Forget that I had set four (ambitious) goals for the month of March.
Ignore that two of them remain on my list for April.
Here is the finished top:
I considered adding borders and enlarging the top, but decided that simpler is better. I'll quilt it and then mount it on a frame for hanging.
As well, I took another drawing class!
This time we worked on drawing faces, starting with drawing a skull to familiarize ourselves with facial structure.
We then drew the face of a live model. Drawing from life is challenging, but completely absorbing. Faces are tricky, and I was glad of the instructor's tips on "holding" space for the nose and chin using circles.
Again I wondered why I don't draw every day. I find it meditative, and I could certainly use the practice!
Oh, hey...I discovered Rooibos Tea!
While not technically an accomplishment, it is a happy circumstance! Kim left some as a hostess gift. And, bonus, I get to enjoy it in my favourite handcrafted mug. (joy is everywhere, people!)
Jan-Michael from Quilting Among the Groves posted about a block his bee group is working on, and it looked like fun, so I gave it a shot.
I scrounged these fabrics from my scrap bin:
Following Jan-Michael's instructions, I pieced my block. Other than a bit of trimming along the way to make the squares fit, there is absolutely no wasted fabric when using this technique!
I like it!
Our next guild meeting is coming up, and I plan to share this technique with the group. If you'd like to give it a try, the link I provided to Jan-Michael's blog will take you directly to his tutorial.
Enough goals for one month!
Linking up with:
A Lovely Year of Finishes Goal Setting Party, at Fiber of All Sorts and Sew Bittersweet Designs
Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet, at Lily's Quilts
Let's Bee Social, at Sew Fresh Quilts
Anything Goes Mondays, at Stitch by Stitch
Show and Tell Tuesday, at i have to say
WIP Wednesday, at Freshly Pieced
Time to Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
Comments are welcome. Thanks so much for looking around!
Ignore that two of them remain on my list for April.
Instead, let's look at what I did accomplish!
- One guild "Sewing Saturday" was spent working on my dill applique, and I worked on it for another half day at my Mom's, but so far only the center bit is stitched. I'll keep picking away at it.
- I did clean instead of quilt, so....no photos of that nonsense. Even though I could cross it off my March list, it is something that is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.... truly complete. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.
- Irish Lass is pieced and on the frame being quilted, so that goal is partially complete.
- AND...I finished piecing my Kool Kaleidoscope quilt on the 31st...just under the wire!
 |
| I took this picture just for fun! |
Here is the finished top:
I considered adding borders and enlarging the top, but decided that simpler is better. I'll quilt it and then mount it on a frame for hanging.
As well, I took another drawing class!
This time we worked on drawing faces, starting with drawing a skull to familiarize ourselves with facial structure.
We then drew the face of a live model. Drawing from life is challenging, but completely absorbing. Faces are tricky, and I was glad of the instructor's tips on "holding" space for the nose and chin using circles.
Oh, hey...I discovered Rooibos Tea!
While not technically an accomplishment, it is a happy circumstance! Kim left some as a hostess gift. And, bonus, I get to enjoy it in my favourite handcrafted mug. (joy is everywhere, people!)
Something new caught my eye while I cruised the blogosphere a few days ago.
Jan-Michael from Quilting Among the Groves posted about a block his bee group is working on, and it looked like fun, so I gave it a shot.
I scrounged these fabrics from my scrap bin:
Following Jan-Michael's instructions, I pieced my block. Other than a bit of trimming along the way to make the squares fit, there is absolutely no wasted fabric when using this technique!
 |
| The scrap in the center is from a fabric I'd made for an art piece. |
Our next guild meeting is coming up, and I plan to share this technique with the group. If you'd like to give it a try, the link I provided to Jan-Michael's blog will take you directly to his tutorial.
What's Up For APRIL?
