I've been enjoying a kind of catch-up, purge, and clean phase amidst the Christmas decorating (which is still not complete) and shopping. With the completion of Journey Three, I can allow myself a few weeks to do some things I have put on the back burner for a very long time. Yes, very exciting things indeed, like tackle the piles of fabric that I pulled for possible inclusion in a future project, do battle with the enormous dust bunnies growing under my sewing machine table, and wrangle the various papers I have in a holding pattern waiting for file folders.....yes, exciting. I just don't know why I waited so long to do this?! It does feel pretty good to get things in order. I'm an organizer at heart, and the rest of the house is maintained daily, but my studio....well....enough said.
This quilt went with me to the Mill Creek Settlement Retreat a few weeks ago as a UFO, and came home a UFO as well. Sigh. Initially, I cut fabric for four of these quilts, and made three right away, giving them to friends and family as Chistmas gifts......in 2008! My blocks were sewn, but never put together. That's what I did at Mill Creek. I intended to finish the quilt there, but failed to notice that I didn't have my border fabric in the box, so back home it came, still a UFO. The borders went on this week and it's finally finished. Exhale! While the quilt is red (smile), green, and black, you might be thinking Christmas quilt....but no....it doesn't have a Christmas print in there. These are the colors of my family room, so it will be a fine addition to the cuddle quilts available to the family for the coming snowy Chicago winter.
There is an interesting dilemma with this story....of good intentions...and real life. When I made the three other quilts (in 2008), I made the backings for all four quilts (that's the good intentions part, thinking I would piece mine right away), and promptly put labels on all of them. That means that the backing for my quilt has been ready long before the quilt top was completed (that's the real life gets in the way part). Here's the dilemma....do I use the backing with the label, dated 2008? Or, should I remove the label, replacing it with a 2011 date? Or should I be creative and alter the 2008 label? I thought perhaps I could add a c. - circa symbol? Or should I add another label, and addendum, if you will, telling the world my woe begotten story? Hhmmmm. What do you think? Who knew quilting could be so complicated??
Another UFO that's even older is this Thimbleberries quilt. I think I made this top in 2003....had it quilted in 2009, and its been waiting for binding since then. Shameful!! It now has its binding! Yay!
Gee, that feels good. Has this happened to you, too? Oh, I hope so....I don't want to be the only one with quilts waiting for their binding for years!!
Lots and lots more of these cuties! Yes...I'm already working on Journey Four! My Prairie Women's Sewing Circle class has been trading hexagons, thus increasing the scrappiness of our quilts. For me, sharing our hexagons, and fabrics, like the Prairie Women did centuries ago, makes the quilt very special and meaningful!
In the meantime, between cleaning and sewing, sorting and purging, I'll be celebrating the reason for the season. Once I get everything all done and cleaned up, I'll share a few photos with you. I'm not sure its all that great to look at, but I know how much I love seeing other people's homes decorated for the holidays, and am happy to share an idea or two.
Thanks again for taking a few moments to visit with me, and don't forget to leave me a comment about my quilt label dilemma, if you're so inclined!
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| Jingle All The Way by Renee Plains for Liberty Star patterns |
This quilt went with me to the Mill Creek Settlement Retreat a few weeks ago as a UFO, and came home a UFO as well. Sigh. Initially, I cut fabric for four of these quilts, and made three right away, giving them to friends and family as Chistmas gifts......in 2008! My blocks were sewn, but never put together. That's what I did at Mill Creek. I intended to finish the quilt there, but failed to notice that I didn't have my border fabric in the box, so back home it came, still a UFO. The borders went on this week and it's finally finished. Exhale! While the quilt is red (smile), green, and black, you might be thinking Christmas quilt....but no....it doesn't have a Christmas print in there. These are the colors of my family room, so it will be a fine addition to the cuddle quilts available to the family for the coming snowy Chicago winter.
There is an interesting dilemma with this story....of good intentions...and real life. When I made the three other quilts (in 2008), I made the backings for all four quilts (that's the good intentions part, thinking I would piece mine right away), and promptly put labels on all of them. That means that the backing for my quilt has been ready long before the quilt top was completed (that's the real life gets in the way part). Here's the dilemma....do I use the backing with the label, dated 2008? Or, should I remove the label, replacing it with a 2011 date? Or should I be creative and alter the 2008 label? I thought perhaps I could add a c. - circa symbol? Or should I add another label, and addendum, if you will, telling the world my woe begotten story? Hhmmmm. What do you think? Who knew quilting could be so complicated??
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| Thimbleberries |
Gee, that feels good. Has this happened to you, too? Oh, I hope so....I don't want to be the only one with quilts waiting for their binding for years!!
I addition to sewing a few UFO's, I've worked on several new quilts for special projects that are coming up in the spring. In the evening, I've also been working on cutting more Tumblers for my on going work-in-progress (not UFO!) Tumbler quilt........and.......
Lots and lots more of these cuties! Yes...I'm already working on Journey Four! My Prairie Women's Sewing Circle class has been trading hexagons, thus increasing the scrappiness of our quilts. For me, sharing our hexagons, and fabrics, like the Prairie Women did centuries ago, makes the quilt very special and meaningful!
In the meantime, between cleaning and sewing, sorting and purging, I'll be celebrating the reason for the season. Once I get everything all done and cleaned up, I'll share a few photos with you. I'm not sure its all that great to look at, but I know how much I love seeing other people's homes decorated for the holidays, and am happy to share an idea or two.
Thanks again for taking a few moments to visit with me, and don't forget to leave me a comment about my quilt label dilemma, if you're so inclined!
Pam
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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!
Great eye candy in this post :) I would alter the label. Maybe put in a footnote like: Finished 2011. Good for you for finally finishing the binding! It is shameful it sat so long, but we understand! Hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeletePam, I love the quilts! And like Jen mentioned, I would alter the label in some way...even leaving it as is, and adding another to say something like, "life happens...finished in 2011 with good intentions!". Everyone loves to see when something was made, and the date finished should work for that! Thanks for sharing the pics and nice to see the tumblers and hexagons shaping up!
ReplyDeleteI would add another little label. I really like the quilt. The different reds are really nice. You inspired me with your previous hexagon posts. I think santa is delivering hexagons to my house this year
ReplyDeleteLovely post! What a great swap idea - hexagons. No worries about them being the correct size, either!
ReplyDeleteIf there is room on the existing label, I think that I would scrunch in the present date alongside.
I would alter the existing label with a correction!! Imagine in many years time the discovery of this 'quirky' amended label, it would certainly add to the charm of this quilt and bring a smile to some future quilt collector/inheritor when they discover it!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam! LOVE the Thimbleberries quilt! Such a timeless design! As for your label...I think it's interesting to note the beginning and ending date, even if it is a long time in between. Let future generations think it was a REALLY hard quilt to make! Heehee! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDelete