Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Quilting Dreams

This morning Michelle over on her blog, Boulderneigh, talked of the knitting projects she's dreaming of having time to accomplish.  I've been having some thoughts in the same vein except mine are for quilting projects I'd love to jump into.


Above is a picture of a wall hanging (it's about 31" x 31") that I've wanted to make ever since I saw it in a book by Kim Diehl, a fantastic quiltmaker and designer who I really like.  I think I'd like to make mine in spring-themed fabrics and have it to hang from about April to June.  I'm pretty sure I can pull all the fabric I need for it from my stash.


Love, love, love the bold colors in this quilt that I would use as a tablecloth, the same way it's pictured.  (This is another Kim Diehl pattern.)  I purchased the gold and red fabric for it an eon ago (maybe longer) and know I can find the other colors I'll need in my horde of material.


This is a tablecloth I made.  It's sandwiched and ready to be machine quilted.  When I got this far, I was tired of it so it got folded up and put in my "To Finish" storage container.  When I took it out about a week ago, it looked fresh and interesting again, so I'm itching to complete it.  (Just as soon as I can find the time!)  I have A LOT of fabric left over from this project that would make attractive "summer" pot holders.  (Anybody need a couple new pot holders?)


I OD'd while making this quilt top quite a while back.  It's to be a new quilt for our king-sized bed, but I still have to figure out additional borders for three sides to make it the size I want.  I have plenty of the fabrics used so that shouldn't be a problem once I decide what I want to do.  I even have the fabric for backing when I get that far.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a friend machine quilt it on her long arm machine.  And it would be a good idea to get crackin' and finish it because the quilt I have on our bed right now is literally falling apart.  Each morning when I make the bed, it seems I put another little tear in the disintegrating fabric.  Yup, it's in that bad of shape.

I guess no matter whether you are a quilter, knitter, sculptor, crocheter, painter, beader, embroiderer, wood worker, tailor, weaver or any other hand crafter, we always have our wish list of projects we'd love to do.  It's all part of the creative process . . . and give us something to look forward to when we're doing dishes, mucking out manure or weeding the garden!

20 comments:

Erin said...

I hope you get to make it this year, it's a very pretty photo. Love the quilt for your bed, I think that's the best kind since you get to use it all the time. I've given up on getting the 2 or 3 mini quilts made this winter since I haven't even started - but I really want to get 2 twin quilts made for the boys and one lap/couch size quilt with a Patriotic/Americana look. I'm mostly a lover of bold modern styles but that's only because that's the kind of house I live in. Someday I plan on being in a farmhouse or cabin style home and I have always loved the Americana styles! I say we set a realistic goal of sometime this year :)

Sparkless said...

Those are all beautiful quilts. Quilting is one craft I haven't tried yet. We use a duvet cover on our quilt because our cat sleeps on our bed. We also have a cat blanket but she sometimes sleeps elsewhere on the bed. So I need to be able to slip off the duvet cover and wash it easily. One day I'd love to have a beautiful quilt on our bed.

Mama Pea said...

Erin - Oh, I do hope you can somehow find the time to get at least the two quilts made for the boys' beds. I know that would be something they'd treasure for many years.

Hope you're feeling much, much better by now!

Mama Pea said...

Thanks, Sparkless! Duvet covers are really very popular and practical. When I did custom orders for our local quilt shop, I made A LOT of them!

Freedom Acres Farm said...

My dream is to do some quilts and hand quilt them on a quilting frame. Maybe when I'm old and have nothing else to do. Bwahahahahaha

Yours are beautiful choices! I can't wait to follow along with your progress! Hard time of year to get the quilting bug though... spring is right around the corner. WHERE do our quiet winter days for quilting go to????

Leigh said...

I think our remodeling has been a creative outlet for me. My dream is to do some household weaving: bedspreads, curtains, place mats, napkins, bath mats, stuff like that.

Mama Pea said...

Freedom Acres Farm - Boy, isn't that the truth! I'm just now (at the end of February, for Pete's sake!) starting to get in some quilting time. Seems it took me all winter to get to this point. Another long, slow winter that wasn't!

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - I was thinking of you when I wrote this post and how long you've gone without being able to do your weaving. When we first moved up here to very rustic circumstances, I went seven years without doing any handwork. It was not a good time. :o\

Anonymous said...

I really like the idea of using one as a tablecloth! :) And yes, I have a stash of "want to do" patterns and such on my computer and on Pinterest.

Lisa said...

Love your tablecloth! Since you're wanting to only use it as a tablecloth, have you thought about using it like it is - without 'quilting' it. Simply finish off the 'hems' and you're done. Your bedspread quilt is lovely - and yes, I know what you mean too about good intentions..... lived here 6+ years and Roman shades have been on my to-do list for probably at least 5 of those. I don't wanna die and still have those on my to-do list.... !!! (Been so much 'death' around me lately, seems I think that way about stuff sometimes) Thanks, once again, Mama Pea, for helping me feel 'normal'. :)

Kelly said...

I love the red and gold table cloth!!!! It would be too pretty to put on my table, my hetherns would trash it day one! I'm itchin' for some creative time. I need to get this house clean so I can make something!

Mama Pea said...

Stephanie - Sometimes I keep my ideas of what I want to do for so long that they no longer interest me! On the other hand, I will go through a quilting magazine or book and find something that really appeals to me that I never even noticed before! But we always manage to find projects we'd like to do, don't we? It's all fun!

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - Without some kind of backing on the tablecloth, I'd be afraid of too much fraying on all those kajillion seams as often as it would get washed. But I will use the very thinnest of batting in it so it lies flat and isn't poofy.

I, too, look around at all the messes, piles and disorganization I've been thinking of doing something with for YEARS and know I'd be terribly embarrassed (if I got run over by a cement truck) to have someone else have to deal with them!

Mama Pea said...

Kelly - When I have a quilted tablecloth on the table, I always put placemats at each place setting . . . which does save the tablecloth in many instances! But with little ones, I can see you might be facing a bigger challenge!

Before starting a new project, I always have to start with a clean house and/or work space. "Clearing the decks" I call it!

Susan said...

I love all of them - especially the tablecloth, as I am drawn to bright colors. Like a magpie. How DID the winter slip by without any real 'down' time? I had so many plans for compleing projects and now it's almost March! It's not fair!!

Michelle said...

I have so many unfinished projects. I am hoping to at lest get my bed quilt done by this fall. It has quilting and needle work in it. It's a big project,but hopefully a beautiful one when finished.

Mama Pea said...

Susan - Yep, it's the bright, deep, rich colors that I'm drawn to also. I've made baby quilts in pastel colors but I almost have to make myself use them. I've probably inflicted brightly colored baby quilts on some people who did not appreciate them!

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - It sounds like your bed quilt will be an heirloom to be treasured always. I have a double wedding ring quilt (queen-sized) I've been working on hand quilting for my daughter . . . for too many years to admit to! But I know I'll be happy with it when it's done. (When being the operative word, not if!)

Katidids said...

Now those are some impressive quilts! I love the colors you've planned. Can't wait to see how you finish that tablecloth. Tink we will ever live long enough to complete all we have planned & dream of? LOL!

Mama Pea said...

Katidids - Will we ever live long enough to complete all we have planned and dreamed of? Nope. But that'S good 'cause if we finished everything . . . dum-da-dum-dum! That would be THE END! ;O}