A hideous quilt takes shape . . . maybe?

A few days ago I pulled this last piece from the Sherry Lynn Wood workshop that I attended back in November. It had been bothering me that 1.) I didn't like it and 2.) it was taunting me, if you will. I determined that I needed to use it or chop it. Either way, something had to happen.

So I decided to first try to use it as is. Once chopped, there's no going back, soo....

I liked the almost Dresden plate section, so why not start there. I made several chunks of rounded shapes, mostly in blue. 

I like this so I made more, trying to use up some scraps I wasn't crazy about. I also realized that making the circles in blue was getting away from the original piece. So I added some different colored scraps.

And more of those circles. Notice that I also moved things around in an attempt to make the pieces work. Add, move, repeat.

And moved it all around some more.  Add, move, repeat.

Add, move, repeat.  It felt like a new mantra.

And this is where I am today.  Less than happy? Sure. 

Actually quite unhappy, but determination can do wonders for getting some chunks on the wall. And I have a few ideas. Oddly, it doesn't look terrible in a picture, but in real life? It's pretty hideous. Too busy and way too much clashing and gnashing and clawing. Yes, I absolutely have some work to do. What do you think? Chop it up? Hide it? Burn it? Hahaha, everything is on the table right now. 

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Sugaridoo Bernina QAL

Yesterday I told you that I've caught up with the Quilt-Along that Mettler Thread and Bernina sewing machines are sponsoring through the Sugaridoo blog. It's a fun QAL that you can join at any time. And it's also a beautiful way to be inspired. These are just a few of the thousands of photos on the QAL Facebook page.

Sugaridoo Bernina QAL

Have I mentioned that I joined a quilt-a-long back in November? I did. It's hosted by Irene of Sugaridoo Quilts and sponsored by Bernina. I suppose I got into it because it looked interesting and then also because my modern guild in Baton Rouge decided that it would be a great challenge since it appeared to be graphic, fresh, modern.

I didn't get started right away. No, I procrastinated until the entire QAL was about halfway through. Suddenly there were six blocks to make. Ahh, but a block is really a strip. An entire strip of about 12-14 blocks. 

You'd think I'd panic or just toss in the towel. No. No, I didn't. I just waited until a.) there were enough blocks/strips to see some headway, and b.) it became a do-or-die situation. 

Today I am completely caught up. Completely. And now I have to wait for the next block. See. There's that "I need something to do" problem.

Anyway, I chose to make my quilt using some of the indigo solids I've been collecting since I saw several antique indigo and white quilts at a show, I imagine. Wow! They looked great! 

Because I needed a third, accent color and someone at BRMQG suggested a yellowy mustard, which I happened to have plenty of, well, that's my accent. It's definitely a bold pop of color!        And there we are. I'm caught up with Irene, and you are caught up with me. So now, what about you? There are over 6,000 participants. Are you one?

SLW is quilted

This quilt has been a worrisome thing. I've enjoyed the celebrations, but the fretting parts have not been fun. There's so much to it though, that I feel compelled to deal with the parts, good and bad.

The sun makes a stained glass illusion.

After the Sherry Lynn Wood workshop, I thought seriously of abandoning the chunks of fabric that I'd put together but guild sisters said to keep going. I decided to take it on as part of the Cotton Quilters "Finish on a UFO" challenge. 

I like the purples, which may be blue in reality.

I tossed in AHIQ's hourglass challenge--because what's a challenge without a challenge and I'm an idiot, sometimes--and found that I really liked how the hourglass blocks helped to make sense of it all. Then AHIQ helped again when I remembered the old Chinese coins challenge and used that to come up with a setting. Ann and Kaja, thanks for the help!

a row of hour glass blocks

The idea of quilting this was overwhelming. I folded it up and put it in the "to be quilted" bin, where the possibility of never looking at it again is kind of real. But where would that get me after all the other challenges? So a week or so later, I made a backing, loaded everything on, and tried to make a plan. 

Some of the original pieces

I should have known better. I don't make plans! Those are throwbacks from the old teaching days when everything was planned, or schemed. :) No, these days I have to plug in the machine and hold onto the handles. Something happens. Some times I have to rip out the stitches, but mostly I just play along with the muse that is the machine. (Doesn't that have a poetic ring?)

