I'd hoped to finish "Irish Lass" before attending Judi Madsen's workshop earlier this month, but...
Who cares? It's finished now!!!!!
The weather outside is frightful, and indoor pictures are less than wonderful, but I must share!
Irish Lass has been quilted, rinsed (twice), blocked, and bound.
Here is a "BEFORE" shot for comparison.
Since going through the wash, the quilt has become extremely soft to touch. It also changed the look of the quilting from smooth and firm, to super crinkly.
O my gosh, I love it so much!
In celebration, I'm joining up with A Lovely Year of Finishes at Bittersweet Designs & Fiber of All Sorts.
(I'd set my April goals for ALYoF in this post.)
Next up:
Making a plan to finish an old UFO.
Here goes!
Tried my hand at oil painting at this month's library art night. I'd never touched the stuff before, so there was much to learn.
Did I mention these workshops are FREE? Even the supplies are provided. I love that I can have a little taste of a technique without spending a fortune.
The paint didn't smell as strong as I'd thought it would, and clean up was simpler than I'd anticipated as well.
After learning about various supplies, we dove in and started painting. I'd wanted to sketch on my canvas with a pencil first. Nope, not allowed! I was pushed right out of my comfort zone and into the paint! Glub!
Isn't it amazing how the same subject is interpreted so differently from person to person? Delightful!
Oil paint is incredibly strange to work with (it doesn't flow), but fun! My flowers need a bit more work (I got some finishing tips on the way out the door), so I may pick up a student set of oils next time I go to Walmart. At least now I know what to do with them!
Do you like trying new things? What kind of opportunities are available where you live?
Linking up with:
A Lovely Year of Finishes
A Stitch in Time, at Such a Sew and Sew
Anything Goes Monday, at Stitch by Stitch
Linky Tuesday, at Freemotion by the River
Show and Tell Tuesday, at i have to say
Let's Bee Social, at Sew Fresh Quilts
I Quilt Thursdays, at Pretty Bobbins
Needle and Thread Thursday, at My Quilt Infatuation
Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
P.S. I must mention that "Irish Lass" was one of my choices for The Library Project quilt along at Chezzetcook Modern Quilts (where I'm checking in for the month of May with this finish), AND that it was made using ONLY fabrics from my stash, in keeping with my Fabriholics Pledge (which is in effect until the last day of June... but who's counting!) Want to know more? Check out the buttons on my side bar!
Comments are welcome. Thanks so much for looking around!
Who cares? It's finished now!!!!!
The weather outside is frightful, and indoor pictures are less than wonderful, but I must share!
 |
| Irish Lass is FINISHED - yay!!! 59" x 71" |
Irish Lass has been quilted, rinsed (twice), blocked, and bound.
Here is a "BEFORE" shot for comparison.
 |
| This was also "before" I fixed the oops at the bottom edge! |
Since going through the wash, the quilt has become extremely soft to touch. It also changed the look of the quilting from smooth and firm, to super crinkly.
 |
| Back view |
 |
| When I stitched the feathers in the border I'd left space at the outside edge for a regular binding, but then...I changed my plan (sped things up) and bound entirely by machine. The tips of the feathers are just under the edge. So sue me. Ha! |
O my gosh, I love it so much!
In celebration, I'm joining up with A Lovely Year of Finishes at Bittersweet Designs & Fiber of All Sorts.
(I'd set my April goals for ALYoF in this post.)
Next up:
Making a plan to finish an old UFO.
Here goes!
Tried my hand at oil painting at this month's library art night. I'd never touched the stuff before, so there was much to learn.
Did I mention these workshops are FREE? Even the supplies are provided. I love that I can have a little taste of a technique without spending a fortune.
 |
| This paint set belongs to the library. |
The paint didn't smell as strong as I'd thought it would, and clean up was simpler than I'd anticipated as well.
After learning about various supplies, we dove in and started painting. I'd wanted to sketch on my canvas with a pencil first. Nope, not allowed! I was pushed right out of my comfort zone and into the paint! Glub!
 |
| Three painters, three interpretations! The top one is mine. |
Isn't it amazing how the same subject is interpreted so differently from person to person? Delightful!
Oil paint is incredibly strange to work with (it doesn't flow), but fun! My flowers need a bit more work (I got some finishing tips on the way out the door), so I may pick up a student set of oils next time I go to Walmart. At least now I know what to do with them!
Do you like trying new things? What kind of opportunities are available where you live?
Linking up with:
A Lovely Year of Finishes
A Stitch in Time, at Such a Sew and Sew
Anything Goes Monday, at Stitch by Stitch
Linky Tuesday, at Freemotion by the River
Show and Tell Tuesday, at i have to say
Let's Bee Social, at Sew Fresh Quilts
I Quilt Thursdays, at Pretty Bobbins
Needle and Thread Thursday, at My Quilt Infatuation
Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
P.S. I must mention that "Irish Lass" was one of my choices for The Library Project quilt along at Chezzetcook Modern Quilts (where I'm checking in for the month of May with this finish), AND that it was made using ONLY fabrics from my stash, in keeping with my Fabriholics Pledge (which is in effect until the last day of June... but who's counting!) Want to know more? Check out the buttons on my side bar!
Carol, What a wonderful finish for you. Your quilting really adds so much to the overall quilt, love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Abby, I love how a quilt changes when the stitches are added. :-)
DeleteWow, that turned out beautiful. (It was nice before,...... but the quilting takes it to another level), I like the look of what your planning for your next quilt. I think lots of secondary designs will start to appear.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy. I'm very happy with how this turned out, and learned a ton while doing it.
DeleteCarole, I love your plan for Day & Night! Will keep in mind should I make another one. Do you SID beforehand like Cindy Needham? Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alberta. I did some SID, but not everything. I don't want it to cut across the background quilting I have planned, so I only did around the borders and around the "stars" and star centers.
