I want to especially focus on sharing my progress on projects this year, not just finishes. I occasionally sit down and make a quilt in a weekend, but it is far more often the case that a quilt takes me months and months. In part because I work on many projects at the same time and in part because I have a full time job, a full time family, pets, friends, other hobbies, exercise (well I am working on making that one a priority), etc. just like everyone else.
While you might have caught some of my progress posts on Instagram, I expect that many of you don't follow Instagram or maybe you are like me, you read what is there in the few minutes a day you make for Instagram. I like to see Instagram as immediate inspiration and connection or as a way for connection while I am actually sewing. But I don't have time to read back and miss almost everything everyone else posts.
I have been making great progress on the Lion Jungle Abstractions quilt - pattern is by Violet Craft. I have finished making all 126 or so pieces and now I am back to putting the chunks together and then adding them to each other. I find this part of paper piecing tedious and I get poked by the pins a lot. But it is very rewarding as the pieces come together and make the final image. Paper piecing a 60" square quilt is a lot of paper piecing, so I set this one aside often.
My friend Becca from Sew Me a Song and I - along with Marci from Marci Girl Designs, began Carolyn Friedlander's Collection Quilt Block of the Month a long while back. We figured this beautiful modern appliqué project was perfect to learn and hone a new skill. Then Becca and I stalled totally with the busy summer and fall, although Marci has been working away while she is out and about as a passenger in her husband's truck - she is on block #4 already.
This year, my spouse and I have agreed to have more movie nights this year, where we actually sit together and enjoy a show - we are both often involved in our own hobbies. This is perfect project for that, and Becca and I challenged each other to sew at least 10 stitches on it this week to get out of the slump. Then, I challenged Marci to get her's out of the truck for more work too. And I even stitched my 10 stitches and more.
I am about half way through this #2 block. I continue to love Carolyn Friedlander's approach to appliqué - it allows one to easily create smooth curves. I have learned that I don't really need contrasting thread for the basting, so I can baste some bits, appliqué some, and repeat without fussing to change thread. I've also become pretty good at eyeballing the quarter inch line for the basting, it just takes practice. The lesson for block #2 is outside curves, and I think I am managing nice and smooth curves.
I had put both of these projects on my Q1 FAL list too, so I even feel good about moving along on that list.
I am linking with Lee at Freshly Pieced for some WIP community and inspiration at WIP Wednesday.
Best,
Leanne
21 comments:
Both of these quilts are looking amazing! That is one BIG paper-pieced quilt. Do you leave all of your papers on until you are completely done?
I just started the Lion yesterday - and, I may be certifiably insane, but I reduced the patterns by 33% to produce an overall quilt of 40" square. I am terrified to get to the smaller pieces, but so far it hasn't been too bad. Your progress is inspiring!
Yeah for progress on these two lovelies! And movie night will really help encourage that hand sewing!
Looking good! The Lion is pretty big or is your iron so small? :)
Never mind "some progress"... I'd say "a lot of progress". That orange and grey is truly striking!
I am also working on the Collection. Great movie project just make sure there aren't subtitles!!
These are both intensive, but beautiful projects. They will be worth every minute you invested though, I'm so looking forward to watching your progress!
I can definitely see progress in the Lion Jungle Abstractions quilt, and I keep getting this nudge that I should look into hand sewing. One of these days. :)
I too have a handwork project that I have set aside for a few months. Thanks for inspiring me to get it back out. Hexagons, here I come!
I can't wait to see that Lion of yours.
I am loving seeing your Lion come together!!! I've been so tempted to do that one - several times my finger has hovered over the "buy" button! You may end up pushing me over the edge :*)
Both projects are coming along nicely. I'm with you about instagram, i miss most things, especially as i forget it even exists for weeks at a time!
Thats a lot of paper piecing but its looking fantastic so far even in pieces on the ironing board!
I love 'progress' posts (I'm trying to remember to take more photos of things in progress - not easy as I'm either sewing in the evening and the light's appalling or upstairs in the afternoon but my camera lives downstairs in the kitchen. Maybe I need to make my camera live on the stairs?!) and it looks like you're making good headway with the giant lion! Your appliqué looks lovely! I have ambitions for an appliqué quilt but never seem to get round to designing it and I suspect it'll be a few years before I do!
I hope to do the CF large applique as well. I bought it after you mentioned it on your blog and said it was a good learning experience, really a sort of workshop/class. I look forward to seeing your progress.
lovely progress!
Love that orange and grey together - can't wait to see the finished product!
The Lion is looking amazing. Movie nights are fun, hand stitching and popcorn.
I'm right with you on making slow progress on many projects and wanting to show more process this year. That lion... so many pieces! But it will be awesome when it's done. It's so striking at that size, but I can understand why you need to take breaks from it. Enjoy your movie night stitching. Sometimes I pin or trim while watching TV with my husband (since I don't do hand sewing).
So love to see progress posts! I am purposely avoiding Instagram because it's so easy to spend more time "getting inspired" than actually doing anything. I love paper piecing for its accuracy but I have to re-remember each time how to do it. Appliqué has never really appealed, but Carolyn's work is something else! And at the moment I am (a bit uncertainly) working on a raw edge fusible appliqué for Four in Art
The lion is on my list to make this year,yours looks awesome!
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