First in 2017

Sometimes I think about quitting. You know, no longer making quilts. Would my life be easier? Less busy? More fulfilled because I'd focus on other things? Then I look at my stash and tell myself, "Sew what you have, and then stop quilting."

So, I pull out another project and keep keep makin' - I adore seeing a finish! - and I find I'm again caught up in the excitement of creating. Choosing fabrics (I've never bought a quilt kit and never will. Where's the fun in letting someone else pick fabrics?!) always gets my juices flowing, and such was the case on New Year's Day.

This is the "Wiggle Me Colourful" quilt, found on Sandy's blog UpStairHobbyRoom.

Her quilt was sewn, cut and pieced from batik jelly rolls. I don't like batiks or jelly rolls, so I figured how to apply her design to my own kind of piecing - scrappy!

Over the past year, going to Big Cypress Quilters almost every Tuesday afternoon, I've been piecing on my highly portable - like carry it in a tote bag over my shoulder! - Janome Derby machine.

I made 66 colorful print "bars" using scrappy 2-1/2" squares. Yesterday I put the pieced bars on my design wall, and cut and arranged around them neutral background strips from text prints.

For the in-between/background, I'd originally thought to just use plain Kona White. Boring. Then I thought one print would be more interesting, but I'd have to order a two-yard piece of fabric. I settled on cutting 2-1/2" strips from about 24 text prints - the right way to use what I already have.

I've organized the rows, and will take everything to Big Cypress Quilters to begin sewing together the pieced bars and text strips. Clover Wonder Clips are great for holding parts together!

The quilt top will be about 56" X 66".

On New Year's Eve I sewed together the 8" blocks I'd sewn onto telephone book foundation papers. I swear that it took as long to remove the papers as it did to make the blocks! But well-worth the effort for the resulting quilt top. I used up lots of fabric strips, so I'm calling this a "free" quilt.

This quilt top measures about 64" X 80". 

As usual, I don't have a home for either of the above rainbow-ish quilts. (Sis, Cousin Barb, Cousin Ginny... when they're finished do you want one? I'm sure none of you have bright colors in your homes, but if you'd like a cheery spot of color, let me know!)

I also finished crocheting my fabric throw rug that's now alongside my side of the bed. I love it! It's 35" X 45" and only needs a rubber mat under it so some morning I don't go gliding out of bed. If you'd like to crochet your own fabric rug, CrazyMomQuilts, Amanda Jean, has a tutorial here. I'm saving strips for another one.

Tip: Strip-cut and save the unprinted selvage edge of fabric yardage - the one that's plain, and is usually tossed. I cut off between 3/4" and 1" of the selvage. It's perfect for crocheting.

Weekend quilting found me doing my bit on our Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild's QuiltCon Charity Quilt. I quilted two sections: the blue swirling waters, and the sand.

About 14 members of our chapter participated in piecing the quilt top, three of us pin-basted it, and two of us are quilting it. We're aiming to get volunteers to add binding, and a sleeve for hanging at QuiltCon.

The quilt backing is a popular Carrie Bloomston print called Newspaper, and was donated by Al from Sharky's Vac 'n Sew.

It'll be great to see the Charity Quilt Challenge display at QuiltCon. Quilts will be hung around the perimeter of the lecture hall where everyone has a chance to see every chapter's interpretation of "scale" and how they used some or all of the eight colors we were limited to. Our chapter used all eight colors to make "Paradise Central." When QuiltCon is over, quilts will be returned to chapters for donation as the chapter chooses.

Happily, I've jumped into 2017 creating! Now I'm wondering if I should come up with a word for the year. Linda