stuff. 

So now that I have had my rant, a cup of hot honey lemon and a reality check, I do not think I will start the LE BOM right now after all. Esther's progress on LE will be posted on her blog the first Friday of each month and I already belong to the facebook group so can follow along, again. 

Blessings,
Chris

2014 - A Year in Review

All the presents have been opened. The dishes washed and put away. The turkey bones have been simmered and awaiting the rest of the soup stuff to be chopped and added. The house guests have all gone over to visit other family and I have time to sit back and reflect on the year that is almost completed. I was reading over my  2014 quilting goals  to see how I did in meeting those goals

On my 2014 wish list of quilts to start with all fabrics ready to go in project boxes:

• JT2 Benjamin Briggs BOM from Dear Jane and Sentimental Stitches beginning Jan 1. I started quickly but have only 1 block complete with the 4 corner buds, several without the buds and several cut out, prepped and sitting awaiting the machine applique.
• Dear Jane 2 in Brights as soon as I complete DJ. I started the DJ2 in brights on white and have about a dozen blocks done. I started a new blog called Quiolting Jane at the Farm . My intention was to make and post 10 blocks per month. Well, I posted some blocks each month. I had 7 quilters who wanted to take the course and 7 of them dropped out so, I cancelled the class. However, I still plan to make the quilt at whatever pace works for me.    
• Bali Wedding Stars from Judy Neimeyer in a king size as soon as I complete DJ. I pulled out the pattern sheets and made a plan but did not get it started. 
• Love Entwined 1790 Marriage Coverlet by Esther Aliu after I complete DJ. I still cannot decide what colours to do the center compass and did not start it. I think I will wait until later in the year or next year after I complete some other projects. There is a certain skill level needed to make this master piece and I do not think I am there yet, but getting closer.
• Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sampler on impulse when I forget what else I have to do after I complete DJ. I kept looking at the progress of some of my blogging friends making this quilt and impulsively signed up for the BOM from Homested Hearth that begins in February. I will receive blocks every other month to save on postage. This will be pricey, but it will have all the fabrics to make the complete top including the background and all the broderie purse.

My 2014 goals included completing at least 1 quilt. I completed the Civil War Dear Jane Quilt  but it is not yet quilted. I plan to do this sometime this winter. It will be a simple over all design and I have the threads sitting here ready to go.

Quilt starts include Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt and Beyond The Cherry Trees from Sentimental Stitches and Dear Jane and a new Dear Jane in Brights.

I counted up all the trips I made and have been away from home for 70 days. Keeping in mind that I usually prepare and take along several hand applique blocks and at least 2 textbooks, I got a lot of work done way from home. I visited my daughter three times. I visited my sister in England. Visited my aunt and met a 91 year old aunt for the first time in Poland. And I got to the American Quilt Society QuiltWeek in Grand Rapids. Nice.

Held  my first GORF weekend retreat. I did not finish mine after all. I had too much time. And my quilting machine has been in for repairs ever since I got home Nov 6. That's a long time. 

I filed 1 course for my DCC. I am working on 2 others but have not progressed much in the past few weeks. I got a new desk top computer with a very very large screen this week but have not yet plugged it in.

The greatest event of the year was the birth of our grandson. After 16 years of doctors telling my daughter that she was not able to conceive and after a high risk pregnancy mostly on bed rest, she gave birth to a very healthy beautiful baby boy in June. Praise God for His goodness.

Blessings,
Chris

Ben Biggs Catch-up Marathon

When I started the Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt in January, I told myself that it should be quick and easy to do one block a month by machine applique. I was wrong. I had all the reds and greens from the CCCQ quilt and enough background fabric in my cupboard to start immediately and I had a whole roll of Floriani wash-away fuseable web to use for the shapes and not have to remove like you do with freezer paper. Maybe because I thought it would be quick and easy, I did not get to it as fast as I could have. Or did I? According to my calendar, I was away 5 times this year at the beginning of the month when the blocks were released and I just downloaded the patterns and saved them to print off later. That backfired on me when I could not find the files for 2 of the blocks and frantically tried to find them. They did show up accidentally when I copied the link and, then I found the patterns I had printed off in a note book.

Because I am using several different reds and greens, I laid out the blocks I did have done on a table in order and then started picking colours for the rest. I did not want the same colours together. Have I ever mentioned that choosing colours is not one of my better skills?

I had traced and cut out all the pattern pieces last week and this week I ironed them onto the wrong side of the fabrics and cut out the shapes leaving a small seam allowance. I have not yet glued these under. I will do that another day. All the blocks have been neatly stacked and returned to their project box for another day.

Ben Biggs Block # 10

The sun sure was shining brightly through the geraniums on the window, casting deep shadows on the light table. Did you know that too much light in the top does not allow the light under the table to shine through? I did not know that before. I do now.

Ben Biggs Block # 12

I thought I had counted all the pieces needed carefully. I missed 2 flowers here since I was layering 4 sheets of the wash-away stuff and then I could not find a piece to cut out the rest. That`s one of the problems when you start tidying up and putting things in their rightful place.

Ben Biggs Block # 11

 The sun eventually moved on and the light under the table started to shine through.

Ben Biggs Block # 9

I bought a  glass topped table last year to use as a light table.  I was planning to start  the Love Entwined 1790`s Marriage Coverlet last year, but so far have downloaded all 18 of the free patterns and obsessed about what colours to make the center compass. After reading all the posts about the process from many different quilters around the world, I realize that my applique skills needed a lot of learning and fine tuning. So, Ben Bigg`s is  my tutor for machine applique using the wash-away iron on fuseable stuff. LE is so detailed and finicky that I do not want to mess up. CCCQ and BTCT have been my tutors for needle turned hand applique. And now I have discovered a new approach to freezer paper applique. I love reading the quilt blogs that have come my way this past year.

Blessings,
Chris