qotd 7-16-09

14 years ago

What is your current project? Do you focus on one at a time or do you like to rotate between several?

I'm working on a pattern from a magazine that I've had in my 'someday' pile - it's called Golden Dahlia by Hubert Von Mehren from the 30's. I'm trying to do 2 quilts from the same pattern at the same time thinking that it will be less than twice the work. I got that idea from someone here who did 2 of Pam Bono's quilts at the same time, one to keep and one to give away. Right now I have one quilt top done and I'm making some fabric roses to applique on top - hope they turn out! So, what are you up to?!

Karlene

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Comments (12)

damascusannie
14 years ago
Current projects are two queen sized wedding quilts. One is pieced and awaiting pinning and machine quilting, the other is still being pieced. I'll finish piecing the second and then pin baste both on the same day as I have to move a lot of stuff around on pinning days and I don't want to have to do it twice. I also have a small, scrappy Nine Patch project going at all times--I piece the little blocks instead of using thread anchors.

Annie
solstice98
14 years ago
I tend to work on a couple (dozen! LOL) things at once. Right now I'm still struggling with the quilting part of the Black/White challenge, still sloooooowly working on my king-size scrappy quilt, and still wondering what to do with all the sunflower fabric I've been buying during the past year. I also have a few yards of retro cherries fabric for making a cute table cloth, potholders, mixer cover, and casserole tote. And some striking Japanese print fabric for making a large bag. And... and... a couple other things I can't remember right now.

But mostly I'm struggling with the fact that a lightning strike took out the circuit that supplies power to my sewing room! That also means no iron (I can live without that since I'm not sewing), no treadmill ("Gee Honey, I would really LIKE to be using the treadmill but I can't turn it on!", and no TV in there. I should be using this down time to plan and cut out pieces for the sunflower quilt, but my motivation has been low.

Kate
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PV, I have no idea what variety it is. All I know is that the seeds came from my mother's plant and she purchased it at Kmart as a small plant and it said "balloon plant 8 inches". I've had strange exepriences with this plant too. My error too, that balloon plant was WS 8 years ago, my newer ones where WS 4 years ago. Anyways, I collected the seeds from my mother's plant in the fall of 2001, and gave the main plant to a friend of my mothers when I collected the seeds. She wanted to have a perennial plant to remember my mother by, as she had just past away a few weeks earlier. Seeds germinated and I planted out 2 plants and gave the others away. This balloon plant grew taller than the one the seeds came from, it's about 12 inches tall. The other plant grew only about 6-8 inches. I was puzzled but thought that the answer to the difference was the sunlight. The taller one gets more sun than the shorter one. So I tested the theory and collected the seeds from both but kept the seeds separate from each other. WS them again 4 years ago and labeled tall balloon and short balloon. Planted out plants from both containers and put them right next 2 each other in the same amount of full sun. That blew my theory right out of the water. Seeds from short balloon stayed short, seeds from tall balloon grew taller and they've been doing that every year since. Doesn't make sense to me but I save the seeds from both, and should have plenty of seeds for trades in the fall. Karen, when do you sow the seeds? Mine are outside my the first week in February. Just put them on top of the soil, in container that fresh mushrooms come from, press them onto the soil but do not cover them with any soil. I put the container inside a store brand ziploc bag with slits on the top and bottom and they do their thing, They are sort of a late germinator as well. Don't usually germinate until the very, very end of April, like the last day or 2 and into the first week in May. They don't bloom until the second year, but when they do, they put on a really good show. Just don't hold your breath for the pods to ripen. That takes until Mid September. Proudgm, nice surprise isn't it? Did you trade for the pansy seeds? I'll bet, if you did, that a lonely balloon flower seed got mixed in by accident. Or it could be courtesy of the birds. Fran
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Wow lee466, thats a lot of snow. Our cable was out breifly last night, and im not sure if that was due to the storm or not, but the winds were crazy. Looks like you might be home for a while! Hope it doesnt get too cold (especially since the power is off). hi brooklyngreg... Looks like you got a little less than here, but a foot is still a ton of snow for our part of the country. I hope this isnt a sign of whats to come, but I must admit I enjoyed this snow a little. Also the pindo palm in the pics is my potted pindo palm. Its going to go in when temps go below 15F. The one in the ground is nice and warm in its protection. Its 54.0F in there right now. I was actually shoveling a little last night (it didnt help, but I was hoping it would) and this gust of wind came through and took my breath away. It was extremely strong, probably over 45 mph. At times you really couldnt see much out there. Looks like a cold week (some 50s associated with that rain storm coming in around christmas day). Good luck and stay safe everyone!
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I hesitated to add to this, but then I thought about the fact that you are trying to get respones from those who don't participate, so here it is... When I first visited the quilting forum, I was drawn in by the idea of the Birthday Block Exchange and that is usually my one activity that I do on the quilting forum. I did participate in a few FQ Swaps. For whatever reason, I don't get interested in the lotto. I echo what nanajyane said. I don't think there is anything in the rules that would make a difference to get me to participate - just not my thing! There are very nice quilters who oversee the group and participate in it, so this is not meant as any criticism of them. Since I am unlikely to participate, I will not go on to answer the other questions. Overall, participation in swaps seems to be decreasing. (I also do some swapping on the GardenWeb side so I notice it there as well.) I think part of that is the economy and also partly the price of postage. I'll bet interest will pick up later in the year!
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Comments (13)
Yep, happens to all of us! If I'm having trouble with inspiration, I will take the fabrics and lay them out on top of a wing chair in the living room or lay them out on the empty area of the dining table. This way I pass by the fabrics several times a day or just see them out of the corner of my eye. Often I will get an idea of what sort of block to make or quilt design that I want. I do the same if I'm in a quandary about which fabrics to use in the borders. I'll drape the top on half of the top edge of the wing chair, then line up the border fabrics to see how they look. After a day or so I might change the order or the fabrics to some different ones. Usually I come up with an arrangement that I like. You could also do this with fabrics/top hanging out of an open dresser drawer or hanging over an open closet door in your house. Don't rush your decision --- just leave the arrangement hanging there for several days or a week and glance at it as you pass by. Teresa
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toolgranny
14 years ago
Boy, Kate, I feel for you. Without power there's a real shift in activities. I could always dye fabrics.

