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Basted and waiting... FreshofftheFrame.com |
And then I caught the plague, or something. It has kicked. my. butt.
I forced myself out of bed to teach in Fairview last weekend, plague and all. The workshop (sponsored by the Fairview Agricultural Society) was a ton of fun, but by the end of the day I could barely croak out any sound at all. Luckily, by then, everyone was on their way to mastering paper piecing!
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Piecing was well under way, and some even had veins on their leaves by the end of the day! FreshofftheFrame.com |
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Still smiling together after 29 years! FreshofftheFrame.com |
On Thursday I dragged myself out of bed again to hit the frame.
Four days later, I'm happy to
(Still no voice and not feeling 100%. Blah.)
I love me some before and after shots . . . I hope you do, too, 'cause I have lots!
Each block has its own character, which I tried to enhance with the quilting.
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Before FreshofftheFrame.com |
Shonna's birdhouse clearly required a flower filler. I also stitched around each bit of applique. I think it helps things pop, and makes a crisper finish to the block.
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After! FreshofftheFrame.com |
The next one required some research. Vertical siding? Horizontal? Both? How would a house like this have been finished in its day? (Yes to both, as it turns out.)
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Before FreshofftheFrame.com |
Just for fun, the background quilting for Margaret's mid century modern house is loosely based on a wallpaper design from that era.
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After! FreshofftheFrame.com |
What do you do when you live in a shoe?
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Before FreshofftheFrame.com |
Quilt a grid in the background, that's what!
And, of course, outline every bit of applique and stitch where it makes sense to stitch.
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After! FreshofftheFrame.com |
One house needed stonework. (Cannot remember who contributed this one - sorry!)
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Stonework FreshofftheFrame.com |
Another needed charming roof tiles and a swirly sky.
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Liz modeled this after her own abode. FreshofftheFrame.com |
Alice's block was particularly perplexing . . . what did it need?
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Before FreshofftheFrame.com |
It wasn't speaking to me, so I just tried not to mess it up. That was my big plan. Do NOT mess it up.
There were plenty of things to ditch around, so that's where I began. All that ditching gave me time to think about the next step. And the next. ("Start with what you know" and the rest will follow.)
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After! FreshofftheFrame.com |
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Top half of quilt, pinned to board FreshofftheFrame.com |
When I loaded the quilt, I had stitched-in-the-ditch around the perimeter of every block using a ruler to aid the process. The applique and piecing in each block were all stitched and ditched freehand as I got to them.
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Bottom half of quilt, spritzed and pinned. FreshofftheFrame.com |
I worked block-by-block because the quilting ideas had to develop organically. That meant I couldn't just slap a colour on the machine and do ALL of that colour throughout the quilt. Nope. That would have been too easy. Ha!
One more quick before and after!
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Before FreshofftheFrame.com |
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Fresh off the frame - not yet blocked. FreshofftheFrame.com |
I don't suppose it will raise enough money to cover so many hours of quilting, but that's beside the point. There are twelve little works of art in this quilt that needed showcasing. . . and the quilting is mine to donate!
When the quilt is auctioned, we are hoping that whoever buys it will donate it back to hang in the Rotary House when it is completed. That would be so cool!
Have a happy week, everyone!
Linking up with:
Main Crush Monday, at Cooking up QuiltsMonday Making, at Love Laugh Quilt
Linky Tuesday, at Freemotion by the River
Fabric Tuesday, at Quilt Story
Try, Learn, & Grow!
Carole
P.S. Find me on Instagram under my blog name, FreshofftheFrame