Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Pi Day 2020

"Hope is the choice we make to see the light, 
even while recognizing the inevitable presence of darkness." 
~Rabbi Nancy Kasten

Quilting


Wonders never cease. Pi Day is Saturday and I'm currently working on a circle quilt as it approaches. In fact, the top is sewn. Sort of. Maybe I'm moving forward; maybe I'm standing on quicksand. I'm not sure. But I have sewn plain white sashing and posts to the Shadow Stars. While it's not as visually appealing as the green compasses, it's not lumpy and twisted either.

Shadow Star quilt with plain white sashing

While I consider whether to add appliqué near the posts {and if so, what fabrics to use} I'm also going to think about the border. The Stars are {fairly} precise so improv or very casual piecing won't match. Appliqué borders may be a solution but oh, how I wish I could think of a pieced border that would work.

Meanwhile, here are some light prints that might fit in a border somewhere. I'm wondering how they'd look as part of a pieced border or as the background to some appliqué.

Photos of four floral prints on white backgrounds that might make a border for the Shadow Star quilt
Possible border prints for Shadow Star quilt

I can only find three circle quilts this past year. The propeller baby quilt:

Large propeller block surrounded by twelve smaller propeller blocks sashed with red flying geese
Propeller baby quilt

The spirals on this Chinese Coins quilt:

Chinese Coins sashed with a variety of yellow to orange solid fabrics has additional spiral applique in dark rust
Chinese Coins quilt with spirals

and Clara's emoji hair:

Fabric collage of girl's face with emoji fabric cut as pigtails
Clara, a collage quilt

Now that we have the spiralizer apple peeler, we are definitely having apple pie for dinner. All week!

A small clump of yellow daffodils in full bloom

The daffodils are fading. Every time they bloom I remember how our mother told my sister she was born "when the tulips bloom." Upon spying the daffodils in the garden she started dancing around crying, "It's my BIRTHDAY!" And we had cake that night.

Coronavirus
Professor Marcel Salathe recorded a lecture on coronavirus for an infection biology class at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne the last week of February. It addresses the state of our knowledge at that time but it also contains excellent general information about how epidemiologists address novel diseases. Just over ninety minutes so get your coffee first.

Enjoy the day, Ann

25 comments:

patty a. said...

I like the white sashing. The borders- there are so many ways you could go. I am sure you will come up with an solution. Me, I would just want to get it done so I would go the simple route - a narrower white border, a colored border, then a wider white border. Those light colored prints you have are all so beautiful! One of those for the back would be lovely.

JustGail said...

It's too bad that sashing didn't work out. While debating applique, what about stenciling the the sashing? Embroidery? Quilt the bejeebers out of those intersections with contrasting thread? OTOH, I do like it plain also - those blocks have a lot going for them as is. I like your border options, especially the one on left and bottom right. I SO need to consider borders and backings more often when looking at fabrics, instead of blocks.

LA Paylor said...

I love your posts. I loved your sister's story culminating in cake. We must finish the last of our Trader Joe's apple pie tonight in your honor. Your quilt is so astounding in it's intricacy and simplicity of setting. How beautiful and an achievement. You've really put your work into it! LeeAnna

Ann said...

I may add an inner border but my ideas for that change based on the outer border. I need to plan that first.

Ann said...

Oh, those ideas sound wonderful and I hadn't thought of trying any of them. Thanks, Gail.

Ann said...

I haven't your talent for wordsmithing so I am doubly grateful for your kind words, LeeAnna. Enjoy the apple pie and get some more for ole' 3/14. Haha.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

I do love the new bit of 'space' between the blocks! It allows each of your intricate blocks to shine! I'm lookng forward to seeing how things progress with a border, or not!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

hehe, sometimes 'less is more' yes?

Julierose said...

Love your circle quilts--especially Clara= circle-braid-girl ;))) So adorable...
I like the border choice on the left in your photo...but they would all work well hugs, Julierose

Ann said...

You're so right, Linda. Thanks for writing.

Ann said...

Thanks, Julierose. Clara's braids tickle me. I'm glad you find them amusing, too.
The fabrics look good for a solid border but I'm not sure that's what I want. It will take some time to figure out.

Quiltdivajulie said...

Lovely - of those options for border fabrics, I quite like the one at the lower right. Good luck pondering options - I know you'll find something that is "just right" for this beauty.

Kaja said...

Actually I really like how the top is looking now and your border options are giving you some good options. I never think about borders when I am making, but often see someone else's and wish that I did. I will look forward to seeing what you come up with next.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I like shadow stars and I like all the white around them - think of the amazing quilting you could do in those open spaces and make those stars really shine!!

audrey said...

It's so interesting when we have a preconceived notion of what a quilt needs, what we want to do with it and no matter how hard we try, the quilt continues to reject all our best efforts! So frustrating! I'm very happy to see that you're plodding along through the process and moving the quilt forward. It does look very, very good. Hopefully you'll come up with a solution for what is bothering you about the entire 'look' and be able to make it happen.:)

Ann said...

Thanks, Julie. I need to take some time to think.

Ann said...

I'd really like to add a border to this quilt. I frequently like them on bed quilts. I have several ideas but may set this aside for a while. I just want to get it right.

Ann said...

The longer I look at this white, the better it looks. What a positive spin you put on it, Alycia. Thanks.

Ann said...

This is just like many of your quilts. It rejected what I tried. Now I need to sit and think for a while. I will take you as my example and know it will work out in the end. It always does for you.

Mary Marcotte said...

While I like the bottom fabric in the lower right (it does coordinate beautifully), one of the things I love about the white is that it allows the stars to shine. It would be a difficult decision, certainly.
BTW, I've been enjoying the quotes a great deal. They show up in my phone as part of the thumbnail, so I can easily review them when I visit. How convenient is that?!

Ann said...

I'm going back and forth on those fabrics. They blend in color but probably not in style or voice.
Thanks for letting me know you enjoy the quotes. I thought they did more good at the top but never know if anyone reads them. Yay, you.

Mystic Quilter said...

Your stars really do shine out on the white background, beautiful quilt top and I shall be waiting to see what idea you have for the borders and if you do go ahead with applique added.

Marie said...

I think it was a good decision to remove your lumps - it looks fantastic! Have fun working through the border puzzle - you are doing great thinking.

Ann said...

Thanks, Maureen. The longer I look at this, the better I like it. I still want to applique the border. We'll see how soon that happens.

Ann said...

Thanks, Marie. I'm much happier without the lumps. More thinking is required for the border but I have lots of time at home now.