Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter


Tuesday, September 29,2009.....Day 47 of 4,014


Four days since last blog...and..yes!!! still accomplishing...

Quilting and finding/buying fabric.

I have quilted Aarons's Sweet Dreams (using all scraps from original baby quilt made for Aaron in 2002)....had a traditional bright red fabric with small yellow floowers that worked for the backing...and.no "right" binding fabric....

so....shopping necessary...and found!!! spent $2.74 for quarter yard..

Aslo during the shopping trip yesterday...2 quilt stores... I looked for and could not find the additional needed fabric to complete the backing and binding of the (Japanese-American) Fans and Stars quilt....

However..unexpected success:

At Empty Spools Seminars in April 2006 I took Freddy Moran's class, "Going Dottie".I made several wall hangings..in very diverse color combinations..and in various circle patterns...This particular 26x 21 inch wall hanging in shades of "dottie" yellow-aqua-green fabrics was made with Freddy's pattern and templates....

absolutely no..no..fabrics in the stash would complement..none.....so new fabric necessary...and I found......yellow with white dots......

so now on priority agenda...quilting and binding.....(still working on the appropriate name for this quilt)

So..yes!!! moving ahead....

And...frustrating!!...still not able to finding the "right" method of getting the finished quilts photographed..and on this blog....

I am working on it!!!

Report for today..

Happy Quilting--Determined Quilter

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Thursday, September 24,2009.....Dayn 42 of 4,014


Goals of Quilt/Stash Project-2020

by August 14, 2020 (10 years-10 months)

1. Complete all unfinished quilt tops

2.Get stash to zero

3. Blog adventures and progress

Reporting: after 42 days amazing??..well..encouraging progress which I will review and confirm another day.

However, Reality checks:

1. I do not (cannot?) quilt at least one hour every day...because--life happens--

The good news: I have had..and certainly will have days... when I am inspired (driven?) to quilt for several hours.

2. I do not (cannot?) blog every day..again, because--life happens and I just do not-can not get to the library.

3. The stash does not provide the "right' even the just o.k. fabric for completing the quilt top and/or for piecing the backing..or for the binding.

Thus it is necessary to buy new fabric.

For example: I have creatively used every piece of scrap and compatable stash fabric to make the backing for the (American-Japanese) Fans and Stars quilt.

I now need half to three-quarters yards to complete the backing and the binding.

Well..maybe selecting/buying this new fabric will be fun.

Experience (theories) on backing)

1. Traditional: one single piece of compatible/contrasting/dramatic fabric

2.Determined Quilter's usual choice: use as much of the scrap from the original quilt fabrics as possible in spontaneous/creative ways with the goal of using all.....

and,,, to use as many compatible stash fabrics as possible to reduce stash/scrap inventory.

3. I have been quilting now for 13 years and, having made maybe 30 full size quilts and another 30 wall hangings, of various sizes, I have made backings all ways.

Sort-of unbelievable to me now....my very first full size bed quilt, made for my oldest son, was actually two complete quilt tops.......and hand quilted...(one year on the dining room table for that).....what we do for ignorance/tradition?/.....love...

Happy Quilting...Determined Quilter.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter


Tuesday,September 22,2009.....Day 40 of 4,014


Expressions--Osaka Memories I--2003

Oregon Gold---2006

Aaron's 'Sweet Dreams--2002

Fans and Stars--2002


Well..again...6 days since I last blogged... and the good news is that I have been super productive.

First.....sitting in my almost finished quilt drawer---Osaka Memories I--2003

I started working about 60 days a year in Japan in spring of 1993..... in 2003 colleagues gave me a special gift of three half/yards of Japanese fabric.....and I went to work...Oska Memories I and II were completed that year..except..except #I never got a binding....

This week in my stash I found..not perfect..but certainly very o.k. dark purple batik that worked just fine for the binding.....and...and.. I also used completely that "orphaned' piece of stash fabric..

...so celebration... two Quilt/Stash goals accomplishing: completing one unfinished quilt top--and getting all of one dark purple batik out of the stash.

The third gift fabric from 2003 is more difficult..because of pattern and colors...I return to Osaka in November for a quilting tour..and the Yokohama quilt show (and also some work) and I will hope to find the "just right" complementary fabric to finally complete the Osaka trilogy.

Then I also completed the binding on Oregon Gold..and brilliant--bright orange-gold--black and pink 24x24..wall hanging ...part of a project of "Going Dottie" with Freddy Moran..and an Empty Spools Seminar in April 2006.

