Acceptable Madness

Fun fact about me: I often do not follow the directions when making a quilt. I pay attention long enough to get the cutting correct, and then I usually just refer to the pictures and sew, sew, sew. If this weren't my tendency, the entire post you are about to read would not have happened.

My title refers to the name of the quilt I have been stitching for most of this month - Diagonal Madness, a pattern by Kaffe Fassett featured in his book, Country Carden Quilts. I have finally completed my quilt top, and while it lacks a cohesive look, the title gives me license to put my own spin on it. I now deem it acceptable.

Kaffe's version pictured above shows distinct diagonal movement as well as vertical movement all created by the placement of fabrics. Note, too, the checkerboard border - I will come back to borders further down this post.

So in earlier posts, I have explained how I let a significant gap of time lapse from when I began this quilt until this month when I decided to finish it. I could not have foreseen the exasperating complications this gap would cause. My vision from 8 months ago and my vision now were very, very different, and the result was a chaotic mess. See previous post for pictures.

Today, I finished the remake of this quilt. In addition to unsewing almost half of it, I also removed two rows across the bottom. Yes, those directions certainly would have told me how many rows were needed, but gosh, who has time to read directions? I just stopped when it seemed 'enough' and after I'd gone a good ways into it, I realized I got a bit carried away on the length. So that was fixed with my seam ripper as was my chaotic placement of fabrics in this newer portion most recently added.

The photo above shows all my deconstructed rows pinned in place as I attempted to rebuilt a quilt top that suited me. All the upper left was what I made back in September. I wanted my new part to 'work' with my original part.

I finally finished the quilt top and spread it out on the bed. While I still see parts I would or should fix, I am not so bothered that I am willing to do further unsewing. In other words, I can live with this.

It is evident without the visual aid, but I put in some dotted lines to show where I would do more work if I were so inclined. (I'm not.) Everything above the top dotted line was done last September. Everything under the top dotted line was my addition this month. Everything under the lower dotted line was sewn, unsewn, and resewn. And in between the dotted lines, I selectively removed blocks and changed out here and there in an attempt to establish some manner of cohesiveness. I wasn't entirely successful, but it's better than it was.

So here are some random shots from different angles. I do love the variety of color in this quilt. It is quite a happy quilt, in my opinion.

Now to the topic of borders, which I alluded to above. This part of the quilt measures roughly 70" x 74" - I will be more precise once I  trim it. I went to my Kaffe Fassett stash to consider outer border options. I decided early on that I would not be doing a checkerboard border. Too much work. I have worked hard enough on this quilt as it is, I will just do regular old borders and move on. So here are some options I am considering.

By using those light blue setting triangles to frame the quilt, I technically already have a nice inner border. So my first inclination is to simply add a bright and bold outer border and be done with it. One problem: I don't have tons of yardage for that. My biggest piece of KF yardage is the blue above, and I would definitely need a middle border if I were to use this.

My preference is a single bold border. I pulled my biggest pieces and they are shown numbered above. My least favorite of these is number 1. It is just not bold enough, in my opinion. I have an idea that I can piece the three other options above into a border and it would look quite striking. Or I could shop online for adequate yardage of 2, 3 or 4. That is doable, for sure. If they are still available. I bought these years ago. Literally, like more than 10 or 15. It is old stuff.

So there's my madness saga. The final chapter in the saga has come, and none too soon.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Diagonal Madness Creates Madness

A more aptly named quilt I have never known. It is the simplest pattern to sew, yet somehow I managed to include some colors and fabrics into the mix that for some reason did not meet my "eye test." Consequently, I have spent the better part of this week considering alternatives and performing quilt surgery, all in an attempt to set things right.

I may be back on track. Let me show you.

Over a week ago, I was determined to at last finish Diagonal Madness, a quilt top I started late last summer.  It has been hanging half completed on my design wall all fall and winter! It was definitely time.

I have to say that it was lovely to look at through all these months. What cheerfulness! Those luscious Kaffe Fassett colors and prints cause my heart to skip a beat!

I spent parts of several days working on the remainder. I had no plan except for the picture in the book; I was choosing fabrics and colors as I went. Notice that in this much of my work, there is really not a lot of truly diagonal placement, so I worked intentionally to create the diagonal effect in the rest of the quilt top.

At the stage where I took this picture, I was growing increasingly concerned that my cohesiveness was becoming a wreck. To begin the diagonal "look" across the middle of the quilt was not at all pleasing to me. I stopped. I had to think about this. My mind worked and worked on it, figuring possible solutions.

The picture above shows some lighter prints pinned on top of dark ones to erase the severity of the diagonal across the middle. It helps it a lot, in my opinion. It still shows a diagonal, but much more subtly so.

My next concern was the overly "dark" conglomeration in the bottom right area. The first part I did was so much lighter and brighter; I wanted that same look throughout the entire top. So I added the next row using lighter and brighter fabrics. Hmmm. The dark section was not greatly improved.

 I took my nearly finished top to another space in the house to see if lighting made a difference. I don't think so. My eyes like what I did back in September; and what I have recently added appears to be messy in all spaces. So what to do??

Get the ripper.  

I began deconstructing; surgery in a serious way.

