Taking advantage of one of our first nice, but cool, spring days, I took some outdoor pictures. Actually, it's the first time I've been able to hang laundry outdoors since last fall!
As it turns out, my umbrella clothes line isn't tall enough for my "Roll Roll Cotton Boll" quilt center. Yep! This isn't the whole quilt! It's just the center, without borders. And it already measures 75" X 90"!
In spite of it's size, it didn't make much of a dent in my scrap bin.
I really like it's cherry yumminess with lots of white chocolate and a bit of milk chocolate.
It's satisfying to see that even the bright "neutrals" fit into the string pieced blocks.
Making those string pieced blocks was my favorite part. I'd sewn blocks using telephone book pages before (see one of those quilts here, and my tutorial here), so I was again pleased to see great results.
Next, this small bin of pieces will become the outside border. Gee, only 172 parallelograms are needed.
A couple other bloggers have been chatting about the new "DS (Denyse Schmidt) Collection" of fabrics available at Joann's. Since my nearest Joann's store isn't very big (though it's the largest Joann's in the state of Iowa), I was surprised to see they are carrying this collection. This is my purchase. Isn't it a fresh color combination? I'm picturing a pretty, modern quilt with Kona Ash, and/or Kona White. It's on my list!
Would you believe?... I'm the only person I know who, when the weather's nice, still hangs laundry outdoors to dry. Nothing beats the smell of springtime fresh-dried clothes, towels, sheets and brand new fabric! Especially new fabric. Bliss. Linda
Your quilt top looks fabulous, patience really does pay off.
ReplyDeleteHanging washing outside is a very Australian practice. When I travel and use dryers I inevitably shrink the family's clothes.
I absolutely love the pinks that you've used here. They are so bright and cheery!
ReplyDeleteGee, that quilt looks familiar LOL!! Mine only used 20 blocks, can't imagine how big this quilt will be. It is amazing that the string blocks look so good when they used such random fabrics. My border is almost done :)!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely quilt! I think scrap quilts are so pretty - I need to get busy and make some of my own, my scrap bins are overflowing!
ReplyDeleteI hang clothes on the line. I've stopped doing this in winter but still do in summer. And when I don't hang outside, I hang on my indoor rack. Only occasionally (like twice a month) do I use the dryer. Your quilt is lovely.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Linda! My effort with this quilt is still lagging far behind, I'm sorry to say. As for washing, here in New Zealand we hang the washing outside in the sun. In the winter (or on wet days like today) I hang mine in the garage and leave the door open for the breeze to come through. I only ever use my dryer for damp washing, not to dry from wet.
ReplyDeleteWashing on the line? You are becoming more "Aussie-fied" every day! We only use our dryer when it's raining and we absolutely have to get the clothes dry in a hurry. Sunshine (even in winter) is the best!
ReplyDeleteI love how your RRCB is turning out, and in my kind of colours. I think fabric scraps are like wire coat hangers - they multiply when the doors to the cupboard are closed :-))
They still don't have that fabric at my Joanns, hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI still hang clothes on the line, and am able to do so occasionally in the winter too, here in Southern Maryland. Usually its sheets, towels, and jeans. I also love the scent.
Your quilt is going to be so great. I clicked on a few of the pictures so that I could see the fabrics up close and am so glad that I did....love the bits of color here and there in the neutrals. I also love the unifying cherry red. Pat yourself on the back, Linda! I have a clothes line, but have to admit to having never pulled it out and used it here at this house...sure grew up hanging the wash out to dry..even in the winter. I recall frozen sheets hanging outdoors many times and the joy of running inside the cool sheets in the summer as a child!
ReplyDeleteLinda, the quilt is looking great. do you know already if you will use it yourself or are you giving it away? And do you know me? I'm also always putting laundry outside when the weather is allowing it.
ReplyDeleteNice quilt and yeah it is rather large. Love the quilt fabric you got at Joann's. My Joann's isn't carrying too many of them yet but one lady said they were going to get more in. I love clothes hung outside but not where I live, too much dirt flying around.
ReplyDeleteThat quilt is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour RRCB is coming along nicely and soon you'll be ready to sew those parallelograms on! I like to hang laundry on the line but I've got the same problem a previous poster has - too much dust.
ReplyDeleteI would kill for the chance to have a clothesline again...sigh. Well, okay, not literally kill...
ReplyDeleteWOW!! This is a beauty!
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