Project Quilting 12.6 - Ab Intra (From Within)

Project Quilting Season 12 has come to an end. I cant beleive that we are at the end of March already! Participating in these challenges, seeing the first 12 weeks of the year as "challenge weeks" and "off weeks" has a way of making time move really fast. Or, maybe just differently. As always, it's been fun to be a part of PQ. I enjoy the structure, the challenges and the creativity, as well as the community.

This week, Trish challenged us to look within ourselves and create something that represented who we are, or the creative spark that makes us each unique. I don't know why, but as soon as I read the challenge, I kept hearing/thinking "My life is an open book." The phrase popped up in several contexts throughout the first part of the week. Mid-week, I was sitting on the couch in the evening, with no energy or motivation to do anything other than scroll...and I happened across a random post featuring a fabric book. There was the inspiration I needed. I pulled several fabrics before bed that night, heaped them on the sewing room table, and went to bed. I didn't touch them again until late Saturday afternoon.

This project breaks one of my fundamental, personal Project Quilting Rules. I have always tried to make things that were "useful" during the challenges, so that I wouldn't be stuck with "Stuff" sitting around. I have a really hard time making, just to make. That's kind of paralyzing at times, and it's probably why I put off working on this challenge until the last 24 hours! I have this arbitrary "rule" and several others I impose on my life, that really do go against my true nature. These rules, and trying to follow them, are what often cause me the most anxiety and stress in my life. They keep me from being me, sometimes, and make me feel less than I am. It was kind of hard to get this project done, because it meant breaking a rule - and that's how life in general feels, lately. Like I'm doing the wrong thing, when I'm doing the things that feel right.

I filled this little fabric book with the words I know to be true, and the words I want to live by. Not the rules I think I need to follow, but the words that speak to the me I am when nobody/nothing else is putting demands on me or my time or my energy. I created quick little mini quilts filled with fabrics and images that represent both these phases and the best things in my life. For the few hours it took to create this little book, I was reminded what it felt like to just let go and create. No plan, no rules, no purpose other than the process. I don't know what I"ll do with this book, but that's kind of the point. I need to remember that I don't always have to have a plan. This sweet little object can just exist to be a reminder that its OK to just. be. This is me, ab intra.

Thank you to Kim and Trish for another amazing season. It was fun to be part of the record breaking year. I'm so grateful to have won a couple of prizes this year, and I'm going to treat my self to a PQ hoodie this afternoon! Can't wait for Lucky Season 13!!

Project Quilting 12.5 - You're Crazy

This week's Project Quilting Theme spotlights ome of the most classic and recognizable forms of traditional quitlng, The Crazy Quillt. I have always been fascinated by Crazy Quilts, the women who made them and the fabrics they were made from. Making something beautiful from bits and pieces in order to preserve memories AND end up with a funnctional quilt totally appeals to every part of my nature. Crazy quilts just get me, I guess. I spent the first part of the week thinking that I would create some crazy quilt style panels to put on a repurosed sweatshirt that my husband threw out a while ago. I am craving a quilted jacket, and thought I'd test the waters with a faux-quilted sweatshirt cardigan. I had a vision, but, as the week went on I realized I would need more time than the challenge alloted to make something I'd actually wear. And, I have my own PQ rule that I can't buy anything new for challenge pieces. I WILL make that sweatshirt cardigan...but I"m going to buy some fun new fabrics for it! At some point, mid-week, I read a comment that Kim, founder of Project Quilting, posted in response to a participant. She said something like, "You can really go down the rabbit hole with this challenge!" It was one of those "flashbulb" moments I reember learning about in one psychology class or another. In an instant, I had a commplete idea of what I wanted to do for the challenge! And, it pretty much turned out exactly like that vision!

I started by pulling out some vintage pillowcases that I have held onto for a while, some old lace and ric rac, and a bunch of low volume scraps. Isn't it a pretty pile?

It took a little time to make this "slab" quilt as you go style, but it sure was fun! I am sure I was't doing this the "right" way, as I frequently ran into corners and odd angles where "stitch and flip" didn't work. I wasn't too concerned. I just folded raw edges over and sewed on top when that happened. And, I had thoughts of going over those spots with some decorative stitches either by machine or hand. That would have been amazing...but, I got so excited to see the bunny that I totally forgot!

The hardest part, honestly, was deciding which part of the slab the bunny should be cut from. There were so many spots that I loved, either because of the fabrics or the trims. I actually debated turning the whole slab into a pillow because I didn't want to cut it! But, that bunny needed to come to life, and I guess she needed to have that little embroided song bird on her tummy.

Since there was a lot of crazy quilted goodness left, I decided that some easter eggs would be fun. The eggs and the bunny are all backed with pieces of a vintage quilt that I bought with the intention of using it as a cutter quilt. The quilt is lovely. It's an appliqued rose basket motif and beautifly hand quilted. Much of the red/deep pink that was used for the baskets and flowers is gone or badly frayed, but the green vines are in a bit better shape. It was very stained when I bought it from a friend who specializes in estate sale clean up, but it cleamed up very well with just a gently cycle wash and dry. It was hard to cut into the quilt, it really was. But, it's so damaged that noone but me woujld use it on a bed (and there's just a little too much resigual odor left for me to do that). I will get probably 75 small projects out of this quilt, probably more, which means that it willl be loved and appreciated by many more people than if my firend had just stashed it or used it as pet bedding. So, before I cut into it I thanked the quilter who created it, promised her I'd make lovely things out of it, then turned it around to cut the on the plain side beccause somehow that made me less sad. I like to think that the quilter's spirit approves of her handmade legacy living on.

And acutally, that quilter's creative spirit might have stuck around a while after I finished the bunny and eggs, because I started crafting and didn't stop! I painted, cut, glued crafted by little heart out all day and all night and some of the next day, too! I even worked up the nerve to cut a little bit more of that quilt, and I LOVE it.

I suspect that more than one member of my household watched my craft marathon and the small mountain of resulting projects and had a really tough time NOT saying "You're Crazy." They don't get it, and aren't even a bit impressed when I hold up a project and tell them how much it would have cost if I had bought it at a shop. Oh well. If this is what craxy looks like, I'll take it. I'm in good company.

CHeck out all the rest of the crazy quilter's projects over at Persimon Dreams.

Project Quilting 12.4 - Snail Trail

 I almost didn't start a project for this week's Project Quilting Challenge.  All week, I just didn't feel like sewing or crafting.  I did a bit here and there...a few blocks for a baby clothes quilt I'm making (for an acquaintance)... 

I decided to keep a few of the owner's baby clothes as is for this memory quilt.  The dresses and little boy jammies are just too cute to cut up! 

and playing around with an idea for spool carrots for my Easter mantel. 

These are still a work in progress, but I'm kind of smitten!  Primitive spool carrots!  Swoon!

But, several nights I just sat on the couch after dinner and looked at pictures of other people's sewing and crafting projects.  It was a long week at school.  Inside recesses, standardized testing, substitute teachers...all of those in the same week make things trickier than usual in my Special Ed world.  Actually, my trickiest kiddos all had a really good week, but some of my "easy" kids picked up the slack.  Things just felt off balance all week, and with a migraine Tuesday through Friday...I had no interest in sewing.  I kept an eye on everybody else's "snail trail inspired" challenge pieces as they were being posted and hashtagged.  I thought maybe inspiration would strike and I'd find my sew-jo and start a project around mid-week.  It didn't. 

