Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Look closely...

 I finished all the Easter egg string blocks!!  Now to get them all sewn together.  And to pick a border, or make one...that is sometimes the trickiest part of the whole thing!
 I know you will recognize this quilt as one of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts.  Well...I have had it done a long, long time...and quilted too!!  It was another one languishing in the binding pile.  So...magic binding it is!!  I love that this quilt is now done and can be used by someone, instead of just forlornly looking up at me, beseeching me to get it bound!!  I feel so guilty about just sitting down and taking the time to hand bind. something, although I love to hand stitch...I just feel like I need to be up and doing something all the time! I need to get over that, but sometimes, a machine binding is just fine with me.  Please click on the link and see how to do it, if it is useful for you.
 A closer upper picture... (that is a word, right?)
 Hey!!  Look closely here...this is not scraps!!  A real bundle of fabric...one that I have had a long time, and fondled and admired, then carefully put back up on the shelf, the fabric being too precious of course to be used in a real quilt...until!!
Now!!   I am making this quilt, using this bundle of fabrics!!  Whoop!!  The pinks were experimental blocks...but they are going in the quilt too. Diana Martin, do you recognize that pink? I love that pink!  Lots of different batik blues, purples, and fuchsias.  I do not have a pattern, just figured it out...I think usually this pattern is pieced, but I am appliqueing the arcs.  The blocks are 6 inches finished.  So I again have a portable hand project to work on.  Yahoo!!

I am so guilty of keeping things, keeping them for "good", for treasuring them...until they are not good anymore.  I guess this is the depression era kiddo in me.  But I also do not want to die with a ton of fabric, not used, not warming someone's soul or body.  So, I am using it up...all of it!!  At least that is the goal here...wish me luck and come sew with me!




Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Julie

26 comments:

cspoonquilt said...

OOOH, I love the colors on your Easter quilts! And the diagonal set on the post today is onw of my favorites! You have been busy!! congrates on so many finishes! cheers, Claire W.

audrey said...

Good luck using your fabrics up! Your quilts are wonderful.:)

Jane said...

Your quilts look great! Thanks so much for sharing the binding technique. I have to try that. I love hand binding but it sure would help speed things up a bit! Oh, I share that depression era mentality. Guess I got it from my mama who actually lived it.

Rebecca in AK said...

I look forward to seeing what you do with the Easter egg string quilt. Love the blocks! A great idea for binding. I do love to sit and hand stitch, but it does take a while on a larger quilt. Looks like you have another beautiful quilt planned with you "new" fabrics!

Norece said...

I love reading your posts, they are always overflowing with great quilts and wonderful inspirations. Thanks so much for sharing your quilting journey with me!

ria vogelzang said...

Woooow!! You are going like a rocket! So fast!
All those gorgeous quilts I see in the last few posts!
Love the colours of your new project. :D
Have fun!!!
Love from the Netherlands, Ria.

paulette said...

OMGosh...you are a quilter on FIRE!! Love your quilts and that daisy block is wonderful!!
P

Loris said...

Sweet progress on your quilts!
Love the choice for that beautiful batik bundle.
I'm so funny about fabric. New collections I can cut right into. The old stuff in my stash that I've bought at sales or wherever....THAT is the stuff I have trouble cutting up...go figure!

Sharon said...

Love your new scrappy top. And btw, you are good enough for your good fabric. Same goes for the good china, if not you, then who????

Jan said...

I have just found your Blog. I too am a quilting nurse.I recently changed my job and My sewing space has been neglected for months due to the stress of my previous job. I am getting organised and looking forward to quilting again. I have my ufo's in a box ready to tackle. I love your Double delight quilt. I have just been looking at the pattern on Bonnie's website. I look forward to following your blog. Once I get my sewing space organised I will start blogging my quilting escapades.

Jan said...

I have just found your Blog. I too am a quilting nurse.I recently changed my job and My sewing space has been neglected for months due to the stress of my previous job. I am getting organised and looking forward to quilting again. I have my ufo's in a box ready to tackle. I love your Double delight quilt. I have just been looking at the pattern on Bonnie's website. I look forward to following your blog. Once I get my sewing space organised I will start blogging my quilting escapades.

Jan said...

I have just found your Blog. I too am a quilting nurse.I recently changed my job and My sewing space has been neglected for months due to the stress of my previous job. I am getting organised and looking forward to quilting again. I have my ufo's in a box ready to tackle. I love your Double delight quilt. I have just been looking at the pattern on Bonnie's website. I look forward to following your blog. Once I get my sewing space organised I will start blogging my quilting escapades.

Chantal said...

Oh Julie! You are so sweet always thinking of others and not you. Of course you may use your best fabric, you have the same right to it as anyone else. So cut away and enjoy. BTW that block is called Rose Dream. I started a Rose Dream quilt, all hand pieced, a long loooongg time ago. Yep, still not finished LOL. I love the colors of yours! Bet you finish it first :^D

Janet O. said...

The Easter Egg quilt is a scrappy delight!!
Your Bonnie quilt looks beautiful! And all it needed was a little binding--and classy looking binding at that!
Ooooo, pretty batiks. Yes, use that beautiful bundle of stuff. I struggle to do that as well, so who am I to talk? : )

Anonymous said...

Looking good, looking good! I tend to savor my uncut pieces too. We should be using what we love while we love it.

Michelle said...

Beautiful! Great job finishing up the older mystery quilt. I have that one as a bag o blocks...I need to finish mine too!

Kyle said...

Your beautiful batik bundle was just waiting for the right project to come along. Go and have some fun.

Nancy said...

I love your scrappy projects!

Have fun playing with the fabric bundle - the blocks look fabulous.

Leeanne said...

I know exactly how you feel! I too have problems cutting & using 'real' fabric! It took me over a year to start using the lovely wool bundle I won from you!

Quilter Kathy said...

Congrats on your finish! Doesn't that feel great!?!
Love your new quilt block... I really enjoy appliqueing those seed shapes!

hetty said...

Love your Easter egg blocks! That is going to be a wonderful quilt. Congrats on finishing Bonnie's mystery quilt. Fantastic!

Little Penpen said...

I don't comment often, but I am always lurking and drooling over your quilts. You amaze me how you can spit out so many beautiful quilts so fast! Love!!!

Helen in the UK said...

Loving the Easter egg blocks and the finished mystery (Double Delight I think). Great colours on both :)

Unknown said...

Love those new blocks in the purple end of the spectrum - do you piece the background first on each block and then applique?

Lori said...

Congrats on your finished quilt! Sometimes it takes me a long time to get to the binding, but I enjoy relaxing while hand sewing it. You have way more energy then the average quilter!!

Sarah said...

Ooh I love both the quilts yve she in this post! The Easter Egg string quilt is gorgeous. I really want to make a quilt using this block one day. Goodness knows I have enough strings! I love the colours youve used in the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt too. I like her quilts, but I prefer them when they are not quite so scrappy. Yours is perfect.

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