I'm determined not to start new quilts but several are calling my name and I'm finding it nearly impossible to resist. In no particular order....
Barbara Brackman's
Hospital Sketches is a block of the month sew-along of Civil War era applique blocks. I was hooked when I saw the first block,
Periwinkle Wreath. I'm already late, since that was January's block, but Wendy Reed of
The Constant Quilter encouraged me to participate when she said there aren't any deadlines. I like the idea of the challenge of applique with such specific placement especially after the casualness of Cheri Payne's and Linda Brannock's styles. Could I accurately place and stitch blocks like the first two in Hospital Sketches? It doesn't help (or maybe it does help me resist) that I don't have a huge selection of Civil War era reproductions, though that's not essential. I haven't started so I may yet talk myself out of this one.
Lori's string block sew-along at Humble Quilts is calling me, too. This is already the third month but she's continuing it for 10 months so I still have time if I decide to join. At first I thought I didn't have many strings but I keep finding more, some neatly stacked at the end of my cutting mat, others neatly piled in a box in the closet, still more jumbled in a basket. Hmmm. Maybe I do have enough strings. And then I wondered if my little quarter log cabin blocks made from strings would be considered string blocks. Or not. I have a few others ideas and some of my strings are really short, so triangles with the strings going perpendicular to the long side....
And, lastly,
Red is a Neutral is the challenge at
AHIQ: Improvisational Utility Quilt has been whispering to me. I've been thinking of this since it first posted. When I finished a string quilt with a white background a number of years ago I thought,
hey, I could have used red in place of white and it would have become a neutral. I think this challenge involves more than just using lots of red. For me it requires considering where I would use (or have used) a neutral in a quilt and then using red instead. I don't think it could be a two-color quilt because who's to say which is the neutral and which isn't. I have plenty of reds, I just need to decide a pattern and whether to participate.
Oh, please, quilting friends, help me resist the siren song of those new quilt-alongs that are calling my name!
--Nancy.
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Lori's string block sew-along at Humble Quilts is calling me, too. This is already the third month but she's continuing it for 10 months so I still have time if I decide to join. At first I thought I didn't have many strings but I keep finding more, some neatly stacked at the end of my cutting mat, others neatly piled in a box in the closet, still more jumbled in a basket. Hmmm. Maybe I do have enough strings. And then I wondered if my little quarter log cabin blocks made from strings would be considered string blocks. Or not. I have a few others ideas and some of my strings are really short, so triangles with the strings going perpendicular to the long side....
no new starts? yeah that's what i said too...yesterday cut 3 small quilts and one is half pieced...jump in...life is short!
ReplyDeleteOh, Grace, you are too funny. And you're obviously fast, too, to cut one day and have a one half-pieced the next day. I did begin (for better or worse!).
DeleteLOL...I think we ought to all be making quilts that call our name so please accept my apology for not pulling you back from the brink of temptation. ;) You can't go wrong with any of those pretty projects and if they will bring you joy, then I say immerse yourself in any or all of those charming projects!
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess you're right, Karin, about making quilts that call our name. It's just that too many quilts in progress make for too few finishes (at least for me). But, I didn't resist and have begun another quilt...!
DeleteI think strings can be short or long right. But perhaps there is a length listed somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI've looked at these projects too and would absolutely love to follow your efforts with any of them. I'm holding firm with continuing my finishes so far. Sigh
Good for you, Jocelyn, to stay focused on your finishes. I succumbed (sadly).
DeleteWell, I'm not the one to pull you back from the brink of joy in starting another quilt or three! I've succumbed to Lori's stringalong and thinking hard about the red is a neutral, but then I suppose a fair number of my quilts would fall in that category since I love red (and orange) in quilts. So, come on in, the water's fine! Fair warning though, the strings just keep multiplying in the night once you decide to "use them up." Ha!
ReplyDeleteThank you (I think), Pat, for the encouragement. I've begun playing with and choosing fabrics for Hospital Sketches. When that's done and the applique pieces are prepared, I'll probably begin one (or two) of the other quilts. I can multi-task some things but I don't do it well with quilts: they end up unfinished. Hopefully I can improve my record in that area.
DeleteI'm right there with you! I'm trying to resist starting Cheddarback--like I need another sampler quilt--not! But I do love the setting, so......
ReplyDeleteThe fun thing about Hospital Sketches is that everyone is doing their own thing like adding or subtracting elements of the blocks. Every one of them on the FB page looks so different from the others. I wouldn't worry too much about accurate placement--just have fun with it!
Thanks for the encouragement (I think), Karen. I succumbed to Hospital Sketches and am in the midst of choosing fabrics and cutting applique pieces. And Cheddarback is on my radar, too. I've never loved sampler quilts but this one is somehow different from so many, and so appealing. For better or worse, I guess I'm in -- at least for now.
DeleteHaha, I'm already in on Hospital Sketches and String Along, and thinking hard about Cheddarback, so I'm no help :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Jeanne, I've succumbed. I think any of you who left comments helped me resist! But, that's okay. I'll either make a success of it or stop. I love your Hospital Sketches blocks!
DeleteSuch a dilemma. I started the Temecula SAL but I don't like the fabrics I'm using. I've only sewed 12 squares and made the decision yesterday to not keep up with that one. The small squares will go in the orphan box. I've been tempted by Hospital Sketches but resisted so far. I can't figure out what I want to do with the "Red is a neutral" challenge so that's up in the air. I did jump in to the "Cheddarback" quilt. It will be so easy to make 1 large and 4 small blocks each month. And when they are done I won't feel the pressure to hurry and make more. I can just wait till the 1st of the next month. I found another SAL that looked like fun. It's called Scrap Dance Minuet. Whatever you choose will be fun and that's what quilting is supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteLiking the fabrics we use makes such a difference in whether we want to continue on a quilt, doesn't it, Robin? It sounds like you're considering which quilts to choose to make, too. I think I'm going to jump into the Cheddarback bandwagon, too. I printed the pattern when I first learned it was available. (But then I printed Dear Daughter last year, too, and didn't make any of the blocks, though I love them. Maybe one year in the future.) I saw Scrap Dance Minuet but chose not to make that one. I've found that I like best the quilts that are not mystery quilts but that we can see the finished quilt. It helps me to choose fabrics and color placement. But then, there's Hospital Sketches, which is a mystery. I'll just wing it with that one.
DeleteI can’t help. I started Hospital Sketches and made a string top and back for the String Along Blog Hop. I’m trying to talk myself out of Cheddarback
ReplyDeleteLOL. We quilters are obviously easily tempted by beautiful new quilts and sew-alongs, Karrin. Or at least some of us are. Your Hospital Sketches block is beautiful. I succumbed to H.S. and am seriously thinking of Cheddarback. I need to get the pieces for Hospital Sketches ready to stitch so I can sew them while riding in the car and then I can focus on pieced blocks. Have fun!
DeleteI didn’t need any more new projects, but I couldn’t resist Hopital Sketches and the String Along, my string project might qualify for the Red is a Neutral. There are so many new sew alongs at the beginning of the year, it is hard to so no sometimes. I am just going to enjoy the process and not stress about keeping up. Oh, and then there is Cheddarback!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rebecca. Yes, I saw your first Hospital Sketches block and I love it! I'm in the midst of choosing fabrics and cutting pieces. We'll see if I can make progress with it. I tell myself that if I can get the pieces cut I can applique in the car while riding with my husband and work on other pieced blocks at home. Cheddarback has caught my interest, too, and I downloaded the patterns as soon as they were available. I think I will participate. I love seeing the finished quilt at the beginning.
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