But early this week I did finish a winter-themed table runner for our coffee table.
It's a pattern, fabric included, I ordered from Connecting Threads. I altered it a bit as the size was too big for my space and also substituted one fabric I had in my stash for one they included which I didn't like.
I machine quilted the runner (thought the quilting would show up more on this close-up, but it doesn't) and the three snowflakes were machine appliqued. Ha, the most time consuming part of the whole project was cutting out the snowflakes!
This close-up shows the true colors of it more than the first picture which makes the background look gray. It's machine pieced and hand quilted. I got the idea for it from a piece in one of Kim Diehl's books, and chose the Sawtooth Star block for each of the six 4" blocks. I used all reproduction prints from my stash.
Two small projects done and completed! Now I'm determined to finish a full-sized quilt I started quite a while ago. The blocks are fairly complicated to construct, then they're sewn into strips, and lastly the strips are sewn together to complete the top.
When I first started this quilt (just how long ago was that?), I had the first half done and hanging on my design wall when I noticed (eeeek!) I had put one 16" block, made up of four 8" blocks (each of the 8" blocks made up of a multitude of smaller pieces) in upside down. Was it near the end of a row? Was it in the first row on the top? Was it on the last row I had joined? Nope. It was right in the middle which entailed lots of careful ripping out and then the patience of Job stitching it back in right side up. How could I have not noticed that? Arrrgh.
I did make myself do the work of fixing it, but then was so disgruntled with it that I packed it away and didn't look at it until a couple of days ago.
Fortunately, I've kinda sorta forgotten how much work it was to rectify my
Believe me, I'm carefully scrutinizing my work (more than once) with each and every step now. Don't want to have two really bad oopsies in the same quilt!
15 comments:
Both are soooooo pretty! Love your choices and colors. So glad you got some quilting time in and look forward to seeing the larger project progress now that its time in timeout has soothed its memory of misbehaving! :)
Your quilting is always such an inspiration to me Mama Pea...I REALLY love that winter runner! You're so talented! :)
I love your quilting posts! Always make me think of my own stash of fabrics, buried somewhere in the deep bowels of storage in that spare room we only enter to dig around in. Then that's as far as it gets. :)
Thanks, Lisa! Had to laugh at your saying the quilt's "time out" has taught it a lesson. If only . . . :o}
Rain - Thank you, thank you! I had a feeling the table runner would be your "style!"
Leigh - Well, darn it, lady, you are just so talented with your own handwork that you've got to find some time to dive into your stash of fabrics and create something! I know, I know. Where does that kind of thing rank of "The List?!" I think you're getting your creative outlet through your writing for the time being. No?
What is the woodworker's favorite saying???? "Measure twice, cut once." It kind of works, for all projects. :-))))
So nice to hear, that you are getting into your funnnnnnnn stuff, again!!!!!!!
✨🔥✨
wisps of words - Or at least take a good look before you sew!! ;o} Still can't figure out for the life of me how that happened.
I didn't make it back into my quilt room yet. "Life" interfered again. But it's all good as it's all in the direction of being able to spend a laid back winter. (But when will it start??!) Maybe I have to wait for snow, huh?
The runner and wall quilt look wonderful, such a great job. You know years a go they use to do that upside down square on purpose to make their Quilts more unique!! Glad your having some fun time. It's so important to have that time. It keeps us stable. Try to keep it up, your good at what you do.
Lynne - Such nice things you say! I thank you. Well, if I had left my snafu in this quilt, it would have been unique all right! When you see the finished top (oh, may it happen soon!) you'll see how it would have really fouled up the whole thing! Must go have some fun now . . . I really need to be kept stable!! :o)
I always seem to make excuses for doing my weaving, spinning or knitting. I often find myself kicking myself in the bum.
If it is a gift it is easier to “justify “ the time. Funny how we do that to ourselves. 😊
Goatldi - Omigosh, my friend, you have never spoken truer words that describe my feelings regarding my handwork! WHY IS THAT? In my case, I put it down to a very warped sense of worth. My un-balanced-ness!! My love of and feeling a need to create with my hands, from a very early age, was labeled as "laziness." Having the work ethic (i.e., doing something "worthwhile") drummed into me turns out to have not been a good thing! But I'm working oh-so-hard to change that about myself. Let's do it together, okay?
I love the snowflake runner. Those are my kind of colors. I don’t quilt but I’ve had to do the same kind of backup with my knitting. I’m such a beginner. Knit <==> tink
Katie C - After Christmas decorations come down each year, I put up my "winter" ones which are primarily blue and white. Even though blue isn't a color that will go particularly well in our living room (greens, blacks and golds), I wanted something winter-themed as a runner for our coffee table. What the heck, a little color splash, no matter what the color, will brighten the winter months!
Last knit I spent quite a while "tinking" the toe of a pair of socks on my knitting needles. I had used a contrasting, slightly heavier yarn -- one more like string (!) with not a lot of give to it -- and with the decreases for the toe shaping was not pleased at all with the way it looked and felt. I guess, whether you're a beginning knitter or more advanced, tinking is all part of the process!
Hi Judy.
How are you. And ur beautiful family.
I actually have a job now and love it but unfortunately or fortunately for me
I am raising two more beautiful little grandchildren but I am a little wore out
You still make the best quilts around
I love table runners so much more than table cloths! What a bright, festive table you will set! And that small quilt is just lovely. You are a talented tootsie, you are. Why is it that our 'oopsies' are smack dab in the center of our projects? I have lots of those in my knitting - and it's not like I am not looking at the darn thing through the entire process.
judy - Good to hear from you! I have thought of you every now and then and hoped you were doing well. I can imagine how tired you must get with an outside job plus the little ones. Glad you like your job and hope you get some help now and then with the grandkids. Take care.
Susan - Yeah, I have no idea why we make those mistakes. I guess it's just a lesson to be learned that we're not perfect. (We're not?? Holy cow, and here I though you and I were!) ;o)
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