What is shown in the photo above is my current state of affairs. I will get back to the machine this evening or tomorrow in an attempt to finally finish off this quilt top.

This should be a lesson for me: do not let so many months interrupt quilt top construction, especially when the top has a distinct "look" that requires planning. I totally lost my eye for the plan in those many months of inactivity.

Happy Quilting, Friend!

Work Room Vibes

Outdoors today was gray, rainy, sleety, breezy and foggy. Total ugh. But in my sewing room, the brightness shines!

I have mini-quilts on the wall. Just random ones that I have made over the years. A Sunbonnet Sue sits in the chair on a pillow that Grandma made for DD Emma back when she was a baby - 26 or 27 years ago.

On the design wall is half of Diagonal Madness, the Kaffe Fassett quilt I started last fall. The plan is to get back to finishing it as soon as I have my current project done.

The current project is draped over the table - Summer Nights, a pattern by CottonWay. I worked on it all day today, which made for a very satisfying business, I must say. Those sleet and rain showers just pounded away on my window, but my machine was humming right along.

This last picture shows a bit more of the design wall with the scrappy project underneath Diagonal Madness. I definitely will be getting back to that, too, as time permits. I really love the way those scrappy bits are coming together.

I hope you had a sunshine-y day even if you were in the pervasive gray weather we've had lately.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Works In Progress

I think I start too many projects. Emphasis on START.

On Monday I had a full day set aside on which to sew with Frienzies, and when I went to the sewing room ostensibly to get my stuff ready to go, I had a heck of a time deciding which project to work on.

Aaahh!

I could not make myself focus! I truly want to work on them all, and of course that is impossible, so how does one pick? If I would finish one before starting another, I wouldn't waste so much time deciding.

It came down to choosing out of five options - three needed the sewing machine; two required hand-work. I will tell you what won out after I show you the five contenders.

First, I thought about taking the jelly roll squares - a red pile and an off-white pile. They would have been fun to sew together into the quilt top. Above, the individual blocks are laid out on the bed creating a pleasing red chain one direction and an off-while chain the other. Here's when I started it.

Next, I considered taking Diagonal Madness. It is always fun to sew Kaffe Fassett fabrics with the Frienzies, as so many of them have their own Kaffe stashes and quilts. The diagonal placement of the colors and squares requires attention; could I muster that with the Freinzies? Here's when I started it.

Another contender was the Quilter's Planner sew-along quilt. All the individual blocks are made and now the quilt top needs to be constructed. The background comes together in long strips. The directions have lots of numbers/measurements. I knew I would be talking and visiting - not concentrating, in other words. Again, could I muster that? Here's when I started it.

I have been working diligently on my Roman Holiday table topper with my big-stitch quilting. I have every intention of finishing it before Christmas, so it was a definite contender. I did take it along with me on Monday, but I did not take a single stitch on it. Here's when I started it.

The winner was Lake Effect, the 10-year project that I have basically avoided for about 3 months now. I was at a place where a break just seemed right. I am currently all revved up to do some back-basting, and this was how I spent my Monday. And, happily, several pleasant evenings since. *smile*

While I do seem to lose a lot of time spinning my wheels with indecisiveness, eventually, I manage to focus.

Of these five WIPs, I honestly think I can get Roman Holiday completely finished, and quilt tops for Diagonal Madness and Jelly Roll completed this month. I will allow myself to save the Quilter's Planner for December, and of course, this Lake Effect will take years. I have called it a 10-year project; I am just two years into it, so I have plenty of time left. No hurry, for sure. The fabric was purchased in April of 2017; here's a 2018 post about hexies for Lake Effect.

How do you overcome indecision in the sewing room? Help a girl out with suggestions!
Happy Quilting, Friends!

Diagonal Madness

I love the name of this quilt - Diagonal Madness. It's a Kaffe Fassett quilt from his book Country Garden Quilts. I figure I will be exhibiting a fair amount of madness as I try to work on this through a busy fall semester.

This is the quilt featured in the book. I have had it earmarked for several years. My selection of this quilt was made largely for the use of many fabrics - none of which is needed in large amounts. I have lots of his fabrics, but very few are cut larger than a half yard or a full yard. I would be hard pressed to come up with extensive yardage for less scrappy-looking quilts.

I spent some pleasant bits of time throughout this weekend perusing my options from these books. Not shown in this picture is a view off all the tabs sticking out of the tops. I use sticky note tabs to mark quilts that I like; and then over time, if I have forgotten patterns, the ones I like are easily identifiable. Interestingly, I have gone back through old books and magazines and wondered what I was thinking with a few that I find marked. The photo below sorta' shows some tabs at the top of the book.

I LOVE the riot of color so characteristic of Kaffe's fabrics. This quilt promises to be really fun to work on!

The 4-patch blocks are 4 inches at this stage. These will be sewn with plain 4-inch blocks, and they will be laid out on point. I am going to use a distinct fabric for the setting triangles - probably light - something that will frame the center. Then I will think about the 9-patch border on down the road.

I plan to have fun working on this quilt. I am not putting any pressure on myself to work hard at it, as I know the school work will be picking up in a few weeks.

In addition to the school work, I have two or three other projects to focus on this month. I will put together a blogpost about those soon.

Happy Quilting, Friends!