Scraps Beget Scraps

 

I added the backing to Monet and top-stitched the edge.  I had every intention of stitching some stabilizing lines vertically.  Instead, I threw it in the washer and drier and declared it done.  Quarter for size reference of the 1" squares. 

Since there's no quilting, I shall henceforth refer to this as the Monet Coverlet. 

After placing all those 1.5" squares, I was so ready to throw away the extras.  But there were so many "good fabrics" in the mix.   I started a leader/ender project while I was finishing up the Monet top, and today combined the pairs for 100 4-patch blocks.  I have some vague ideas of combining these with HST using the blue leftovers.  

Twiddletails posted this quilt along of Leaves in the Forest, just as I was wondering what to do with the weird olive leftovers I wouldn't usually buy.  

I was able to pull these scraps together to match the pattern colors.  

And did these test blocks (Block #4 on top, #1 on bottom) that include 9 of the 12 colors in the quilt pattern.   They appear to play well together.  

On a bright note, both of these somewhat random piecing projects are good start/stop type projects that allow me to work 30 minutes at a time, unlike the larger, more complex projects I've been finishing up.  Hopeful that will keep me on task. 

Monet Finish

 

11 years and much cussing later, Monet's Lady with Parasol is pieced. 

Finished size is 85"x 107"

This is how it looks on a Queen size bed. 

Definitely larger than the original. 

On the back of the flimsy, you can see 3 different brands of fusible that was used to position the squares.  There are even some sections I put together without the fusible. Once it's positioned, it is sewn, right sides together a row at a time with 1/4 inch seams.  Since it is so secure, and there are SO MANY seams, my plan is to add a double wide backing but no batting.    Almost done!

Addendum:  Ended up just adding a backing and topstitching the edges to make a coverlet.  Details in next post.

Final Push

 

Over the course of the week, I finished sewing 4 sections of the side panels, and discovered a section (top left) that was only 1/2 sewn.  I'll do the vertical seams when I do the last 4 panels. 

The top and bottom left panels are fused and ready for stitching.  I am out of 50% of the original fabrics, so did some clever substitutions.  Laid down the fabrics that I did have, and filled in with similar options. 

This morning I organized what was left of the original colors.  Added 7 more substitutes from the stash.  Will do my best to match colors to the original where it meets the other panels, and freestyle the rest.  As par for this project, I seem to be a panel short of the fusible.  SIGH.

Furlough Finishes

I often joke that my job really gets in the way of my hobbies.  A 4 month work furlough for Covid-19 really proved that to be true.  While I typically finish 4-6 quilts a year, depending upon complexity, I've finished 17 of varying sized and difficulty, not to mention about 3 dozen face masks.

Loud was started a couple years ago.  The hand applique took forever to finish.  It was a re-work of 2 other designs. 

 Then a series of original designs.  Vizsla is a fund raising quilt for a friend.  

Covid quilt for Chris, started before the furlough and finished during.

His & Hers wedding quilts.  

An octopus for my daughter.  

Then I got a little obsessed with underwater photos.  So a jellyfish.

Starfish.

Squid (or is it a cuddle fish?)

Of the 21 projects on my 2020 goal list, I completed 8, but only 1 from my oldest UFO list.  I started a quilt for my mom in 2010 that was going to include 80 squares with themes about her life.  I made 9.  The week before her birthday I planned to put them together for a pillow for her.  She insisted she had no use for a pillow.  So in a couple days I made 6 more blocks and quickly quilted it.  Still need to take pictures of the final outcome as I was putting the binding on at 5am the day we were headed to her house.  

And somewhere between projects, I cleaned up the sewing room and put together packets of scraps, leftovers and random fabrics to make a series of NICU donation quilts.

I am scheduled to go back to work next week.   Leaving me just a few days to make progress on Monet so it doesn't get abandoned again.

Slogging

 

It is hard to properly express how much I hate this project right now.  This represents a day and a half of placing squares.  There are in the neighborhood of 2270 in these 5 panels. The center panel is the missing piece of the previous post.  Following the design as accurately as possible. 

I don't have enough of any of the fabrics to finish the plan as it started.  The outer panels, I focused on making the first 4 connecting squares true to the pattern, then free styled the rest.  

I am down to 4 panels, each 30 x 12 pieces.  So 1440.  Unfortunately, they are the top and bottom panels which have darker squares.  And I am pretty sure I don't have the fabrics needed.  Good thing I'm the queen of improv. 

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/woman-with-a-parasol-madame-monet-and-her-son/EwHxeymQQnprMg?hl=en

So Over Monet

I am so ready to be done with this.  And it is not helping that Blogger flipped this image, clearly to annoy me.  I should be excited that there is only one section 15x 47 to go.  But that's just the feature panel.  Turns out, that makes the quilt 61x 108, so I'll have to add 15" side panels on each side to make it a bed spread.  (Weirdly, my original plan was 72x96, but maybe math isn't my forte)

On a positive note, I convinced myself that I don't have to quilt it.  This is the back of the panels which has the fusible web and a million seams.  The fabric is quite secure.   I just ordered an extra wide fabric back that looks like canvas.  I will either use some tacking stitches to keep it from shifting, or I may FMQ outlines of the boy, parasol and lady to hold the back to the front. 

And I am going to do some improv piecing on the outer panels.  My  3 year old granddaughter came for a visit and decided that the yellow cardboard identification tags that I had used to keep the 60 colors straight were really interesting.  I don't really have the energy or interest to sort that $#@! out.