I hoped I'd be able to crank out the final two blocks for Leaf Me Alone the next chance I had to spend more than an hour at the sewing machine. I'd already cut the pieces for the orange block, so I mistakenly thought I could whip out both blocks in one sitting.
"Sitting" being the key word, my most recent piecing session wasn't as long as I'd hoped. Of course, that could have something to do with my first 60-mile bicycle ride since last June the day before...
Nevertheless, I did finish a block; five down, one to go. Now I've reached the fun brainstorming portion of the project. Which blocks should be next to each other?
I think I'm going to stick with this layout; the final block will be purples. When it is done, hopefully next weekend, fun remains. Do I add a border? Do I add a border that takes another whole weekend? And then what do I do with the back???
I have a small collection of leaf fabrics I could use to piece the back, perhaps even making the quilt reversible. But that, combined with the possibility of a creative border, which I'm leaning toward, might turn this May birthday quilt back into a Christmas quilt. I'd planned to send it off to my dear sister-in-law last December, but obviously, I didn't make that deadline.
Because I want to continue practing my free-motion quilting before I begin actually quilting Wecome to the Jungle, I'm considering using plain black fabric on the back of Leaf Me Alone, and using thread colors to match the blocks when creating leaf motifs in the quilting, thereby still making the quilt reversible and forcing me to be as creative and neat as I can be when I quilt. This quilt won't be for competition or display because I plan to mail it off as soon as it's done, but it would be nice to pretend it's going to be in competition and try to make it good enough to be juried into a show.
Meanwhile, Pieces of Braid is going to the Denver National Quilt Festival next week, and my co-worker made the most beautiful label I've ever used on a quilt, using leftovers of the "sea" thread and the ocean mist fabric actually used in the quilt. This is my second-favorite quilt label ever, my favorite being the real, functional pocket I attached to the back of Colorado's Fourteeners.
Linking up with A Quilting Reader's Garden here, Confessions of a Fabric Addict here and Crazy Mom Quilts here.
Oh so pretty. I always love to see your quilts and yummy fabrics....you are just amazing! Love, love, love that label....it's just perfect for you! :)
ReplyDeleteWishing you a most lovely day sweet friend. :)
Thank you, Stitchy! I love that label, too. I may have to turn to her for all my future labels!!!
DeleteAwesome job as always indeed, 60 miles you say, damn, I'd be dead haha
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat! I can't afford to be dead after a 60-miler... I've got some big charity rides coming up longer than that. But I confess, I FELT dead after my first 60 in nine or ten months!!!
DeleteWow! Both of these quilts are gorgeous. And I had to chuckle, because I have some of those same leaf fabrics (or had). And that label really is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jasmine! And now I'm going to have to go poke around on your blog to find out how you used your leaf fabrics!!!
DeleteOooh! So many yummy fabrics. Look at all the batiks! :) Nice work!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Audrey! To quote a very dear friend, I never met a batik I didn't like. :)
DeleteI would have suggested purples next- and then read on and saw that was your plan! It looks great so far!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sam! That's pretty cool that you thought the purples are what should go next!
DeleteAre you asking questions or just thinking out loud? :-) I'm always for color order. I'm a color order freak and you should try to put one of those blocks in different direction just to add a bit of interest. Thank you so much for your lovely comment you left on my blog. Not sure if you are aware but you appear as no-reply. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteBoth, Vera, and I almost like your suggestion to turn one of the blocks. I might play with it to see how it looks; I've been doing a lot of asymmetrical piecing lately, and sometimes it's nice to go back to old-fashioned.
DeleteI'm a no-reply blogger? Geez! I can write my own html, and I can make magic in Photoshop, but I don't have a clue how to change that.
That is going to be one vibrant quilt ... I like the idea of a black backing. And ooh, what will you do for the binding?
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely the prettiest label ever! Love the address bit.... :)
Binding?!?! I have to make a decision on that, too?!?!? Holy moly! This thing's never gonna be done!!! :)
DeleteThanks, Sue!
Deb, you have two great quilts almost finished there. That is the prettiest label! Thanks for linking to TGIFF.
ReplyDeleteThanks, A Nudge! I love that label, too. It will be difficult to top!
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