Monday, April 14, 2008

Some Spring Breeze progress

LOL I just read over my last post...methinks I was a little too tired when I wrote it - not sure if it actually made all that much sense! Thank you all for your too-kind 'yummy mummy' comments - I just don't look too closely and I can almost believe it!

I was just cleaning up some photos in the huge photo gallery on my computer and came across photos of me pregnant with Romily - there are only two weeks (and three years) difference between due dates, so it's easy to compare how far along I was last time with how big my belly is now...I feel a lot bigger this time, but apparently I'm not! Gosh I was big from five months last time too! I can feel all my abs stretching up near my ribs and I know I've got a long way to go. At least I'm well past the half-way mark now :) I might even risk a side-by-side belly shot comparison one of these days!
I have made a bit of progress on 'Spring Breeze', my little quilt for the spring round of the Four Seasons Quilt Swap. I pieced and quilted the borders and was going well with the first two borders! I hand-stitched the back down where I joined the two quilted panels and all looked great. But then disaster - I had somehow mucked up my measurements and the two side borders were too long! I'd also mucked up the measurements of the corner blocks (which had already been quilted), and, because I'm doing quilt-as-you-go by-the-seat-of-your-pants (!), I had to 'unsew' the whole lot, remove one of the 'piano keys', get new corner blocks and sew the whole thing back together! Well, finally the borders are complete. I could really have done with some more practice in free motion quilting...I just hope my swap recipient forgives this novice machine quilter. Now to appliqué on the towels flapping in the breeze and then bind the whole thing. I hope to be finished by this weekend.

I've also started a little pinafore dress for Romily, which has some appliqué flowers and embroidery - that should be finished on/by the weekend too.

I've also realised something this past week. I have been taking classes and ordering more fabric (from Virginia Quilter - oh my! I'll post a pic when it arrives) as a way of procrastinating! I am a master procrastinator from way back and this is my quilty way of avoiding quilting! My 4SQS spring quilt has been a lot more work/harder than I'd anticipated, so I have been successfully avoiding more work on it by starting/imagining new projects!

This realisation dawned on me late Friday night when I was attending a 'strip' class at my LQS - they were basically teaching the class how to use a pattern designed for 2 1/2" strips, and flogging some of the fabric they were finding hard to shift! While there were lots of willing participants, I sat there realising I didn't like either the fabric or the pattern! I went with a mate from work and she had the same look on her face as I did! The class was a bit disappointing, as I think we were both there to learn new techniques and came away without much from it. I should have been at home sewing! We did both decide, however, that we were in love with Moda jelly rolls (which we fondled keenly in the shop after the class) and that we'd both find a way to use them! LOL - another project!

So, less time surfing online fabric stores and more time sewing is the answer here! Hear, hear!!

4 comments:

Duyvken said...

I love touching up those moda jelly rolls and my local quilt store too. I haven't purchased one but I just know it will be an impulse buy one of these days! I am so impressed with all the stuff that you are getting done! Can you tone it down a little so I don't feel like such a slacker? LOL.

Helen said...

Lily its looking great! Ahhh, many a times I have removed a "piano key" too to make the ends meet! LOL

Clare said...

I tried to comment on the yummy mummy post, but couldn't. So this is to say you look fantastic. Don't talk to me about borders and piano keys - grrrrrrr.

I too put off doing the quilting bit. I love piecing, but the quilting has to wait (well that's my version and I'm sticking to it).

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

Hi, yes Jelly rolls, the perfect invention...gorgeous fabric already cut-how fabulous!
I want the side by side pics!!! Tracey