Saturday, August 11, 2007

I have nearly finished investigating all the containers in my sewing room, but I wasn't prepared for the contents of this latest lot. I started this quilt about 7 years ago, I rather think it was in the New Jersey Quilts book. Seeing I can't put my hands on that book right now, here's a mock-up in EQ6. The block is called Jacks On Six in BlockBase; weird name. I wanted it big enough for our queen bed, 41 blocks, and I wanted it straight away, so I worked out a cutting plan and a system for piecing it quickly and away I went.

I cut and I cut and I cut. I sewed and sewed and sewed.
This would be 18 blocks with sashing and setting triangles. And here's where I came unstuck. The bottom half has darker corner posts between the sashing strips than the top half. Also some of the blocks have darker backgrounds. I simply couldn't decide which I liked better. I kept sewing and cutting out blocks from different fabrics, desperately trying to make a decision.

Mereth came for a visit and was appalled! Impressed by my speed and superb organisational skills, but nonetheless aghast that I had cut up so much fabric for one quilt. I took no notice, I knew what I was doing. Right up until I got heartily sick of the whole thing and packed it away in four containers and put them in three different places and never went back to even look at it until now. I must have been deranged, high on fabric fumes or something.

Here's what was in the containers.

Background strips.
Pieced strips for half-square triangles using Nancy Martin's method.
That's the pieces for 15 blocks.That's 23 blocks already pieced.
And this is the container of sashing strips and setting triangles, complete with two sets of cornerposts.....
I spent an hour or two this afternoon cutting the rest of the half-square triangles, finding all the pieces and putting together enough bits for 25 blocks.
I pieced one to see how long it would take. 5 minutes.
Incidentally, I like the top half of the pieced section better, with the lighter blocks and corner posts. It was my original choice, before I made everything too complicated. Mereth was right to shake her head and wonder at my sanity.

Now can someone please explain what I am going to do with 66 of these damn things?

8 comments:

mereth 4:13 PM  

Oh. My. Goodness. Why can we see each other's lunacy so clearly, and not our own? I knew you could never put all that into one quilt, and I was right, wasn't I?Oh well, it's cut, but not wasted, we'll think of Something you can make with the leftovers......

meggie 6:06 PM  

O! I wouldnt presume to make suggestions. I admire your dogged determination.
Good luck with it all. And I just know, you will find a suitable home for everything!

Helen in the UK 6:44 PM  

Glad you managed to find all the scattered parts of this project and get the blocks finished. Maybe you could make a small quilt with the leftovers and donate it somewhere? Look forward to seeing the finished quilt :)

Meredith 6:43 AM  

I will pay you to ship them to New Jersey. Ha Ha. I read your blog and enjoy it. Just this week i realized I should start leaving comments. I have enjoyed your blog. Keep up the good work you are one talented woman.

Mary Johnson 3:31 PM  

I'm impressed that after 7 years you still had things organized enough to pick this quilt back up in order to finish it. I haven't even been quilting for 7 years yet although I'm coming up on that anniversary this fall.

I think it's going to be gorgeous when it's done.

Christine 3:57 PM  

bigger quilt?

donation quilt??

draw a name from all who comment??

am doubly impressed that all the pieces were so well organised.

maybe use the blocks as part of a larger quilt...border, round whatever.

Lissa Jane 9:23 PM  

I love your blog, thought I should drop you a note and say how impressed I am you could find bits of a UFO from 7 years ago??? I can't find a tape measure I bought in June. Maybe you could have a draw? put them on ebay? send them here? LOL I love the fabrics you have used in this quilt, I used a few of them in a recent project of mine, a Lasagne Quilt!

Lynda (Granny K) 6:26 PM  

This is another gorgeous quilt! I'm sure you will enjoy pondering about what to do with the leftovers....nothing is ever wasted is it?!

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