4 Patch

Okay, the first thing you want to do is click right here for ::swoon:: Hal. :) This song is sure to brighten your day. And if you're past the point of rescue, click here. ::more swoon::

Ahh. I need a cup of tea. Or a cold shower. :x

And definitely bread.





I've been so busy, and at least a little time has been spent on sewing. Nicky's allowing me to get very little done on the weekends; but during the week, I can get some fun time. Although I have to admit... some of my 'away' time is spent with my sister, watching my nephew play baseball. I should probably shop, right? ;)

So, the 'door' quilt, or the 'house' quilt, or whatever anyone else calls it at any particular time when they walked through here and it was hanging up- it's done, and due to be bound.

Since the weather hasn't been photo- friendly in weeks, these are by lamp light:








The one thing I noticed about this batting (100% cotton) is that it shed like hell. I still like the weight of the batting, and how soft it is. 15 minutes of duct tape to pull all the fuzzies off is a small price to pay for the density and hand feel of this quilt- and the pleasure I had quilting it.






I realized that I just don't have it in me to make perfect quilts. I tried. I ironed, pressed, precisely cut with a rotary cutter, hand pieced, starched, prayed, felt the wrath of the invisible quilting police, and I'll be damned if I could get my points to line up.

Screw it, for now. Maybe I'll sit down (patiently and quietly, for once) and let my extremely talented friend teach me.

So I hit Flickr, where I go for community and inspiration. I found so much of both.
Then, I found Gee's Bend quilts again. I love everything about their quilts. Everything. I love how some of them are made with corduroy, knitted fabric, and the clothing of beloved family members. I love that the quilting is free hand, and not carefully measured- it is harmonious and loving and perfect. I love the colors and the layouts. I love the "free- ness" of it all.

I wanted orange and blue together in my bedroom, and this is what came together. It's simple, and very hasty... I was almost done with the quilt pictured above, and I needed something else to stitch on, asap. I didn't measure this one, but I'm thinking it's going to be close to a full sized quilt. I still ironed and pressed, and trimmed my seams.






And I will say this: my favorite basting technique is safety- pinning, then thread basting. If I exclusively safety pin baste, I always have to un-do and re- do the pins. When I thread baste, I baste sections about 3" apart and it works out beautifully.

I don't use a frame or a hoop, I just drape it over the corner of the table and another chair. I am looking for a large floor frame, but this method works just fine for me, too.




Jess