I'm so excited that my class with Judi Madsen (Green Fairy Quilts) is just over a week away!!! I'm hoping some of her jaw-dropping talent will rub off. :-)- Before I go to class, I hope to complete the quilting on Irish Lass.
That will be my ONE April goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes over at Fiber of All Sorts and Sew Bittersweet Designs.
I really like the premise of ALYoF. Finishing one thing each month guarantees twelve lovely finishes by the end of the year. That makes me smile. - I hope to receive my business license in the mail sooonnn! The paperwork has been approved, but awaits processing.
- As time permits I will work on my dill piece, stitching around the 400 (or so) remaining tiny bits of applique. Seriously. What was I thinking?!
Enough goals for one month!
Linking up with:
A Lovely Year of Finishes Goal Setting Party, at Fiber of All Sorts and Sew Bittersweet Designs
Fresh Sewing Day and Small Blog Meet, at Lily's Quilts
Let's Bee Social, at Sew Fresh Quilts
Anything Goes Mondays, at Stitch by Stitch
Show and Tell Tuesday, at i have to say
WIP Wednesday, at Freshly Pieced
Time to Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole
Comments are welcome. Thanks so much for looking around!
I love your Kool K it is beautiful and think your drawings are great! You have lots of talent! Good luck with your goals!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa! I have tried to be realistic about my goals this time around, so should be able to get to the finish line this time! Thanks for stopping by. :)
DeleteThat is an awesome list of pretty quilts, , awesome drawings, wonderful tips and great expectations for the class!
ReplyDeleteEsther
esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo com
ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com
Ha! Yes, great expectations for class is right! I'm excited to see some of Judy's quilting in person. It looks so amazing online. *smiling from ear to ear*
DeleteWow! I am soooo impressed by your matching points on your kaleidoscope quilt! Great work :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for noticing!!! If something is meant to be precise, I feel a need to strive for accuracy, even if it slows me down a bit (which it did). I think it was worth the extra care!
DeleteBusy lady still managed to get a lot done! I love that Jan-Michael block! Thanks for sharing! Your kaleidoscope quilt is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteIt felt like a busy month, but when I look around I can't actually SEE any progress! It helps to recap once in a while so I can remember all the fun stuff. Thanks for visiting, Lorette!
DeleteYou may not have accomplished all your goals, but you certainly weren't slacking! Love that Kool Kaleidoscope. And thanks for sharing the close up pic of the back! Great job on those drawings, too!
ReplyDeleteNope, not slacking...too much. I did take a day of couch-surfing after the kaleido workshop, but don't feel one bit guilty about it! It gave me time to read a novel I got for Christmas. Reading is dangerous for me. Once I pick up a book, I don't set it down until it's done!
DeleteI love Rooibos tea. I take milk in mine :-) great work this month
ReplyDeleteJust sweetener for me! It is the yummiest non-caffeinated tea I've ever met. Thanks for dropping by, Hannah. I notice that you have been very busy with your own great work this month! Way to go!
DeleteWhat an interesting month! Very nice kaleidoscope quilt. It reminds me of being a kid. :) I just tried a marzipan rooibos that was delicious. I recommend it. Next time I'm going to try putting a little honey in it.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom has a kaleidoscope from the fifties, which I loved looking through as a kid. In fact, I still enjoy it! Who can resist all the colours and sparkly bits? I added a little sweetener to my tea, and it was delicious. Honey will be great in yours!
DeleteFirst, you make me laugh with your intro and then wow, what great projects! New follower via Bloglovin! (I've been wanting to make some prayer flags, how did you like the project? Also, I am big into drawing, so will look forward to seeing more of your work!)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kelly! I hope I don't let you down!!! (oh, the pressure...ha!) :-)
DeleteI'm a prayer flag wanna-be. I put the link on my blog to remind me to make some, and so I can pop over occasionally and see what's new. Oh, no! I've probably already disappointed you! Ah, well...one day I'll feel inspired and just do it, already.
Have a wonderful weekend!