Knowing I was going to be "going dottie" with Freddy I gave myself a special "project" on the Heritage--"Oregon Gold" trip to Oregon/Sisters Quilt Show in July 2005. On that tour we visited 11 quilt stores....I bought two quarter or half yards of dottie fabric in each store...for 22 pieces of dottie fabric....I am working on it still.....reports when success achieved..

Then....somehow...manifesting...saying "make me"...."make me"..were the "scraps". from a baby quilt I made of friend's grandson, Aaron, in spring 2002. I now have a 22/18 Aaron's "Sweet Dreams" quilt..yes!!! using every scrap..every scrap...which I will quilt and bind this week.

Finally..again manifesting from the unfinished quilt blocks drawer....saying.."makeme!!!"make me"!!... the nine 12x12 inch squares of the Fans and Stars quilt,,,American made soft pink Japanese fan fabric...with very American stars of deep purple and orange.... ...Mystery...why in about 2002 did I think this would be a wonderful project??? no matter.. as of today, the top is complete....and I will begin work on the back tomorrow...

...so
Yes!!! I am on a roll.....this quilt/stash project is working!!!...now to get the blogging on a rational/doable schedule.

Enough for today...Happy quilting...Determined Quilter



.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter


Wednesday, September 16, 2009....Day 34 of 4,014


Again..again..best decisions..intentions ..plans interupted by LIFE...

..unfortunately another week since I last blogged....or sewed..

no point in describing boring, complicated situation with house roofing..need to replace hall window and other mundane hassles.....

the hassle most affecting this quilt/stash project was the unexpected malfunction of the sewing machine....and arranging to have the mystery diagnosed by an "expert" which again for a lot of boring complicated reasons did not happen...

Unbelievably...this morning after about an hour of very frustrating work I..I solved the machine malfunction problem.......and my old Singer is working again....

So..after a week of no ability to sew ,I can again continue to complete the unfinshed quilt tops..and use to zero the stash in drawers and boxes...

So..plan for this afternoon...sew the new ($3.00) binding fabric onto the Barcelona Cathedral quilt.....and finally finish that wall hanging....and maybe..maybe....

get on with the "decision" to sew every day...and to report on this blog six days a week...

Hopefully now attention and time can be focused on getting pictures on this blog.

HAPPY QUILTING--DETERMINED QUILTER

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Wednesday,September 9,2009.....Day 27 of 4,o14





Oh dear!!! one week--7 days since I last quilted or blogged.



Still division of opinion on whether Julie Powell actually did cook/bake and blog every day for her 365 day Julia Child project--if she did she is a special wonder woman.



LIFE and holidays happen..so best decisions and intentions are revised and somtimes actions delayed.



Still..small progress to report: On Saturday, September 5, purchased, by necessity, as absolutely no suitable fabric in my stash, one-quarter yard ($3.00) of black/gold fabric as binding for the Barcelona Cathedral quilt....



and..over the Labor Day weekend I made final payment for the the November 5-15 tour to International Quilt Week-Yokohama, Japan...



well.of course...that doesn't actually advance the Quilt/Stash Project..as I will not be quilting for over two weeks......but...inspiration!!! Yes!!! Yes!! Yes!!



see: http://www.travelingtogether.net/ if you are interested in this trip...they still have space.



and....small advance..I received the "fancy" name labels for the Quilt/StashProject-2020 quilts--and I will sew them on the completed quilts this week..



More disciplined work-quilting-blogging this week...the Fates and LIFE willing.



Happy quilting--Determined Quilter

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Quilt/Stash Project-2020--Determined Quilter

Wednesday,September 2,2009....Day 20 of 4,014


Yes!! LIFE HAPPENS..and the best intentions and decisions need to be revised....

Yes!! I had hoped to quilt and blog every day; and to learn the library computer systems in swifty-time....( I am proud of my computer progress--not "perfect" yet..but slowly getting there)

I have been able to quilt....and will, by Friday, September 4, have some happy quilt/stash completion to report.....and I hope serve as an inspiration and example to other quilters who also have lived in frustration with fabric overload.

Roofers pounding all day--the/my brain rebels; tomorrow the bi-monthly meeting of the "We Do It In Secret" Book Club, named for the 9 excellent women on the 2005-2006 XX County, California Civil Grand Jury.

FRiday!!! 4 quilts from 'unfinished quilt tops" draw completed...and the fabric pieces and scraps from originals and those quilts now ZERO....Progress!!

Happy Quilting--Determined Quilter