Yesterday, I pulled out the Quiltmaker's Garden bin of fabrics and pattern sections. This pattern was published in five sections in Quiltmaker magazine a few years ago. It was my NewFO project in May of 2013.
The last time I worked on it was in December of 2013, and when I pulled it out yesterday, I found myself in the World of WTF? It's been so long since I worked on it that I didn't even know which fabrics were intended for what. There were some completed blocks...these petunia blocks...
And these sky blocks...
Before I go on, I feel a need to point out that those blocks required that I sew the dreaded "Y" seam. Yeah. (Polishes fingernails on shirt.)
So anyway...I had strips of fabric cut and marked and I had no idea what I intended for those. Thankfully, I'd put labels on them to give me a clue of where to start. I doubt I'd expected to go more than a year without working on it, but there you go. One never knows. For all I know someone might have invented time travel before I worked on it again, and then who knows how long it might have been before I'd have gone back to it. In any case, I spent about a half hour in the Land of Befuddlement before I was ready to start up again. There's probably a lesson to be learned here, but I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
Anyway...once I had myself back on track, I made these "tile" blocks. There were three. These were made from scraps. (I think I had in mind that the whole quilt was made from scraps, and so to find yardage and cut strips in the bin sort of threw me for a loop.)
It started to make more sense when I was able to use the strips I'd cut so many moons ago. First, I made these three 16-patch blocks
And then I had strip sets of six each in these two blues. I used those to make 84 two-patches to be used at some future juncture.
Today I'll pick it up from there. I have strip sets of 7 different greens and 7 more of that light blue at the bottom in the image above. I'll use those to make 99 blue and green 2-patches. Then I have two each of two different grays, along with some gray rectangles that I'll use to make the "pavers" at the bottom of the quilt.
When those are finished, I will have finished with the first of five sections of the pattern.
If I've learned anything from this whole fiasco, it is to finished each section before I put it away for the next round. I'll be able to finish up Section 1 today, but when I work on it again, I'll do the whole of Section 2 before quitting, and so on. I spent some time looking at the subsequent sections yesterday, and it seems that Section 1 is the most complicated from a piecing standpoint. There are still some paper-pieced flowers to come and also some applique, but this section had the most complicated of the pieced elements.
Aside from that...nothing else much to do. I have one little project I'd like to start, but it has to remain a secret for now. It's a birthday gift for someone who might be a reader...I'm not sure...not sure enough that I can't even be more specific about who it's for. You'll get to see it eventually though. Would I make something and not show you?
13 comments:
Cool rain gage. What type is it? I have many quilts that befuddle me when I get back to them, so I can relate. Enjoy!
I hate when I come back to a project and it takes me hours to figure out where I was. Looks like you've got a good handle on this one.
You have rain, we have snow. This is why I don't let projects sit - befuddled is a 'kind' word. At least you have things labeled. Think this one needs to be finished this year.
Befuddled is such a good word. I don't need to leave my projects for a year to be befuddled, a month or two is bad enough! You did great sorting out which bits go where but I think I agree with Sharon that you probably need to finish this one this year.
Gosh, have I learned the lesson (more than once, even!) of being over-thorough with my notes if I put something away before completing an entire section. I was really bad at thinking I'd have no problem knowing what I'd meant to do, and yet coming back to things and being lost in WTF Land. lol!
Beautiful blocks and beautiful pattern. I'm hoping I've got all the parts of the pattern saved for when I get around to starting. It will be much easier to do those "pinwheel" blocks with the square centers with partial seaming rather than doing Y seams. I can't wait to see it when you get it all put together.
It's going to be really pretty, I've found that if I put something aside I may as well file it in the trash, I have some bags of projects that I just look at and wonder about.
Enjoyed your variety of colorful pinwheels!!
This is an awesome quilt... can't wait to see it in your happy colours!
Sounds like you did get the Garden sorted out for now. At least you had some labels to help! It's going to be great when it's together!
Great ideas on what to do with UFOs before putting them away: make notes, label the fabrics and complete one section before filing it away! Your quilt will be so pretty when it's completed! (PS I really enjoy your blog.)
Wow? Some pretty fabrics and lovely blocks there -- I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes together!
Do the sections relate to specific parts of the quilt or just to block typed?
Post a Comment