Poets are like baseball pitchers. Both have their moments. The intervals are the tough things.
~Robert Frost
Quilting
Perhaps that quote applies to quilters, too. Ideas wax and wane. Abilities increase but also decrease with the passing years.
After all those quilts, there are still some squares and blocks remaining. How is it that the more we use our scraps, the more appear? It's very hard to use them all up... especially when they seem to regenerate nightly.
This little quilt combines most of the leftovers. I liked the look of the larger postage stamp quilt so I tried it again here. Not many blues or greens left; this top reflects desert colors - red rocks, golden dirt, and sage brush. The few bits of blue could be the midday sky or the bright oranges could be a sunset.
The back is a yard of cactus print lengthened with some leftover greens. The fabrics blend well with the front. Perhaps the greens should have been added in the middle of the cactus rather than at the bottom. I can never make up my mind about positioning the little bits needed to lengthen a back.
Here's a look at the front and back together.
All my leftover green binding scraps made the binding for this quilt.
Quilt Specifics
Size: 40" x 40"
Design: Scrappy Trip Around the World
Batting: Hobbs cotton
Thread: Superior 50/3 green cotton thread
Quilting: walking foot grid
Approximate yardage: 6 yds
When I took it to my DIL, she knew immediately who could use this gift. A friend of hers loves cactus. Perfect.
Reading
Since I enjoyed the first two books in her Joanna Brady series, I decided to try Until Proven Guilty which began her J.P. Beaumont series. I didn't care for it much as it reminded me of those 1950's macho detective stories. Perhaps it will grow on me but I much prefer the Brady books.
13 comments:
I agree scraps never go away, besides that we are just to frugal! It would be a waste to throw them away when we can add a bit of this and that and have a quilt to show for it! The cactus fabric is fabulous!
I like the idea of larger squares for a postage stamp quilt. I read a few of the Beaumont books but like the Brady series much better.
Hooray for the quilt finding its new owner! I tend to add the bits into the middle area of the quilt back so that it doesn't get cut off when squaring after quilting. But in the case of fabulous print like the cactus, I agree about adding it at the bottom/top.
I was glad to see your backing with the additions at the bottom. I made a back for a scrap quilt and I can't decided if I'm going to leave it as made with a block of flamingo fabric on the left side of the backing. I leaning toward leaving it because it's a bit of whimsy and will set this quilt apart from the others with a solid back.
philosophy today... yep skills increase, and my body fails at times... but the desire is there to create. I love your squares and love that you are always giving of yourself and creative side. Thank you for inspiring us
LeeAnna
I agree. What else are scraps for but scrap quilts? And it's fun to recognize the bits when they are in a quilt.
Thanks, Sue. How nice that we are of the same opinion on the Jance mysteries.
It's always good when they find their home, Julie. I usually add strips in the middle, too, but this time I couldn't cut the cactus fabric. Perhaps it should have been outlined with narrow bits. Ah, well. It's gone.
It's always tough when we have a nice bit of fabric that's just a bit short. Where to put the addition! Flamingo fabric sounds delightful, Robin. It's great to find little bits of excitement in unexpected places.
Your skills grow every year. I'm sorry your body isn't keeping up. I enjoy giving these little quilts to friends. They are usually easy to do. You have so many talents with quilting, painting and drawing. Take care, LeeAnna.
That is a fantastic quote - true in so many situations, I think. I like the green bits at the bottom on the back - it shows the process you went through so for me there's a kind of truthfulness in things this way.
I agree, Kaja. Any creative endeavor has those long intervals.
I hadn't thought of the green showing the process. Thanks. There's rarely enough length or width from any of my fabrics. You'd think I'd be used to it by now but it's always a surprise digging through the stash.
I like the idea of the larger postage stamp. Your scrap square mix is once again a delight, the best way to use up our scraps I think.
I second Kaja with her comment on your opening quote, I can relate to the message it conveys totally at this point in my life.
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