DeleteOh man, Carol, Irish Lass is absolutely stunning! Wow, what an awesome job you did!! One question, what type of batting did you use? Cotton, cotton/poly blend?
ReplyDeleteI cannot WAIT to see what you do with Day & Night! The plan looks awesome!
Thanks so much! I used Warm & Natural cotton (I think it is an 80/20 blend). I'll try a layer of wool on top of the warm and natural another time. It would help pop the designs even more.
DeleteIrish Lass is beyond stunning. I don't think I really have the words to describe it. Night & Day is headed in the same direction. Love your oil paintings.....I hope this isn't your last time working with them.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jo! I've taken a week away so my D&N table runner has not progressed one stitch since this post. I'm anxious to get quilting again. Sometimes I wish there were two of me so I could quilt and play with paints at the same time!
DeleteYour quilt is just stunning! I see you are going to work on Night & Day blocks now, love that block and it looks like your quilting will be amazing on it. I machine stitch my binding on too! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFreemotion by the River Linky Party Tuesday
Thanks Connie, I'm pretty thrilled with how it looks. I hope my Day & Night turns out just as well...it is an experiment in thread and design choices so I can figure out what I like (and don't like).
DeleteIt is absolutely beautiful! So much enjoyed seeing this...now I can't wait to get to my sewing machine tonight!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Andrea. I'm glad you are feeling inspired!
Deleteoh, my!! Your quilting is amazing! This is just beautiful!
ReplyDelete~ Tracy
I can happily take credit for the work (thank you!), but the design came from Judi Madsen's book, "Wide Open Spaces". I made the quilt as a practice piece to stretch my skills. Mission accomplished!
DeleteI love that you showed the quilt top along with the finished quilt, Carole. I am in awe of your quilting. What a gorgeous Irish Lass she is! Nice to see your painting, too. They look great against the brown background. Great job on all your lovely works!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, thanks Lorna...I'm so glad I pushed myself to make this quilt and do the work. :-)
DeleteWhat a lovely finish. And I like the beginning of the blue and tan one. You've got a lot going on! Looks fun!
ReplyDeleteFun is right! I've been away for a week and am anxious to get quilting again. Thanks for your lovely comment. :-)
Deleteabsolutely lovely! I have so enjoyed watching you work on this. This quilt is a great example of how the quilting takes the quilt to a whole other level!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have loved working on it and sharing my progress, and it all started thanks to your Library Project! If I hadn't joined up with you I may not have tackled it for some time, but since I had committed I was determined to make it happen (even though the idea scared me!). :-)
DeleteI am not sure where to start! I love that it is scraps and the pattern is great and your quilting looks amazing! I also love your idea for trying out a design for quilting too. Great work!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth! Thanks, thanks, thanks! What a wonderful, positive comment. I didn't think to describe what I used to audition the quilting design. It is a plastic page protector (I buy them in boxes of a hundred for a few dollars) marked with dry erase markers. I use a scrap of batting as an eraser if I don't like what I've tried so I can try something else. When I'm satisfied with my plan I take the "page" with me to the long arm so I can see it as I work.
Deletewow! Irish Lass is so beautiful! I love the wonderful texture that the quilting gives!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for partying at Needle and Thread Thursday!
:) Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
Thank you, Kelly! I love the texture of quilting, and this quilt does not disappoint, that's for sure! Thanks for hosting the party. I enjoy linking up and seeing what everyone is up to!
DeleteYour quilting is incredibly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angela. I can happily take credit for doing the work, but the design came from Judi Madsen's book, "Wide Open Spaces". I made the quilt as a learning exercise, and did I ever learn a lot! :-)
DeleteTotally wonderful quilting! Inspirational!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jo! I'm glad you stopped by, and especially happy that you feel inspired! Trying new things (learning, growing) is a passion of mine, and inspiring others to do the same is the icing on the cake!
DeleteWow! Your quilting is AMAZING! I love your Irish Lass quilt. The colors and fabrics and texture is amazing! Beautifully done! And thank you for linking up!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll link the UFO you're working on when you finish. I love the peek of it you showed. And your oil painting is beautiful! You have a great eye for balance and beauty.
xo -E
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! I will definitely link up when I finish the Day & Night table runner. Thanks for the fun linky party!
DeleteI just saw Judi's Irish Lass in person last Saturday. I have to say that yours is equally impressive. I love seeing how it looked after the wash. Congrats on a beautiful finish.
ReplyDeleteAs a heads-up, I did have to go through word verification to publish my comment.
DeleteThank you, Jasmine! I'll figure out how to get rid of the verification a.s.a.p. That totally drives me crazy!
DeleteGreat job on the finish. I am always amazed by how much a quilt can change after quilting/washing. This one went from impressive to amazing! Great work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chelsea! :-)
DeleteI was a bit worried about washing it (after all that work), but decided 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. I'm glad I took the chance. After all, who wants a cardboard quilt?
Just amazing and beautiful! Your Irish Lass quilt is just amazing. I was looking everywhere to try and take in as much as I could.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad I jumped in and challenged myself with the quilting. It's been great practice. I'm sorry that I can't reply directly. I can't find your email address on your profile or your blog.
DeleteThe quilting on the Irish Lass is phenomenol!! I love how quilting/washing a quilt gives it so much more character than just the quilt top alone. Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanette! You're right, the texture changes everything about a quilt...texture is one of my quilty pleasures!
DeleteSometimes I cringe at having to quilt a project because it looks so perfect just pieced, but this is an example of a quilt that springs to life and looks like something completely new and wonderful with the quilting finished - amazing work, Carole! And yeah for finishing up a Library Project piece : )
ReplyDelete