I work on lots of projects at once. I make designs from my head, some sort of wierd, and when I hit a road block, I move to something else till I think up the solution. I run in spurts of applique, machine piecing and FMQ. I'm trying to do more FMQ right now while that machine likes me. I have several projects on the design wall I stare at and when I get a breakthrough, I'll jump on them. As long as I'm sewing on something, I'm happy.

Today I'm dyeing FQs of muslin to get a specific color for one of those wierd projects. If this batch doesn't give it, I do another. When the color works, I'll dye in large quantity for the project and jump over to that.
damascusannie
14 years ago
Kate--You need to get a people-powered machine!
love2sew
14 years ago
I try to work on 2 projects at one time, piecing one - quilting the other. Sometimes things build up ahead of me like right now or go wrong like right now, so you give me this chance to vent on myself a bit.

I have 3 string charity quilts that need quilting (FMQ). I started on one the other day, got past half way when I got a bulge of fabric. I know better that this is not going to go away but I pushed on and finished the quilting. It is awful, even for a charity quilt - I don't think I can give this any place SO I will be frogging this out. I am so upset with myself that I don't want to tackle another for fear of the same!LOL

I am also doing Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt in the Quiltmaker Magazine and it is fun.

Kate I hope you have power back soon. To others, hope your projects turn out great and we see pictures.
Jean
bozogardener
14 years ago
I just finished piecing the black and white challenge quilt. I still have a little embellishment to do on it before making the quilt sandwich.

I generally only do one thing at a time. I am terrified of having any UFO's around. Knowing me, they would just stay that way.
msmeow
14 years ago
I usually have 2 projects going at once, but a lot of it depends on the project and the reason I'm making it! I tend to stop on one thing to start something new that catches my attention.

Right now in the sewing room I'm working on 15 little quilts (about 8 X 10) for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. So far I have 8 of the tops finished. I've set myself a goal of getting them sent out by the end of the month.

My evening project is knitting a sweater for my niece for Christmas. The sleeves were very frustrating, so I'm ready to be done with it! Anyway, it's coming along well now that the sleeves are done - should be finished well before Christmas.
grammyp
14 years ago
I usually have 2-3 projects going at one time. I always have a hand work project that travels with me. I just finished another comfort quilt and have 4 baby quilts to make before November, and 2 more comfort quilts I need to do. Guess it looks I really need to get busy.

beverly
geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
14 years ago
Whoooweeeee, I have to have variety! I just finished the Scrappy Shooting Star top (pic in gallery) I started when Teresa was giving us scrappy classes plus there are many others in various stages and 7 that need backing...one is ready to be quilted. I was going through the medallions and other blocks last night trying to get a little more organized so I can start on the next one to get it out and on the road.

Sharon
lots2do
14 years ago
I have decided that sewing/quilting needs to be put on hold for a little while. I'm working on my last three credits for grad. school and this needs to be done by the end of August. I'm finding that having a knitting project nearby is better for breaks. Finished one little toddler sweater and am now working on a size 10 sweater for a grand-niece.

Annie, thanks for the idea. I have an orphan bag of 1 1/2 inch strips from Christmas fabrics from a quilting class that was a horror show. I could pin a bunch of little squares together to do the same (and feel a bit productive as well).
lots2do
itsmesuzq
14 years ago
I decided to look through about 15 magazines and tear out the quilts that I wanted to do or wanted to "learn how to do". I also tore out pages that teach you how to do a specific block or technique. I also saved some crafty quilt projects (holidays/pin cushion/etc.) that I would love to have going on the side. Now that I have the 3 piles of projects I will start going through my stash to find some fabrics that speak to me and I'll start something. I just finished the BOM and I want something simple for while. ~LOL~

I love to recycle the magazines and this helps me to focus on something while keeping the room free of the dreaded "magazine pile".

I usually only have one thing going at once. Along with the continual task of organizing and cleaning my quilt/creativity room.

Susan
vicky4x4
14 years ago
My current projects are my Christmas in July pot holders and my Black/ white and ? all over and guess what I haven't start either if them!!!!! I got to get a moving! I have been in a reading kick since coming home from KY/NC and I've had two of my grand daughter two days a week.

Vicky

qotd 7-16-09

Comments (12)

damascusannie

solstice98

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toolgranny

damascusannie

love2sew

bozogardener

msmeow

grammyp

geezerfolks_SharonG_FL

lots2do

itsmesuzq

vicky4x4

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