Thank you @carolyn. I used to do home improvement and furniture renovation but my body said no, that's over. Using a sewing machine is a way to express creative urges, and the rhythm of the machine is like a kind of meditation. It can be kind of empowering and, while I'm doing it, I'm not on the internet, yay! Piecing together the quilt top of course is the most fun and creative for me. Completing the binding is kind of exciting because "It's almost done". The quilting part can be kind of a chore. I have ideas for two more big ones and a small one cooking in my mind now.
Gosh, Daniel, you have an artist's eye for colour and combination. Actually, you ARE an artist, and I love seeing your quilts.
Here are the first two blocks of my next quilt. The fabrics are mostly estate sale and thrift store men's shirt cotton fabric in shades of blue, white, grey. The original pattern is from Today's Quilting, in UK, by Lynne Goldsworthy. I'm using her instructions but my own ideas with fabrics and color. There are 13 total blocks, plus borders in between. No two blocks (stars) are the same although they make use of some of the same shapes. I'm making it up as I make each block. Much is from left over from other quilts, fabrics that I liked most. Chances are this quilt will take up to a year to finish LOL.
So, this is two small pieces in a big quilt, and you're ad-libbing as you sew? You make it sound so easy, but I know you spend a lot of time making your quilts and that looks absolutely lovely already!
@Droopy, yes. The quilt will have 13 of the star blocks, each one unique. Between the star blocks are blocks that frame them and connect them, that I haven't started yet. The patterns were from a magazine, and those were very colorful, with each star a different color. Mine is more muted, dark and light blue, dark and light grey, and white. I'm varying the patterns and colors within each star, and will try to have the main colors repeat in different ways throughout. I arrange the pieces before sewing them together and change them depending on how I like the effect. Thank you for the compliment. Im glad you like it! I usually do two quilts at the same time. The other will be very modern and full of saturated, rich colors. I haven't started it yet.
During the hot weather, I made a quilted cover for my old Kenmore sewing machine, so it stays clean. I also cleaned and oiled its insides. The cover is machine wash / machine dry cotton. A clean sewing machine is a happy sewing machine. It's also reversible so if I tire of it, I can turn it inside out for a different appearance. Sunflower mode "Old quilty mode" I think it looks like a pillow that just ate a big toaster. The sunflower side has pockets on both ends. If I make another cover, I think I'll omit the pockets. Both sides have handy handles.
Love your humour! A pillow that ate a toaster! The toaster-eating pillow is really lovely. You're making simple household utilities look like artwork, and why not? My grandmother's old sewing machine is beautifully decorated. I haven't used it in a long time, but maybe I should find somewhere to set it up.
Now there are four blocks for the star quilt. I'm undecided about the next set. I like these with the dark blue, grey, and white. I was planning to make the next four light blue, grey, and white. But laying them together, I don't think I like the light blue as much. The light blue star looks bigger because it's not sewn together yet. I'll have to try a few things and see what I like most.
These are the main star blocks for the quilt, now. I'm happy with them, although the white background for some is different from the others. I think that will show less when it's done. These will be surrounded by larger stars that connect them together. I think I'll use a light blue fabric. Four will be surrounded by diamonds. Those will be either light blue or grey. I'm leaning towards light blue. Or blue/grey. There will be one more star fir the center, a different pattern. What looks black in the photo is really dark blue.
Progress on the star quilt. All of the pieces are cut, and the featured star blocks are sewn. I laid it all out to see what I think. They are not necessarily in the final arrangement. Also, that diamond shaped surround for the lower left star is too pale. I can re-make it with different fabric. I don't know yet how I feel about this one. The colors might be too bland and pale. I do like the stars a lot, and how they look when assembled this way. We'll see how it looks when completed. Maybe I should make it again in richer colors.
Tha Thank you @Droopy. When it's done, I'll post some closeups. Each fabric has a pattern or texture that doesn't show in that photo. I just made grey replacement squares for lower left diamond. The light blue was too similar to the nearby large star. It's interesting - sometimes photos reveal more than the eye sees, and sometimes they obscure.
Bummer! I wanted to get the stitching perfect, so I ordered tailors chalk, drew the first line, and sewed it. THEN I thought, I better check to see if it washes out. You guessed it. Nope! So, I took out the quilting and stitching, removed the border from the marked blocks, and am removing the blocks. I THINK I have enough scraps to sew new blocks. Otherwise, I'll have to remove and replace just the marked blocks. Why do they sell tailor's chalk for sewing that doesn't wash out? Because they hate the customer! That's why! It will be ok. removing stitches is patient work. I'm halfway there now.
This is good Sorry to hear about the set back on the quilt. Doesn't make much sense that it wouldn't wash out. Half way to all of the way, is almost as good as done. It will be really beautiful when its done, with a story behind it.