On Friday night I decided I'd just make a few snail trail blocks and see where things went.  I pulled burgundy and gold (mustard yellow) scraps and made a few 4 squares.  The colors were inspired by our trip to Chicago last weekend to visit the Loyola University campus.  I am thinking my daughter's wardrobe is going to be heavily populated by those colors in the next few months, as it's looking like that's where she's going to school!!  There are still two other possibilities, but, we all liked the Loyola campus, and it just felt like someplace she belonged.  She has loved Chicago since she was a little girl, and has thought about going to college there since she started high school.  Loyola offers the Chicago experience without being right down town.  So, I'm feeling pretty good about the possibilities.

On Saturday morning, I looked up a couple of snail trail patterns and tutorials.  I couldn't find measurements that fit my blocks or my scrap sizes...so...I kind of winged it.  I laid my 4-square patch on my mat along one of the diagonal lines to see how big my triangles for the next "round" needed to be.  Then I cut squares accordingly, cutting those squares on the diagonal.  It worked, more or less.  My blocks were a little wonky, but, since I didn't really have a plan yet, I wasn't too worried.  It was fun to figure things out as I went along.  The block is kind of, but I don't think I'd ever make a quilt worth of them!  It's been a while since I've made actual quilt blocks, and I had forgotten how laborious cutting, pressing, trimming, squaring up, etc. can be! These four squares took me a couple hours!

While I might never make a snail trail quilt, I think I WILL try spiral quilting again!  It was perfect for this little mini quilt and it was SO fast!  I love the way it looks on the front and the back, too.

As I was cutting my binding, I was dreading the joining step.  It always takes me a few tries and on such a small project, I just wasn't feeling like putting in that much effort.  I remembered seeing how someone used a bit of ribbon to cover where the binding ends meet, and decided I would try that.  But, Instead of ribbon, I thought I'd put a little message in the binding for my daughter.  I remembered a text print that I'd used on the back of a t-shirt quilt several years ago.  

There were several words I could have used.  "Persistence,"  "Wisdom," "Dream," "Accomplishments."  But, "Possibilities" felt right.  There are SO many possibilities open to her at this stage in her life, even if it feels like COVID takes something new away every week.  She can use this as a large mug/snack rug, or a little wall quilt for her dorm room (fingers and crossed the world is somewhat normal by fall and she can move into a dorm room!).  It will be a touch of home and a reminder that the world is FULL of possibilities.

I'm really glad I dug in and finished a project this week.  Quilting, sewing and crafting are always the best therapy for me.  I felt the balance returning and just felt happier as I worked.  Plus, its such fun to be a part of the Project Quilting Challenges.  There have been more than 200 entries each week so far this year.  Isn't that awesome?  More than 600 new "quilts" are out there in the world because of PQ.  I can't wait to see what everyone does this week with their snail trail inspired projects.  Thanks Kim and Trish for another fun week!  Can't believe we're more than half way done with the season!!  

Project Quilting 12.3 - Virtual Vacation

 I am SO in need of a vacation, and I have been, for a very long time. This time last year, I decided it was time to do something about the fact that we have not taken a trip to anywhere but a neighboring state since my teenagers were in elementary school.  I planned a California vacation that would have taken us along a good stretch of the coast over our 10 day Spring Break in early April, 2020  "Planned" is kind of a loose term.  "Daydreamed" might be more accurate.  My youngest daughter (who has cystic fibrosis) had been facing many health challenges for the past year, and I dragged my feet actually making travel arrangements because I just wasn't sure she was going to be well enough for us to go.  I had an itinerary and figured we'd wait until mid March to find flights and hotels and a rental car and just wing it.  Ha!  Mid-March had other plans!  We spent the 10 days of Spring Break at home, like the rest of the world.  Fortunately, I had NO money tied up in my imaginary vacation. We lost nothing and have had no nightmares related to re-scheduling like so many.  Sometimes, hesitation pays!

A year later, I am still very much in need of a vacation.   The snow and cold we're having here is Wisconsin have me longing for the warm sun, the sound of the ocean, sand under my feet and the sweet smell of flowers in the air. 

