Do you ever have weeks when you want to sew, you even need to sew, but somehow your head and your body seem disconnected, and somehow very little gets done (if anything at all)?
Well, thats the kind of week I’ve had. I thought about it a lot, I knew what I wanted to do, but very little has actually been done.
The blocks from the group quilt I have been organising as a gift to one of our members who is unwell are waiting to be stitched together, layered, quilted, and bound ( I need it finished in just over two weeks).
Just one Ugly Christmas Sweater made, but I changed the bottom and it hasn’t worked so I have to redo it……….sigh……
The Sticks and Stones quilt is layered, but as yet unquilted.
All I can show you is my Antique Flower Garden quilt. This was a block a month quilt I made a few years ago, and I must say it was great fun. The anticipation of waiting for the envelope to come through the door, the excitement of seeing what blocks I was making that month, all the different fabrics, lots that I wouldn’t normally buy.
As you can see there is roughly a 50/50 split of appliqué and pieced blocks, and a small number of appliqué flowers in the borders which takes the plainness away without being overpowering.
Although the pieced blocks are mainly simple enough for a beginner the challenge was often accuracy with seam allowances with so many seams to be out a couple of threads could mean being out up to a 1/4 inch in the finished block.
There were some very small pieces for needle turn appliqué although it could have been done with heat and bond.
Although I enjoyed it very much I am unlikely to do another block a month, (unless it was Jen Kingwell). Why? Well, I found the company to be very mean with the fabric they sent, I had very few scraps left, which of course meant if I made a mistake I would have had to request more fabric. Twice the appliqué background hadn’t been cut square, it was only about an inch bigger than the block size so I wouldn’t have been able to square it up myself. Both times I had to send back the complete kit at my expense so they could change the piece of fabric concerned, they didn’t seem very happy about it either.
However the main reason is my quilting style has changed so much over the years. I've done traditional, I’ve done Baltimore, I used to LOVE japenese taupes, but now I love COLOUR, I love BRIGHTS and I am still searching in my quest to find my own quilting style, be it modern or traditional or a mix of both, it just needs to be a reflection of me, and where I am in my life in this moment.
How has your style changed over the years? Have you found your own style, and is there any advice you can give me on finding mine?
Linking up with Freemotion by the River and Let's Bee Social, My Quilt Infatuation, Crazy Mom Quilts, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? and TGIFF
Until next time,
Smiles from
Kate
Hi Kate, my style keeps evolving too. I will do a BOM, but only participating online with a monthly pattern using my own fabrics. I have found I rarely like the fabrics that come in the kits, although I did one with batiks just to try out that kind of fabric. I am trying new things regularly just to stretch out of my comfort zone. Visiting from Let's Bee Social.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone's style changes over time, well maybe except the ladies you see around still sporting bright blue eyeshadow and vibrant pink spot cheeks! I have never been comfortable with the disdain you sometimes see between modern and traditional quilters, as I can see the merits of both and would favour one over the other at different times depending upon my mood. Perhaps I am just fickle :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do have those weeks, too. This time of year is especially hard. I'm with you on the colours and the brights. And on quilting in a style that suits your own tastes. Whether they fit in with the modern or the traditional. Or a mix of the two. Just make what makes you happy!
ReplyDeleteA lovely quilt on your bed :) And hugs for your frustrating week [O]...we all have them, and it's good to reflect on our blessing then, even when we don't want to! x
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of those weeks!! That is why I do not do Block of the Months quilt. I am sure I will never finish. But you did with all the bad experiences. It is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It was love at first sight which inspired me to keep going, and I so loved receiving the little packages through the post.
DeleteSmiles and hugs
Kate
Kate, it has happened to me. I arrange fabric, clean my sewing space, browse Pinterest and something there will inspire me to cut up fabric. I always find my mojo back - sooner or later. You will too.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt reminds me of being in a fancy Bed & Breakfast in Williamsburg - Old World and Very Charming.
hugs,
Preeti.
http://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com
I think your ugly Christmas sweater looks great, and that set of blocks for your guild member are lovely. What a shame that the experience of the block of the month was so negative for you. You'd think the company would want you to have a really positive experience!
ReplyDeleteI've had days like that. I save brainless sewing for those day. I find it very healing. Your quilt is charming. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a more productive weekend! Yes, my style has changed a lot and continues to evolve. I love your block of the month quilt. It would be so equally as nice in the brighter colors you like now. I like the mix of applique and piecing.
ReplyDeleteI have been sewing for many years and quilting obsessively for three or four years now. I couldn't tell you my style. It ebbs and flows and continually evolves. But that is what is so fun. I try a bit of this and some of that to see what I like. Some very bright quilts and some more subdued. I don't feel like I want to stay in just one type of quilting. That is how I am tho. I read all sorts of different books and listen to many types of music, depending on what sounds nice at the moment. Quilt what you enjoy and what satisfies you.
ReplyDeleteI love the projects you are showing here. The BOM quilt is lovely and it is a shame that you had a bad experience with the shop. There are so many free BOM's online and I have done a number of them. I pick the fabric and then make the block that is specified. Maybe that would be more fun?
I think it's totally normal that one's quilting style changes. It means you're growing. As for those times when it just doesn't seem to be working, I turn to improv. It always makes me feel creative! Thanks for linking up with TGIFF @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bernie- my quilting style changes from project to project! Just make things you love! I enjoyed seeing all of your projects. The blocks for your friend are especially pretty! Does that block have a name?
ReplyDeleteI call it a slump and I get in them quite often. I love the small square blocks you first showed. There is nothing wrong with having an eclectic style! I love traditional if not reproduction quilts but I also love a bright and big block quilt. It's okay to like many things and have many styles.
ReplyDelete