That kaleidoscope quilt is gorgeous! Wow! I can't draw at all, so your drawings completely amaze me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leanne! I'd bet that you can draw lots of things...you probably drew pictures as a kid, right? When was the last time you sat down with a pencil and just drew for fun? Doodles count! (You draw with your needle when you quilt, too, and I know you do that!)
DeleteHave a happy weekend!
Carole! Great job. I love the Kool Kaleidoscope quilt top, strange how seeing the wedges all stitched together really makes more whole. :) Also, bravo on the drawing class. I love the idea of doing something everyday, like drawing. It can be difficult, but it's also amazing to watch your skill set increase as you go. They say practice make perfect, but I think there has to be continual practice to get really good at the things we really hope to achieve. Great job.
ReplyDeleteWhy, thanks, Mr. B.! I love it when a quilt top comes together. Jan-Michael, I have to say, it is a bit intimidating to have an art teacher look at my drawings - gulp. I would love to have more training (I took an art class in grade ten), but even a two-hour class once in a blue moon helps. Daily practice would make a huge difference, but I'd have to pry myself away from quilting, so...hmm. So many interests, so little time!
DeleteI did see this block over at Mr Briggs...Hi above me :)....and you've done a great job it looks very precise...if I had space on my table I would try it but I literally don't LOL...your drawings are amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Not so precise, really. Just the illusion of precision thanks to centering the block and squaring it up at every stage. I like how snappy this block looks. You don't need much space to try it! Honest! (but I've seen your table, and you are probably smart to wait - ha!)
DeleteI've seen that pineapple-like block on a Missouri Star Quilt Company video recently too. Very nice choice of colours you made! I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next. ;-) Well done!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.busyneedle.ch
That's interesting! I wonder if the technique is the same, too? I'll have to hop over and look it up, just 'cause I'm curious now. Funny how similar techniques show up in clusters. Thanks for your visit, and your kind words, Elita. :-)
DeleteKool Kaleidoscope quilt really caught my eye..
ReplyDeleteYes, it is pretty flashy. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend.
DeleteI love it when the seams are just as pretty as the front!
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel, too! I also love quilt tops hung in front of windows for a "stained glass" effect. It's the little things that make life beautiful!
DeleteYou accomplished A LOT and what you accomplished is stunning. You should be pouring yourself a cup of tea and patting yourself on the back. I love how the block turned out from Jan-Michael's blog. I'm going to have to add that one to my list.
ReplyDeleteUh oh! Another one for the list! I am grinning like a fool because I have a list just like yours...ever growing! Isn't it fantastic to have so many interesting projects at our fingertips? Have a wonderful week, Jo. :-)
DeleteI am so glad you posted the back side photo showing how you pressed your seams open! I never know when to do that to reduce bulk. For beginner projects they always tell you to press them to one side and nest them, but I'm always caught by surprise when I have too many seams meeting up at one intersection and it makes an ugly mountain!
ReplyDeleteMost of the time pressing to the side has worked well for me, BUT there are certainly times when pressing the final seams open makes life sooo much easier. There's also a cool technique for "spiraling" the seams that helps reduce bulk even when pressing seams to the side. It involves popping a few unnecessary stitches in the seam allowance and allowing the fabric to splay open only at the center point where the seams meet up. Not sure if there are online tutorials available (what am I saying? There probably are!), but I could share in an email if you are interested?
DeleteI think the back of your Kaleidoscope quilt is just as pretty as the front. It has all the pop of the colors but actually gives a peek at the difficulty and work that went into the creation.
ReplyDeleteExcellent observation! I was drawn to the back, and now I know why. I think it looks so interesting and textural. So glad to have like-minded quilty people to share with!
DeleteLove the Kaleidoscope quilt, color placement is perfect.
ReplyDeleteGlad I found you on the Small Blog Meet.
SewingWilde@blogspot.com
Thanks, Pam. Me too!
Delete