1/3/15

Back in the Sewing Saddle

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It was great to spend some time in the sewing room today. I was able to complete the ninth of twelve doors for the Doors of Ireland quilt. Here's the door I was working on:


When I had all the pieces fused down and marked, it looked like this.


It still needed top-stitching, and I thought I might stop there for the day. Then, I decided to stitch the door. As usually happens when I try to do just one little thing more, I ended up finishing off the whole thing and trimming it to size. 


Keep in mind that I'm only top-stitching the edges of the applique pieces and adding a few little accents. Much of the top-stitching and detail work will happen when I'm ready to quilt it since I plan to quilt in most of the detail once it's been sandwiched. Here are all the blocks I have so far:


As long as I've been working on these blocks, I've been considering how to set them once I have all twelve complete. Yesterday, I suddenly had a brainstorm, and I knew just what to do. I'll use the doors as the centerpieces of a traditional Double Irish Chain. Here's an example of what I'm talking about:


I used an online tool to figure out how to make this work. My blocks are trimmed to nine inches, and I had intended them to finish at 8 1/2 inches. To make the Double Irish Chain block work with my blocks, I'll need to put a green border around each one, bringing them to 11 inches. Then, they'll fill in the center of the largest white areas in the image above. I'll use two shades of green for the remainder of the Irish Chain setting. It will make this a rather large quilt at a minimum of 87.5 x 87.5 inches. I'll want to add at least a small border, and so it will probably end up more like 90 inches square.

A long time ago, I purchased three yards of this fabric:


My thought at the time was that I would be using this as the back. I can still do that, but it will need to be pieced somehow. I'll figure that out later. I might be able to incorporate this into the quilt front as well, but I haven't thought that far ahead.

When I work on the tenth block for this quilt, I'll be doing this door. I just love that "Cyclelogical" name. It was a shop we passed while touring Dublin. Like the "Mad Hatters Dingle" door, I didn't think the quilt would be complete without including this one. 


As I'm looking at this, I'm thinking I might try printing on fabric so that I can include those posters in the windows. It wouldn't be difficult to do. As for the graffiti...I think I'll leave that out.

Tomorrow I'm going to get on with quilting the "Never Underestimate" wall hanging.


If I can get it finished up in one day, I'll have completed all the projects on my December list, and I can move along with the new ones for January.

It's late in the day now and time to think about dinner. I'm thinking about it, and I'm thinking I might drag the Resident Engineer out for Thai food. After all the cooking I've done over the past week, it would be nice to have someone else make dinner for a change.

17 comments:

WoolenSails said...

I love your door blocks, they are fun and beautiful and with the irish chain, that is going to be the perfect setting for them, can't wait to see how it all looks together.

Debbie

dq said...

Wow wow wow wow wow!!!! I just love those doors so much! I also love the title of your post - back in the sewing saddle. Have a happy day and 2015 year.

Junebug613 said...

Despite having seen each of the Door blocks being made in turn, I didn't realize you had that many done already! Wow! You are rockin' ! I hope you get a break for dinner tonight!

Christine M said...

I love your new door, Barbara.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Great new door and love the setting choice.

Michele said...

I like too!

liniecat said...

Shame youd not taken addresses, imagine how nice it would be to get a picky of your own front door in fabric, from overseas!
Smashing door blocks ~

Anonymous said...

Love the doors and your proposed setting! Such a great memory quilt.

Eat Sleep Quilt said...

I love your doors. For some reason the last one makes me feel nostalgic :o)

Nita said...

Brilliant idea to put your Doors of Ireland into an Irish Chain :)

Janarama said...

Wow, look at all of those colorful door blocks and putting them in the Double Irish Chain will be awesome. I agree with Liniecat ... you should make a block of your front door to add to the quilt.

Tami C said...

I really like this latest door. I think using for doors as the centerpieces of your Double Irish Chain is going to look great!

Angie in SoCal said...

Oh, Wow, Barbara. I love all of your doors and so look forward to each one. I so admire all the techniques you think of and execute to make your ideas work. I invite you to link to WIPs Be Gone (a Friday post) and share this wonderful Eye Candy. Off to some slow stitching which I am going to go do right now and defrost my toes.

quiltzyx said...

Well, that was fast! Love your setting plan too - excellent idea!!!

Brown Family said...

I like the Irish chain idea for the doors.

Kate said...

The Doors are going to make a gorgeoues quilt with that Irish Chain setting.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

That is a neat way to do your doors.