Quilting and Sewing Archives - Page 45 of 158

Irish Chain Quilt Top

March 19, 2020 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

First and foremost, HOW ARE YOU? Are you holding things together in your little corner of the world? I’m hanging on here, in spite of all the change that has come to our family of ten. With all the craziness in our world, sometimes I need to sew without paying much attention to what I’m doing. I have projects I’m passionate about that I want to work on, but the truth is my brain couldn’t handle one more puzzle piece. So I picked up my Irish chain quilt blocks and started sewing. Now I have a finished Irish Chain Quilt top!

I followed the quilt along directions from Amber at Gigi’s Thimble, which were clear and easy to follow. Now that the sew along has ended, she’s also made free printable instructions that are available here . My Irish Chain Quilt top is queen sized, measuring 90″ square, which is the larger of two sizes included in the instructions. I’m so glad I participated in this sew along, even if I didn’t manage to sew along at the scheduled pace.

I made my Irish Chain quilt top with voile and lawn fabrics. It’s super drapey and lightweight and perfect for summer. Finishing the quilt top now is an act of faith that summer will be happy, no matter what’s going on in the world.

This traditional pattern is refreshing in it’s simplicity and symmetry. I have always wanted to make one. I’ve decided to use lawn for the backing and bamboo batting when I quilt it. It will be the most lightweight, breathable quilt I’ve ever made. That’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

Now the question is, how should I quilt it? Again, I want it to be lightweight and drapey so I can’t over-quilt it. But it would also be fun to do something cool in the larger white spaces. Any suggestions for me? Have you ever made an Irish chain quilt, and if so, how did you quilt it? I’m already dreaming of sleeping under this one come summer….

One more question for you: what kind of project are you sewing right now, as the world changes almost hourly before our eyes? One that takes focus, to distract you, or one that takes minimal thinking so your mind can sort other things? I’m sure I’ll do some of both in coming weeks!

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Last Mandolin Block Finished!

March 12, 2020 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

I may deserve the title “slowest sewist” where my English Paper Piecing (EPP) projects are concerned. My Ice Cream Soda blocks still languish, untouched in over a year. The La Passacaglia quilt I want to make is still just a kit of tiny papers. But after two years of a stitch here and a stitch there, I finished my last mandolin block!

I forgot that I started with an extra set of papers, so I’ve got 21 blocks instead of the needed 20 to make a quilt top. That’s fine with me, because there were one or two that I wondered about while stitching them, so I can leave the worst one out. I shared the first 13 of them about a year ago. The remaining 8 I stitched in the tiny cracks in life’s transitions, and sharing them also fell through the cracks.

Still, with the last mandolin block done, I can now start on the filler blocks. I could/should have been making them along the way, but I just never prepped the pieces for them. That’s my biggest holdup with EPP: the prepping! I put it off and then do it in huge batches so I can sew for a long time without doing it again.

I promised myself I can start on a La Passacaglia quilt after I’ve proven to myself that I will actually finish an entire EPP quilt. Additionally, I started following @alewivesfabrics on Instagram a while ago. They post amazing Lucy Boston blocks every week. I might have purchased some papers to make a few of those blocks as well. That makes four EPP projects in my sewing room, but I resisted a couple others that also appealed to me. I guess it’s time to cut and glue my filler blocks so I can get started. I’m at the point that I’m not sure I’ll love my mandolin quilt. I hope I end up happy with it!

I Took a Risk and Here’s What I Learned

March 9, 2020 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty, Quilting and Sewing

Making something is both an exhilarating creative endeavor and an exercise in failure. I’ve experienced both, and I’m sure you have, too. Creativity is also an incredibly healthy outlet. It’s healing and in my head I understand it is the process, the experience that matters most. But in real life? In real life I sometimes catch myself acting like it’s about perfection. Last month I pulled out a quilt top that I never quilted because my skills didn’t seem equal to the beauty of the design. I basted it. And then I took a risk and here’s what I learned:

I learned that my best effort is just fine.

I did my own free motion quilting on this 88″ square quilt. It’s big and heavy and the blocks are very large. I made a lot of mistakes, especially on the straight lines. Although I did my best to follow the lines in the stripes, it’s wobbly. But I figured out a thread path for all the orange peel quilting in the hourglass borders and the block centers. I did it! And in doing it, I got better. While I slowly improved and stitched my way around the quilt, I also finished a beautiful quilt.

As I quilted this, I found myself thinking about all the times I told myself I’d ruin it if I tried to quilt it myself. I realize now that the only thing holding me back was my self-talk. Of course I made mistakes! But it still looks great! And its usefulness is unchanged by its flaws.

It made me wonder about other areas in life where I’m telling myself I’m not good enough. Honestly, quilting is very low-stakes. There’s a lot more at risk in other areas of life. Why hold back with fabric? Where else am I choosing to play small because I think I’m not enough? Why bow to fear? What if I found a way to dismiss those words “I shouldn’t because I’m not good enough” every time they enter my thoughts?

One thing is for sure, I’m going after this false idea in my creative work. And I’m going to take it to everyday life with more determination. The things we tell ourselves matter. If you’re holding back somewhere for fear you’re not good enough, get started. We all have to experience the gap between beginning and mastery. But your best effort is just fine. It’s the only way to improve. I took a risk and I learned. You will, too. And remember: beauty has absolutely NOTHING to do with perfection.

-Jennifer