Wednesday, July 6, 2011

WIP Wednesday - Roller Coaster Ride

Surprisingly, considering I had visitors staying for the weekend and I didn't do anything at all before Monday I achieved a lot more than I thought I would.
Block 2 Mystery Quilt

The Mystery Quilt block from week 2 is finished.  It took me 4 1/2 hours to make and it made me cry. Not much, but it's a long long time since sewing made me cry.  I have never tried foundation paper piecing before and probably definitely should have practiced first. Let's just say I was on a very steep learning curve and I probably won't attempt making that block again for a very very very long time.  Having said that, it looks pretty good, and it didn't become an art installation *, you can't see the bit that is a bit too small, but it's nothing a good shot of steam and some olympic ironing won't fix, because I AM NOT re-doing it.

A miracle happened and I finished quilting Spice Boxes, a happy dance is happening here right now.  Fanny Pfaff stayed on her best behaviour and I didn't have any more crazy dramas with it. I do think that unless I'm just piecing, the machine doesn't like being on for hours at a time and shows it by playing with the tension.
P1050561

I now have to sew all the ends in by hand, which I can do in the evenings, cut off the feet, lol, I forgot to crop it before adding it to flickr, and then bind it. I'm going to have to order some fabric for the binding, as the print I had originally set aside for it doesn't look great, and there's nothing else in my stash that is big enough. I thought about a scrappy binding but I think that will be too busy.

Because I'm totally crazy, I've jumped in on a Christmas QAL. Shay at Quilting in my Pyajamas and Larri at Seams Inspired have started a Christmas QAL and of course, as I had a Kate Spain layer cake lying around I said I'd do it too.
I have all the pieces cut and ready to go to sew the boxes, now I have to cut the background fabric.


And just to prove that I'm totally out of my mind, this arrived in the mail today.
P1050567

Yep, I'm going to be starting another project.

"Why?" You ask.

Good question. Hmmmmm..........................



Joining in to Lee's WIP Wednesday posts is really helping me keep a record of what I'm working on, and hopefully will make me finish some of these WIP's that have been hanging around for way too long.

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced





Worked On this Week
Mystery Quilt -1 block  -  3 finished now, still have to catch up
Spice Boxes quilting - finished, yay, need to sew in the ends
Xmas Quilt QAL - cut fabric


Sitting on the Sidelines
Floral Bouquet
Monochromatic Block - blue for July


Still Procrastinating
Tiggly Winks  - applique
Plume quilt - make backing
French Roses quilt - first border (sorry have no idea why the font is different - Blogger!)


Still To Finish
Spice Boxes - cut to size and bind
Jacobean Flower mini quilt - quilt
Don't look Now cushion/mini quilt - quilt........ I think this probably should be in the UFO pile by now




Weeks Statistics
New Project -1
Completed - 0
Working On (or pretending to work on but really ignoring them) - ummmm, maybe 10 or more, uh oh I'm into double figures.


* Art Installation - referring to previous posts, where something I was making was quite possibly going to be burnt, stabbed, run over, or all three, these didn't make me cry though. If you go searching, be warned, one of them has lots of swearing.  I'm not angelic all the time!









24 comments:

  1. Hello Marg, dropping by from Freshly Pieced WIP Wed. Perhaps to be a successfully quilter one has to be crazy? As you can see from my post today...I wonder why I continue to start YET another project as well.
    I guess it just goes with the territory.
    Love your foundation paper piecing and must admit this is something I have put off attempting. It looks great, well done.

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  2. Oh Dear, I can totally relate to the foundation piecing tears. It drives me nuts. Once I did a project where you had to foundation piece with the seams on the right side. OMG it was a nightmare. Glad Fanny Pfaff decided to co-operate. I agree they (the pfaff family) don't seem to like prolonged sessions! Good for you starting new projects - you will never be bored. Di.

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  3. After living it up all weekend you certainly are making up for lost time or are you giving yourself a credit for this weekend?

    Love the Spice Box quilt, even with the feet ;-)

    That first block is amazing!!! I cry just looking at it and I love the little postscript :-)

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  4. Your spice boxes quilt is gorgeous, didn't even notice the feet! I like to have lots of projects going at once, just like you -- so then no matter what mood I'm in, I have something interesting to work on!

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  5. Your block looks terrific! I can barely do beginner level paper piecing. I think this block probably would have made me cry too!

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  6. I love your block! What a cool geometic, and the fabrics you chose are marvelous. I've been drooling over the "Flurry" line this summer, but have so far resisted, so I'm jealous. :D And wow - love that Circle project!

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  7. I can see why it made you cry, but man, it was worth it. It's fab, very cool. Don't you wish you were making a quilt's worth of them :)) Good luck with the UFOs, you are brave putting them all out there!

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  8. Found you through WIP, I really love the paper-pieced block you made. I'm not good at paper piecing either....need to just practice. You have lots of goodies to work on, neat!

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  9. I think you did a fantastic job with the paper-pieced mystery block. I love the contemporary art feel that it has.

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  10. Oh, you sweet thing! For all the time and tears, I think the block looks incredible! Be proud!! Everything looks great!

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  11. Beautiful blocks! You are obviously a paper piecing natural! And I love your quilt, feet and all!

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  12. I think your block looks great. I'm not much of a fan of paper piecing. My mind just can't wrap around that whole backwards thing.

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  13. Love Love Love the paper pieced block! I just bought a video on paper piecing and hope to try it soon. Love the spice box quilt too.

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  14. Your foundation piecing looks great Marg, just think the next one will be easier! Love the spice boxes the quilting really sets it off. Your a brave woman doing the circle game, it looks like a great quilt, so have fun with it!

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  15. Beautiful mystery block. Congrats on getting Spice Boxes quilted. Looks like lots of progress this week on WIP.

    Shay posted a link to that Kate Spain pattern, which I fell in love with, so I'm in for the QAL too. I have one box cut out, guess I getter get busy!

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  16. Your spice boxes quilt looks lovely!

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  17. Mystery block is great. I too am having issues with the double digits currently. Sigh! Need to fix that soon. I only have a month left of summer vacation.

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  18. That first block looks like its doing a tricky yoga pose. I always sew my first foundation line wrong. I just take it for granted now. Yay! Spice Boxes is done and it's fabulous, I love the colours! I'm glad Phanny behaved herself. The circle game BOM looks awesome!

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  19. Wow, that block would have made me cry too. Or throw it across the room. Or both! Congrats on all your progress on the quilting of Spice Boxes--love the way you framed the center box. New projects are terribly irresistable. I know this because I started 4 in June :)

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  20. Keep going with the foundation piecing, you did great and it opens up wonderful patterns to you. I love that Spice Box quilt, such rich colours.

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  21. I know it gave you a fit but the paper pieced block is gorgeous. You picked a great color combination! And I just love your spice box quilt. The quilting just makes it!

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  22. I'm lost for words at the beauty of your quilting. Stunning x

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  23. LOL. That paper-pieced block looks AMAZING. Good job sticking to it and making it work, tears and all! And the Spice Box quilt is beautiful. Thanks for linking up to WIP Wednesday. : )

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  24. Love the colors in Spice Boxes! Congrats on getting the quilting done.

    I've made that block from the mystery quilt before. But I used templates; not paper-piecing. That said, it was still on the tricky side, but it didn't make me cry.

    Stunning block though, isn't it?

    Ooh that circle quilt pattern looks intriguing. Can't wait to see!

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