Friday, February 14, 2020

The Benefits of Having Unfinished Quilts

Last year, 2019, was a mostly sedentary year for me, as I worked on sewing the projects for my upcoming book, and then writing the copy, and drafting the diagrams.

I entered this new year, 2020, with the goal of getting back in some sort of shape. My son and I went on a little hike a few days after Christmas. Afterwards, although I didn't fall or anything, my left leg was aching. After the first of the year, I went to the gym and did some weights, and a few days later started going to a fun line dancing class three days a week.

Long story short, things took a turn for the worse, and at the end of January I tore the meniscus in my knee, and I have been forced to stay off my legs for the last few weeks.

Time to pull out an old project!

I started a quilt in the year 2000, and it's been an on again, off again project for years. But the last of it is an appliqued border, and the pieces, for the most part, are prepared and ready to applique (except for the hundreds of berries, which are in various stages of production).

I'm happy to say that although I'm not happy about being injured, at least I have a little progress on this quilt to show for it. The vines are completely done on this last border, and the two red birds are applied. Woo hoo!


Left to do will be making and adding berries to the vines on two of the borders, then sewing them on the quilt. Here is what the berries look like on one of the completed borders:


The interior of the quilt has twenty five hand pieced and appliqued blocks, and that part has been done for a long time. Each block has completely different fabrics and here are just a few: 




When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And in my case, the lemonade is a little progress on my 20 year old quilt project!

Until next time,

Martha

6 comments:

  1. Martha, this is so stunning!!! Sweet lemonade for sure! Wishing you quick healing...

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  2. Your quilt is stunning! Can't wait to see the whole quilt! You have such talent for color and for design. Love the "rick-rack" sashing. Is it really rickrack, or appliqued fabric? Whichever, it's great! Hope you're back on your feet soon.

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    1. Thank you! I do hope to have the whole quilt done one of these days :). The "rick rack" is actually appliqued fabric, similar to what I applied to the seams of one of my early patterns, Little Basket Strippy (on my website). Thank you for the well wishes!

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  3. Beautiful! And I am delighted to see that you too bought some of the same fabric that I did... the center of that last block. Sorry you got hurt, but you are making a beautiful quilt in this time of waiting to heal. Not wasted time, just will have to regain use once you are back on your feet.

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    1. Thank you! It's always fun to see fabric that you own in another quilter's project!Thank you for your kind thoughts. I'm still recovering, and was sewing on a few berries just this morning!

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