Thursday, August 18, 2011

Confession

I don't love the quilting part of quilting. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. I feel like I have to psych myself up to do it (unless I have a dead line, then I just panic myself to do it.) I know I could send it out. I even have someone to send it out to. But, I'm also cheap, and a diy~er, therefore I quilt my own. So the other day, as I sat in the cave, I was looking at my bow tie quilt, all pieced and ready to go, and decided, it's time. I laid it out, figured out my plan, and estimated how long it would take. Two hours, tops, I thought.

In reality, it took three, including the binding. That's it, just three. If I didn't take breaks to see what the gals on The View were doing, it might have been less. I think that's my biggest hurdle, thinking that it's going to take days and days. Mere hours. I need to remind myself of that. Anyway, all that's left is to hand stitch the binding to the back,which was the real motivation for quilting it: 10 hours in the car this weekend.  Prime binding time! So, do you love every part of the quilt making process? If you could skip a part, what would it be?
 
In other quilting news (news? really?) I finished my blocks for the 4 x 5 Modern Bee
 
 
I went with the strippy circle look. I hope the gals like them. They were really easy to do. I traced a circle (about 8") on a page from the phone book (phone books make the best paper piecing bases - this, easy to tear away, no smudges, and free! Use a sharpie and you can see the drawn line from the back side, too!), then strip pieced (switch to a smaller stitch length to make paper removal easier), cut out the drawn circle, removed the paper then zig zagged it down. Easy peasy!
 
Next up: finishing my Modern Mosaic
 

These blocks were started by a bee I was in. I expected 22 blocks, but there was a bit of flaking at the end, so I ended up with about 14. I was going to make a twin-ish size, but now thinking of a baby quilt size (I still need a girly one for Neal and Steph's baby due this fall.) Do you think the black/pink combo is baby girl enough?
 
I love that Pat Sloan has dubbed August Finish it Up August. I'm trying, Pat, I'm trying! I'm pretty sure I'm going to have 3 or 4 days to myself next week, so I hope to have many things to show for it! Got anything to finish up? (We're quilters. Silly question. Never mind.)

6 comments:

Sharon said...

I love your bow tie quilt! Since I'm relatively new at quilting, I'm not comfortable yet with the quilting part and put it off too. In fact, I just basted an Autumn wall hanging and I'm looking at it, hoping it won't get all wonky on me as I handquilt it. I've already ripped out stitches twice! I'm SO ready to get this part over with and get to the binding. I LOVE doing the binding!

krisgray said...

We have the same outlook on quilting. I figure if I pay someone to do it, then I have less money to spend at my LQS or for retreats.

ritainalaska said...

i don't mind straight line quilting, but i'm gritting my teeth trying to make myself sit down to fmq! i've gathered how-to's, tips, vid-tutes, etc. and read and watched but have not sat down to do it yet.
i sure like your easy circles! will do this. thanx for the tip!

beeps said...

i like the pink and black for a baby quilt - a lot of my buddies are having kids and really like getting gifts for their baby that are not soft and fluffy. It is a very sharp looking quilt!

craftytammie said...

i really don't like making the quilt sandwich. i poke myself about a zillion times and try not to bleed on the quilt. i love the strippy circles!

suemac said...

I am just starting to do the actual quilting. I am too cheap to send my tops out. It is still a little traumatic. I have one to baste and quilt this weekend.