I chose to make tropical flowers the focus of my Project Quilting piece for this week's theme - Virtual Vacation.  I thought about some specific destinations.  But, the truth is, I'm not really picky at this point.  My dream vacation right now is any place warm and tropical.  I could have represented sand, sun and sea,  but its the colors in the flowers that I'm craving most in our white covered world right now. 

 I cut the hibiscus flower shape from iron-on vinyl on my new Cricut.  This is the first time I downloaded an image to use, and the first time I've used the heat transfer vinyl.  There's a pretty steep learning curve involved in learning the ins and outs of the Cricut - or at east there is for me.  So, incorporating the Cricut into this challenge piece helps meet my goal making one Cricut project per week until I feel like I know what I'm doing.

It was really easy and fun to cut the shape and adhere it to my fabric.  And I love the way it looks with the favorite print from my stash.  It's been quite a while since I have sewn a zipper pouch.  I had to look up a tutorial to refresh my memory, and even then, I put the zipper in backward on my first try.  But, its all good.

I ended up with a cute zipper pouch that says "Warm Weather Here I Come" and it will make the perfect bag to throw in my overnight tote this weekend when we finally take a vacation.  To Chicago.  For a walking tour of a college campus.  In snow.  And most likely single digit temperatures.  Sigh.  Someday, these feet will feel sand again.

Pop over to Kim's blog to see all the marvelous places we Challenge Participants are dreaming of!  Judging from the number of Hawaiian and beach themed projects, I think Kim and Trish should maybe plan a quilt retreat on Maui for 2022...ladies?  You in?

Project Quilting 12.2 - Fussy Cut

 When I think of fussy cutting, I think of novelty prints.  From the projects that have already been linked up to this week's Project Quilting Challenge, I am learning that I need to expand my idea!  There are so many different ways to interpret the technique!  My stash is limited in novelty prints, so I went with a large floral print to use for the challenge. I can't remember how I acquired this Charming Circles ruler.  I might have bought it at a quilt show.  But,  seems to remember that it was part of a swap package years ago.  In any case, I've never used it, and this seemed like a good time.

Its a fun little tool!  I learned that stretch denim is NOT the way to go when using it.  And, I don't love my final project.  There's not enough contrast between the floral and the denim.  And, the flowers aren't oriented quite right.  And it doesn't lay flat.  It will probably be scrapped and turned into something else.  Oh well!  They can't all be winners!  I had fun, I used a tool that had been sitting around and finally touched some of the denim scraps that have been in a basket for a LONG time!  Wins all around.  

Now I'm off to link up to this week's post over at Kim's site.  Then, I'll get back to my self declared Winter Crafting Weekend.  Coffee, slipper socks, cozy clothes and my new Cricut to explore when I'm not sewing! Heavenly!  Maybe I'll even come back to do a post when I finish some of my projects.

Hope you all find a little bit of crafty/sewing bliss this week!  

Project Quilting 12.1 - Illuminating and Ultimate Gray

 

I made a little time to make a little quilt!  And, I completed the first challenge in Project Quilting Season 12!  This week's theme was "Illuminating & Ultimate Gray," also known as Pantone's colors or the year for 2021.  I knew, two weeks ago, when my husband painted our laundry the most lovely gray that I'd be adding pops of yellow as I decorated the space.  

I knew, when I brought this vintage washboard home from my parent's house last weeked that I'd be hanging it in my "new" laundry room.

And, I knew when Trish (Quiltchicken) and Kim (Persimondreams) posted the first challenge on Sunday that I NEEDED to make a mini quilt for the washboard.

It was fortuitous to find the the perfect little clothespins and jute twine as I cleaned out and reorganized my craft room this week.  We have work yet to be done in the laundry room, and the washboard needs to be cleaned.  But, I couldn't resist propping it up for a picture.

So happy to be starting another season of Project Quilting!  It's my favorite time of the year!

There is so much yellow and gray goodness already linked up over at Kim's blog!  Check it out!