Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Hope you are having a great day with family and friends.  I wanted to make a quick post to show you my circles and rails progress. I had been running behind the circles already - making yesterday's circle today for several days, and since I caught up yesterday, I wanted to post today and make sure that I didn't get behind in posting too!

Yesterday, I looked out the window all day long waiting for a package to come.  I have ordered a special quilt book from Amazon and was expecting it to come.  It was hard to work on quilting when my thoughts were distracted with this book. 

Eventually, I figured out that the quilt police must have gotten to the UPS / USPS team, and  told them not to deliver the book to me until my rail fences were done. They didn't want me to get ideas to start new quilts until this one was finished.

Improv rail fence progress by Shasta Matova

This picture shows where I was when I started. I tried to put them in color order, but I don't really know how to do that with different tints, shades and values, etc., but it is a good rough idea. I think my issue before was I was trying to get an even number of fabrics for each color, and I decided that I did not need to do that.  I did add more orange and red, but I also added more pink and purple. The orange and red will be accents to the pink and purple.

I decided to appease the quilt police and worked on the rail fence blocks.  I had chosen the fabrics the day before and made most of the rails, so it was simply a matter of putting the blocks together.

Shasta Matova is running out of thread

I noticed that the thread was running low and that began the race. Which would happen first, the finishing of the rails, the thread running out, or the book delivery? Being the competitive person I am, faster and faster I sewed to get finished before the door bell rang.


Quilting progress by Shasta Matova

The finished pile is getting bigger and bigger. My stomach is complaining of hunger. Just wait tummy, there are only a few more to do. Faster and faster.  Oh no, is that a selvage?  We're going to have to fix that.  This is a controlled improv quilt and quality does matter. This delay is making me late. Hurry faster.

Quilting mistake by Shasta Matova

Oh no, this block is going the wrong way. Should I leave it in? It is an improv quilt.  No, if it was a design choice that would be okay, but this is a mistake, and you have to fix it.  Otherwise, you will have to forever explain that you were racing against the mail carrier, and everyone will say you took a shortcut.

Quilt progress by Shasta Matova

Whew done.  Wait, what is that pile underneath the finished blocks. No wonder the package hasn't come yet. The dog is tired of my stomach growling and wants me to eat too. I wouldn't be too disappointed if the bell rang before I finished.

Orange and purple rail fence blocks by Shasta Matova

Whew done!  When I auditioned the fabrics, I wound up with more colored pieces then I did black and white pieces.  I could have gone back through the black and white pieces, but that would have meant that I would have to reject colored fabrics that made the cut.  I like these together and decided to leave them in the quilt. It is an improv quilt, after all, and this was a planned choice. Maybe it will add more interest to the quilt. I really like these blocks. In truth, I like each and every single block.  Each one makes a difference in how the quilt presents overall.


Curved rail fence by Shasta Matova

It is after 8 and the package has not arrived.  I am going to eat.  Package still  not here. I am going to wash the dishes.  Still  not here. Okay, maybe I have to press the blocks.  Still not here.  There is one more block to make.  This one has quite the curve to it. I check online for the tracking information.  Apparently the quilt police gave up on me and I am not getting the package today after all. I win, but it is not a happy win. I wanted the book.

Days 9 and 10 of Quilty 365 by Shasta Matova

On to the circles.  I decided to use my fabric markers instead of fabric to make the circle on the left. When I got out the markers, I saw that they were not made for fabric so I had to switch my plan. I have these Shiva paintstiks and decided to use those instead.  They look thick crayons and I don't have a sharpener, and it was only my second time using them, so it was a very messy attempt.  I debated whether I should try again, but decided it was ugly enough to stay. It was already being made a day late and I wanted to catch up with my circles.

For the circle on the right, when I was going through old magazines, one of the things I saw was a quilt that looked like a place setting. A circle for the plate with food on it, and the knife, fork and spoon.  Since this is a square, it would be hard to get a utensils in there, and since it is a small square, it would be hard to get food on it.  Then I saw a blog - a recent trunk show, where someone had made an Omas Blues pattern by Esther Aliu.  I have that pattern. I've been smitten by circles for a long time.  I pulled it out, and used her fish. I did have fish sticks today. I am grateful for food.  Since I had to reduce the size, I used freezer paper.  I like how the white on the fish looks silvery in the photo. It is not as neat and tidy as what Esther intended, but I do like how it looks.

This block is made from scraps.  The background is used in other blocks, and also the Life of Plenty. The green fabric was used in the Islamic Tile Quilt and the Daisy quilt.  The blue is an old piece that is used in my dimensional quilts and the scraps have appeared in many other quilts, and the white is used with the red in the rail fence.

By the way, the quilt police didn't win. Even though I didn't get the book. I have lots of ideas for new quilts. One to use up the leftover rails for this quilt, one to use up the rest of the fabric, the Omas Blues quilt, a red and white quilt, a turkey quilt, an art quilt that uses the Shiva Paintstiks correctly, an organic utility quilt, and on and on and on.

3 comments:

Julierose said...

Phew what a day for you!! LOVe love love your fish circle--just so cute and calming.! Maybe he's swimming into that "ether land" to grab the UPS guy and get him moving--he's most likely stuffed with turkey and can't get up off he sofa!! LOL hope you get that book today--I know how you feel: I have ordered two from Amazon (my home away from the couch hahaha) and am waiting impatiently, too. One is about fabric collage--can't WAIT to read it with an eye to circles throughout this year long project....hugs Julierose

Lisa J. said...

It sounds like you have a good technique to keep you motivated to keep at your current projects. I've been trying to set goals for myself. Often my goals are too big and I get discouraged. Last weekend I accomplished all of my goals except one, and thats because I chose to do free motion quilting instead. You have made lot's of progress on your rail fence blocks. I love the lines in your curved rail fence.

Lorna McMahon said...

You made incredible progress on your rail fence blocks. And kept up to date on your circle blocks too! What a great post. I really enjoyed reading about your race.