The neutral has a green undertone that may influence the binding.
But it's too soon to tell.

The quilting is rather unconventional. I mostly followed the shapes, but occasionally added some sort of motif in areas that needed additional quilting. I like that quilting it this way tends to draw people in because the motifs are a surprise. The kids started looking for circles and other shapes. They asked a couple of times how many to look for. I haven't the slightest idea! Ask the muse.

Linking up with
For the love of geese #47 Thanks, Denise!

SLW quilt ~~ a finished top

I started this quilt in a Sherry Lynn Wood workshop back in November. Since it was a two day workshop, I brought home only the beginnings of something. I could not determine what that something was. Can you tell from this picture that I was not impressed? Thanks to my friend Glen of Quilts and Dogs for taking this shot when I was completely lost in my piece.

In January I challenged the Cotton Quilters' Guild to bring a difficult unfinished project to the next meeting. At that time we would each present the project and tell the group what our challenge was. In March we were to bring the project to show. The beauty of the idea was that everyone got to choose her own piece and decide for herself what she would try to accomplish. 

 For example, one lady brought in a completed top and challenged herself to have it quilted (though not necessarily completed). I brought in the "SLW mess" and challenged myself to figure it out and complete the top. In March I would show the top and challenge myself to quilt (or complete) it.

Since AHIQ (adhocimprovequilts.blogspot.com) was having an hourglass challenge, I decided to add a few hourglasses. That was the pivoting point. After that the pieces seemed to just make themselves. 

As you all know there have been all manner of crazy things happening in the world. The March meeting was a sewing room tour and, because of the Coronavirus, we won't meet in April. 

I decided that I would still meet the challenge and get it to a completed top for the beginning of April. But look at that messy confusion on the design wall. I needed a strategy. Back to AHIQ, of course. At one point we had a Chinese Coins challenge going...What if? 

   



I tested my theory and voila! If you have too much happening, separate the confusion. Calm it, slow it, sort it. Just do something to give the eye a way to see the ideas individually. I used every inch of the neutral. Otherwise I'd have made the top and bottom strips wider to make the quilt longer. I am much happier with it now, however. I'm not exactly looking forward to quilting it, but once it's on the longarm, something will happen.

Voila! I figured it out....happily!

Remember that I went to a Sherri Lynn Wood workshop some time ago?


As you can see from this photo, I was a bit discombobulated by my work. I kept at it, but while there was something I liked, there was more I didn't like. People kept telling me it was good. That was nice, honestly, but I have to be happy from the inside. So I decided to put the whole thing on the design wall when I got home.

On the design board waiting for a plan

There it stayed and stayed. Life kept getting between me and it, including other pieces. Then last month I came up with a challenge for my traditional guild: bring a UFO/unfinished project to the February meeting with the intention of bringing it to an advanced stage for March. 

For example, I'll bring the SLW quilt pieces (that's my name for it for now) and tell the group I plan to bring it to a completed quilt top for the March meeting. Then in March I should commit to finishing the quilt for April. 

Reworking part 1

The problem was that I needed to get to a stage where I could make a commitment. What I had simply wasn't working for me, but I liked most of what I had. To add to the twist, I wanted to incorporate AHIQ's first challenge for 2020, hourglass blocks. 

I played and ripped and moved and added and subtracted and all sorts of crazy things for about three days. Then I read a couple of posts on the AHIQ blog and found the answer. Back to the design board, but with a plan I liked. Funny how a plan makes such a difference.

Reworking part 2

Reworking part 3

At this point (ready to go to the guild meeting) I have long strips of improv pieces that will be arranged in Chinese coins fashion. I've chosen a neutral brownish gray beige oddity for the background. 

  Final plan without the background

Once I arranged the strips in the order I wanted them, I pinned them with numbers, folded them neatly into a project box. Then added three stacks of magazines for the monthly mini (we buy tickets, the winners get to choose from the "minis" on the table until we run out) and even folded and stacked the two quilts I plan to bring for Show and Share. So I'm ready. Now to remember my phone, dues, and my stack of items.